Title
Summary Title: Approving Annual Work Plan and Setting Public Hearing to Continue Assessing Merchants within Webster Street Business District
Recommendation to Approve the Webster Street Business Improvement Area (BIA) Annual Assessment Report; and Adoption of Resolution of Intention to Levy an Annual Assessment on the Webster Street BIA of the City of Alameda for FY 2015-16 and Set a Public Hearing for May 5, 2015. (Community Development 227)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: John A. Russo, City Manager
Re: Recommendation to Approve the Webster Street Business Improvement Area (BIA) Annual Assessment Report; Adoption of Resolution of Intention to Levy an Annual Assessment on the Webster Street BIA of the City of Alameda for FY 2015-16; Set a Public Hearing for May 5, 2015 to Levy an Annual Assessment on the Webster Street BIA
BACKGROUND
In 1989, following the Parking and Business Improvement Area Law in the California Streets and Highways Code, the City Council established regulations for Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) in the Park Street and Webster Street commercial areas. This staff report is for the Webster Street BIA, which is managed by the West Alameda Business Association (WABA).
The BIA is funded from fees collected by the City from all businesses within the business district. The pooling of resources improves the business district as a whole and directly benefits business owners through the general promotion of business activities and public events, beautification and ambiance, construction and maintenance of parking facilities, and special projects benefitting the business area.
State law and the Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) require the City Council to work in collaboration with a BIA Advisory Board (Board). The Board prepares an annual report and provides recommendations to the City Council on the proposed expenditure of BIA revenues for its geographic area. State law and the AMC also require an annual review by the City Council and a yearly consideration of the assessment.
DISCUSSION
WABA's Board of Directors, designated as the BIA's Advisory Board, has prepared the Annual Assessment Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-16 (Exhibit 1). The report describes in general terms the activities and expenditures that have occurred in the Webster Street BIA during the past fiscal year, FY 2014-15, as well as a work plan outlining proposed use of BIA funds for the next fiscal year, FY 2015-16.
The work plan was approved at WABA's seven-member Board of Directors meeting on January 21, 2015 and implemented through its four standing committees. All committee and Board meetings are publicized in WABA's monthly newsletter and are open to any WABA member wishing to attend. WABA's signature events, which attract hundreds of patrons to the District, include the Neptune Beach Community Celebration in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, a semi-weekly year-around Farmer's Market, Halloween on Webster, and Santa on Webster. In addition to its annual events, WABA advertises special events through print media in area newspapers, distributes marketing literature, creates and distributes a District-wide events calendar, and assists local businesses. These activities are designed to improve the vitality of the District, to increase sales and sales tax revenues, promote members' businesses, attract new businesses, and enhance the overall business atmosphere throughout the District. This year, the WABA Annual Report also contains detailed financial reports, which WABA is required to submit every other year (Exhibit 2).
The Webster Street BIA currently has approximately 175 members, and annual fees vary depending on the type of business and its location. Per the AMC, each year the BIA assessment gets an automatic Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase based on the San Francisco Area CPI. This year's CPI increase of 2.7% raises the minimum retail business annual fee by $8.00 to $294. Included with this report is the FY 2015-16 BIA assessment fee schedule (Exhibit 3), a map of the BIA (Exhibit 4), and a BIA address list (Exhibit 5).
The annual BIA assessment requires a two-step process. First, the City Council must approve the Annual Assessment Report and pass a Resolution of Intent to Levy an Assessment. Second, City Council must also set a public hearing to approve the new assessment. The public hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2015. At the public hearing, the City Council can modify the Assessment Report or confirm the report as filed. All BIA members will receive notification of the public hearing, in addition to instructions on how to protest the BIA renewal, should they wish to do so. FY 2015-16 assessments cannot be levied if protests are received by the owners of businesses in the area which will pay fifty percent (50%) or more of the proposed assessment.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
BIA billing is done concurrently with Business License billing. Revenues from the BIA directly benefit business owners in specified geographic and benefit zones through the promotion of business and similar eligible activities. The primary financial impact to the General Fund is in the form of Finance Department staff costs to process BIA billings and expenditures, estimated to be approximately $5,000 annually and included in the Business License Program Budget (Fund 001, Program 2450). This staffing cost has been absorbed within existing staff workloads to provide indirect financial support to the business districts.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The annual renewal of the BIA supports the goals of the Economic Development Strategic Plan through continued operation of the business association consistent with A.M.C. Sec. 6-7 et seq.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action involves government fiscal activities which do not involve any commitment to any project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment and is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4).
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the Webster Street Business Improvement Area Annual Assessment Report; adopt a Resolution of Intention to Levy an Annual Assessment on the Webster Street Business Improvement Area of the City of Alameda for FY2015-2016; and set a public hearing for May 5, 2015 to levy an annual assessment on the Webster Street Business Improvement Area.
Respectfully submitted,
Debbie Potter
Community Development Director
By:
Eric Fonstein, Development Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. WABA's Annual Assessment Report
2. WABA's Financial Reports
3. BIA Assessment Fee Schedule FY 2015-16
4. BIA Boundaries Map
5. BIA Address List
cc: West Alameda Business Association