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Downtown merchants tell Terrebonne Council plaza events lack planning and communication
Summary
A downtown merchant criticized the Downtown Development Corporation's event scheduling and use of plaza funds, saying weekly events were reduced to twice monthly without adequate notice to merchants and questioned continued parish financial support.
Tommy Gurisco, speaking during the Aug. 13 public-comment period, criticized the management and communication around downtown plaza events and questioned use of plaza funds for event support.
Gurisco said the plaza — described on the agenda as a $1.2 million asset — previously hosted weekly Thursday events that supported downtown merchants but has shifted to meeting two times a month, which he said disrupted merchant planning and reduced consistency for visitors. "There's no professionalism from the DDC," he said, adding that merchants frequently lack advance notice about street closures and event logistics.
Gurisco also questioned how plaza funds are being spent and whether other organizations (TIDA, DDC, private sponsors) should cover event costs. "Why are we even putting our money from the plaza into this event?" he asked, saying he subsidized events as a sponsor in the past but that communication lapses have made merchants frustrated.
Council staff closed Gurisco's additional time after the allotted speaker minutes expired; the council acknowledged his concerns and recorded the comment for follow-up. The meeting record does not show a formal staff response or a vote tied to downtown event funding at this session.
Merchants seeking clarity on plaza event schedules and operating budgets were advised to follow up with planning and the Downtown Development Corporation.
