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June 10, 2020

Mayor Drew Dilkens & City Council

City of Windsor

Dear Mayor Dilkens & Members of Council: In reference to the Downtown Windsor BIA’s budget submission, we’d like to take this opportunity to elaborate on the requested increase and how the additional funds meet our members needs.

Given that the DWBIA has taken over the Downtown Windsor Farmers Market in its entirety, our costs for this invaluable seasonal event that spans 23 weeks of the year have increased and include a part-time Market Coordinator, equipment and event rentals, programming and more.

Additionally, the DWBIA is looking to contract the services of a Business Development Consultant to work in concert with property managers and landlords to fill vacant spaces and attract new tenant mixes to the city centre, and the funding allocation includes funds for programming, marketing and support resources and materials.

Further, while the Downtown CIP is a tremendous financial incentive to downtown property owners, it does not fill all the gaps. Hence, the introduction of a property standards incentive program to help tenants and property owners spruce up their businesses with a coat of paint, new siding, lighting etc. The DWBIA has also allocated $20,000 for snow removal from downtown sidewalks following a heavy accumulation. The DWBIA recognizes that it has becoming increasingly important to ensure that people’s mobility is not hindered, and we want to ensure that our community remains accessible and navigable. We are also increasing our power washing efforts during the spring/summer months and have expanded our sidewalk cleaning and needle collection efforts to include alleyways.