OCEANSIDE — MainStreet Oceanside, a nonprofit that works with the city and downtown businesses to guide the promotion, design and economic restructuring of downtown, was granted $190,000 for the upcoming year at the Aug. 13 City Council meeting and was called on to participate in a strategic planning workshop in January 2009, before further funding is allocated.

While it may or may not have been an influence in council’s decision to call a strategic planning workshop to review MainStreet Oceanside’s budget and goals, an e-mail that circulated around Oceanside, written by Nancy J. Klein, brought attention to a sticky financial review that asked MainStreet Oceanside where the money went last year. MainStreet Director Kim Heim said the budget questions were prompted by the financial reporting form used, which proved OK for a city review, but did not give enough details to other agencies who wanted more accountability for the organization’s 3,266

financial transactions last year. Heim said the budget questions have been addressed.

Several speakers at the Aug. 13 council meeting questioned the nonprofit’s financial responsibility, and pressed for MainStreet Oceanside to become self-sustaining, while a number of business owners had nothing but praise for MainStreet Oceanside’s success in promoting business and cultural growth downtown. “MainStreet Oceanside is the most valuable asset you have for new businesses,” Kirk Harrison, owner of Harney Sushi, which recently opened downtown, said. “It’s an embodiment of the new Oceanside.”

Councilwoman Esther Sanchez praised MainStreet Oceanside for drawing businesses and visitors downtown, but also had questions on event costs and organization funding that she said can be resolved at the January strategic planning workshop.

Heim said he supports holding a strategic planning workshop and said the beachfront business district will face a unique set of circumstances as the density of commercial and residential uses continue to increase with redevelopment. Noise, parking, alcohol and increased trash will need to be addressed according to Heim, who sees MainStreet Oceanside as a management platform for changes downtown.

MainStreet Oceanside has had a lot of recent success, according to Heim. “In the past 24 months, we’ve had 1 million hits on the Web site,” Heim said. “We were the information guru this Fourth of July.” With the addition of a new hotel downtown, and MainStreet Oceanside efforts in hospitality development and planned event activities, the net income of the July 4 Ofest event jumped from $17,000 to $150,000 this year.

MainStreet Oceanside was certified as a California Main Street city in 2000, and works on an annual budget of about $500,000. Prior to 2000, the organization was known as the Downtown Business Association and was driven by volunteerism. Now with redevelopment booming, the city and the organization itself are ready to re-evaluate MainStreet Oceanside’s goals.