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Downtown Improvement District begins FY 2026–27 budget talks; trolley, beautification and maintenance among priorities
Summary
At a budget workshop the Downtown Improvement District board reviewed an estimated $1.5M operating envelope and discussed funding priorities including a proposed $35,000 trolley contribution, $75,000 for a 1,400‑block clean/beautification pilot, marketing and potential increases to right‑of‑way landscaping; no budget votes were taken.
Julie, a staff member preparing the DID’s draft budget, opened the FY 2026–27 budget discussion with a timeline for adoption and an initial estimate of available funds (using a 3% assessed‑value assumption that yields roughly $1.5 million for planning purposes). She walked the board through recurring obligations and candidate line items.
Key budget items discussed: - Main Street repayment program: The board was reminded the district is on payment 14 of 15; the final loan payment is expected in October 2028. - Trolley contribution: Julie presented operating cost estimates for the trolley at about $1.3 million and said a county‑operated service (Breeze) was estimated to cost about $900,000; Julie described that as an estimated annual cost differential and suggested the DID consider a contribution (board discussion centered on a proposed $35,000 line item). - Marketing and advertising: The board reviewed a proposal to continue a contract with a vendor (Quest) at up to $5,000 per month and discussed piloting the service and clearer oversight of deliverables. - Website ADA compliance: Staff flagged a federal accessibility date (April 24) and proposed a $5,000 placeholder for remediation of the DID’s web content and documents. - Sidewalks, alleys and the '1400 block': Members prioritized more frequent sidewalk cleaning, pilot beautification and possible off‑duty officer presence or focused patrols. Julie proposed a project allocation to improve that block and to explore costs for extra cleaning or security presence. - Beautification and flower baskets: The board debated maintaining flower baskets (current line item near $158,000 for watering/maintenance and $30,000 for plant material) versus shifting funds to larger right‑of‑way plantings and prioritized pilot projects to study higher‑impact streetscape enhancements.
Board members asked for follow‑up price quotes (e.g., extra sidewalk cleanings, off‑duty police hourly rates), asked staff to refine the trolley and lighting contract numbers, and proposed a special project line item to spend down some rollover funds in a deliberate project rather than carrying large annual rollovers forward. Julie said she will assemble updated numbers for the board’s next meeting and bring lighting contract details back for an imminent decision.
No formal votes were taken at the workshop; the session served to set priorities and gather price estimates for the March meeting cycle.
