Economic & Community Development Committee Minutes

City of Gardiner Economic and Community Development Committee

Meeting Notes

Thursday, April 13, 2023  

Present:  Melissa Lindley, Carrie Arsenault, Debby Willis, Tamara Whitmore, Terry Berry, Pat Hart

1. Looking at positions on the committee that are not presently filled.  Suggested asks:
   1. Downtown business owner (does not need to be a resident) - Reny’s - store manager Desiree or Faustine Reny - Melissa will reach out and copy Pat
   2. Non-downtown business owner (does not need to be a resident) - John Flagg - Pat will reach out
   3. Banking professional (does not need to be a resident) - Chris Leake - Pat will reach out
   4. Residential representative - Cameron Fisher - Tamara will reach out and copy Pat
2. Brownfield Update:
   1. The Cobbossee Trail Committee is making the recommendation to Council to request DOT have the train trestle bridge that crosses Cobbossee Stream assessed to determine if there is a brownfield situation that could use remediation.
   2. The Engineering firm hired by the City has produced handouts that can be given to businesses who may be interested in the program - both the City and Gardiner Main Street have copies. 
3. State of Maine Community Resilience Partnership
   1. Project of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future
   2. City conducts a self-assessment, recognizing issues such as hazards, flooding, etc and coming up with priorities
   3. The state provides a List of Community Actions which are examples of potential near-term projects.
   4. The City & Council sets priority areas to benefit from the program.
   5. There is a Public Engagement period
   6. Potential of up to $50,000 in Community Action Grants for further planning and implementation
4. Parking - there needs to be a plan in place to guide out of towners on where to park before Johnson Hall is open for shows (400 person seating)
   1. Signage and knowing where the parking lot spaces are is an issue
   2. Melissa will send out the most recent parking inventory
   3. Maybe we could create a map of where to park that could be provided to ticket holders ahead of time?
   4. May need to work with owners of private parking lots to develop “shared parking agreements”
   5. Tamara to reach out to Anne Ball to see if Maine Downtown Center has suggestions on a parking guru
   6. Need to eventually invite Mike Michlon (Johnson Hall), Ken Mitsui (GMS Board), and Clare Marron (business owner) to a meeting to get their input as they have expressed interest in this issue. 
   7. Housing - another major issue that needs to be addressed
   8. Downtown Master Plan Implementation - next year’s city budget to include $50,000 in TIF funding to support an engineered plan for the Arcade parking lot. 
5. Next meeting - Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 5:30 at City Hall in Council Room

Adjourn at 7:00 pm (ish)

TAW