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November 2020
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Andrew Thomas
Westwood Village Improvement Association

1st Vice President
Steve Snider
Downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt-Uptown District Associations
 
2nd Vice President
Emilie Cameron 
Downtown Sacramento Partnership

Secretary
Kathy Hemmenway
Walnut Creek Downtown
 
Treasurer
Austin Metoyer
Downtown Long Beach Alliance
 
At-Large Directors
Marshall Anderson
Downtown San Diego Partnership

John Caner
Downtown Berkeley

Karin Flood
Union Square Business Improvement District

Suzanne Holley
Downtown Center Business Improvement District (LA)

Rena Leddy
LA Fashion District
 
Steve Mulheim
Old Pasadena Management District

Chloe Shipp
San Jose Downtown Association
 
Immediate Past President
Steven Welliver
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
CDA MEMBERS
Arlington Business Partnership
Arts District Los Angeles BID
Improvement Association
BLVD Association
Carmichael Improvement District, Inc.
City of Beverly Hills
City of Monterey Park
City of Morgan Hill
City of Ontario
Civitas
Downtown Alameda Business Association
Downtown Berkeley Association
Downtown Business Association-Bakersfield
Downtown Center BID
Downtown Long Beach Alliance
Downtown Modesto Partnership
Downtown Oakland Association/ Lake Merritt Uptown District Association
Downtown Pomona Owners Association
Downtown Roseville Partnership
Downtown Sacramento Partnership
Downtown Santa Barbara, Inc.
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
Downtown SLO
Downtown Vacaville BID
Downtown Ventura Partners
Downtown Visalians, Inc.
Figueroa Corridor Partnership
Gateway to LA Airport Business District
Gilroy Economic Development
Greater Broadway District
Hollywood Property Owners Alliance
Kono CBD
LA Downtown Industrial District BID
LA Fashion District BID
Old Monterey Business Association
Old Pasadena Management District 
ParkSmart, Inc.
Paso Robles Main Street Association
Placerville Downtown Association
Playhouse District Association
Progressive Urban Management Associates, Inc.
R Street Sacramento Partnership
Riverside Downtown Partnership
San Jose Downtown Association
South Park BID
Sunnyvale Downtown
Telegraph BID
Temescal Telegraph BID
The River District
The Unity Council
Tracy City Center Association
Tulare Downtown Association
Union Square BID
Walnut Creek Downtown Business Association
Westwood Village Improvement Association 


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MESSAGE FROM 1ST VICE PRESIDENT
2020 is a year of unprecedented challenges, not only for the essential work of business improvement districts (BIDs), but for almost all aspects of our daily lives. This year's new rules of engagement created by the COVID-19 pandemic of social distancing, shelter-in-place orders, and working from home, have devastated our economy, and our vibrant commercial districts. These new rules run counter to our core mission as BIDs. We are community-builders and it is next to impossible for us to achieve our mission if we cannot bring a critical mass of people to our commercial corridors, to our public spaces, to our businesses, and into our neighborhoods.

If there is a silver lining to this horrific year it has to be that our "new normal" has afforded us the opportunity to slow down and reflect deeply on what is most important to us as individuals, to the organizations we lead, and to the communities we serve. The tremendous challenges presented by the pandemic have been greatly exasperated by the horrific, high profile murder of George Floyd in May at the hands of a police officer. The many months of social unrest that followed in cities throughout the country brought more boarded up businesses to our commercial districts, leading all the way up to the most contentious presidential election in modern American history. But amidst all of this turmoil, awareness of America's deep history of racial discrimination and inequity rose to unprecedented levels across the country. As a result, many community leaders and organizations, including the California Downtown Association, began to look more closely at issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and began exploring how they could become community-builders and problem solvers who are working to facilitate more equitable and just communities.

In June, the CDA Board of Directors began discussions on issues of race, equity and inclusion. In July, we formalized the organization's very first DEI Task Force with a two primary goals: first, to focus on our own organizational development and DEI assessment program; and second, to gather and vet resources to help educate and guide CDA members in creating more progressive and wholistic organizations and communities.

Via our website and monthly CDA District Digest newsletters, our task force will provide ongoing updates on our work. Additionally, CDA is working with our partners at the International Downtown Association to organize and present a DEI-focused webinar in March of 2020 to follow through on our commitment to make DEI resources and educational opportunities available to you, our valued CDA members.

Steve Snider, 1st Vice President, CDA
Executive Director,
Downtown Oakland & Lake Merritt-Uptown District Associations
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Voters Reject Efforts to Dismantle Commercial Property Tax Protections and to Enact “Rent Control” on Residential Housing

California voters sent a strong message to initiative proponents and policymakers by rejecting two major ballot measures that would have had devastating effects on commercial properties, tenants and prospective homeowners looking for new housing opportunities within our downtowns. The Board of the California Downtown Association carefully considered both initiatives and took an “oppose” position on both Proposition 15 & 21.

Proposition 15 – $12 Billion Dollar Commercial Property Tax Increase
CDA Position: OPPPOSE
Voters rejected this measure 48% (yes) to 52% (no)

The ballot measure would have made significant changes to the current Proposition 13 (enacted by voters in 1978) by allowing local governments to assess commercial property taxes based on that property’s current market value versus capping the tax assessment based on when that property was sold.

Although Proposition 15 wouldn’t have applied to residential property owners, the initiative would have imposed a $13 billion tax increase on commercial property owners who own properties valued at over $3 million. The initiative would have unfairly punished property owners who have owned their properties the longest – as long-standing owners who would see the biggest spikes in tax assessments compared to property owners who recently purchased their properties.

Small businesses would have been severely impacted because under most commercial leases, tenants often pay the property taxes through a “triple net lease” structure. Therefore, in many cases, the tax increase would have been passed along to the tenant’s existing lease. COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the economic condition of our downtowns. Proposition 15 would have imposed a severe tax increase to our commercial properties and small businesses at a time in which we can least afford it.

Proposition 21 – Rent Control
CDA Position: OPPOSE
Voters rejected this measure 40.1% (yes) to 59.9% (no)

The proposition would have repealed portions of the state’s existing rental housing laws and open the door for extreme forms of “rent control” that would likely be enacted at the local level. Prop. 21 would have allowed for the establishment of permanent price caps on all forms of housing including single family homes and condominiums.

Furthermore, Prop. 21 would have undermined a new statewide rent control law just months after the law went into effect. That law was recently approved and signed by the Governor and represents some of the strongest renter protections in the country.

Prop. 21 would have depressed residential property values and would result in fewer housing options being made available to tenants exacerbating the current housing shortage. Prop. 21 was nearly identical to Prop. 10 (2018) which was rejected by voters 60% no, 40% yes. CDA opposed Prop. 10 in 2018 as well.

Jason Bryant 
Bryant Government Affairs
November 2020 Legislative Update 
IN THE NEWS
How Oakland Got Real About Equitable Urban Planning
We Are Not Divided
When the city closed streets to traffic during Covid, it revealed a fix for designs that cater to white and moneyed interests.

How Stockton and California are Building Resilience from the Ground Up
Green B
California — as well as the rest of the United States and, in some cases, the rest of the world

NextGen Plan to Improve Metro Bus System is Approved
The Source
The plan will increase frequency of buses, improve service on most routes and put more buses in areas with the greatest demand.

California Cities Doing the Most on Climate Action
University of California
Of the top 100 most populous cities in the U.S. as of 2017, less than half (45) had climate action plans.

How to Get Everyone Walking and Biking
Streetsblog
The Bay Area is still a long way from having cycling rates comparable to the Netherlands.
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CDA District Digest Copyright 2020
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