LHBA General Meeting 2/25/2015 (our 1st bi-monthly meeting of 2015)
Present:Lisa MacMartin (Heartfelt), Bryce Hamilton (Linden Hills), Liz (SuNu Wellness), Jeff Meyer (State Farm Insurance) Teri Rose (Perfectly Produce), Brad McLemore (House of Music), Gail and Steve Arnold (Great Harvest), Kristin Tombers(Clancey’s), Beth Patrin (Twiggs) Nancy (LH Spiritual Community), Barb and Neil (Zumbro), Ed Holmberg (Christian Science Reading Room), Bob Harvey (Edelweiss Design)
Announcement: We have a new Marketing Chairr. Do to increased business responsibilities, Teri will be stepping down from the Board and Liz Gingrey from SuNu Wellness, will be taking her place on the Board, as well as Chair of the Marketing/Outreach Committee/ Welcome Liz!
REPORTS
Lisa MacMartin- Events Committee
Lisa reported that the Events Committee had a brainstorming meeting. Joining her for the meeting were Jan Wickman of Lake Harriet Spiritual Community and Lisa Wilde, the new Bibelot General Manager.
The meeting covered the existing event schedule
Linden Hills Spring Festival 3/16
Woofstock (Saturday, 9/12)
Hay Day (date TBD)
Reindeer Day (Saturday, Dec. 5)
And there was a new event added to the roster:
Women’s Night Out (Thurs., Oct. 1) – This is still in the works; LHBA member businesses will be invited to participate…and offer perks, services, and treats for visiting their businesses. There was a discussion about the possibility of businesses without liquor licenses offering wine for the ladies that visit. Lisa will be looking into the regulations regarding this issue.
The committee will also create a new “Event Success Toolbox”, that will provide LHBA members with event content and/or notices to share to their email individual lists and social media contacts about upcoming events in Linden Hills. This will allow us to expand the reach across multiple sites and email blasts, while maintaining consistent messaging and saving members time. We plan to explore having a charitable component at most events…
Bryce Hamilton- Keys for Kids
With the removal of the Pocket Park @ 43rd and Upton, there is a question whether or not we will be able to host a Keys for Kids neighborhood piano this year. Kristin reported that the former developer of the Linden Crossing Development was told to have the park restored ASAP, but there is no projected timeline for that as of yet.
Several other sites were suggested…Sebastian Joe’s, the sidewalk adjacent Naviya’s and Dunn Bros., but nothing was agreed upon. We may need to pass on the piano this year due to this lack of an appropriate space.
NancyCourne reported that April 4th is the date for the 3rd Annual Consciousness Expo at the Lake Harriet Community Center. So far there are 30 vendors booked for booths, events, and workshops, and there will be a silent auction and raffle.
She also reported that the Center would be launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund the restoration of the building.
Jeff Meyer- Membership
Jeff reported that the LHBA now has 27 paid memberships, with 9 or so of those being brand new members this year. There are 106 businesses in the Linden Hills area (including 44th and Upton and 44th Street up to the corner of 44th and France Ave.)
A second reminder will be sent to prospective and renewing members. The fee to join is $100/business.
It is requested that we all talk toour neighbor businesses to encourage them to join the business association if they have not already done so.
More members = more digital marketing for all and more collective strength as a business community!
Business Directory
Lisa is working on the 2015 LHBA Business directory, and reports that it will reflect the magazine format of the Explore Linden Hills LHBA website, with a strongly photographic look, including ‘advertorials’, (news and ad combinations) with profiles of/introductions to LHBA businesses. We will have a larger page format8 inches by 10 inches. To participate in the Directory, a business must be an association member. .
Jeff inquired about the concert schedule, which he feels is the keep component of the directory- it will be included again this year
Our designer Mike of Flight Advertising and Lisa MacMartin, will be working closely with LHBA members on their ads. Instead of submitting a complete, print-ready ad as in the past, advertisers will complete a form similar to the information requested for the website: a headline, tag line, photos with a hero shot etc. The advertorials will be created from this information and submitted to advertising businesses for final approval.
Liz Gingery- Digital Marketing
Liz reported that there are now 17 member profiles on the LHBA website. She stated that if members have not submitted materials yet, they can set up an appointment with her and bring/ email her their content with 4-5- photos. Plan on spending about 10 minutes with her to set up yourprofile.
If you need to update your current page information, please send Liz an email with your changes. She is looking for static info only, not temporary hours, things subject to change such as short-term promotions, etc.
Street View - Barb
Barb reported the current activities of the Street View committee, including a meeting she and Bonnie Bolton had with Michael Saphir of Sticks and Stones regarding the current root-bound state of the gardens and the difficulties planting them. The committee agreed that the business association would need to work on a long range plan for dealing with the gardens, with some of the suggestions being: installing iron grates over the flower beds, replacing the trees with smaller growth varieties, and/or the installation of large urns and or/benches throughout the 43rd and Upton business area in lieu of plantings in the gardens. However, as this would require funding that is not currently available,the committee has decided to come up with a plan of how to deal with the gardens for the next year or two.
The committee has agreed to a plan to invite local gardeners/landscapers to ‘adopt’ neighborhood gardens in the 43rd and Upton business node that are currently untended/unclaimed by business building owners, in exchange for free promotion(on the LHBA website, in outdoor business card holders in the gardens, etc.) Kristin and Catherine took on the job of coming up with a list of gardeners we would like to invite to participate, and are writing an email invitation for the project.
Beth suggested that the committee consider implementing straw bale gardening for some of the gardens that are especially hard to plant and maintain. She is touch with Joel Kasson, author of Straw Bale Gardening, and carries the book in Twiggs. Everyone present loved the idea and the committee will be conducting experiments with this planting in suitable garden beds around the neighborhood this summer.
For the next committee meeting Barb will be working on a map to be used identify available gardens to potential gardeners/landscapers. She has been in touch with Peter Hinke from the SSD about the Gardening Invitational and he is interested, and will be looking into the implications of the SSD joining in on this for the median gardens. Barb and Beth will be working on a budget estimate for the gardens so the landscapers can understand what their monetary investment might be, and the committee will be looking for volunteers to help water some of the gardens this summer.