City Could Pitch in Toward Pinole Valley Road Beautification

The city of Pinole could soon find itself contributing to a special fund designed to be paid into by Pinole Valley Road property owners.

The fund, the 2008 Landscape and Lighting District, provides maintenance, landscaping and replacement of traffic signals, streetlights and irrigation along Pinole Valley Road from Henry Avenue to Pinole Valley High School.

It was designed to help the 55 businesses in the area, which the city calls "one of the key gateways of the city."

But the fund has operated at a loss since last year, when 17 of the 55 businesses were granted exemptions from paying the required assessments because they earn less than $750,000 in annual gross revenue. The money in the fund comes from property owners and not business owners.

The Pinole Redevelopment Agency had been covering the difference–about $4,800–but it no longer exists. The Pinole City Council this week will consider budgeting $5,000 from the city's general fund to "maintain the district's financial solvency," according to a city staff report.

The council could also eliminate the exemptions and force everyone to pay, or eliminate the district. But without the extra funds from Pinole Valley Road property owners, the area wouldn't look as nice.

"The enhanced landscaping and lighting improvements could not be kept up at the current standard without the [Landscape and Lighting District] revenues by internal staff or by a contract," a staff report states.

The city spends $38,000 on extra landscaping and lighting in the district each year.

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Pinole City Council meeting
6 p.m. Tuesday
2131 Pear St.

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