TO: COMMUNITY & EDUCATION FROM: Councilmember Torres
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
SUBJECT: DIGITAL BILLBOARD STATUS UPDATE DATE: February 26, 2024 Approved Date: 2/26/24
RECOMMENDATION
1. Accept the staff status report.
2. Direct the City Manager to:
a. Proceed with Large Format Digital Signage on five (5) City-Owned Select Sites i. Market/San Pedro Street Garage
ii. Second and San Carlos Street Parking Garage
iii. Center for Performing Arts
iv. McEnery Convention Center
v. The Tech Interactive
b. Allocate 20% of the annual revenue produced by the five (5) Building- Mounted Signage and by the Free-Standing Signage in District 3 to be reinvested back into Downtown San José through a community advisory group overseen by the District 3 Council office. The Community Advisory Group shall provide grants to non-profit organizations and community groups that seek to:
i. Enhance commercial/residential vibrancy.
ii. Activation and revitalization efforts in Downtown San José, and iii. Promote arts, culture, and placemaking opportunities in District 3
3. Return to the City Council with fully negotiated leases, completed environmental reviews, and final approvals of the five (5) Select Sites by September 2024.
4. Bring these recommendations to the next City Council meeting on March 12, 2024
DISCUSSION
In 2018, the previous City Council voted to approve a new (replacement) City Council Policy 6- 4 (Signs on City-Owned Land) and directed to prepare an RFP for building-mounted digital signs in Downtown San José. In August 2019, the City issued an RFP for digital signage on Select Sites and subsequently awarded the Notice of Intended Award (NOIA) to Orange Barrel Media.
The RFP was later reissued due to a technical issue, and the NOIA was again awarded to Orange Barrel Media in November 2022. The RFP was awarded to Orange Barrel Media twice for submitting the best digital signage proposal, which included a thorough review from an Evaluation Committee comprised of City Staff and community members, including The Tech Interactive.
CED AGENDA: 2/26/24
ITEM: d(3)
The prior Council also voted (11-0 in December 2022) to accept the NOIA of the five Select Sites RFP to Orange Barrel Media. My Memorandum is not about proposing new electronic billboards in San José, but it is about reaffirming prior Council direction and providing a status update on progress made thus far.
My memorandum seeks to clarify and provide clear direction to staff, with the intention of moving forward with the five City-Owned Select Sites, that was materially presented in the RFP, without further delay. The Council should vote to finalizing the Select Sites no later than September 30, 2024. Any further delays would deprive San José of critical revenue opportunities that can be leverage to address homelessness, crime, cleaning up our streets, activating in the Downtown core, and more.
Because the Select Site digital signage RFP was approved by the prior Council and will be installed in the Downtown core. I am proposing a new Community Advisory Group will be funded by 20% of revenues shared with the City from the electronic billboards to alleviate the burden on District 3. The purpose of the Community Advisory Group will be to fund non-profit organizations, along with business, community, and neighborhood groups working every day to improve and enhance the Downtown core. The Advisory Group will promote the arts, culture, and placemaking opportunities to activate Downtown and make our community a beautiful place live, work, play and do business.