Downtown Dickinson Business Improvement District

Downtown Dickinson Association
Business Improvement District

March 9, 2017

Overview

1. Project Background and Description

Downtown Improvement District began approximately 20 years ago. It was a self-assessment of Downtown Property owners to use for parking maintenance and improvements. It generated $20,000 per year. It was based on estimated number of spaces needed by location.

DDA began work in 2015 to replace the DID with a BID. A Business Improvement District is also a self-assessment of property owners within a zone, but can be used much more broadly –

Advertising
Public information
Marketing
Maintenance and safety
Decoration of Public Places
Promotion of Public Events
Professional Management
Planning
General Promotion
Promotion of Trade Activities

2. Project Scope

Determine Zones for District (complete)

Determine Budget and Use for Assessment (budget complete)

Communicate thru public meetings, the purpose of the BID. Collect feedback on use. Possible survey of property owners within the zone.

Draft resolution for BID (initial complete)

Obtain Bond for BID

Complete detailed plans for BID

Propose BID Resolution to the City – If approved, the city will follow the Century Code process outlined in detail #4 below

As long as not more than 1/3 of the property owners protest, the BID will pass

3. High-Level Requirements

1. Resolution passed creating a “business improvement district” for the promotion of business activity and new business development pursuant to

a. NDCC 40-22.1-02 includes advertising, public information, marketing, maintenance and decoration of public places, promotion of public events, furnishing of music in any public place, providing professional management, planning, and promotion, and the general promotion of trade activities

b. NDCC 40-22.1-02 requires that a bond be filed by the group proposing the project to cover the costs if the district is later barred by protest

2. Report approved which includes the general nature, purpose and feasibility of the proposed improvement and estimate of probable cost of the work (NDCC 40-22.1-04)

3. Resolution approving detailed plans, specifications, and estimates concerning the improvement

4. Resolution declaring improvement necessary referring intelligibly to the report and must include a map of the municipality showing the proposed business improvement district.

a. Must be published once each week for two consecutive weeks

b. 30 day protest period begins the date of first publication (if more then 1/3 of the property owners within the proposed district protest, it bars proceeding further with the improvement project described in the plans and specifications)

Items 1, 2, and 4 can all be done in the same resolution, which is how we have done districts in the past. There is not a set time of when the detailed plans, specifications, and estimates have to be approved by resolution (item 3). It can either be done before the protest period with the other 3 items, or after.

4. Deliverables

Determine method for property owner input
Determine exact purpose of BID
Communicate Final draft to property owners
Present proposal to City

5. Affected Parties

The following Stakeholders will be affected by the BID and will need to have extensive communication in order for the BID to pass:

City of Dickinson
Public Works
Property Owners within Zone 1 and 2
Business Owners within Zone 1 and 2

6. High-Level Timeline/Schedule

March 30th – BID committee meeting
April 13th – Present Purpose of BID to Board as well as method of input from property owners
May 30th – all public meetings complete
June 19th – BID Proposal at City Commission Meeting
July 24th - Complete