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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/01/2011 20 Other Business e-ad n fha- ( r aue Eiff c r / ` RECEIVED 'ZHL NOU 1 WI 11 25 NEW BUSINESS: NOVEMBER 1, 2011. YAK6M CITY CLERK GRAFFITI: I move that we pass an ordinance; make it law. When graffiti painters are caught, the City of Yakima Legal Dept will put a lien on the offender, or his parents until the age of eighteen. I MOVE. That we take 4 men from the Street Dept, or the irrigation Dept. These employees will do the work of the purple shirts. Our heartfelt congratulations to the committee for Downtown Yakima. It is wonderful, lets keep it going with the above mentioned plan. The Downtown merchants are having a hard time making ends meet. Property taxes are already being paid for this public service. They wish you to abolish the tax increase. I would like this entered into the minutes by Councilman Dave Etel. Sincerely, Robert Haak. /CIAZ "if if • f *W4 Downtown Propee*, %Business 'Ow nerAMeet ing£ Wednesday, October 26, 2011 The Seasons Performance Hall 6:00 p.m. Mayor Micah Cawley welcomed the attendees and opened the meeting. He briefly explained the status of the Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District (DYBID) which expired in September 2011. The following citizens offered comments: • Robert Haak (Landlord) favored abolishing the DYBID; • John Cooper (VCB/Yakima Center) spoke in favor of the DYBID; • C. Donald Williams, MD (business owner) spoke in favor of the DYBID; • Richard Parker (5 Avenue Deli) said he did not sign the petition and felt businesses located off of Yakima Avenue did not receive the services promised; • Brad Christianson (Roy's Ace Hardware) supports beautification and hesitantly supported the DYBID petition, but is not in favor of the same rate for the entire district. He suggested a new formula and is in favor of appointing the Chamber of Commerce to run the program; • Jim Thomas (Smith Auto Electric) said the areas off Yakima Avenue are not being well served. He said he would support the DYBID if changes are made; • Luz Gutierrez (RCDR) said everyone cares about the downtown but she is dissatisfied with the service; • Beth Dannhardt (Triumph Treatment Services) said she and her staff appreciate the service and thinks it helps the entire community. She noted the increase in convention business; • Joe Mann (Ron's Coin /Mann Properties) supports the DYBID and credited the service with helping to fill downtown vacancies along with many other advantages; • Mike Bastinelli (Russillos) spoke in favor of the DYBID and urged the community to work together to iron out the problems; • Verlynn Best (Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce) supports the DYBID and urged hard work and a compromise for the good of the community; • Mark Peterson (H &H Furniture) supported the petition but has concerns about the make up of the CDY Board and performance issues; • Roger Wilson (Wilson Real Estate) is in favor of the tax and is willing to pay the full rate although his properties are not on Yakima Avenue. He said the service helps the entire area; • Bill Duerr (Resident) is in favor of the DYBID to keep Yakima moving forward. He suggested a change in management if the work is unsatisfactory; • Debbie Champion (Resident and former realtor) said the DYBID is a benefit to the entire community; • Kim Stracke (Resident) travels throughout the region for work and said Yakima's reputation is beginning to improve. She spoke about the responsibilities that come with being a business and property owner; • Lynne Kittelson (Resident) reminded that the community has a large investment to protect. She recommended a variety of economic development activities; • Victor DeLong (Law Office/ property owner) supports the DYBID and reminded that CDY meetings are open to the public; • Andi Plugoff (Studio 16) supports the DYBID as a new business owner and is proud of what is happening downtown; • Jamie Stickel (CDY/Yakima Herald Republic) gave some additional information on the structure of the DYBID along with some statistics. He suggested if people are not happy with CDY then CDY can be replaced but strongly encouraged the business and property owners to support the DYBID. Mayor Cawley asked if the business and property owners were given the right deal, would they accept it. By a show of hands the majority answered yes. City Manager Don Cooper noted that the DYBID does not exist at this time. He suggested that information should be gathered and decisions made regarding the following: • Determine the area • Duties — what services will be provided • Determine the assessment • Determine the time frame — permanent or sunset date • Advisory Board — duties and bylaws • Performance measures He also reminded that the business and property owners can choose to do nothing. He said the city will take care of health and safety issues in the area. Mayor Cawley closed the meeting and said he will take the issue back to the City Council. % Cr-7 (j ) l0 /3I/1i Micah Cawley, Mayor Date u.kd , /, /1) Page 1 of 1 Regimbal, Tammy From: Jamie Lee Stickel [jamielee @downtownyakima.com] Sent: Monday, October 31, 2011 4.36 PM To: Morales, Michael Subject: CDY Ambassadors Hi Michael, I worked with Matt about the CDY Clean and Safe Ambassadors daily tasks. I will write it down and if you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call. For the first 2.5 hours of the day, the Ambassadors perform a litter walk, graffiti patrol (and remove any "slappers" or tags on stickers), and pick up the bigger debris. One of our Ambassadors works in the parking lots and parks, cleaning debris and broken glass. After their morning break, they pan and broom (when they sweep the sidewalks, as well as, 18 inches from the curbline) and paint out the graffiti that was spotted during their morning patrol. Matt works on graffiti removal and checks on the parking meters. They also work on a "water walk" which turns on and off the water, and explore for any breaks in the irrigation. Every Monday they dump the trash cans, clean up after the 'Farmers Market and /or any other event that may have gone on during the weekend. After lunchtime, they work on Special Projects. Those special projects include: landscaping, cleaning, pressure washing, and any focus on areas that need extra attention as discovered in the am, weed removal, weed spraying, repairing tree lights, cleaning tree wells, pruning, repairing any City property that may have been damaged, flower deadheading and planting, fertilization, pest control on plants and flowers throughout the district, banner repairs, and major irrigation repairs. They also have the security and ambassador aspect to their job where they give directions, assist patrons, education people using the parking lots, there is homeless assistance, reporting to the City any issues and repairing any damage that may have been done through vandalism. In the wintertime, they help put up the Christmas tree, clean after the parades and any events, remove snow from public areas and all handicap access areas (sidewalk ramps), pressure wash, disperse ice melt, remove debris /snow /ice from storm drains. Sincerely, Jamie Lee Stickel Interim Executive Director Committee for Downtown Yakima (509)225 -2485 The Committee For Downtown Yakima is a private, nonprofit organization responsible for the daily management and promotion of Downtown Yakima. 11/1/2011 Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District r , Reauthorization Petition & Management Plan Prepared by t Committee for Downtow Yakima y January 2011 1 1 tl ^q 0 f I `h W;^ c s 3 x �r . , ` r � F " h { a h ; :' : $ .l Y . 1 } wage ttl DOWNTOWN YAKIMA BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AT -A- GLANCE The Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District (DYBID) has operated in Downtown Yakima since September 2008 to provide enhanced services to the public space and properties located within its boundaries. The DYBID uses assessment revenue and fundraising to finance these supplemental services that include cleaning services and downtown development initiatives above and beyond those currently provided by the City of Yakima. Since the creation of the DYBID in 2008, Downtown Yakima property values and employment have stabilized considerably better than most downtowns across the country. The overall value of properties in the DYBID has increased more than 10% from $287,109,950 in 2008 to $318,182,850 in 2010. The number of business licenses in the district has increased as well from 444 in 2008 to 455 in 2010. Creating a clean, safe and beautiful downtown environment has allowed Downtown Yakima to remain stable during our "great recession" and puts us in an immediate situation to continue our progress when the economy improves. The timing of this reauthorization process could not be more important. With the City of Yakima's budget in flux and very uncertain, it is more important than ever for the business and property owners to join together to keep the focus on making Downtown Yakima a welcoming place to do business. Without the DYBID, there will be no stable funding source to keep our downtown clean, attractive and flexible to meet the opportunities ahead. Name: Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District Location: Approximately 77 blocks that includes the core