Downtown businesses will have to resume making payments to the Ceres Downtown Revitalization Area Board (CDRAB) after a one-year suspension.
During last week’s discussion of the CDRAB board about assessments for 48 businesses, members also heard about city plans to do street upgrades in the downtown area.
CDRAB was created by the city in 1988 and today the governing board is the Ceres Planning Commission. Assessments have not increased since enactment in 1989 and won’t be this fiscal year.
Julian Aguirre, the city’s Economic Development manager, noted that the assessments are used pay for maintenance in downtown and for “potential future beautification for things that are not covered by capital improvement, such as outside seating, lighting, cameras and music.”
Last year, the Ceres City Council didn’t approve the assessment levy, said Aguirre, and that “the assessments are deplenishing quickly.”
CDRAB has a balance of $34,456 currently and expects another $10,000 in levies.
Aguirre said that some businesses were unaware of the assessments and that 20 percent of businesses did not pay. CDRAB has no collection mechanism for the three businesses which didn’t pay.
Last year the council opted not to collect monies from the businesses because a few businesses said that they didn’t get the improvements that were created for Third Street and Fifth Street. Those were capital improvements that were done.
The city is now engineering designs for Third and Fifth street improvements which include sidewalk and gutter. Those projects will not be funded by CDRAB but by the city’s Capital Improvement Program.
Some businesses have requested security cameras, and speakers for music.
City Engineer Mike Beltran said the downtown rehabilitation project takes into account Third Street, Fifth Street, North Street and Lawrence Street.
“So for instance, you see Fifth Street has concrete down the center of it, and then it’s asphalt on the sides,” said Beltran. “All of that’s going to be taken out, all new sidewalks where applicable. We’re not going to replace good sidewalks, but I would say for the most part most all sidewalks in downtown are not in compliance, so we will be replacing most all of them.”
Driveways will be replaced and additional parking will be created. Water lines will also be installed.
Beltran expects the project to cost $6 million project, when it goes to construction “probably in the latter half of next year.”
He said the street makeovers will” essentially mimic” the look of Fourth Street.
“We want to make sure that downtown looks consistent for everybody,” Beltran told the CDRAB board.
Measure L funds will be used for the project as well as any grants the city can snag.
“The other big thing that will go away is going to be the roundabout that is at Lawrence and Fifth. It’s not designed correctly, so most likely that’ll just go back to a four-way stop. It’ll be nice.”
One of the expenses covered by the fees is the $21,841 cost of Grover Landscaping to maintain the landscaping in the downtown area.
Commissioner Gary Condit said he is “having a hard time with the contract service, to be honest.” He wanted the council to reconsider the Grover contract, questioning the spending of over $21,000 when CDRAB only brings in $10,000.
Condit insisted that the city’s public work staff “can do the job downtown, with all due respect.”
The assessment of levies was approved 4-0. Board member Dorie Perez was absent.
