Property owners are joining forces to invest money to move downtown Manteca forward.

In what could be a pivotal moment in downtown history, 62.08 percent of the 111 parcel owners voted in favor of forming a downtown Property and Business Improvement District. A simple majority was needed for passage.

“It is real exciting downtown has decided to invest in themselves,” Mayor Gary Singh said following Tuesday’s council meeting verifying the results of the parcel election.

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

The action by the council Tuesday means the necessary documents will be forwarded to the county assessor so the initial funding would be available to launch the benefit district in early 2025.

Under state law, the PBID assessment has a sunset of five years. It can be renewed after that, if the majority of property owners agree to do so.

The district’s efforts covering a 19-block area 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.

Singh said he expects the city will also step up its investment in  downtown now that a united effort will be in place to move the central district forward.

The biggest property owner in the 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 little guys made it happen,” Singh noted as he pointed out only four of the five corporate financial institutions cast ballots.

At the council meeting, Councilman Dave Breitenbucher said he was ”ecstatic”  with the outcome of the vote.

He emphasized that while people have said they wanted to have a downtown like Livermore and other locations, Manteca’s downtown is unique and as such will likely not be a carbon copy of other downtowns that have benefited from PBIDs but rather “be the best Manteca can be.

“It’s  tremendous opportunity for downtown business to participate in improving  downtown,” said Councilman Charlie Halford.

Manteca’s $40,959 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

PBID 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