Pop band The Wolfe perform at Central Park during the North Battleford Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) concert series in 2018. The BID are making a number of plans for the year ahead including a survey for downtown business members. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Business matters

BID planning downtown business survey

Mar 13, 2019 | 12:01 PM

Local businesses will be able to offer their feedback when the business improvement committee takes to the streets this spring to gather information for a new survey it is working on.

North Battleford Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) executive director, Misty Lavertu, said the survey is part of the BID’s Business Walk on May 3.

Lavertu made a presentation to North Battleford council Monday to give an update on the BID’s survey and other plans ahead.

“We’ve seen it done in other cities, and they’ve had great success with it,” she said. “The board as well as myself will go out on one designated afternoon and will be visiting all the members of the BID – the businesses, the agencies… We will go out and talk to them and get their feedback.”

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She said the aim is to find out “what businesses really want.”

The event will be followed by a meet up for members in the evening.

Lavertu said one of the issues businesses have raised includes downtown parking. She said she hopes the BID will be able to increase awareness about where parking is available with the goal to help businesses with their planning.

The BID non profit group presented a healthy budget to council during its appearance.

Lavertu said the BID and the City of North Battleford have common goals to beautify and revitalize the downtown.

She added the new business development taking place downtown currently is a boon for the community and the business sector.

As far as plans ahead are concerned, she said the BID is once again planning for a summer luncheon concert/show series, as well as more evening shows.

The BID is also looking forward to launching a fall-festival downtown.

North Battleford Mayor Ryan Bater said “The BID is an important organization in the community because they represent the businesses in the downtown core.”

“The city is responsible for economic development. We do infrastructure work downtown, attract enterprises downtown. It’s important for us to work together,” said Bater. “So it’s an important relationship.”

The BID, a member-based organization, was created by the city, but is funded by property tax owners in the downtown commercial district through a city bylaw.

The mayor said it’s ideal, and strategically important for the city and the BID to be working closely together to revitalize the downtown, especially while the city is focusing its priorities “investing in the downtown through the downtown master plans.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow