Historic Downtown Twin Falls

Newsletter - August 2009

BID board studies parking recommendations

The Historical Downtown Business Improvement District board has reached consensus on revamping downtown parking. On Wednesday, August 5th, members discussed recommendations.

Board members will vote on the suggestions at an August 27th meeting in the City Council Chambers. Then the board’s recommendations will be presented to the Twin Falls City Council.

Here's a rundown of the recommendations:

  1. Allow free parking for metered spaces on Saturdays, and enforce parking meters Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
  2. Replace old meters on Main Avenue between Gooding and Hansen Streets with electronic meters from POM Inc.
  3. Increase the charge in metered spaces to $0.50 per hour. However, it must be noted the increase can only be applied to new meters. The older mechanical meters cannot be adjusted higher and will remain $0.25 per hour. Currently about $110 per day is collected from parking meters.
  4. Change the amount of time allowed for free customer parking in the city parking lots to two hours. Meanwhile, board members are researching ways to give special permits to customers who must use the parking lots for more than two hours at a time.
  5. Change the current allowance of one warning per month to ONLY one warning per year.
  6. Step up enforcement in the "orange" parking lot - the one behind the Paris building. That would include improved signage. The stepped-up enforcement would also include more frequent policing.

The biggest problem with downtown parking, according to board members, is that downtown employees continue to use customer spaces. The purpose of metered and leased parking is to maintain car turnover so that customers can find parking spaces close to where they intend to do business.

A refresher on the purpose of the BID

How the BID came to be

Notable business leaders including John Roper, Earl Faulkner, Elvis Cain and Rudy Ashenbrenner asked the City Council in October of 1982 to approve a resolution to organize the historic downtown business area into a legal district. It would be known as a "business improvement district," which is defined in Idaho code.

The initial petition says the BID was created to acquire, maintain and construct parking facilities; improve public spaces; promote public events; acquire and operate transportation facilities; and promote retail trade.

Why the BID continues

These days Melinda Anderson, a city employee who administers the BID, describes its mission this way: "The BID can promote downtown, create events and act as an advocate for downtown."

The BID has employed a number of different strategies for self-governing. Currently the BID pays city employees to do perform maintenance, administration and parking duties. BID board members organize events and promotions and advise the City council on policy matters.

No one denies there has been disagreement among members - on a number of issues, from how parking should be organized to whether or not the BID should even exist.

But Twin Falls Mayor Lance Clow, who is a strong proponent for the historic downtown, maintains that not only are downtown business owners better off for the BID, but also, the entire community benefits.

What members stand to gain

"With limited budgets for most merchants, having a concentrated marketing effort improves their opportunities for success," Clow said. "Even if you're located in the BID but not retail oriented, you help the customer base for everyone, including yourself, by belonging to the BID."

Clow believes the adage that there is strength in numbers. And so does BID board member Michele Hamilton, but she says for a BID to be effective, members need to participate.

What you can do to help

"On the BID board, we consider the assessments to be a sacred trust. We are constantly looking for ways to better serve the members and to improve the ways your funds are distributed," Hamilton said. "You have to understand, though, that you have a voice in how your money is spent. If you don't come to the meetings, we won't know what you want."

Hamilton added, "As members of the BID, you can't just sit back. You have to work your businesses, and you have to participate. We can do a million things if we work together."

Personalities, Businesses and more ...

The Brizees celebrate a century-old business

Brizee Heating & Air Conditioning is celebrating 100 years in business.

Historic Downtown BID board member Dan Brizee might be in a position to give a little advice on how to weather the ups and downs of business cycles. After all, Brizee Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. is celebrating its 100th year in Twin Falls.

Brizee says he's pretty sure the company has the most longevity in the city in terms of having been run by the same family for a century.

Dan Brizee, BID Board member and owner of Brizee Heating & Air Conditioning

His great-grandfather, H.A. Brizee started the business in 1909 on Main Avenue. In 1921 the family moved to a new building on Second Avenue East, where you can still purchase a stove, furnace or air-conditioning system today.

Dan Brizee's advice? Well, Mr. Brizee required a little coaxing, but he did share his secrets to success.

"I think businesses that have everything in one basket right now are in more trouble than those that are diversified," he said.

Brizee Heating & Air Conditioning

To maintain revenue, the Brizee Heating and Air-conditioning Company relies on new construction projects, retrofits, replacing old equipment as well as servicing heating and air-conditioning systems throughout the Magic Valley. So for example, when new construction is down, retrofitting seems to be gaining ground.

"Right now there are a lot of opportunities (in retrofitting) because people are becoming more energy conscious," he said.

Here's wishing a Happy 100th Birthday to all of the folks who work at Brizee Heating & Air Conditioning, and may the birthdays keep on coming.

Randy Lent, owner of Randy's Jewelry

Randy Lent ...

... who owns Randy's Jewelry on Main Avenue, has initiated a beautifying campaign in the area of his store. Nearby business owners jumped on board and helped him plant. To keep those flowers looking good, Lent is the man who is out watering at 6 a.m.

Quilt Walk, MagicFest benefit downtown

Hardly any business strategy matches throwing an event in order to bring potential customers into a retail area.

With that in mind, several downtown retailers as well as Mayor Lance Clow and the Twin Falls Kiwanis came up with two more events this summer that merchants are saying were very helpful.

New to downtown this past July was Twin Falls first-ever Quilt Walk. And successful it was. Merchants say that literally thousands were drawn into the two blocks of Main Avenue where some 150 quilts were displayed both inside and outside of stores during the Fourth of July holiday week.

Mayor Lance Clow performs some magic for a group of children

Said Cathy Freeborn of the new Cathy’s Unique Boutique, "the Quilt Walk was very helpful. The quilts really drew people into our store." Cathy Reitz, who initiated the event, said people even came from out of state to see the quilts.

Following the Quilt Walk was Twin Falls' MagicFest on July 31 through August 2nd. Mayor Lance Clow thought up and in large part organized the event.

Sav-Mor Drug store owner Dave Nelson said the MagicFest was an incredible boon for business.

Nelson also said, "I was personally very pleased. If the Mayor and Kiwanis are willing to volunteer and get behind downtown, what more could we ask for. I believe people in this city want downtown to succeed."

Review of city staff services to the BID

If you need information or help with those services or with landscaping, you should contact the following:

Contact your BID board members