The Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) No. 0001 Board of Directors requests that the City Council adopt a resolution of intent to expand the existing BID. The expansion is specifically for the "Cooperative Safety Zone," which has been described to the City Council during past work sessions. The proposed boundary is irregular, but it extends to Poly Drive on the north, to North Park on the east, to South Park on the south and to N. 32nd Street on the west. State law requires a petition from owners of at least 60% of the property within the proposed district. Petitions were presented that represent slightly more than 60% of the property and include large land holders such as both hospitals, the City of Billings, some Conoco-Phillips property and School District 2. If the Council approves the resolution of intent to expand the BID, property owners within the boundary will be notified and a public hearing will be conducted at the June 14th City Council meeting.

The City Council may:

• Approve the resolution of intent and schedule a public hearing for June 14, or
• Dispprove the resolution of intent and instruct staff and the BID Board of Directors to pursue alternatives

The proposed assessments are a combination of a minimum rate for each property that is less than 3/4 acre and graduated amounts per square foot for larger parcels. The minimum rate is $150 per year and some of the high assessments include the City of Billings and The Billings Clinic, both to be assessed approximately $7,500/year.

Staff and the Downtown BID Board of Directors recommend that the City Council approve the Resolution of Intent to expand the boundaries of BID No. 0001 for the "Cooperative Safety Zone" program and to set a public hearing on the matter for June 14, 2010.