Council Talks Hyperbole, Business Promotion

While many Walnut Creekers had a long emotional release at an all-day county hearing for the proposed Sufi sanctuary in Saranap, the Tuesday night Walnut Creek City Council meeting was all business.

After a CalTrans and Contra Costa Transportation Authority update on the I-680 High-Occupany Vehicle expansion and an enthusiastic invitation from BART Director Gail Murray to join the Rust, Dust and Rail Tour in Concord on March 23, Mayor Bob Simmons directed the council's attention to the Downtown Walnut Creek Business Improvement District (BID) and South Business Improvement District (SBID).

The BID and SBID fund promotional events, marketing, beautification, and special community projects in downtown Walnut Creek. Fees are collected from businesses in the district and are structured according to location and type of business.

For 2012-13, assessments proposed in documents submitted for the public hearing were held at the same level as the previous year and ranged from $125 to $1,000 per year.

Emily Chang and Sherry Bennett of the Downtown Business Association (DBA) presented a spirited profile of the growth of their organization from 90 members and mostly voluntary/membership funding in 2005 to more than 600 members and reliable funding from the BID today.

Chang said that DBA’s goal to keep downtown “alive and full of vitality” includes a Branding Downtown Plan the DBA board has been developing. She went on to list tree lights, banners, wine and restaurant walks, green initiatives, arts festivals, shopping guides and more, as evidence of the group’s impact on downtown commerce.

“What Napa is to wine, Walnut Creek will be to shopping and dining,” she promised, causing Simmons to call a halt to the arguably hyperbolic presentation.

“This is a specific hearing, not a discussion of a report prepared [by the DBA],” he reminded Chang, the council and the handful of people in attendance.

Council members Cindy Silva and Kristina Lawson asked questions regarding the application of BID funds. A staff member clarified that the downtown assessments would raise $100,200 and the South Downtown assessments would result in $58,400. Funds would not be applied to the Branding Downtown Plan, a point receiving particular attention after several questions from the council members.

With only two businesses filing objections (just 0.002% of the projected revenue received), the council unanimously approved the annual assessments for BID and SBID.