Tuesday night the City of Novato unveiled its plan to right the ship otherwise known as the Downtown Novato Business Association (DNBA). It’s a really easy fix: Just spend money, even more money than was budgeted in 2013. But the key is to not dawdle; we’ve got to strike NOW. Not a moment to spare. You gotta get when the getting is good, see.
Yup, you heard right. City staff advised the council to adopt a plan that will include hiring a brilliant marketing maven who will lay waste to all our problems with the DNBA. This genius will effectively spin straw into gold. Only that’s not what these city wonks call it. The proper term is “leverage.” This marketing maven will find ways to attract oodles of dollars and “free” advertising through sponsorships, grants, etc., and then use this booty to attract armies of shoppers to Grant Avenue. It’ll be like a zombie invasion!
And, get this: This wondrous marketing maven will be had for a mere $30,000 to $35,000 annually. Of course, if all goes to plan, this will be a pittance compared to all the loot he or she will score for us. Man, we’re gonna be in the chips!
I’m having too much sarcastic fun with this so I’ll get serious for a moment. The aforementioned scenario, hiring a marketing guru to come to Novato and clean up the DNBA, is the centerpiece of the city’s strategy to deal with the failings of this faltering organization.
The problem is that it’s easy to come up with grandiose plans on somebody else’s dime. That dime (actually the $54,000 in assessments projected for 2014 and $55,000 more sitting in reserve) comes from the pockets of business owners in and around Grant Avenue, also known as the Downtown Business Improvement District. It’s Novato’s version of the Bermuda Triangle where dollars evaporate via the DNBA.
Business owners fund this “improvement” every year when we pay for our business license. It’s all lumped together on the bill we get from the city. I paid $158 last year. What did it get me? Most of the assessment in 2013 went for an overpriced website, an embarrassingly bad TV commercial and a spate of newspaper ads that I still haven’t seen.
I’m not buying into this latest scheme, especially when city staff and councilmembers are emphasizing that time is of the essence and that we can’t dilly dally too long considering it. During the council meeting, the option of suspending the annual assessment for 2014 was all but sneered at. This subtle pressure tactic reminded me of timeshare sellers in Hawaii.
The message from city staff was that the council needs to pass this budget stat, paving the way to hire consultants, organize focus groups, schedule 1x1s (that’s bureaucratese for gathering info one person at a time), etc. So much to do and so little time. Just cut us that check, business owners, and the spending spree will begin.
I have a guaranteed way for downtown businesses to have between $65 and $525 (depends on the business’ location in the district grid) more in their wallet in 2014 and it doesn’t even require leverage, marketing mavens or 1x1s: oppose the assessment. If we can get a majority to say no to the assessment, the city will be forced to suspend levying it for 2014.
We need to send a message to City Hall that as business owners, we want control over our own money and we can come up with our own strategies to spend it, either individually or collectively. The deadline is Nov. 12, when the council will vote on this issue.
Come by Loveable Rogue bookstore at 867 Grant Avenue to register a protest. I have a form available to do so.
Of course, if the city chooses to put its own money into this leverage strategy, more power to it. Judging from the staff's recommendation, the plan is obviously a no-brainer, a fiscal slam-dunk. More sales tax dollars will start cascading into city coffers in no time.
Good luck with that.
