Coldwater DDA approves October bills and $650 holiday-promotion plan; hears arts and community updates

The City of Coldwater Downtown Development Authority on Oct. 22 approved routine business, including October bills totaling $1,800, and signed off on a $650 promotions work plan for a coordinated holiday weekend.

The board opened the meeting with a standard consent agenda. The chair asked for approval "as presented with the exception of the DDA special meeting minute," which the board moved to correct (a missing attendance notation for Shauna and a project reference that will be corrected to the proper project name). The chair presented "the October 2025 bills and accounts in the amount of $1,800," members moved to approve the bills and a voice vote carried the motion.

Arts and events were a central focus of the briefing section. Christine, giving the Tibbets update, said, "It's been a busy month," and outlined recent and upcoming ticketed events: a successful Monsterfest and children's performance, a sold-out Taste of Ireland, a nearly sold-out Jeff Daniels show on Nov. 6 (with limited overflow seating), a two-stage auction tied to a dueling-pianos concert, an eighties-themed concert called "1985," and a December holiday show, "Wizards of Winter." Christine described the auction format and said some dinner and on-stage auction seating remain available.

Vaughn reported from the Beach House community center on programs and outreach, including a culture-music series, sewing-class planning and an art exhibit tied to domestic-violence awareness. Vaughn highlighted a hands-on service project, describing an instructional class to make insulated mats for people experiencing homelessness: "It takes 700 plastic grocery bags to make 1 mat for these people." The Beach House also plans holiday programming culminating with its Yuletide event on Dec. 13.

In the coordinator's report, the interim coordinator welcomed incoming director Kristen Johnson and said the city's vibrancy grant is closed. They reported nearly 400 responses to the master-plan survey (a stated goal of 1,000), a streetscape steering committee meeting scheduled for Nov. 3 and the first public master-plan engagement event set for Nov. 18 at City Hall from 5 to 7 p.m. The coordinator said final materials from Michigan Main Street and related impact reports will be circulated ahead of the November meeting.

On promotions, Courtney presented a holiday-weekend promotions work plan to coordinate downtown events — community theater, a parade, story time at the Branch District Library and a Lions Club lighting — and requested $650 for radio ads, boosted social posts and printed flyers. A motion to approve the work plan carried on a voice vote.

Courtney also summarized a community coloring-book fundraiser: Century Bank and Trust sponsored a first printing of 250 books; stickers cost $40; S Allen Design donated crayons and markers for initial packs; and the books will be sold for $5 each with proceeds returned to downtown projects.

There were no public comments at the close of the meeting. The chair adjourned after announcing there would be another DDA meeting the following day. The board also noted a small, in-person event to celebrate a departing board member.

Actions taken at the Oct. 22 meeting were procedural and budgetary: correcting an internal meeting-minute entry, approving October bills and authorizing modest promotional spending. Several projects and public-engagement steps — notably the master-plan public meeting Nov. 18 and the streetscape steering committee on Nov. 3 — are scheduled to move forward.