HomeMy WebLinkAboutCorona del Mar BID Minutes 03/24/2016 1
Corona del Mar Business Improvement District
Board Meeting Minutes / March 24, 2016
City of Newport Beach City Hall, Corona del Mar Conference Room, 1st Floor, Bay E
100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA
I. Call to Order
Chairman Svalstad called the meeting to order at 7:34am.
II. Roll Call
Chairman Svalstad called the roll, and everyone in the room introduced themselves.
Board Members Present:
Chairman Svalstad, Vice Chairman Laidlaw, Treasurer Dawson, Secretary Prause; Director Walker; Director
LaFleur, Director Hanley, Director Kianipur, Director Lim
BID Consultants:
Linda Leonhard, BID Marketing Consultant and Administrative Services (Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce)
Guests:
Council Member Scott Peotter, Dan Matusiewicz (City of Newport Beach, Finance Department), Evelyn Tseng
(City of Newport Beach, Finance Department), Mike Sinacori (Assistant City Engineer, City of Newport Beach),
Ronald Assef (Major Account Executive, Time Warner Cable), Mary Locey (Management Analyst, City of
Newport Beach) and Danielle Rivas were present. Jim Mosher arrived at 7:40AM.
III. Public Comments on Agenda Items
None.
IV. Approval of Minutes
MOTION: Director Walker made a motion to approve the February 25, 2016 Board Minutes. Director Laidlaw
seconded the motion.
The motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Svalstad, Laidlaw, Dawson, Walker, LaFleur, Hanley, Kianipur, Lim Prause
V. Current Business
a. City Council Report: Council Member Peotter reported that the sewer fee was again unsuccessful in passing
before City Council, and the general fund would be making up the shortfall.
b. Gateway Project Update (Electric Request for BID). Mr. Mike Sinacori responded to the letter from the BID
requesting electric to the Gateway median as part of the current project. Mr. Sinacori reported that the City
hit many issues in the ground related to the project, and this used up the contingency funds for additional
work. Nonetheless, the project itself was ready for electric, and it would allow for lighting of holiday
decorations as well as low voltage up-lighting on the day palms. Mr. Sinacori proposed that the City install
the electric and the installation be funded by the BID. The total cost to install electric infrastructure,
including 110 outlets and up-lighting infrastructure for the day palms, will be $25,000. The all-in cost for
the total improvements, including up-lighting fixtures, is estimated at $40,000-$45,000. After discussion,
Mr. Sinacori stated that the City will try to fund the power portion on its own if the BID in return will pay
for the cost of the up-lighting fixtures and also for the maintenance of the electric and fixtures. The BID
members all indicated agreement that the BID would approve funding of $20,000 for up-lighting fixtures,
as well as additional funding as needed for ongoing maintenance and any repairs needed.
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c. District Wi-Fi, Time Warner Business Class (Ronald Assef). Mr. Ronald Assef was present at the meeting to
report on the potential of a Wi-Fi network made available by the BID to visitors throughout the Corona del
Mar business district. Mr. Assef reported that Time Warner subscribers currently have access to Wi-Fi
hotspots along East Coast Highway in Corona del Mar. In addition, there are many other Wi-Fi options
offered in the business district. To create a Wi-Fi network specific to the BID throughout the business district
will require a fiber optic network that is wired to many individual hotspots. The monthly fee for bandwidth
to cover the strip could potentially be thousands of dollars. Mr. Jim Mosher commented that BID could
potentially add to the Time Warner Wi-Fi hotspot screen and offer to subsidize the cost of signing onto Wi-
Fi for those users who do not subscribe to Time Warner cable. The cost to them is $2.95 per 30 minutes.
This would likely be the much more cost efficient option.
d. City Proposed Parking Meters. Mr. Matusiewicz and Ms. Tseng from the City Finance department proposed
installing parking meters on East Coast Highway from Avocado St. to Poppy St. They represented that other
similar programs have generated significant funds from which communities have been able to purchase
parking garages or complete other community enhancements. They stated that they believed the revenue
would be useful for upcoming Corona del Mar projects.
MOTION: Director Walker made a motion to include Council Member Peotter and / or Council Member
Selich to modify the BID’s current parking proposal to City Council and present it to City Council prior to the
City moving forward with parking meters. Director Kianipur seconded the motion.
