AN ORDINANCE
NO. ________
An ordinance renewing a Business Improvement District in Columbus,
Georgia through December 31, 2014; and for other purposes.
THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA HEREBY ORDAINS:
Section 1.
Ordinance No. 99-42 created a Business Improvement District for
Columbus, Georgia. Ordinance No. 04-41 renewed a Business Improvement District
for Columbus, Georgia for the period from January 1, 2005 through December 31,
2009. There is hereby renewed a Business Improvement District in Columbus,
Georgia as shown on the attached map and the attached description of district
boundaries which shall remain on file in the office of the Muscogee County Tax
Commissioner and the Department of Community and Economic Development. The
attached district plan for the business improvement district is hereby adopted,
approved and renewed. The Consolidated Government may impose a collection fee
of 2.5% upon amounts collected through property tax charges in the business
improvement district. Supplemental services provided by the District shall
commence January 1, 2010 and the District shall terminate on December 31, 2014
unless renewed by further ordinance of the Columbus Council. Said supplemental
services in the business improvement district shall be funded through the levy
of business improvement district tax assessments for five years beginning in
2010 and ending in 2014 through the annual ordinances levying taxes for
Columbus, Georgia. This schedule is hereby made a part of the business
improvement district management plan.
The said City Business Improvement District is renewed pursuant to
O.C.G.A. ? 36-43-1 et seq., as amended, which authorizes consolidated
governments to establish and renew city business improvement districts for the
purpose of imposing assessments on real property for specified services to the
district.
Petitioners have been filed from property owners representing more than
51% of the assessed value or more than 51% of the total property owners
requesting the Columbus Council to renew such a district in the designated
area, as outlined in the management plan attached hereto.
The legal boundaries of the city business improvement district and its
three (3) benefit zones which will receive different levels of service, benefit
and assessment are identified by the attached map and management plan.
Pursuant to O.C.G.A. ? 36-43-1, the district plan for the provision of
supplemental service to the District presented to the Columbus Council is
hereby renewed and approved until amended by the Columbus Council. The
governing body of district property owners shall make recommendations to the
Columbus Council as to amendments to the district plan. The Finance Director
or her designated representative shall serve as an ex-officio member of the
governing body of the Business Improvement District to represent the
Consolidated Government. The governing body of the Business Improvement
District shall submit monthly financial statements to the Finance Director of
the Consolidated Government for review and publication. The governing body of
the Business Improvement District shall submit the budget for the Business
Improvement District to the Columbus Council on an annual basis.
Section 2.
The City Business Improvement District Management Plan, which is
attached hereto, contains the following information.
A map of the district in sufficient detail to locate each parcel of property
within the district.
A description of the boundaries of the district, including the boundaries of
any benefit zones.
A description of the services to be provided.
The time, manner and specific number of years in which assessment will be
levied.
A description of how the management district will be governed by the private
sector management organization.
Section 3.
The level of services presently provided by Columbus, Georgia in the
area of the City Business Improvement District will continue to be provided at
the same level as before the Business Improvement District was created or
renewed.
Section 4.
A Public hearing was held on February 10, 2009 at 9:00 am in the
Columbus Council Chambers and a second public hearing was held before the
Columbus Council on Tuesday, _______________ at _______ a.m. in the Council
Chambers.
Section 5.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with this ordinance
are hereby repealed.
-----------------------
Introduced at a meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia, held on
the 10th day of February, 2009; introduced a second time at a regular meeting
of said Council held on the ______ day of ________________, 2009, and adopted
at said meeting by the affirmative vote of ________ member of said Council.
Councilor Allen voting ____________
Councilor Anthony voting __________
Councilor Baker voting ____________
Councilor Barnes voting ___________
Councilor Davis voting ____________
Councilor Henderson voting ________
Councilor Hunter voting ___________
Councilor McDaniel voting _________
Councilor Pugh voting _____________
Councilor Woodson voting _________
_________________________________ ______________________________
Tiny B. Washington Jim Wetherington
Clerk of Council Mayor
2010 Management Plan
For The
Columbus Business Improvement District (BID)
Columbus, Georgia
Prepared pursuant to the State of Georgia
City Business Improvement District Act
To renew a Business Improvement District in
Columbus for the BID property owners.
