PORT ANGELES — City Hall plans to give the Port Angeles Downtown Association a performance review in response to dissension in the business group’s ranks.
Eighty-one downtown merchants signed a petition submitted to the city Friday urging it to investigate whether the group is fulfilling its contract to run the Main Street Program.
The city gives the association $20,000 a year for the program and to manage downtown parking lots.
City Manager Kent Myers said the city will conduct the review because of the large number of merchants requesting it.
Series issue indicated
“I think anytime you have between 80 and 100 business signing a petition of that nature,” he said, “I think it’s a serious issue and that we have to get to the bottom of their concerns as soon as possible.”
Myers said he hopes to have it done within 90 days.
Petition organizer Don Zeller said he wants the review in order to “shine a light” on the group’s board and executive director, which he thinks are not working in the best interest of its approximately 200 members.
Zeller, an antique store owner, said he feels the group’s leadership doesn’t communicate well with members, hosts events that cause merchants to lose business and is not taking full advantage of the state’s Main Street Program, which can provide tax credits for downtown improvements.
“It’s so dysfunctional that it’s not working,” he said of the group.
No comment
Downtown association Executive Director Barb Frederick responded to a phone message requesting an interview with an email saying the organization has no comment.
Board Vice President Charlie Smith said via email that he couldn’t comment because the board has not yet seen the petition.
Greg Voyles, who was board president, resigned Monday without giving prior notice. No one was selected then to replace him.
Voyles said he stepped down from the board to spend more time with his 3-month-old daughter and not spend “his whole life in meetings.”
He said he was aware of the petition at the time but added that it had nothing to do with his decision to resign.
Petitioning is nothing new for Zeller, who gained 53 signatures earlier this year to have the First Street stormwater and paving project moved to a nighttime-only schedule.
Downtown merchants later voted to have the work done during the day.
He said he was motivated to start this one partly in response to the board’s promotion of a tent sale that did not have the support of many merchants.
“I’m not really a petition fanatic,” Zeller said, “but some things need to be brought to people’s attention.”
The board rescinded support for the event June 30, about a month before it was supposed to be held, after 33 members signed a petition against it due to concern of its impacts on downtown parking. Zeller said he didn’t organize that petition drive.
“They would have found out it was not a good idea, that we don’t want that, but they don’t talk to us before they put these plans into action,” he said.
Necessities and Temptations shop owner Edna Petersen, who organized the event and read a heartfelt letter against its cancellation at the June 30 meeting, said she didn’t sign the petition and wasn’t holding anything against the group’s leaders.
“It’s really easy to criticise volunteers,” she said, referring to the board members.
“It’s far more difficult to be on a committee and work with everyone for something . . . than just be a critic.”
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
