Kingsburg BID to pay $300 toward downtown Santa; trolley coverage confirmed

The Kingsburg Downtown Business Improvement District advisory board voted Dec. 2 to cover a $300 share of a $600 downtown Santa appearance and confirmed the BID is covering the full cost of the community trolley.

A BID presenter, Cindy Rekier, said the total cost for Santa was $600 and that a check had already been written; she asked the board to approve a $300 payment to the Chamber to cover the BID's portion. An unidentified board member moved to approve the agenda earlier in the meeting; later the chair made the motion to share the Santa cost and the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

Board members also discussed logistics for the Santa visits and the trolley. The board confirmed Santa will sit in a sleigh on Larson's Corner on Saturdays and noted there had been confusion earlier about whether Santa would use a hut or a sleigh. The chair described efforts to avoid appearing to favor a single business by placing Santa where the sleigh would not benefit just one storefront.

Members asked for social-media promotion with specific times and a map or list of trolley stops so visitors know when and where Santa and the trolley will appear. A board member requested a future agenda item to consider more aesthetically pleasing trolley-stop signage and stands and said any such signage would need a budget allocation.

The board's action: the BID approved paying $300 toward the Santa appearance (the presenter said the total cost is $600). The trolley remains a BID-funded item, and the board directed staff to pursue social-media notices and to add signage/design to a future budget discussion.

The board's next meeting is set for Jan. 6, 2026, at 8 a.m.