business district of Downtown Yakima. A description of boundaries and a map are enclosed in this document. History: City Ordinance 2008 -114 created the Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District in 2008 and appointed the Committee for Downtown Yakima as its Management Committee. Improvements & Services: Cleaning and Landscaping Ambassadors — the Ambassadors are found cleaning downtown year round. They remove litter, trash from city cans, graffiti, pressure wash sidewalks, maintain all hanging flower baskets and planters, remove snow during the winter and other detailed cleaning services to make downtown shine. Additionally, Ambassadors work closely with the homeless community to ensure minimal interference with the business community, shoppers, and visitors. Downtown Flower Baskets and Planters — using DYBID funds, the Committee for Downtown Yakima purchases and maintains over 400 hanging flower baskets and 2,000 other plants in the Downtown Yakima area. Downtown Development Initiatives — the Committee for Downtown Yakima Board of Directors and Staff work to improve the business climate, physical appearance and overall marketability of downtown to attract new businesses, consumers and visitors. They are strong advocates for the property owners of downtown and work closely with the City of Yakima on decisions, effecting downtown and the fringe areas. Downtown Parking Services — the Committee for Downtown Yakima work to make parking accessible and easy to find for the shoppers, visitors and business people of downtown. We, -- - 2 1Rage - - - - have led the efforts to educate the public on the best places for short term and long term parking in the downtown core. Most importantly, we have partnered with the City of Yakima to ensure that the funds generated by downtown parking stay in downtown for cleaning services. You will find that $30,000 of the CDY budget now comes from parking revenue generated in downtown. Downtown Without the Ambassadors? That's a good question — where would Downtown Yakima be without the Ambassadors? Let's use 2009 as an example. In 2009 the Ambassadors removed 173,350 pounds of trash from Downtown Yakima and removed 2,278 graffiti tags from public and private property. This work was above and beyond the work that the City of Yakima performed in downtown. Imagine downtown without those services? What would Yakima Avenue look like in the summer without the color of the hanging baskets and other landscaping? Budget: Total district budget for its first year of operation in the continuance is $361,645. $226,645 of that total budget comes from assessment dollars, $30,000 comes from downtown parking revenue and the other $105,000 comes from other sources including fundraising, event revenue and an annual contribution from the City of Yakima. Cost: The Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District is paid for in the following two ways: 1. Property Assessment — Each parcel within the DYBID will pay an assessment based on the value of the parcel. Non - profit organizations who own property in the district will receive a 40% discount on their assessment rates. The proposed rate of $.9063 per thousand dollars of value is 3.3% lower than the current rate of $.9367 per thousand dollars of value. There is $5,000 cap on any parcel in the district. 2. Business License Assessment — Each business license holder within the district will pay a Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District assessment of $125 in addition to their City business license fee. Term: The term of Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District will be six years. Adjustment: The BID assessment rate shall have an annual Cost -Of- Living- Adjustment subject to changes in the annual U.S. Consumer Price Index, not to exceed or decrease 3% per year. The cost of living adjustment shall be based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index as of November 1 prior to the next year's billing cycle. The decision to submit a request to raise or lower the assessment rate will come from the Committee for Downtown Yakima Board of Directors and will be submitted annually to the Yakima City Council. The change in assessment rate must be approved by the Yakima City Council. All ratepayers will be notified of any public hearing in case of a change on assessment rate. Reporting: The Committee for Downtown Yakima will submit an annual report to the Yakima City Council and all ratepayers on an annual basis. The annual report will include the statistical progress of the Ambassador program and a financial report on how DYBID funds were spent in the previous year. The annual report will also include a list of priorities and objectives for the year ahead. An annual audit will be conducted and will analyze Committee for Downtown Yakima expenditures and that audit will be available to any ratepayer. 