Golden Downtown Development Authority Business Meeting

The Golden Downtown Development Authority (DDA) held its regular business meeting on Monday, June 15, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the Golden City Council Chambers, 911 Tenth Street, Golden, Colorado. Six commissioners were present (with Tamara Munroe participating remotely), constituting a quorum. The board unanimously approved the agenda and the May 18, 2026 meeting minutes, approved three infrastructure contribution commitments totaling approximately $162,000 in new funding, conditionally endorsed the Golden After Hours promotion concept, supported continued planning for a 12th Street Plaza pop-up demonstration event, and agreed to hold its July meeting and schedule a strategic session in August or September.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda approved by unanimous voice vote following motion and second.
• May 18, 2026 Business Meeting minutes approved by unanimous voice vote as a consent item.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comment was received; the chair confirmed none had been submitted. (Former board member JJ Rish, who spoke at a prior meeting about the Prospectors Alley project, was referenced in discussion but did not testify at this meeting.)

Discussion Items

Contribution to City Projects (Infrastructure)

Executive Director Steve Glueck presented three contribution requests, explaining that the DDA budgets about $1,250,000 in 2026 for contributions to city and joint infrastructure projects because the DDA does not own downtown infrastructure. Approximately $610,000 was already committed. Glueck noted the meeting memo was drafted before the third project was added, so the memo's dollar figures were not exactly correct.

• Miners Alley String Light Project Phase 2 (12th to 13th Streets): Phase 1 leftover materials (7 poles and 300 feet of cable) would be used, but the contractor's estimate came in at $55,000 versus the $40,000 placeholder, due to survey issues, concrete base construction, and electrical work. Staff asked the board to confirm it was still supportive at $55,000.
• Prospectors Alley (14th to 15th Streets, between Washington and Jackson): A long-dormant project to repair and pave a steep alley. The City found a qualified asphalt contractor; total cost is $140,000. Because the project is far more complex than standard compacted-recycled-asphalt alley treatments, Public Works requested a 50% DDA contribution of $70,000. Glueck noted the alley is on the city's list of worst-condition alleys.
• Downtown Paver Replacement (Washington Street and 11th, 12th, and 13th Streets from Arapahoe to Jackson): A specialty concrete contractor (Five Star Concrete) bid $154,000 to repair or replace deteriorated concrete pavers in crosswalk and intersection areas. Public Works asked the DDA to consider contributing because the work is central to the downtown and needs to proceed quickly. Glueck said the DDA is not obligated to contribute and historically has not funded such maintenance, but he revised his recommendation to half or more of the total given the value of timely, skilled execution.

Discussion weighed maintenance investment against a possible future full streetscape redesign (the streetscape is 34 years old; a full rebuild was estimated at $6-10 million versus the original $2 million), pedestrian safety, and avoiding work during the peak tourist season. The board also discussed the $6,632 cost of replacement parts for DDA-owned dining enclosures, which staff had already administratively authorized; members supported the purchase and asked staff to continue applying a roughly $5,000 threshold for similar administrative approvals.

Golden After Hours (Summer Promotion)

Economic Development Manager Tim Dwyer presented the Community Marketing and Visit Golden program concept: a monthly midweek evening (Tuesday or Wednesday, approximately 5:00-8:00 p.m.) pilot planned for August-October 2026, in which participating businesses would host small activations (musicians, balloon artists, workshops, and similar offerings). The DDA would provide $250-$500 microgrants to downtown businesses, and Visit Golden would provide a parallel grant program for businesses elsewhere in the city. The total expected DDA contribution is about $10,000.

Commissioner Terry Weber expressed strong skepticism, citing the First Fridays program on Santa Fe in Denver as a cautionary example, and raised concerns about open alcohol consumption, grants going to pay staff rather than generating new business value, high downtown business turnover, and his view that businesses should have their own contingency marketing plans. Other commissioners voiced conditional support: the grant amount seemed small for real impact, the program needs critical mass and a few highly organized activations rather than many thin ones, downtown and non-downtown events must be coordinated rather than competing, and per-business grants could be larger (e.g., $750) to support quality. Several commissioners suggested encouraging cross-business collaboration, such as a restaurant pairing with a retailer for a combined promotion.

An informal poll showed approximately 5.5 thumbs up versus 1.5 thumbs down, with Tamara Munroe opposed. The board directed staff to take the feedback back to Community Marketing and Visit Golden and return with a refined proposal.

12th Street Plaza Committee Update

Brad Miller reported that the ad hoc committee (Miller and Jeff Merenkov) met twice with staff and, earlier that day, with the executive directors of Foothills Art Center and Miners Alley Performing Arts Center. The committee proposed a Plaza Day pop-up demonstration in the surface parking lot at 12th Street and Arapahoe - the potential cultural plaza site - for about four hours on October 10, 2026. Activities would include art-making (e.g., children drawing their own plaza), live painting, and comedy, alongside a community engagement program (idea wall, surveys, comment boxes) to gauge resident and stakeholder views on a future cultural plaza. Merenkov noted the budget would be roughly $4,000, covering updated outreach materials and four subsidized artist or entertainment engagements at $250-$300 each. Both cultural institutions were reportedly excited about the concept. The board expressed unanimous support for continuing the planning; no formal vote was required.

