Board discusses ornaments, wreaths and new snowflake lighting for downtown; earmarks modest replacement funds

Board members spent part of the Aug. 26 special meeting on downtown seasonal decorations, discussing the condition of Christmas tree ornaments, aging wreaths on South Main Street, and a proposal to add snowflake fixtures to extend winter lighting past the holiday season.

Staff reported that some ornaments have faded or been lost over recent years and recommended either replacing a small percentage annually or purchasing a full replacement when enough are depleted. Board members agreed to add a recurring placeholder of roughly $2,000 for annual ornament replacement rather than a single large capital outlay. “If we could do it annually, I think it would be… plan for a 5 to 10% every year of replacing broken ornaments,” one board member said.

The board identified eight wreath bracket locations south of Walnut/Main where wreaths appear older and discussed budgeting to replace all eight next year. Staff reported manufacturer list pricing at about $682 each (noting sales may reduce that cost) and suggested the board could phase replacement over two years if desired; board members preferred replacing all eight at once to avoid a mismatched appearance.

Separately, staff proposed keeping some winter lighting beyond Christmas by installing snowflake fixtures at intersections; an initial estimate was discussed for roughly three snowflakes per intersection (12–14 fixtures total), which would cost more than the wreath replacements. The board expressed support for the snowflake concept and asked staff to include a snowflake option in the next budget column. The discussion was a direction to staff rather than a formal appropriation.