3 1 Page City Services: The reauthorization of the Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District does not mean the City of Yakima is backing out on their commitment to downtown. However, the City of Yakima is like many budget - challenged municipalities across the United States and cannot commit to a certain level of service throughout downtown. The reauthorization of the DYBID allows a constant source of funding for downtown projects that will keep us shining and stable. District Reauthorization Process: District reauthorization requires submission of petitions to the Yakima City Council by the operators responsible for at least 60% of the proposed special assessments levied in the overall district. This can come from any combination of property based or business license petitions. Once the 60% threshold is passed, the Yakima City Council will adopt a resolution of its intent to reauthorize the Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District. A Public Hearing Date will be set. After the Public Hearing, the Yakima City Council will vote on the establishment of the proposed district. Petition Document: In your packet, you will find your individual petition based on the property or business you own. Use the self addressed stamped envelope to mail your signed petition back to the Committee for Downtown Yakima. Please do not enclose a check — upon reauthorization of the DYBID, the City of Yakima will create a billing cycle. • 41 Page For More Information: A Committee for Downtown Yakima staff member or Board Member will be pleased to meet with you to review the progress of Downtown Yakima and the DYBID reauthorization process. For more information, please reach out to one of the CDY Board of Directors listed below or call the Committee for Downtown Yakima: Executive Committee • President - Jamie Stickel, Vice - President, Yakima Herald- Republic, 961 -5645, jstickel@yakimaherald.com • Vice President - Doug Picatti, Electrical Contractor, Picatti Brothers, 941 -7600, dougp@picatti.com • Treasurer - John Baule, Director, Yakima Valley Museum, 248 -0747, john @yakimavalleymuseum.org • Secretary - Victor De Long, Attorney, 580 -0198, victor @delonglawoffice.com Staff • Jamie Lee Stickel, Interim Executive Director, Committee For Downtown Yakima, 225 -2485, jstickel@downtownyakima.com Board of Directors • John Cooper, President/CEO, Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Bureau. 575 -3010, john@visityakima.com • Larry Hull, CEO, Megalodon LLC, 453 -8161, larry @megalodonllc.net • Craig Rath, Building Contractor & Developer, 945 -2498 (Cell), carathconstruction @gmail.com • Jack Cannon, Retail Business Owner, Designs Ltd, 98902 453 -2082, jack @designsltd.net • Joe Mann, Retail Business Owner, Ron's Coin & Book, 248 -1117 ronscoin @hotmail.com • Mike McMurray, Owner /CEO, Yakima Bears Baseball LLC, 457 -5151, Imcmur6003 @aol.com • Roger Wilson, Le Chateau, 728 -0654 roger @wilsonirr.com • Chris Malland, Restaurant Owner, Yakima Sports Center, 945 -1592 (Cell), cmalland @yahoo.com • Liz McGree, Property Developer, JEM Development, 248 -4040, ext. 104, lizmcgree @jemdev.com • Kristeen Wade, Retail Owner, Belu Designs, 965 -1731, cksalon @gmail.com • Julie Shoval, Owner, jSho, 834 -8591 (Cell), julie.shoval @shoval.com • Katherine Goodson, General Manager, Kana Winery, 510 - 719 -5345 (Cell), kanawinery@kanawinery.com 5IPage - - - - - • Sean Russel, Attorney, Stokes Lawrence, 120 N. Naches Ave., 607 -5459, sean.russel @stokeslaw.com 2011 DOWNTOWN YAKIMA BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT SERVICES AND BUDGET Clean Services 55% of the Budget The Committee for Downtown Yakima will continue to supplement existing City of Yakima services by adding an additional annual 10,000 man hours of services throughout the Business Improvement District. We will use the best equipment available to ensure the most efficient approach to clean services. The services provided will include: • Pressure Washing of Sidewalks — we will keep our new and existing sidewalk features clean by pressure washing them on a regular basis to remove spills, dirt and gum. Further, we will regularly clean all new street features including benches and water fountains • Weed Abatement — we will constantly spray and remove weeds throughout the entire district • Daily Trash Removal — we will pan and broom each sidewalk and curb in the district to remove trash and debris through the entire district. • Special Projects — we will work with the City of Yakima and remain flexible to work on special projects that come up each year }} Iz2� Y h 1 , 0 ^. i if . , '! P lairil if r s -- . t SN $'`-r c , ? . „'r+ , J o lf'ji' ,, i I 4'n I P 3 _ � �l t99 I (j i Ir c C ' - ...