Columbus Business Improvement District (BID)
1226 Third Avenue PO Box 1218 Columbus, GA 31901
Phone 706-322-9078 Fax 706-322-0522
MANAGEMENT PLAN INDEX
CONTENTS
Section Number Page Number
What is the Columbus Business Improvement District (BID) 3
2. Why renew the Business Improvement District 4
3. Management Plan Summary 6
4. Columbus Business Improvement District Boundary 8
Columbus Business Improvement District Map 8a
Benefit Zone Boundaries 9
5. Programs and Services to be provided 11
6. Operating Budget 14
Income Statement 15
7. Assessment Methodology 16
8. Governing the Business Improvement District 18
9. Continuation of City Services 19
10. City Business Improvement District Rules 20
SECTION 1
What is the Columbus Business Improvement District (BID)?
The International Downtown Association estimates that more than 1,500 property
based business improvement districts (BIDs) currently operate throughout the
United States and Canada. In most states, all BIDs are fundamentally a legal
mechanism to raise funds to enhance the management of a downtown area.
A BID is based upon the benefit assessment district concept, which provides for
an assessment on real property to be raised within a specific geographic
district with the proceeds directed back to the district to provide enhanced
services that benefit the district and properties located within the district
boundaries. A BID provides a myriad of enhanced services and activities,
including, hospitality, safety, maintenance, marketing, business recruitment
and retention, and special events, in addition to those provided by local
government.
The Columbus BID represents an important movement by property owners and
business leaders to establish a well-funded, professional organization that
continues to work to ensure the community maintains a positive perception of
the Central Business District, supplements City services to raise the standard
of excellence in the BID area, and promotes businesses, major attractions and
events to respond to challenges from malls and other competitive developments.
Advantages of the Columbus BID are:
Over nine years experience providing a wide range of services to include
safety, hospitality, maintenance, marketing, promotion, business recruitment
and retention, and special events.
The BID has been designed, created, and governed by those who pay the
assessment through a Board of Directors of property owners that oversee
operations, review monthly activity reports, and approve and monitor the annual
budget.
The Columbus BID continues to be implemented by those who pay through a 501(c)
(6) membership, private sector, management organization of dedicated
professionals that have received numerous awards of excellence over the last 9
years.
The Columbus BID, which was originally authorized in 2000 for a 5-year term
that ended in December 2004, renewed in 2004 in accordance with Georgia law,
for 10 years beyond December 2004 through the petition support of the property
owners. At that time, City Council approved five years of operations with the
intent the BID would come back to Council in 5 years to get the full 10 years
authorized as requested by the property owners.
SECTION 2
Why renew the Business Improvement District (BID)
The Business Improvement District (BID) continues to play a major role in the
absolutely exciting and remarkable growth in the Central Business District
since operations started in January of 2000. The enthusiastic pride and
extremely positive feelings the Uptown property owners, business owners and
employees display for the Uptown area and the BID was demonstrated by the very
high ratings and outstanding comments survey respondents made on the surveys
completed in December of 2003. Just as important, in 2004, 73% of the property
owners who owned 93% of the property in the BID area signed the petition to
reauthorize the BID for another 10 years.
The growth in the Central Business District since 2004 has been tremendous and
includes over 20 new businesses, 12 new restaurants, 10 new retail stores, 156
new loft apartments/condominiums (will add approximately 450 new residents)
and over $60 million in public and private new construction or building
renovations. This construction includes the renovations for Columbus State
University River Park campus, expansion of the Convention and Trade Center, the
new Synovus office building, Saint Luke family center, YMCA construction, new
parking garages, Riverwalk expansion, and new construction/building renovations
to accommodate new retail and restaurants. To support these new facilities
and the people they bring to the Uptown area makes the renewal of the BID
absolutely critical in order to maintain the momentum, continue to attract new
investment and expand our customer base.
A quality of life that is 2nd to none makes the BID a great place to grow a
business, enjoy the cultural and entertainment center of the region by
attending the many fine art or fun art facilities, move into one of our new
loft apartments or condominiums, make a purchase in one of our unique shops, or
dine in one of our many fine restaurants while enjoying the cleanest, safest,
and friendliest environment in Columbus, Georgia. To keep this momentum, to
attract new investment and to protect and maintain the existing investment,
property owners desire to renew the current Business Improvement District
(BID). There are several reasons why Uptown property owners are taking this
action:
1. To provide consistent funding for the services currently provided by
the BID and maintain the extremely positive image the citizens of the community
have for the Uptown area.
