Uptown Partnership delays decision to dissolve
The non-profit organization that has been the advisory board for the Uptown Community Parking District since 1997 held a Wednesday evening meeting (the second this month) to discuss the merits of dissolving the group. The Uptown Partnership (UP) has contracted with the city to administer parking meter funds for Hillcrest, Mission Hills, Bankers Hill/Park West & Five Points. After years of controversy UP notified the city that as of December 28 they no longer wanted to contract with them.
Staff executive director, Carol Schultz recommended that the board dissolve the corporation. Directors discussed options to continue and hand over the corporate shell to a new organization (yet to be formed with new neighborhood input) or to dissolve the corporate structure now. Members of the public (including founding board member Bob Grinchuk) believe that the corporate structure belongs to the community since it was purchased with public funds. Some UP board members believe the corporation is not a community asset. Schultz advised the directors that the community’s notion that the corporation belongs to the public was a “red herring”. At the December 2 UP board meeting, Schultz said that paint they used for their utility box art projects could not be donated to volunteer efforts to paint out graffiti “because it was purchased with public (meter) money”. Same with other items useful to the community, like maps, because they, too, were purchased with public money. It now appears that Schultz would like to change the rules.
Board member Jim Frost moved to dissolve the corporate structure after explaining that he believed the members are “beating a dead horse” and that the board “should bury the horse”. There was no second to his motion, and the board tabled the item until their next meeting. Director Frost then submitted his resignation to be effective immediately. The next meeting of the Uptown Partnership is scheduled at 4:30pm on Thursday, February 3 at 2605 State Street, Suite B.
