Northlake staff reports gift-card program reached 6,394 addresses; businesses reported increased foot traffic

Lauren (Speaker 4) presented a wrap-up of the town’s Jan. 14 gift-card program, which the town ended in November. Lauren said the program mailed to 6,394 addresses and that the total number of cards collected was 876, representing a card cost of $21,900. She said the town budgeted $150,000 for the broader program and reported a remaining balance of $120,100.

Lauren relayed feedback from participating businesses: many reported new customers and repeat visits tied to the program, and the most popular participating restaurants were Amano, Wingstop, Burgers and Curries. Businesses also reported that some residents mistakenly believed the mailed cards might be fake and discarded them; Lauren said the town relied on water-bill notices to verify authenticity but that not all residents open their water bills. She proposed improved promotion (for example, town text notices or sealed mailing) and a business survey to collect structured feedback rather than ad hoc comments.

Board members discussed follow‑up options. Speaker 6 suggested an in-person roundtable with the nine participating businesses, while Lauren recommended a written survey because some owners are difficult to coordinate for meetings. Several board members characterized business reports of new customers as anecdotal; the town does not have a mechanism to track individual buying habits and would rely on businesses for that data. Lauren said staff is still calculating printing and postage costs and will report those figures when available.