A business association in neighborhood clothing? An inquiry into the Olympia Downtown Association

author : Beth Ward topic : Olympia City Council | Olympia Downtown Association

by Beth Ward

When people talk about the Olympia Downtown Association (ODA) it seems like they either love it or hate it. Some describe it as a welcoming, inclusive group while others view the ODA as an exclusivist association dominated by downtown retail interests. So what is the ODA?

Founded in the late 1980's, the ODA is recognized by the city as a neighborhood association, which is a conglomerate of people who join together to improve the quality of their neighborhood and can choose to complete the proper paperwork and be recognized by the city as an official association. The ODA's boundaries span from the Capitol to the Port, and from Eastside St. to the 4th Ave. Bridge. They participate in or manage many popular downtown events including the Arts Walks and Music in the Park. Their mission statement: To preserve and promote downtown Olympia as the commercial, financial, cultural and recreational center for the region.

So far so good. And yet, that sounds like a pretty big mission for a neighborhood association. That's because the ODA is a bit different from the rest of Olympia's neighborhood associations; of their 200 plus members, according to their membership roster almost all are downtown business owners. In fact, if you're interested in joining the ODA you'll find that the membership costs vary with the size of your business. Most neighborhood associations are made up of people who live within the neighborhoods boundaries, but the ODA is not. This difference is explained in the bylaws of the ODA. Less than halfway down the first page under the heading "Purpose" it reads: "The members of the downtown business community do hereby join together to promote a political, economic, and social atmosphere of mutual support so that all downtown business people . . . may pursue their economic goals with dignity and respect from their fellow businesses, government, and the community at large."

That does not sound like the purpose of a neighborhood association. The reason for this is that the ODA is not really a neighborhood association at all. According to Connie Lorenze, the ODA's executive director, "The ODA's focus is more on business." In fact, she admits the ODA is "not really a neighborhood association, we only used that title for a few years to help us get some grant money." This is where people start to have problems with the ODA. Many feel that if the ODA is not serving the purpose of a neighborhood association they should not get funding intended for neighborhood associations.

A neighborhood association is usually formed when a group of people want to improve the livability of their neighborhoods. But most members of the ODA don't live downtown; they just own their business there. Bob Jacobs, a former ODA member and former Mayor of Olympia explains that, "business associations [like the ODA] are a healthy thing when they involve people working together for mutual benefit, for example when small businesses join together to get reduced rates for medical benefits. But sometimes these associations become powerful and push their own agenda to have things passed that may not be what residents want."

Joe Hyer, co-owner of the Alpine Experience, ODA member, and a City Council member, seems to hold the same view of the ODA. Though he describes the ODA as the strongest representative of downtown businesses and really enjoys being part of the association, he says the ODA "is not really for residents, the board is made up of business owners, so it does not necessarily promote what the residents want." Hyer points out that a new neighborhood association, the Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA), has recently started, and he is glad of it. "The DNA will be able to promote what the residents want, and I hope that the ODA and DNA will be able to work closely in the future." Now that there is the DNA to contrast, it is more apparent than ever that the ODA is not really a neighborhood association.

Still, they continue to receive neighborhood association grant money from the city.

According to the City's Unified Development Code, Chapter 18.86 (Neighborhood Association Recognition and Notification), for a neighborhood association to be recognized by the city and therefore be able to receive Neighborhood Matching Grant funds, they must fulfill many requirements. A few of these include allowing full membership to all persons residing within its boundaries, and holding at least one meeting per year for which it gives written notice to every household, place of business and property owner within the associations boundaries; mailed declarations, delivered handbills, or a number of prominent signs are all examples of adequate notice. It's with these rules concerning inclusion and notification that the ODA may have some problems.

First there is the question of full membership. According to Connie Lorenze, anyone who wants to buy their membership may join and vote as is laid out in their bylaws. Yet when one reads the ODA's bylaws the section on membership states that there will be two kinds of members. A Business Membership is a membership for any person or representative of a person holding a business license, or for any property owner within the downtown boundaries. An Associate Membership is available to all other interested persons, businesses or organizations. The rules about voting consists of one line: "One Business Membership per business shall entitle the holder to one vote (Section 7.01)." There are no other exceptions for voting memberships in the bylaws.

The second question is that of advertising to all people within the associations boundaries at least one meeting per year. Rachel Schleif, who lives in the Elks Apartments downtown, says that she has only heard of the ODA's annual meeting through word of mouth. Lorenze explains that they put notice of the meeting in their newsletter, send an email to all their members, and give a press release to the local newspaper and radio station. "Anyone can come to the meetings, but typically," says Lorenze, "[notice of the meeting] goes out to members though." In this way, it would seem, the ODA fails to meet the requirements of being a neighborhood association.

The Neighborhood Matching Grant is only up to $2,000 a year, and the ODA is able to raise funds that far exceed the $2,000 matched by the city. In the Neighborhood Matching Grant records it shows that since 2002 the ODA has been able to match the city grant money with anything from $8,000 to $21,000. Schleif believes that, "if businesses want public funds, they should ask openly. The ODA needs to take account of resident's opinions and wants."

This article was originally printed in the Voice of Olympia. It is printed here with permission.