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Downtown merchants tell council pilot is valuable; business leaders and council discuss future funding
Summary
Business leaders and the Downtown Partnership urged continued support for the Clean and Safe pilot. Merchants and the BID have contributed; council members discussed whether the city should fund an ongoing program after the pilot ends in December.
A business owner and founding board member of the outreach provider addressed council during the Clean and Safe presentation, calling for continued funding and best‑practice review. "I would like to ask for continued funding for clean and safe," Luke Travens said, describing decades of downtown ownership and experience.
Presenters and council members noted the pilot relied on a mix of business investment, BID funds and a city contribution of about $700,000 toward an $1.8 million pilot. Council members asked whether downtown businesses would contribute ongoing funding and whether that would be enough to sustain the security and outreach levels used during the pilot. The Downtown Partnership said the BID and one‑time business investments were intended to seed the pilot, while ongoing funding at the pilot level would require city support or a new long‑term funding plan. Council members asked staff to return with options for carry‑forward funding during the 2027 budget process.
