PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Downtown Association conducted its meeting this week amid familiar concerns — and renewed optimism — about its future.
Following the Dec. 19, 2014, layoff of Executive Director Barb Frederick — whose position has yet to be filled — PADA began 2015 with hopes of revival after naming Josh Rancourt board president and appointing five new board members.
The group had a setback when Rancourt left the board earlier this year.
Resigned in March
Rancourt, who is general manager of Country Aire Natural Foods, announced his resignation effective immediately in a March 29 email to PADA Acting Administrator Richard Stephens.
He cited “personal and professional obligations” for leaving the board.
In April, the panel elected Young Johnson, then the recently elected vice president, to the top board position.
Lauren Jeffries-Johnson, then board secretary, was named vice president.
Now PADA, which has about 180 members, is digging in to meet its funding commitments to the city by a Dec. 31 contract deadline.
The group must meet certain goals in return for continuing to receive Parking and Business Improvement Area (PBIA) taxes levied on businesses and based on their square footage.
At the PADA board meeting May 9, four new board members were elected and Johnson chaired her first meeting as board president.
Johnson told board members that PADA will work from the ground up on fulfilling key promises under its May 16, 2015, agreement with the city.
Johnson said PADA failed to submit a first-quarter 2016 report to city officials and has yet to put together 2016 work plan.
Lacks budget
And more than four months into 2016, PADA still lacks a 2016 budget.
PADA needs “to start from the bottom, to rebuild from the bottom, proceed like we are a business” Johnson implored the board.
Johnson said that to get on more solid ground, the board will begin meeting twice monthly, on the second and fourth Monday, rather than just the second Monday.
“We are red-lining now,” Johnson said. “We need to meet.”
In an interview Friday, Johnson praised the existing board but emphasized there’s more work to do.
Incredible job
“The board, with all its challenges, has done an incredible job trying to maintain the downtown association, because the majority of them are businesspeople who are trying to operate a business and donate their time to the downtown association,” she said.
“I only want to focus on the present and the future.
“I don’t want to focus on the past.
“I want to put checks and balances in place, and we are going to start using the checks and balances that are in place for transparency.”
The city withheld funding for part of 2014 because PADA was not fulfilling performance goals.
But PADA received $33,169 in PBIA funds when the 2015 contract was signed and has received an additional $21,972 through April 5, Nathan West, city Community and Economic Development director, said Thursday.
The organization also derives funding from sponsoring events such as the fall-season Arts & Draughts festival.
The organization had $45,528 in assets as of April 30, including $35,484 in PADA’s account at First Federal.
If PADA has nothing substantial to present to the City Council regarding fulfillment of the contract, “our contract ends and therefore our funding, and there is no downtown association,” Johnson warned the board Monday.
She said success also will require closing the “gap” between the PADA membership and the board.
“Some members feel like we are not accessible, and we feel like they are not participating, and I feel like we can work together and get past that,” she said.
“That would help us as an association.”
New board members
“I was very pleased with Young giving a serious assessment that there is more work than she realized and this is how we are going to do it,” City Councilwoman Cherie Kidd said in a later interview.
“She has put some new and competent people on the board who really are willing to do the work to make this happen.”
West said he is working with PADA on putting together a 2016 work plan and that the “scope of work” provisions in the contract covering promotion of economic development and revitalizing commerce are being fulfilled.
West said the group has “stepped up” its promotions committee and revitalized business activity through events such as Arts & Draughts, though challenges “definitely” remain.
“You have a lot of new board members with a great deal of energy,” he added.
An executive director is required for PADA to locally administer the statewide Main Street downtown improvement program.
“An executive director will be hired when we have enough resources,” said Stephens, PADA’s only paid employee.
Main Street sponsors a business-and-occupation (B&O) tax incentive program that allows entrepreneurs to devote a percentage of their B&O taxes to the program.
City Council members sharply criticized PADA in late 2014 when Frederick was director for not more aggressively urging businesses to participate.
Stephens said PADA remains an accredited member of the program.
State Main Street Coordinator Breanne Durham was out of the office Friday and unavailable for comment.
“To the extent that the Main Street Program can be flexible relative to filling that position, that approach also would be acceptable to the city,” West said.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
