AGENDA REPORT
TO: Elizabeth Lake FROM: Ashleigh Kanat
Interim City Administrator Director, Economic &
Workforce Development
Department
SUBJECT: Rockridge BID Annual Report and
Intention to Levy Calendar Year 2027
Assessment
DATE: September 29, 2026
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution: (1) Approving The Annual Report Of The Rockridge Business Improvement District Advisory Board; (2) Declaring The Intention To Levy And Collect An Annual Assessment For The Fiscal Year January 1, 2027 Through December 31, 2027 For The Rockridge Business Improvement District Including A Three Percent (3%) Increase In The Annual Assessments; And (3) Scheduling A Public Hearing For December 1, 2026
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
State enabling legislation requires that a merchant-based business improvement district (BID) receive City Council approval before levying each fiscal year’s assessment. Adoption of the recommended Resolution of Intention to levy an assessment and scheduling of a related Public Hearing will enable the Rockridge BID to collect its assessment for Calendar Year 2027 from January 1 to December 31, which represents the BID’s fiscal year. The attached resolution would also approve the Rockridge BID’s annual report to the City of Oakland (City).
If the proposed assessment is approved, the Rockridge BID will generate an estimated $193,640 of special assessment revenue in Calendar Year 2027. Funds will be used to pay for special benefit services outlined in the Rockridge BID Management Plan (Plan) on file with the Office of the City Clerk and the annual report and budget, prepared and submitted by the Rockridge District Association, the Rockridge BID’s City Council-appointed advisory board (see Exhibit A to the Resolution of Intention). The Calendar Year 2025 annual report indicates no changes to the District boundaries or to the method and basis of levying the assessments; however, the Rockridge BID Advisory Board is recommending a three percent (3%) increase to the assessment rate across all categories for Calendar Year 2027, which is within the allowable amount per the Plan on file with the Office of the City Clerk. Key services include, but are not limited to, enhanced cleaning and public safety services, including private security services, district beautification, including installation and maintenance of decorative banners and CED Committee
October 27, 2026
Elizabeth Lake (Oct 15, 2026 09:44:35 PDT)
Oct 15, 2026
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Rockridge BID Annual Report and Intention to Levy Calendar Year 2027 Assessment Date: September 29, 2026 Page 2
CED Committee
October 27, 2026
benches; special events such as the Rockridge Rock-N-Stroll live music event, and marketing and promotion activities such as internet advertising and maintenance of a district website.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
1. BID formation and purpose:
Section 36500 et seq of California Streets and Highway Code provide for the formation of business and property-based assessment districts. Pursuant to this legislation, on November 9, 1999, the Oakland City Council approved Resolution No. 75323 C.M.S., which initiated the City’s Neighborhood BID Program to provide technical assistance to qualified stakeholder groups to explore the feasibility of forming a BID within their respective commercial neighborhood(s). Pursuant to these efforts, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 12301 C.M.S. on November 28, 2000, to establish the Rockridge BID. On October 21, 2014, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 13261 C.M.S., modifying Ordinance No. 12301 C.M.S. to reduce the frequency of the Rockridge BID’s disestablishment noticing requirement from every year to once every five years. On December 2, 2025, the City Council authorized the prior year’s annual report and levy pursuant to Resolution No. 90981 C.M.S.
Other BIDs (also known as Community Benefit Districts, or CBDs) successfully formed within the City include Montclair (established 2001), Lakeshore/Lake Park (established 1997, renewed in 2002, 2012, and 2022), Temescal/Telegraph Avenue (established 2004, renewed in 2014 and 2024), Laurel (established 2005, renewed in 2015 and 2025), Koreatown/Northgate (established 2007, renewed in 2017), Lake Merritt/Uptown (established 2008, renewed in 2018), Downtown Oakland (established 2008, renewed in 2018), Jack London (established 2013, renewed in 2023), Oakland Tourism (established 2015, renewed in 2018 and 2024), and Chinatown (established 2021). BIDs are generally recognized as supporting the goals of comprehensive economic development strategies in various cities throughout the United States.
