Meetings

This page will contain the minutes of the BIA's last executive committee meeting, along with the agenda of the upcoming meeting a few days prior to said meeting. Meetings are held every first Thursday of the month.

The minutes of previous meetings will be available in the Archives section of the site.

The last BIA executive's monthly meeting was held on Thursday September 7th, 2006. Here were the subjects discussed:
 

Present: Mike Wilson, President Gérald Gaudreau Sylvie Otis Sylvie Leroux Patricia Marin-Carrier Colette Fortin Marc Dufresne, Council Rep. Isabelle Boulanger Diane Bernier, Secretary

Absent:  Brenda Rosevear Daniel Sigouin, Resource Person

Subjects discussed :
 

1		Opening - Agenda. - The meeting was declared open at 7:40 a.m.  Agenda: - Prop. by: Isabelle B., Supp. by: Sylvie L.;  CARRIED.
2		Report of the meeting held on July 6th, 2006. - Minutes from the meeting held on July 6th, 2006.  Prop.  by: Sylvie O., Supp. by: Patricia M-C.  CARRIED.
3		List of cheques issued between July 1st and August 31st, 2006 and current financial statements. - The list of cheques issued between July 1st and August 31st, 2006 for a total amount of  $4,186.77, as well as current financial statements were presented for approval.  Diane informed members that there was still an amount of $15,000 to be received from the Municipal Levy. Prop. by: Gérald G., Supp. by: Sylvie O. CARRIED.
4		Repairs to kiosk. - Diane explains why it was decided not to hire Joanis Locksmith for the repairs to the kiosk (2nd quote was too high) and that it was decided to hire Hearst Glass to do the work instead for the amount of $1,952.22 per door less a discount of $200.00 dollars if we decide to repair all the doors at the same time. We have received verbal confirmation from Monique Lafrance that the Municipality accepted our request to do repairs to all the doors this year and that this expense will be financed through the parking fund.  Diane then called Jean-Claude from Hearst Glass to authorize the work.  He said that it will take approximately six weeks to receive necessary materials.
5		Benches and garbage. - Due to the fact that we found that the work performed by Atelier des Pionniers was unsatisfactory, Gérald had requested that a letter be sent to them to cancel the contract we had with them.  We received a confirmation letter from them.  Gérald requested a quote from Joanis Locksmith to perform the same work (less storage).  The quote received from Joanis Locksmith is in the amount of $513.60 to pick-up (in the fall) and install (in the spring) benches and garbage, plus fees of $28/hr. for repairs.  Materials needed for repairs will be extra.  Members do not have any objection to hire Joanis Locksmith for this work and say that he usually does a good job.  The only problem is where we will store these benches and garbage.  Diane checked warehouse prices and Entrepôts Rosaire Gagné is $84.80 (16x24) per month for a total of $1,017.00 per year and Entrepôts Marc Hébert is $70.00 (12x24) per month for a total of $840.00 per year. Gérald insisted that it would be preferable to rent a warehouse to store our benches and garbage in order to keep them in good shape and that we could store other things there.  Mike asked to check with the Municipality if they had space we could use to store them and to ask Caisse Populaire where they were storing theirs.  Gérald will check with Caisse Populaire.  Members would like the benches to stay until Halloween in order to provide places to sit to people.
6		2006 Summer Festival. - Mike informed members that some merchants had complained not receiving the information for the festival soon enough, this will be looked at for the next year's festival.  The tent was too far away and was not used at its maximum (a loss on that side).  We should use the stage all weekend for other activities.  The Committee is unsure if we should do the festival at the end of June or August next year.  Some members suggested to simply do a sale and not a festival as interest from the population is going down and members were working hard for nothing.  Should we do the festival at the same time as St-Jean's activities?  A survey should be done to ask merchants' opinion on this.  Mike will ask Linda Dillon from Collège Boréal if students could do the survey as a school project.  The dates for next year's festival will be determined at the next meeting.
7		Correspondence. - Corporation of the Town of Hearst - Ashtrays downtown: A letter from the Municipality was received confirming that they had accepted our proposition of changing the purchase of flower boxes to ashtrays instead.  Neil from the Bistro said that the cost of installing the ashtray was not his responsibility, as he was not the one to pass a law against smoking in bars and that he prefers that the ashtray be installed on the parking meter in from of Le Bistro.  Members thought that this was not a good idea as the ashtray will be covered with snow in the winter.  Mike asked Diane to contact the Municipality to know if they will be responsible for the cost of installing this ashtray, otherwise we will have to hire Joanis Locksmith to do it. Members think that there are too many cigarette butts on sidewalks since the anti-smoking law was approved.  Mike asked that Diane contact Réal Gagnon to have the downtown streets cleaned more often. - Chamber of Commerce (member's card). - Add - Forma-Jeunes Calendar - Members approved this expense, but the dates for the festival are still to be determined. - OBIAA (Main Street Summit, Registration Form) - Info. - OBIAA - Newsletter (OBIAA/TABIA Conference spring 2007) - Info. - Flying Colours International (flags & banners) - Sale of flags and banners. - Crozier Agencies (park, playground, landscape products) -  Info. - Blachere Illumination, Catalogue 06/07 - Info.  - Classics Displays - new catalogue. - TABIA - Ontario Mainstreet Accessibility Award 2006 - Info.
8		Other subjects. - Gérald asked members' opinion on Friday nights store hours.  He would like stores to close around 6:00 pm. instead of 9:00 p.m., because after 6:00 p.m., it's very slow and most of the time there are absolutely no customers and it's the same situation for Brew Shack.  Gérald said that many stores were closed on Friday night, so why not them.  Some members said that it was impossible for them to close early on Friday night even if there were no customers.  It was suggested to do a survey to ask all merchants' opinion on the matter. - Gérald asked for other members' help when the time comes to do repairs to Christmas decorations. - Marc mentioned that the Municipality now had a new meeting room where the Committee could hold its monthly meetings if necessary. - Marc informed members that the Economic Development Corporation was launching its Bio-Com project tonight at the University's Amphitheatre.  In general, this project is to examine opportunities of economic diversification including new ideas for using our natural resources.  (See Journal Le Nord for more information).
9		Adjournment - The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 a.m.