By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

Top order of business Thursday at the meeting of the Economic Development Board’s Tourism Committee: a report on the status of a Business Improvement District.

But before Acting Economic Development Manager Mario Giuliani could give that report, he acknowledged many of the early participants in the effort to launch a downtown Benicia BID.

“There are many people around this table that really need to be applauded, complimented,” he said.

“You were there at the beginning, you participated in the meetings, giving your input. Benicia is here today because of citizen and merchant involvement.”

Giuliani told the panel that a letter and sample cost breakdown were sent to downtown merchants this week. The assessment examples showed how much merchants of different kinds might pay monthly for different services.

“One thing that will be addressed, should there be a desire to move forward, are some equity issues,” Giuliani said.

“BIDs are done by proportionate benefit. That’s the reason why retail and restaurants are higher than office. Because that’s what the law requires.”

To raise about $90,000 for marketing and promotions, for example, the monthly BID fee would be $62.50 for retail, $55.58 for restaurants and hotels and $20.83 for offices, salons and spas.

“It will really be a matter of going business by business and seeing how they would benefit from the features added in by the BID,” Giuliani said, “because if a business doesn’t get a benefit, then they shouldn’t be paying for that assessment.”

A BID would be an effort purely to benefit merchants, he said. “If it helps the overall community, great! This isn’t supposed to subsidize city activities. This is supposed to benefit merchants.”

The next meeting on the BID will be March 5 at 6 p.m. in the Doña Benicia Room of the Benicia Public Library.

Also Thursday, David Lindsay and Pat Ryll offered ideas for an Art Walk. Another meeting will be held in March. “I see it as having art, music, demonstrations, something in downtown and perhaps the arsenal area,” Lindsay said.

“We’ve got art inside buildings besides two running galleries,” Ryll said.

“Done correctly, that brings in mega people,” EDB chair Kimble Goodman said. “It brings folks in.”

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