Decision details

Purpose of Report: To present the final arrangements for the Business Improvement District, now that a ballot has been agreed by the business community.

Members are asked to note the content of the report, the financial arrangements and Council involvement, and to lend their support.

Due to an administrative error the BID decision will now be considered by Executive and not the Executive Member for Economic Development and Community Engagement (Deputy Leader) and will move to 28 January 2016 as December is too close to the ballot timescales to develop full advice on next steps.

Resolved:  That Executive agree to:

(i)           Note the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Operating Agreement, included in Annex A and give the Assistant Director Governance and ICT the authority to negotiate and agree the final terms with the Business Improvement District (BID) board.

(ii)          The request from the BID board for a cash flow loan of £50,000 that allows the Business Improvement District to become active as soon as possible. This will be reimbursed to the Council from the BID levy by Summer 2016.

(iii)        Cllrs Steward and Aspden representing the Council on the BID board, with Officers attending meetings where appropriate.

(iv)        That Officers work with the Business Improvement District to arrange a mechanism to ensure that members from the city centre wards are able to have an input into the BID.

Reason:     To support the successful implementation of the Business Improvement District in York.