Members of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce addressed the Village Board of Trustees last Thursday, to request that the board approve $30,000 to hire a consultant to look further at developing a Business Improvement District (BID) in Garden City, an idea which has been raised several times over the last few years.

In 1995 Mayor Richard Benack and the board of trustees formed the Business Planning Coalition and charged it to devise a comprehensive strategy for revitalizing the village and restore its business reputation. That coalition came up with a three part strategy which included the Franklin Avenue streetscape beautification, parking field improvements and the development of a BID. At that time the BID was defined as: "A method used to finance improvements in designated business districts in order to restore or promote activity. The property owners and merchants in a district agree to be assessed by the municipality for improvements that will benefit the entire district."

According to information presented by chamber of commerce member Maureen Clancy at Thursday night's meeting, in September, 1998, Mayor Frank Tauches directed Village Administrator Robert Schoelle to develop an agenda for consideration of a BID and in April, 1999 the executive director of the Great Neck Plaza BID was invited to make a presentation to the Garden City Board of Trustees regarding that community's experience with a BID.

This January, according to Ross Mongiardo, executive vice president of the chamber, the chamber of commerce created a committee to determine the steps necessary to establish a BID. Mongiardo serves as the executive director of that committee. According to Mongiardo, the committee concluded that the village should engage a consultant to work with a steering committee to perform several services necessary to establish a BID. He went on to note that the committee met with three consultants and their recommendation would be that the village hire Square Foot, LLC, of Long Branch, NJ, because of the qualifications of its principal, Marta Person, who has advised several communities establishing BIDs, including Glen Cove. According to Mongiardo, since 1997, "the village has invested nearly $4 million in the streetscape beautification project, the Albanese/Castagna partnership has invested nearly $15 million in the former A&S building and the future Kings Super Market, and other landlords and tenants have invested in their properties and businesses as well. He explained that these efforts alone have not been able to attract well-known upscale retailers to the village.

"We strongly believe, as did the coalition, that the BID's marketing programs and activities will complement the efforts of the chamber, the village, its property owners and retailers to revitalize and preserve the retail sector of the village's business district," said Mongiardo. "Let us restore the pride of our residents in our downtown. Let us stop the erosion of our commercial tax base."

Several of the trustees questioned the need for the BID, saying that many of the needs normally met by the establishment of a BID were already met by the streetscape beautification. Trustee John Mauk questioned what the BID could provide, that was missing from Garden City.

Mongiardo explained that when he moved to the village many people commented that Garden City was a great place to live because taxes were low since there was such a good commercial tax base. He added that since that time his taxes have gone up quite a bit because of the loss of so many businesses within the village, and said it was for that reason that the BID would positively impact not only the commercial residents but the homeowners as well.

Clancy explained that the BID is a way for the village to be marketed and the hiring of a consultant is a vital part of the process. "We are all business people ourselves, involved in our own businesses. We don't have the time, the funds or the expertise to set up a BID to begin with." She added that the BID is an equitable way to collect a designated amount of money from all the businesses in the community to improve the area, rather than just from a few businesses, as is currently done.

Russell Matthews acknowledged that the BID was not the "be all and end all" but noted that it is one of the things a community can do to improve its business community. He called the establishment of the BID a step-by-step process, which, hopefully will help keep businesses in Garden City as well as attracting new businesses. He also explained that the BID would take at least 2-3 years to establish.

When questioned about the fact that the business district would have a new tax imposed upon them, which concerned some members of the board, it was explained that it would not be the village imposing the tax but the businesses taxing themselves.

Mauk stated that he does not believe it is appropriate for the committee to approach the board for this money without having the goals of the BID specified more clearly. In response to this concern, which was raised several times, former trustee Judith Asselta, who had served as a liaison to the Business Planning Coalition, spelled out the purpose of the BID in Garden City even further.

The number one role of the consultant, according to Asselta, is to go out and market the village and fill up the stores. Part of this, she said, is to fill a store immediately when a tenant leaves. "It isn't just $30,000 to have this person come and set this BID up for you. It should be the person who is going to stay here, and is going to see it through and is going to continue to market afterwards," said Asselta. She went on to note that the village board would still control the BID in that they would have to approve or disapprove of the BID's budget every year. "It's not there for life," said Asselta, adding if it's not working, if it is not accomplishing what the business district wants it to do, the BID can always be dissolved if the majority of the businesses want it to be. She went on to add that many things that cannot be mandated through the village, such as façade improvements can be done with the funds raised through the BID. The funds can also be used for advertising to bring shoppers into the business district.

Following this discussion, Mauk noted that he has a clearer understanding that the main role of the BID is to market the village to both businesses and shoppers.

In answer to the committee's request for funds, Mayor Harold Hecken appointed a subcommittee to study the matter and meet with the consultant recommended by the chamber subcommittee. John Mauk will serve as the chair of this subcommittee, on which Trustees Bruce Torino and Peter Bee will also serve.