OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Lafayette DDA Meeting Summary: January 12, 2026

Meeting Portal — Monday, January 12, 2026
BodyLafayette, Colorado
SessionMeeting Portal
DateMonday, January 12, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 56:12

Transcript — Verbatim
4:10

Executive Director Keating and we have a roll call that Director Barnes, Chair Kagan.

4:16

Here, Director Harty.

4:18

Director Hubbard.

4:20

Director LaCoe.

4:21

Director Munding?

4:23

Here.

4:26

Okay.

4:27

Um, first on the agenda is public input.

4:30

If any of the member of the public wishes to speak.

4:33

Okay, state your name, you have five minutes to speak.

4:37

No, thank you.

4:41

I'll uh close public input.

4:43

Uh we'll now move on to approval of the November tenth, twenty twenty-five meeting minutes.

4:49

Are there any corrections?

4:53

Okay.

5:00

I'll make a motion to approve the November 10th, 2025 meeting minutes as written.

5:03

Is there a second?

5:04

A second.

5:05

All those in favor, please say aye.

5:08

Aye.

5:08

Any opposed?

5:10

All right, that passes.

5:12

Moving on to regular business, the first agenda item is approval of the 2026 lobby at farmers market funding agreement.

5:20

So I'll turn it over to Executive Director Key Day.

5:23

Great.

5:23

Hi everyone.

5:24

Um I'm joined here with Peter as well.

5:26

I'm gonna be doing a presentation about the agreement, but Peter's here also to answer any questions.

5:31

And so um we uh last heard from Peter back in September about how the farmers market went, and um you all had a commitment to um wanting to see a partnership for funding, and so tonight you'll be considering that funding agreement.

5:45

And so I'll give a brief reminder about the farmers market, the proposed funding agreement, some next steps and post-motion language.

5:52

And as always, feel free to jump in at any time with questions, either for me or for Peter.

5:58

Um maybe you should do this one.

6:02

Happy to this is your farmers market.

6:06

Um yeah, so in our uh first year launched in the farmers market in 2025.

6:11

Um we had 65 post-weekly vendors, um, total of about 75 vendors that some of them are now, and some are seasonal as agriculture is.

6:22

Um, but we had over 150 applicants in the first year, which was great.

6:26

And um, we're actually in the application process now, and it's it's going well, it's growing, so it's going in a positive trajectory.

6:33

Um 16 farmers rangers dairies, it's kind of the core constituents that we're looking for to be really grocery focused, 100% growers focused, 100% local.

6:42

Um, and then this is just kind of what I guess, but 100 to 1500 weekly attendance.

6:47

We have nice full streets, so that's what we're gonna say.

6:50

Um, and then uh a million and a half plus in total sales.

6:54

So if you just kind of account for all of the small business sales, all the vendor sales continue.

7:00

That's basically what we would estimate.

7:02

Um, probably between a million and a half and two from Sundays 9 a.m.

7:07

to one p.m.

7:08

public season.

7:09

Great.

7:10

Um, so because it's on public road, um, through the uh city's community event permit process, um, it requires that a certified traffic control company actually comes in to close down the road.

7:21

Um, and that that is a lot of work because that not only do they need to um keep uh traffic moving on baseline and also direct people in public, um, but we also have some pedestrian um barricades that are there to um protect participants from um vehicles.

7:38

Um and so that is a big undertaking to have that certified um traffic control company um do this every single week, and overall the seasonal cost is over 32,000.

7:51

And so, in thinking about um how we can best support the Lafayette Farmers Market.

7:56

Um, last year the Urban Renewal Authority provided 25,000 to help offset the traffic control, and so um that is great because it's a known cost.

8:06

Um it's what's required to close it every single Sunday from May through October.

8:11

And so this funding agreement would continue that by um reimbursing the Lafayette Farmers Market up to 25,000 for costs related to the traffic control.

8:20

Um the term of the agreement for would be for just this year, um, and we can see how it goes and reevaluate for next year.

8:26

Um, and so that'd be from May 3rd to October 25th, and then um how we did it this past year, which is what we're also proposing is that it's a one-lump sum reimbursement at the end of the year with receipts, proof of payment, and what would be new is an annual report.

