Chairman Chas Stevens called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm on August 11, 2025.
Kevin Sluka conducted roll call and the following Board Members were present:
Board Members Present: Natalia Kleyman, Kevin Sluka, Andrianna Popowych, Rick St. Pierre, Tania Althoff, Conlyn Chan, Chris Edwards, RanD Pitts
Board Members Virtual: Chas Stevens
Board Members Absent: Beth Akkaway
Professional Staff Present: Leah Horowitz, Dana Kessel
CHAIRPERSON REMARKS
Chas welcomed everyone to the meeting and remarked on several guests in the room and online. He remarked that it was an ordinary second half of August with merchant concerns about foot traffic. He reminded everyone that it was seasonal and was hopeful that like every Fall traffic would pick up. Chair discussed the finance reports that were distributed by email and mentioned no notable changes were reported
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES
Minutes from July meetings were approved.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
a. Infrastructure and Design Committee
i. Designs finalized with branding, QR codes, and messaging (“Keep Somerville Clean”). Discussion around durability of colors, inclusivity of messaging, and potential rewrapping in the future if branding changes.
ii. NJ American Water project delayed about a month, expected to finish end of August.
iii. PSE&G Division Street project remains uncertain due to contractor changes; likely no progress in 2025. Maintenance funds are being held until work is complete.
iv. Ongoing issues with Division Street lights (timing/sensors); follow-up planned.
b. Promotions (Becky/Natalia)
i. Social media KPIs (July 2025):
- Instagram reached 18K accounts (+16%); 266K views (81%of views from followers, 19% of views from non-followers); 3.9K interactions (94% interactions from followers, 6% interactions from non-followers; 1.9K unique accounts engaged with our content
- Facebook reached 78K accounts; 168K views (57% of all views from followers, 43% of all views from non-followers; 1.2K interactions (76% interactions from followers,24% interactions from non-followers)
- Email open rates: ~40%; click rate 2.1% (+19.9%); very low unsubscribe rate.
iii. Influencer collaborations successful (highlighting events like Cruise Night, outdoor movies, concerts).
iv. Social media influencer policy formally adopted by board.
v. Promotions Committee proposed a food & beverage subcommittee to improve communication and planning for Restaurant Week and similar events.
vi. Dog-Friendly Initiative – Dana cited the growing number of pet households and the potential economic benefits of the initiative. The board supported entering the exploratory phase. The plan includes surveying businesses, creating maps of participating locations, installing branded decals and dog waste stations, and planning a major kickoff event in spring 2026 (fashion show, adoption events, etc.). Sponsorship opportunities being explored to offset costs. Discussion of green spaces or designated areas for pets.
c. Economic Vitality
i. Noted closures: Discover Wines (retirement), Q Crew Outpost.
ii. New opening: Feet Fleet (grand opening Sept 7, ribbon cutting).
iii. Director initiating landlord database project to track vacancies and connect prospects.
iv. Business education series launching, starting with a workshop on social media marketing. reviewed.
NEW BUSINESS
Upcoming events:
- Movie Nights: Wizard of Oz, Inside Out 2 (rescheduled Aug 20).
- Artisan Market: Aug 24.
- First Friday & Cruise Night T-shirt giveaway: Sept 5.
- Central Jersey Jazz Fest: Sept 14.
- Haunted History Tour: new theme for 2025.
- Holiday Jubilee & Small Business Saturday: planning underway.
- Mixer for local businesses planned; RSVP needed.
Strategic Initiatives and Budget Planning:
- Dana outlined the strategic initiatives, including business development, education, and signage.
- Dana discussed the new entrepreneur of the year award and the need to meet with the Lloyd Silverman family for input on the draft criteria.
- Dana and Chas highlighted the importance of planning for the next year’s budget and gathering committee input on event changes and expenses including detailed breakdowns of event costs and sponsorships to inform the budget process.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
- Zoltan from Teas Up asked when we would start discussing and planning for events for next summer and Chas explained that now is the time to discuss these things as they have a budget impact. Natalia asked for a breakdown of the exact costs for each event that we have had in the past year.
- Others asked about sponsorships and grants and how they factor into budgeting.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
N/A
ACTION ITEMS
- Reach out to the Silverman family to get their input on the new entrepreneur of the year award.
- Meet with the Arts Committee to discuss ideas for the art grant project in the Giardina walkway.
- Gather input from the relevant committees on any changes to events or programs to be included in the budget for next year.
- Provide a detailed breakdown of event costs and sponsorship revenue prior to the next promotions committee meeting.
FINAL REMARKS AND ADJOURNMENT
Chas reiterated the importance of planning for board seat openings and gathering resumes. Natalia asked about the timeline for budget planning, and Chas explained the process and the need for committee input. Andriana suggested focusing on event planning and potential changes in the next Promotions committee meeting.
The meeting concluded with a reminder of the upcoming events and the importance of community engagement and planning.
Meeting adjourned at 7:16 pm. Next meeting is scheduled for September 8, 2025, at 6:00 PM.