Administrative
Report
L.1., File # 23-6829 Meeting Date: 12/19/2023
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: GREG KAPOVICH, WATERFRONT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TITLE
PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE RIVIERA
VILLAGE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD AND THE LEVYING OF AN ASSESSMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024
ADOPT BY TITLE ONLY RESOLUTION NO. CC-2312-133, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA, CONFIRMING THE 2024 REPORT
OF THE RIVIERA VILLAGE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD AND LEVYING AN ASSESSMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024
PROCEDURES:
A. OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, TAKE TESTIMONY;
B. CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING; AND
C. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO CC-2312-133
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In accordance with State law pertaining to business improvement districts, the Riviera Village Business Improvement District (BID) is required to prepare an Annual Report (Report) to review each Fiscal Year. The Report identifies improvements, activities, and associated costs within the BID for Fiscal Year 2023 (January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023) and includes highlights and accomplishments to date for 2023.
On December 5, 2023, the City Council adopted Resolution No. CC-2312-127, which included a preliminary approval of the Report and is on file with the City Clerk. A Public Hearing is required prior to the City Council taking formal action to approve the Report and levying an assessment for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2024 Riviera Village BID.
The BID Advisory Board recommends that the BID boundaries and the method and basis for levying assessments remain unchanged. The proposed assessments within the BID have remained unchanged since Fiscal Year 2005. Absent a majority protest at the conclusion of the Public Hearing, the City Council may adopt a resolution confirming the report for Fiscal Year 2023 as filed. The adoption of the Resolution also constitutes the levying of the BID assessment for Fiscal Year 2024.
The BID Advisory Board proposes that the Riviera Village Association (RVA) - a non-profit corporation - continue to manage the contracts and funding on behalf of the BID. A resolution is attached to recognize and approve a contract with the RVA as the non-profit corporation for the BID.
L.1., File # 23-6829 Meeting Date: 12/19/2023
BACKGROUND
The Riviera Village BID was established by the City Council in 2003, pursuant to the California Parking and Business Improvement Area Law of 1989 to promote the economic revitalization and physical maintenance of the Riviera Village Business District. The City Council formed an Advisory Board for the BID to advise the City Council on the method and basis for the levy of assessments within the BID and the expenditure of revenues derived from those assessments.
The annual renewal of the BID and the related assessment requires City Council action. In preparation for the public hearing, the City Council took the following actions on December 5, 2023, as required by BID law:
· Adopted Resolution No. CC-2312-126 appointing an Advisory Board for the Riviera Village Business Improvement District and directing the preparation of the Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2023;
· Adopted Resolution No. CC-2312-127 preliminarily approving the Riviera Village Business Improvement District Advisory Board’s Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2023; and · Adopted Resolution No. CC-2312-128 declaring its intention to levy an assessment for Fiscal Year 2023, and setting December 19, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. as the date and time for the Public Hearing on the proposed assessments
Pursuant to State law, notice for the Public Hearing was given to all interested parties. The Public Notice for this Public Hearing and the Resolution of Intention was published in The Easy Reader on December 7, 2023. The Resolution of Intention was also mailed to each business within the BID during the week of December 7, 2023.
ANNUAL REPORT
As noted above, the Report is required to list the accomplishments of the BID for current Fiscal Year 2023 and projects for Fiscal Year 2024.
Parklet Program
The Parklet Program was initiated in July 2020 by the RVA in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program continued to run successfully in 2023 serving to create a thriving restaurant scene, attract more guests to Riviera Village, and increase tax revenue to the City. On June 21, 2022 the City Council passed Resolution No. 2206-04, changing the financial requirements of the program.
Effective July 1, 2022, the City instituted a $2 per square foot rental fee that was collected by the RVA and paid to the City’s General Fund. In order to cover the costs related to the Parklet Program, including rental billing, rent collections, oversight, maintenance, cleaning, pest control, insurance, and administration, the RVA instituted an additional fee of $0.36 per square foot.
