City of Salem Attn: Office of Gary Kanz C.P.M. 555 Liberty St SE, Room 330 Salem, OR.

97301 Saturday, April 14, 2012Wednesday, September 14, 2011 Dear Selection Committee: Go Downtown Salem had the honor and responsibility of administering Economic Improvement District funds for the last three years. We look forward to continuing that role for the next three years. This letter sets forth our understanding of the services to be performed and our approach to providing these services. Included with this letter is a budget for the next year as well as supporting documents explaining how we will provide the services authorized under SRC 44.005(a).Much has been learned over the last three years, and our organization will grow, improve, and evolve because of this experience. We will grow by effectively implementing the Main Street approach which relies on self determination and community participation. The four broad areas of Main Streets methodology are Organization, Design, Promotion, and Economic Restructuring. All four areas dovetail nicely with our vision for services forwarding the future. For each of these areas there is a committee that will be identifying needs and solutions and making recommendations to our board. This bottom up approach will engage more members as their participation shapes the programs/services affecting downtown. In our Statement of Proposed Services you will see which Main Street Committees will be primarily in charge. We will improve by listening to critics and proponents and communicating better with our members, partners, and residents of Salem and surrounding communities. It is easy to listen to supporters, but the best medicine may come from critics. By having broad based committees more ideas will be considered before final decisions are reached. As decisions are made, multiple forms of communication to spread the word will be used to ensure greater penetration of the message. To that end we will be utilizing direct mail, e-mail blasts, newspaper advertisements, and a consistently updated website to be sure our members and other constituents are informed and have the opportunity to provide input and participate. We will evolve by partnering with stakeholders in downtown, gaining additional investment, and thereby bringing a higher rate of return to the money administered by Go Downtown Salem. The authorized services areas for the Economic Improvement District are broad and the initial investments (EID and Parking District) are relatively small. Go Downtown will create a base for services provided and with it create an opportunity for downtown businesses, downtown property owners, and the City of Salem to buy additional services for a value greater than they could achieve on their own.

We will provide leadership that obtains results. Downtowns should be a special place where diverse communities within a city come to connect. The challenges and threats to downtowns are always present. Go Downtown Salem looks forward to amplifying the efforts of downtown stakeholders for the benefit of a place we love- Downtown Salem. Sincerely,