Tacoma City Council is scheduled to hear the first reading of an ordinance on March 22 that would continue its agreement with the Business Improvement Area (BIA) to provide maintenance, security, and streetscape improvements to an 84-block area downtown. The partnership has been in place for 24 years, is renewed annually, and is paid for by a levy on property owners within the BIA’s jurisdiction, which stretches north to south from South Seventh to South 21st Streets, and east to west from Cliff Street to Court D.

According to the ordinance request prepared by staff in the city’s community and economic development department, the new agreement would provide BIA services between May 1, 2011 through April 30, 2012. The current agreement expires on April 30. The proposed assessment rates will remain unchanged from the previous year: 0.1039 per cent per square foot at the high rate and 0.0508 percent at the low rate. Last year, assessments generated $747,801 to pay for the program. This year, however, revenue is expected to decrease 2.8 percent, or $20,587, and will be covered by a drawdown on reserves, according to the ordinance request. The total budget of $870,621 for 2011-2012 is 1.72 percent higher than the approved budget for 2010-2011, which was $855,941.

To read a copy of Tacoma City Council’s pending agenda for the March 22 meeting, which includes the BIA resolution click here — http://cms.cityoftacoma.org/cityclerk/Files/CityCouncil/Pendings/2011/Pd20110322.pdf

For more information about the BIA, visit http://www.tacomabia.org/

In 2007, the Tacoma Daily Index participated in an overnight ride-along with the BIA bike patrol officers. To read the article, click here — http://www.wahmee.com/tdi_bia_bike_patrol.pdf