More DBID Nonsense

Bleak future for Burlingame's downtown district By Heather Murtagh

The numerous downtown business owners who signed petitions against the impending improvement district fee may have saved the area from fees, but the Burlingame City Council must still decide what the future holds for the protested district. Just over 60 percent of the 477 businesses affected protested the fees, which means the council does not have the authority to approve it, said City Manager Jim Nantell. Last year, the group decided to continue working to gain the support of other businesses in hopes of gaining confidence for this upcoming year, since there is still little support the council can opt to dissolve the group altogether Wednesday. What may save the downtown district may be a voluntary group that is being organized by the business owner leading the charge against the fees. Quent Cordair, who is out of town this week and could not be reached for comment, is reportedly working on that plan.Since it began work in 2004, the Downtown Burlingame Improvement District, known as DBID, has split business owners near and on Burlingame Avenue. The fee-based organization was established to raise money for projects like promoting the area and providing holiday decorations as well as establishing a group to represent the interest of the business owners. This time around, a large majority of businesses continued to protest the fees. The vote was postponed from Monday, May 22 to allow for the petitions to be validated by city staff. With the large number of protests counted, DBID President Mary Beth Essa said she assumes the group will be dissolved. When it gets to this level of protest it means this is not right for our community. We are unique and we need to find out what people are comfortable with. But even if you're unique, you still need to get stuff done,? she said. Vice Mayor Terry Nagel said it's not her hope to force a fee on business owners. Nagel pointed out, however, that without the DBID there are things like watering the planters and hanging the Christmas decorations for which no one is responsible. The merchants have been asking for a number of improvements that are not in the city budget and never can be, yet there is no mechanism to pay for them. Who's going to step up to the plate and make those things happen?? she said. During its first year, the DBID charged businesses fees but the City Council voted against keeping the charges last year. Questions were raised about how the money was being spent, if the fees were fair as well as if business owners should be forced to pay them. Those involved in the DBID used this year to try to build confidence with business owners in hopes of being approved to charge fees in the upcoming year. In an attempt to meet the needs of business owners, the DBID proposed to lower fees for smaller, independent businesses while raising it for larger businesses like corporations. Again the fees were opposed and the idea of a volunteer group was brought to light. Essa hopes those protesting are able to create the voluntary group which was suggested but also said she will be very supportive of those efforts.

The council meets 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 31 in the Burlingame Library Lane Room, 480 Primrose Road.

Put the DBID to bed and let us wait for the "good ideas" and Voluntary Contributions Group to get going. And for the senior councilmember who called my house yesterday wanting ideas rising from ashes, get lost! And that has been very heavily censored! Fiona

- Written by Fiona