Quick Observation
I hope councillors read this one about who does what and how ridiculous things are.
The mayors office has now taken on responsibility for event banners for red bull and casino opening while the DWBIA offers development incentives such as facade grants.
Maybe if someone listened about how important Development incentives ranked on a priority scale, they could have use the banner money to pay for far more effective development incentives and left the banners to the DWBIA which could have bannered its own brand and put up banners that lasted 3 years instead of 3 days/weeks
ore is that too Win Win for people to realize
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So the DWBIA I assume, is sitting on a bank vault of money to provide all the development incentives needed downtown! NOT! Again the city takes the cheap route and shirks its responsiblilty for any development with incentives or otherwise to any part of this city, let alone the core!
Banners! Give me a break! But wait! I see it now, we only need banners on one side of the street downtown…..on the routes leaving town because sure enough there aren’t any people coming the other way in Windsor! Such a smart, creative city….NOT!
Its not that they have a bank vault, in fact many members are upset that the DWBIA’s expenditure of money on Business recruitment and its expenditure of time on clean and safe issues (primarily to attract residents) have come at the expense of marketing and events.
The ironic thing is that its an ineffective wash. If the city spent the exact same money on development incentives as the DWBIA those incentives could potentially be far more effective.
AND… If the DWBIA spent the same money they are spendng on banners they could be ones that identify the DWBIA’s mosaic and districting brand. The banners would last 3 years and would be far more effective. Separate event banner programs could be marketed under that brand. Then the DWBIA could promote Grand Prix, Red Bull, Caesars etc……
If everyone (including the DWBIA) did what they were supposed to, things would work far better.
I guess things will remain like this until the conversation changes, but that conversation will not change until we are listened to.
Yes, I know Mark, I was being sarcastic and I also know that the DWBIA is being forced to go in many directions that it wasn’t necessarilly intended to go but with the city leaving a vacuum of inaction and an almost blatant disregard for the DWBIA, the core and the residents, you and the DWBIA have been put on the spot. And you are right it should be the DWBIA branding and promoting the core and its activities et al for the city, while the city looks after the infrastructure, marketing and development of the downtown or any of the BIA or CIP in this city.
We need stronger and more active citizen/resident/cultural actions groups working with BIAs and in CIPs, also to apply heat and pressure on the city administration, if we do nothing or remain silent, you know that they won’t do anything, or remain gagged by the mayor! Politicians and bureaucrats don’t go looking for work!
I learned a long time ago from my grandfather, that politicans at any level neither lead, create or innovate unless they are forced to or are demanded to!
Forget the CIP’s they and the city are full of crap when it comes to those plans. Wonder why they have been shelved yet again?
Mark, Maybe the DWBIa needs to give a few lessons to your associates on the benefits of having people with money to spend living downtown. But then again since there are so many damned bars downtown who cater to kids I am sure they could care less about residents as they know most won’t frequent them anyway.
I for one applaud the DWBIA’s efforts and can’t wait to work in a partnership with them to finally turn our downtown into a destination and a neighbourhood that everyone can be proud of.
Remember the DWBIA is supposed to represent its dues payers. Its funny I get hit from both sides, I actually field complaints from business owners who say the DWBIA devotes too much time to bars while many bar owners would like to string us up for not doing enough for them.
I won’t make friends but I say screw both complaintants. The DWBIA’s job is not to favour or target any pariticular sector. It’s mandate should be to get people downtown during all (day and night) hours and its the individual businesses job to lure them into their establishments.
Our priority is business and residential but at the same time we have to accept that nothing we do in isolation will ever have an impact. At the same time the mayor’s office has to accept that very same concept. Right now the two parties are not at the table. I know I’m not the mayor’s favorite guy and I would happily resign today if it would bring the parties together.
Right now I’m being demonized for expressing my opinion as a business owner, taxpayer and resident. which apparantly is improper as long as I’m a board member. I have taken ever measure to ensure I indicate my views on this website and my emails are my own and not those of the DWBIA. So as far as I’m concerned this is simply an attempt to stifle debate and freedom of speech. If I need to quit the Board in order to send an personal email to a councillor then they should have the guts to simply ask me. I’m no John Middleton, I will happily resign to protect my right to free speach. No hard feelings or anything. I planned my involvement in scaledown when my term as past chair should have been completed.
However there has been no promise that my resignation as DWBIA past chair would regain the DWBIA a seat at the table. It won’t as long as the decision makers dislike the current chair as much as me. I’ve offered my resignation twice to the past two chairs chair and it was turned down.
I just want to get things done and if anyone proposes a way to do that, I’ll honor it. If it requires falling on my sword for the beneifit of the organization then all that is required is someone other than our current chair ask that.
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