Downtown Business Improvement District

The City of Selma and downtown business owners are working on the creation of a Business Improvement District (BID). A district management plan has been drafted as well as a downtown map boundary, and a list of businesses within the district. The group will now move to recruiting applicants for the Advisory board which is projected to have seven members. The activity of the group will be presented at a future City Council meeting for informational purposes only. A contractor for the formation portion of the activities will be sought to work with City Staff on the structure and ordinance to establish the BID. The BID formation will be presented to council in early 2022 to decide on the finalization of the process and to stand up the first Downtown Selma Business Improvement District. 


Past Meetings: Meetings were held every other Thursday and were open for attendance by businesses in the downtown area. AMI Concepts worked with business owners and the City of Selma on the evaluation of a Business Improvement District. The feasibility study working group meetings concluded on September 23, 2021. 

  • September 23, 2021: Final Feasibility Work Group Meeting
    • Attendees reviewed notes from the open house suggestions and input. The items will be provided to any appointed advisory board. The group discussed the next steps for formation. 
  • September 16, 2021: Open House 4PM -7PM Selma City Council Chambers
    • Attendees learned about the function and creation of a Business Improvement District. They were also able to provide input into the items relating to their business and what items would be useful projects for the BID. 
  • September 9, 2021: Review of District Management Plan Draft document. 
  • August 26, 2021:  The Management District Plan, an outline of all the different aspects of the BID, was discussed. Additional details decided upon were:
    • Scope of Service will primarily be "Marketing and Improvements" and will include the following aspects: 
      • Strong district voice
      • Recognizable identity
      • Improved customer experience
      • Targeted business recruitment
    • Assessment rates
      • Businesses not subject to business licenses  would be assessed a flat fee
      • Those with business licenses would be assessed 100% of their base license fee
    • The BID Advisory Board would consist of seven members
    • The working group completed a review of businesses within the proposed district. Input to confirm active businesses was provided. A follow-up for specific businesses will be conducted before the next meeting on September 9.
    • An Open House for all businesses in Downtown Selma will be scheduled at City Hall on September 16 from 4pm - 7 pm. A short introduction to the Steering Committee and BID details will take place at 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30. There will be activities and opportunities to ask questions. All businesses will be contacted by mail with follow-up in person.

  • August 12, 2021: Even though the Working Group doesn't prepare a detailed budget, they talked about possible services/benefits with costs to see what was possible for the District
    • Services/benefits considered
      • Pigeon control
      • Street painting
      • Clean sidewalks
      • Info Kiosks
      • Promotions
      • Wayfinding signage
    • Reasonable rates:
      • Number of businesses at a reasonable rate each = $25,000 initial budget
      • Approximate business licenses, based on 2019 rates, plus adding a fee for businesses within the District that aren't required to pay Selma business licenses


    They also talked about an Open House in September, possibly on Sep 16. Details determined next meeting. Next meeting, they'll also get a look at the Executive Summary of the Management District Plan.

  • July 29, 2021: Discussion of amount paid to BID pool and what types of services are needed downtown. AMI to gather quotes on services and begin evaluating business license based assessment and fee for businesses without licenses. Director of Selma Chamber of Commerce provided information about their services and activities. 
  • July 15, 2021: Working group selected an initial map boundary for the BID area. Also discussed services and activities that would benefit the downtown area. The working group is comprised of several downtown business owners across multiple industries including, restaurant, retail and services.
  • July 1, 2021: Meeting included discussion of map boundary for downtown
  • June 17, 2021: Initial Stakeholder Meeting
  • Open House: Introduction to Business Improvement Districts 5/19/2021
  • Council approval of contract with AMI Concepts for BID Feasibility Study as funded by USDA Rural Business Development Grant 5/5/2021.



Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a BID? Why Downtown Selma?
A business improvement district (BID) is a public/private partnership created to revitalize a business area like Downtown Selma through an assessment. Together the Downtown Selma business owners will:
• Take the lead role
• Maintain a recognizable identity
• Improve the customer experience
• Assure economic sustainability

2. Speaking of assessments, what will our assessments be?
That is to be determined in the formation process. The assessment may be based on your business license fee or could be a flat fee annually. The BID Steering Committee will discuss options and provide a method for review in the Management District Plan.

3. What about City services that are currently being provided? Is the BID assessment used to replace these services?
No! At no time will normal City services be reduced in Downtown Selma in response to this funding.

4. What about the Chamber of Commerce? Will this replace the Chamber?
No! A Downtown Selma BID and the Selma Chamber of Commerce provide services that complement each other, but do not overlap. While the Chamber serves the entire community, the BID services will be determined by the business owners to fill needed gaps in the Downtown core.

5. Who decides how the assessments are used?
A Management District Plan will be developed by the Selma BID Steering Committee and reviewed by Downtown businesses. That will guide the services provided. A BID Advisory Board will be selected to recommend budgets, monitor service delivery and provide oversight of the district in years to come. It will consist of business owners who apply and are appointed by the Selma City Council.

6. Duration? What does that mean?
The BID formation process only needs to happen once, but it needs to be reviewed annually by the City Council. Each year, they accept the annual report and approve the operations for the next year, as proposed by the BID Advisory Board. Changes can be made to assessments, benefits, and BID Advisory Board members.

7. How does all this happen?
A Downtown Selma BID Steering Committee will be formed by interested business owners. Over the summer, they will make initial decisions to create a Management District Plan. This document, when approved, will govern the decisions made by the BID Advisory Board and the City Council regarding the BID district.

8. Why support a BID?
Supporting the BID will spur revitalization through programs and services that supplement, not replace, work of the City of Selma or the Selma Chamber of Commerce. In addition, BID budget decisions will be made by a Board of business owners, which ensures direct accountability for these enhanced services.



