BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Julie Abel –JabberDesign, Mike Carey – Del Sol, John Jerome – Butler Pantry, Angela Holmes-Century 21, Fred and Janet Schmidt, Bill Smith – Parrot in the Square, Kevin Tringali-Bella Vita Spa & Suites, Jodi White-Macatawa Bank

ABSENT: Ben Barton, Lincoln Brackett, Marilyn Starring

AUDIENCE IN ATTENDANCE: Ryan Kilpatrick –City of Douglas - Jane VerPlank-Saugatuck City Council/Victorian Inn - Rolfe Timmerman – Saugatuck Public School Superintendent, Joleen Christine-Commercial Record

SECRETARY’S MINUTES – Approval of July 2009 minutes. Angela Holmes –Need to make this clearer in the minutes. In June 2009 SABA passed a motion to partner with Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) Pierre LaVoie is the contact person. Mike Carey made the motion and it was seconded by John Jerome. Motion was passed. This is a 2 year contract with SBAM. Bill Smith made a motion to accept the minutes as presented. John Jerome seconded motion. Motion passed.

TREASURER’S REPORT: Jodi White – Angela Holmes - To Bill Smith we are still working on new software program for Jodi to use that you asked about last month. Part of the challenge last year was in regards to recording dues. It was not broken out when dues were paid in 2008 vs. 2009 whether they were new members who joined prior to annual dues drive (i.e. in August 2008) and received membership for remainder of 2008 and 2009 dues as well, or if persons were paying early etc.

Venetian Festival - $1,292.00 was income for this year’s event. There was an expense carryover from last year (aprons) $1,201.93 was 2009 expenses – so we broke even. This event was the kick-off for Venetian Festival on Friday night at Coughlin Park.

Sidewalk Sale is coming up – we should break even on that. Bill Smith – has anyone from Douglas sent you their checks? Janet Schmidt will send update to Bill Smith and Mike Carey on checks she has received.

Jodi White - We are going to cash in the money market account of $5,000 from Edward Jones to get us through the end of the year -will leave approximately $15,000.00 in certificate of deposits. John Jerome – this money will be going towards marketing and advertising. The $5,000.00 being cashed in from money market account will be put into SABA checking account. May have a little bit of money left after marketing expenses are paid, but majority of money is going to marketing and advertising. Bill Smith made a motion to cash in $5,000.00 C.D. from Edward Jones and to place it in the checking account. Julie Abel second. Motion passed. Bill Smith made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report. Julie Abel second. Motion passed.

MARKETING COORDINATORS REPORT: Janet Schmidt – Marketing Coordinator: Have a few out-lying businesses coming into Saugatuck for Sidewalk Sale. Final brunch for Mason Street actors was hosted by SABA on July 28th – a lot of fun. Hosted brunches were successful for SABA as well as Mason Street– exposed actors (quite a few from surrounding area Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo) to the area – great way to spread the word about the area. Janet recommends this as a great way of partnering with Mason Street and exposing actors who are here for approximately for a month to the area.

Bill Hess said there was an article in last Sunday’s Kalamazoo Gazette about Douglas.

SABA Bucks sales continue.

Ted Swoboda – won July photo contest and won $20 in SABA bucks. Getting quite a few entries for photo contest after struggling for a while it has finally taken off. Received more entries for this month and will take a while to review them all to determine a winner. Janet suggested that she may talk to stores about giving gift certificates as prizes for the contest instead of just giving away SABA Bucks. Julie Abel said photo is now available online for viewing.

Continue to attend networking lunches – attendance has been a little low due to summer.

Table tent cards are all gone. Currently working on center picture for October/November/December tent card. Mason Street has finished their commitment for their portion of the tent cards – they have committed to doing 2 sections next year. Red Barn has inquired about possibly going on this last quarter. Angela Holmes suggested that we make postcards for people to take so they will leave the tent cards and take postcards home with them with information on them.

Ads for MIP have been running. Mentioning on the VAN – spots

Fall Fun Fest – Vindicator ads went out August 9th. There are a lot of people here from northern Ohio area.

Sidewalk Sale is progressing – will wrap up in the next few days. John Jerome there will be 7 vendors at Sidewalk Sales.

Fred Allen will be doing a full hour in each town (VAN radio).

Bus signs were okayed for the trolley. Saw Sherrie from Interurban about Sidewalk Sale. Interurban moved 3400 for Venetian Festival. Banners are up. Two bus stop signs are being made for Douglas and one for Saugatuck.

One Big Fish production crew has been here since Sunday from Monroe, MI and final reception will be tonight. Monday afternoon they did a 60 second c.d. with a reception at Big Lake Outfitters. Tuesday they brought back 300 lbs of fish (200 lbs of fillets). Went out on a pontoon boat and filmed shorelines, breakwater, Keewatin, and the lake –also did a road trip – they went all over filming. Tuesday night they went cat fishing until midnight. Very excited about the area and they indicated that we should be on 2 episodes of their program. Del Sol, Mermaid and Ship and Shore – were the big underwriters of their visit. They will also be filming Music in the Park tonight. Program will air in October – it’s a ½ hour show. Felt it was a very positive for us. Not a lot of expense to have them here. This crew travels all over the country. They will be going to Holland and Manistee in the next few weeks to do some more filming.

