01 - Laserfiche WebLink

Ayes: Councilmembers Olson, Narum, Pentin, Mayor Thorne Noes: Councilmember Brown Absent: None BREAK — The City Council took a brief break at 9:10 p.m. and thereafter reconvened the regular meeting at 9:15 p.m. 14. Consider a resolution accepting and approving 2015 Annual Report and 2016 Budget of the Pleasanton Downtown Business Improvement District Advisory Board and intent to levy assessment for 2016, and introduction of an ordinance to amend Pleasanton Municipal Code Chapter 5.28 to clarify bid boundaries and eliminate new business exemption Director of Economic Development Pamela Ott gave the staff report and said annually staff comes to the City Council to levy the annual assessment for the Downtown Business Improvement District (DBID) and to appoint an advisory board which the Council did at its October 6th meeting. The advisory board prepares a budget and an annual report outlining the improvements and activities of the DBID, related funding sources and outline any recommended changes to the boundaries or to the methodology of assessing each business. Ms. Oft said staff recommends the Council accept the report and budget and set a public hearing to levy the assessments. At the Council's December 1, 2015 meeting, the Council will hold a public hearing and consider adopting by resolution the annual renewal of the assessment. Ms. Ott stated the Executive Director of the Pleasanton Downtown Association (PDA), Laura Olson is present in the audience. She stated the report and budget include $132,000 which is the combined assessment revenue from businesses and the City's match which equals about 29% to the PDA's funding sources. The annual report included efforts of the PDA's four key priorities and she noted many accomplishments occurred over the last year, as well as the PDA Event Schedule for 2016, with about 56% of PDA funding coming from special events they hold during the year. Ms. Ott said two proposals relates to the modification or clarification of BID boundaries of the assessment district and the elimination of the new business exemption. Relative to clarification of the boundaries, staff is asking the Council to clarify the bid boundaries, make changes for two reasons. In the maps provided to the Council, the existing map in the Municipal Code under Chapter 5.28 includes a number of residentially zoned parcels along Ray Street and particularly along Walnut Drive. There are no businesses on parcels and they do not pay into the district or assessed. As well, there were about 9 parcels that are commercially zoned along Old Bernal Avenue that do pay the assessment but are not in the boundaries of the BID District, given the map in the code. All properties in red would be excluded from the BID district and in green are parcels along Old Bernal Avenue which are to be included in the BID. What this would look like is depicted in Attachment 3 which includes those properties along Old Bernal and excluding properties along Ray Street and Walnut Drive. Councilmember Pentin asked and confirmed residential properties have not paid into the District or the BID, except for commercial properties that have been paying into the District. Ms. Ott referred to the methodology used for the assessment district, and she said the assessments are based on proximity to Main Street and there is a minimum of $50 and maximum of $350 to the PDA. Those businesses located curbside and downstairs on Main Street are assessed two times their business license amount. Businesses with a Main Street address either upstairs or not curbside are assessed at a rate of 1 ''A times their business license, and all other businesses pay one time their business license as the PDA assessment. This year there is no proposed change in the formula. The proposed change that is being recommended by the PDA advisory board and is supported by staff is the elimination of the new City Council Minutes Page 14 of 16 November 3, 2015