> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Keeping the streets clean - URL: https://www.smdp.com/keeping-the-streets-clean/ - Published: 2008-01-24T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T23:07:27.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Government & Politics, Downtown, #archive-import *City Hall contemplates new assessment to maintain downtown* CITY HALL Downtown Santa Monica residents could one day be required to chip into a pool of money used to keep the streets in the largely commercial district in pristine shape. Their possible monetary contribution into the upkeep of the neighborhood is part of a series of measures aimed to maintain the downtown area’s reputation as one of the premier shopping and dining destinations on the Westside. In order to achieve this end, City Hall has been working with a task force and consultant, Progressive Urban Management Associates, to develop innovative approaches to the maintenance and management of the downtown area. The City Council on Tuesday night reviewed several of those proposals, which include the elimination of the Central Business District (CBD) — an area from which the Bayside District Corp., a private/public entity that manages and promotes the downtown area, draws approximately $200,000 in assessments every year. The district, which is roughly bounded by Seventh Street, Ocean Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard and the I-10 Freeway, would be replaced with the so-called Property Based Assessment District (PBAD), which would encompass a larger area, including residences. A 15-member governing body could be appointed to oversee the expenditure of the funds raised by the assessments. One of the recommendations presented to the council includes the establishment of a Board of Directors that would include seven members selected by rate payers, seven members by the council and a representative for the City Manager, serving as the tie-breaker. The new district, which would need to be approved in a ballot measure by a majority of affected property owners would generate an estimated $3.7 million, which would be used to enhance current maintenance service levels and marketing campaigns, as well as several new initiatives, including an ambassador program for the Third Street Promenade. The ambassador program, which would cost roughly $1.2 million a year, would provide guest services on the promenade seven days a week, 15 hours a day, not only guiding and helping promenade patrons, but also serving as the eyes and ears on the street. Daniel Archuleta QUICK FIX: The new assessment would be used to help maintain and repair the downtown area. While the borders of the Central Business District only reaches to the centerlines of the streets, the replacement Property Based Assessment District would expand to include the properties on the north end of Wilshire Boulevard and the east side of Seventh Street. While only commercial properties and business owners are charged to pay for maintenance services under the CBD, residential properties will also be assessed if the new district is formed. Residential properties owners could have the option of passing the assessment on to their tenants if authorized by the Rent Control Board. The formula by which the assessments are determined would be weighted differently depending on the location of the property — parcels on the promenade would be rated at 88 cents per lot square foot, while properties between Fourth Street and Ocean Avenue, including Santa Monica Place, would be assessed at 44 cents per square foot. The remaining parcels between Fifth and Seventh streets would be assessed at 22 cents per square foot. The council was presented with various examples of how much properties owners would pay through the PBAD assessment — the owner of 1351 Third Street Promenade, which houses Barney’s Beanery, would contribute roughly $16,280 per year, while a 102,000 square foot office complex on Ocean Avenue would pay about $44,800 a year. The modestly sized building housing The Salvation Army on Fourth Street would pay slightly less than $5,000 a year. > “(Downtown) was a very challenging area and to date the return on the investment for both the community and city and businesses... has been pretty spectacular,” — said Robert York, a consultant for Bayside Looking at the core issues, many promenade patrons over the years have raised the same concerns about parking, safety, maintenance and cleanliness, York said, adding that the revenues from the new district will open up resources for those issues to be addressed. But several councilmembers raised their own concerns about hiring a private contractor to help maintain the downtown area, stressing they didn’t want to see private jobs supplant the city crews that are currently assigned to the district. “I have more than extreme difficulty for a plan that pri-vatizes maintenance for our downtown,” Councilmember Kevin McKeown said during the meeting. A crew of about 19 full-time employees and nine part-time employees maintain the promenade, six downtown parking structures, the transit mall, several restrooms, as well as Second and Fourth streets, Arizona Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard. “An analysis conducted by Service Group... concluded that promenade maintenance does a very good job with available resources, but that the staff is expected to cover too large an area to maintain excellent conditions at all times,” according to a staff report. There were also some reservations about how the ambassador program would work and the relationship it would have with the police department. “I think the ambassador program could be really beneficial,” said Councilmember Ken Genser. “Structured the wrong way, it could be really ugly.” The ambassadors would also include restroom attendants in the garages, a program currently being funded by City Hall on a pilot basis, according to a city staff. “I think the ambassador program brings the potential of value to Downtown Santa Monica,” Mayor Pro Tem Richard Bloom said. Councilmember Robert Holbrook said he supports the proposals, adding that he thought the council should give the plan its blessing given the possible uphill battle in convincing the majority of property owners to approve the district and its accompanying assessments. “They have a long road ahead of them,” Holbrook said. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 24, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/012408.pdf?ref=smdp.com)