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“Regular Meeting”
Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 6:00 P.M.
Trenton City Hall, Caucus Room
Meeting Minutes
1. The meeting of the Downtown Development Authority was called to order at 6:00 P.M. by Chairman Christopher Liphardt.
DDA Board Members Present Absent
Leonard Bochenek X
Justin Gaffrey, Secretary X
Kathy Kane, E
Lance Latkiewicz X
Christopher Liphardt, X
Chairman
Christina McNally, Vice- X
Chairwoman
Mark Nestor, Treasurer E
Steven Rzeppa, Mayor E
Ashley Young X
Vacant
Vacant
Also Present: Angelia Pusino, DDA Director and Emily Hornbeck on behalf of the Mayor.
26-DDA-230
2. Motion by Gaffrey, supported by Bochenek to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried.
26-DDA-231
3. Motion by Hornbeck, supported by McNally to approve the Minutes of the Regular Meeting held on Thursday, January 8,
2026. Motion carried.
26-DDA-232
4. Motion by Bochenek, supported by McNally to place on file the monthly Revenue and Expenditure Report for the period ending
January 31, 2026. Motion carried.
26-DDA-233
5. Motion by Bochenek, supported by Hornbeck to place on file the current bills in the amount of $45,787.22. Motion carried.
Old Business
26-DDA-234
6a. Motion by Bochenek, supported by Gaffrey to approve mural wall locations at 1625 West Rd and 2505 W
Jefferson Ave. Motion carried.
New Business
26-DDA-235
7a. Motion by McNally, supported by Hornbeck to approve postcards to DDA residents for the Development Area
Citizens Council and surveys to DDA businesses not to exceed $300. Motion carried.
26-DDA-236
7b. Motion by McNally, supported by Bochenek to approve the purchase of a SWCRC ticket for the DDA Director and to
donate $200 Downtown Dollars and $100 worth items from downtown businesses for the raffle donation. Motion
carried.

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8. Director’s Report
• Placer.ai: Currently meeting bi-weekly with Placer.ai to set up the DDA boundary and input businesses into their dataset.
Reports detailing event attendance, budgets, and PR activities will be available at the next DDA meeting, which coincides
with the budget approval scheduled for March.
• Shop the Dotte: Met with Shop the Dotte to discuss doing expanded events and provide information about our Downtown
Dollars Program.
• Downtown Dollars: The Valentine’s Deal started this week and will run until February 15th. Already issued over $500
certificates.
• Cookie Crawl Bingo: This Saturday is the Cookie Crawl Bingo. We sold 40 tickets and have 20 businesses participating.
• W Jefferson Streetscape Study: The steering committee for the W Jefferson Streetscape Study met on January 20th.
Beckett & Raeder presented various ideas and options focusing on pedestrian, vehicle, and bicycle needs. While the
presentation includes different concepts, they are not specific plans. An open house is scheduled for February 10th to
gather public feedback.
• Business Spotlight: Tillery Properties has been chosen as the business spotlight for February. Their advertisement has
been submitted to the Trenton Times, and a Facebook ad will be posted next week.
• Business Improvement Grant: The owner of 2704 W Jefferson has expressed interest in the grant program, although no
application has been submitted yet.
• Downtown Banners: The new banners in downtown Trenton are now installed. Businesses and organizations can still
purchase banners if they inquire.
• MACC Grant: The MACC grant application has been submitted to help fund projection mapping for the Art Festival.
• Luck of Downtown Trenton: In March, instead of a Spring Sip & Stroll, the event committee has decided to organize a
scavenger hunt. A $20 and a $10 Downtown Dollar will be hidden in businesses throughout downtown Trenton on Tuesdays
and Saturdays.
• Business Updates: Plans for the Animal Cracker building have been submitted, which will include three commercial
spaces and four residential apartments. The Riverside Hospital site is expected to be completed by June or July. The West
& W Jefferson RFP is being handled by Beckett & Raeder and is not expected to be released for a few months. Additionally,
the City of Trenton is considering creating more tax incentives and updating the vacant building ordinance.
• Event Coordinator: The administration has recommended that the Trenton DDA consider hiring either a contractor for
events or a part-time employee. The DDA has the budget for this, and if the board wishes to expand events, a dedicated
staff member will be needed to manage tasks such as acquiring sponsors, organizing the run-of-show, and coordinating
volunteer efforts.
9. Other/Public Comments
• McNally asked about Lobsterpalooza and if the city will allow the closure of W Jefferson Ave.
10. Next Regular Meeting will be held on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 6:00 P.M.
26-DDA-237
11. Motion by Hornbeck, supported by Bochenek to adjourn the meeting at 7:13 P.M. Motion carried.
________________________
Justin Gaffrey, Secretary
Approved, March 12, 2026