DRAFT
WHEATON URBAN DISTRICT
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes Tuesday October 09,2012
Mid-County Regional Center
2424 Reedie Drive Wheaton MD 20902
Members
Present: Henriot St. Gerard, Jim Onder, William Moore, Janet
Yu, Jeannette Feldner, Devala Janardan
Members
absent: Marian Fryer
Staff
Present: Ana Lopez van
Balen, Director, Mid-County
Regional Center
Sidney
Cooper, Manager, Marketing and Events
Guests: Esther French, Wheaton Patch
Vicky
Surles, Wheaton Kensington
Chamber of Commerce, and Cathy Hirsh,
on behalf of the Montgomery Art Association
Ash
Kosiewicz, on behalf of the
Coalition for The Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton
Call
to Order: 5:34pm
Call to
approve minutes from 9-11-12
meeting. Request to change chairman to Chair. Minutes approved with change.
Chair
Report: Henriot St. Gerard spoke about recent work revising bylaws,
interviewing candidates for WUDAC
membership, and developing a theme this year around a Main Street Concept. He
also mentioned that several members of WUDAC
attended a pot luck dinner in support of The Coalition for the Fair
Redevelopment of Wheaton. He touched on plans for a retreat for WUDAC members in late October or early November,
hopefully timed to include new incoming members.
Police
Report: None. St. Currie, 4th District, was called away before
meeting began.
Directors
Report: Ana Lopez van Balen reported on recent conversations with
small business owners. Discussions centered around the Wheaton Small Business
Impact Fund. She also stated that the Costco opening is delayed by construction
issues but Dick’s Sporting Goods is now open at Westfield. Ana also briefed WUDAC on the new Public Safety Task Force. Councilmembers Riemer and Navarro have requested
that she and Commander Damskey, 4th District, work to expand this task
force to include many stakeholders in the community, including residents, PTA’s, advisory committees, etc. Ana asked group
members to consider volunteering for this effort. Lastly, she touched on the
World of Montgomery Festival to be held on Sunday October 24th. She
briefly mentioned that the Kids
International Discovery
Museum will be sponsoring
an international village featuring tents from India, China, Ethiopia, and El Salvador.
Marketing
Update: Sidney Cooper continued with a short visual presentation of
the World of Montgomery website to follow up on Ana’s remarks. WUDAC also viewed and commented on drafts for the
new Wheaton
logo and Wheaton
website. She also reminded us that the enhanced Farmer’s Market that will
include the International Market currently at Wheaton Mall will commence Sunday
October 28th.
MAA: Cathy Hirsh briefed WUDAC
on the background of the Montgomery Art Association. They currently have a
temporary small space at Westfield
but are looking for a larger venue. She asked WUDAC
and all stakeholders in Wheaton Redevelopment to consider the opportunity to
incorporate the Arts as a drawing card in development plans.
Bylaws: Devala
presented a draft of the new bylaws and requested comments. A motion was
approved to send the draft to the County
Attorney for review.
Community: Ash Kosiewicz spoke on the work of The Coalition for the Fair
Redevelopment of Wheaton, that they wish to lift the voice of small business
and residents who normally feel powerless to participate, and educate them on
places to find help. He asked WUDAC
to keep in contact with the Coalition and their activities.
Adjourned: 7:08pm