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Meeting date/time:
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7/18/2018
9:00 AM
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Minutes status:
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Final
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Meeting location:
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Room 301-A, Third Floor, City Hall
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| | 1. | | Call to order.
Minutes note: Meeting called to order at 9:10 a.m. | | | |
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| | 2. | | Roll call.
Minutes note: Member Hall joined the committee at 9:30 a.m. during item 5. | | | |
Roll call
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| | 3. | | Review and approval of the previous meeting minutes from May 31, 2018.
Minutes note: Member Manuel moved approval, seconded by member Garrison, of the meeting minutes from May 31, 2018. There was no objection. | | | |
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| | 4. | | Bronzeville RFPs, listings, projects, programs, initiatives, events, activities, or updates.
Minutes note: a. Review of North Ave. and 7th St. billboard site RFP
Individuals appearing:
Amy Turim, Dept. of City Development Real Estate
Matt Haessly, Dept. of City Development Real Estate
Ms. Turim gave an overview. The committee should review the draft RFP before them for a redevelopment opportunity at 7th Street, Highway I-43, and North Avenue. The Redevelopment Authority for the City of Milwaukee (RACM) owns the northern parcel (2237-2243 N. 7th St.) and southern parcel (2225 N. 7th St.) but does not own the small central strip parcel (2233 N. 7th St.). That strip is owned by PMG Holdings, Inc. with a billboard on it that is operated by Clear Channel. Clear Channel is interested to apply for a variance to have its billboard changed to become digital. The RFP draft outlines two options. Option A entails development around the billboard site and does not include development of the billboard property. Option B includes the billboard property, negotiation with PMG on incorporating a billboard into the proposed development, and possible relocation of the billboard within the site or making it a feature. Clear Channel is open to moving the billboard within the site, including the edge, but had rejected a move to a neighboring site to the north of North Avenue. The pricing is the same for either option. The site is a gateway to Bronzeville. For option A, there would be concerns on how the billboard would affect a proposed development around it and how a proposed development would obstruct the billboard’s view. These issues would have to be resolved on the front end.
Mr. Haessly commented. Staff had met with Ald. Milele Coggs and DCD Planning to establish goals, obligations, acceptable uses, and restricted uses as contained in the draft RFP. Acceptable uses include a boutique hotel, conference center with banquet hall and/or catering component, mixed-use development with first floor retail, theater with open plaza, or uses that contribute to or exemplify the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District. The draft RFP was shared with Clear Channel, who is in agreement.
Members inquired about residential housing use preferences for Ald. Coggs, housing unit pricing, the variance being sought, the RFP submittal deadline, an extension for submittals, purchasing the billboard property, installing a billboard on top of a development, and property rights for the billboard site.
Ms. Turim replied. Ald. Coggs had expressed interest for mixed-use residential use with first floor commercial use and not for apartment buildings. The submittal timeline is tight, but was set as such to be considerate of Clear Channel’s interest to convert its billboard. Staff is open to an extension if appropriate to Clear Channel.
Member Manuel added that the pricing of housing units would be considered at the time of proposal submittals.
Mr. Haessly replied. August 23, 2018 is the submittal deadline date.
Mike D’Amato, Clear Channel representative, appeared and commented. The variance being sought is for a dimensional variance to convert the billboard to digital and increase the billboard’s height 20 feet higher from its current 35 feet height. Moving the billboard would not be a problem so as long as height is not a problem. If relocated to be closer to the bordering bridges, then the billboard would have to be significantly taller to clear the sight line. If there are no submittals by the deadline, the desire is to pursue the variance. Clear Channel does not desire to sell its property and wants to keep it. Putting a billboard on top of a development is possible if clearance can be obtained for increased height.
Chair Crump commented. Billboards come with tremendous property rights and are grandfathered. The billboard board site is zoned for Local Business and is not zoned for Residential; therefore, a property can be developed there differently from one in a residential site. The draft RFP is appropriate due to allowing flexibility for a development with cooperation from PMG and Clear Channel.
Member Manuel moved to approve the draft RFP, as proposed. Seconded by member Garrison. There was no objection.
b. Historic King Drive BID Main Street Program update
This item was held.
c. Other
There was no other discussion. | | | |
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| | 5. | | Discussion on increasing awareness and exposure relative to Bronzeville events, activities, and projects by the City.
Minutes note: Chair Crump commented. The committee, members, and the City should do all that they can to promote Bronzeville events, activities, and projects. An example would be to promote the Bronzeville Arts Ensemble and its upcoming play productions. Some upcoming plays include “The Black Nativity” and other higher themed ones. He was interested to have this discussion after seeing an inadequate amount of attendees at a Bronzeville Arts Ensemble play “Flying West”. Tools for promotion should include utilizing the E-Notification system. E-Notification can also be used, when needed, to promote and inform about the meetings of the advisory committee. Members should engage in distributing to their networks physical or electronic promotional materials regarding upcoming ensemble productions and other events. He or other members can participate in other committee meetings, such as the Black Male Advisory Committee and the Youth Council, to share upcoming events.
