HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/16/2019 Item 15, Wise
From:Mike Wise <
To:E-mail Council Website
Cc:Judy Wise
Subject:"No on PBID" Position and Alternate Solution, Homeowner
PBID Proposal Opposition
I recently became aware of the proposed PBID tax assessment for a selected group of downtown property
owners. I attended the property owners meeting on June 30. As a retired person I walk daily around San Luis Obispo
and experience the array of negative experiences. Although our home is not included in the most recently proposed
boundaries I have a strong opinion based upon my understanding of the proposal, as follows:
A. The Problem: Downtown San Luis Obispo has some dirtiness, caused by residents, visitors and vagrants. Some
venues are frequented by vagrants, which often do not disperse readily and occasionally confront, harass, and disturb
visitors and residents enjoying downtown sightseeing, shopping, and use of public spaces.
B. City Proposal for PBID. Four “ambassadors” will be hired and assigned to conduct wide-ranging services, including
clean-up, visitor contact, and homeless assistance.
C. Faulty City Premise: Unworkable and Inequitable
a. Job Description is Too Broad, Unworkable, and Wasteful. When a job description, such as these
“Ambassadors” is too broad the employee will not accomplish any tasks well. “Ambassadors” tasked with
the proposed broad range of responsibilities of a new bureaucracy (PBID) will not be able to address any
of the multiple objectives proposed by the City Council, i.e., cleaning up trash, removing graffiti, offer
housing to vagrants, “patrol” downtown, monitor “homeless” in public and private venues.
b. Benefit: City. The only benefit will be increase in revenue, employees, and control of Downtown
businesses and homes by the City. City receives a new tax which will continue in perpetuity with regular
increases. PBID attempts to justify BID existence.
c. Detriment: Mitigating the Problem is unlikely because of the ill-defined metrics. However, a likely
liability is the increased liability to the City of a lay person (“Ambassador”) without police powers (no
POST certification or sworn status) attempting to engage in dangerous encounters. (An unsuccessful
PBID will be impossible to disband; government does not downsize.)
d. Proposed PBID Tax structure is inequitable for the following reasons:
i. Boundaries. Instead of the gerrymandered boundaries the current
BID boundaries would be a more honest and transparent boundary.
ii. Precedent to Increase Government and Taxes. The PBID
boundaries have been gerrymandered in order to guarantee passage of the tax. Then, in the
future, having established the precedent, the boundaries will be changed again to include more
and more properties, as well as, to continually increase the amount of taxes and power of the city
government.
iii. “Self-assessment” tax is misleading because only a few large
stakeholders create this new government bureaucracy.
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iv. Because the downtown government and private businesses benefit
all who use those services…taxes should be paid by those users, i.e., the general electorate
v. Conflict of interest. City, the beneficiary of the new taxes, votes to
increase its own revenue by taxing the citizens
D. Alternative, Workable, Solution: Additional Police Presence and Stricter Enforcement and Separate
Cleaning Proposal. I propose that the solution should be in more police presence and their stricter enforcement of
vagrancy and indecency ordinances, as well as, regular and timely cleaning of sidewalks and other hardscape surfaces.
a. Police Law Enforcement. Spend tax dollars on two or more law enforcement positions dedicated to
24/7 coverage of downtown and nearby parks. The vagrants should be frequently monitored as they
inhabit public and private open spaces and vagrancy and loitering codes enforced. This requires police
powers, not an “ambassador”. In my daily walks downtown the police do little to respond to and enforce
city ordinances involving vagrants. I have watched the single downtown bicycle policeman approach
groups of young people camping on Mission Plaza or next to the Murray Adobe, then engage them in
small talk and walk away with no change, while the young squatters and their pit bull continue to chase
away tourists. The public benches next to City Hall are occupied all day, every day,by vagrants, some of
whom have been there for years. I have reported homeless encampments in several areas adjacent to
San Luis Creek; they have not been disbanded. I have stopped reporting them to the police phone
number.
b. Cleanliness. Additional cleaning of sidewalks and public spaces could be conducted by the city or
some other group, mutually acceptable to the City and Downtown businesses. In my daily walks I have
watched vagrants urinate and defecate on and in the vicinity of the bus stops. Daily, I must smell urine in
doorways, dodge vomit, feces, and broken bottles. Cleaning is usually very slow in coming.
Thank you for Reading my Comments and Your Consideration of my Alternative Proposal,
Mike Wise
Downtown Resident and Homeowner, 1144 Palm Street
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5 Generation Descendent, San Luis Obispo Dairyman Pioneer, Patrick O’Connor
bcc: Copied to Several Interested Property Owners and Voters
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