HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-13-2015 BW1 TartagliaSubject: FW: City Budget Goal Setting COUNCIL MEETING: -
Attachments: SLODA01.14.15.pdf ITEM NO.:_ _ _ B �t.1 !
From: Dominic
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2015 5:23:23 PM JAN 15 2015
To: Marx, Jan; Christianson, Carlyn; Carpenter, Dan; Dan Rivoire; Ashbaugh, John
Subject: City Budget Goal Setting
Mayor Marx and Council Members,
Please find attached a copy of a letter on behalf of the San Luis Obispo Downtown Association with regard to the current Budget Goal
Setting. I ask that you please consider the priorities that the Board of Directors has set forth. I will be happy to meet with you
individually to discuss any of these matters in greater depth if you desire greater insight. You may also ask any number of our Board
members for further information as well.
I believe that you all have done an exceptional job in steering the ship that carries our City and fully believe in the process in place to
develop a budget that will not only ensure a secure future for our Downtown but also for the community as a whole.
Sincerely,
Dominic Tartaglia
Executive Director
SLO Downtown Association
1108 Garden Street, Suite 210
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 541 -0286
Dominicn,downtownslo. com
www.DowntownSLO.com
14 January 2015
To: Mayor Jan Marx and City Council Members
From: Dominic Tartaglia, Executive Director
San Luis Obispo Downtown Association
Re: City Budget Goal Setting
Madam Mayor and Councilmembers,
Last night was an inspiring show of confidence in our City's democratic
process and hope for an even brighter future for our community as a whole.
Many passionate individuals and organizations spoke in favor of things near
and dear to them and today I write to you to express the ambitions that the
Downtown Association has for the future of the City Budget in a hope that
you will agree with us that the issues we find important are deserving of
prioritization.
The Board of Directors has many things that they find important to our
community's wellbeing but ultimately they wish to provide you with a
simplified list of the most important items they have considered. Three main
topics are presented herein with a few suggested focal points within those
topics. Their greatest priority being with the General Safety of Downtown.
Secondly, they emphasize the importance of budgeting for ongoing
Downtown Maintenance and Infrastructure Investment. Third, they view
Parking as a priority for upcoming budgeting.
The General Safety of Downtown is something that they take very seriously as
a result of countless reports from individuals that have been harassed, reports
of assaults, businesses that have had crimes committed within them and the
overall perception of the community that it is not safe to be Downtown. The
Board wishes to encourage your support to fully staff the bicycle patrol
program through the Police Department. They have seen the results of having
just one officer Downtown and hope that having the dedicated presence of
multiple officers will keep our streets even safer. Additionally, they encourage
the support of more security cameras in the Downtown area as the existing
cameras have been very effective in decreasing crime in their surrounding
areas.
In regard to Downtown Maintenance and Infrastructure Investment, we see a
need to further pursue programs that help to keep our streets and amenities
clean and appealing to use. Previous budgets have invested significant
amounts of money into installing amenities such as trashcans, benches, signs,
light posts and bus stops and thousands of people enjoy those amenities on a
daily basis. That increased use also increases the demand for ongoing
maintenance to insure that they are kept clean of debris, free of vandalism and
looking fresh as opposed to distressed and faded. The clean and beautiful
image of Downtown directly affects the economic vitality of Downtown
merchants. If the community perceives our streets and sidewalks as poorly
maintained they do not come down here to shop. Our Association is the voice
of many businesses asking for help to keep things clean Downtown. The
added benefit of keeping things clean and sanitary is that it deters transients
from inhabiting Downtown. To a large extent, the broken window theory
applies; transients see dirty sidewalks, bathrooms and paths as an open
invitation to camp out in the heart of our beloved town.
The Investment in Infrastructure, for us, includes assessing and renewing
existing documents including the Economic Development Strategic Plan, the
Downtown Conceptual Physical Plan, the Pedestrian Master Plan and the
Mission Plaza Master Plan. The Downtown Conceptual Physical Plan is a
document that has not been revisited in 18 years yet developments are filling
in elements of that plan, sometimes contradictory to what was previously
projected for. Other elements of infrastructure included in these plans include
safe bike /pedestrian paths, safe sidewalks that are free of cracks and desirable
park space that is of benefit to the community as a whole. Public restrooms
should also be considered in this assessment of current documents. Of course,
these maintenance and infrastructure issues have a positive correlation with
public safety.
The last topic of Parking is a concern for both increased capacity and types of
demand. The prioritization of the Palm/Nipomo structure is something that is
imperative to meet the capacity of future developments in Downtown. As we
see urban infill and developers investing in projects, the Board expects an
increase in residential and commercial impacts on the parking outlook. That
outlook adversely affects perceptions of would be shoppers in regard to
available parking. Additionally, we see a new element in our parking dynamic
as we begin to increase residential and hotel uses. These are new concepts to
our community that the Board believes will require the implementation of an
overnight parking and valet program in our existing and future structures.
Please consider our concerns as valid priorities in the coming budget cycle.
Si erely ,
�S
Dominic Tartaglia
Executive Director, San Luis Obispo Downtown Association
CC. SLO Downtown Association Board of Directors
Katie Lichtig, City Manager