Meeting Minutes: April 2016

[Christel Manning]

The Economic Development group met on Monday, April 11, 2016, from 6 – 7:30 pm at 20 Grand Ave. Present: Christel, Brenda, Rich P, Nathalie B., Natalie C., Kathleen F., Lee, Lisa.  

This was our final planning meeting for Riverfest 2016.  

1. Set up: Last year we got about 100 chairs from Wacoma. We determined that we will have a total of about 18 tables: 13 from Wacoma, 4 from Lisa, 1 from Rich. We will need about 12 for various organizations/activies: 3 for Donna, 4 for Lisa (kelp man, beer companies, etc), 4 for Rich. That leaves 6 to put our for eating and drinking. Wacoma has 2 tents (20 x 20), plus they bought 2 more (15 X 30), so we have a lot to work with. Plan for set up is for volunteers to arrive on Sat, April 30, 10 am, at marina; use Lisa flatbed truck to pick up stuff from Wacoma, then pickup dance floor from Bregamos. We will then set up tents and dance floor. Chairs and tables will be stored folded up and leaned against a building until Sunday morning. On Sunday, 7 am, Lee and Christel will use Stewart’s truck to go pick up sound equipment from Rich’s house. Then we set up the rest. Volunteers committed to set up so far include: Tambira, Natalie, Christel, Lisa, Rich. There may be a couple guys from Greenwave, plus Lee is working on getting a few students from Quinnipiac. Need more 5 gallon buckets to provide weight for tents; Christel will ask Stewart for this.

2. Street closing: Sheila will collect signatures; Lee has asked alderman Earnie Santiago to write letter of support. Once we have all this, Christel will take it to city to get permit. Sargent Tony Mayo has committed to bringing officers in at no cost to us.

3. Publicity: Channel 8 Style show will do a segment about Riverfest featuring Four Barrel Billy band on April 27. Tambira will be our spokesperson. Don and Nathalie updated last year’s flyers and Lee made lots of copies which will be put on telephone poles and local businesses. Please get a flyer from Lee if you know a place to put them up! We will also purchase some generic signs to put on CSNA’s sandwich board, 2 will say Riverfest and will be placed in the park ahead of the event; others will be directional signs to direct people to the canoes/kayaks at the event. Christel will follow up with Sally on this. Riverfest website it live!!! Please send it to your friends.

4. New developments: Tambira has agreed to do another bike tour, from NH green to our festival, like last year. There will also be a second, longer bike ride that will end at Riverfest. Both are advertised at New Haven Bike Month. The kelp fishing company that is renting space form Lisa will do a table with fresh oysters in exchange for donations. Rich and Brenda have some handmade dragons for sale, which fits nicely with the neighborhood’s old name, Dragon Point. We should make a poster about this.

5. Budget: Cost of music is $1100 ($400 for each of 2 bands, $300 for drummers plus dance floor from Bregamos). Christel must get W-9 forms from bands plus some kind of written agreement. Cost of signs is around $300 (Sally still needs to get estimate). Lisa will get quote for one day event insurance.

6. Other: There will be no Dining Out Night or Soup Night in April because Riverfest is so early. We will resume next month.