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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDowntown Action - 1995-01-12DAC\1995-01-12 KITCHENER DOWNTOWN ACTION COMMITTEE JANUARY lQ, 1995 The Kitchener Downtown Action Committee held its inaugural meeting with the following members present; Mayor Richard D. Christy, Councillor Mark Yantzi, Councillor Karen Redman, Councillor Berry Vrbanovic, Councillor Jake Smola~ Robert Braun, Nancy Brawley, Lisa DeLeon, Karen Simonean, Brian Hunsberger, Ken Clark, Michelle Morissetti, Karen-Taylor Harrison, Bt'git Heilig, Sheila Marie Biers~ Others Present: Tom McKay, Tim McCabe, T. Brock Stanley, Sybfl l~'enette, Grant NLxon, Valerie Gibaut~ Stephen Lauer. Mayor R. Christy took the chat' and welcomed everyone. Mayor Christy asked each member to introduce themselves and then opened the floor to nominations for the position of Chairman and Vice- Chairma~ 1. APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN Moved by Karen Taylor-Harrison Seconded by Nancy Brawley "That Councillor Mark Yantzi be appointed Chairman of the Kitchener Downtown Action Committee." Mayor R. Christy asked if there were any further nominations No other nominations were forthcoming and Mayor R. Christy asked for a motion to close nominations On motion by Nancy Brawley Seconded by Robert Braun it was resolved "That nominations are closed and Councillor Mark Yantzi be appointed Chairman of the Kitchener Downtown Action Committee." Carried b) ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIRMAN Moved by Nancy Brawley Seconded by Karen Taylor-Harrison "That Councillor Karen Redman be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Kitchener Downtown Action Committee." Mayor R. Christy asked if there were any further nominations No other nominations were forthcoming and Mayor R. Christy asked for a motion to close nominations On motion by Councillor Mark Yantzi Seconded by Nancy Brawley it was resolved "That nomination are closed and Councillor Karen Redman be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Kitchener Downtown Action Committee." Carried Councillor Karen Redman, Councillor Jake Smola, Councillor Berry Vrbanovic and Brian Hunsberger entered the meeting. Mayor R. Chiqsty then vacated the char' which was assumed by Councillor Mark YantzL CHAIRMAN'S REMARKS Councillor IVL Yantzi thanked everyone for theh' support and stated that he is looking forward to the challenges ahead. Councillor Yantzi remarked that there is a long history of the Downtown action and much has been learned. Initially there was only one group looking at the Downtown, now the landscape has changed and there are a variety of groups It will be a challenge to blend all the varied interests and to adapt to the new interested players in the Downtow~ This will lead to many good discussions Councillor IVL Yantzi felt that the main focus of this Committee is to look beyond a quick fLx to the problems facing the Downtowm The decline of the Downtown was a slow process; the solutions should be substantive, sustainable, and longterm~ Time and resources will be needed. 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA - JANUARY 12, 1995 A Revised Agenda was handed out to Committee members On motion by Councillor B. Vrbanovic Seconded by Robert Braun -3- it was resolved That the revised Kitchener Downtown Action Committee Agenda of January lQ, 1995 be accepteck 4. APPROVAL OF MINIXFES - NOVEMBER 3, 1994 On motion by Nancy Brawley Seconded by Karen Simoneau That the minutes of the November 3, 1994 Kitchener Downtown Action Committee, be accepteck 5. COMMITTEE MEETING DATES ~Vh'. T. Brock Stanley noted that this Committee ta'aditionaHy meets on the fhst Thursday of every monte Mayor R. Chiqsty is not available to meet with this Committee on Thursday mornings Therefore, it is proposed that future meetings be held on the fh~t l~qday of every montl~ It was agreed that the next meeting would be held on Friday, February 3, 1995. At that time the Committee will evaluate il' l~qday is a suitable day for the members to meet. 5/h'. Brian Hunsberger suggested, in order to avoid confusion, that on all future notification of meetings the date should be highlighted in bold and underlineck 7. MAYOR R. CHRISTY - MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON DOWNTOWN Mayor R. Chiqsty stated that there have been many initiatives occu~aqng at City Hall and a number of groups have been working in the Downtown Core. Mayor Chiqsty felt it was time to addi'ess the concerns coming from these initiatives The challenge is to integrate all of the issues brought forth and decide where does Kitchener go in the future. It is necessary to b~qng new initiatives to the Downtown and to learn from the experience of other areas in North America~ One of the major themes coming out of the election was the concern the people of Kitchener have for the Downtown Core. Mayor Chi%ty stated that as a past member and Chairman of the Kitchener Planning Committee and the Downtown Revitalization Committee he sees the Downtown Core as an essential part of the mandate for the revitalization process As addi'essed in Mayor Chiqsty's inaugural speech he proposed to Members of Council a Task Force that will meet to coordinate and synthesize all the existing documentation, proposals and initiatives by individuals and associations on such major topics as the Downtown Revitalizatio~ This Task Force has been supported by Council in two round table sessions By January there was a certain urgency to move ahead to addi'ess the many initiatives now taking a lilb of theh' ov¢~ There