Montclair and Rockridge are unique among Oakland’s BIDs, in that they were formed under the California Parking and Business Improvement Area Law of 1989, under which the annual reporting and assessment levy requirements of this resolution are established. All other Oakland BIDs, including the Oakland Tourism District, were formed under the California Property and Business Improvement District Law of 1994.
Revenues generated by BIDs are used to provide a variety of special benefit improvements and services beyond those already provided by the local municipality. Examples of BID-funded special benefits include, but are not limited to, enhanced maintenance, public safety, and marketing and promotion services within the assessment district. Enhanced services of this type are intended to support increased sales and business tax revenues as well as increased job opportunities and economic vitality of the BID’s commercial neighborhoods.
2. BID annual report requirements:
Pursuant to California Streets and Highways Code Section 36533(a), BIDs are required to provide an annual report for each fiscal year for which assessments are to be levied and collected. The report may propose changes to the boundaries of the district, the basis and method of levying the assessment, and any changes in the classification of businesses.
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Rockridge BID Annual Report and Intention to Levy Calendar Year 2027 Assessment Date: September 29, 2026 Page 3
CED Committee
October 27, 2026
The Rockridge BID Calendar Year 2025 annual report, including the proposed Calendar Year 2027 budget, is included as Exhibit A to the attached Resolution of Intention. It does not propose any changes to the boundaries of the district nor to the method and basis of levying the assessment approved by the City Council for Calendar Year 2026; however, the Rockridge BID Advisory Board is recommending a three percent (3%) increase to the Calendar Year 2027 assessment rate across all categories to enable the district to maintain the current level of services as costs of providing those services and inflation have increased. Recommendations to increase the assessment, by up to five percent (5%) per year, are allowable per the Plan on file with the Office of the City Clerk. If the City Council approves the proposed Calendar Year 2027 assessment that includes a three percent (3%) assessment increase from the amount projected in Calendar Year 2026, the Rockridge BID will generate an estimated $193,640 of special assessment revenues in Calendar Year 2027.
3. BID annual assessment approval process:
California Streets and Highways Code Division 18 (commencing with section 36500) also requires that City Council approve of a merchant-based BID’s annual report, adopt a resolution of intention to levy an annual assessment for that fiscal year, and hold a Public Hearing before levying each fiscal year’s assessment. Therefore, to enable the Rockridge BID to collect its Calendar Year 2027 assessment, City Council would need to adopt the attached Resolution of Intention to levy and schedule a related Public Hearing. The Public Hearing must take place no less than ten (10) days after the adoption of the attached Resolution of Intention. Following the public input portion of the hearing, City Council would then take final action on the proposed assessment.
The Rockridge BID encompasses approximately 482 businesses located in and around the Rockridge commercial area and estimates an upcoming annual budget of approximately $240,022, which includes $193,640 of projected assessments to be collected in Calendar Year 2027, $2,000 in associate member revenue, $5,000 in additional revenue and donations, and $39,382 in funds carried over from the prior year, as indicated in Exhibit A to the attached Resolution of Intention.
The billing period for the proposed assessment will be the BID fiscal year, which aligns with the Calendar Year January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2027; and services to be paid for by the above billing and collections will also occur on a January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2027 fiscal year basis, the same as the calendar year, per the annual report and budget attached as Exhibit A to the Resolution of Intention.
As mentioned, if the City Council approves the proposed Calendar Year 2027 assessment, including the three percent (3%) increase, the Rockridge BID will generate an estimated $193,640 of special assessment revenues. The assessment is based on two variables which include business gross receipts and business type. If approved, the assessments for Calendar Year 2027 will be collected and expended in accordance with the Plan on file with the Office of the City Clerk and the District’s annual report and budget (attached as Exhibit A to the Resolution of Intention), submitted by the Rockridge District Association, the Rockridge BID’s City Council-appointed advisory board.
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Rockridge BID Annual Report and Intention to Levy Calendar Year 2027 Assessment Date: September 29, 2026 Page 4
CED Committee
October 27, 2026
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
There is no anticipated adverse impact related to adoption of the attached Resolution of Intention; however, there would be a negative impact to the Rockridge BID if the attached Resolution of Intention is not adopted, since adoption of the attached Resolution of Intention is a condition precedent to final approval of the Rockridge BID Calendar Year 2027 assessment levy. Without a new infusion of assessment funds in the upcoming fiscal year, special benefit services paid for by the assessments would be curtailed or terminated in Calendar Year 2027.