After approximately three years of usage, the BID voted to refurbish the well-used parklets with new siding, paint, light boxes, and artificial turf. The BID invested in a Certified Access Specialists (CASp) report, to evaluate existing patron Americans with Disability Act (ADA) accessibility conditions in all parklets, in part to address any issues that need correcting during refurbishment. In April 2023, the BID chose to refurbish a small test segment of three parklets located at GoodStuff at 1617 S Pacific
L.1., File # 23-6829 Meeting Date: 12/19/2023
BID chose to refurbish a small test segment of three parklets located at GoodStuff at 1617 S Pacific Coast Highway, Kalaveras at 228 Avenue I, and Mi Burrito at 1700 S Catalina Ave (parklet located on Avenue I) prior to refurbishing all parklets. The Village-wide parklet program/permit has received approval from the Coastal Commission to extend through 2025, adding stability to the program’s future.
FISCAL YEAR 2023 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Beautification Funds
The BID funded the build and install of five sidewalk planter boxes with drought tolerant plants located on the west side of South Catalina Avenue between Vista Del Mar and Avenida Del Norte.
The vibrant planter boxes replace former planting areas that were either barren or had unsightly overgrown weeds and dying plants. The BID continues to work with its landscaping company to maintain/replenish sidewalk pots and planter boxes along Catalina Ave, Avenue I, Avenida del Norte, and Elena to enhance the appearance of Riviera Village.
Joint Projects with the City
The City of Redondo Beach earmarked $10,000 for Riviera Village public art. The BID voted to paint the asphalt of two bike corrals with coastal themed designs. The RVA worked closely and effectively with the Public Works Department on the project. The BID was responsible for graphic design and procuring a contractor to paint the asphalt. Amie Chessmore, a designer of the utility box wraps, was hired for design, while Creative Paving Solutions produced design stencils and painted the asphalt.
The project was completed in August 2023. The project has been received well by the community, and the street murals are a unique and attractive addition to the Riviera Village landscape. In addition to the public art asphalt project, the RVA has been working on the following projects/items:
· Installation of permanent retractable bollards in key areas of the Riviera Village for increased pedestrian safety during community events
· Continued collaboration with the City to help & assist with the permanent paver program
MARKETING/PROMOTIONAL FUNDS
The RVA’s marketing is managed by a paid local professional who focuses on raising awareness of the Village businesses located within the BID. Marketing efforts include social media posts, email marketing, website content management, project management, and content creation. The professional marketer provides photography and videography conveying lifestyle, Riviera Village products/services, people, and beauty of the surrounding area. In 2023, RVA decreased the social media paid campaign budget due to loss of income from the parklets, which affected the budget. As the nation and community recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor dining such as parklets have decreased in usage given the State’s relaxation of indoor dining restrictions. The current advertising plan is based on maintaining the steady increase in followers, raising overall awareness, and informing the community of Village-wide events/business. In August 2023, RVA’s Instagram account achieved the milestone of reaching 10,000 followers. In 2023, paid promotions featured the farmer’s market, Riviera Village “shop, dine, relax” campaign, and large-scale Riviera Village community events. Video content has continued to be received especially well with the opportunities presented by Instagram and Facebook Reels. Year to date, sixty-nine video posts have yielded over 264,153 views. Riviera Village's social media is showing positive gains and lower reach (due to less
L.1., File # 23-6829 Meeting Date: 12/19/2023
advertising) as follows:
September 2022 - September 2023
INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 10,176 +
1,628 | + 23% FACEBOOK
FOLLOWERS 9,325 +564 | + 15%
Reach (the number of people who saw any content from RVA accounts pages or about RVA pages) INSTAGRAM REACH*
170,023 | -11%
FACEBOOK REACH
378,000 | -14%
*Instagram counts multiple video views from the same user
SIGNATURE EVENTS
Merchant Mixers
RVA Merchant Mixers are held twice per year, downsized from four times per year due to a smaller available budget. In April and November, guests are treated to complimentary refreshments at a Riviera Village restaurant and are invited to meet fellow business owners, talk with BID Board members, and learn about the surrounding businesses that are also members of the BID.
Halloween Trick or Treat
The 2023 Riviera Village Halloween Trick or Treat was a successful event that attracted thousands of attendees. The December 2022 Holiday Stroll included a carousel, photo opportunities with classic holiday characters, and a DJ. One particular highlight was an appearance by Santa Claus in a vintage fire truck led by members of the Redondo Union High School marching band. The upcoming December 2023 event is highly anticipated, and the BID continues to seek sponsorship of several attractions to offset costs usually paid by the BID. This strategy works two-fold, allowing the BID to allocate those funds for beautification and marketing while giving community members/businesses the opportunity to reach a new audience.