had to be mechanism to achieve integration and to make sense of priorities and long-term programs Mayor Chiqsty felt that all of the initiatives from the Kitchener Downtown 4 Business Association, Kitchener Downtown Action Committee, Planning Department~ Parks and Recreation Department~ Economic Development Department and landlords should be evaluated by an external group. After meetings with Mr. Tom McKay, Council and senior staff a Task Force will be in place by the end of January, 1995 to b~qng together and evaluate ideas of all Departments~ 3/[s~ Sybil lqYenette will be the key staff person coordinating all Downtown initiatives and providing coordination for the Task Force. She will formulate Terms of Reference which will then become the guideline to evaluate the initiatives taking place for the next three years~ The Terms of Reference should be in place by the end of January. The Task Force will consist of 5 to 7 members and will be in place for 3 to 4 months~ Businesses, neighbourhood associations and others will be invited to give their input and present briefs~ This Task Force will show the Mayor and Council are behind the Kitchener Downtown Action Committee and the Strategic Plan PI'ocess and assure the public that Council is serious about Downtown Revitalizatio~ Financial requirements and time-lines for projects will be looked at~ Ads will be placed in the Kitchener-Waterloo Record inviting the public to attend the meetings of the Mayor's Task Force. Mayor R. Chtqsty invited quesfions~ Councillor Karen Redman Q. When will the 3 to 4 month term of the Task Force commence? In February or March, 1995. There will be an interim report for Council approval and then a full report for approval 3/Is~ Karen Simoneau Q. Will issues of the Task Force come to this Committee for discussion and input? Individual or Social Planning Council, I~D.B.A, Chamber of Commerce, various working groups or other concerns may be brought before the Task Force. There would be no need for the Kitchener Downtown Action Committee itself to go before the Task Force. The Kitchener Downtown Action Committee will receive the interim and final report before they are brought before Council Nh'. Brian Hunsberger Q. Would the Task Force be making regular reports to the Kitchener Downtown Action Committee? The Kitchener Downtown Action Committee would receive the Interim and Final Report. -5- IVL Brian Hunsberger suggested that perhaps K.D.A.C. could receive oral updates on the progress of the Task Force. Councillor Mark Yantzi stated that it was important that this Committee k aware of what happening with the Task Force. Ms Sybil l~'enette commented that she hopes to give continuity to the Task Force, keeping in mind what has happened prior to this Task Force; what will be happening with the Task Force; what will happen after the 3 or 4 months are over. There will be an ongoing role for the Kitchener Downtown Action Committee in overseeing the implementation and monitoring of the Action Pla~ Ali past efforts will be incorporated into the action plan, there will be a meshing of processes, assignment of staff resources and budget The work of the Community Strategic Plan including the Vision Statement and Mission Statements will be taken as a given by the Task Force. Nh'. Robert Braun Q. What k the composition of the Task Force? We are looking for people who have expertise on the Downtown and are interested in the Community such as businesses, neighbom'hood associations, individuals with knowledge of the Planning Act~ the legal social residential and architectural community, etc. 3/h'. Tom McKay indicated that the work done by the Kitchener Downtown Action Committee will continue and hopefully the mission statement will be in place for the Task Force's use. Mayor R. Christy stated that as a new member of Council he k overwhelmed by the amount of work that has ah'early been done. The volume of work done now needs to be prioritized and the Task Force will give us a working plan as to how to systematically move through all the issues over the next three years~ Hopefully all groups will see the Task Force as a successful move and will see a closure of issues People will then have longterm confidence in the Downtown Core. Councillor Mark Yantzi commented that this k an opportunity to keep our goal focused on Downtown Renewal and also give more momentum for Council to allocate more funds in the Budget for the Downtow~ 8. STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE Iris Nancy Brawley advised that on November ~8, 1995 a meeting of a larger group including the C.S.P. Stee~qng Committee, Sub-committees and Special Interest Groups was held. More than 40 people were in attendance. A summary of this meeting was handed out (attached). PI'esentations were made by various groups and seven key directions were identified being: -6- 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Environment/Physical hnage Arts Culture/Heritage/Enterta J nm ent Marketing/Business Development Participation/Communication Safety Housing Neighbourhood/C~m m unity Development To develop the Sta'ategic Plan it is essential to look at the Downtown as a complete community. The groups met to develop mission statements and to set a time-line for presentation to City Council Mission statements were developed for Safety and Housing. The last five mission statements will be set on January 18, 1995. The chosen date of May 8, 1995 to present C.S.P. to Council will have to be moved up. 1Vh'. Stephen Lauer then posted the proposed Downtown Kitchener Vision Statement for the Committee to look aL The