THUNDER BAY -- The Simpson Street Business Improvement Area has fizzled out due to a lack of interest and on Monday, city council will vote on whether to officially wind it down.
The south side commercial street's BIA has not achieved its six-member quorum in years and it has no active board membership.The city ceased collecting the annual BIA levy from Simpson Street shops in 2016.
The Simpson Street BIA was among a list of committee responsibilities Northwood Coun. Shelby Ch'ng took on when she was elected in 2014. Ch'ng asked for meeting minutes to ramp her up to speed on her new file and upon discovering there weren't any, she also noticed the BIA's funds were still flowing.
The organization had been reduced to too few members to hold formal meetings but those who were holding it together were still buying Christmas decorations, flags, hanging plants and other beautification items.
Chn'g doesn't suspect any nefarious activity took place but the BIA's procedures weren't fitting its legal responsibilities under the Municipal Act.
"They were still being levied and the money was still being spent," she recalled.
"It was important to say, 'you either step up and you do this properly and by the books or you dissolve the BIA.' From what I gather, the Simpson Street BIA is actually going to be dissolved."
The few BIA members who were active contacted city deputy clerk Krista Power in that same year to inform the city their group had become legally dysfunctional. Power's office is now taking inventory of the BIA's assets and by law, the municipality will absorb the remaining $17,000 in the Simpson Street BIA's account.
Power insisted the city's door is open, should Simpson Street's businesses wish to organize in the future.
"We're identifying the fact that we don't have owners who are interested in participating right now so if they're not interested in participating and having a group that can put some time and effort into doing some serious improvement in that area, we need to address it and we need to provide an opportunity for them to step aside," Power said.
"At another point in time, whether it be through the extension of an existing BIA expanding boundaries or a new BIA being developed at a later time, we'd be open to that."
Ch'ng is the chairwoman of the Fort William BIA, a neighbourhood experiencing growth and new business, particularly among young female entrepreneurs. The organization is currently hiring a new administrator. Ch'ng said once the Fort William BIA completes its hiring process, expansion will be high among its priorities.
"That's going to be one of the first things on our list: how do we spread our boundaries to incorporate those businesses that haven't been part of a functioning BIA before? And how do we pool our resources to make better use of our downtown community dollars?"
Some of the Simpson Street businesses whose staff belonged to the BIA board have retired or stores have closed down. Most others on the street wouldn't speak to tbnewswatch.com on the record.
Christine St.Amand manages Northern Window and Door Manufacturing on Simpson Street. Her company cleans up the business area but she only played a peripheral role in the BIA.
"I'd hate to see it go away. We're all here as businesses. We own quite a few areas on Simpson Street," she said.
"There aren't enough businesses on this street to carry on with getting everything done."