Riviera Village Summer Festival
The Riviera Village Summer Festival occurred in June of 2023. The event was well attended and news crews from KTLA Los Angeles Morning News and Spectrum One Morning News were present for live on-air segments. The festival turned a profit of $55,359 in 2023, which was an increase from the $46,733 in 2022.
Certified Farmers Market
The BID continues to support the Certified Farmers Market located in the Triangle Parking Lot on Sundays between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm, which attracts many visitors to the Riviera Village. Social media ads for the market have been posted since early 2022, continued in 2023, and are planned for 2024. The manager of the Farmers Market has excelled in curating a higher caliber and diverse vendor selection, focusing on organic farmers that provide a quality shopping experience. The market continues to be a growing source of income for the BID and earns approximately $22,000 per
L.1., File # 23-6829 Meeting Date: 12/19/2023
year.
ADMINISTRATIVE FUNDS
In January of 2022, the RVA Board of Directors hired a coordinator who is responsible for creating board meeting agendas, inviting outside guests to board meetings, notifying board members of meetings, assisting the board secretary with meeting minutes, and other tasks as needed. For increased efficiency, board members volunteer to manage specific village tasks and projects, such as the farmers market, plant maintenance, lamp post banners/holiday decor, insurance, and events.
INSURANCE POLICIES
The RVA has secured the following insurance coverage as required by the City of Redondo Beach:
· General Liability Insurance
· Officers and Directors Liability Insurance
· Certificate of Insurance for Events (Outside Dining Parklets & Sidewalk Sale during COVID19).
BUSINESS LICENSE VERFICATIONS
Annual Business License verification walkthrough procedure began in late 2018 which resulted in a dramatic improvement of paid business license taxes and fees benefiting both the BID as well as the City bringing businesses into compliance (see Fiscal Year breakdown below of BID fees collected).
The BID will continue with this process and anticipates to collect fees of approximately $79,000 for FY 2023-24.
FY 16-17 = $74,943
FY 17-18 = $76,491
FY 18-19 = $78,945
FY 19-20 = $87,494
FY 20-21 = $75,650
FY 21-22 = $78,729
FY 22-23 = $78,936
PROJECTS/GOALS ANTICIPATED FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023
· RVA to continue to work with the Police Department and the Public Works Department to create a cohesive plan to identify, seek grants, and install retractable bollards within Riviera Village under a phased approach
· RVA to work with City staff and the Coastal Commission to widen sidewalks on S. Catalina Avenue, create parallel parking spaces within the right-of-way, and create bike lanes. The intention of wider sidewalks is to transition to sidewalk dining and remove the temporary parklets. This plan was presented to the BID board at the August 15, 2023 board meeting by Public Works
· RVA to work with the City to complete the Sidewalk Pavers Capital Improvement Project in the Village
· RVA to work towards the goal of improving safety while also adding a unique feature to the
L.1., File # 23-6829 Meeting Date: 12/19/2023
village with a Roundabout at Catalina Avenue & Avenue l · RVA to work on possible solutions to the short-term and long-term parking challenges within the Village
COORDINATION
The Riviera Village BID renewal is coordinated by the Waterfront and Economic Development Department with assistance from the City Manager’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, and the Financial Services Department.
The Financial Services Department will continue to assist with annual BID assessment, receipt of payments and the processing of these assessments and payments. The Waterfront and Economic Development Department has taken the lead in the annual renewal process with assistance from the City Manager’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT
BID assessments are restricted for use exclusively by the BID and must be reported to the City Council annually. The BID encourages activity and retail growth, potentially resulting in additional sales tax revenue for the City. BID funds are often directed towards projects that improve City rightof-way areas and, as a result, offset City expenses.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
· Reso - Confirming 2023 Report, Levying 2024 Assessment and Contracting with RVA to Manage the BID
· Exhibit C - Agreement for Project Serviceswith RVA to Manage the BID · FY 2022-2023 Annual Report - Riviera Village Business Improvement District · FY 2021-2022 Annual Report - Riviera Village Business Improvement District · Public Hearing Notice - The Easy Reader, December 7, 2023