BIA Boards of Management are accountable to their BIA Membership and the City of Toronto. Their main responsibilities are to:
maintain BIA-initiated streetscaping assets within the business improvement area
promote the business improvement area as a business, employment, shopping and/or tourism area
offer graffiti and poster removal services respecting building facades to all member property owners who provide written consent, upon approval of the program by the general membership of the business improvement area
undertake safety and security initiatives within the business improvement area
undertake strategic planning necessary to address business improvement area issues, and
participate in a hearing of the Ontario Municipal Board or other similar tribunal if the BIA Board has conducted a general meeting of the business improvement area membership to obtain approval to participate, and to obtain approval of any related expenses.
The BIA Membership
One of the major functions of a BIA Board of Management is to make decisions on behalf of its members and to keep the membership abreast of BIA activities.
A Board must also be able to identify and respond to the needs of its membership.
Open communication with members is vital and can be maintained through various means:
face-to-face discussions
organized meetings
newsletters
e-mail
volunteer groups and subcommittees
surveys/questionnaires
visits to members
One of the first responsibilities of a Board of Management is to be familiar with, and follow, the provisions of Chapter 19 (Business Improvement Areas) of the Toronto Municipal Code and the BIA's Procedural By-law or Constitution. A sample template upon which a BIA's by-law is to be based can be found in Section C.
BIA General Membership Information Requests
In order for members to stay connected and to understand the direction and goals of the BIA, we recommend that you provide your members with some of the basic facts, tools and information about your BIA operations.
BIA members commonly request the following items:
Mission and/or Vision Statement
Business Plan
list of Board of Management and contact information (phone, fax, e-mail)
