06 - Laserfiche WebLink

ATTACHMENT 1 new opportunities post -pandemic. These include continuation of a robust social media plan, refreshment of the PDA website, parsing historic Main Street events and creating new events most suited to new features such as Weekend on Main, redesigned Concert in the Park, renewed Farmer's Market, and related markets, festivals, and sponsorship programs. Economic Restructuring and Design: The PDA's Downtown Vitality and Design Review Committee currently includes all board members, and is engaged in reorganizing PDA objectives, plans and activities to take full advantage of new opportunities post -pandemic. Responsibilities such as sign approval, collaboration with City staff on planning and design issues, and beautification are ongoing. New initiatives include development of a PDA Retail Working Group, working with the Pleasanton chapter of Tri -Valley Restaurant Group, and development of new programs to benefit all PDA members, including especially commercial and other businesses on 2nd floor Main and off Main Street. 2021 Review It is vital to note that PDA has always relied on its partnership with the City of Pleasanton for meaning, for operational support, and in 2021, for survival. "Thanks" is not a sufficient term to capture the gratitude PDA owes to the City Staff and City Council with whom we work every day. If not for 2020, it would go without saying that 2021 presented unprecedented challenges for PDA and the business members who comprise our district. Even so, it is fair to say that 2021 was an even greater challenge. Unlike in 2020, PDA did not begin 2021 with a budget surplus, fully staffed by three professionals and dozens of volunteers, and a substantially uninterrupted decades -long history of programmatic momentum. In May 2021, PDA was reduced to a single employee, a newly hired Executive Director. Even so, we are pleased to report that 2021 included many significant accomplishments, and that PDA's future in 2022 and beyond is brightening considerably. Our PDA mission remains at the forefront of our efforts, to promote the economic vitality and hometown character of downtown Pleasanton. While the ongoing and evolving COVID crisis continued to disrupt virtually all of PDA's previous programs, we began in mid-to-late 2021 to enjoy some visibility as to where we can go from here. An over -arching objective for PDA is to stand up for the common goals and common interests of a very diverse membership. Maintaining unity and trust is difficult under normal circumstances, even more when individual businesses are pushed to the brink. Much of our activity from May through year end has been to re-establish those connections between PDA members, often through advocacy on local policy issues. Notable examples included extension of the outdoor dining "Parklets" and a review of the Active Ground Floor Use Overlay. Perhaps our greatest achievement in 2021 was partnering with the City to navigate issues surrounding the closure of Main Street to traffic during the Weekend on Main program. Learning from those experiences and adjusting for future years holds the promise for dramatically enhanced street life Downtown, as well as a blank canvas for new PDA programming on Main Street. The recent "Superfly Fest" BMX show is just one example. Many ideas have been surfaced for creating programs to complement the Farmer's Market with a bookend on north Main Street — likely a rota of concepts including a Maker's Market, Etsy Show, Bridal Expo, Science Fair, and more.