|
Despite the fact that Minneapolis ranks as one of the most expensive cities to do business in, the Downtown Council (a group of Minneapolis businesses) is pretty much giving up on the city doing its job of keeping downtown safe and pleasant to work and shop in.
The Council is proposing that a "Downtown Improvement District" be created-to the tune of $6.5 million-that would be run as a nonprofit answerable to the businesses. It's job would be to ensure that downtown is safer, cleaner, greener, and more "vibrant" than it is right now.
The management model is "100% business led" because businesses need to "take back [their] public areas," and to a standard that is "unachievable by relying on traditional municipal government services." The money will pay for security guards, graffiti cleanup, and even street cleaning and maintenance.
Apparently the Downtown Council believes that businesses should be "happy to pay for a better Minnesota," but only if the money isn't spent by government.
It's pretty sad to see that Minneapolis businesses are being asked to pay twice for the same services: once to the city that apparently can't provide the services, and a second time to a nonprofit "Downtown Improvement District."
|
