Branson Board unanimously approves three-year extension of Historic Downtown CID

At its regularly scheduled meeting on September 9, 2025, the Branson Board of Aldermen (Board) unanimously approved a three (3) year extension of the Historic Downtown Branson Community Improvement District (CID) and Agreement with the City for its second read. The first reading of the ordinance approving the extension was passed by a 3 to 2 vote at the Board’s August 26, 2025, regular meeting and was on the Consent Agenda for its second reading. Alderman LeBlanc asked that it be removed from the Consent Agenda, making it the first item on the Regular Agenda.

Alderman Howden asked why the CID could not be extended for a term longer than three years at this time. Chief City Attorney Solen McGee said that the original Petition filed for the CID does not permit the maximum powers under the CID Act. He pointed out that the three years of the extension “gives us some breathing room in order to make that happen because there are some processes, statutorily, that have to happen before a longer term could be amended and changed.”

As presented, there were minor amendments to the original approved for the first reading. Among other things, in addition to the three-year extension of the CID, the Agreement provides for the continuation of the free downtown trolley system and reimbursement to the City for the “enhanced maintenance services” the City provides that are above and beyond those provided to other CID and businesses.

The Agreement provides that “Beginning with the fiscal year of January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026, the District shall include in its annual budget funds for contributions to the City for City Enhanced Maintenance Activity. The amount of such contribution for 2026 shall be the sum of forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000.00), to be paid to the City no later than December 31, 2026, but as soon as practically possible within the 2026 budget year.

“The amount of the District contribution to the City for City Enhanced Maintenance Activity for fiscal year 2027 and each following year while this Agreement remains in effect shall be seven percent (7%) of the amount of the District Annual Sales Tax Receipts for such fiscal year, up to a maximum annual amount of one hundred twenty thousand dollars ($120,000.00). Such amount shall be paid promptly after the District files its annual financial report with the State Auditor for such fiscal year, or in any event, by July 1 of the following year.”

It also provides that the CID shall be relieved of any obligation to make a contribution to the City for any fiscal year in which the District Annual Sales Tax Receipts are less than six hundred seventy thousand dollars ($670,000.00) and that the City shall utilize all funds received pursuant to this Section 3.5 for reimbursement of the costs of City Enhanced Maintenance Activity.

The District shall provide a contract for services on an annual or seasonal basis to maintain vegetation in the landscaping bins the City has installed within the public rights of way or adjacent to sidewalks along trolley routes in the District uncertain streets the City shall provide for regular irrigation of each landscaping beds sufficient to support the vegetation for at least May 1 through September 30 each year as long as each landscaping bin remains in place.

City Administrator Cathy Stepp expressed her appreciation to Kyle Junck, the Vice-Chair of the CID, thanking him for his help and cooperation. She said, “…I just want to thank you for showing your leadership and your commitment to the downtown. It was exemplary.” She expressed her hope that the CID Board “sees it the way we’re all presenting it tonight and that we can keep moving forward and not wait three years, but we can get it done way sooner than that.”