The biggest property owner in the proposed 19-block downtown business improvement district is the City of Manteca.

The city owns 21 of the 111 targeted parcels.

Based on assessment criteria — building square footage, parcel square footage, and linear footage along streets — the city will be paying 22.17 percent or $40,959 of the initial annual assessment of $184,555.

The assessment was determined by multiplying the square footage of city-owned buildings by 17 cents per square foot, linear footage by $3.50 per foot, and parcel size by 5 cents per square foot.

Using the formula on a mythical 5,000 square foot lot (times 5 cents per square foot) with 50 linear feet in street frontage (times $3.50 a foot), and a 2,500 square foot building (times 17 cents per square foot), the assessment would be $850 a year.

That breaks down to $70.83 per month or $2.33 per day

The Manteca City Council when they meet tonight at 6 p.m. will consider putting in motion the next step to form a Downtown Manteca Community Benefit District.

Based on the current timeline, ballots would need to be mailed out before April 15 to allow a public hearing on June 4.

If the majority supports the formation of the district, the timeline would allow the city time to forward the necessary documents to the county assessor so the initial funding would be available to launch the benefit district in early 2025.

The district would have a five-year lifespan. It would have to be renewed by the majority for it to continue after that.

The district’s efforts would be in addition to what the city is already doing.

In other words, it will not supplant what is currently being done downtown in terms of city services nor will it preclude the city from doing more or making other investments.

What it does is allow downtown as a whole to address additional security; landscaping; marketing such as social media, as well as promotions; and cleaning public spaces.

Expenditures could include but are not limited to:

• Regular sidewalk and gutter sweeping

• Periodic sidewalk steam cleaning

• Beautification of the district

• Enhanced trash emptying (over and above city services)

• Timely graffiti removal, within 72 hours as necessary

• Maintenance of existing and new public spaces

• Installation and maintenance of hanging plants, planting flowers throughout the district.

• Possibly funding private security to respond to issues of trespassing and petty crime

• Personnel to manage in-house or contracted maintenance and/or security teams.

• Website development and updating

• Traditional events done by the City or businesses within Downtown

• Social media, public relations firm

• Enhancing current City holiday and seasonal decorations

• Branding of Downtown Manteca CBD properties so a positive image is promoted to the public including the development of a new logo.

• Banner programs

• Public art displays

• Public space design and improvements

• Personnel to manage in-house or contracted public relations, web site maintenance or social media contractors.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com