- --- .. ,-1 7 11 Sr.. - 7:■.,. , _:`,. - "::,c-jr - ',4 :-::- -1 i ` - iti n P _ Y �J- t2 !'da x , = � f/ ''-:, fl \ e • Graffiti Removal — A service of the clean team will be immediate graffiti removal throughout the entire district from both public and private property. Our goal will be to remove graffiti within 24 hours of it being reported. After receiving a signed waiver from a private property owner, our clean team will remove any graffiti from private property for no charge. In the case of areas that get hit regularly, we will gladly store extra paint to do the work on demand. The clean team uses a combination of chemicals and pressure washing equipment that are sensitive to the various surfaces in downtown Yakima and our methods have been proven in downtown districts all across the country. 6IPage „..._„,_. „„ -a �$... +� a te: s X ? t 7 ,i \ . �V 1 x Landscape and Special Projects 11% of the Budget The Committee for Downtown Yakima will manage and maintain the more than 400 hanging baskets and hundred of planters throughout downtown Yakima. The cost to maintain these and purchase them annually will come from DYBID funds. On a weekly basis, we will deadhead, fertilize and properly maintain the baskets and planting areas to ensure a positive feel and attractive look to downtown Yakima. The flower pots through town will be planted with a variety of flowers during the summer months and seasonally appropriate plants in mid- September. All other planting areas throughout downtown will be weeded, mulched and planted with a variety of flowers each summer. { lrr�s, ' S .tom k `;14 "14litf f7 �' v x� - am • - " t tif ~` .r 'r l..1. .A ' .. � �, 11,1 iiii-- Q i1 : k , Mr4,,,t - 1 99 .. i x R t , r �� a: ' „ .i '.s ,.F yr " .• 4w ..�+N t�� "� L•1 rail 4%.,:k„,7 k ,, ,,., lc ,. ''?,,{L > : ,,,-, , r ,-,L 641 , E, :,x -4, r.. : -� 4 n, �.. ,,, Economic and Business Development 10% of the Budget The Committee for Downtown Yakima will continue to work on attracting new businesses to downtown and retaining the thriving business community of today. We will do this by continuing to be a knowledge base for all available commercial and office spaces in downtown, actively recruiting new tenants and being a resource for those business interested in opening downtown. 7IPage • Marketing/Communication 11% of Budget The Committee for Downtown Yakima will continue to market the changes occurring in downtown and will work on promoting the downtown business community to visitors and locals alike. • We will continue to operate and expand www.downtownyakima.com which averages over 43,000 hits per month and 1,400 unique visitors. We will work on expanding individual listings for each downtown business to ensure that as many businesses as possible have an internet presence. The services will only be available to the businesses within the district. • We will continue to send our weekly downtown email updates to our list of over 1,000 subscribers. This is an extremely effective way to inform the community about events, developments and people in downtown. If you haven't signed up, please do so at www.downtownyakima.com. • We will continue to host our monthly Business Roundtable Breakfast where downtown stakeholders have the opportunity to get "caught up" on downtown issues and hear directly from leaders about projects that effect downtown. y` frs ', '/' KYi ' N 1 4 ,- '4i9irs;'‘...', — :',.., 4 0 , . , e - 0 - 1 , i; ,,,, Ic tv . „ : ,-0, 1 , 4 1 i ,,„, i ,:::9-0 -,,,,, ...,7%. r 4 - 4.44 .-74r ,_,..„,.. r : ;:e. , < A t sti7,,` =:: ‘ -.,:,— , / ,: i1 ; 'r # `L , �. }� t i ., _ .mss h4 ` ;` `0. f , Advocacy /Leadership /Administration 11% of the Budget Who speaks for downtown and works closely with the City of Yakima on issues that affect downtown property and business owners? The Committee for Downtown Yakima will continue to be the force that works closely with various government agencies to ensure downtown is represented when key decisions are made. The following is a list of the staff positions required to do the work included in the management plan. All positions are full time, year round. Executive Director — the Executive Director of the Committee for Downtown Yakima is responsible for all fiscal oversight of all DYBID programs with a major focus on economic development, retail development, residential development and advocacy. The Executive Director will also work on securing additional funding streams to enhance the Business Improvement District funds for special projects that enhance the district. Maintenance Manager — the Maintenance Manager will lead all street level operations for the Ambassador Team. The Maintenance Manager will coordinate all cleaning projects and work one on one with property owners to address cleaning and safety issues. The Maintenance Manager will be available via cell phone to all DYBID ratepayers to schedule quick and prompt service calls. 