Vision Statement reads as foHowsc "We envision Downtown Kitchener as the vibrant heart of our city where we celebrate our historic, business, artistic and cultural resources; and embrace our social and economic diversity." This statement was the result of numerous meeting~ kVh'. Lauer stated that the objective of this Vision Statement k for it to be clear, concise and meaningful for all Kitchener resident~ kVh'. Lauer distaqbuted a copy of the ch'aft Downtown Kitchener Vision Statement and the Underlying Philosophy, Assumptions and Guiding PI4uciples (attached) which will provide insight on how to proceed with the St~'ategic Pla~ He asked Committee members to read this intbrmation and invited comments on same. The Mayor's Task Force will be another vehicle for input from the pubhc for the St~'ategic Pla~ Mayor R. Chtqsty complimented the group for the implementation and excellent work that has been done. He felt the Vision Statement now captures the essence of the concerns raised at the last meeting. Discussion then took place. Councillor Mark Yantzi suggested that everyone read over this report~ look at the overall philosophy and then b~4ug comments back to the next meeting of the Kitchener Downtown Action Committee. Mayor R. Chtqsty left the meeting. 1V[~ Lisa DeLeon and Nh'. Tom McKay expressed concerns regarding Underlying Philosophy 4. It was felt the statement does not reflect reality. Both kV[~ Nancy Brawley and kV[~ Karen Simoneau felt that there was an economic benefit to the City as a whole in having a st~'ong Downtow~ Councillor Mark Yantzi left the meeting and Councillor Karen Redman assumed the chat' for the remainder of the meeting. kVh'. Stephen Lauer asked members to get any comments regarding the Vision Statement and Philosophy, Assumptions, and Guiding PI4uciples back to Ms, Brawley by Monday, January 16, 1995 so they can be reviewed, kwh'. Lauer suggested that if there is a change in text to cross out the present text and enter the revised text on the dist~qbuted report, 9. KDBA REPORT Ms, Nancy Brawley reported that the Chtqstmas season was a great success for the Downtown with increased retail and an increased number of people Downtowm The skating rink in front of City Hall and the wagon rides proved to be especially popular. The Hohday Traditions concept was very successful Ms, Brawley stated that public input is still being invited for the proposed Kitchener Downtown Mural PI'ogra~ Invitations were handed out that are being dist~qbuted to the pubhc and various groups for a Public Forum of the Kitchener Downtown Mural PI'ogramme to be held on Tuesday, January 94, 1995 at 7:00 p.m. at the Valhalla Into One of the artists from Chemainus will be there and a 30 minute video presentation of the Chemainus program will be presented. One of the coordinators from the City of Welland has been invited to give input and feedback on theh' progra~ Ms, Brawley commented that the added parking that has been placed in the bus bays has proven to be successful kwh'. Don Snow will be making a presentation advising of 94 additional parking spaces for King St~'eet, Eleven more planters and two additional t~'ees have been added. The newspaper pubhshed by the Kitchener Downtown Business Association has added a sports page and will now be pubhshed monthly. Ch'culation will be doubled; an increase from 17,000 to 38,000. Arts Fest 1995 is scheduled for June 9 and 3, 1995. Those wishing to volunteer are invited to contact the IILD. B.A~ office. New aspects will be added to the programs e.g. educational A program is underway to help raise funds and celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the K-W Hospital This year Market Square is not hosting Count Down to Canada Day. The I~D.B.A~ would like to host Count Down to Canada Day and will be contacting the Parks & Recreation Department to see if the City would be able to co-host this event, Nh'. Ken Clark stated that there should be parking spots for the disabled on King St~'eet, -8- 5/Is Nancy Brawley rephed that parking is available by City Hall Nh'. I~ Clark stated that many times the spot is not available because it's being used by others who aren't disable& Nh'. Tom McKay replied that the City of Kitchener is aware of this problem and that a memo dh'ected by City Council and Management Committee has been sent out to all City employees stressing that illegal parking will be st~qctly enforced on the streets around City Hall and on the Civic Square. M~ Brawley stated that a new Committee named the Business Development Committee has been formed. This Committee is working with the downtown merchants and businesses, giving them inlbrmation about the downtown, to enable them in turn to speak positively about the Downtown and minimize the negative perception of this area A positive response has been received fi'om businesses visited to date. Councillor Karen Redman noted that new hghting is going up in Goudies Lane. M~ N. Brawley commented that the new facade has been installed on the Goudies building and the windows are also to be decorated. 10. OTHER BUSINESS - REVIEW OF I~D.A.C. TERMS OF REFERENCE 5/ir. T. Brock Stanley stated that the Kitchener Downtown Action Committee's Terms of Reference were originally formulated in 1989 and have not been reviewed since that time. Nh'. Stanley advised that a copy of the Terms of Reference for the Kitchener Downtown Action Committee will be distaqbuted to the Committee for review. This item will be brought forward at a future meeting. 11. ADJOURNMENT On motion the meeting adjourned at 10:10 a~n~ Sonja S. Tobin Committee Secretary g:brock\dab.min