Downtown Wilmington MSD Advisory Committee Meeting - October 20, 2022

The meeting convened at approximately 7:45 PM but did not achieve a quorum (needed 7 of 13 members; only 6 were present initially, and later 7? Actually, they remained one short). Consequently, no binding actions could be taken. The session proceeded with a presentation on the Greater Downtown Plan and updates on MSD operations and city infrastructure.

Greater Downtown Plan Presentation

• City planning staff (Craig, Abby, Nicole) presented the upcoming Greater Downtown Plan, which will replace the 2004 Vision 2020 plan and two other aging small area plans. The plan expands the planning area to include 18 neighborhoods and aims to develop equitable strategies for transportation, land use, and urban design.
• Staff asked committee members for feedback on what they love and what they would change downtown. Key comments included: improve side streets (e.g., 2nd Street) and alleyways, enhance walkability and connectivity across Memorial Bridge (Elizabeth expressed concern about a potential six-lane bridge), add water features and improve tree irrigation (McKay Siegal, East West Partners), create cohesive branding for commercial districts, address aging housing stock and infrastructure, and revitalize City docks for boaters.
• Christina (WDI) discussed the need to raise the street outreach worker's salary from about $48,000 to $50,000 and the operations manager's salary to $60,000 by reallocating funds from the weather budget (unused $6,000) and alleyway funding ($5,000). She noted the homeless population downtown increased from approximately 30 in October 2021 to over 70 in October 2022, and retaining the current outreach worker (Jack) is critical.
• Discussion on a new county pilot program pairing social workers with police officers; staff recommended waiting to see its success before expanding MSD-funded outreach.
• Ambassador program proposed a seasonal schedule shift (winter hours) with no change in total weekly hours (144 hours) or budget; the change was presented as informational.

City Infrastructure Updates

• Chance provided updates: Flexpave tree wells are complete; Bijou Park lighting and landscaping should be finished by end of November; Visitor Center work is on schedule (November/December); Front Street project—200 block opened, 300 block work begun with projected completion in early December. Trees for the 200 block (13 live oaks) are pending planting.
• Elizabeth inquired about sidewalk access on the 300 block during construction; Chance agreed to follow up.
• McKay raised concerns that city specifications for tree care (first-year watering by landscape company without irrigation) often lead to tree death; he urged irrigation be provided.

Key Outcomes

• No quorum was achieved, so no formal votes or decisions could be made.
• The budget adjustment for salary increases was postponed to the November meeting.
• The ambassador schedule change was noted without objection; staff will distribute details to committee.
• The committee discussed potentially reducing the number of members to improve quorum attendance; this will be an agenda item for a future meeting.
• The meeting ended informally without formal adjournment.