8 1 Page a, 2011 Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District Budget Assessment revenue from the Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District provides only 62.6% of the total budget for downtown projects and services. The Committee for Downtown Yakima has worked hard to leverage assessment income with other income sources in order to keep the cost to businesses and property owners reasonable. The following illustrates all of the funding sources that make up the budget for downtown projects and services. DYBID Revenue DYBID Property Assessment Revenue $170,395 DYBID Business Assessment Revenue $ 56,500 City of Yakima Contribution $ 50,000 Parking Operations $ 35,000 B & 0 Tax Grant Through Fundraising $ 50,000 Total Revenue $361,645 DYBID Expenses Maintenance $200,000 Landscape /Special Projects $40,000 Economic Development $35,000 Marketing/Communication $40,000 Advocacy /Leadership /Administration $40,000 Reserve $6,645 Total Budget $361,645 DISTRICT BOUNDARIES The Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District includes roughly 77 blocks of Downtown Yakima. The western boundary includes all properties east of the center line of 7 Avenue between the center line of West Walnut Street and West Lincoln Avenue. This western boundary also includes a section of downtown included within the following streets — the centerline of West Yakima Avenue, the centerline of North 8 Avenue and the centerline of Summitview Avenue. The parcels in this area are 19132442454, 18132442453, 18132442458, 18132442457, 18132442497 and 18132442459. Also included is parcel 18132442462. The northern boundary is all properties south of the centerline of Lincoln Avenue between North 7 Avenue east to North 6 Street. At the centerline of 6 Street, the district narrows to the south to A Street and then extends east to the centerline of N 9 Street. However, the district includes all commercial property on the 9IPage north side of A Street between N 6 Street and N 9 Street. Those parcels are 19131912414, 19131912447, 19131912446, 1 91 31 91 2445, 19131912505, 19131912506, 19131912507, 19131912494, 19131912493 and 19131912492. The southern boundary is all the properties north of the centerline of Walnut Street from South 7 Avenue east to South 6 Street. At South 6 Street, the district narrows and the boundary turns north down the centerline of 6 street and includes all the properties west of that centerline. At the corner of 6 Street and Chestnut Street, the boundary continues east down the centerline of Chestnut to the corner of Chestnut and 9 Street. The eastern boundary is the centerline of 9th street but includes the hotel district and business district enclosed between the centerlines of 1 1 th Street, A Street and Yakima Avenue. DOWNTOWN YAKIMA BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT MAP A 11x17 map is enclosed with this document that highlights the boundaries of the Downtown Yakima Business Improvement District. GOVERNANCE The Committee for Downtown Yakima will manage the Business Improvement District and all of its components. The Committee for Downtown Yakima (CDY) is a non - profit organization funded by the generous contributions of local businesses with matching funds from the City of Yakima, creating a unique partnership between the public and private sectors. CDY's Board Members include 16 business and property owners in downtown Yakima. The board typically meets at 4:00 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at CDY's physical office location at 115 N. 3 Street. All ratepayers are invited to attend meetings. CDY is responsible for the daily management and promotion of downtown and its core purpose is: "To lead and implement the renaissance of downtown Yakima, making it the premier gathering place of Central Washington ". The Committee for Downtown Yakima's four focus areas are: 1. Economic and Business Development 2. Communications about Downtown Businesses and Events 3. Improving the Downtown User Experience 4. Developing Long Term Funding Sources for Programming The Committee For Downtown Yakima Contact Information: 1. Online — www.downtownyakima.com 2. Mailing Address: 115 North 3rd Street, Yakima, WA 98901 3. 'Phone Number: (509) 225 -2485 4. Email: info @downtownyakima.com 10IPage