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1996-11-21 City of Beverly Economic and Community Development Council MINUTES Economic and Community Development Council November 21, 1996 Meeting. Members present: Chairman Joyce Gotin, Vice-chairman Bill Rodenbaugh, Dick Mooney, Nicholas Zavolas, Sandra Reinecke; also present: Community Development Manager Dawn Goodwin Golin asks if there are any changes that should be made to the draft minutes of the October 24, 1996 meeting. Reinecke: motion to approve the October 24, 1996 meeting minutes as drafted, seconded by Rodenbaugh. All members in favor, motion carries. Next, Golin asks for an update on members' projects. With respect to the real estate survey form that was sent to developers, brokers, attorneys, and property owners, there have been few responses received from which to compile an inventox7 of available land and facilities. Melissa Nicholson from the Chamber had suggested that one of the Chamber interas could make some calls to ascertain why the forms had not been returned. Moohey offers to drop the information off to the Chamber to facilitate that process in Nicholson's absence tonight. Next, Zavolas tells the members that he spoke with Assistant Planning Director Debra Hurlburt and received a copy of the ,~wp,, the Harbor Authority issued for consultant services to fmalize a harbor plan. He also spoke with a professor from MIT, who indicated that although he was interested in the subject as part of a class project, it was too late in the semester to consider it at this point. He also discussed the subject with a professor from Harvard, who was less firm on a commitment but may be interested in having a class work on a possible design for Cabot Street improvements. Zavolas says that Hur!burt indicated she would ask the Harbor Authority if they were interested in pursuing some outside help as par of the Harbor Plan process; he has not heard back from her on the level of Harbor Authority interest, and has decided that in the future he will speak to the members of the Harbor Authority first before talking to any of the colleges. Zavolas asks the ECDC memben if they think the council should pursue the possibility of ECDC · Beverly City Hall · 191 Cabot Street- Beverly~ Massachusetts 01915 · 508-921-6000 Minutes of the ECDC November 21, 1996 meeting page two students doing a design for Cabot Street. Reinecke asks him what he envisions the students accomplishing. Zavolas states perhaps they could do a traffic flow analysis and parking study, with the goal of suggesting improvements to make the street more pedestrian friendly. Reinecke suggests that a marketing study could also be useful to determine what kinds of businesses would thrive in the downtown. Zavolas believes the two subjects are separate, but related to each other. Reincoke suggests that the ECDC consider making a formal proposal to the City Council outlining a proposal to have one of the schools do a study on streetscape design. Golin points out that the City's Parking and Traffic Commission have been addressing the parking issue, that the City Council has adopted City standards for lighting, benches, trash receptacles, and that Cabot Street is slated for reconstruction after Rantoul Street (perhaps 1998 or 1999) and now might be an opportune time to take on a design study before the State incorporates design elements in a final construction plan. Zavolas states that he would like to canvas the Beverly Chamber of Commerce to ask its members what the downtown "issues" are. He would then approach the schools, see if they think there's a viable class project on the subject, and then go to the City Council. Reinecke suggests that Zavolas contact Don Preston at Casa de Moda, since he has a lot of knowledge about the downtown. Zavolas says he will talk to both Preston and Nicholson, but would really like to have something that the businesses want before he approaches the schools to see if they're interested. Next, members get an update from Rodenbaugh and Mooney on their tourism project. They will be meeting with the new director of the Beverly Historical Society on December 1 lth to see how Salem succeeded on this subject. Their main goal is to get the City of Beverly better known, in a positive way, across the region. The pluses in current tourism promotion include cultural promotion, businesses and new residents are moving into the City, the North Shore Convention Council is drawing more people to the region, etc. Rodenbaugh and Mooney also want to contact the National Park Service to make a connection between Salem and Gloucester. Reinecke reminds the members that all of Essex County is now designated as an historic region. Redenbaugh says they also want to work with Dawn Goodwin to see how the City could approach the State for possible funding sources. Reinecke asks if they also intend to market Beverly to businesses. Rodenbaugh answers yes, and is using the information from the survey that was development to create an overview presentation about what Beverly is doing at the moment in terms of economic developm~t. Reincoke offers to meet with Redenbaugh to share her information on medical-technical businesses in the area, and other materials she has on hnd availability. Rodenbangh notes that Beverly is now the leading area for ion implant machinery manufacturing. Zavolas states that the main emphasis of Dr. Richard Florida' s speech he mentioned at the last meeting was on just this type of business clustering. Moohey asks what land in Beverly is zoned for business development and the group makes a list of areas for him. Mooney states that the council can define what the City actually has and use that to talk to businesses. Zavolas suggests Minutes of the ECDC November 21, 1996 page three that if the ECDC were to meet with representatives of the biotech field, they may be able to share what they believe Beverly would need in order to attract more companies in that field. Rodenbaugh states that the business survey could be used as a starting point of information. Zavolas agrees, and Reinecke suggests that a committee get together to discuss the subject; Zavolas, Rodenbaugh, Moohey, and Reincoke will work on this. Rodenbaugh offers to build a framework for discussion and that the committee will meet in January. Reinecke asks about the proposed Tax Increment Financing Plan for the Cummings Center and the status of the proposal. Golin updates the members, explaining that it is now before the full City Council for consideration, that there is an issue about the deed for the school site, and the issue raised by some members of the City Council on whether the TIF plan should be for ten years or some lesser period. Golin asks members for theft input on the idea of a using Nino Lombardi's donated painting as a new logo for Beverly. Reincoke sees no reason to change the current City seal which acts as the City's logo. Reinecke: motion to endorse the idea of continuing to use the current City seal as a logo for the City, seconded by Redenbangh. All members in favor, motion carries. Following the vote, members view the enlarged, poster-sized City seal on display in the Mayor's office, and Zavolas thinks the City should consider marketing that version. The next meeting of the ECDC will be held on December 19, 1996. Meeting is adjourned at 7:55 p.m.