Church Street Marketplace Commission

Church Street Marketplace Commission Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 9:00 AM, Zoom/ Fletcher Free Library (Local History Room, 235 College Street, First Floor, Burlington, VT 05401) Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/6798652576 1. Adopt the Agenda 2. Adopt Minutes Subject 2.1. Adoption of Minutes Meeting February 18, 2026 - Church Street Marketplace Commission Agenda - Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 9:00 AM, Zoom/ Fletcher Free Library (Local History Room, 235 College Street, First Floor, Burlington, VT 05401) Category 2. Adopt Minutes Department Church St. Marketplace Type Action 3. Public Forum Subject 3.1. Verbal Comments Meeting February 18, 2026 - Church Street Marketplace Commission Agenda - Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 9:00 AM, Zoom/ Fletcher Free Library (Local History Room, 235 College Street, First Floor, Burlington, VT 05401) Category 3. Public Forum Department Church St. Marketplace Type Discussion 4. Commissioner Updates (Marketplace Updates: up to 5 minutes per commissioner) 5. Main Street America Accreditation Subject 5.1. Vote Anticipated Page 1 of 30  Meeting February 18, 2026 - Church Street Marketplace Commission Agenda - Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 9:00 AM, Zoom/ Fletcher Free Library (Local History Room, 235 College Street, First Floor, Burlington, VT 05401) Category 5. Main Street America Accreditation Department Church St. Marketplace Type Recommended Action 6. Cart Vendor Attendance Policy Subject 6.1. Vote Anticipated Meeting February 18, 2026 - Church Street Marketplace Commission Agenda - Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 9:00 AM, Zoom/ Fletcher Free Library (Local History Room, 235 College Street, First Floor, Burlington, VT 05401) Category 6. Cart Vendor Attendance Policy Department Church St. Marketplace Type Action 7. Holidays on the Marketplace 2025 Recap Presentation Subject 7.1. Presentation Meeting February 18, 2026 - Church Street Marketplace Commission Agenda - Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 9:00 AM, Zoom/ Fletcher Free Library (Local History Room, 235 College Street, First Floor, Burlington, VT 05401) Category 7. Holidays on the Marketplace 2025 Recap Presentation Department Church St. Marketplace Type Presentation 8. Reports Subject 8.1. Treasurer's Report Meeting February 18, 2026 - Church Street Marketplace Commission Agenda - Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 9:00 AM, Zoom/ Fletcher Free Library (Local History Room, 235 College Street, First Floor, Burlington, VT 05401) Category 8. Reports Department Church St. Marketplace Type Subject 8.2. Director's Report Meeting February 18, 2026 - Church Street Marketplace Commission Agenda - Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 9:00 AM, Zoom/ Fletcher Free Library (Local History Room, 235 College Street, First Floor, Burlington, VT 05401) Category 8. Reports Department Church St. Marketplace Page 2 of 30  Type Report Subject 8.3. Chair's Report Meeting February 18, 2026 - Church Street Marketplace Commission Agenda - Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 9:00 AM, Zoom/ Fletcher Free Library (Local History Room, 235 College Street, First Floor, Burlington, VT 05401) Category 8. Reports Department Church St. Marketplace Type Report 9. Adjournment Subject 9.1. Motion to adjourn Meeting February 18, 2026 - Church Street Marketplace Commission Agenda - Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 9:00 AM, Zoom/ Fletcher Free Library (Local History Room, 235 College Street, First Floor, Burlington, VT 05401) Category 9. Adjournment Department Church St. Marketplace Type Action 10. Informational and Non-Discrimination Statements Subject 10.1. This agenda is available in alternative formats upon request. For more information on access, call Lori Olberg, Licensing, Voting and Records Coordinator (802-865-7136)(TTY 802-865-7142). Persons with disabilities who require assistance or special arrangements to participate are encouraged to contact 802-865-7000 (voice) or 802-865-7142 (TTY) at least 72 hours in advance so that proper arrangements can be made. This meeting will also air on Town Meeting TV the Wednesday after the meeting, starting at 8:00 pm and repeating at 1:00 am and 7:00 am the following day. The City of Burlington will not tolerate unlawful harassment or discrimination on the basis of political or religious affiliation, race, color, national origin, place of birth, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, disability, HIV positive status, crime victim status or genetic information. Meeting February 18, 2026 - Church Street Marketplace Commission Agenda - Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 9:00 AM, Zoom/ Fletcher Free Library (Local History Room, 235 College Street, First Floor, Burlington, VT 05401) Category 10. Informational and Non-Discrimination Statements Department