SR 05:242 - Laserfiche WebLink

In 2004, the CVB began investigating additional funding sources to support its tourism promotions and marketing activities. The CVB identified a Tri-Valley Tourism Business Improvement District (TVTBID), based on paid hotel (hereafter called lodging business) room occupancies, as the best option largely because the source of funding is directly tied to tourism. Additional reasons include increasingly tighter City budgets, a need to improve existing tourism promotion and a desire to be more self-sufficient in tourism promotion. Since the initial discussion, the CVB has engaged a consultant, Downtown Resources, to guide the organization through the development of the TVTBID, and is working to have the assessment district in place by the end of calendar year 2005. The business improvement district would be established for 5 years, and would include lodging businesses with 35 rooms or more in the four Tri-Valley cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton and San Ramon. Included in the attached Management District Plan is a list of the lodging establishments that would be within the district and hence be subject to the assessment. Based on $1.00 per paid occupied room, conservatively estimated at a 60% occupancy rate, the TVTBID will raise approximately $1,000,000 annually. The decision to form the district rests with the eligible lodging businesses, those with 35 rooms or more located within the city limits of Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin and San Ramon. Those with fewer than 35 rooms are not proposed to be included in the TVTBID as they will likely not be the primary recipients of the CVB's sales and marketing efforts, though they will still receive other benefits as a dues-paying CVB member. The voting strength for each lodging businesses is determined by the property's number of rooms factored by occupancy rate (2004 occupancy figures will be used). The business improvement district requires a simple majority vote to be approved. The CVB hosted a meeting for all impacted lodging businesses on July 28, 2005. At this meeting, copies of the Management District Plan were distributed and reviewed. To date, 13 lodging businesses representing more than 50% percent of the total voting strength are in favor of establishing the TVTBID and have signed a petition agreeing to the creation of the assessment district. This meets the minimum required to approve the BID. Pleasanton, with the consent of the other cities, may form a district that covers territory outside Pleasanton. Accordingly, it is proposed that Pleasanton will be the lead agency in forming the district and administering assessments for the TVTBID. Upon Pleasanton's adoption of a resolution requesting consent from Dublin, Livermore and San Ramon, the three cities will consider adopting resolutions granting consent to the City of Pleasanton to form the district that would cover not only Pleasanton, but also Livermore, San Ramon and Dublin. The Pleasanton City Council would then adopt a Resolution of Intent to form the business improvement district, after which the eligible lodging businesses will be notified of the intended action. After the required 45-day notice period, the City of Pleasanton would hold a public hearing to solicit comments of support or protest. Unless there is a majority protest vote (50% + 1), the Council will be requested to adopt an ordinance to establish the Tri-Valley Tourism Business Improvement District effective January 1, 2006. SR:05:242 Page 2