Council,
First, I wanted to say thank you for listening to community’s calls to split the bill, and working with the administration to put forward a clean funding bill for neighborhood outreach
Transparency and accountability are critical, on that note…
Right now, we can come to you to express our concerns and make sure that if we’re gonna 600,000 tax dollars on something, its not going to be on the RDDC’s bougie concierge service. But we won’t have that say with a downtown Business Improvement District. They’ll be able to spend those dollars without your direct oversight, or our input.
The RDDC has a vested interest in the BID passing, they should not have been tasked with managing community engagement. Especially when that feedback that could make or break their future funding.
The “Community Feedback” you are getting from them does not accurately represent the community at large.
I have attended several of the BID “feedback events.” Just like the RDDC tried to bundle together their ambassadors with opioid outreach, they once again trying to bundle two very different things together. They are merging feedback of their membership with the general public.
Last spring at their only open community meeting about the BID, I did come to the table. I came to listen and answer questions, and I found the majority of the seats next to me filled with CEOs, RDDC Board Members, developers, and Staffers of Elected officials. You can look at the photos on their website and see for yourself.
Miguel you were there, at our table were multiple executive board members of the RDDC and Senator Cooney’s aide. This was billed as a COMMUNITY information and feedback meeting.
And its not just who was in attendance, but also the questions asked, designed to create a story they’ve already decided the ending to. it is not an accurate representation of the broader community.
Council, I urge you, listen to the folks who will come here to give you feedback on a potential BID. Speaking directly to you is our only assurance that you’re actually getting to hear what saying.