Church St. Marketplace Type Information Page 3 of 30  CHURCH STREET MARKETPLACE DISTRICT COMMISSION January 21, 2026 9:00 AM Location: City Hall, Bushor Conference Room, 149 Church St. Attendance: Commissioners: Mark Bouchett, Becky Holt (Zoom), Linda Magoon, Erik Monsen, Sarah Beal, and Romeo von Hermann (Zoom) Absent: Sam Tolstoi, Chris Haessly, and Cara Tobin Staff: Kara Alnasrawi – CEDO Director, Samantha McGinnis – CSM Director, Aida Washburn – Project & Event Coordinator, Andrew Bacher – CSM Coordinator, Kimberly Rojas – Community Engagement Coordinator I. COME TO ORDER a. Meeting is brought to order at 9:04am II. APPROVE AGENDA a. Motion to approve – Erik Monsen i. Seconded – Linda Magoon b. Agenda approved unanimously III. APPROVE MINUTES a. Motion to approve – Linda Magoon i. Seconded – Sarah Beal b. Minutes approved unanimously IV. PUBLIC FORUM – GENERAL a. No members of the public had comments for public forum V. COMMISSIONER UPDATES a. Linda Magoon – More people she knows are considering coming back to the Marketplace. Their sentiment about downtown is more optimistic. Page 4 of 30  VI. DPW PRESENTATION – RECONNECTING BANK AND CHERRY ST a. Sarah Beal – Please try to do as much work as you can in winter (January – April). Open streets for weekends. Try to coordinate projects so there’s only one main project going on at one time. b. Linda Magoon and Erik Monsen - Support for a second crew to speed up the construction work shown from. c. Linda Magoon - DPW has really listened to community feedback. d. Mark Bouchett - Way finding is really important for this project. VII. CART VENDOR PROGRAM UPDATES a. Payment and Contract Rescission Changes (Action) b. Commissioners discussed recommended changes i. Motion to adopt actions recommended by Marketplace staff 1. Motion to Adopt - Linda Magoon 2. Seconded – Sarah Beal c. Cart Attendance Requirements (Discussion) VIII. TREASURER’S REPORT a. Informal report provided by Director Samantha McGinnis b. Finalizing holiday expenses c. More drawdowns on salt and snow removal due to recent and upcoming snow events d. Samantha looking for additional sponsorships IX. DIRECTOR’S REPORT Samantha McGinnis reports that: a. Holiday merchant survey has received 25 responses to date and so far, sales have been reported more positive than in 2024. b. 97 businesses signed up to receive BTV Love Notes in Burlington’s downtown. c. Month of Love on the Marketplace will consist of a ‘Heart Hunt’ from February 2 –8, decorations along the Marketplace, and free Lake Champlain Chocolates over Valentine’s Day weekend at participating stores. d. Maple madness will be coming back on Saturday, March 21 e. Parking services will begin ticketing for parking on the Marketplace after 10:30a starting Feb. 2, 2026. Signs have been posted Page 5 of 30  f. Applying for the Downtown Transportation Fund grant opportunity with the State of Vermont to replace bollards. g. Update on vacancies and new businesses. X. CHAIR’S REPORT a. December was as good as it could be b. Marketplace activations provided many opportunities for people to come down c. Feeling excited and optimistic about the future of the Marketplace d. Looking to get more business to stay open late e. Kara Alnasrawi – State Troopers will not likely be returning f. Sarah Beal - Costumers are seeing that it’s easier to come downtown and not deal with shopping online XI. ADJOURN a. Motion to adjourn i. Moved by Erik Monsen ii. Seconded by Sarah Beal b. Meeting is brought to close at 10:53 am Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 18, 2026 Page 6 of 30 To: Church Street Marketplace Commission From: Samantha McGinnis, Director Date: February 13, 2026 Re: Advancing Toward Main Street America Accredited Status Through a Downtown Living Strategy Background: The State of Vermont, through the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, houses the Vermont Downtown Program. This program coordinates downtown initiatives and supports community based economic development efforts across the state. As part of this work, the Vermont Downtown Program serves as the statewide coordinating partner for Main Street America. Main Street America is a national organization, founded in 1980 as the National Main Street Center, that leads a nationwide movement to strengthen historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts through place-based economic development and community preservation. Main Street America maintains two levels of partnership: Affiliate and Accredited. The Church Street Marketplace has been an Affiliate Member for several years. To increase our recognition, credibility, and standing within the organization, I recommend that we pursue Accredited status, the highest tier of designation, for our 2026 community evaluation. To achieve Accredited status, the Church Street Marketplace Commission must vote to support and work toward a defined transformational strategy for the Marketplace. These strategies serve as tools to guide long- term