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Are There Flowers In West Portal's Future?
Community Benefits District?
Matt Rogers, owner of Papenhausen Hardware, introduced a plan to establish a Community Benefits District along West Portal’s commercial strip at the last meeting of the West of Twin Peaks Central Council. “It’s in the beginning stages.” Rogers said, and he is seeking support from the residents.
Community Benefit Districts are funded by a tax on the building owners of commercial properties in the affected area. A steering committee would control the amounts levied on the businesses as well as the services provided.
Services could include steam cleaning of sidewalks, continual cleaning, graffiti removal and extra security services if the steering committee desires. CBDs are formed through an election process that begins with a petition signed by 30% of affected land owners and takes affect when, by a 50% majority, they elect to form the CBD. They can last for up to 15 years and must be ratified by the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors.
Rogers pointed to the Noe Valley CBD as a successful example of what can be accomplished. Noe Valley has beautiful hanging flower baskets and very clean streets. He also noted that an attempt by West Portal businesses to pool money for clean up in the past had little success. He could not comment on the flower baskets, however.
Don’t expect City Hall to provide any extra services or funding. The City is having severe budget problems—so what’s new? The City now pays for amenities like hanging flower baskets around City Hall and at a few other chosen locations at an astronomical cost. The price of each basket, which may have a life-span of only 4-6 months starts at $750 each, but the real cost is maintenance. Our taxes are called upon, again, to shell out $6 per basket for watering and fertilizing each one, which must be done daily. City Hall is silent on the real cost of these, admittedly gorgeous touches, but documents obtained by the Westside Observer through the City’s Sunshine Ordinance show expenses of at least a quarter of a million annually.