8:44

So um wanting to make sure that this is something that is Peter already has all the data for um and easy to put together, and so uh a market overview of the number of venue vendors, including a breakdown of Lafayette vendors, um, a brief description of how the market supported local businesses, farmers, or community access, um, SNAP, um, special programs, um, having having a section about downtown and community alignment.

9:08

We're already seeing a lot of the businesses there partnering with different ventures, and so just kind of highlighting any partnerships with the downtown businesses, nonprofits or the city, um the use of grant funds.

9:20

This is really showing the uh receipts, um, but also short narrative and simple summary of how the grant was used, confirmation that it was just eligible expenses, and then promotion and visibility, just examples of marketing or outreach efforts, including bilingual efforts.

9:35

So, pretty straightforward, and I know that we had a really robust conversation last time about um the market, and um I also sent over the presentation from last time for you all in preparation.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement█████████████████████████████████████████████49%
Community Engagement██████████████████20%
Procedural████████9%
Economic Development██████6%
Arts And Culture██████6%
Wayfinding Program██████6%
Transportation Safety███3%
Energy Efficiency█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Lafayette DDA Meeting Summary: January 12, 2026

The Lafayette Downtown Development Authority (DDA) board convened on January 12, 2026, to approve the 2025 annual report and a 2026 funding agreement for the Lafayette Farmers Market. Director Barnes recused himself from a specific grant discussion, and Director Harty was present. The meeting focused on finalizing the inaugural year's achievements, outlining the farmers market's financial needs regarding traffic control, and discussing future marketing strategies and the new DDA website. The board moved forward with approvals while directing staff to refine reporting requirements to better highlight community access and food waste initiatives.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes Approval: The board unanimously approved the minutes from the November 10, 2025, meeting as written. Director Munding made the motion, and Director Harty seconded it.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No Testimony: No members of the public sought to speak during the public input session, and it was closed immediately.

Discussion Items

  • 2026 Farmers Market Funding Agreement:

    • Proposal: Executive Director Keating and Peter presented a funding agreement to reimburse the Lafayette Farmers Market up to $25,000 for certified traffic control costs, which total over $32,000 annually. The proposal includes a one-lump sum reimbursement at the end of the season (May 3 to October 25) contingent on receipts and an annual report.
    • Community Access & Reporting: Director LaCoe expressed full support for the agreement but sought to strengthen reporting requirements to include detailed narratives on community access, specifically regarding SNAP/EBT, WIC, and double food bucks, as well as vendor accessibility barriers. She emphasized the need to document efforts to reach underserved patrons beyond just numerical metrics.
    • Food Waste & Narrative: Director Barnes suggested adding a descriptive narrative component to the annual report to illustrate the market's intrinsic impact on the community, including food waste redistribution efforts (e.g., partnerships with the Boulder Valley School District). He requested a qualitative description of how the market impacts disenfranchised communities, rather than just a video production or dry numbers.
    • Barriers to Entry: It was noted that high equipment costs and expensive food handling permits in Boulder compared to Denver act as barriers for diverse vendors. The market operator acknowledged a potential need for scholarships or grants to lower these barriers.
    • Final Motion Language: The board directed Executive Director Keating to finalize the agreement with recitals expressing hope for investment in community access, food waste, and vendor engagement, and to ensure the annual report includes a robust narrative on these topics.

  • 2025 DDA Annual Report:

    • Presentation: The board reviewed the inaugural annual report, which highlighted milestones such as the adoption of bylaws, the $2 million startup funding from the City, and the launch of the "Dig" downtown improvement grant and "Creativity and Culture" microgrant programs.
    • Financial Overview: Staff noted that while Tax Increment Financing (TIF) revenue was not projected for FY2025, preliminary data suggests the district may see some sales tax revenue, a positive sign for district health.
    • Approval: The board unanimously approved the annual report in a form substantially similar to the presentation, which will be translated into Spanish and published on the Old Town Lafayette website.