thinking and planning. They do not limit other initiatives and are intended to remain flexible and adaptable as conditions evolve. Main Street America provides several strategy templates for communities to consider. After reviewing these options, I recommend that we adopt “Downtown Living Strategy”. This strategy would work towards developing an environment that supports and encourages residential life. We are entering a period of significant residential growth in the downtown core. Projects such as The Nest, The Post Apartments, Burlington Square South Tower already online, and future developments including the Burlington Square North Tower and the redevelopment of the former YMCA site. As these projects come online, we can expect a growing population of residents living within and adjacent to the Marketplace. To meet the needs of these new users, people who will live, work, and spend their leisure time in Burlington’s downtown, the Marketplace must evolve to attract a broader mix of businesses and services. This may include neighborhood-oriented amenities such as medical offices, pet services, dry cleaners, and fitness providers, as well as experiential and interactive businesses like paint-your-own pottery studios, arcades, bowling, and other entertainment uses. Page 7 of 30 These types of businesses also typically require on-site staff, which can help offset the decline in traditional office worker presence downtown and support a more consistent, year-round customer base. Pursuing an Accredited designation while focusing on a Downtown Living strategy will allow the Church Street Marketplace to remain responsive to changing patterns of use, strengthen its role as a neighborhood center, and support a more resilient and vibrant downtown. If the Commission approves moving forward in support of the “Downtown Living” strategy, the Marketplace will focus on three primary goals to advance this work: strengthening collaboration with property owners and lease managers; partnering with other City departments to identify supportive incentives and coordinated efforts; and aligning programming and events to engage a wide range of ages and demographics, ensuring stronger connections with the growing residential community. Recommended Action: Staff recommends approval of the “Downtown Living Strategy”- in order to work towards developing a downtown environment conducive to residential living. Page 8 of 30 To: Church Street Marketplace Commission From: Andrew Bacher, Marketplace Coordinator CC: Samantha McGinnis, Director Date: February 13, 2026 Re: Cart Vendor Program Attendance Policy Changes Voting Item Background: On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, Church Street Marketplace Staff presented to the Church Street Marketplace Commission regarding challenges encountered during the 2024-2025 Cart Vending Program. Following the presentation, the Commission directed staff to conduct a comprehensive review of the Cart Vendor Program rules and regulations. On Wednesday, January 21st Church Street Marketplace Staff proposed updates to the cart vending program to the Commission. The Commission voted to make the following changes: • Payment Structure: Require cart vendors to pay the full cost of their vending fees upfront, with an option to establish a payment plan. Vendors who pay their full fees prior to the start of the season would receive a 5% discount. • Contract Rescission Language: Revise the Cart Vending Contract to clarify that qualifying reasons for contract rescission do not include economic downturns, recessions, inflation, increased operating costs, supply chain delays, labor shortages, or changes in profitability or consumer demand. Additionally, if a contract is rescinded, any refund would be limited to no more than 15% of the annual fee. Commission went on to discuss the attendance requirements to encourage more participation from vendors during summer season. The discussion considered four possibilities for cart vendor attendance policy: 1. Keep the policy the same: 1 weekday, 1 weekend required from June 1st - August 31st. 2. Eliminate weekday/weekend distinction: Vendors can count 2 weekends or 2 weekdays as meeting the requirements from June 1st - August 31st. 3. Set number of days throughout the season: Vendors are required to vend a minimum of 15 days between June 1st - August 31st. These days can be consecutive. 