Thursday, June 24, 2010

06-24-10 PBID Passed

Dear Diary,
Today the long-awaited Property Based Improvement District passed. The votes, weighted by how much assessment each owner would contribute, won by a 2 to 1 margin. The City Council followed with a 6-0 vote (Perea absent) to form the district.


The PBID effort represents two attributes that successful cities possess: perseverance and momentum.


PBIDs didn't exist until the mid 1990's. It wasn't until the late 90's that I learned of them. I remember sitting at a Main Street Conference seminar about this relatively new tool. Even though I was working in downtown Pleasanton at the time, I wondered if my hometown would use this funding mechanism.


Community leaders led by Dan Doyle (CEO of Central Valley Community Bank) began an effort to create a PBID in Fresno nearly 10 years ago. Dan had been the first chair of the first PBID board in California, while he was working in Sacramento. A bus load of Fresnans went up to Sacramento to learn firsthand how the PBID was furthering their revitalization efforts.


The City Council voted for the funding to create a PBID, the former mayor vetoed the funding. The City Council reversed itself and voted against overturning the veto. The PBID suffered many such false starts over the years.


In March 2009 the City Council voted to fund the PBID effort, for the first time. Public meetings were held. Meetings with property owners were held. Boundaries and assessment levels were adjusted. Finally, it was time to gather the petitions, to see if a majority of the private sector owners would support an assessment. After many months of work, the committee of supporters collected petitions. A majority was finally secured.


Next a vote had to be held. This is what concluded today. Finally the City Council had to vote to form the District. This was the last hurdle, and the City Council stayed with the process and continued their support.

This is perseverance. There were many obstacles and hurdles. Political risk. A vocal group of opposing property owners. Time. Cost. A foundering economy. So many people contributed to the effort. If any one of them were removed from the equation, it might not have succeeded. One thing that a successful downtown demonstrates is that the city has learned to work together. The PBID shows that we are beginning to work together.


That brings me to Momentum. The PBID organizes property owners. They will now have a vehicle to find their common voice and their common priorities. We have shown that we can work together toward progress. The good ship REVITALIZATION is moving forward. We set out to accomplish a task, and together we succeeded. Add a Specific Plan, which required political and financial support, and the momentum increases. Downtown nightclubs can stay open until 4:00a.m....momentum. Iron Bird Lofts. The renewal of the Grizzlies lease. Plans are submitted for the Mayflower Apartments. A groundbreaking for Fulton Village. Penstar buys the Bank of Italy Building. ACEL Charter School moves into Fresno Station. KJWL puts up a new neon sign. The Housing Authority buys the Droge Building. The Raisin Marketing Board moves back downtown. Cliff Tutelian reopens the 10th floor ball room in the old PG&E Building for the first time in decades. The old facade of the Kress five and dime store is revealed for the first time since the late 1950s.


Momentum. It is still precarious. That is how momentum is in its early stages. But we have some. We also know that we can persevere together and work together. The Mayor and the City Council. The City Staff and the private property owners. Civic groups and citizens. We can do this. We now have proof that we have what it takes.