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What would be involved in dissolving the Downtown Guelph Business Association? City council wants to know.
While the word “dissolution” was eventually removed from a unanimously-approved motion on Monday evening, it’s what sparked the majority of debate. In the end, council’s motion directs staff to prepare a report for the Dec. 6 committee of the whole agenda that outlines the process of reviewing the DGBA’s governance, operation and mandate.
“I believe this is really important to do,” Mayor Cam Guthie said of the general review. “This is one area that has not been reviewed.”
In introducing the motion, officially put forward by Coun. Rodrigo Goller, Guthrie said he’s been asked many times about what dissolving the DGBA would involve and he would like a staff report to help answer those questions.
Following stated objections from several councillors, and confirmation from staff the report would include it anyway, the second part of the presented motion was withdrawn. That part of the motion, if it had been approved, would have directed staff to lay out the “process to poll/survey the Downtown Business Improvement Area membership regarding a possible dissolution” of that board.
Several council members suggested the phrasing suggests a predetermined outcome that would not receive their support.
“That presumes this is something members are seeking,” said Coun. Leanne Caron, noting perhaps members want to see the DGBA expanded or some other alteration.
“I can understand why it would raise some red flags,” added Coun. Cathy Downer, who suggested the dissolution process should be part of a staff-prepared information report on the review process anyway.
Deputy CAO Jayne Holmes confirmed it would.
In defence of the subsequently removed line, Coun. Dan Gibson said asking staff to report back on the dissolution process is “one step beyond” someone simply posing the question.
“I think that information is valuable to a conversation we could have on the 6th,” he said, referring to the Dec. 6 committee of the whole meeting.
When it comes to the DGBA, council’s authority lays strictly with whether or not it exists, added Guthrie, noting all other possible outcomes aren’t within council’s authority to control.
During that same meeting, council replaced one of its members on the DGBA and pondered allowing the mayor to serve as one its two representatives.
Earlier in the year, council agreed to select it’s DGBA reps based on one from wards 1 to 3 and the other from wards 4 to 6. Guthrie said he brought up the idea of adding the mayor to the list on Monday just so it’s an option for someone in office down the line.
“We do have that option on other boards,” he said. “I’m not putting my name forward.”
In response to the proposal, Caron pointed out the DGBA hasn’t had an opportunity to provide comment for council to consider before making a decision. Coun. Phil Allt suggested a better approach could be to give the mayor an ex-officio position on the board.
In the end, Goller removed the proposed change from the table. That leaves the process for selecting council’s DGBA reps in place.
As for the vacancy, Gibson told GuelphToday after the meeting that he resigned from the board due to a personal time commitment and not as a result of things discussed during the meeting.
Council appointed Goller in his place.
