2/23/2021 Council Workshop Recap
This week we had a Council workshop. Here is where you can view the City’s synopsis of the meeting, which provides a concise and unbiased account of the topics we discussed.
The meeting minutes can be viewed here. If you want to watch the meeting, you can do so here.
We started early to interview applicants for the Board of Zoning & Building Appeals. I anticipate Council will be able to make an appointment this coming Tuesday at our next, regularly scheduled Council meeting.
Discussion Items
Digital Marketing for Hudson Merchants
Brief Description: Council requested that the Hudson Chamber of Commerce submit a proposal for a digital marketing campaign for their continued discussion.
My take: Nicole Alverson from the Chamber of Commerce, along with two representatives from a local marketing agency, presented their proposal for a digital marketing campaign which would benefit all businesses in Hudson. To make this happen, the Chamber is asking Council for $20k. The campaign would last for two months, and the goal would be to give Hudson’s businesses the boost they need to make it through to warmer weather.
I expressed concern that no funds were reserved to continue the campaign into the summer months, but having a background in marketing, I also understand that $20k only gets you so far.
Nicole mentioned that they may come back before Council in the future to request more funds if this advertising campaign proves to be successful, but there were mixed reactions about whether or not Council would have an appetite to continue this type of financial support going forward. I don’t have an opinion on that at this time, because there are so many unknowns. One of which being whether or not the Chamber would even need more funds following this campaign or if they will be able to secure other types of funding, such as grants.
Many of the questions from Council centered around the ROI, and how we will know if this can be directly attributed to the marketing campaign versus other factors, like the weather turning. Personally, the ROI that I am looking for is this: no more business closures in Hudson. If we can attribute, even in some small way, saving a business in Hudson to this digital marketing campaign, then it is money well spent in my opinion. We all need to be thinking long-term about the positive impact these businesses have on our local economy and how much we rely on them.
Remember all those times these businesses donated to fundraisers, auctions, and community events over the years? I do.
Downtown Development Community Survey Proposals
Brief Description: The purpose of this discussion is to review the City’s Request for Proposal format, and the submitted proposals the City received for the community survey.
My take: After some discussion, Council decided to begin the consultation process with Research Analytics Consulting, LLC. I still have some serious concerns about the process that got us here as well as the process moving forward, but I believe this consultant can help steer us in the right direction and prevent Council from going down the wrong path. I want us to make significant progress on the issue of downtown development, and soon, so it makes sense to move forward for now. That being said, I will be watching this issue and the process very closely.
I still believe Council needs to come to a consensus on the purpose of this survey, and what we hope to get out of it.
Additionally, I think it is very important that we utilize the data we already have (along with the results of this survey) to point us in the right direction.
Proposed Consent Agenda
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ADVERTISE FOR COMPETITIVE BIDS AND TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A TENNIS AND PICKLE BALL COMPLEX AT BARLOW FARM PARK.
Brief Description: This Resolution allows the Public Works Department to advertise for bids, obtain competitive pricing, and to award a contract for the construction of a tennis and pickle ball complex at Barlow Farm Park.
My take: Yay for tennis and pickleball! Council discussed this and has asked Staff to revise the cost estimate for next Tuesday’s meeting. The outpouring of resident support for this project has been quite impressive! I’m in support of this project and believe it will benefit our community in so many ways.
Items to be Added to Future Agendas
I made a request to have the Recreation Center topic placed on an upcoming workshop for discussion. I anticipate that this will happen sometime at the end of March or in early April.
A request was made for us to discuss park practices for managing wood debris. Our city staff is very capable and equipped to remedy issues like this without Council interference. I believe this can be resolved prior to a workshop, which will allow us to focus on the bigger picture.
April Virtual Town Hall
Join Ward 1 Councilwoman Kate Schlademan and me for a joint virtual forum on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 from 7-8 p.m. We will be showing the latest Hudson Headlines video, talking about 2021 infrastructure improvements, and doing a Q&A with residents.
To register for this event, fill out this form.
Quick note: I didn’t do a recap last week because the city’s recap was very thorough. If you want to read about last week’s Council meeting, check it out here.
Have questions? Want to share your thoughts with me on any of the agenda items or issues listed above? As always, I would love to have a conversation! Email me directly at nkowalski@hudson.oh.us.
