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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRestaurant Association BID Minutes 08/21/2013NBRA BID Board Meeting Minutes of August 21, 2013 | Page 1 Minutes of the Newport Beach Restaurant Association Business Improvement District Strategic Planning Meeting August 21, 2013 Law Offices of Ronald B. Schwartz 1. Call to Order Mr. Walker called the meeting to order at 9:36 a.m. Directors Present: Jim Walker The Bungalow Thomas Giulioni Newport Dunes, Back Bay Bistro Ron Schwartz Muldoon’s John Robinson Amelia’s Joe Campbell Ruby’s Diner Cindy O’Shea Whole Foods Market Eldy Galietta Barolo by the Sea City Representatives: Keith Curry Mayor Mary Locey Public Information Specialist Anthony Nguyen Purchasing Agent Public: Peggy Fort CMC, Inc. Mark Risco Willdan Financial Services Gladys Medina Willdan Financial Services Jim Mosher Newport Beach Resident Representative OC Register 2. Roll Call Mr. Walker invited everyone in attendance to make self introductions. 3. Public Comments Mr. Mosher made the following three comments to the Board:  What’s Cooking at the Library – Mr. Mosher noted that this Central Library event has had restaurants from Irvine and Tustin and he encourages the NBRA and its member restaurants to become more involved.  Annual Report – This year the annual report to the City Council was not prepared in a timely fashion in June and members, in Mr. Mosher’s opinion, could refuse to pay the assessment.  Spending the Public’s Money – Mr. Mosher made reference to the California Political Reform Act and the responsibility placed on NBRA Board members. NBRA BID Board Meeting Minutes of August 21, 2013 | Page 2 4. Approval of the Minutes The July 24, 2013 minutes were not available and the item was waived. 5. Current Business A) President’s Report Mr. Walker informed the group that the BID was renewed by the City Council for FY 2014 and he welcomed the new Board members. Mr. Walker noted that the BID administration process would be discussed later in the meeting. For the Restaurant Week RFP, Mr. Walker informed the group that the goal was to increase restaurant participation with a minimum of 60 restaurants and see an increase in event sponsorship. Mr. Walker told the group that a draft of the BID marketing RFP would be coming soon. Mr. Giulioni distributed a draft of the new NBRA BID bylaws. He noted that the draft was prepared by the City Attorney’s Office and aligns with the way current bylaws are written. He requested the Board members to review and submit comments back to him. Mr. Walker made the following comments:  Board members – the number of Board members needs to be established so that the ability to have a quorum for meetings is not a problem. The more Board members there are the more that need to attend the meetings.  Executive Board – needs to be identified and it needs to be stated how to bridge the gap to have a quorum.  Special meetings – need to identify how and why the Board can call a special meeting.  Annual meeting – the draft says the annual meeting will be held in March of each year which will provide time for getting the information for the next fiscal year and preparation of the annual report. Mr. Walker asked the Board members to review the draft bylaws for the next meeting to vote on recommendations and changes. C) Financial Report Ms. Fort told the group that the assessment billing would be going out this week with the NBRA BID letter from the President, the NBRA BID brochure and a form for members to update contact information. It is expected that the assessments collected will be larger this year, approximately $200,000 due to the new restaurants coming online. Mr. Walker did not want the Board to approve the financial report without Mr. Lenton in attendance. NBRA BID Board Meeting Minutes of August 21, 2013 | Page 3 In the future, the Board should review and consider the membership and who should and should not be assessed. D) Strategic Plan Priorities Mr. Walker mentioned that the Board needs to work on prioritizing the goals set forth in the strategic plan. He asked the Board members to review the plan and choose at least five items they feel should be the focus of the remainder of the year and to send an email to him and Ms. Fort for discussion at a future meeting. One item Mr. Walker thinks is most important would be to help reach out to members to educate them on the NBRA mission and benefits. Ms. Fort said she would create a calendar to help the group stay on track. E) Marketing Report Ms. Fort distributed the updated NBRA BID brochure and informed the group that an e-newsletter was being prepared to be sent out to members. The new dining guide is ready for delivery and members or interested parties can call to have some delivered. Ms. Fort has started an Instagram promotion for restaurant diners to post food photos with the tag #NBDining that will show-up automatically on the NBRA BID Facebook page. B) City Report BID Administration – Mr. Walker informed the group that he and Mr. Robinson reviewed the BID Administration proposals and interviewed Willdan Financial Services (WFS) with City staff. It was determined that WFS was the most qualified and two WFS representatives were in attendance to provide the full Board with a summary of their services and background. Mr. Risco, President and CEO of WFS, addressed the group. He provided background information on Willdan’s core services . The company serves as an extension of staff for government entities and WFS understands the variety of laws and codes that go along with being a representative to and for government entities. Following Mr. Risco’s presentation and questions from the group, Mr. Walker asked that the Willdan representatives and Ms. Fort leave the room so the Board could speak openly before voting. Mr. Walker gave a brief overview of the three firms that submitted proposals, that he and Mr. Robinson reviewed each proposal, and what was represented for conducting the required work. NBRA BID Board Meeting Minutes of August 21, 2013 | Page 4 Mr. Nguyen discussed the RFP and the responses received and the rating process that was conducted. In looking at all the criteria and conducting the initial review, Willdan rose to the top as the most qualified and interviews were conducted. Evaluations were done on what was represented in the written proposals, not by pre-established relationships. Mr. Nguyen also noted that the pricing reflected a sizable cost difference as two included marketing efforts. The Board asked additional questions about the process and for clarification on the role of the BID administrator. Mr. Walker asked for a motion for the City to proceed with awarding the BID administration contract to WFS. Mr. Giulioni made a motion to accept WFS and that the NBRA would not exceed the stated budget for the services. Mr. Schwartz seconded the motion and the motion was approved by the Board. 6. NBRA BID Announcements No announcements. 7. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 10:28 a.m.