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The San Ramon City Council is set to hear from the public as they consider the renewal of the city’s tourism district for an additional five years at the request of a group of hotel owners and operators who first spearheaded the program in 2017.
The San Ramon Valley Tourism Improvement District was renewed for two years in 2022, with officials now set to decide whether to continue the program after the expiration of its current term this year.
“If renewed, the SRVTID could generate approximately $450,000 on an annual basis for promotion of travel and tourism specific to the City of San Ramon,” Deputy City Manager Scott Koll wrote in a staff report for the upcoming meeting.
SRVTID was established as a benefit assessment district, with the aim of generating revenue to be used for promoting, marketing, and sales for lodging businesses in the city. It was established by a group of businesses that formed into Discover San Ramon, including hotels and short-term rental businesses.
The goal of Discover San Ramon is to promote the city as a tourism and business destination, with fees assessed at $2 per room, per night and managed by the city, which operates as the fiduciary of the funds that are collected on a monthly basis.
The upcoming discussion will be the final public hearing on the item prior to a council vote deciding whether or not to renew the district. If the city receives written comments from lodging business owners who account for more than 50% of the revenue generated from the program – constituting a majority protest – the matter is required to be shelved for at least one year.
The San Ramon City Council is set to meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (April 9). The agenda is available here.
In other business
*Councilmembers are set to continue discussions on proposed updates to the fee schedule for municipal services in the city as staff and consultants seek to move fees “towards full-cost recovery where feasible” according to a staff report for the upcoming meeting.
Following previous discussions and review of the proposed fee schedule changes prepared by Matrix Consulting Group, the council has directed that fees increasing more than 150% be phased in over the course of two years and that separate fees for residents and non-residents be established, as well as further discussion at this week’s meeting and a public hearing on April 23.
Staff and consultants are seeking feedback on the latest draft fee schedule ahead of preparing a final fee schedule that will be considered by the city.
*The council is set to provide feedback to city staff on how many and which applicants to invite for interviews as they move forward with establishing a Climate Action Plan Citizens’ Task Force. As of the March 17 deadline, the city had received 22 qualified applications for the nine positions on the new task force.
*SRPD Chief Denton Carlson is set to provide the department’s annual update.