HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/15/2025 Item 6e. Hermann - Staff Agenda CorrespondenceCity of San Luis Obispo, Council Memorandum
City of San Luis Obispo
Council Agenda Correspondence
DATE: July 15, 2025
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Greg Hermann, Deputy City Manager
VIA: Whitney McDonald, City Manager
SUBJECT: ITEM 6e – DOWNTOWN SLO AGREEMENT 2025-26
Staff received the following questions, regarding the 2025-26 agreement with Downtown
SLO. The questions are below with staff’s response shown in italics:
1) Can you please explain why we are reducing the requested match by
Downtown SLO for the Clean and Safe Program from 100% to 50%, from the
previous agreements?
Response: Due to budget constraints, Downtown SLO is unable to fund the
program at the previously requested 100% match without reducing services in
other areas. Downtown SLO has attempted to meet the 100% match over the last
year through additional programming, fundraising, and exploration of an additional
assessment district. Based on these unsuccessful efforts and following a review of
Downtown SLO’s budget, staff recommend a 50% match to be more aligned with
Downtown SLO’s historic contribution to the program and their anticipated ability
to fund the program for FY 2025-26. Downtown SLO has also agreed that in
addition to the 50% match, they will allocate additional funding above the FY 2025-
26 budget to the Clean and Safe Program as it becomes available through grant
funding, individual support, or net new non-BIA assessment revenue as feasible.
2) In addition to our $60K/year contribution to the Clean and Safe Program and
the holiday lighting/decoration funding at $150K per year, what other costs
does the city incur for downtown maintenance? (Street sweeping, sidewalk
power washing, trash, etc.)
Response: While staff has not compiled a complete list or determina tion of full cost
of services to the Downtown, the City last completed a point in time analysis of
baseline services and in-kind contributions provided Downtown by the City in
October 2023 which included estimates of costs and/or staff time as noted below:
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ITEM 6e – DOWNTOWN SLO AGREEMENT 2025-26 Page 2
Police Department Downtown Services
1. Bike Officers: Provide four (4) Bike Officers assigned to Downtown. Two (2)
bike officers are assigned to work during the days. They provide coverage
Monday through Saturday, working from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The ot her two
(2) Officers are assigned to work evenings. These Officers work Wednesday
through Saturday from 5:00 PM to 3:00 AM. There are also special functions
like marathons, parades, Thursday Night Farmers’ Market and permitted
events where their hours may be flexed, or they are paid overtime to work these
events through permit fees as resources allow. Depending on patrol staffing
needs, these officers may be temporarily reassigned to maintain minimum
staffing within patrol.
2. Community Action Team Officers: Provide up to two (2) Community Action
Team (CAT) Officers to primarily address chronic offenders within the
downtown. CAT Officers cover Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 5:00
PM. They alternate every other Monday and Friday. CAT Officers are not
specifically assigned to downtown. Depending on patrol staffing needs, these
Officers may be temporarily reassigned to maintain minimum staffing in patrol.
3. Patrol Officers and Community Service Officers*: The Police department
assigns Patrol and Community Service Officers within the City limits, including
downtown, to best serve the community. Priorities and crime trends are
routinely discussed with the leadership of Downtown SLO to best understand
community needs and any emerging public safety concerns.
4. Graffiti Removal: The Police Department tracks graffiti through calls received
in dispatch, on the Police Department's webpage, and the City‘s ASKSLO app.
The Department works with volunteers and City staff to ensure the graffiti is
removed on public property in a timely manner.
Parks and Recreation Downtown Services
1. Banner Reservations: Downtown SLO receives 50% discounts on banner
reservations and priority booking prior to the public.
2. Facility Rentals: Downtown SLO is not charged for the use of facilities for
special events including Mission Plaza. Downtown SLO has four (4)
reservations per year to use the Library Community Room for public education
workshops, at no cost to Downtown SLO.
3. Special Events Permits and Fees: Downtown SLO is charged 50% on
applicable permits and fees.
4. Storage: Free storage and access to the Mission Plaza Adobe based on space
availability.
5. Staff Support: Downtown SLO may request the City to assist for volunteer
outreach for support of special events and activities through the City’s
Volunteer Coordinator.
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ITEM 6e – DOWNTOWN SLO AGREEMENT 2025-26 Page 3
Utilities Department Downtown Services
Sewer:
1. Sewer pipe cleaning occurs every two (2) months with two (2) Wastewater
Collection Operators and the vacuum truck for the entire downtown district
amounting to 12 personnel hours.
2. Storm drain cleaning occurs every summer with two (2) Wastewater Collection
Operators and the vacuum truck. The storm drain cleaning in the downtown
area must be completed before the first major storm event of each year.
3. The Downtown creek corridor is walked by two (2) Wastewater Collection
Operator every six months to monitor sewer mains, private laterals, and storm
drain-source points and look for any potential sewer spills.
4. Monthly creek tunnel observations of sewer laterals and storm d rain outfalls.
Annual priority storm outfall inspection with one (1) Environmental Compliance
Inspectors.
