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Dear William,

 

Thank you for your request for information about Business Improvement
District (BID) Financial Information.    Much of what you are requesting
is publicly available.   The link to the council BID website is
[1]https://www.bid.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.   Here you will find
information and updates regarding the BID programme etc.

 

May I please have the targeted rates revenue data for the revenue raised
in the most recent financial year, broken down by each Business
Improvement District (BID).

 

Attached is the section from the Emergency Budget, supporting information
section that contains the information relating to the BID targeted rates.

 

Please advise the process by which this rates revenue is collected, held
by AC and passed to each BID and the timing of that each year.

 

Targeted rates are part of the annual budget process. The BID targeted
rates are applied to business rated properties located within a
geographical area. Council collects the targeted rates and pays the amount
as a BID grant payment to the business associations. The grant payments
are made quarterly: 20 June, 20 September, 20 December and 20 March.

 

May I also have your confirmation in terms of your compliance programme
that the business associations managing each BID all have the Agreements
with AC required to receive the funds (if not which ones do not) and that
they are current. Also that they all have Constitutions and Board Charters
consistent with AC's proscribed form.

 

To be compliant with the BID policy, the Business Association/BID must
have a current signed BID programme agreement and be a registered
incorporated society with the Companies office/ Incorporated Society. To
view the Incorporated Society register click here:
[2]https://is-register.companiesoffice.govt.... Each May, the council BID
team report to each Local Board on Business Improvement District
compliance against the BID policy, and as part of the local boards
delegated authority regarding BID programme establishments and boundary
area. Local Boards in approving the report recommend the striking of the
 targeted rates to the Governing Body. The draft Annual Budget is out for
public [3]consultation (Feb/March) each year. The list of BID targeted
rates and grants are listed in the draft Annual Budget consultation
documents.

 

The Local Board  then reports to the Governing Body and recommend the
targeted rates for the next year as part of the annual budget process. 
The Governing Body approves the annual budget in June each year prior to
the rates being struck on 1 July.

Please see below links to the Agendas of those Local Board meetings for
May 2019, when this year’s rates were recommended.  There is no BID
programme on Aotea, Waiheke, or in Puketepapa Local Board.

 

[4]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[5]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[6]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[7]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[8]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[9]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[10]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[11]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[12]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[13]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[14]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[15]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[16]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[17]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[18]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

[19]https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt...

 

 

Lastly, does AC have, or conduct, any analysis of the effectiveness of the
BID programme in relation to the costs, as assessed either by AC or by the
members of the business associations who pay the targeted rate, and has AC
received any complaints from business association members about the
Programme, the rates, or their association. If so, may I have a summary of
complaints (protecting individual privacy of course).

 

Business associations are independent organisation separate from council
and are responsible for their own governance and management processes.
Business Associations operate to their constitution/rules and council has
no authority over these.

 

We encourage the Business Association to engage and consult with BID
members when developing business and strategic plans and they are
responsible for keeping the BID members informed on all aspects of the BID
programme. Business Associations attract and are responsible for
developing other income streams (other than the BID grant). Auckland
Council has no involvement in this side of the associations operation. Our
focus is only regarding the BID programme and BID grant spend.

 

Please see attached a summary of complaints since 2018.

 

If you would like to discuss our BID programme further, please provide a
telephone number for our Principal Advisor, Business Improvement District
Programme (BIDs)  to call you.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Grace Ray | Senior Privacy & Official Information Business Partner
Governance Shared Services

 

From: William Foster <[FYI request #13858 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 23 September 2020 3:25 PM
To: Official Information <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Business Improvment District
FInancial information

 

Dear Auckland Council,

 

May I please have the targeted rates revenue data for the revenue raised
in the most recent financial year, broken down by each Business
Improvement District (BID).

 

Please advise the process by which this rates revenue is collected, held
by AC and passed to each BID and the timing of that each year.

 

May I also have the amounts spent by ATEED in partnership with the BIDs on
promotion of the objectives of the BID programme.

 

May I also have your confirmation in terms of your compliance programme
that the business associations managing each BID all have the Agreements
with AC required to receive the funds (if not which ones do not) and that
they are current. Also that they all have Consititutions and Board
Charters consistent with AC's proscribed form.

 

Lastly, does AC have, or conduct, any analysis of the effectiveness of the
BID programme in relation to the costs, as assessed either by AC or by the
members of the business associations who pay the targeted rate, and has AC
received any complaints from business association members about the
Programme, the rates, or their association. If so, may I have a summary of
complaints (protecting individual privacy of course).

 

Kind Regards,

 

William Foster

 

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[20][FYI request #13858 email]

 

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[22]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

 

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[23]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

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