FDL City Council Approves Increase In BID Assessment Fee

The 2014 Business Improvement District Operating Plan and Budget was approved by the Fond du Lac City Council Wednesday night. It includes a 50 cent increase in the assessment rate and establishes a minimum of $150 and maximum of $3,000 the nearly 300 businesses in the district pay to run the Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership. DFP Executive Director Amy Hansen told the Council that most of the increase will go toward creating a Downtown Development Fund. That will generate about $35,000 and another $8,000 will be added for a total of $43,000 in the fund. Hansen says it will be used for façade grants, but also create new grants for business expansion, residential design and feasibility for apartments above commercial buildings, and a grant for marketing. The Council also approved the Police Department’s new policy that would put most of the responsibility for gas drive-off enforcement on gas station owners. Police Chief Bill Lamb says they respond to over 200 gas drive off complaints and only about 20 a year result in arrests or prosecution, the majority are results of an honest mistake or equipment malfunction. The new policy goes into effect on November 1st. Pictured a clock in downtown Fond du Lac.