Peekskill’s new Business Improvement District (BID) Director understands that he is stepping into a position that represents a number of challenges. The BID was audited by the state comptroller land found to be dysfunctional; it has beenby a former Chair many times (and in the comments of many Patch articles); and it has struggled to draw participation from the downtown business owners who pay the $100,000 worth of taxes each year that provide the BID’s budget.
Jason Angell was hired as the new BID Director, a part-time position, about two months ago. Angell, 34, is the former Executive Director of the Working Families Center, a non-profit “think and act” tank that works closely with the Working Families party. While there, he oversaw the development of the Green Jobs- Green Homes New York program model, which was signed into state law in Oct. 2009 as the Green Jobs, Green NY Act. He was raised in New York City but often spent time with his family in Garrison, where he and his wife are now living and starting a sustainable farm. He is also currently teaching political science at Bronx Community College.
Angell says his experience at the Center, as a small business owner (owning the farm), crafting the Green Jobs model, working to grow local economies, and his work while earning a Masters in Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse, equip him with the skills needed to run the BID. Read his full biography here.
In an interview with Patch, Angell used an African proverb to explain his feelings about his new job.
“A journey begins with a first step,” Angell said. “I acknowledge there are mixed feelings about how effectively the BID has been run over past few years.”
Angell’s first goal is to get business owners involved with the Business District Management Association, which runs the BID. “I’m not going to come in and say this is everything that should happen,” he said. “One of my priorities is to get out and reach out to bid owners in downtown and make connections, and hear from them about their thoughts on how it can be improved.”
The BID was responsible for the which involved 30 downtown businesses that offered discounts to customers with a “Merry” button. It also featured downtown trolley tours of decorated homes and businesses, and the which packed the downtown with jolly Santas on Dec. 17. Angell saw success with the campaign, which he organized during his first few weeks on the job, but said he sees an opportunity to do much more for the next holiday season and viewed this year's campaign as a “jumping off point” for next year.
Over the 16 years the BID has been in effect, it has been responsible for bringing the Peekskill’s Farmer’s and Flea Market to Bank street in the summer, for aesthetic improvements in the downtown, for outdoor festivals like Jazz Fest and for attracting Main Street grant money.
Angell said he hopes to improve upon the successes the BID has already seen. In an analysis of the BID budget that Angell performed in order to create a five-year plan he found that for every dollar the BID invests in the farmer’s market they get a more than $2 return. The farmer’s market is a good place to “take advantage of the diversity of Peekskill,” he said.
Angell explained his vision of the farmer's market as a Hudson Valley Brooklyn Flea, which is a popular flea market in Brooklyn that features local food and drinks, as well as crafts and arts.
He also envisions the BID helping to make Peekskill known as a leader in public art, which would be a good way to pull people into the downtown, he said.
In regards to the state audit which highlighted administrative and organizational problems of the BID, Angell said that, “part of (a solution) is making sure we have good transparency for members, in terms of budget spending, and to be as transparent as possible. (We need to work to) promote businesses and the downtown as much as possible.”
Angell is working with the 11 current BID Association Board members and hopes that BID members start coming to the meetings to provide input. Any property owner or tenant in the downtown district is a BID member. However, tenants must prove their occupancy in the district in order to vote in the BID election and property owners must not by in tax arrears in order to vote.
“We are not a healthy BID until we can prove that BID members are participating,” Angell said. “I am really calling upon business owners and BID members to put the past behind them and to come down, participate in meetings on the first Tuesday of the month and to come to annual meetings with ideas on how BID can serve them. And to run for election.”
There are two tenant board member spots vacant and three property owner spots vacant. The BID will have an annual meeting on Feb. 23 when the election will take place. After the BID association board is elected by the BID members, they will then appoint the chair and other positions.
Angell plans to visit as many BID members as possible in the next month to encourage them to participate in the election and BID activities. He is also working with the current board to create a 2012 plan to present to members at the Feb. 23 meeting. The meeting will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at a location to be determined. BID members will receive information on the meeting and elections in the mail in the coming weeks.
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What do you think the BID can do to help downtown Peekskill? Tell us in the comments and take our poll.
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Editor's Note: Information on the BID elections has been added to this article.
What could they have possibly spent 7K on? Didn't see much advertising. What other overhead was there, apart from paying Stella during the pub crawl and making a few buttons? "Driving home drunk"! Nuff sed. I go to the Quiet Man a lot. Next time I'm there I'm going to try to get the lowdown on what the GOP is up to. They coasted for too long. Now they don't know what to do except hide. Time to stir up the nest. Good posts all.
