CRA drops funding for Main Street manager

The Crestview Redevelopment Agency board voted to reverse its agreement to fund the Main Street Crestview Association manager's position.

At its Nov. 7, 2011, meeting the CRA board, comprised of city council members, agreed to renew Main Street manager Ryan Arvay’s contract for 2012, with the stipulation that the association present a plan for self-sufficiency within a year. At its Monday evening meeting, however, the board voted 2-1, with two members absent, to drop the contract to fund Arvay’s job.

During the contentious budgeting process in 2010, the city council stripped funding for the Main Street manager from the 2011 city budget. However, Main Street Florida guidelines require a fulltime program manager, which enhances the city’s ability to attract development grants for the city's historic downtown district.

The Main Street association then sought and received funding for its manager from the CRA, which is funded by a portion of business taxes collected in its district, including the Main Street district.

Council President Charles Baugh Jr. said his research found several of Florida’s Main Street programs do not receive municipal funding and providing it to Main Street Crestview discourages it from becoming self-sufficient.

“It is my opinion that there are some Main Street programs that are self-sufficient,” Baugh said. “It is my opinion that this (Main Street) board has no incentive to become self-sufficient and recruit new members.”

“We do not have the resources to fund that position,” Main Street Crestview Association President Ellis Conner explained at the November meeting. “We earn enough with our events to fund our next event, because it’s all volunteer help.”

Conner said the Main Street association has enough funds to finance Arvay’s salary for about two months, “but it eats into our program and our events money pretty fast.”

A private 501(c)3 organization of business owners and supporters, Main Street Crestview partners with the city to enhance the historic downtown district. Its events include the popular Fall Festival and Christmas parade, and last year, with the Okaloosa Arts Alliance-North, the summer Music and Art on Main Street festival series.

Main Street recommendations to the CRA have led to downtown improvements including brick pavers, vintage street lighting, alleyway security lighting and the facade improvement grant program.

“Your Main Street program has been able to accomplish about $10 million in improvements,” said Doris Tillman, a visiting executive from the Fort Pierce Main Street program. “It’s all about working together. It’s like family; sometimes it’s hard.”

Tillman recommended that Main Street Crestview prepare a master plan as a guiding document. It was an idea enthusiastically embraced by Ben White, president of the North Okaloosa Republican Club, who frequently offers advice to the city council.

In recent months, White has questioned the Main Street association’s partnership with the city, requesting the association’s email records under the Freedom of Information Act. Though MSCA is not covered by the act, in interests of transparency, Arvay agreed to White’s request.

Before the Nov. 7 CRA meeting, White asked Baugh about, “the tangible rate of return” on the CRA’s investment in Arvay’s first year salary. Before the Dec. 12 council meeting, White questioned the city’s provision of Arvay’s City Hall office, a telephone and office supplies, services he valued at $100,000 a year.

“I’m not here to debate Main Street,” White said at Monday’s meeting. “What I am saying is you have plenty of other organizations that are putting in for Crestview. All I’m asking is fair and equal balance for other 501’s for the entire city.”

“For many years the city has supported several other unique nonprofits in this community,” Main Street member Cal Zethmayr reminded White and the CRA board.

Main Street Crestview is not the only public/private partnership in the city, Zethmayr said, citing private organizations including Sharing and Caring and Elder Services that receive city-owned operating facilities for token annual leases. The city “supports the chamber of commerce with a very special lease for the land their building is sitting on,” he said.

Despite pleas from Conner, Tillman and Zethmayr, Baugh and council member Phillip Berezo voted against the contract they had requested Main Street Crestview revise at the board’s November meeting. Council member Robyn Helt voted in favor of funding Arvay’s salary.

“It kind of left us out there,” Conner said. “But they make the decisions and they handle the money, and they felt like the association didn’t deserve the funding…Main Street has a lot to offer but we will be limited in our scope. That’s the way it is and we have to live with their decision.”

The Main Street Crestview Association will meet on Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall to discuss the issue.