The Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) met on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, at 7 p.m. to vote on special event funding requests from the Caribou Village Shopping Center and HubNed. The Authority also discussed the expectations of an event organizer for their 2024 Summer Concert Series.

The NDDA were tasked with voting on Resolution 2023-02, approving utilizing the Authority’s line of credit to pay the $23,594.87 for their 2023 participation in the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD).

The resolution is required to go before the Board of Trustees (BOT) in order to authorize moving the funds from the Authority’s line of credit to the operating account, and to be repaid the same day from the TIF account.

The NFPD’s mill levy increased to 17.3 in 2023, which requires the NDDA to pay $37,222.62 in 2024 to continue financing the IGA. Currently the Authority has approved $30,000 for the IGA in their 2024 budget. The discussion of where the remaining $7,222.62 in funds will come from within the NDDA budget will continue during their meeting on January 10, 2024.

After briefly discussing whether utilizing the Authority’s line of credit is necessary in this situation, Board Member Scott Papich recused himself from voting on the matter as he is a volunteer with the Nederland Fire Department.

NDDA Chair Ron Mitchell stated his concern that the IGA needs to be reviewed with members of the NFPD present under an Executive Session, as the financial matters within the IGA should not be discussed publicly.

A motion was made and passed to approve Resolution 2023-02, authorizing the $23,594.87 in funds for the IGA to be paid through the NDDA’s line of credit.

Board members voted on two funding requests for special events to be held in December and January. The Caribou Village Shopping Center requested to use the remaining $367 from their original $1,000 request made in May for marketing for a December event. HubNed requested $500 for marketing their upcoming Founders and Funders events.

The Shopping Center originally requested $1,000 from the NDDA in May for their 4th Friday Art Walk event series, from which $633 was spent. The request for the remaining $367 balance is to advertise for an event at 20 Lakeview Drive on Friday, December 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. that will include special vendors and live music.

HubNed plans to schedule three weeks of Founders and Funders networking events, connecting funders with local women-owned businesses. The first event is planned for January 21, 2024.

Papich stated his belief that the NDDA should carefully evaluate requests that involve using remaining funds from a previous request, as it could set a precedent that is antithetical to the Authority’s purpose.

Mitchell agreed with Papich and specified that the NDDA’s statutory purpose is to create larger projects that positively impact the Central Business District, and that the use of Authority funds for such smaller events does not serve that greater purpose. Other board members disagreed with Mitchell and Papich’s assessments.

The NDDA approved the $367 in funding to be used for advertising the Caribou Village Shopping Center’s 4th Friday event on December 22, with Board Member Barbara Hardt abstaining.

The $1,000 for advertising HubNed’s Founders and Funders events was also approved. Board Members Papich and Steve Karowe both abstained.

Board Member Danielle Crouse led the NDDA in a discussion concerning potential locations for public art projects in Nederland’s Central Business District. Crouse indicated the Southeast and/or Southwest concrete pillars of the Kathmandu Restaurant building at 110 North Jefferson Street, and either the North or Northeast walls of The Mountain-Ear’s building at 98 West 1st Street, as possibilities for public murals.

The Flower Collective at 91 Big Springs Drive is also a suggested location for a public art project. The owners of the recommended locations have tentatively agreed to their buildings being a part of the NDDA’s public art initiative.

Crouse asked fellow Board members to change the discussion item to an action item in order for the Public Art Committee to move forward with preliminary planning on these projects. The committee would return at a future meeting with project information on each location, including the associated projected costs for each.

The NDDA approved changing the discussion item to an action item, and then voted to approve Crouse and the Public Art Committee moving forward on project planning for all three locations.

NDDA Vice Chair Andrew Dewart and BOT liaison to the NDDA Trustee Tania Corvalan brought up a draft Request For Proposal (RFP) for a Curator for their 2024 Summer Concert Series.

The RFP, which the NDDA hopes to approve and release in January, details a budget of $50,000, plus $4,000 per band, for six concerts to take place in different locations across Nederland starting on Saturday, May 24, 2024, and ending on Saturday, September 21. These tentative dates have yet to be officially confirmed.

The Curator will be expected to “curate and present musicians” for the six events, recruiting musical acts while collaborating with the NDDA to create a program schedule and arrange funding for traffic flagging and security.

The RFP also states that the Curator must provide the NDDA with monthly invoices, proof of $2,000,000 in general liability insurance coverage, an “inclement weather plan,” and a monthly report which includes “estimated attendance numbers, performer feedback, community feedback, challenges and recommendations.”

Mitchell asked that an attorney review the RFP to ensure that it is “air-tight” in its language concerning how applicants will be evaluated and considered for the position. Town Administrator Miranda Fisher noted that Nederland’s RFP could be used as a template for language pertaining to evaluation criteria and the fair evaluation process.

Papich wanted assurance that the Summer Concert Series would support local businesses, and suggested a ticket system where ticket stubs could be traded at local businesses for additional specials and sales. Papich also asked for a prioritization of local food and beverage vendors over food trucks from outside the Peak to Peak region.

The RFP will return to the NDDA’s agenda at a later meeting with more in-depth language concerning the evaluation criteria for potential applicants for the Curator position.

The Nederland Downtown Development Authority meets the second Wednesday of every month. Their next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 10, 2024, and will be held online as well as in person at the Nederland Community Center.

For more information go to:

https:// townofnederland.colorado.gov/downtown-development-authority.