However, if City Council approves the attached Resolution of Intention, then a related public hearing will be scheduled for December 1, 2026, after which the City Council may decide whether to give final approval to the Rockridge BID Calendar Year 2027 assessment levy. If the levy is approved, then special benefit services in the district will continue uninterrupted in Calendar Year 2027.
Staff is currently unaware of any policy alternatives or alternate funding sources that could replace the estimated $193,640 of Rockridge BID assessment revenues during Calendar Year 2027, if the levy is not approved by City Council.
The annual report form for both business and property BIDs was redesigned in 2024 and converted to an online format, allowing for comparison of statistics across all BIDs reporting, including many new data points that are now being collected regarding the impact of BID activities. These BID impact metrics include standardized cleaning, marketing and outreach metrics, as well as organizational information, such as updated BID board rosters. In 2024, staff also worked in partnership with Urban Place Consulting, the City’s BID technical consultant, to design and provide training workshops for BID staff and board members, which covered Brown Act compliance and best practices for non-profit organizations. These changes are reflected in the Annual Report.
Staff have reviewed the Rockridge BID Annual Report and determined that the described services provided in the previous calendar year, the activities for the current calendar year, and planned assessments and activities in the upcoming calendar year are in alignment with the activities and use of assessment funds described in the Plan and approved by the assessed businesses. Therefore, staff recommends that City Council adopt the attached Resolution of Intention to levy the Rockridge BID Calendar Year 2027 assessment.
For the Calendar Year 2027 assessment, the sub-classification of businesses that earn annual gross receipts of $25,000 or less with a reduced fee for that assessment year of $60 (instead of $120) is proposed to be continued. This sub-classification was created to reduce the number and expense of processing hardship partial fee waiver requests. The reduced fee amount for this sub-classification of businesses, while in effect since FY 2004-2005, needs to be renewed annually, and would not apply to future assessment years beyond Calendar Year 2027 unless renewed in the annual assessment resolution for that year.
Alternatives
The City Council may approve the BID annual report as filed by the Rockridge Business Improvement District Advisory Board (contained in Exhibit A to the proposed City resolution) or may modify any particulars in the reports and approve them as modified.
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Rockridge BID Annual Report and Intention to Levy Calendar Year 2027 Assessment Date: September 29, 2026 Page 5
CED Committee
October 27, 2026
There is no anticipated adverse impact related to the adoption of the attached resolution; however, there would be a negative impact to Rockridge district if the proposed resolution is not adopted and the assessments are not levied. Without a new infusion of assessment funds in the upcoming year, special benefit services paid for by the assessments would be curtailed or terminated in 2027. However, if City Council adopts the attached City resolution, the Calendar Year 2027 levy will be approved and special benefit services in each district will continue uninterrupted in 2027.
RELATED PLANNING EFFORTS
The BID program is a key implementation tool of the Economic Development Action Plan (EDAP), and advances several EDAP goals described below:
• Economic Growth – The Rockridge BID will invest an estimated $193,640 of special assessment revenues, all of which are private funds, toward enhanced services across the Rockridge District, leveraging self-imposed private investment to supplement City services and sustain the commercial conditions that support sales tax and business license tax generation.
• Business Support – The BID assessments directly support small businesses through corridor maintenance, marketing, and security services that reduce individual operating burdens.
• Jobs and Workforce Development – The BID program supports job retention by sustaining healthy commercial environments where small businesses, Oakland's primary source of neighborhood-level employment, can remain viable. • Place and Community Investment – BIDs provide additional resources (e.g., public safety, marketing, and cleanliness) that help make commercial corridors vibrant places that are consistently active, better serving the needs of Oakland’s business owners and residents.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Rockridge BID is a self-initiated, self-funded, and self-administered entity. The proposed special assessment district will pay its own operating and administrative costs, including costs for assessment collections and disbursements, although the costs of staff time to manage the BID program are only partially recovered by the City’s administrative fee which is one percent (1%) of total assessments generated.1 As in most municipalities that administer BID programs, the assessments generated by the BID create benefits beyond the cities’ administrative costs, as they tend to generate economic activity through increased foot traffic, sales taxes, and business taxes.