In the last 9 years the services the BID provides helped make the Central
Business District the place to go in Columbus, Georgia. Just as important as
this reality, is the fact that more and more citizens in this region are
becoming our customer, investor or visitor due to the very positive image the
Uptown area has developed as the cleanest, safest, most attractive and
well-managed area in Columbus.
It is very important that we maintain this image in order to continue to
compete with the shopping malls and office parks for customers, investors, and
visitors. The value of a single piece of property is not determined solely by
the investments made in that property. Rather, a major portion of that property
value is derived from how investors, businesses, and visitors view the entire
Uptown area as a business, retail and cultural center. The property owners want
to extend the life of the BID in order to maintain the positive image it has
beenso instrumental in creating.
Maintain Private Sector Management and Accountability.
The Columbus BID, as a non-profit, private sector corporation, will manage the
Business Improvement District. A board of directors that are representatives
of all the property owners paying assessments will refine and approve annual
work plans and budgets based upon this property owner approved management
plan. The board of directors who are accountable to those property owners
paying into the district will ensure the services provided by the Columbus BID
are subject to very high private sector performance standards and controls.
The Need to Market, Promote, and Attract new Business and Investment
The Central Business District competes with the many shopping malls, office
parks and managed downtown areas in the region that are also seeking tenants,
visitors and investors. To remain competitive and viable as the place to go in
the region, we must maintain and finance the BID to sustain a proactive
strategy to retain businesses and tenants as well as attract new business and
investment.
The events, programming, coordinated promotions, publication of promotional
materials (brochures, maps, newsletters), and friendly ambassadors providing
customer assistance hospitality services all contribute significantly to the
continued enhancement of the Uptown Image. The renewal of the BID will ensure
we retain these programs.
The Need to be Proactive in Determining the Future of Uptown.
To protect their investment, property owners want to renew the Business
Improvement District (BID) in order to remain partners in the process that
determines how development of the Uptown area is implemented. The BID provides
the financial resources, professional staff and private sector management to
insure that the challenges faced by Uptown will be proactively addressed.
SECTION 3
Management Plan Summary
Developed by property owners in the Central Business District, the Columbus
Business Improvement District Plan is designed to improve and convey special
benefits to properties located within the boundaries of the BID. The Business
Improvement District will provide enhanced improvements and activities,
including: maintenance, security, marketing, promotion and recruitment services
above and beyond those currently provided by the City.
Location: Approximately 47 blocks, an area defined in Section
4 of this plan.
(See map on page 8a)
Value of District: The total assessed value of the properties within the
district is
$91,543,683)
Improvements, Activities, Services:
Enhanced Safety/Hospitality Programs
Uptown Ambassadors Bicycle Patrol
Uptown Ambassadors Foot Patrol
Night Safety Patrol
Off duty police weekend night patrol
Ambassador Escort Service
Enhanced Maintenance Programs
Graffiti Removal, Poster & Handbill Removal
Sidewalk & Curb Cleaning
Sidewalk Pressure Washing
Sidewalk Weeding
Trash Removal
Report Broken Infrastructure (Streetlights, Sidewalks, Pedestrian Lights, Water
Meters, Storm Drains, Phone Booths, etc.)
Marketing/Communications
Visitor Map and Guides
Clean and Safe Promotions
Public Relations Services
Market Uptown Area
Retail Recruitment and Retention
Market Research and Data Collection
Office and Residential Recruitment
Events
Method of Financing: A levy of assessments upon the real property and
buildings
that benefit from the
improvements and activities.
Budget: Anticipated total district budget from
assessments on
assessable property for the year
2010 of operations is
approximately $525,000
Cost: Annual assessments are based upon an
allocation of
specific program costs by benefit
zone. One property
assessment variable, Assessed
Value is used in the
calculation. No assessments will
be levied on the basis of
personal property, business
licenses or occupation fees.
The annual yearly assessments will not exceed the rates listed below during the
first year of the BID.
Benefit Benefit Benefit
Zone 1
Zone 2 Zone 3
Assessment Rate $0.00699 $0.00576 $0.00447
(Per Dollar of Assessed Value)
City Services: The City has agreed that existing City
services will continue
to be provided within the BID
District at the same level as
before the BID was created.
