Executive Meeting - June

Downtown Chattanooga Alliance

Executive Committee Meeting

June 14, 2023 - 2:08pm – 3:20pm

Location: Carnegie Library Building

200 E 8th St, Chattanooga, TN

1.     Call to Order

Kelly Fitzgerald, Chair of the DCA, called the meeting to order. Executive Committee members attending were Adam Kinsey and Todd Philips. Also present was Steve Brookes, Executive Director of the DCA, and Kelli Crewe, DCA Board Member.

The Executive Committee approved the minutes from the April 12th and May 2023 executive committee meetings.

2.     CARTA Breezeway

Adam Kinsey gave an update on the CARTA North Shuttle Garage project. Last week we received a signed MOU from CARTA outlining responsibilities. CARTA has already begun their scope of the MOU and is working on repairing the restrooms so that they can be put in to use. Steve and Randi met with Jeff Smith, interim Executive Director of CARTA, to discuss logistics.

Steve has put together a budget to operate the space through Labor Day and the Board is actively working on raising funds. Steve s prepared to operate the space, pending Board approval.

3.     DCA City Council Budget Presentation

Steve has worked with Councilwoman Raquetta Dotley regarding the budget approval process. Gordon has put together supporting documents for the City Council to review.

4.     3000 Bar

A letter has been drafted stating concerns of a proposal new bar at 409 Market Street, Bar 3000. Local business and property owners have signed the letter which will be delivered to the State of Tennessee. Todd and Kelly urged that we speak with our State representatives for assistance.

5.     Steve gave a quick update on the newly formed committees.

a.     Visitor Experience – consisting of Susan Harris, Meredith Roberts, Scott Shepard, Daniel Mott and Tom Marshall. The committee developed five main concerns to focus on but overall love the events for visitors of the district.

b.     Public Safety – consisting of Councilwoman Dotley, Brandy Burgans and Captain MacCullough and Major Montgomery from the Chattanooga Police Department. The public outreach program and nightlife engagement initiative were discussed.

c.     Communications – consisting of Keeli Crewe, Kevin Love and Kelly Allen. An updated website with the focus of what the DCA does, communicating directly with property owners and overall user experience is a priority. A stakeholder event in the Fall was also discussed.

6.     Finance Committee Update

Gordon was not able to join but provided a letter from the State of Tennessee regarding the audited financial statements.

7.     Executive Director Update

Steve gave a quick update. The district has seen an uptick in traffic and activities taking place. Everything is running well and staying clean however the focus is on doing a better job on welcoming visitors to the area.

Meeting Adjourned