Downtown Development Authority Meeting Minutes
June 27, 2017

Sugar Hill Downtown Development Authority

Regular Called Meeting Minutes June 27th, 2017 | 6:30 PM

City of Sugar Hill City Hall – Community Room

Members Present:          Allen Jorgensen, Marc Orcutt, Nancy Wren, Nic Greene, Nick Thompson, Nigel Gray, Taylor Anderson

Staff Present:                    Kaipo Awana, Paul Radford, Scott Andrews, Troy Besseche

Guests Present:               Kevin M^cOmber of Clark Patterson Lee (CPL), Greg Swink of COOK Construction.

I.           CALL TO ORDER: 6:30 PM

II.        APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Motion to approve (Allen), 2^nd (Marc)

III.           APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

1. Special Called Meeting held on June 14, 2017: Correction – Change the word “Agenda” in title to “Minutes” – Motion to approve with correction (Taylor), 2^nd (Marc), Motion carried by vote.
2. Regular Meeting held on June 27, 2017: Motion to approve (Taylor), 2^nd (Marc), Motion carried by vote.

III.                 PUBLIC COMMENTS:

1. Presentation – Greg Swink of COOK Construction gave a presentation on the experience and expertise of his company: Residential, Commercial, Retail, Industrial, etc.
2. ACTION ITEMS AND UPDATES:
3. Old Business
   • E-Center Project (fka. EpiCenter):
     1. Kevin McOmber, of CPL, gave an update on the project.
     2. Approval of legal consultant for preparation of leasing documents: Scott Andrews presented a few quotes from his research. The recommended solution included a flat hourly rate and not to exceed $2500. Motion to approve (Marc), 2^nd (Allen). Motion was tabled until next meeting due to questions from Nancy.
   • Iconic Project (fka. Icon/Seven):
     1. There were some concerns about how this project is being handled.
     2. It was stated that Mr. McDonald is inquiring about a feasibility study in order to make his lenders more comfortable with his vendors. There were also some concerns about the resolution of $87,000 promissory note. Taylor suggested inviting Mr. McDonald to the July meeting to give an update.
   • Nexus at Sugar Hill Project (fka Sugar Hill Town Center) Update:
     1. City Manager Paul Radford gave an update – We will participate in the parking lot of the project. The DDA plans to issue bonds, and the developer is expected to cover the debt service on the bond. McKauly has a relationship with Alliance, a reputable housing partner. They would like to close on August 30th. Structure of the bond deal is being worked out by our lawyers. This would also allow us to extend the purchase date to Nov 30^th
   • Holbrook Project (fka Solomon) Update: Paul Radford gave an update – The Solomon Group completed a similar project in Akworth. Based on conversations with the Mayor of Akworth we learned that they kept both facilities separate and they are pleased with the results. This project has not yet gone to city council.
   • Dogwood Forrest Project Update: Project is currently in Design Review by City and Council. Inducement Resolution was signed along with a letter of intent. Tax exempt bond financing is expected. This means that there will be no exposure to the DDA or the City. 20% of the homes must be set aside for low income housing. We are pursuing a closing date of Dec 15.
   • RaceTrac Project Update: The project is making significant progress. They are experiencing some erosion control challenges. It is scheduled to be completed before the end of the year.
   • Suite Spot:
     1. There were no recent new-memberships. Update project is underway, 3 coats of paint are expected to be applied. Furniture will be moved next week, and additional work scheduled after that.
     2. Mural Fundraising Update
- New mural is expected to go on the other side of the building. An artist sample was shown during this meeting. There were some discussions about Mural Fundraising and sponsorship ($5 to $1000). There was mention of a mural website, and different ways to attract interest. A realistic time to complete the project was said to be 90 days. PPI has provided a $3000 sponsorship, which the DDA is committed to match dollar for dollar. More information will be provided at our next meeting.

1. New Business
   • Hotel Feasibility Study Update:
     1. Staff Comments regarding survey/study for the hotel – Fees were negotiated down from $15K to $12K (fixed fee, no reimbursement). Survey would be applicable not only for the Iconic project but for any development in Sugar Hill. We do have the fees to cover this endeavor. Conflicting terms regarding whether we can share the data w/o the contractor’s written consent or not were discussed. Motion to approve fixed fee of $12 with Franks recommendation was moved (Allen), 2^nd (Marc), and carried by vote.
   • DDA Member/Officer comments
     1. CW Matthews would like another month in the Buice School.
     2. Kaipo provided comments on the LCI proposals. There was mention that we are now seeking a new planner because our previous person moved to California.
     3. Megan provided updates on concerts. Concerts have been sold out and the next upcoming concert is also sold out. We have been receiving very good reviews on these events. The new sound contractor appears to be doing a great job as the last event sounded very good.
     4. There was a question by Nancy regarding landscaping around the city. It was explained that we are handling it in-house. There was a suggestion that we rethink handling this service in house going forward due to the marketing impact it may have on the city.
   • Budget Report: The budget was provided for review and discussion. A motion was moved (Allen) and adopt the budget and 2^nd (Nancy). Motion was carried by vote.
   • Downtown Cleanup: There was an announcement that there will be a downtown cleanup day on July 16, 2017 at 2:00 PM.

1. EXECUTIVE SESSION: The DDA entered executive session during this meeting.
2. ADJOURNMENT: Motion to adjourn was entertained by Marc and 2^nd by Allen. Adjournment carried by vote.