Windsor's nine Business Improvement Associations (BIAs) are temporarily under new management.
As expected, Windsor City Council approved a plan to suspend the activity of BIA boards for up to 60 days, thus taking over as the BIA board for the time being. Councillors also requested that the City's auditor general be brought in as a guide while BIA operations are examined.
The approval was given at a special council meeting Thursday afternoon. Next, a separate meeting took place with Councillors acting as the temporary board, during which it adopted a handful of agenda items. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens was chosen to serve as the chair of the temporary board.
City Council had agreed last week to bring all BIAs under its control, long enough for a uniform set of regulations to be drawn up. After which, the BIA boards will be reinstated.
Chief Administrative Officer Onorio Colucci said the move, while unpopular with the BIAs and neighbourhood activists, was needed.
"We've had recurring issues in some BIAs with receiving financial statements for audit on time," said Colucci. "There have been concerns sometimes about records."
Ward 9 Councillor Kieran McKenzie, who was the only "no" vote on the proposal when it was decided in-camera last week, pointed out that there have been some instances in the past where different BIAs have clashed on issues.
"You could interpret their role in terms of how they affect one another as being in competition," said McKenzie. "So, the extent to which our council is going to take the authority of all nine of the BIAs across the city, would there be any concerns with councillors sitting as the BIA board of directors having decisions put in front of them that might result in conflict?"
Dilkens reminded councillors that BIAs must have their budgets approved by the City every year anyway and that this temporary arrangement has nothing to do with power.
"This is not about telling them whether they can put up an art installation or hold a car cruise or event in their area, it has nothing to do with that," said Dilkens. "This is all about putting baseline governance in place, financial rules in place that talk about reporting structure. So, this is all about being transparent."
Ward 3 Councillor Renaldo Agostino recused himself from both meetings.
