Shane Parson came before the Ceres City Council last week to say he doesn’t mind paying assessments for the benefit of downtown amenities but complained about the need for more parking and a gazebo.
Downtown property owners pay annual assessments into the Downtown Revitalization Area District. A public hearing will take place on Oct. 12 to receive feedback about the levying of fees for another year and the spending plan. Economic Development Manager Julian Aguirre said that expenditures and activities are small due to the funding available. Assessments are expected to bring in only about $7,000 of which only $2,750 would be spent as follows: $1,500 for electricity and gas; $250 on advertising; and $1,000 for landscaping maintenance, and labor on rotating banners though the year as well as putting season lights on trees.
On hold are wayfinding signs, a downtown incentive program and a façade renovation effort.
Funds are expected to be spent on electricity for street lighting and landscaping and other improvements. Without the revenue, the city would have to pick up the costs in the city’s General Fund. Aguirre said since the city suspended the assessments the landscaping appearance was “kind of dilapidated.”
Parson said while he doesn’t own a business downtown, he and Jim Delhart are probably the largest property owners in downtown.
“Certainly in favor of a levee and if my renters can’t pay it, I will,” said Parson. “But I have some ideas that are going on deaf ears.”
Parson specifically asked for parking issues addressed and that wants to see some outdoor gazebos for patrons of the restaurants, coffee shop and sandwich shop.
“Our biggest issue, in my opinion right now, is parking. And I’ve be asked,” Parson said, only to be told “we’re gonna do a study.’ You’re not gonna do a study. Doesn’t happen. So, if you want money into this program then you need to listen to the property owners and I’ll make it happen as far as the money’s concerned.”
Shirley Rogers complained that the city removed eight parking spaces with landscaping bulbs and traffic calming measures when it renovated Fourth Street.
“They’re not beautiful,” said Rogers. “It makes it hard to make a turn. So, there’s no purpose. There’s no reason for them. Put it back like it was before you made it ‘beautiful,’ which isn’t beautiful.
A business owner named Kaur said her business is a DMV partner and asked the city to charge a flat fee or on net receipts instead of based on gross receipts.
Councilwoman Cerina Otero said she would like the city to help keep downtown looking maintained “so that way we can attract new businesses, we can keep the existing businesses.”
She noted that when assessments were suspended last year the city didn’t step up and help maintain downtown rights-of-way.
Participation among downtown business owners in the district has been weak over the years and the CDRAB board had to be dissolved for lack of a quorum. Thus the city placed the Ceres Planning Commission in control of the downtown district.
Councilman James Casey said the parking on all the downtown streets is a “horrible situation.” He noted on one visit to pick up medication that he couldn’t find any place to park but didn’t see a corresponding business activity.
Mayor Javier Lopez asked, “Why isn’t the city trying to do a better job of promoting the Community Center parking lot that we have catty corner to Wells Fargo? I know that maybe we need to put up some more signs.”
Interim City Manager Steve Williams said the city has a “very large and usually mostly empty parking lot right across the street from the north section of downtown. We can look into putting some more signs pointing potential customers to that parking lot as an option.”
An hourly parking restriction will be the subject of a council discussion in the near future.
The council voted 3-1 to allow the assessment process proceed with Casey voting no and Vice Mayor Daniel Martinez absent.