"it is the public policy of the City...to establish standards & guidelines for ethical conduct of City officials.. these policies are best effectuated by prescribing meaningful sanctions & remedies to be imposed upon city officials....who violate the public trust.. The law refers to "any official or employee of the City, whether paid or unpaid." "Immediate Family includes spouse, domestic partner, child, stepchild, parent, grandparent or sibling." "Interest" A participation, connection or involvement of any sort which may result in a direct or indirect pecuniary or material benefit. For purposes of the law, the interests of a City official shall be deemed to include her immediate family." "Any city official or employee who violates,disobeys or disregards any provision of this chapter or any rule or regulation pursuant to this chapter, may be liable to the City for civil damages... such civil damages may be recovered in an action by the City at the request of the Common Council in any court of competent jurisdiction. " Which brings me to the main problem with Peekskill, the one thing that keeps bringing us down, the one thing that keeps this City from being the best, the one thing that causes the never-ending corruption- PUBLIC OFFICIALS DO NOT OBEY THE LAW. THEY ALL FEEL THEY ARE ABOVE IT. Whether it's the mayor, the BID chairman or the council members. The Law is for the Little People.
OK- so Jason, SHOW US THE MONEY! This is an open call to Mr. Angell, Mrs. Phillips, Mayor Foster, Drew Claxton et al. DO THE RIGHT THING. And if you can't or won't, then post a response on Patch. It's not just me who's watching you and this whole sordid debacle. You guys & gals OWE it to the Downtown stakeholders and you will be held accountable, even if I have to personally re-open the audit with the Comptroller's office.
I feel this window contest wasn't genuine at all. Only BID members entered, they voted on themselves, and the winners just happen to be the partners of sitting elected officials. Not good in my book. Law tends to be interpretative. Ask 10 lawyers their interpretation of 1 law, and you'll get 20 interpretations. Dollars to donuts that Ms. Nelson comes up with an interpretation that blesses this nonsense.
I am happy to see so many thriving businesses downtown like the Birdsall House, the Quiet Man, the 12 Grapes to name a small selection of the businesses that are thriving. I would love to see more retail boutiques like Pattie's store and the Coop. I talked to Jason last night, while out on the town, and I know that he is going to be putting forward a great effort towards bringing people together. Thanks Jason.
Yeah right, when pigs fly.
Joshua, thank you for bringing up the litter issue. That's a question to be posed to Ms. Claxton. She heads up the "Clean Initiative" that has obviously been a laughable failure. The streets have never been filthier and it's completely shameful. How much did it cost to paint the words "Clean" on all of the garbage trucks?
People in New York City understand NY crime was lowered by paying attention to nuisances like minor vandalism and litter etc. People figured if the small things bring correction the large ones must as well. Right now that street looks like everyone has their back turned. I see litter all the way down to the gazebo but nothing like up by the monument. I would add streets I grew up on near Washington St have also been showing a lot of litter with the new foot traffic patterns created by the new school. Kids just drop any and all garbage without a second thought. Maybe the BID, schools and city can work together to keep Peekskill from looking like a dump. I also saw Bruised Apple is being hassled over a neon sign. Victorian era was full of loud signs and ads.
The city corporation counsel did get back to me this week to let me know that citizens who want an interpretation of the ethics code can apply for one from the Ethics Board. The corporation counsel would not be the one to interpret it for someone who feels there is a violation.
Thanks for getting back. I find it incredible that the City's top attorney, the Corporation Counsel, who herself penned the newest amendments to the Ethics Code, refuses to provide an interpretation to a member of the press and/or a citizen who is asking for a clarification. As far as the Ethics Board- the last I heard it was packed with political appointments and rarely if ever meets. This is not a case for the Ethics Board per se; I believe the issue in question, whether or not it was proper for the spouses of two sitting councilwomen to receive an award from a City agency, is something that requires an answer from someone in City Hall. I assure you that this is not going to get swept under the rug and if Nelson or Foster won't do their jobs, then I am going to refer this matter to the Comptroller's Office AND to the AG. By the way, the City's Corrective Action Plan for the BID was mandated to incorporate the Code of Ethics; one would think that Exec. Director Angell would have familiarized himself with the CAP prior to taking the job. Then again, since when does anyone who gets a paycheck from the City have to do much of anything to justify it? The beat goes on.....
"The Corporation Counsel shall provide legal assistance to the Board of Ethics in its issuance of advisory opinions, interpretation of the Code of Ethics and Article 18 of the General Municipal Law, prosecution of any hearings, and providing such additional legal assistance as may be needed by the Board of Ethics." It is simply amazing the amount of time and sweat these folks, who are supposed to be examples of upholding the law, expend trying to wiggle out of having the law apply to them. Nice try Bernis.