BID services are in addition to
existing City services.
District Formation District formation requires submission of
signed petitions
from a group of property owners
who either:
Collectively own at least fifty-one percent by assessed value of the real
property within the district, or
Represent at least fifty-one percent per capita of all owners of real property
within the district.
Duration: The district will have a 10-year life
beginning January 1,
2010 and ending December 31,
2019. After 9 years, the
petition process must be
repeated for the district to continue
beyond the 10th year.
Governance: The Business Improvement District budgets
and policies
will be refined annually, within
the limitations set forth in
the district management plan by
a board of property owners
representative of all the
property owners paying
assessments.
The private 501(c)(6) non-profit, Columbus Business Improvement District, will
implement the improvements and activities defined by the District Management
Plan.
SECTION 4
Columbus Business Improvement District Boundaries
An approximate 47-block area has been identified for the Columbus Business
Improvement District. Within this 47-block area three (3) benefit zones have
been established that will receive different levels of service, benefit and
assessment. The map on page 10 of this report identifies district boundaries
and benefit zone boundaries.
District Boundaries
The District includes all properties within a boundary of:
The Western boundary is:
Front Avenue from 7th to 9th Street.
Bay Avenue from 9th to 11th Street.
The Chattahoochee River from 11th to 18th Street.
The Northern boundary is:
18th Street from the River to 2nd Avenue.
From the west side of 2nd Ave to the eastern property line of property on
the eastern
side of Veterans Parkway the boundary is the northern property line of
property on
the north side of 15th Street.
The Eastern boundary is:
The Western side of 2nd Avenue from 18th Street to 15th Street.
The Eastern property line of property on the east side of Veterans Parkway from
the northern property line of property on 15th street to the southern property
line of property on 9th Street.
Eastern property line of property on the Eastside of Broadway from 7th street
to 8th Street.
Eastern property line of property on the Eastside of 1st Avenue from the
Southern property line of property on the Southside of 8th Street to the
Southern property line of property on the Southside of 9th Street.
The Southern boundary is:
The Southern property line is the Northside of 7th Street from the west side of
Front Avenue to the Eastern property line of property on the Eastside of
Broadway.
Southern property line of property on the Southside of 8th Street from the
eastern property line of property on the east side of Broadway to the Eastern
property line of property on the Eastside of 1st Avenue.
From the Southern property line of property on the Southside of 9th Street from
the Eastern property line of property on the Eastside of 1st Avenue to the
Eastern property line of property on the Eastside of Veterans Parkway.
** The specific boundaries of the Columbus Business Improvement District are
also shown on the map on page 8a.
BENEFIT ZONE BOUNDARIES
Benefit Zone 1
The Southern boundary of benefit zone 1 is the same as the Southern boundary of
the district.
The Western boundary of benefit zone l is the same as the Western boundary of
the district from 7th Street to 12th Street. From 12th Street to 13th Street
the Western boundary is the Middle of Front Avenue. From 13th Street to 14th
Street the western boundary is the western property line of property on the
west side of Broadway. From 14th the 15th Street the property line is the
middle of 1st Avenue.
The Northern boundary of benefit zone 1 is 12th Street from the River to Front
Avenue.. From Front Avenue to the Western property line of property on the
west side of Broadway the northern boundary is 13th Street. From Broadway to
the middle of 1st Avenue the boundary is the north side of 14th Street. From
the middle of 1st Ave to the west side of 2nd Ave the northern boundary is the
north side of 15th street. From the west side of 2nd Ave to the eastern
property line of property on the east side of 2ndAve the boundary is the
northern property line of property on the North side of 15th street.
The eastern boundary of benefit zone 1 is the eastern property line of property
facing on the eastern side of 2nd Avenue.
Benefit Zone 2
Benefit zone 2 is divided into two pieces zone 2a and zone 2b.
The boundary of benefit zone 2a is:
The Western boundary of Zone 2a is the Eastern boundary of Zone 1.
The Northern boundary of zone 2a is the Northern boundary of the district
between the eastern property line of property on 2nd Avenue and the eastern
property line of property on the eastern side of Veterans Parkway.
