The consultant will provide the following services, structured across seven key tasks: Task I. Project Research and Legal Analysis • Conduct project kickoff with City staff and stakeholders • Review BID/PBID/CID legal frameworks and Proposition 218 compliance • Review of current market conditions • Conduct a formal needs assessment with stakeholders to identify service and infrastructure gaps • Review of governance options (City-administered vs. nonprofit corporation) • Conduct financial modeling and analysis of comparable districts—including budgets, services, and outcomes—with a focus on tourism dependent communities with populations between 5,000 and 10,000. • Review of downtown/commercial district improvements in the Central Coast region • Identification of potential challenges and mitigation strategies Task I Deliverables: Project work plan and timeline, legal analysis, comparable case studies, financial options summary, needs assessment report. Task II. Stakeholder Identification • Comprehensive map of property and business owners within the proposed boundaries • Update the existing parcel database for assessor parcels as currently shown on the County assessor's parcel maps, development maps, or other available data. The database will include land divisions, ownership, uses, and mailing information, as well as parcel information relevant to the calculation of assessments. Task II Deliverables: Stakeholder database, Findings and Recommendations Report. Task III. Outreach & Engagement The Consultant shall lead and manage all stakeholder outreach and engagement activities, serving as the primary facilitator for communications with property owners, business operators, and community partners. • Develop multilingual outreach materials explaining BID concepts and benefits, and a community engagement strategy • Develop a messaging framework for different stakeholder groups • Establishment of communication channels and feedback mechanisms • Facilitate public meetings, roundtables, and individual consultations • Coordinate and participate in meetings, focus groups, one-on-one visits, and an online survey with key stakeholders—including the Chamber of Commerce, property and business owners, employees, and the Tourism & Marketing Advisory Committee—to identify priorities, discuss challenges and opportunities, and build consensus on Downtown Solvang services. • Collect, document, and address feedback, questions, and concerns • Presentation to City Council in public session • Chamber Partnership Development: Facilitation of discussions between City and Chamber leadership, Assessment of Chamber's role in potential BID administration, Evaluation of Solvang Community Development Alliance capacity, Development of collaborative framework for BID implementation Task III Deliverables: Stakeholder Outreach Plan, Educational Materials and Presentations, Chamber Partnership Framework, Meeting Documentation and Summary Reports, Stakeholder Feedback and Engagement Summary. Task IV. District Design and Implementation Planning • Define district boundaries, service offerings, and assessment methodology documentation (Special vs. General Benefit Analysis) based on stakeholder input • Analysis of inclusion/exclusion criteria for different property types • Consideration of future expansion possibilities • Definition of proposed district services based on stakeholder priorities and initial improvement concepts, including for example: Infrastructure improvements (speaker system reconnection, consistent tree lighting along Mission Drive, additional restrooms, complete streets) Maintenance services (power washing sidewalks, enhanced cleaning) Safety and security enhancements (camera surveillance system, AED stations, crossing guards) Visitor experience improvements (wayfinding signage, restaurant queue management, pedestrian guidelines) Parking and traffic management (parking permitting and enforcement, circulation improvements)
