Board-specific processes and requirements
Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) Boards of Management
The board-specific requirements set out below have been updated to reflect changes made by Council:
- January 2010 (Item ED27.6) to amend the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 19, Business Improvement Areas, as it relates to nominations and appointments to BIA Boards.
Agency profile
A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is an association of commercial or industrial property owners and tenants within a specified district, who join together with official approval of the City, in a self-help program aimed at stimulating business. BIAs can be catalyst for civic improvement and significant contributors to the city's economy and quality of life in the neighbourhood they are located.
Board responsibilities
The BIA Boards of Management contribute to the improvement, beautification and maintenance of municipally owned land, buildings and structures in specific business improvement areas. Each BIA board markets and promotes its business improvement area as a business or shopping area and advocates on behalf of the business improvement area.
Term of office
Four years coincident with the term of Council
Composition
The number of Board members and City Councillors on each BIA Board is set out in the City of Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 19.
A maximum of 20 percent of the Board may be non-members of the business improvement area, if the non-members are nominated by a member of the BIA.
Qualifications
The following are eligible to be members of a Board of Management of a BIA:
- one or more persons appointed directly by City Council
- one or more persons selected by vote of the BIA membership and subsequently appointed by City Council or Community Council under delegated authority
All commercial or industrial property owners and commercial or industrial business tenants, or the designate of the owners or tenants, may stand for Board nomination.
Meetings
Board meetings are held at least 4 times a year, including the annual general meeting with the members of the BIA
Remuneration
No remuneration is paid to Board members
Nomination process - interest group
Board members are elected at the Annual General Meeting of members of the BIA. The names of selected nominees are forwarded to the relevant Community Council within whose geographic area the BIA is located. If a BIA is located in the geographic area of more than one Community Council, Council appoints the directors.
Council or Community Council under delegated authority may refuse to appoint a person selected by members of a business improvement area, in which case Council or Community Council, as the case may be, may leave the position vacant, appoint another person (who is not required to be a member of the BIA) or direct that a meeting of the members of the Business Improvement Area or the Board be held to elect or select another candidate for Council's or Community Council's consideration.