An organization that exists to improve downtown Squamish is on the brink of extinction.
Organizers of the Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association (DSBIA) said they are under the gun to get signatures from 51 per cent of downtown property owners by March 18. Without them, they will fail to meet city council's requirements needed to pass a bylaw that gives them an operating fund of $45,000 per year.
"The tricky part of that is that you have to get the signed signatures from all the different landowners downtown whether they live downtown or whether they live out of town and if it's a situation where there is a partnership, for example three or four people on title, the majority of the partnership has to sign off on it," said DSBIA president, Eric Armour.
"It's quite the onerous task."
Most Business Improvement Associations in B.C. sustain themselves through money from local governments. To get the money the BIAs must collect signatures of support from businesses. Generally, local government takes on the responsibility of collecting the signatures as they have all the records on hand, but in the case of the Squamish BIA it is being done by the organization itself. When the BIA's do the legwork it is called a petition process.
The DSBIA is responsible for a variety of improvements in downtown Squamish, including public art installations, Canada Day celebrations, patio bylaw improvements and the annual Rumble to the Rock classic car and motorcycle festival.
