09-03-1999 Minutes Clermont Main Street
Meeting Minutes for September 3, 1999
The Mulberry Inn
Board members present: Robert Porter,Jeff Biddle,Donna Covert,Sandy Lawson,Mary Jackson,
Jay Rosario,Kathy Schlachter,Louise Stockton,Bill Thompson and Wayne Turner.
Others present:Gordon Hallgren, Barbara Hollerand and Russell Lawson.
Robert Porter opened the meeting at 8:35 a.m. and asked for approval of the August 13, 1999
meeting minutes.The motion was made by Jeff Biddle and seconded by Mr.Porter. Motion
passed.
Mr. Porter asked if everyone had a copy of the draft sponsorship brochure.He said it needs the
Clermont Main Street logo on its cover,and then it should be ready to distribute.
Mr.Porter made preliminary inquiries at AppleTree,Ink about Richard Formato donating his
time to create a Clermont Main Street logo. Mr.Porter was told that AppleTree had been inun-
dated with similar requests and was no longer providing gratis work.Jay Rosario said he
thought the logo should be created by a local designer, and that he would be willing to pay for
all or part of the design himself.Mr. Rosario said that using AppleTree would be appropriate,
since Mr. Formato had donated his services in the past to downtown projects.
rm.) The board then discussed special requirements for the logo, such as its ease in low-cost repro-
duction,especially in uses where it would be photocopied,scanned,etc.
Louise Stockton said she looks for other Main Street communities when traveling and has no-
ticed the most appealing ones pay close attention to maintaining storefronts and incorporating
trees into their street design. She recommended the logo incorporate that kind of imagery-and
reflect how downtown might look after improvements are underway.
Mr.Porter said he would meet with Mr.Formato at AppleTree about Clermont Main Street pay-
ing for a design,possibly after receiving a discount. Mr. Porter also offered to assist in paying for
the logo.
Mr. Porter said Clermont Main Street now has a post office box (P.O. Box 120681,Clermont,FL
34712-0681) and has officially joined the South Lake Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Biddle re-
minded Mr. Porter to be sure to attend the next chamber meeting,Friday,September 17,to be
introduced as a new member. Mr. Porter said he would be able to attend.
Mr. Biddle said Chris Giachetti had received permission from the property owners to place the
Clermont Main Street sponsors sign on the vacant lot adjacent to the karate school on the north
side of Montrose Street. Mr.Biddle said Clermont City Manager Wayne Saunders has confirmed
there are no restrictions on such a sign.He recommended Mr. Biddle bring the proposal to the
flnext Council meeting for formal approval.
Bill Thompson asked if the sign was to be lit at night. Mr. Porter said the board had talked about
putting lights around it, but not specifically about lighting it at night. Ms. Stockton said the sign
should have the Clermont Main Street logo.
Mr. Biddle said Mr. Giachetti is looking into building materials for the sign. Sandy Lawson said it
will be very important that the sign be easy to update since Clermont Main Street will be adding
new sponsors on a regular basis.
Mr. Porter said the Clermont Main Street bank account could be opened as soon as the four
officers and Barbara Hollerand meet at the bank to sign the papers. Mr. Porter said he has two
keys for the post office box,and listed himself,Ms. Lawson and Mr. Biddle as the Clermont Main
Street representatives on the post office paperwork.
Mr. Biddle said he could ask city staff next week for the$10,000 approved for Clermont Main
Street from the Community Redevelopment Agency.
Mr. Porter said he had received a copy of the articles of incorporation for Clermont Main Street.
He also received confirmation from an attorney that there wouldn't be a problem with him being
on the board of directors of four organizations. Mr. Porter said it took about two months for
approval of the tax-exempt status for the other non-profit he is involved with, so it could easily
be two to four months for Clermont Main Street's tax-exempt status to be approved. Until then,
the organization could collect membership dues,but couldn't provide an official receipt identify-
ing Clermont Main Street as a 501(c)(3) organization.
The board then discussed whether or not the delay in getting tax-exempt status would hamper
Clermont Main Street's ability to raise funds now -and whether the organization needed to
delay opening its bank account until the exemption was approved. Kathy Schlachter suggested
that a non-interest-bearing account might be an option, and that the sponsor's cancelled check
could serve as a receipt. Mr. Biddle said that if Clermont Main Street gets the South Lake County
Community Foundation grant,it could set up an account with the foundation. Wayne Turner
said he would get the opinion of an accountant. Mr. Rosario said he would be willing to cut
checks for Clermont Main Street and then accept reimbursement, should that service be needed.
