Re: Improvement association votes to fold, March 28.
On March 22, BIA members voted overwhelmingly to dissolve their association. One would think the story ends there, but it doesn’t. Serious issues and question remain and based on BIA president John Cooper’s comments, the BIA is not dead. On the contrary, according to the article, John Cooper intends to use remaining BIA funds to figure out a possible reincarnation of the troubled association.
Prior to the dissolution vote, the BIA executive decided to give away assets including a stage and trailer. This action may be considered a contravention of the Societies Act which governs the BIA. Then there is the issue around the BIA claims it has in the bank.
Needless to say, the story is not over and the controversy will continue for a while longer.
Over the past 16 years, the City of Nanaimo has sent the BIA approximately $3 million. Did the members or taxpayers get good value for their investment? One has to ask whether this is the role of our municipal governments in the first place. Let this BIA fiasco be a lesson to the City of Nanaimo and other municipal councils. Stick to the basics of fire, police, water, waste management, roads, parks and planning. Avoid getting entangled with special-interest groups like the BIA and other groups that regularly attend city council meetings with cap in hand.
Peter Louhimo
Nanaimo
Re: Improvement association votes to fold, March 28.
The downtown Nanaimo business association dissolved because property owners like myself lost any faith whatsoever in the board’s nonchalant spending of our half million dollars, yearly.
More than half of the BIA budget went to administration, wages and an office. Not much money was used to clean up downtown, make it safer or hold lots more events to bring people downtown. By contrast, other BIAs spend just 22 per cent on administration, one-third to making their downtown safer and one-third to staging events and promotions.
The city was correct to remove the quarter of a million dollar matching grant, which no other municipality gives to such business organizations.
It is the BIA board itself which needs to look in the mirror for the association hitting the rocks. Our money was not handled well. The board itself projected a deficit of $68,000 on revenues of $484,000 come June.
The board needs to admit it is responsible for steering the boat right onto the rocks.
George Oliver
Nanaimo