DBBA News 10/22/2020

Once again, the DBBA staff worked passionately and diligently this week to provide excellent service to the EID.  Here are just a few of the things we did this week to further our mission.  

​This week the DBBA met with the City of Bend and Bend Police Department's new police chief, Mike Krantz to discuss keeping Downtown clean and safe.  This included things like working together to stop crime and decrease livability issues, increase communication between downtown police officers and downtown stakeholders, continuing to host merchant meetings to further educate merchants and increase communication, brainstorming ways to reopen the restrooms in the downtown parking garage, visualizing ways to decrease DUI's, outlining what a possible Safe Space or Downtown Clean and Safe program could look like in Downtown Bend, and a whole lot more.  The DBBA is grateful for the collaboration with Bend Police Department, and the care that they give to our historic downtown. 

Photo: Miguel Edwards Photography

DBBA staff met with the DBBA board treasurer to review the DBBA budget.  In normal years, the DBBA budget income is created in three ways, 1. The EID levy (53% of the total budget), 2. DBBA Streams of Revenue (16% of the total budget) and 3. DBBA Fundraising (31% of the total budget).  Due to a loss in the streams of revenue and the inability to hold fundraising events due to COVID19, the DBBA budget was significantly reduced this year.  As a small nonprofit with a huge scope of work, stretching every dollars is always a primary focus for the DBBA staff and board, this year more than ever.  DBBA staff and DBBA board are working hand-in-hand to make sure that the DBBA can continue to offer their core services to downtown regardless of the budget reduction. 

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The Bend Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Group met this week, and discussed livability issues, and upcoming events that will impact businesses in the community.  The DBBA serves on the Chamber Advocacy group to provide a voice for downtown bend business and building owners on larger issues, and to educate the DBBA board of directors on issues that will impact DBBA stakeholders.  DBBA staff and board believe that it is important for Downtown to be involved and connected to community groups and organizations throughout the City, as we are all interconnected and collaboration and consideration will ensure that we all thrive.  We also understand that partnerships are necessary for creating the 2040 Downtown Vision, and developing these partnerships is a core part of our strategic plan. 

Marketing has been a primary use of staff time, as directed by the DBBA Board, these last few week and for the duration of Q4.  DBBA staff has been posting daily on all social media platforms, writing blogs, publishing newsletters and working on videos to support the downtown district.  Last March, immediately before the global pandemic hit, the DBBA had increased their budget through streams of revenue and fundraising enough to be able to hire a marketing person for Downtown Bend.  However, like many of us, we had to cancel these plans, and the DBBA executive director continued to fill the marketing job description in addition to ED duties at the organization.  Recently, the DBBA board has recommended putting efforts into finding volunteers to fill this role.  If you are interested in volunteering to market and promote Downtown Bend, please contact us! 

On the street, in addition to the daily efforts to keep the district clean and graffiti free, the DBBA installed banners, twinkle lights and began to prepare for Holiday decorating.  The DBBA has a stupendous vision for Downtown Bend during the holiday season including winter greenery baskets with lights, lights on every tree, lit snowflakes on every lamppost, lights over the streets, a place for the Community tree in the center of town, and so much more!  We are, however, limited by our budget and we believe that in order to create this vision it will require community partnership and a contribution from our City (as it is done in other downtown's across the nation).  This year, we are doing the best with what we have.  We are pulling out our old wreaths and inviting the community to come down and enjoy some cider with us and spruce them up in a community decorating event - more info coming soon!.  We'll be launching an 'adopt a snowflake' program and much more!  If you are passionate about the holidays and would like to get involved, please let us know.

Finally, the DBBA Board of Directors had their monthly meeting, as usual on the third Wednesday of the month.  To keep up-to-date on board meetings, or to attend a meeting, click here for more information.