DDA Calendar Review and Strategic Planning

Staff presented the 2026 meeting calendar and potential topics, including the budget schedule (draft review September 21, finalize October 19, adopt November 16, 2026). The board declined to cancel the July 20 meeting, which has historically sometimes been cancelled, and agreed to schedule a strategic session focused on big-picture and creative ideas for August or early September, possibly at a different venue; one commissioner offered to host it at their business location.

Commissioners' Comments

• Sandra Knecht raised Bust A Show, a nonprofit arranging Red Rocks concert travel and shuttle packages in partnership with local businesses, which had expressed interest in a Golden partnership. Discussion noted Red Rocks' scale (236 events and 1.75 million paid attendees), Golden's close association with Red Rocks visitorship, prior hotel shuttle attempts that were expensive or unsuccessful, and that RTD's West Tracks service does not run late enough for shows. Direction: Knecht will send contact information to staff for investigation and an update next month.
• Brad Miller reported that the June 9 downtown trash and recycling merchant demonstration went well with strong business interest, and that Fridgewater benefited from a Visit Golden media segment highlighting DDA support.

Subcommittee and Liaison Updates

• Development Subcommittee: Not met recently.
• Grants Subcommittee: No updates.
• Special Events Review Committee: Terry Weber reported that SERC meetings are scheduled for the following week.
• 12th Street Plaza Ad Hoc Committee: Covered under Discussion Items (Plaza Day planning).

Staff Report

• 2026 Budget Tracker: Second-half property tax payments are due in June, with most property tax revenue expected by mid-July; second-quarter sales tax data will arrive in early August (June sales and July collections). Grant payments have slowed, with about $221,864 in grants paid year-to-date against 2026 budgeted revenues of $1,153,000. Owner participation agreement (TIF) incentive payments will be made in late July.
• Commissioner Comments Updates: A new Police Chief was announced as of that morning and will start around July 13. Deputy Chief Hendershot will serve as the staff downtown contact, and a Police Department visit to a DDA meeting will be scheduled when Commissioner Merenkov can attend, given Millstone residents' concerns about activity at the North Garage on weekend nights. Regarding the Clear Creek trail concerns raised by Millstone neighbors, staff said the neighbors remain active with City Council, the Parks Board, and MTAB, and the DDA currently has no direct role or funding request.
• Priorities Tracker Updates: A qualified electrical contractor has been retained for design and electrical work, including event electricity improvements and EV charging stations in the downtown parking district. Ford Street utility undergrounding is progressing with Clayworks and Xcel, with a cost estimate underway. Wayfinding work includes investigating digital parking garage capacity signage. The Heart of Golden East Zone design contract was authorized by City Council on June 9 (DDA committed $275,000); most of the remainder of 2026 will focus on technical evaluation of floodplain and Tucker Gulch constraints. Staff are also reviewing the retaining wall report that led the City to pause the Ford Street underpass design work.

Items that May Affect Another Board or Commission

• City Council: June 9 authorization of the Heart of Golden East Zone design contract; potential future DDA budget and project contributions.
• Parks Board / Parks and Recreation Advisory Board: East Zone design technical evaluation and Clear Creek trail planning.
• Visit Golden / Community Marketing Committee: Golden After Hours program coordination.
• MTAB (Mobility and Transportation Advisory Board): Clear Creek trail and downtown infrastructure matters.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the Miners Alley String Light Project Phase 2 at $55,000 by consensus.
• Approved a 50% DDA contribution of $70,000 for the Prospectors Alley paving project (motion, second, unanimous voice vote).
• Approved a 50% DDA contribution of $77,000 for the downtown paver replacement project, with the stipulation that the work occur after August 15, 2026 (motion, second, unanimous voice vote).
• Combined with prior commitments, the 2026 DDA contribution commitment to city and joint projects is approximately $772,000 (the updated worksheet subtotal of $695,000 plus the $77,000 paver project). The pre-meeting memo cited $690,000; staff noted the memo was drafted before the third project was added.
• Golden After Hours: Conditional support; staff will refine the concept with Community Marketing and Visit Golden, focusing on coordination between downtown and citywide nights, fewer high-quality activations, possibly larger per-business grants, and mechanisms to encourage business collaboration.
• 12th Street Plaza: Board endorsed continued planning for the October 10, 2026 Plaza Day demonstration and community engagement event.
• Meeting calendar: The July 20, 2026 meeting will be held; a strategic session is planned for August or September 2026.
• Administrative action acknowledged: Staff's purchase of $6,632 in dining enclosure replacement parts was accepted, with board guidance to keep the board informed on similar small purchases.