The Downtown Penticton Association (DPA) is stepping up to respond to comments made by city councillors during recent council meetings.
During a March 19 council meeting, members of Penticton city council expressed “disappointment” with the Downtown Penticton Association following the “short notice” given that the association would be stepping down from organizing civic events.
READ MORE: Councillors express disappointment with Downtown Penticton Association
Now the DPA is claiming they attended four meetings about funding civic events and stepping away as host.
During a press conference on Monday, DPA executive director Lynn Allin said the first meeting was in November of 2018, prior to the city budget being finalized, which happened in March 2019.
“This is at least eight months notice for the events themselves,” said Allin. “More meetings with city staff followed in Dec., Jan., and February, leading up to the delegation presentation on March 5.”
The DPA press release states they believe that with a city councillor sitting on its board as a liaison, city council members should not have been surprised the association’s involvement with civic events was coming to an end.
According to Allin, meetings centred on the board’s intention of untangling DPA funds from the delivery of civic events like Canada Day and B.C. Day.
“Our association members supply our funding, not the city and the board of directors’ fiduciary duty to those members to advance our mandate with limited funds.”
READ ALSO: City of Penticton assumes ownership of DPA civic events
The DPA is not funded by the city and is a registered non-profit that obtains operational funds from its members through an annual levy paid by 325 downtown property owners.
Allin said the board also holds an annual fundraising event, which since 2008 has been the Downtown Community Markets on Saturdays through the late spring and summer.
More to come.