The Eastern boundary of zone 2a is the Eastern boundary of the district between
the northern property line of property on the north side of 15th Street and the
southern property line of property on the southern side of 9th Street..
The Southern boundary of Zone 2a is the Southern boundary of the district
between the eastern property line of property on the east side of 2nd Avenue to
the eastern property line of property on the Eastern side of Veterans Parkway..
The boundary of zone 2b is:
The western boundary is the western boundary of the district between 12th
street and 14th street.
The north boundary is the north side of 14th Street from the River to Broadway.
The eastern boundary is the western boundary of zone 1 between 14th street and
12th street.
The southern boundary is the northern boundary of zone1 along 12th street, 13th
street, and 14th street.
Benefit Zone 3
The Western boundary of zone 3 is the Western boundary of the district from
14th Street to 18th Street.
The Northern boundary is the Northern boundary of the district on 18th Street.
The Eastern boundary is the Eastern boundary of the district from 18th Street
to 15th plus the middle of 1st Avenue from 15th Street to 14th Street.
The Southern boundary is the Northern boundary of Zone 2b from the River to
Broadway along 14th Street and the Northern boundary of Zone 1 from Broadway to
the middle of 1st Avenue along 14th Street and the northern boundary of Zone l
from the middle of 1st Ave to the west side of 2nd Ave along the north side of
15th street.
SECTION 5
Programs & Services to Be Provided
Process to Determine Services to be provided and Activity Plan
A fall 2003 survey of property owners and employees in the BID area rated the
value of all the services the BID provides as very important. The Ambassador
foot patrol, night safety patrol, off duty police on weekends,
panhandler/loiterer removal, sidewalk & curb cleaning, trash removal, repairing
of broken infrastructure, clean & safe promotion, marketing of the Uptown area
and recruitment and retention, received extremely high evaluations as the most
important services the BID provides.
This same survey evaluated 12 different features of the Uptown environment. A
very large percentage of the respondents rated the cleanliness, personal
security, street lighting, and street trees & landscaping as excellent/good.
It should be pointed out that almost all the evaluations of features in the
Uptown area were significantly higher than evaluations on the same survey done
in 1996.
Based on the property owner survey results and other input from the community
the BID Board of Directors determined that the Business Improvement District
priorities for services and activities should remain the same. The programs
and activities will remain focused on hospitality/safety,
maintenance/cleanliness, marketing/communications, and economic development.
What We Will Do!
1. PUBLIC SAFETY
Columbus BID Public Safety Program.
The 47 block BID safety program mission is to support the police department,
property owners and tenants in overall crime prevention efforts and reduction
in neighborhood street disorder, while offering a customer service orientation
to pedestrians. They provide highly visible neighborhood safety and hospitality
service and are intended to supplement-not supplant- individual building
security and the Columbus Police Department.
Integration with the Columbus Department
The BID safety program works closely with the Columbus Police Department, CSU
Police Department and the Fort Benning Military Police.
Bicycle Patrol
The Bike Patrol deters aggressive panhandling and other unsuitable street
behavior. Their presence is a deterrent to theft and burglary of motor
vehicles, however the service can not completely prevent these crimes. They
also deter and report illegal street vending, illegal dumping and street code
violations. They handle a myriad of quality of life problems including:
drinking in public, urinating in public, indecent exposure, trespassing,
prostitution observations, scavenging and shopping cart confiscation. They
perform goodwill gestures such as escorting employees, helping lost persons,
retrieving keys from locked cars and conducting tours. Bike Patrols also assist
with traffic control in the event of accidents, fires or unusual occurrences.
They assigned patrol routes cover all areas of the district. The Ambassadors
are professional, assertive, friendly, courteous, people oriented individuals
in excellent physical condition. All new employees complete customized
classroom training oriented on the BID district and additional hours of field
training prior to being designated as Ambassador.
Foot Patrol
The Foot Patrols concentrate on the highest pedestrian used corridors and high
foot traffic areas to include presence at special events. The Foot Patrol has
the same mission and receives the same training as the bike patrol. Uniforms
and equipment are almost identical.
2. MAINTENANCE
BID Clean Team
In order to deal effectively and consistently with maintenance issues a BID
Maintenance Program will continue to make the BID area one of the cleanest
places in Columbus. A multi-dimensional approach has been developed consisting
of the following elements:
Sidewalk Maintenance: Uniformed, radio-equipped personnel sweep litter, debris
and refuse from sidewalks and gutters of the district. Collector truck
personnel collect trash from trash receptacles.
