Establishment Phase – SWBID Steering Group Meeting July 23 – Notes and Actions

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Steering Group meetings are held about every four weeks and wil continue on this basis for the coming months.  Notes and Actions are taken at the meeting and circulated to the Group in the few days following the meeting for comments/changes.  Notes and Actions are formally approved and signed off at the following meeting. Notes and Actions will be posted on this site once they have been approved.

Monday 23 July, Premier Travel @5.30pm

Attendees: Ian Hudson, Richard Booth, Craige Quantin, Shara Vickers, Lucy Clarke, Jim Brewin, Gary Hyams, Claire Hunnable, Simon Jackson (Non-voting)
Apologies: Greg Smith, Harriet Ferns Lay, Julie Redfern, Nicola Brooks, Kathryne Bowyer (Non-voting; Louise Scutt-Richter & Fiona Tait)

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Notes and actions

Welcome /BID Update post-win catch up

  • Welcome and thank you for helping to secure the yes vote. Bishops Stortford also a ‘yes’ a few weeks later. Their campaign was more Project Manager led and it will be interesting to see how the two BID’s evolve in the first year

Establishment Stage

We have processes to follow to get the BID Company off the ground and there needs to be a lot of activity between now and September.

  • Claire agreed to help Louise set up the bank account for the BID. We wanted to use Saffron Building Society because of the name but the type of accounts might not work well for how we need to operate.
  • Richard agreed to help support the setting up of the Company and filling in of associated paperwork.
  • We agreed on a straight forward name for the BID, for the Businesses, but a strap-line, for the visitors. Shara googled some Saffron Walden BID with Companies House and this is not yet registered by anyone else.
  • JB shared plans on the brief to search for premises. The balance between having a registered address and finding somewhere low cost was a big factor. Especially as we won’t fully understand what will work best until we have been up and running for a while. Craige said that not wanting to tie BID money into premises was a good news story.
  • The equipment need included a phone and a number that could be linked to other numbers. Louise is researching this now. If you have any additional thoughts, please let her know.
  • The website needs to be updated to reflect where we are and this was started with a discussion with GQ Design last Wednesday 18 July. Craige gave us an update on the design and positioning of the marketing and how this will support what is already in place for SW and not compete with it.
  • Everybody attending the meeting agreed to stay and help drive the BID forward.
  • We discussed at various points in the meeting what the shape and structure of the Governance of the BID should be now, and then after the Company was set up
  • After discussion it was agreed that we should have a BID Board and then have a structure underneath that supports the activity. We should also welcome the support from any levy payer. Either this to be a full board member or one of the support structures. Our future structure needed a look at ways how all BID levy payers could be engaged in some of the decision making using technology.
  • We have some adverts and job descriptions for operating support for the BID person who will coordinate activities. Simon talked about the skills needed to fulfil the role and these were wide ranging! Recruitment is the establishment stage but at the back end of the plan.
  • It was recognised that was a lot of work to do, just to get us off the ground and meet the all the deadlines. A plan was needed to coordinate the activity on time and JB will explore this with Louise to see where the shortfall might be.
  • Simon talked through the levy collection and what needed to happen. Some information is need this week to appear on the bill. 2-3 weeks before the Operating Agreement needed to be signed and supporting information to go out with the bills.
  • We had a discussion on the possibility of exploring supporting some Businesses with paying quarterly. Simon was taking this back to the Rates Office to find the cost v benefit for this.
  • Budget (Simon J) As noted previously, UDC have set side Budget to support the process for a BID to be established. Simon gave an outline of the Budget and how we will have enough to get us to set up.

Set up Tools and the first 100 Days

  • Louise to send out a summary of these points on email.

 

AOB

Gary shared some information he had found on Newquay’s BID loyalty card scheme. Thoughts were shared on this versus an event- based scheme. Can you share with Louise please Gary.

Summary of Action Points

  1. Investigate 1/4 billing SJ
  2. Bill logo and information and List update – 48 hours (LSR)
  3. Missing Addresses from billing (SJ) to provide list
  4. Steering Group members not attending (Julie Redfern, Greg Smith, Kathryne Bowyer, Harriet Ferns Lay) the meeting to confirm to Jim or Louise whether they’d like to remain on Shadow Board and/or as a director of the BID company
  5. Set up actions – as above (JB LSR with support from SG members)
  6. Share first 100 days and set up tools information (We discussed offer to join, welcome event and comms before the bills land and this will/should be covered here) LSR
  7. Post-meeting work to investigate how other BIDs work and put a proposal forward. (All)
  8. Gary to share BID loyalty scheme details
  9. Identify/Recommend finance support (All)
  10. The next meeting will be Sept 4 2018 at 5.30