DDA director reports near-target tax capture, facade grant shortlist and building maintenance plans

Audrey, the DDA director, presented the authority's financial and project updates at the Feb. 28 meeting, telling board members the downtown tax capture is tracking closely to projections and several maintenance and grant processes are underway.

"For our tax capture for this year, we were within about $500 of our estimated range, which is really good," Audrey said. She told the board the DDA scheduled about $25,000 in building maintenance work associated with the Children's Museum move, including south-wall copper cap repair, window caulking and chimney work, to be done in April pending weather.

Audrey summarized revenue and outstanding items: a Shackleton-funded contribution that provides roughly $2,000 a year for downtown maintenance, a pending offset from "PA 86," and other receivables tied to leases and Main Street pledges. "I estimate that we've got around 8,000 in revenue left to collect," she said.

On façade restoration, Audrey said the review committee had five submitted projects covering seven buildings with nearly $500,000 in total project costs and over $400,000 requested from the program. She said the DDA currently has "112" available to spend; the transcript did not specify the currency or units attached to that figure. Audrey said staff will confirm scopes with the building inspector and ask the Historic District Commission to review projects before final awards are announced.

During Q&A a board member asked about reimbursement from a past property sale; Audrey said the DDA expects to be repaid about $7,000 for asbestos-abatement work performed several years earlier and that those funds are being tracked for future projects.

Audrey also reported marketing metrics: a storytelling series and social posts that reached more than 75,000 people and about 1,400 page visits. She said staff are building how-to videos for businesses to submit directory entries and will include QR codes in upcoming ads to help track ad performance.

The board did not take formal action on budget adoption at this meeting; Audrey said she expects to present a draft budget for comment in April and to schedule approval prior to the July start of the next fiscal year.