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Ceres panel backs sending downtown levy proposal to council, urges review of landscaping contract costs
Summary
The Planning Commission voted unanimously to send the Downtown Revitalization Area annual report and proposed levy assessment to city council, while asking council to review contract service expenditures after staff said the levy brings in roughly $10,000 annually and downtown landscaping costs about $21,841 per year.
The Ceres Planning Commission voted to forward the Downtown Revitalization Area annual report and a proposed levy assessment to the City Council, and asked that the council consider reviewing the downtown contract services that currently draw from the fund.
Staff member Julian described the downtown levy program — established in 1989 and unchanged since — and said the fund balance was corrected to $34,456. He told the commission that with the proposed assessment the levy would collect money from about 48 downtown businesses, but collections vary year to year and staff estimated an average annual income of roughly $10,000.
"The levy was established back in 1989 and has not increased since then," Julian said as he outlined the annual report and the request that the commission forward the assessment request to council.
Commission discussion focused on the cost of the current maintenance contract and the fund's ability to sustain both maintenance and future beautification projects. Julian said the city currently contracts downtown landscaping with Grover Landscaping at about $21,841 per year, and that if Grover did not take the contract, the city would have to cover maintenance directly.
Commissioners also discussed planned capital work in downtown — a rehabilitation project covering 3rd Street, 5th Street, North and Lawrence — which staff estimated at about $6 million with construction likely in the latter half of next year. Staff said the project funding would rely on Measure L and potential state block grant applications.
One commissioner said the contract costs were depleting the downtown fund and asked that the motion forwarding the levy to council include a recommendation that the council review contract service expenditures. The commission voted unanimously, 4–0 with one absence, to send the annual report and levy proposal to council with that recommendation.
The commission attached the requested contract‑review recommendation for council consideration and will monitor council action and any RFP process for future downtown maintenance contracts.
