San Rafael council renews downtown BID levy, OKs $140,000 Chamber agreement and appoints advisory board

San Rafael — The City Council on Monday confirmed the downtown Business Improvement District’s (BID) 2026 annual report and approved the levy and budget that staff said would support promotions, beautification and events downtown.

The council adopted a resolution that accepts the BID’s annual report and approves a 2026 budget projected at $138,558, including $65,000 in assessments and $73,558 in earned income, staff said. “No change is proposed to the assessment formula,” Senior Management Analyst Stacey Laumann told the council during the public hearing. The motion to adopt the resolution was made by Councilmember Eli Hill and passed on a 5–0 roll call.

City staff and BID leaders described the spending plan as focused on core operations, event fundraising and volunteer-led beautification programs. Sarah Tipple, director of the downtown BID, said the group collected “a little over $60,000 in assessments” in 2025 and allocated roughly the same amount to core operations such as payroll and insurance. “Our 2 volunteer-led beautification programs, mulching and graffiti removal, helped keep our downtown looking clean,” Tipple said during public comment.

In a separate but related vote, the council authorized a one-year professional services agreement with the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce not to exceed $140,000. Assistant City Manager Angela Robinson Pinon described the agreement’s scope as business outreach and advocacy, a business sentiment survey, targeted support programs based on that survey, annual reporting and district management enhancement services. Robinson Pinon said the $140,000 would be paid from two buckets: $65,000 from BID assessments restricted to the BID boundary and $75,000 from the city’s general fund, which the city may use for citywide services.

Vice Mayor Bushey asked why staff recommended a one-year contract rather than the prior two-year arrangement. Robinson Pinon said the prior two-year agreement was adopted post-COVID to support recovery and that the city’s needs have since evolved: “We learned a lot during the two-year agreement…we are iterating,” she said.

Members of the public and BID partners voiced support for the BID’s activities. Karen Strollia, president and CEO of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, praised Tipple’s leadership and the collaboration between the Chamber and the BID, saying the partnership has helped “bring people downtown to all of our restaurants and cafes.”

The council also appointed the recommended 10-member downtown BID advisory board and confirmed administrative guidelines that implement state law and the city code for district management. Staff explained the advisory body’s makeup and annual reporting requirements are mandated by Streets and Highways Code and local ordinance.

The council’s actions on the levy, the Chamber agreement and the advisory appointments were recorded as unanimous (Vice Mayor Bushey, Councilmembers Hill and Kurtz, Councilmember Yudan Sculati and Mayor Mary Kate all voted Aye).