Chairman Chas Stevens called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm on July 14, 2025.
Kevin Sluka conducted roll call and the following Board Members were present:
Board Members Present: Natalia Kleyman, Kevin Sluka, Chas Stevens, Andrianna Popowych, Rick St. Pierre
Board Members Virtual: RanD Pitts, Tania Althoff
Board Members Absent: Conlyn Chan, Chris Edwards, Beth Akkaway
Professional Staff Present: Becky Pollard
CHAIRMAN REMARKS
Chas welcomed everyone to the meeting and mentioned the rainy weather. He highlighted the success of recent summer events including Car Nights and live music, and noted that Jazz Fest and Holiday Jubilee are next on the horizon.
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES
Minutes from May and June meetings were approved.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
a. Design Team (Chas)
i. Work on Mountain is wrapping up; PSE&G and American Water winter work is on the agenda.
ii. Provided updates for gardening, watering, and holiday tree replacement on Division Street.
iii. Gardening work on Giardina is nearly complete.
iv. Discussions about contract templates and artwork for the holiday tree were discussed – Natalia Kleyman asked if we know about the tree decoration package colors and Chas Stevens was going to find out so that we can ensure that our holiday decorations are coordinated.
v. Logos and side panel mockups are being developed for Big Belly cans. Graphics will be reviewed by the Promotions Committee.
b. Promotions (Becky/Natalia)
i. Instagram reach decreased 46% compared to June, which was boosted by an influencer; still within normal range (15,796 accounts).
ii. Email click rates increased 178%.
iii. Social media follower growth remains steady; no ads were run in June.
iv. Interns are working on a summer influencer video.
v. Pride Night received excellent feedback and was well received by businesses.
vi. Upcoming events include further summer programming and Jazz Fest promotions.
c. Economic Vitality
i. Grand opening invitation processes will be reviewed.
ii. Mayor’s office coordination is needed to improve notifications about business openings.
d. Insurance
i. Insurance broker unable to attend but recommended considering cyber liability and data breach coverage.
ii. Discussion around limited cyber exposure since systems are provided by the borough.
NEW BUSINESS
Skip the Stuff Campaign
● Representatives from the Environmental Commission introduced a resolution supporting the voluntary campaign to reduce single-use plastic and non-plastic items for takeout.
● Local restaurant feedback has been positive.
● The Board will provide feedback and support for this voluntary resolution.
Solicitation & Sidewalk Safety
● Concerns raised about solicitation during Car Shows; enforcement will be increased.
● Sidewalk safety was also discussed—fences around trees are in process of being removed and tree conditions are being assessed as part of a broader streetscape capital plan.
Entrepreneur of the Year / Busker Program
● Proposal to create a new Entrepreneur of the Year award.
● Board to develop criteria and application process.
● Suggestion to launch a busker program to drive traffic to Main Street; potential school partnerships being explored.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
● Public questions about Jazz Fest artwork (created by a local artist) and the granite building (under redevelopment).
● Maria Vraniak from Osprey raised concern about lack of signage during Car Show Fridays—additional signage discussed.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
● Brief session held to discuss the executive director hiring update.
● Voted and approved making an offer to Dana Kessel for the Executive Director position
ACTION ITEMS
● Becky to send graphics for the holiday tree decoration to the Promotions Committee.
● Becky to provide last year’s Pride event data and Bar Crawl attendance numbers.
● Review the process for sending grand opening invitations to the full board.
● Provide feedback on the “Skip the Stuff” campaign.
● Coordinate with Mayor’s office on grand opening communications.
● Insurance broker to provide a cyber liability proposal and summary.
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 7:12 pm. Next meeting scheduled for August 11, 2025, at 6:00 PM.