Downtown Lawrence, Inc.

Board Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Members Present: Chris Burger, Judy Billings, Mary Cox, Dan Hughes, David Johanning, David Longhurst, Jane Pennington, Peter Zacharias
Topic Discussion Action
Guests: Cristy Biddinger of JobLink Cottonwood
Biddinger reported that their worker and his coach started their efforts in Johanning is working on a design and will print the
mid-November. They are still in a learning phase and figuring out how to vests.
deal with equipment, wind, etc. The coach is very pleased with the
progress and believes that covering one side of Mass from 7th to 11th each
week is very manageable. They are especially excited about all the people
who have been thanking Tom and are anxious to get the vests printed to
give proper credit to DLI. Biddinger also reported that she completed and
submitted a proposal to Douglas County Community Foundation to
purchase the gum removal equipment but won’t know until March if the
proposal will be funded.
I. Approval of Minutes
A. Additions or Corrections Burger submitted several corrections. Burger moved to approve the minutes with the
outlined corrections. Hughes seconded. Motion
carried.
II. Items Requiring Board Action
A. Website Revamp Pennington reported that she had met and talked with Andrew Carothers of Hughes moved that Pennington prepare and
Proposal Sprout and Clinton Brown of Exponent and that both promised proposals be distribute a formal RFP for website development and
today but neither delivered. Pennington expressed concern that the Niko design. Johanning seconded. Motion carried.
offer may no longer be available. Pennington recommended that we
consider a budget that would reflect the amount that would have been
invested with Niko over a five year period to determine a budget and strive
to develop a website that will generate income through banner ads and
sponsorships. She also recommended that the board consider this as a
capital purchase using reserve funds rather than something funded through
the annual operating budget.
B. 2009 Draft Budget Pennington distributed a preliminary budget draft for 2009. The budget Pennington will revise the budget and distribute prior
reflects very conservative income estimates due to the economy. The to the Board Retreat in January.
budget reflects the addition of a part-time Kansas Work Study employee
who would be responsible for weekly member emails, quarterly member

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Topic Discussion Action
newsletters, development of a general public email bulletin, website
maintenance and database management. Pennington believes that great
strides have been made in the area of communicating with members at the
expense of efforts in the area of expansion and retention. If she is to make
any headway in the retention and expansion efforts, it will be imperative that
she have assistance in the communication areas. It was discovered that
there was an error in the preliminary budget that will require some major
revisions.
C. 2009 Draft Workplan Pennington distributed a preliminary Workplan for 2009. The document will No action necessary.
serve as a starting point for discussions at the 2009 Board Retreat.
D. 2009 Annual Retreat Members agreed that the 2009 Board Retreat will be Wednesday, January Pennington will confirm location.
Plan 7th beginning at 4:30 p.m. The location was tentatively set for the
conference room at the Eldridge Hotel. Some topics for discussion and
brainstorming include strategies for getting more retailers to stay open late
more consistently, new events to bring people Downtown, shopping focused
promotions, improvement initiatives to advocate for with the City and
communicating business building strategies to members.
III. Items for Report, Comment, Direction and Assent
A. Financial Reports Longhurst provided financial reports including a Balance Sheet with Burger moved that financials be accepted.
Previous Year Comparison, Transaction List by Date, Profit & Loss with Hughes seconded.
Previous Year Comparison, Accounts Receivable Aging Detail. Longhurst Motion carried.
provided an additional Sales Report to facilitate the shift from comparing
December ’07 to date figures to Calendar Year comparisons. This primarily
effects the membership income numbers since renewals are being
generated in December.
B. Director’s Report Pennington reviewed the report that was emailed to members highlighting Pennington will develop a positive, non-threatening
her work on the Holiday Lighting Ceremony, website overhaul, DLI letter touting the benefits of membership for those
Breakfast Club, Buskerfest, Panhandling Ordinance and the Cottonwood non-member businesses who continue to accept Gift
Partnership. Pennington presented options for dealing with non-member Certificates closing with a notice that they will be
businesses who continually accept DLI Gift Certificates. billed $10 per certificate beginning January 1, 2009.
C. Committee Reports
a. Marketing & Billings reported the ongoing efforts of the committee with particular Pennington will develop detailed budget breakdown.
Promotions emphasis on efforts to diversify advertising media in 2009.

b. Special Events
i. Holiday Lighting Pennington reported that the event was successful albeit having less No action necessary.
attendance presumably due to the KU Basketball game. Hughes offered
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Topic Discussion Action
kudos to Pennington for her handling of Dennis and his baby Sheryl Crow.

ii. Film Festival Pennington reiterated the plans for a total of 6 films on the second and No action necessary.
fourth Thursdays with rain dates for the following Thursday offering a
program of Tracy and Hepburn films to ensure everyone was on the same
page.

c. Beautification Cox reported that the committee is happy with the look of the colored lights No action necessary.
which Burger reported hearing good comments about. While Billings
prefers all white lights, she thinks the density of the colored lights is great
and should be incorporated in all the trees. The committee is also looking
into number of newspaper boxes.
E. Executive Session

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