March Minutes 2014
RADBA has Open offices coming in June! Treasurer and Secretary
Please send your nominations to radbusinessassociation@gmail.com
Reminder of what offices entail / time commitment
RADBA Secretary Position Description
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Asheville 1/2 Marathon – Julian Smith (founder Cooper River Bridge Run 40,000 people)
June 7th starts at 8:00am
10K Course, Half Marathon
http://www.ashevillehalfmarathon.com/
Charities to benefit from the marathon:
The Asheville Track Club
American Cancer Society (ACS)
Mission Children’s Hospital
Asheville Arts Council
Promo Opportunities:
• They will take an ad for RADBA on website and online publication to support the Arts and the River Arts District.
• Runners bags: Mailing May 2 to out of state packets, locals will pick up packets at the
Tents in the park
• Expo – Artists specialty Friday at the Renaissance Hotel (8 hours)
• Signage – He will lend us signs to put on the course to tell people about the RAD. We would He will tell us the size (RADA will follow up)
– julian.smith2@comcast.net
– 828-200-5498
Road closures
– They spent $5k for signs for the road closures (thanks), Julian is willing to donate the signs to the city
Police will manage traffic flow as runners come through. BY the time the runners get to the RAD they will be spread out. Police won’t approve a traffic flow plan unless we need to hold the roads longer. They don’t like to have conversations with the police about the road closure.
Trains sometimes block the road – will they haul the train during the race? Norfolk Southern is aware of the race. At the Hot chocolate 10k they held trains for that race.
Music – 15 Bands playing, Band at every mile. Earthfare major sponsor – providing food for artists
3000 people is the race cap – 550 registered now
Earthfare – park square
Art contest – Design competition $500 prize
http://www.ashevillehalfmarathon.com/Assets/Asheville+Half+Marathon+Digital+Assets/2014+Event/2015/2015+Design+Contest+-+AHM.pdf?method=1
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John Philman, city
We heard about the event in August. It was brought up at the Sports Commission. They were planning the route. ITs expensive race course, lots of neighborhoods, best route for police, DOT roads, bus transportation.
Keep a point person in touch with Marsha (community liason) – Have you heard of anything new? Months of conversations and all kinds of things to consider its hard to know when we
Drive economic development
Evaluate 1000 people plus events based culturally, economic, street damage – they get a score – this helps them place events.
He knows this about the RAD:
Closure of depot st. is a problem. (full street closures)
3000 people at one time
parking is a problem
Matt – craft a statement from RADBA
Businesses depend on people getting through
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Graffiti in City – Steph Munsin (Cathy Ball, assistant city manager couldn’t make it)
Downtown community has given a bunch of feedback but RAD has not given any feedback about the graffiti policy
They Need input about the level of support they have from the RAD. RADBA will help collect your comments. Please check your email and
Policy – feedback Joe will collect
comments about the policy – email joseph.ransmeier@gmail.com
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New Finance tool –
Municipal Services District
Borrow money with special obligation bonds, under invested, failing, areas on the business corridor (ex. RADTIP, South Slope, Charlotte St.)
Community use this as tool to create a bid, we are not creating a bid. City council does not want to use this to raise taxes.
We just create a boundary called a “Municipal Services District” so we can borrow money to get a job done. Borrowing this money, changes the way we invest money. Instead of begging federal government for finds over 8 years, we can get funds and busy doing things quicker, no additional cost to citizens.
Is there opposition? – not much – some think not fair to invest in certain areas and not others, where private sector is making investments. By defining a Municipal Services District you might not be defining some districts. Municipal taxes could be issued, but the city is not using these bonds.
Benefits – We believe this is a way to spread the wealth. Our balance sheet looks good, borrow money, accelerate the value, more valuable our businesses, our taxes go up. Taxes don’t go up the infrastructure improves which potentially raises property values.
How do we keep from over spending? Finance director will set the limit of bonds we can borrow. Fees that we collect that are not our taxes (against utility income 10%). They keep us in check. If we don’t have the engineering, we won’t borrow. Annual cash flow
Matt – What do you need from us? Stephanie Munson
– April 22 is when city council will be starting. We need feedback.
April 17th – Council – agenda 3-5:00 4th floor city hall.
NEWS – Old Park Rd. Rehab is happening. Woo hoo!
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Asheville Greenworks – Eric Bradford
Green the RAD
Corridor Cleanup RFP – to help get the median on Clingman Ave mowed
(prob. Volunteers do not like to mow, we decided paying someone to do the heavy lifting and thin get volunteers to help with (the fun part) plantings and mulching.
#1 Bidder – MS Lean – Green Opportunities
9 places to mow $300
– Mow and blow
– Weed eat
– Schedule as needed
Greenworks likes supporting the volunteer gardening (they are committed)
– mulching and planting
– they like putting a volunteers together to help
– they will provide Fluorescent signs, Jackets (safety)
– 2 hours
– people donate time
How will we raise the money for the mowing and weeding? (brainstorm starts:)
Does RADBA want to allocate funds to pay for the mowing RFP cost $300 per month?
Patty suggested different buildings to donate the monthly fee?
RADBA will come up with $1800 by extra
Donated money to Asheville Greenworks is a tax write off
• Asheville Greenworks will provide and open fund for people to make donations-
• Asheville Greenworks will pay the lawn professionals directly and manage the transaction/work completion
Three members agreed to pay the first 3 months, Thanks RADBA members!!
side note – please no vegetative medium in the plans for RADTIP, we prefer easy to maintain plants
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introducing the new member and owners of the Cotton Mill Studios! Welcome!