Plant-A-Flower in the Village Day

Our 1st Annual Plant-A-Flower in the Village Day was a wonderful success. Fourteen "Flower Ambassadors" spread through the Village planting over 100 flowering plants on Roosevelt Street, State Street, Grand Avenue and Carlsbad Village Drive.

The businesses where the flowers were planted were presented with a watering can to ensure that they would maintain the newly planted flowers.

The Carlsbad Village Association plans to have many more beautification projects in the Village throughout the year.

To keep up to date with what's going on in the Village bookmark this page, and follow us on Twitter:http://twitter.com/CarlsbadVillage

Funding Request By Carlsbad VIP Goes To City Council Tonight

The following prepared remarks were presented by Craig Kirk, board member of the Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership, before the Carlsbad City Council during the course of its annual budget deliberation. At the conclusion of Kirk's three-minute statement, Council was presented with four options by staff to consider. However, before any decision can be made on the options offered, Council Members want more information about the organization's tax status and how, if proposed, funds would be administered if a temporary fiduciary agent was employed while the Carlsbad VIP awaits approval of its filing as a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

It is anticipated that the Carlsbad VIP board will soon meet to compile additional information that will likely satisfy requests by Council Members.

June 24, 2008
CVIP address to the City Council
- Follow-up Request for Funding -

Good evening Mayor Lewis and honorable City Council members. My name is Craig Kirk, I reside at 1140 Camino del Sol Circle. I am here this evening as a member of our community and as a member of the BOARD OF DIRECTOR for the CARLSBAD VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP in support of our request for seed funding presented to the city council at the meeting of April 22nd.

I would first like to acknowledge the extensive contributions and commitment of the City of Carlsbad to the Village over the last 25 plus years:
From the development of the Carlsbad Inn
- The Village Fair
- The creation of public parking areas
- Streetscape infrastructure projects
- The development of ‘The Village By The Sea’
- Redevelopment of the Lutheran Home
- Mixed use property on State Street
- Development of the Roosevelt Center
- Façade Improvements
- Beautification Projects
- Senior Care and Affordable Housing.

In Village Public Projects alone you have committed approximately $26 million to date. Since that time the private investment has been approximately 10 fold of the city’s investment.

You have taken the Village from the seedy bars and rundown establishments of the early 80s to the assortment of shops, businesses and restaurants that we have today.

The goal of the Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership is to see those investments prosper and to see the Village flourish. Over time, a short term investment in the CARLSBAD VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP will return long term revenues to the City through increased property values and sales tax revenues. This is especially important given the sun setting of Redevelopment in 2009. The excellent work that the city had done to-date needs to continue. An investment in the in the CARLSBAD VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP is an investment in the future of Village.

At the City Council meeting of April 22nd the CARLSBAD VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP requested $500,000 over a 3-year period for operating expenses, promotions costs and salaries. We have carefully considering the mayor’s constructive feedback of ‘helping ourselves’ and the council’s overall input from the meeting. We are acting on those recommendations by seeking to attain very low cost or free office space and furnishings, donated office equipment (computer hardware and software), donated professional services and holding the headcount to one FTE, the Executive Director, until such time that our business and revenues necessitate the addition of administrative support.

We cannot start-up the organization without the support of the city’s and thecity’s seed money.Our goal is to move as quickly as possible to a self-funded business model. Our research of other like organizations coupled with our best effort estimate is that it will take 3 years to reach that goal. That being said we are also evaluating opportunities to advance that timeline by leveraging other organizations in the Village.

2008 objectives:
- Implementing a ‘Preferred Shopping Card’ program to draw tourists into the Village,
- Using the talents of some our marquee retailers to educate other Village retailers on ‘window merchandising, buying and product placement’
- Working with Village neighborhoods to preserve and promote
- Working with the City and other downtown organizations on programs that stimulating economic development of our community

The CARLSBAD VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP Board of Directors is a dedicated team of volunteers: some with a vested interest in the success of the PARTNERSHIP and some with a vested interest in the success of our community, like myself. In either case, the city and citizens of Carlsbad have much to gain by success of the CARLSBAD VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP. Our board meetings are open to the public and additional information about the Carlsbad VIP can be found at:
http://www.friendsofthevillage.blogspot.com/

Thank you for your time this evening.

Supervisor Bill Horn Welcomes Carlsbad VIP to San Diego

San Diego County Fifth District Supervisor, Bill Horn, welcomed three members of the Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership's board of directors to his office this afternoon to discuss and better understand the group's mission, desires and goals.

