-The meeting was held at the Glendale Heritage Preservation Depot Museum located at #44 Village Square
-Attending: John Smith, Robin Thomas, Susan Kruezmann, Donna Wesselman, Bonnie Dooley, Georgia Ricci, Diane Meyer, Jack Bueschner, Thomas Todd, Wally Cordes, Sherri Kohnle, Ralph Hoop, Chief Dave Warman
President John Smith called the meeting to order at 8:35am.
John addressed the chamber and reviewed the minutes from last month: Dr. Todd made a clarification to previous minutes regarding the artist who painted the image on the side of the New Balance store, stating it was Mark Barnet, not Stan Grueninger.
John addressed the plan for marketing Glendale and making the community more commercially viable.
Ms. Thomas suggested the need to develop a city ordinance to have a level of control over the types of business in the village and their hours of operation. She suggested the village work with the city council and Harry Whiting Brown to develop a cohesive look and “feel” for the village.
Ms. Wesselman addressed the need to open the square directly to Sharon Road, stating that if the village is awarded grant money, a long-term plan with street planning, traffic flow and parking may be possible.
Ms. Kruezmann stated that in a recent news article, she saw a local firm that specializes in traffic and people flow in stadiums and other large venues who could potentially be a resource for the chamber.
Mr. Hoop suggested that the chamber outreach to other communities who have, or are trying, to develop themselves as “destination” locations. Some possible cities include Mt. Lookout, Loveland and Maderia. Mr. Hoop suggested chamber members visit with these communities and analyze the things that have been done well and things that could be improved upon. He also suggested looking into the firms that these communities used as a starting point in researching possibilities for Glendale.
Mr. Cordes suggested that the chamber look into forming a relationship with Wyoming and Sharonville that would allow for kiosks to be placed in each community and direct visitors to all area attractions and shops.
It was also suggested that the chamber update the maps of the village. The updated maps could be placed in hotels on Chester Road, village shops, and at the convention center.
Pink Ink Design Group received the CD of the original map files and will be getting pricing for printing and updating them. The maps will include photos of the village to show the differential advantage and historic nature of the community.
John suggested that the next step for the chamber to take would be to come to an agreement on a planner and decide how to proceed with the financial and organizational structure needed. Ms. Thomas and Ms. Wesselman will work together on this.
Mr. Cordes suggested that the next step the chamber takes would be to develop the scope of services and costs to formulate a proposal.
Ms. Thomas suggested the one way the village businesses receive additional exposure is through press releases. Mr. Cordes said that if any businesses send him information, the village would forward it on to their list of media outlets.
Ms. Thomas stated that she would try to have The Iron Horse (formerly the Iron Horse Inn) and bed and breakfast open in mid-July. She would like to kick off the opening with a “Come meet the Village” type event including a fashion show, all stores open and booths for businesses located outside of the square. That evening The Iron Horse will have a cocktail party. The proposed date for the event is July 12, 2008, but will be confirmed at the next chamber meeting.
In regards to the Street Fair (September 27, 2008), it was proposed that it encompass an “art fair” as well and feature local artists.
Ms. Kohnle suggested that the chamber look into doing a “Dogs of Glendale” as a means of raising funds. The idea is similar to the Dogs of Grayton Beach in Florida. For $100, a person could have their dog (or cat) painted on a large board with the name and date. Ms. Kruezmann suggested using the side of her store, Century House, as the location for the board.
Mr. Bueschner informed the chamber of his idea to form the “Northern Cincinnati Heritage Triange” with other historic and heritage preservation groups in the area, including Glendale, Sharonville and The Gorman Heritage farm.
Dr. Todd reminded the chamber of the upcoming car show on June 22, 2008 followed by a performance by the Civic Orchestra at 6:30pm.
He also informed everyone about the Hoxworth Blood Center blood drive at Christ Church on May 12, 2008.
Ms. Meyer from Massage in Glendale (formerly There is a River) invited everyone to attend her open house from May 16 – May 18, 2008.
Harry Whiting Brown will be having a community yard sale on May 17, 2008. Interested persons can “bring, buy or swap.”
The next chamber meeting is scheduled for June 11, 2008 at 8:30 am at Glendale Heritage Preservation Depot Museum located at #44 Village Square
Respectfully submitted, Georgia Ricci