RACINE — Racine's Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) will have an entirely new board in the new year.
All previous appointments had expired, creating an opportunity for more businesses to be represented when applications opened in November. This created an opportunity for more businesses to be represented in downtown operations.
Among the new appointees are Heather Novotny, co-owner of Vintage and Modern Books, who is also a downtown resident and property owner, and Ebony Cunningham, who owns Divine Melanin Beauty Supply. Both business owners say they are looking forward to bringing fresh perspectives to the board.
Novotny has recently been rallying businesses on Sixth Street to work together.
"It just inspired me to put my application in and be the voice of these people," Novotny said.
She hopes to bring that collaborative spirit to all of downtown
"Bringing those ideas in, and also getting the chance to hear everyone else's ideas," Novotny added.
Cunningham shares that vision and said she hopes to "collaborate with business owners and other board members to create the best possible outcome" as a member of the BID board.
Both new board members emphasized the importance of getting new voices into these positions for downtown's progress.
"Things can only change if you have different perspectives," Cunningham said.
Cunningham said some businesses have been struggling, and she's hoping for changes that could bring more visitors to the area.
Novotny believes there's opportunity to better highlight downtown's creative spaces and to create a new family-friendly event to highlight the range of the area's businesses.
Board terms typically last three years and end on a staggered basis.
"That ensures that you continuously have that fresh perspective," Novotny said. "That hadn't happened in a long time."
However, the last appointments were made in 2021, making all previous BID appointments null and void.
New members had to submit applications. They were then recommended by the mayor, and the common council voted to approve his recommendations this month.
Not a single incumbent member was recommended, prompting concerns about continuity from some quarters. Some previous BID board members also expressed confusion at the common council meeting about communication around the application process.
For the new appointees, the complete board reset represents a chance for the BID to better reflect downtown's current reality.
"There's also been an injection of new businesses and new folks in the downtown area," Novotny said. "So being able to start reflecting more those new perspectives, I think, is really important."
The new board members see their roles as an opportunity to support all downtown businesses and help move downtown forward.
"There's a lot that goes into running a business downtown, and I feel like those things could only be better if we all work together," Cunningham said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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