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West Bend BID OKs up to $5,000 to replace damaged holiday ornaments
Summary
The West Bend Business Improvement District board approved up to $5,000 for holiday ornament replacements and authorized staff to sort existing inventory and purchase storage bins, after staff reported many ornaments are broken or faded and a manufacturer recommends replacement every three years.
The West Bend Business Improvement District board voted to authorize staff to spend up to $5,000 to replace damaged holiday ornaments and to pursue better storage solutions.
John (Speaker 2), a city staff member who oversees BID programs, told the board many ornaments stored in five-gallon bags are broken or faded after roughly six years of use and said a contact at a supplier "recommended that they're replaced every 3 years." He asked whether the board preferred waiting until next year's budget or approving purchases this fall so the tree will not look sparse.
Board members raised storage and handling concerns: Speaker 5 suggested buying durable, labeled bins to protect ornaments in transit, and staff said bins with lids and handles would reduce breakage. Speaker 2 proposed staff sort inventory to determine exact replacement counts and recommended a capped spending authorization to avoid violating open-meetings rules about quorum and email approvals; he suggested working with Peggy for a dollar-signoff if staff-level purchases are allowed.
Speaker 4 moved to set a $5,000 cap for ornament and related storage purchases; Paul seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote.
The board discussed budget context but did not tie the purchase to a specific line-item in the minutes. Staff said the BID typically has funds from the marketing account available for seasonal items and will sort inventory to report actual replacement needs and use the cap only if necessary. The motion authorizes staff to proceed within that limit and to coordinate any final dollar approval with Peggy as described at the meeting.
The board noted bins could be deferred if needed because ornaments will be displayed only for a few months, but also encouraged labeling and an organizational system to reduce future damage.
