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Entered into the record by Mayor Pulido. Statement read by Iry Chase during Public Comments. Honorable Mayor, Mayor Pro Tern and City Council Members: You —The City Council —have been approached by a small group of unhappy property owners who want to terminate Downtown's newly formed business improvement district. The reasons for their unhappiness vary. Some of these property owners cannot afford to pay the BID assessment, others are philosophically opposed to government taxation, some object to paying for services that they believe that the City government should provide, a number of them want Downtown's merchants to cater to only "poor Mexicans and not white people ", some are angry because they are not BID decision - makers, while some even blame the BID for _their own failure to recognize change and some do not like how the assessment dollars are being spent. All have two things in common. All are short sighted and narcissistic. Worst, none have any idea what economic devastation will befall Downtown Santa Ana should our current efforts to diversify Downtown's customer fail. If, we fail in our efforts to broaden Downtown Santa Ana's customer, Downtown Santa Ana will suffer huge office and store vacancies, massive property devaluation, unemployment, unchecked vandalism and serious crime like so many other American downtowns. Never in Downtown Santa Ana's long history has a business improvement district been more important to Downtown economic health, in particular and the City's wellbeing, in general. Downtown's retail transition is so significant and fundamental that it must be managed. Downtown Incorporated is the entity that is guiding Downtown's property owners, business operators, merchants and residents in this transition. Without Downtown Incorporated's inspiration, coordination, clean and safe agenda, advertising, promotion, merchant educational programming and retail and business outreach all is lostl Many of us— property owners, business owners, merchants and residents —view Downtown Incorporated as the most essential entity in Downtown Santa Ana's continued transition into an eighteen hour -a -day shopping and entertainment venue. Downtown Incorporated's Executive Director and her staff are the most important elements in Downtown's transition. Without their efforts, Downtown's various property owners, businesses, restaurants and merchant's individual revitalization efforts would be uncoordinated and ineffective. In simple terms, Downtown incorporated's staff is managing the process. i r 1 - I,f- _.i I CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 20 JANUARY 4, 2011