  • Staff Updates (Grants & Marketing):

    • DIG Grants: Staff reported three awards totaling $41,000 for downtown improvements, including HVAC replacements for a law office (brew pub conversion), patio winterization, and an emergency HVAC replacement for a restaurant (Red Queen).
    • Second Friday's Concept: To ensure proper brand strategy and business onboarding, the board agreed to delay the launch of the "Second Friday's" marketing concept until October 2026. This delay allows time for visual brand development and teaser campaigns during the current season.
    • DDA Website: A draft of the new DDA webpage (DDA Hub) was previewed. The board suggested adding clarity to the district map to indicate that it extends beyond the immediate "Old Town" area (including Baseline, Public, and Simpson) to avoid user confusion.
    • CU Denver Capstone: Staff announced a partnership with the University of Colorado Denver where student Kirsten Hoffman will perform a capstone project on Old Town parking and mobility, focusing on EV chargers and bike infrastructure.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved: The 2026 funding agreement with the Lafayette Farmers Market (up to $25,000 for traffic control), with a directive to Executive Director Keating to finalize language regarding community access, food waste, and vendor engagement in the recitals and reporting requirements.
  • Approved: The 2025 Lafayette Downtown Development Authority Annual Report.
  • Decisions Made:
    • Approval of three specific DIG grant awards totaling $41,000 to local businesses.
    • Strategic decision to delay the launch of the "Second Friday's" initiative to October 2026 for better planning and brand development.
    • Directive to include a qualitative narrative in the Farmers Market annual report to explain community impact beyond statistics.
  • Next Steps:
    • Staff to finalize the Farmers Market agreement and website updates.
    • Marketing committee to continue planning the "Second Friday's" brand strategy and business onboarding for fall 2026.
    • Student capstone presentation to be scheduled for later in the spring.

Meeting Transcript

Executive Director Keating and we have a roll call that Director Barnes, Chair Kagan. Here, Director Harty. Director Hubbard. Director LaCoe. Director Munding? Here. Okay. Um, first on the agenda is public input. If any of the member of the public wishes to speak. Okay, state your name, you have five minutes to speak. No, thank you. I'll uh close public input. Uh we'll now move on to approval of the November tenth, twenty twenty-five meeting minutes. Are there any corrections? Okay. I'll make a motion to approve the November 10th, 2025 meeting minutes as written. Is there a second? A second. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? All right, that passes. Moving on to regular business, the first agenda item is approval of the 2026 lobby at farmers market funding agreement. So I'll turn it over to Executive Director Key Day. Great. Hi everyone. Um I'm joined here with Peter as well. I'm gonna be doing a presentation about the agreement, but Peter's here also to answer any questions. And so um we uh last heard from Peter back in September about how the farmers market went, and um you all had a commitment to um wanting to see a partnership for funding, and so tonight you'll be considering that funding agreement. And so I'll give a brief reminder about the farmers market, the proposed funding agreement, some next steps and post-motion language. And as always, feel free to jump in at any time with questions, either for me or for Peter. Um maybe you should do this one. Happy to this is your farmers market. Um yeah, so in our uh first year launched in the farmers market in 2025. Um we had 65 post-weekly vendors, um, total of about 75 vendors that some of them are now, and some are seasonal as agriculture is. Um, but we had over 150 applicants in the first year, which was great. And um, we're actually in the application process now, and it's it's going well, it's growing, so it's going in a positive trajectory. Um 16 farmers rangers dairies, it's kind of the core constituents that we're looking for to be really grocery focused, 100% growers focused, 100% local. Um, and then this is just kind of what I guess, but 100 to 1500 weekly attendance. We have nice full streets, so that's what we're gonna say. Um, and then uh a million and a half plus in total sales. So if you just kind of account for all of the small business sales, all the vendor sales continue. That's basically what we would estimate. Um, probably between a million and a half and two from Sundays 9 a.m. to one p.m. public season. Great. Um, so because it's on public road, um, through the uh city's community event permit process, um, it requires that a certified traffic control company actually comes in to close down the road. Um, and that that is a lot of work because that not only do they need to um keep uh traffic moving on baseline and also direct people in public, um, but we also have some pedestrian um barricades that are there to um protect participants from um vehicles. Um and so that is a big undertaking to have that certified um traffic control company um do this every single week, and overall the seasonal cost is over 32,000.

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