Alley Maintenance: The clean team and safety patrols each have responsibility
in this area. Safety personnel address owner and tenant compliance with City
code issues on cleanliness of sidewalks, alleys and illegal dumping. The clean
team clears the alley of debris when a responsible party cannot be found for
illegal dumping or other violations.
Graffiti Removal: Painters remove graffiti by painting, using solvent and
pressure washing. The district will maintain a zero tolerance graffiti policy.
All tags will be removed within 24 hours weekdays.
Sidewalk Pressure Washing: Pressure washers will clean every block facing at
least once a year. High use areas may be cleaned more frequently.
Landscape Maintenance: Public landscape areas, tree wells and planters will be
maintained and kept free of liter and weeds where needed
Paper Sign and Handbill Removal: Paper signs and handbills scotch taped or
glued on public property, utility boxes, poles and telephones are removed by
hand or when necessary by high- pressure hose.
Special Collections: District trucks will be available to collect stolen
shopping carts and large bulky items illegally dumped in the district.
Maintenance Problems Requiring Third Party Intervention: Problems are monitored
that create blighted or unsafe conditions in the district, but are outside of
the jurisdiction of theBID to repair. Requests are made to the responsible
party for repair. Types of problems include blocked or damaged sewers or
drains, damaged sidewalks/streets/alleys, non-operating streetlights, damaged
or missing street signs, etc.
3. MARKETING / COMMUNICATIONS / ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Tell the story...again and again and again. The program that will be developed
to tell the story of change and improvement in Uptown Columbus is one of the
most important parts of the improvement plan. The program that is developed by
the property owners will include several tools to support the efforts of
individual property owners and brokers to attract and retain tenants. Several
types of communication elements could be used. Some of these elements are:
Implement marketing and advertising plan
Market and promote the Uptown area and BID activities to increase traffic
Publish a quarterly Newsletter
Maintain a BID Web Site
Keep property owners, businesses, retail establishment, and visitors informed
Hospitality Services
Public and Media Relations
Development of Columbus BID Image Pieces
Publish an illustrated map brochure
Develop, coordinate and execute BID area events
4. MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL
A professional staff that provides its own administrative support will manage
the Columbus BID improvements and activities. BID services are delivered seven
days a week and require management and staff support from approximately 12 to
18 hours a day.
SECTION 6
Operating Budget
2009 Operating Budget Summary
The summary of the 2009 operating budget for the Business Improvement District
is provided on the following pages. A detailed budget by zone and program can
be found on page 15. The total improvement and activity plan budget for 2009 is
projected at $617,335.00 made up of the following components:
Enhanced Safety and Maintenance Programs
The public safety programs are designed to improve both the reality and
perception of safety in Uptown Columbus. Individual public safety programs are
detailed in Section 5. In order to establish and maintain cleanliness
throughout the District the maintenance program will remove graffiti, remove
trash and debris, provide sidewalk maintenance, sidewalk pressure washing and
other maintenance services as detailed in Section 5.
The budget for the safety and maintenance program is $302,733.00 or 49% of the
total District budget.
Marketing/Communication/Economic Development
In order to tell the story of Uptown Columbus and continue to build upon the
positive changes in both perception and reality that have developed, an image,
communications, marketing and economic development program, as detailed in
Section 5, has been developed.
The budget for the marketing/communications/economic development program is
$67,000 or 11% of the total District budget.
Administration
In order to manage the day-to-day activities of the BID a professional
administrative staff is necessary to insure the delivery of quality services.
The budget for the administrative staff is $166,880.00 or 27% of the total
District budget.
Operations
In order to operate we must maintain an office a storage area for our equipment
and fund the normal business expenses like rent, utilities and workers
compensation that are necessary to run a small business.
The budget for operations is $81,184.00 + (collection fee to City) or 15% of
the total District budget with the largest portion going toward rent and
insurance.
INCOME STATEMENT
SECTION 7
Assessment Methodology
Columbus BID property owners and business owners have emphasized that the
assessment formula for the Management District must be fair balanced and have a
direct relationship between benefits received and costs.