4. Eliminate Attendance Requirement: Vendors are not required to vend at all. The Church Street Marketplace Cart Vending Committee met on Wednesday, February 11th and had a robust discussion about the cart vendor attendance policy options. They explored the challenges and opportunities with each recommendation. They voted to recommend proposition 3 to the full commission, with the addition of if the attendance expectation isn’t met that cart vendor will lose seniority placement for next season. Attendance will be monitored through an online app. In addition, we discussed creating incentives for the Page 9 of 30 carts with the highest attendance each month such as social media highlights or reduced fees. Staff is exploring the viability of these incentives further. Recommended Action: Staff and the Cart Vending Committee recommends approval of proposition 3, vendors are required to vend a minimum of 15 days between June 1st - August 31st. These days can be consecutive. Page 10 of 30 HOLIDAYS ON THE MARKETPLACE SURVEY RESULTS Page 11 of 30  holidays on the Marketplace 4 1,500 WEEKS OF MAGIC HOT CHOCOLATES REDEEMED 33 8,700+ PROGRAMS AND EVENTS TOTAL EVENT ATTENDESS 3 SPECIAL FESTIVE FRIDAY EVENTS Page 12 of 30 What people are saying: 2025 Public Holiday Survey: 131 responses with an average rating of 3.99 2024 Public Holiday Survey: 14 responses with an average rating of 3.69 What Brought You to the Marketplace? 23% Dining Out 37% Shopping 14% Holiday Activity 19% Holiday Decor 6% Other Page 13 of 30  community survey results Top 5 Programs Attended: 1. BTV Winter Market 2. Tree Lighting Where are you from? 3. Free Hot Chocolate Program 4. Window Decorating Contest 5. Jingle & Mingle Local - top 3 (125) Visiting (6) 1. Burlington (80) 1. Massachusetts (2) 2. New York Where did you hear about events? 2. Colchester (12) 3. Connecticut Seven Days Print (51) 3. Essex (5) 4. Rhode Island Instagram - CSM (37) 4. Shelburne (5) 5. Arkansas Seven Days Digital (33) Page 14 of 30  Community Comments cont’d “The extra marketing and event planning effort this year was “The Market Place “You all rock! : )” noticeable. It was fun to get out looked beautiful” among the crowds to shop and eat! As a fellow designer, I “I didn't attend any of the appreciated the cool graphics.” “We visited 3 times special holiday events, but I this holiday season! always love going downtown, It was great to have and I love what folks are doing our kids walk up and to create a more positive “Really nice job this year narrative about our city. Thanks down Church St trying to get more people for the work you're doing!” exploring the shop to the marketplace. As a windows and the Burlingtonian I tree. Tradewinds appreciated all the effort. “Thank you for a window was a hit with We love Church Street!” great season!” our 19 month old.” Page 15 of 30 Merchant Holiday survey results 30 RESPONSES W/ 27 BUSINESSES REPRESENTED SAME AS 2024 3.833 3.96 AVERAGE RATING 2025 AVERAGE RATING (2024) 3.58 3.69 AVERAGE RATING (2023) AVERAGE RATING (2022) Page 16 of 30  FOot Traffic OPinions Compared to 2024, How was foot traffic this holiday season? Page 17 of 30 Foot Traffic Drivers Page 18 of 30  holiday sales 2022-2025 2025 43% Better or Significantly Better 2024 17% Better or Significantly Better 2023 29% Better or Significantly Better 2022 28% Better or Significantly Better *Pre-2025, the question was, “Compared to last year, how did your business do this holiday season?” Page 19 of 30 Tree Lighting OPinions 2022-2025 2025 73% satisfied or very satisfied 2024 83% satisfied or very satisfied 2023 67% satisfied or very satisfied 2022 78% satisfied or very satisfied Page 20 of 30 OPinions on Santa parade 2025 Page 21 of 30 Santa parade OPinions 2022-2025 2025 50% satisfied or very satisfied 2024 63% satisfied or very satisfied 2023 48% satisfied or very satisfied 2022 46% satisfied or very satisfied Page 22 of 30 window contest OPinions 2022-2025 2025 54% satisfied or very satisfied 2024 50% satisfied or very satisfied 2023 45% satisfied or very satisfied 2022 39% satisfied or very satisfied Page 23 of 30 OPinions on festive fridays Page 24 of 30 OPinions on festive fridays Average: 28% unaware 34% Neutral 20% Satisfied or Very Satisfied Page 25 of 30 Hot Chocolate Coupons 2022-2025 2025 70% satisfied or very satisfied 2024 64% satisfied or very satisfied 2023 29% satisfied or very satisfied 2022 65% satisfied or very satisfied Page 26 of 30 Marketing satisfaction 2025 63% satisfied or very satisfied 2024 70% satisfied or very satisfied 2023 58% satisfied or very satisfied 2022 63% satisfied or very satisfied Page 27 of 30  Merchant feedback What could be improved for next season ? Better access to restrooms weekdays are slow Hot Chocolate Program over-printing Beef up caroling - have them Decrease programs and walk the street focus on more impactful Tie into NYE programming activations More law enforcement Increase Manage Church Street marketing/more Narrative/negative press marketing before Find a better spot for Santa events More signage - shop names with each block Page 28 of 30  Merchant Feedback What went well this holiday season? Tree lighting and Saturdays Maintenance team did a great were busy! Friday night events job keeping the street clear! were impactful! x3 Customers were happy and loved the hot chocolate Police presence was Noticed an increase in program positive marketing/social media Shop and sip was Local people shopping fun! Need to get Foot traffic was great! word out more Pleased w/ increase in holiday events Page 29 of 30 THAT IS ALL! Page 30 of 30