Duncan council approved a motion to reduce the services currently provided by the Downtown Duncan Business Improvement Area Society (DDBIA) after the organization experienced a decline in staffing levels.
The motion to revise a Licensee of Occupation was approved last month and took effect on July 1, and according to director of corporate services Paige MacWilliam this means any questions for services from the farmers market will come directly to the city for approval.
“They (DDBIA) have submitted requests on behalf of the applicant (Duncan Farmers Market), to the city, for any items and going forward those requests will all come directly to the city,” MacWilliam says.
A city report says DDBIA decided to not pursue the renewal of the three-party agreement after several careful considerations.
“They advised that the decision was made after considering the organization’s capacity, reduced staffing and strategic mandate to directly support downtown businesses through marketing, advocacy, beautification, economic stimulus and member-focused initiatives,” the report says.
According to the city, DDBIA has been managing City Square since 2003.
