Property owners say ‘aye’ to PBID

Though the Chico City Council typically meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, because of the July 4 holiday, the city scheduled a rare Wednesday night meeting, July 5.

One of the most anticipated items on the agenda was the outcome of a vote on the proposed downtown property-based improvement district, or PBID, an area in which property owners pay a self-imposed assessment, with the funds dedicated to the management and improvement of the area. In Chico’s case, it includes 323 commercial and residential properties in two zones encompassing roughly 45 blocks.

At Wednesday’s council meeting, City Clerk Debbie Presson announced that, based on the vote count of the 180 property owners in the region, the effort could move forward. Property owners will vote on whether to maintain the district five years after its formation.

Tuesday holidays are rare—the last was Jan. 1, 2013, according to the City Clerk’s Office—so the council rarely reschedules. The most recent Wednesday meeting was July 22, 2015: a special session, called for the evening after a canceled regular meeting, to discuss funding of community groups and modifying the city’s loan to the Chico Creek Nature Center.