Member Hall joined the committee at 9:30 a.m.
Member Hall commented. The committee should be a partner to the Bronzeville Arts Ensemble. The Milwaukee Urban League plans to do a series of presentations involving the ensemble and depicting the Bronzeville community during its past lucrative days.
Member Boynes commented. Strategic marketing, instead of broad marketing, to targeted communities for particular events or activities should be done. Youth and teens should be utilized and empowered to attract their age demographic.
Member Manuel commented. Perhaps a working group, which can communicate electronically to one another, should be formed to coordinate different partnerships and networks. The Bronzeville website is being reorganized in partnership with the City Clerk’s Office. Social media should be utilized. For projects that come to DCD, she makes sure that those projects are included in DCD’s budget. Also, she tries to allocate matching TID money.
Chair Crump said to keep this item as an ongoing agenda item going forward as additional ideas may surface. | | | |
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| | 6. | | Announcements.
Minutes note: Member Hall made announcements. There was a successful Urban League Black and White Ball. Next year’s event will be June 8, 2019. Upcoming Urban League activities will highlight Urban League historical contributions, African American leadership, and community collaboration. There will be a community leadership meeting on October 13, 2018 with the national Urban League president attending. There will be a brown bag lunch tomorrow with discussion on bridging job connections.
Chair Crump announced that the Fire and Police Commission is hiring for 9-1-1 operators at a minimum of $43,000 and then $46,000 after six months. Qualifications include a minimum of a G.E.D. or high school diploma and two years of experience in a call center or with phone calls. The job posting is available at www.milwaukee.gov/fpc.
Ald. Milele Coggs, 6th Ald. Dist., appeared and made the following announcements:
Bronzeville Week will start on Sunday, August 5th with the festival. The schedule is being finalized. More information will be forthcoming. The bulk of the activities during the week are similar to previous years. The last day is on Saturday, August 11th with an art walk. A new event will be a street renaming event for Vel Phillips on Tuesday, August 7th at 4th Street and North Avenue outside the holocaust museum. The event will be further finalized. Promotional materials will be forthcoming to members to share with their networks.
Legislation to extend the boundaries of the Bronzeville redevelopment plan is moving forward and will require Common Council approval. DCD will require two to three months to complete the legally required mailing notification to affected property owners. The requested new boundaries are from 7th Street to MLK Drive and Walnut Street to Burleigh Street. The northeast portion of the plan will be asked to be more robust and reflective of the present changes and future expectations.
There are still legislative plans to expand the role and responsibilities of the advisory committee.
More RFPs are expected to come before the advisory committee for review over the next few months in an effort to build upon the synergy from the Griot and America’s Black Holocaust Museum development.
Summer job fairs are being held in areas of challenge within the City for the people who need it the most. The job fairs serve to target residents of those areas in an outdoor block party atmosphere. There were recent outdoor job fairs at 6th Street and Meinecke Avenue and at Palmer Street and Chambers Street. A third fair may occur at 35th Street and Capitol Drive during Hip Hop Week.
There is a Direct Connect MKE social media job app that is youth centered. She wants to do an app launch party in August to energize young people to use the app to connect to jobs.
A lunch and learn workshop series was created with the Dept. of Neighborhood Services. They are catered to further assist ACRE students and developers. The workshops are open free to the public, offers further information and insight about City development processes and requirements, and are occurring now until October. The hope is that these workshops would help spark development in communities, like Bronzeville, by community residents, who typically show the most interest to develop those communities.
Chair Crump said that the redevelopment plan should require a periodic cursory review to ensure that the plan still reflects the area as time goes on.
Member Hall said that the Urban League would like to assist and be a partner with the app launch.
Member Boynes announced that there are efforts to bring back former Milwaukee Bucks player, Larry Sanders, to speak during Hip Hop week about mental illness and his past experiences.
Arlisia McHenry, City Clerk’s Office, appeared and said that she is coordinating Hip Hop Week. She should be contacted about coordinating activities for that event, including bringing in Larry Sanders. | | | |
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| | 7. | | Next meeting date and time. | | | |
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| | 8. | | Agenda items for the next meeting.
Minutes note: Agenda items to include discussion on increasing awareness for Bronzeville activities and an update on the Main Street Program.
Mr. Lee said that another agenda item should be the selection of a new vice chair due to vice-chair Perceptions’ upcoming resignation, as notified previously, from the committee after Bronzeville Week. | | | |
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| | 9. | | Adjournment.
Minutes note: Meeting adjourned at 10:20 a.m.
Chris Lee, Staff Assistant
Council Records Section
City Clerk's Office | | | |
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