Downtown Prince George is going back to using its full name, the Prince George Downtown Business Improvement Association.
Association president Carla Johnston said the goal of the change is to refocus the association on business improvement and distinguish it from other downtown-related initiatives.
"There is a lot going on with downtown improvement," Johnston said. "While I like the [Downtown Prince George] website, as a new board we felt it didn't reflect who we are. Downtown Prince George could be anything."
Johnston said the goal of the new board is to bring some balance back to the association.
"We have professional services, retailers, property owners... that's a pretty big scope of people," he said. "In my role specifically, what I want to achieve is balance."
At the board's last meeting, the association board also appointed six new committees to focus on specific aspects of the association's business improvement mandate.
The six committees are: best practices and administration; beautification; communications; crime reduction and social services; events, promotions and marketing; infrastructure development and new business attraction.
"We want downtown to be seen as the premier location for new businesses," Johnston said. "We're more than just flower baskets."
The committees will work with other downtown stockholders and members to improve and enhance the look and experience of doing business downtown, she said. In addition the association will be advocating for positive changes downtown, including facade improvements, events and promotional campaigns.
At the association's annual general meeting on March 30, the membership voted to have a three-person audit committee investigate the financial operations of the association.
"We're going to be putting out an invitation to present at our next board meeting or shortly after that," Johnston said.
"It was an ad hoc group put together to review the concerns mostly raised by [local media personality] Ben Meisner."
The committee is made up of of Ted Moffat of Northern Hardware, Bob Hillhouse of Majestic Management and John Dungate of Dungate and Co.
"Our mandate was to report back to the membership when we're finished, and we're not," Moffat said. "We're just waiting on some more information."
Moffat said he was not sure how much longer the committee would take to finalize its report.
