The University District Business Improvement Area’s (UDBIA) Ratepayer Advisory Board (RAB) is composed of residents, business owners, building / property owners, UW representatives, and neighborhood representatives. These members are responsible for making recommendations to the Director of Finance on the annual work plan and budget for the UDBIA, in accordance with the established UDBIA Bylaws.
U District Ratepayer Advisory Board Members
- Sally Clark, Co-Chair
Director of Campus Safety, University of Washington - Jennifer Antos, Co-Chair
Executive Director, Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Market - Joe Gruber, Treasurer
Executive Director, University District Food Bank - Chris Giles, Secretary
U District Resident - Maria Barrientos
Managing Partner, Barrientos/Ryan - Max Blume
Development Manager, The Blume Company - David Cohanim
Real Estate Developer & Managing Consultant, Whitefall, LLC - Lora Gastineau
U District Resident - Mary Kay Gugerty
Associate Dean for Teaching & Learning, Professor of Nonprofit Management & Philanthropy, The Evans School, University of Washington - Jeanette Henderson
Executive Director of UW Real Estate, University of Washington - Lincoln Johnson
Associate Vice President of Student Life, University of Washington - Nikole O’Bryan
Owner, Nikole O’Bryan DDS - Chris Peterson
Owner, Café Allegro - Braedyn Reed
Student, University of Washington - Brian Sellen
Regional VP of Management Services, American Campus Communities - Sandy Sun
Broker, Compass Real Estate - Carolyn Thompson
Owner, Neptune Theater Building - Hui Tian
Principal, Studio 19 Architects - Polly Yorioka
Ministry Coordinator for Outreach, University Presbyterian Church
Upcoming Meetings
Ratepayer Advisory Board meetings are open to the public. Upcoming Ratepayer Advisory Board Meetings are on the following dates:
- Thursday, April 24, 2025 | 4:00PM-5:30PM
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87278711769?pwd=yncd7Op3OakmEWKfDLkJ3c2uNupq2I.1
UDBIA Spring 2025 RAB Meeting Packet
- June 26, 2025 | Annual Ratepayer Meeting | 4:00PM-5:30PM
To provide public comment at an upcoming meeting, please contact Don Blakeney at don@udistrictpartnership.org.
Past Meetings
Agendas and information packets all Ratepayer Advisory Board meetings are posted online in advance of each meeting, and are archived in chronological order, available through the links below. If you have any questions, please contact Don Blakeney at don@udistrictpartnership.org.
2025
2024
- October 2024 UDBIA Board Agenda and Packet
- June 2024 UDBIA Annual Meeting Agenda and Packet
- April 2024 UDBIA Board Agenda and Packet
- February 2024 UDBIA Board Agenda and Packet
2023
- November 2023 UDBIA Board Agenda and Packet
- June 2023 UDBIA Annual Meeting Agenda and Packet
- March 2023 UDBIA Board Agenda and Packet
- January 2023 UDBIA Board Agenda and Packet
2022
History
The U District Business Improvement Area (UDBIA) was originally established by Seattle City Council ordinance in 1996 with the support of U District property owners to levy an assessment on properties in the U District to provide cleaning and security services, as well as to provide a forum to address community issues. The original business improvement area covered University Way NE between Campus Parkway and 52nd Street, including some of the surrounding streets.
The UDBIA was reestablished by the Seattle City Council and U District ratepayers in 2015 with an expanded geographic area and scope. Today, the UDBIA has a tiered assessment structure. Every Ratepayer inside the UDBIA boundaries pays a rate based on the Total Taxable Value of their property into the General BIA Fund. If a property is located within one of two enhanced cleaning areas, there is also an additional fee based on the total Lot Area of the property to cover the cost of enhanced, regular cleaning. In 2020, the City Council voted 9-0 to renew the UDBIA for a 12-year period. To learn more about the BIA-funded services, look here or contact Don Blakeney at don@udistrictpartnership.org.
The University District Business Improvement Area’s (UDBIA) Ratepayer Advisory Board (RAB) is composed of residents, business owners, building owners, UW representatives, and neighborhood representatives. These members are responsible for making recommendations to the Executive Director on the annual work plan and budget funded by the UDBIA, in accordance with the established UDBIA Ordinance and Bylaws.
What is a BIA?
Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) are self-assessing funding mechanisms enabled by Washington State Law and created to fund commercial district revitalization, maintenance, and management within specific geographic boundaries. The City of Seattle is just one of many cities that collect assessments from the local ratepayers on behalf of BIAs. BIAs are also called Business Improvement Districts (BID) or Business Improvement Zones (BIZ) in other cities all across North America. These assessment districts usually fund place management organizations like The U District Partnership. The BIA in the U District has a ratepayer advisory board that is responsible for creating bylaws and advising on programs and services, budgets, and goals.