If the levy is approved, the City will conduct a special billing to collect the assessment and will remit the amount collected (minus the City’s costs of collection) to the Rockridge District Association, the District's designated non-profit administrator. Until disbursed, Rockridge BID 1 As BIDs renew, the renewed disbursement agreements have increased the City’s administrative fee to 3% to recover a larger share of staff costs. However, any increase to this fee reduces the amount of money the BIDs have to spend to support their districts.
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Rockridge BID Annual Report and Intention to Levy Calendar Year 2027 Assessment Date: September 29, 2026 Page 6
CED Committee
October 27, 2026
assessments will be held in a special trust fund established by the Finance Department on behalf of the district in Miscellaneous Trusts Fund (7999), Economic Development Organization (85411), Pass Thru Assessments Account (24224), DP850 Administrative Project (1000019), Rockridge BID Program (RBID). The City’s administrative fee portion will be moved into Other Revenue: Administrative Fees Account (48726).
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
Rockridge BID representatives performed outreach necessary to secure advisory board consensus sufficient to generate the district’s required annual report and proposed Calendar Year 2027 budget, attached as Exhibit A to the Resolution of Intention. The Resolution of Intention, if approved, will set a public hearing date of December 1, 2026, at which time the members of the BID and the public can provide input prior to City Council’s decision to take final action on the proposed assessment.
COORDINATION
This report and legislation have been reviewed by the Office of the City Attorney and the Budget Bureau.
PAST PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
Pursuant to Ordinance No. 12190 C.M.S. as codified in Chapter 4.48 of the Oakland Municipal Code, each BID is required to submit an annual report to the City for review and approval, documenting services delivered, assessment funds collected and expended, and progress toward the goals established in each district's Management Plan. The Rockridge BID’s annual report for the 2025 Calendar Year, reviewed by Economic and Workforce Development Department staff, demonstrates that the Rockridge BID has delivered the enhanced maintenance, safety, marketing, and placemaking services for which they are assessed, and that the BID has shown a positive impact on the Rockridge district.
RACE AND EQUITY
BIDs enable a form of participatory self-governance, by allowing members of a commercial district to transparently and sustainably fund and manage services that benefit that district.
Stakeholders themselves administer revenues generated by the district, contributing to community self-empowerment.
While the Rockridge BID is not located in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood under the Oakland Department of Transportation Equity Toolkit, the Lake Merritt-Uptown, Downtown, and Chinatown BIDs are located in high-priority neighborhoods and utilize assessments to support safety, cleaning, marketing, community identity, and special event programming within their boundaries.
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Rockridge BID Annual Report and Intention to Levy Calendar Year 2027 Assessment Date: September 29, 2026 Page 7
CED Committee
October 27, 2026
To address the gap in BID representation in historically underserved communities, EWDD continues to provide organizational assistance to underserved commercial corridors, including support for BID feasibility studies and education on alternative means of formal organization, such as establishing nonprofit status or a merchant association, that can serve as interim steps toward BID formation and corridor self-governance. Current efforts include organizational assistance to support potential BID formation in the Prescott area of West Oakland and the Hegenberger/Airport corridor, two high-priority areas that would expand the BID program's reach into communities that have historically faced disinvestment. Both of these districts have drafted Management District Plans in anticipation of a petition effort for BID formation.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution: (1) Approving The Annual Report Of The Rockridge Business Improvement District Advisory Board; (2) Declaring The Intention To Levy And Collect An Annual Assessment For The Fiscal Year January 1, 2027 Through December 31, 2027 For The Rockridge Business Improvement District Including A Three Percent (3%) Increase In The Annual Assessments; And (3) Scheduling A Public Hearing For December 1, 2026.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Eric Simundza, Urban Economic Analyst IV, at (510) 238-6249.
Respectfully submitted,
Ashleigh Kanat (Oct 13, 2026 15:31:01 PDT)
ASHLEIGH KANAT
Director, Economic & Workforce Development
Department
Reviewed by:
Cristy Johnston-Limon
Deputy Director, Business Development
Prepared by:
Eric Simundza, Urban Economic Analyst IV
Economic & Workforce Development
Department