Committee approves Midtown Central Business Improvement District ordinance with council-confirmed board and reporting requirements

Councilman Coopman, the lead sponsor, told the Budget & Finance Committee that the ordinance to create a Midtown Central Business Improvement District is intended to fund cleaning, beautification, safety and neighborhood improvements in the Midtown Music Row area. The committee adopted an amendment that restores council confirmation of BID board members, requires quarterly reporting to the committee, and ties traffic and parking language to Metro’s multimodal goals.

Two members of the public spoke in support before the committee vote. Emily Schneller, a homeowner at the Rhythm at Music Row condominiums, said her HOA had spent more than a year researching the BID and “we are in full support of the Midtown Music Row embed and really ask for your support of that as well.” Mike Cones also voiced support, saying the community sought “self determination” and backing for local efforts to address growth and neighborhood concerns.

Coopman said the amendment narrows the public-safety component to tools Metro has previously used or that would require council approval: “the security of the bid can either be MNPD or an entity commissioned by MNPD…or a private security agency that Metro is doing business with currently,” he said. The amendment also requires annual council approval of the BID budget and public reporting to the Public Health and Safety Committee and this committee.

The committee approved the amendment and then voted to approve the bill as amended. Coopman reminded the committee that, under state law, public hearing and third-reading timing are mandated and encouraged members of the public to reach out to sponsors before the public hearing. The measure will proceed to the next steps in the council’s ordinance process.