Item 26 - Downtown Santa Ana Business Improvement District 2023 Assessment

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EXHIBIT 1 – ATTACHMENT A DOWNTOWN SANTA ANA BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT 2023 ASSESSMENT REPORT Background On February 6, 1984, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. NS-1715 pursuant to Section 36500, et seq., of the 1979 State of California Streets and Highways Code, creating a Business Improvement District (BID) in Downtown Santa Ana. On October 6, 2003, the City Council appointed the Community Redevelopment and Housing Commission (CRHC) as the Downtown Santa Ana Business Improvement District Advisory Board. As the BID Advisory Board, the CRHC, now known as the Community Development Commission (CDC) is responsible for making recommendations to the City Council on the expenditure of revenues derived from the levy of assessments, on the classification of businesses, as applicable, and on the method and basis of levying the assessments (including the annual budget). The BID was established as a means of providing the Downtown business community with the funding to promote the Downtown through events and advertising pieces; funding to increase security and enhance the overall aesthetics of the area; and also to maintain the downtown shopping corridors. Improvement Area Boundaries The geographic boundaries of the district remain unchanged from the original 1984 area, and they include over 500 retail, service, and professional members (see Exhibit 2). Assessment Formula The formula for the BID tax levy also remains unchanged from the original 1984 ordinance and is based on the category and/or sales volumes of the business (see Attachment A). 2022 Budget Plan Based on the feedback from the two Associations, Downtown Inc. and the Santa Ana Business Council, the 2023 BID Budget focuses on the continuation of promotions and marketing of the BID. Some of the promotion and marketing will be focused on Downtown event s and advertising pieces, which are all designed to enhance the overall aesthetics of the area and also to maintain the downtown shopping corridors. Detailed breakdowns of the two groups’ budgets are attached (Attachment B). The assessments from the 2023 BID are estimated at $200,000 to be split evenly by Downtown Inc. and the Santa Ana Business Council—the two business groups that have spearheaded this BID process. Any remaining funds from the previous year will be incorporated into a reserve fund for the groups’ 2023 budgets. This reserve funding may be used for additional events and promotions throughout the year. In 2022, the two representative business associations are proposing to host several events, some special events may be virtual (pending COVID-19 regulations for special events), promotion of outdoor dining and retail sales, and general promotion and marketing of the Downtown, as well as some traditional annual events that will be safe for community members to attend, including: BID-FUNDED OR PARTLY BID-FUNDED ACTIVITIES ADMINISTRATION ● Coordination of the BID including maintaining the interconnectivity and infrastructure, collectivizing downtown efforts, program and project management, and supporting downtown’s role as a vital community, cultural and economic engine MARKETING PROGRAMS ● Weekly Newsletter ● Social Media Accounts (@DtsantaAna, @CalleCuatroDTSA)