Draft Map Boundary Options as of 7/15/2021:




Identified businesses downtown (This list will be updated and is not complete at this time): 
1 559 Fights LLC
2 Abuela's Lavendero 
3 Academy West
4 Adventist Health Medical Office - Selma Central
5 Alba's Beauty Salon
6 Alcoholics Anonymous
7 Allure Salon
8 AMS Entertainment
9 Arevalo's K-9 Korral
10 Bank of America (with Drive-thru ATM)
11 Bank of the Sierra
12 Barn Bar Inc.
13 Bead Central
14 Bill Tucker & Associates Real Estate
15 Blink Salon
16 Bloomie's Floral & Gifts
17 Bomb Tacos
18 Bonita (Salon)
19 Botanica Afro - Cubana (The Sweet Secret Of The Crown)
20 Brazilian Ju Jitzu
21 Brighton's Boot & Shoe
22 California Dry Cleaners
23 California Truck Licensing
24 California Water Services Co
25 Camacho Tires
26 Cats Barber Shop
27 Central California Cardiovascular
28 Central Valley Engineering & Surveying
29 Central Valley Multi-Service
30 Centro de Folklor
31 Chicago's Pizza With A Twist
32 Cho's Kitchen
33 Citibank
34 City of Selma
35 Cleancuts Barber Shop
36 Cleancuts Barber Shop
37 Dancing School
38 David R. King, O.D.
39 Downtown Car Wash
40 Dr. Starlette M'Lean
41 Educational Employees Credit Union - EECU - Selma Branch
42 Edward Ontiveros - State Farm Insurance Agent
43 El Mercado
44 Electric Motor Shop
45 Electric Vehicle Charging Station
46 Electrify America Charging Station
47 Elm Feed Selma
48 EOC Early Head Start
49 Espi's Beauty Salon
50 F & K Tools
51 Farmers Insurance - Gary McKay
52 First Christian Church
53 Forever Young
54 Fosters Freeze
55 Fox Drug Store
56 G.J. Gardner Homes Fresno/Kingsburg
57 Gavilon
58 Golden Dragon Restaurant
59 Golden State Barber Shop
60 Gorgeous hair & nails salon
61 Grapewood Grill
62 G's Ristorante Italiano
63 Guarantee Real Estate
64 Hair & All That Jazz
65 HC Brock Co
66 High Street Boutique
67 Home & Land Agency
68 Iron Fitness Center
69 Joe's Barber Shop
70 Joyeria Herrera
71 K Audio
72 K&E Ranch
73 Keith B. Butterfield D.C.
74 Kelly Kouture Salon & Boutique
75 Kenoyer Pump Co
76 Kery's Fashion
77 KFC
78 Kings Mortgage Services Inc.
79 Kreations Hair Studio
80 La Mexicana Tax Services
81 Law Offices of Marcus A. Torigian
82 Lawrence & Company College of Cosmetology
83 Leon's Computers
84 Lugo Tax Services
85 Lujan's Men & Women Hairstyle
86 Machado's Tv Center
87 Madco Electric Inc
88 Manzo Fitness
89 MAP Point (Multi-Agency Access Program)
90 Maravillas Folclórico Dance Studio
91 Martin Jewelers
92 Mary Kay Pink Cadillac Training Center
93 Masonic Lodge
94 Max's Brunch House Café
95 Med Mart-Pacific Pulmonary Services
96 Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio
97 MLB Barber Shop
98 Mostly 98 Cents Store
99 NAPA Auto Parts - CenCal
100 Nelson Power Center
101 Nelson's Ace Hardware
102 New Day Church
103 Nutrición Vida Sana
104 Oaxaca Restaurant
105 Oaxaca Restaurant
106 One in a Memory Photography
107 Ono's Auto Repair
108 P&P International, Inc.
109 Page Funeral Chapel
110 Paleteria y Neveria la Buena
111 Panaderia Vanessa
112 Paul's Barber Shop
113 Platinum Looks
114 Precision Phone & Computer Repair
115 Preferred Insurance Services
116 Premier Home Loan Group - Gerald Hayes
117 Pro Club
118 Purefresh Sales Inc
119 R J Berry Jr Inc
120 Riar, Simerjit K
121 Robertson Insurance
122 Rodolfo's
123 RPS Real Estate
124 RTS Reliable Tax Services
125 S & J Automotive Specialties
126 Sandy's Furniture
127 Sears Hometown Store
128 Selma AA
129 Selma Auto Service
130 Selma Auto Supply
131 Selma Barber Shop
132 Selma Collision Center
133 Selma District Chamber Of Commerce
134 Selma Early Childhood Edu Center
135 Selma Fire Department
136 Selma Fire Department
137 Selma First Baptist Church
138 Selma Neighborhood Resource Center
139 Selma Pharmacy
140 Selma Police Department
141 Selma Police Station
142 Selma Rural Health Clinic
143 Selma Senior Center
144 Selma Sunshine Dental: Mandeep Sandhu, DDS
145 Selma Wrestling Private Gym
146 Shepard Shepard & Janian
147 Sher e Punjab Indian Grocery Market
148 Sierra Market
149 Sophia Larger | Homebridge
150 St Therese Family Dental Care
151 Steve Wilson Produce Distribution
152 The Selma Arts Center
153 The Way Of The Fist
154 Thomas-Marcom Funeral Home
155 Thrifty Boutique
156 TurAmerica
157 Trujillo's Tax Services
158 Tully & Weiss Criminal Defense Attorneys
159 Union Bank
160 Uniquely Yours
161 United States Postal Service
162 Valverde Tile
163 Vermillion & Associates Insurance Agency
164 Vintage marketplace on 2nd street
165 Wayne T Ota, C.P.A., An Accountancy Corporation
166 Wilkin's Drive-In

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