CENTER CITY COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
June 19, 2007

Present: Mehmed Ali, Larry Field, Marshall Field, Bill Lipchitz, Jeanne Osborn, Theresa Park, Molly Sheehy, Russ Smith, and Terry Williams.

The meeting opened at 8:35 AM.

Mehmed Ali said he has spoken with Franky Descoteaux regarding the DLBA. George Villaras from Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union is the new President, and he will attend the next Stakeholders meeting next week. The Board will also be asked to create two new seats, bringing the total membership to 23. The seats will be for the Jackson, Appleton Middlesex Business and Residents Association (JAMBRA) and the Lowell Small Business Assistance Center. It is expected that Tim Shanahan and Russ Smith will be the respective designees.

Ali asked: who is in charge of the hanging planters and who is responsible for watering them? It seems to be a DPD project but it was not clear who actually takes care of them.

Molly said the Middlesex CC wanted to do an art project installation in the Middle Street Park but was stopped by the Historic Board because it would involve painting the side of the Derby Electric Building. Theresa Park said that there is increased foot traffic in the downtown on weekends since the beginning of ArtVentures, with many folks going out of their way to visit Lucy Larcom Park, so art is an attraction for economic development.

Ali also asked about Wireless Internet Access. He asked if we could do an inventory of businesses that have it to see if it can be expanded. Theresa said there would be more about this coming out soon. She said there are different models (eg. Public safety based systems that help track activity in the downtown, and bridging the digital divide), and other cities have created organizations that help provide it. The website muniwireless.org has some information. She said the City will be talking to the IT chiefs at UMass Lowell and Middlesex as well.

The members considered the meeting schedule for the summer. There are subcommittees of the Stakeholders group that are working on issues that can continue even if there are fewer meetings. The Newcomers Night committee needs to do some planning over the summer to be ready for the event in early September. Ali will reconstitute that committee next week. The group determined, subject to Board approval next week, that there should be one informal meeting in July, on the 24th, and one formal meeting in August, on the 28th.

The agenda for next weeks meeting will include the votes mentioned above, a discussion of the Downtown Summit plan that will be released this Thursday, an update of the Calendar Project, preliminary planning for Newcomer’s Night, approval of the meeting schedule for the summer, and special guest Mike Desmarais from Neighborhood Services.

One Lowell is planning a fundraiser around a soccer tournament on August 4th and 5th in which the local teams will represent their countries of origin. It will be at Cawley Stadium and have some participation from the New England Revolution.

The meeting adjourned at 9:20 AM.