Title
Approval of a Resolution Stating the Intention to Change the Olympia Parking and Business Improvement Area Assessment Rate and Setting a Timea and Place for the Hearing on Such Rate Change
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve a Resolution stating the intention to change the Olympia Parking And Business Improvement Area Assessment Rate and setting a time and place for the hearing on such rate change.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve a Resolution stating the intention to change the Olympia Parking And Business Improvement Area Assessment Rate and setting a time and place for the hearing on such rate change.
Staff Contact:
Mike Reid, Economic Development Director, 360-753-8591
Presenter(s):
Mike Reid, Economic Development Director
Background and Analysis:
The Olympia Parking and Business Improvement Area (PBIA) was established by the City Council in 2005 under Ordinance No. 6375. The PBIA provides funding for various downtown programs, including parking improvements, public safety, beautification efforts, and business support initiatives. An assessment applied to businesses within the PBIA funds these services.
In 2010, the City Council removed the PBIA's renewal clause, allowing ongoing operations without a mandatory recertification or required program renewal. Other than a boundary modification there having been very few changes to the program as adopted in 2005, including there has been no change to rates, business classifications, or operational practices.
For 2025, the PBIA Advisory Board recommends conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the PBIA's effectiveness and future role in downtown Olympia. To support this, they suggest setting the 2025 assessment rate to $0 for all ratepayers, utilizing $60,000 of the PBIA's estimated $85,000 fund balance for program evaluation and downtown beautification, and retaining $25,000 as a reserve.
The 2025 evaluation wil...
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