Approximately 70 members of the Downtown Business Association gathered at Gaffney’s on Wednesday night for the organization’s first meeting since before the track season. The popular local watering hole provided a comfortable setting for the group to take a look back as well as discuss plans for the future after their summer hiatus.
As people came in they grabbed a beverage, something to nibble on and mingled before settling down for the presentation. DBA President Dawn Oesch, who also owns The Candy Co. of Saratoga, kept the mood light as she moved through the meeting briskly.
Topics briefly touched on included Skidmore Weekend, sidewalk sales, the online availability of DBA gift certificates and the Fall Festival. To keep all its members on the same page about important occurrences like shoplifting sprees or people writing bad checks, the DBA will be resurrecting the idea of a phone tree.
A brand new initiative called Bag Day generated a lot of interest. The event, tentatively slated to take place on Nov. 17, would offer customers 20 percent off the price of a single item in participating stores. Oesch believes it could be a great way to encourage people to do their holiday shopping locally.
For the third year, the DBA evaluated their summer and year to date with “The Good, the Bad and the Solutions.” After recapping last year’s hits and misses, Oesch asked for feedback on 2007.
“We had a slow start, but a good finish,” said Frivolous owner Elizabeth Jameson. A number of other businesses chimed in with similar sentiments.
DBA Director of Marketing and Promotions Susan Farnsworth said this year’s Final Stretch was bigger than any she’s seen in the last six years. Many people said they felt Saratoga Springs was truly becoming a year-round destination.
As usual, parking was one of the main issues concerning everyone. Diagonal parking, 30-minute parking on Broadway, the installation of meters and the idea of extending two-hour parking by another hour or two were all presented as possible solutions.
Other challenges cited included ticketing done by overaggressive parking police, the noise and pollution caused by motorcycles on Broadway and the way tractor trailers maneuver on and off both Washington Street and Broadway.
“I thought it was a very good turnout. There were a lot of new faces,” Oesch said of the meeting. “Everybody gets together and talks. It’s a great open forum.”
The DBA’s next meeting will take place Oct.17 at Universal Preservation Hall. David Zunker, the new president of the Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau, is scheduled to speak.
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