Calculation of Assessments
The preceding methodology is applied to a database that has been constructed by
the Columbus BID staff and approved by the property owners, and Board of
Directors. The process for compiling the property database includes the
following steps:
Property data was first obtained from the City Assessor?s Office.
City assessor property data was crosschecked with reliable private sector data
sources.
A site survey was undertaken to verify selective data.
Based upon the methodology as set forth above, property data compiled by the
Board of Directors, who represent the property owners, the BID budget will
yield the following assessments for each benefit zone.
* The annual yearly assessments will not exceed the rates listed below during
the first year of the BID under the new authorization.
Benefit Benefit Benefit Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3
Assessment Rate $0.00699 $0.00576 $0.00447
(Per Dollar of Assessed Value)
In future years, assessments may change, up or down, if assessed value
information changes and/or BID budgets change pursuant to the Price Index
adjustment as detailed below. Assessments will in any event not exceed the
limits described in the following section of this Plan. This assessment rate
has not gone up since l999 when we first started the BID.
Annual Assessment Adjustments
CPI Adjustments
Total program revenue may be adjusted each year to reflect the annual change in
the Columbus Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all urban consumers. In no case
will the annual increase due to CPI increases exceed 5%. Actual annual
increases will range from 0% to 5%.
Budget Adjustments
Any annual budget surplus or deficit will be rolled into the following year?s
BID budget. Assessments will be set accordingly, within the constraints of the
CPI, to adjust for surpluses or deficits that are carried forward.
Time and Manner for Collecting Assessments
As provided by state law, the Columbus BID assessment will appear as a separate
line item on annual property tax bills. Existing laws for enforcement and
appeal of property taxes apply to the BID assessments.
Government Assessments
The Columbus BID Management Plan does not assume that the City of Columbus will
pay assessments for property owned within the boundaries of the BID. The plan
does assume that properties owned by the Federal Government and managed by the
General Services Administration will pay assessments.
It is the intent of the BID law to provide services only to those properties
that pay assessments. BID services will not be provided to government
properties that do not pay BID assessments. All reasonable efforts will be made
to include government properties on a voluntary basis in the BID assessment.
Residential Assessments
Single-family stand alone residential property that is used exclusively as a
residence will not be assessed. Multi-unit residential property to include
apartments and condominiums will be assessed.
Non-Profit Assessments
Property held in a non-profit status that does not currently pay advalorum
taxes is not required to pay BID assessments. All reasonable efforts will be
made to include non-profit properties on a voluntary basis in the BID
assessment.
Current and Proposed Uses of the Land
The assessable land within the proposed district is currently being used
primarily for commercial uses. No changes to land use are proposed.
SECTION 8
Governing the Business Improvement District
Consistent with business improvement district (BID) legislation throughout the
nation, Georgia?s BID law establishes a BID governance framework that allows
property owners who pay assessments to determine how the assessments are used.
The following components are required within a BID governing structure.
City Council
Following the submission of petitions from property owners representing more
than 50% of the assessed value and/or more than 50% of the total property
owners, the City Council holds a public hearing and then may form the BID. The
BID is established by an ordinance of the Council, with the power to levy
assessment on property.
Private Sector, BID Management Organization
The BID District budgets and policies will be refined annually, within the
limitations set forth in the district management plan, by the Columbus BID
Corporation board of directors. The Board of the Columbus BID Corporation will
be made up of property owners paying assessments within the district and will
be structured to represent all of the property owners and reflect the
assessments being paid.
The Columbus BID Corporation is a non-profit organization qualified as a
tax-exempt organization under Section 501 (c) (6) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986. The corporation is organized exclusively to implement the
improvements and activities defined by the District Management Plan.
SECTION 9
Continuation of City Services
Throughout the process to establish the Columbus Business Improvement District,
business and property owners have voiced concerns that the City of Columbus
maintains existing services at verifiable ?baseline? service levels. A formal
baseline level of service policy ensures that existing City services are
enhanced and not replaced by new BID improvements and activities.
SECTION 10
City Business Improvement District Rules
Contracting For Services
In order to supply the highest level of qualified services at the most
reasonable cost the District may contract for services with public agencies,
with non-profit public service agencies or with for-profit organizations.
Contracting Of Services
When it is determined to be in the best interest of the District, the District
may contract with non-assessment paying property owners to provide District
services to those owners.
Attachments