Mr. Rosario stressed that there must be a commitment to make Clermont Main Street and the
revitalization of downtown a success. He saw several years ago how a downtown St. Petersburg
revitalization effort failed and how much time and resources were wasted before the
community's commitment finally crystallized several years later. He said we should learn from
other communities' mistakes and find ways to make it work in Clermont.
The board then discussed how some south Lake County residents don't see the need to revitalize
downtown,saying it is fine as it is. The board agreed that while downtown is in relatively good
shape, more can certainly be done. Mount Dora, DeLand and Leesburg, though successful in
their downtown revitalizations, still face challenges. Clermont can learn from their experiences.
Mr. Porter then moved the board's discussion onto the topic of speaking engagements. It was
agreed that until the sponsorship brochure was ready,the board would hold off on making
presentations. After the brochure was ready,board members would then resume speaking to
groups and would use the opportunity to make an appeal for individual,family and business
sponsorships.
Mary Jackson asked if Clermont Main Street was going to send out window decals to sponsors.
Mr. Turner said he believed they were unnecessary and that few businesses actually put them in
r') their windows. It was agreed that a small sign or plaque would be better. Donna Covert said
Sign Crafters has several examples. Ms.Jackson suggested silkscreening floor tiles. Mr. Porter
mentioned that some board members had talked about a brick program whereby Clermont Main
Street would sell bricks engraved with donors' names for around $100. He said that might be a
funding source Clermont Main Street could consider later on.
Mr. Biddle said he thought Clermont Main Street needed to use a slogan- such as Protecting the
Past,Promoting the Future-with its logo. Mr. Porter said he would try to get some logo drafts
by the next meeting.
Ms. Hollerand asked whether the board wanted to include student artwork on the cover of the
brochure and for other Clermont Main Street uses. The board decided not to use student artwork
on the sponsorship brochure,but rather,feature it at a downtown event or festival. Gordon
Hallgren suggested the downtown art community be brought in on planning such an exhibit.
Mr. Porter then moved discussion on to Clermont Main Street's participation in Light Up Cler-
mont. Mr. Porter said he would meet with Rose Biddle, president of the Downtown Clermont
Partnership, and Ms.Jackson on what role Main Street Clermont should assume.
Mr. Biddle reported the chamber does have its new copier,but is still learning how to use it. For
now,it is relying heavily on its old unit,which Clermont Main Street still might be able to buy or
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(%) receive as a donation.
Mr. Porter suggested holding the discussion on fundraising events and a community meeting for
visioning/goal setting for a later board meeting. Mr. Biddle challenged every board member to
come back to the next meeting with at least$1,000 in sponsorships. He said The Mulberry Inn
was sponsoring at$250, and he had a check from First Federal for$250.
Mr. Hallgren suggested Clermont Main receipt/thank-you send out a combination recei t thank ou letter to
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sponsors. He offered to come back to the board in October with a draft.
Ms. Hollerand said she would make changes to the sponsorship brochure and distribute several
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to each board member to use while canvassing sponsorships. This version of the brochure would
be an interim one, since the logo would not be ready for several more weeks, at best.
Mr. Biddle made a motion that the newsletter be published on a quarterly basis,with the fall
issue going out at the end of September. Ms. Covert seconded the motion. Ms.Jackson suggested
Clermont Main Street buy a copy of the chamber's mailing labels for$25. This list contains more
than 460 names and addresses.
Ms. Stockton asked if Clermont Main Street was going to have a float in the holiday parade. Ms.
Jackson's 43-year-old tractor was suggested as a possible component of the float.
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Ms. Lawson asked whether any action had been taken on restructuring the CRA membership-
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namely,opening up all seven seats to community representatives instead of the current mix of
five Council members and two community representatives. Mr. Biddle said state guidelines for
CRAs support filling the posts with individuals other than elected officials. Mr. Biddle suggested
Ms. Lawson and other interested property owners/citizens attend the October 12 CRA meeting
e■ and propose opening up all seven positions to the public. Mr. Biddle also said the CRA will try to
reschedule Karen Slevin, a Clermont Main Street board member and the Kissimmee Main Street/
CRA manager, to speak at the October 12 meeting on how CRAs operate in other communities.
Mr. Turner said the board needs to be careful not to associate Clermont Main Street with any
proposal to modify the CRA board membership. Those going to the CRA meeting should be
representing themselves,not Clermont Main Street.
The next meeting of Clermont Main Street was set for Friday,October 1 at 8:30 a.m. at The Mul-
berry Inn.
Mr. Porter made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:45 a.m. Mr. Turner seconded and the
motion passed.