AMENDED MOTION: Vice Chairman Laidlaw amended the motion to limit the two-sided parking approach
to revenue generation through metered parking and reduction of the parking requirements so as to keep
an abbreviated parking approach. Director Lim seconded the motion.
SUBSTITUTE MOTION: Secretary Prause made a motion for the parking committee to make
recommendations to City Council in connection with BID support of the parking meters. The
recommendations will include that 100% of the net revenue from the parking meters goes to the BID, that
the parking requirements are changed allowing for a greater variety of businesses, and all other
recommendations or changes as determined by the parking committee, all to be made in conjunction with
Council members Selich and Peotter to bring to the next BID meeting. Director Walker seconded the motion.
The substitute motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Svalstad, Laidlaw, Dawson, Walker, LaFleur, Hanley, Kianipur, Lim, Prause
e. Financial Report
MOTION: Vice Chairman Laidlaw made a motion to receive and file the financial reports. Director Walker
seconded the motion.
The motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Svalstad, Laidlaw, Dawson, Walker, LaFleur, Hanley, Kianipur, Lim, Prause
Chairman Svalstad discussed the budgets and recommended that we change the $20,000 fund allocation
from the Marguerite Project and reallocate it to the Gateway project for electrical installation in this year’s
budget. He also recommended that due to costs, that we forgo the landscaping and streetscaping
components of the Marguerite Project in the FY 2016/17 budget and move forward with the Street Sign
Program allocating $23,000 to this program and $20,000 to News Racks. Ms. Leonhard announced that the
Board will review and approve the Annual Report and final Budget for FY 2016/17 at the April Board
Meeting.
f. BID Project Updates
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i. Marguerite & PCH Project (Svalstad): Marguerite sign specifications were passed out. Per the
above item, this project is postponed until the next fiscal year.
ii. Tree Well Maintenance (Laidlaw): Director Laidlaw reported that he walked the village with
Chairman Svalstad and the new account manager and the new account manager’s team from
Pinnacle Landscape Company. The account manager owes a report to the BID. Currently, a lot of
the irrigation that was turned off for winter needs to be turned back on, and a lot more work must
to be done. Many of the tree wells are in need of trimming and weeding. Vice Chairman Laidlaw is
to provide Ms. Mary Locey with the new account manager’s contact information.
iii. Newspaper Racks (Kianipur): Since the last BID meeting, the City attorney, Mr. Ron Yeo and public
works were able to meet and confer on this matter. The City is moving it forward with the goal of
bringing it before City Council in June.
g. Marketing and Administration Report (Leonhard)
Ms. Leonhard reported that Chairman Svalstad and her spoke at the Residents’ Association meeting about the
Corona del Mar BID and Chamber of Commerce. The upcoming Town Meeting in April will heavily focus on
traffic. Currently, the Residents’ Association is reaching out to various City departments for speakers. They have
reached out to Ms. Mary Locey regarding a discussion on parking meters. Treasurer Dawson volunteered to
work at the BID booth during the town meeting from 5:00PM – 6:00PM.
Ms. Leonhard also reported that she is still working with the local grassroots group to support locals’ night in
the business district.
Finally, Ms. Leonhard advised the Board that applications to serve on the Board for the upcoming Fiscal Year
206/2017 are now open and the deadline to receive them is April 13, 2016. The current Board who intends to
re-run will need to contact the City Clerk to have their application on file stamped.
h. CdM Chamber Report (Leonhard)
Ms. Leonhard reported that the Hanley Investment Group grand opening took place and consisted of great
presentations. In addition, Smart & Final had their grand opening. The Chamber of Commerce has an event at
the Center Club on March 31, 2016.
VI. Corona del Mar BID Announcements or Matters which Members Would Like Placed on a Future Agenda for
Discussion or Action or Report (Non-Discussion Items)
None.
VII. Public Comments on Non-Agenda Items
None.
VIII. Next Meeting
The next BID meeting is scheduled for April 28, 2016.
IX. Adjournment
MOTION: Director Walker made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Secretary Prause seconded the Motion.
The motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Svalstad, Laidlaw, Dawson, Walker, LaFleur, Hanley, Kianipur, Lim, Prause
The meeting adjourned at 9:20am.