06-19-06 Community & Economic Development

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COMMUNITYAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE 2006 Comman Council The June 19, 2006 meeting of the Community and Economic Development Committee was called to order by its Chairperson, Councilmember Roland Kelly, at 3:30 p.m. in tlae Council Informal Meeting Room. Persons in attendance included Council Members Kelly, Puzzello, Pfeifer, Kirsits, and Professor Martin Wolfson, Citizen Member on the Community and Economic Development Committee, Chip Lewis, Christina Garcia, Robin Slutsky, Julie Pavnicka, Shannan Essig, Ted Foti, Rich Hill, Natakit Burapratee, Stephen Hayes, Dean Bergeman, Greg Downes, Matt Kahn, Roger Depoy, Mary McLain, Don Inks, John Stratigos. Roland Kelly called the committee meeting to order promptly at 3:30 introducing Chip Lewis who is the chair of the board of directors of (DTSB} Downtown South Bend. Mr. Lewis asked the Council to support the ordinance creating the BID or Business Improvement District in downtown South Bend. He outlined the background work DTSB had completed over the past 4 years since their re-organization in 2002. He defined the BID as apublic-private partnership that would create a new revenue stream by assessing properties within the BID to fund a budget proposed at $500,000 a year. The BID fund would be used to provide supplemental services to BID properties above and beyond baseline city services already provided. This approach would allow eight identified advantages to the BID. 1.} Cleaner area 2.) Safer Area 3.) Innovative management of area 4.} Increase sales in and occupancy of the BID 5.} Create a distinct BID identity 6.) Speed responsiveness to market forces 7.) Make the BID area more livable and S.) Increase the BID competitiveness vis-a-vis other commercial areas. He stressed that DTSB was ready to move forward and then introduced Laura Guy the Executive Director of DTSB who by power point presentation explained the nature of Business Improvement Districts. Laura's power point supplemented printed materials that are a part of these minutes. She explained BIDs were by virtue of state statute both self imposed and self-governed. Their advantages include creating a new revenue stream that would provide enhanced services to include 1.} Capital improvement-signage, lighting 2.) Economic development recruitment of new business 3.) Marketing --- create identity 4.) Hospitality & safety ambassadors 5.) Beautification flags, banners, flowers. Laura further explained that two criteria needed to be met to form a BID which would have to be renewed in S years. First 51 % of the owners of parcels in the BID and owners totaling 66 2/3% of the assessed value of parcels in the BID would have to approve its formation churches and single-family owner occupied parcels would be exempt. A BID Board of Directors would propose an annual budget to the council for approval during the Council's normal budget process.