NEWS FILE PHOTO
With a definitive vote this week on the future of the City Centre Development Agency, one stakeholder pushing for dissolution is wondering why the downtown advocacy group just hired a new operations manager.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
It’s been a tumultuous decade for the organization tasked to advocate for Medicine Hat’s downtown. But if it’s given a new lease on life following this week’s vote to disband the agency, its new manager promises to do better.
For downtown business owner Shila Sharps, it’s too little to late for the problem-plagued City Centre Development Agency (CCDA).
“They need to go,” said Sharps.
Sharps, who organized downtown stakeholders to sign a petition to dissolve the CCDA, said the agency’s latest move to hire a new manager just days before a vote is the latest issue.
An issue only exasperated since stakeholders who pay a levy to financially support the organization were not consulted on the new hire and weren’t told about the departure of the former manager.
“Why would you hire someone before the vote,” asked Sharps about the announcement of Trish Richards last Friday, with voting to disband the organization taking place today and Thursday.
She said the hiring has created “just more bad will,” adding, “it doesn’t make sense.”
Sharpe says the recent move is an example of the CCDA lacking transparency.
But the new CCDA operating manager acknowledges the issues of transparency and accountability in the organization, pledging to “clean up the house again.”
“I am here to provide leadership. I’m just asking people to give it a year,” said Richards.
Richards added the city’s downtown needs an improvement area to help not just bring people to the city’s core but to drum up business for local businesses that might be struggling.
“Give us a chance and see what we can do,” said Richards.
The vote on whether to retain the CCDA is open to downtown stakeholders who pay the levy charged on businesses to financially support the agency.
According to Sharps, some of those stakeholders have yet to receive the paperwork to allow them to vote. Richards says contingency plans are in place to allow all eligible stakeholders to vote if they haven’t received their notice.
The vote takes place today from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursday from 2-8 p.m.