In addition to Supervisor Horn, the meeting included Chief of Staff, Joan Wonsley, and Policy Advisor, Chris Champine.

The VIP trio also had the opportunity to explain to Horn and his staff the rationale for wanting to create the Carlsbad Village Preferred Shopper Program, and how this would have a direct economic impact in the Village, especially at a time when some of those federal rebate dollars are likely to come into Carlsbad with out-of-town visitors.

If the County approves the group's Community Enhancement Funding application for the next fiscal year, the Carlsbad VIP will have the opportunity in June to appear before the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to officially seek funding to support the Carlsbad Village Preferred Shopper Program.

Pictured left to right, Frank Hutchins, Carlsbad VIP President; Supervisor Bill Horn; Robin Young, VIP board member and executive director of the Carlsbad Village Business Association; Kurt Burkhart, VIP board member and executive director of the Carlsbad Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Carlsbad VIP Pitches Carlsbad City Council For Support

Tonight, the Carlsbad VIP was formally introduced to the Carlsbad City Council, as the organization's president, Frank Hutchins, led the mayor and council members through a presentation that detailed both the challenges and opportunities for partnership opportunities with the City. All board members and many from the original working committee were on hand to show their support.

After considerable discussion, the council agreed to have staff prepare a white paper and return for further consideration in the future. Hutchins assured the mayor and council that he would work with the acting city manager and staff to provide assistance, where needed.

Frank Hutchins explains the VIP's mission to the Carlsbad City Council.

Mayor Lewis, together with Council Members Ann Kulchin and Julie Nygaard, listen to the ten minute presentation by the Carlsbad VIP. Robin Young, Executive Director of the Carlsbad Village Business Association, provides support in Hutchins' presentation.

Carlsbad resident and former Carlsbad City Planning Commissioner, Jeff Segall, speaks in support of the Carlsbad VIP. While as Chairman of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, Segall initiated the Downtown Enhancement Task Force, which helped lead the way for the eventual creation of the Carlsbad VIP.

Michael Burg, staff writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune, provided coverage on the evening's presentation, "Downtown business group wants $500,000 'seed money' from city."

(Council Members Matt Hall and Mark Packard voluntarily recused themselves from the presentation and discussion, due to property interests each has in the Village.)

Carlsbad VIP Kick-off Meeting

Join the Revitalization Efforts
for Carlsbad Village

Meet the new Board of Directors of the
Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership
known as
Carlsbad VIP

Friday, April 11, 2008
7:30 - 9:00 a.m.
New Village Arts Theatre
2787 B State Street, Carlsbad

• Share your ideas for the Village
• Review the recently completed business plan that will be
presented to the City Council on April 15th
• Learn about the new Carlsbad VIP committees that you can join to get involved
• Find out about new developments and opportunities in the Village

Please RSVP to
Andrea Korogi , akorogi@carlsbad.org, (760) 931-8400

Carlsbad VIP Elects Officers, Charts Direction

The Board of Directors for the Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership, under the leadership of newly elected officers, has already begun the budgeting process that will outline the financial requirements for a successful first year of operation. Also, the Board is reviewing the role of the four standing committees, as outlined in the Carlsbad VIP bylaws.

Elected for a one-year term are; Frank Hutchins, President; Julie Baker, Chair-Elect, Laura Kurner, Secretary; Al Wanamaker, Treasurer.

Working together with the Board is Kennedy Smith. She will lend her years of experience where she helped guide start-up Main Street organizations throughout the United States. It is expected that Smith will soon file paperwork to secure a not-for-profit tax status for the Carlsbad VIP.

Carlsbad VIP Board Holds Inaugural Meeting!

Its been more than 6 months in the making and, this afternoon, the newly installed board of directors of the Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership kicked off its first meeting in the Village. Today's agenda was light, which gave directors the opportunity to introduce themselves to board colleagues and to set future meeting dates. The board deferred on the election of officers until their next meeting on November 13.

Future meetings of the Carlsbad VIP board of directors will be held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Until the board secures funding that will allow the Carlsbad VIP to operate under its own roof, meetings will continue to be held in the City Housing & Redevelopment Agency conference room, located at 2965 Roosevelt Street in the Village.

Congratulations, guys!

Photo: Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership board of directors, left-to-right, Al Wanamaker, Frank Hutchins, Robin Young, Ted Owen, Debbie Fountain, Craig Kirk, Julie Baker, Kurt Burkhart, Laura Kurner, Lance Schulte (not pictured, Mary Bressi)