TO: RULES AND OPEN GOVERNMENT FROM: Councilmember Torres
COMMITTEE
SUBJECT: DIGITAL BILLBOARDS STATUS REPORT
CROSS-REFERENCE DATE DATE: March 28, 2024
Approved Date: 3/28/24
RECOMMENDATION
Change the Digital Billboard Status Report cross-reference from the Community and Economic Development Committee to City Council from April 2024 to a date before December 2024, as recommended by staff at the February 26, 2024, Community and Economic Development Committee meeting.
DISCUSSION
At the January 17, 2024, Rules and Open Government Committee meeting, my January 11, 2024, memorandum was approved, directing the City Manager to provide a status update at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Community and Economic Development (CED) Committee.
At the February 26, 2024, CED Committee meeting, staff provided a status report (CC 24-302) 1 on
Digital Billboards. This item is also referred to as Large-format Digital Signage on City-owned Property.
I submitted a memorandum2 on this item, which included direction to:
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 1 City of San José - File #: CC 24-302 (legistar.com)
2 CC 24-302 - Memorandum from Torres, 2/26/2024 (legistar.com) RULES AGENDA: 4/3/24
ITEM: B.4
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.
During the CED Committee discussion, I made the motion to accept the status report, cross reference the item to a City Council meeting in mid-April 2024, and direct staff to explore recommendations 2(a) and 2(b) of my memorandum. The motion was passed by the CED Committee.
Since the February 26, 2024, CED Committee meeting, I have participated in follow-up discussions, including staff, regarding the timeline to bring the Digital Billboards item to City Council for action. As staff shared at the February 24, 2024, CED Committee meeting, the environmental analysis must be completed before City Council action. Additionally, staff shared that this analysis along with staff’s recommendation on the select sites and alternative sites for signage will be presented to City Council by December 2024. It will be more efficient for staff to present the item in its entirety by December 2024, instead of the item being heard at a City Council meeting in April 2024.
The signers of this memorandum have not had, and will not have, any private conversation with any other member of the City Council, or that member’s staff, concerning any action discussed in the memorandum, and that each signer’s staff members have not had, and have been instructed not to have, any such conversation with any other member of the City Council or that member's staff.