OLD BUSINESS

Jane VerPlank (City of Saugatuck Liaison) – Road work construction: Jane is headed to a road construction meeting after the SABA meeting today so doesn’t have a lot of current information now. Francis Street has been approved as a construction add-on – will be resurfacing and some water work going to be done. This project will start at Grand and go down the hill to Francis – work begins second week of August. The intersection at Holland and Francis Streets will be kept open.

Angela Holmes – Heard a rumor that the bottom of Allegan hill (Allegan and Culver/Lake Streets) was going to be closed for several weeks to put in a storm sewer. Jane VerPlank – Heard this as well - doesn’t believe this is true but will check into it.

Mason Street construction will begin day after Labor Day. Meeting will be held August 12th for Mason Street property/business owners to discuss project and answer any questions.

Janet Schmidt – Just wanted to make sure that the road not be closed so shuttle can run at Sidewalk Sale on August 20th. Jane VerPlank – will check but pretty sure road will not be closed.

Angela Holmes – Had the following comments in regards to the Saugatuck/Douglas Jazz Festival that was in Coghlin Park (not a SABA event) that she would like Jane to take back to council. There were 5 port-a-potties lining Culver Street – it was disgraceful and ugly on the entrance to town. This should be address on the city level – you could put on the permit that port-a-potties need to be put against the tree line – they shouldn’t be against water either. Orange plastic fending is not attractive – could the snow fence that is used out at Oval Beach to make it look more rustic. Vendors – there were carnival vendors that were allowed to attend – pulled in their trailers and sold things– not the right look for town – there are vendor laws. There were 5 generators that were very loud – people on all 4 corners were complaining about the noise. Jane VerPlank - in defense of city – they (Jazz Festival) gave a ton of information and until you actually see the event you don’t often know what it’s going to be. Some of these issues have already been talked about and will be addressed for next year. Thought the way it was set up was good, with the exception of the port-a-potties. Angela Holmes – not picking on Jazz Festival – just looking at future event permits and things that may need to be changed on the permit itself.

Jane VerPlank - Community Leaders Luncheon has gone by the wayside – not sure why. School sort of spear-headed this event - Sandy Brooks said she would talk to the superintendent about it in the fourth quarter to try to resurrect it. Jane liked the conversations and communication that was exchanged.

Jane VerPlank will e-mail Fred about the road meeting that she is attending this morning.

Angela Holmes – Another issue that the city should address in the future. Angela witnessed a woman who fell down the stairs on corner of Hoffman and Griffith (sort of half curve stairs across from Congregational Church) on Venetian Festival night might be something to look at fixing in the future.

MEMBERSHIP: Two new members Costa Azul formerly JoJo’s and Janthrop’s Antiques.

DRUG STORE WALL: All 48 spaces have been sold. Still waiting for two signs. Who puts up the signs? Fred Schmidt puts the signs up.

BROCHURE: About 20% left (NOTE: 9/1/2009 – we have 19 boxes – 6,300 brochures left.) Maps are gone. Mike Carey – No all parking lot attendants at the city lot are handing out the directories when people come in – attendants need a little more schooling on it. Angela Holmes - Janet is going every weekend and making sure they have a stock of brochures – some of the attendants are just not interested in handing them out. Mike Carey – Either attendants don’t know about the brochures, doesn’t have them or aren’t interested in handing them out. Janet Schmidt will speak with Liz Wilson (volunteer coordinator). Kevin Tringali – in defense of the school not always the same people working the parking lot. Angela Holmes - SABA should have gone and given a little seminar at the beginning of the season for volunteers explaining what we would like to see the volunteers do/hand out as they greet the persons as they park. Janet and Fred Schmidt have spent a lot of time over at the parking lot. Kevin Tringali – have we considered a free standing rack to put the brochures in it at the city lot so people can help themselves to brochures. Janet Schmidt – good idea, but better factor for attendant to hand it out to people – more of a personal touch.

EVENTS UPDATE: Music In the Park is going well – Janet has been out promoting it a lot. August 13th is the SABA sponsored Douglas Social. Sidewalk Sales are on the 20th – Janet will be working on accurate business participant count. August 1st was the cut-off date for Sidewalk Sale sign up.

HARBOR PLANNING COMMITTEE – No update.

WGVU VIEW FROM THE DUNES – Summer Special August 14th from Noon to 2 p.m. at the SCA Green Market this year.

BLOCK CAPTAINS – No update.

OFF BUTLER STREET BUSINESS SIGNAGE – No update.

NEW BUSINESS

NOMINATING COMMITTEE – Need to think about a committee for this. Need to form a committee and new people and new board members. Angela Holmes asked all board members to suggest one person to sit on board and who will be willing to get involved and be active with SABA for the next meeting.

BOARD MEMBERS – No workshop. Events Meeting – sidewalk Sale wrapped up. Harvest Fest – need to get going on this. John will set something up – August 25th – 4 p.m.

MEETING: Next business meeting will be Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 8:30 a.m.

COMMENTS/QUESTIONS – Meeting adjourned