BID to Hold Annual Board Election and Meeting Feb. 23

Business owners in Peekskill’s downtown business district are invited to attend a Business Improvement District annual member meeting and board election this Thursday, Feb. 23 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the . The meeting is held every year to elect board members to the BID Association, which is the decision-making entity of the BID.

During the meeting, the current Board and Director Jason Angell will present a 2012 BID work plan they have created and encourage business owners to keep the downtown growing. In response to out in past years Angell changed the location of the meeting and is offering a full dinner provided by to entice members to attend.

The discussion section of the meeting is also open to the public. Dinner is for BID members only.

There are two open tenant representative positions and three open owner representative positions.

About 200 BID members, property owners or tenants in the downtown district were mailed registration forms. Tenant members had to provide proof of their tenancy in order to register to vote. About 30 tenants registered by the Feb. 6 and are eligible. Owners who are not in tax arrears are able to vote up until Thursday. Because there are about 150 owners in the district, they make up the majority of the BID.

The candidates running for the two open tenant board positions are Amy Harte, owner of 3&Co. Design Lab at 23 N. Division St.; Darby Melnick, owner of the at 925 South St.; and John Sharp, owner of the at 970 Main St.

There are only two candidates running for the three open board owner positions. They are Christine Bobolia, owner of B&K Homes at 104 S. Division St. and Ken Laudon, owner of at 23 N. Division St. There was no third candidate for the other open position.

(Read each candidate’s position statements below.)

The current board members are: Christine Bobolia, Frank A. Catilina, Frank Cimino, Jaime R. Leon, Arne Paglia, Jeannette Phillips, John Sharp and City officials Charles Emberger (comptroller), Andrew Torres (councilman) and Brian Havranek (acting city manager). Owner representatives Phillips, Leon and Patrick Brown were elected into their current positions last year.

Tenant representative Thom Pernice was elected last year but has since stepped down. Tenant representative Patty Villanova, who has long been an (in public and on Patch) and who was also serving as Chair, in May 2011.

Here are the position statement's from this year's elections candidates:

Tenant Representative Candidates:

John Sharp: Peekskill is a beautiful city with vast resources and opportunity for all. After filling a temporary position on the BID for the last few months I believe the BID can serve as a productive and powerful voice for the business and building owners of downtown Peekskill. We must strengthen what the BID has already started. One such initiative would be to expand the farmers market into the largest of its kind in the region. The BID by using funds to advertise Peekskill can help bring population to our city and in return help fill our downtown with viable businesses. Most importantly, we must bring the downtown together into a unified voice, creating a powerful tool to help direct where the city is going and what it will and can be. My name is John Sharp and I believe in Peekskill and I would love an opportunity to continue working with The BID.

Darby Melnik: Darby Melnik, owner of Energy Movement Center Inc. and Options in Fitness LLC, has been in Peekskill for 2 1⁄2 years and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for the community. Through our Community Donation Yoga class on Friday evening we help support a local charity. In the future we will be offering more community fitness and nutrition classes that will be either free or offered at a nominal price. Our mission at EMC is to provide a community based wellness home for the development of body, mind, and spirit. Through integrated programs in nutrition, holistic health coaching including physical and emotional fitness, and artistic expression we hope to enhance the lives of individuals and families who would not otherwise be able to access these services.

“I respectfully request to be nominated for the BID Board of Directors because I am excited about the buzz in Peekskill and would love to be a part of the positive movement that is happening. I believe we need to reach out to the community together by reaching to each and every business providing them with all of the happenings here with contact information and deadline dates for sponsorship of events.”

Amy Harte: I am owner and Managing Director of 3&Co. Design Lab, a full service creative design studio with offices in NYC and downtown Peekskill. Our work can be seen in such retail environments as Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Barnes & Noble. I am running to fill a vacancy for a “tenant” position on the Peekskill BID Board of Directors. While I am encouraged by the growth and vitality that I see in the downtown, I think a lot of work must be done to enhance the commercial viability of downtown Peekskill. The BID could be a key, positive agent in moving revitalization forward if it were to commit to a clear, focused agenda.

As a Board Member, my goals would be to encourage the BID to:

·            Advocate for city policies that would attract more working professionals to live in the downtown

·            Invest in a cohesive long-term PR campaign to attract more businesses, consumers and residents to the downtown

·            Improve the BID’s cornerstone events that already have good traction (Farmer’s Market, Jazz & Blues Festival)

·            Require quantitative analysis and review of all events to assess outcomes and return on investment

·            Take on fewer initiatives/events, but do them better/smarter/more cost effectively

·            Break the cycle of last minute planning

·            Launch a new website developed to a higher standard of design and functionality

·            Require that all BID materials be cohesively branded and executed to a higher standard

·            Execute BID events to a higher, professional standard —subcontract to professional event planners

·            Ensure transparency in all activities, with year end report going to all BID members

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Owners Representative Candidates

Ken Laudon: I am seeking to become a member of the BID Board of Directors in order to strengthen the efforts of tenants, business owners, and property owners in the Peekskill Downtown and the Peekskill Artist District. Since 1995 I have been involved in renovating several buildings in the downtown area on Division Street, most recently, the building at 15 North Division Street.                 

The District has changed a great deal in the last fifteen years, becoming a center for artists as well as entertainment providers. Street life has changed dramatically. In years past Division

Street had few people on the street, day or night. Today, during the day and evening, the streets are busy with patrons, tenants, suppliers, and contractors.                 

I would like to encourage these positive trends.

I believe that by working together we can continue to create an environment where tenants, businesses, and property owners can prosper and enjoy the benefits of downtown Peekskill. Let’s keep the momentum going in downtown Peekskill.

Ken Laudon is Professor of Information Systems at NYU’s Stern School of Business (retired). He is the author of many books and articles on information systems and society, and co-author of leading college textbooks in the fields of e-commerce and management information systems. Azimuth Interactive Inc. is a multimedia company that creates and produces interactive learning packages for college publishers, performs book production, and creates textbook supplements.

Christine Bobolia: (none submitted)