Title
Staff Report for the Resolution of Intent to Establish a Community Benefit District in Downtown San Leandro and a Motion Authorizing the City Manager to Sign the City-owned Property Ballots in Support of the Community Benefit District
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
City staff and New City America, Inc. have been working with the Downtown Association and a Downtown San Leandro Property Owner Steering Committee since July 2012 on the formation of a Community Benefit District (CBD). The required 30% petition threshold of property owners in support, by weight, has been met and staff recommends that the City Council adopt the Resolution of Intent which instructs the City Clerk to mail out ballots to every affected property owner. The property owners will have no less than 45 days in which to return the mail-in ballots. Additionally, staff recommends the City Council make a motion authorizing the City Manager to sign the City-owned property ballots in support of the CBD.
BACKGROUND
The City of San Leandro, through the former Redevelopment Agency, made significant capital investments in Downtown San Leandro and funded on-going services above and beyond basic City services. These enhanced services included marketing and event support, maintenance, security, and financial assistance to businesses for fa?ade improvements. The elimination of redevelopment by the State impacted the City's ability to continue to fund enhanced services in the Downtown. In July 2012, the City retained New City America, Inc. to assist property and business owners in the establishment of a benefit district to fund enhanced services.
New City America distributed a survey to all downtown property owners to determine their conceptual support for a benefit district and worked with a Property Owner Steering Committee to determine if there was sufficient support to move forward with the process. At an October 18, 2012 Steering Committee meeting, the committee recom...
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