EDITORIAL – City Hall should butt out of PAC’s ‘independent’ management board

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

A NON-PROFIT SOCIETY managing the soon-to-be-built performing arts centre – dubbed the Kamloops Centre for the arts — is a good idea. Let’s hope City council doesn’t mess it up.

The independent-society structure was put in front of the Build Kamloops committee last week and it makes good sense. According to a report presented by staff, the best management option is for the City to retain ownership — maintaining the building — but for day-to-day management to be put under an independent external “oversight body (or board)” with representatives from “user groups, business, and community leaders, with those who possess knowledge, experience, and skills that would be valuable to the facility.”

The independent society model is an alternative to the City operating the facility, or some sort of hybrid structure. Benefits, according to the staff report, include transparency and accountability and diversified revenue streams and community fundraising.

It’s a structure used by most of the 18 performing arts venues in other parts of the province.

Independent. Sounds good. But how independent? Coun. Bill Sarai wants City representation on the new board to make sure it runs things properly. Similar structures have run into problems with how bookings are managed, and with internal conflicts, he says.

‘What stake does the City have in it because I think in the past we’ve had this type of board and then they struggle with who’s in charge and who has priority of booking events or times. That’s what I don’t want to see. I want to be assured that if this non-profit board is in place that the City also has someone on that board to make sure that it’s governed properly and that there’s no conflicts between the members that are on the board.’

– Bill Sarai

That’s an interesting thing to say. The only notable comparison is St. Andrew’s on the Square. Things hummed along smoothly there for years, until the City failed to provide necessary upkeep in a timely manner, and decided without any logical reason it wanted to take over bookings. It was quite the mess; not an experience that should be repeated.

One might also ask what business Coun. Sarai has in handing out advice about how anything should be run. (Yes, he’s chair of the council’s governance committee, which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.) Pre-judging the committee as not having the ability to operate without a City over-seer hanging at its shoulder isn’t setting it up for success.

Perhaps the City could have either a manager or a councillor attend the non-profit board’s meetings, but that person should have no authority over it and shouldn’t have a vote on any of its decisions.

Dusan Magdolen, the City’s cultural services and events manager, said the City’s relationship with the board has yet to be determined, but might be in the form of a liaison rather than a seat at the board table. That would certainly be preferable.

Keep in mind that the City has agreements in place with groups to which it provides major funding — such as the art gallery and theatre company — to ensure general guidelines are followed. Otherwise, they get along just fine without City Hall watching every move they make.

If an independent external non-profit society is the model to be used for the PAC, it must be  truly independent of interference from City Hall.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.