Solid Waste:
1. San Luis Garbage Company provides daily servicing of the trash and recycling
containers on all streets in the downtown area except for Mission Plaza, which
is serviced by the City’s Public Works Department. Public Works maintains all
public trash and recycling containers that are broken or vandalized. Servicing
completed by San Luis Garbage Company is funded through City ratepayers.
Public Works Department Downtown Services
Streets Maintenance Program:
1. Monday through Friday street sweeping.
2. *Sidewalk and Bike Lane sweeping/blowing on Thursdays and Fridays year
round and including Saturday in the fall.
3. Thursday Night Farmers' Market traffic control set-up and take down by four (4)
part- time employees for an annual total of 1,479 hours (29 hours weekly x 51
weeks). The current fee for each closure is $155.36 for fiscal year 2025 -26,
which Downtown SLO has historically paid quarterly.
4. *Thursday Night Farmers' Market Street closures with anti-vehicle barriers. Full
Market hard closures are completed by full and part time staff. Deployment,
retrieval, and staffing the entrances during the Market require 1248 hours in
staff time.
5. *City crews will regularly clean sidewalks in the Downtown with high traffic
areas being cleaned a minimum of once a month. On average staff will spend
30-50 hours per week cumulatively on pressure washing and sidewalk
cleaning.
6. *Monthly third-party sidewalk pressure washing on specific, high pedestrian
areas. Friday morning and Monday morning cleaning in Bubblegum Alley. Total
annual contract budget for sidewalk pressure washing is $102,000.
7. *Sidewalk trash pickup 12 hours per week by Achievement Hou se.
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ITEM 6e – DOWNTOWN SLO AGREEMENT 2025-26 Page 4
8. Holiday parade traffic control support. Public Works Maintenance Programs
will support the annual holiday parade by staging barricades and providing
traffic control during the event. Staff time for this event is estimated at 625
hours.
Parks Maintenance Program:
1. Parks Maintenance Program furnishes and delivers two (2) portable restroom
trailers, one on Broad between Higuera and Monterey, and one on Morro
between Higuera and Marsh, for Farmer’s Market each Thursday night. The
Parking Services Program posts the signage at least 25 hours in advance, and
then PD verifies the postings. Typically, one part-time employee delivers the
trailers and maintains the facilities during the entire duration of the event, then
returns the restrooms back to the Corporation Yard to service and clean the
restrooms for the next Farmers Market. Total annual staff hours are 714 (14
hours weekly x 51 weeks) for this part-time position.
2. Mission Plaza is maintained Monday through Friday by the Parks Maintenance
Program, as well as a weekly service by an outside contractor.
Parking Services Program:
1. Special Event Operations (Farmer’s Market, Holiday Parade, Misc. Events):
1. Loss of parking meter revenue, approximately two (2) hours in
preparation for Thursday Night Famers' Market on Thursday or on
Saturdays for special events. Note: This reduction in parking meter
revenue is partially offset by increased revenue in the parking garages.
2. Staff time spent checking barbeque and signage placement,
coordinating directly with the tow companies for towing needs. Staff
hours are 5 hours/event.
2. Downtown Parking Programs:
1. *Parking Garage Permit: Park in any of the City’s three parking garages
for $45/month.
2. 10-Hour Meter Pass: Pass provides access to park in the designated
10-Hour meters on the periphery of the downtown for $60/month or
$180/quarter.
3. Holiday free garage parking: The City has historically offered a number of days
of free parking in City garages during the holidays, typically including
Thanksgiving Day and Thanksgiving weekend, every Sunday in December,
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the day after Christmas, and New Year’s
Eve and New Year’s Day.
Transit Program:
1. Subsidized Trolley service ($.50 per rider) on Thursday evenings from 5-9 p.m.
and during the summer months on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-8 p.m.
2. Downtown Access Pass allows employees who work in the downtown to
receive a free monthly SLO Transit bus pass.
*Denotes all or part of a service/contribution that has been added since 2017 .
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ITEM 6e – DOWNTOWN SLO AGREEMENT 2025-26 Page 5
3) In section 8 of the agreement (about page 251 of packet), it states that DSLO
pays the city $155.36 for set up and removal of barricades for Farmer’s
Market. In this same section, it states that DSLO will reimburse the city for
all costs incurred by the city for other events not discussed in the contract.
What does that include and about how much, annually is that?
Response: Downtown SLO is not currently planning for any additional events that
would incur costs for the City. Typically, for events outside of the agreement, the
City and Downtown SLO would enter into a separate agreement detailing
responsibilities and any costs.
4) Related to the above question, what is the value of the city’s “in kind”
contribution to Farmer’s Market, Concerts in the Plaza and other Downtown
SLO event activations?
Response: Please see the response to Question #2, which describes the various
services and in-kind contributions that each relevant City department provides in
support of the Downtown area.
5) What is the reasoning for the decrease in estimated business assessment
revenue in 25-26 and then an increase again in 26-27? (5% decrease from 24-
25, but then an increase of about $5k between the two years of the next two
year financial plan).
Response: According to the 2025-27 Financial Plan adopted in June 2025,
revenues are proposed to decrease by $11,749 or 5% based on a conservative
analysis of recently observed results on assessment collections. Expenditures are
budgeted equal to revenue. Should revenue exceed budget, the actual amount
collected will be transferred to Downtown SLO.
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