City Commissioners approved $165,000 of downtown tax increment financing funds during their June 3 meeting to replace trash bins and trim, maintain and replace boulevard trees downtown.

Commissioners approved up to $130,000 toward the trash bin replacement and $35,000 toward tree management.

The Downtown Development Partnership reviewed and recommend approval of the requests during their March meeting.

The downtown TIF was established in 2012 and funds generated by improvements in the district, go back into eligible uses within the district on a reimbursement basis, all subject to city approval.

Downtown group asks for $125K in TIF funds for tree maintenance [2021]

Downtown groups approached city staff about replacing the downtown trash bids that were installed in 1995 as part of a community transportation enhancement program project.

Since then, many have been damaged or destroyed.

The downtown business improvement district maintains the bins and garbage removal twice weekly during the summer.

The design of the bins allows for graffiti and people putting waste on top rather than within the bins, creating “unsightly overflow,” according to the city.

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The design of the new bins would “prohibit anyone from setting things on the top of the receptacle, as modern designs include a domed ‘rain cover,’ which also allows for a vinyl wrap that will promote downtown and dissuade graffiti. The proposed color would match the newly installed wayfinding signage and design elements for the downtown brand,” according to the city.

The BID is planning to replace all 99 existing bins and the estimated cost is $70,000.

City staff estimates removal of the existing bins to be $10,000 and received bids from two local contractors with an estimated installation cost of $50,000.

Downtown group recommends three TIF funding requests [2023]

The city will be responsible for the purchase and installation of the bins, after which the BID will be responsible for maintenance.

In April 2021, commissioners approved $125,000 of TIF funds for tree trimming, maintenance and replacement in the downtown district for the BID to spend over five years.

The BID requested the additional $35,000 for tree management for another year.

Staff and downtown groups have discussed the need for a downtown tree inventory to identify the location, characteristics and health of each tree in the downtown district.

Staff is looking at grant options for the inventory.

City approves TIF funding for downtown economic strategy [2023]

The city’s downtown TIF has a cash balance of $5,049,675 with $2,095,947 in outstanding project obligations.

City finance staff said the downtown TIF receives about $2 million annually of tax increment revenue and there’s “adequate funding” available to fulfill the request.