08-16-2022 CC RPT 22 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Auto Center BID Public Hearing • Page 2 On August 15, 2011, the City Council and Redevelopment Agency of the City of Riverside approved an agreement with RNCDA to provide the Auto Center BID with $100,000 in matching funds annually for a period of ten (10) years to fund the cost of an electronic sign for the Auto Center. The City Council approved a subsequent agreement with RNCDA on August 26, 2015, to continue matching funds for electronic sign usage with the Auto Center BID through September 1, 2023. This is the final year for the City to provide matching funds to the Auto Center BID. At the time of formation, it was determined that 13 businesses were part of the Auto Center BID, and each business was assessed $8,000 as an additional assessment on its business tax renewal. In the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Annual Report, RNCDA proposed a modification to the district boundaries to include four additional businesses and to lower the assessment amount to $6,100 per business. On July 20, 2021, a Public Hearing was held to hear and rule on any protests against the proposed action. Following the Public Hearing, City Council approved the recommended modifications and adopted Ordinance No. 7558 to modify Section 3.49 of the City Charter to include the approved modifications. The Auto Center BID was formed under Section 36500 of the Streets & Highway Code of the State of California. Section 36533 of the Streets & Highways Code requires that the advisory board (RNCDA) prepare a report for each fiscal year for which assessments are to be levied and collected to pay the costs of the improvements and activities described in the report. The City Council may approve the report as filed by the advisory board or may modify any portion of the report and approve it as modified. DISCUSSION: On August 2, 2022, the City Council received and approved the RNCDA annual report. The report included project expenditures of the current year, proposed Fiscal Year 2022-2023 expenditures, and the method/basis of levying assessments for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. The report also confirmed there are no proposed changes to the Auto Center BID boundaries or assessment amounts. In 2021, City Council requested that all Business Improvement Districts address the following questions during the annual levy process. Below are the responses from the Auto Center BID, which are provided in the 2022-2023 Annual Report as well. A representative of the Auto Center BID will be on hand at the Public Hearing to address these questions and any others Council might have at that time. 1) What are the specific benefits the BID is providing to businesses? The BID supports Riverside Auto Center District businesses by bringing awareness of the businesses within the district to auto buyers and those needing their vehicle serviced in the Riverside area. 2) How do we know the attendant benefits have been achieved? The freeway sign has proven to achieve its intended benefits by continued patronage of the dealers in the Auto Center Square and feedback from customers regarding offers and promotions that the sign displays. 3) How are BID staff and activities responding to emerging needs and how are these needs identified? Any topics related to the function of the sign including regular maintenance, replacement of failed/faulty LED panels and annual washing are regularly discussed with the Auto Center association and sign company. There are also regular reports covering the content each dealer and the City of Riverside displays in their given allotment.