West Bend BID authorizes up to $5,000 to replace damaged holiday ornaments, approve storage plan

The Downtown West Bend Business Improvement District board voted Oct. 7 to authorize staff to spend up to $5,000 to replace damaged and faded holiday ornaments and to buy storage solutions to reduce future breakage.

John, the BID/city staff liaison, told the board many ornaments are brittle and faded after repeated handling and storage and that a manufacturer advised replacements every three years. "They actually recommend that they're replaced every 3 years," he said, and added the BID is currently on about year six for those ornaments. Staff proposed buying replacements now rather than waiting for post-holiday sales.

Why it matters: ornaments and how they are stored shape downtown holiday displays that draw shoppers and visitors. John said the BID’s seasonal expenses — including the tree lighting — tend to concentrate in November and December and that staff wanted permission to proceed quickly so the downtown display will not look sparse.

The board discussed whether to also buy storage bins and how to set an approval process. John said he would sort stored bags to identify how many ornaments need replacing and proposed staff work with BID president Peggy to finalize a spending amount within the approved cap. Chair made the motion and Paul seconded; the board approved the $5,000 cap by voice vote and the chair declared the motion carried.

The record shows a small discrepancy in the budget figures cited during discussion (one remark referenced roughly $8,000 in marketing funds, another referenced a much smaller available balance). Staff said it will confirm available marketing funds and return final invoices through the process agreed with Peggy.

Next steps: staff will sort the stored inventory, prepare proposed purchases and coordinate final dollar approval with Peggy so orders can be placed and bins procured before the tree lighting season.