Retailers Seek Seats at Alliance Table

More than 25 Highland Park merchants showed up at a meeting of the (the Alliance) last Tuesday at , hoping to see the organization’s board restructured to allow more participation from their ranks in decisions that affect their businesses.

Earlier:

A change to the Alliance bylaws to reduce the size of the board and include three representatives from the newly formed was on the agenda. The 4-2 favorable vote was insufficient to make the change. 

Unanimous isn't enough

The Alliance is a partnership of the City of Highland Park, the Downtown Property Owners Association and the Chamber Commerce. The current board has five members chosen by the owners, three by the Chamber and three by the City.

No member of the Merchants Association currently sits on the board. The restructured nine-person governing body would have three property owners and three merchants. It would also have a city representative, a person from the and a citizen at large appointed by Mayor Nancy Rotering. 

Alliance Chairman Al Klairemont said the change was not made because the group lacked the requisite votes. Larry Hillman, a property owner who has spearheaded the drive to increase merchant participation, said 11 votes are needed to change the bylaws. Klairemont agrees with that assessment. 

“I think it will happen in the next couple of weeks. The property owners have to meet,” Klairemont said. “Personally, I’m for it."

Hillman left the meeting frustrated, not just because of the results but because of the timing. He realizes obtaining 11 votes from an 11-member group is even more difficult than a unanimous decision. Only seven of the 11 members were present for the vote. 

“If one person is missing a unanimous vote is not good enough,” Hillman said. “We’re at a standstill.” 

Like Klairemont, Hillman thinks the change will happen. 

“I’m very optimistic this will come through."

Stronger retail participation

Timing is a major issue to the retailers. Bill Moss, the owner of Running Right, wants strong retail participation in time to help plan for the holiday season. He worries it might not happen. 

“We wanted it to happen Tuesday,” Moss said. “If not, I understand the next meeting won’t happen until October. Then we miss the holiday season."

“You can’t change the date of Christmas,” Hillman added. 

Before the meeting and in conversations with Patch this week, merchants explained they were closer than anyone to the pulse of local business that drives the city’s sales tax revenue. 

“We feel like we’re not being heard,” owner Bobby Dubin said at the meeting. “We’re worried. We’ve seen the downturn in the economy. We need to be heard.” 

'On the front lines'

Diana Schaps was one of the merchants at the meeting. She has been operating on Central Avenue for 23 years. She sees retailers as a key stakeholder to the forces with an interest in a thriving business district. 

“We’re on the front lines. We see best what should be done,” Schaps said Friday. “We saw the business downturn of 2008. That’s what motivated us to really help to keep this a dynamic retail community so everyone benefits downtown.” 

Moss wants the Alliance and with it the community to benefit from the experience merchants like Schaps and Earl Edelcup of offer.

“We need people who have been on the street a really long time who know what we are dealing with and are up against here,” Moss said Friday afternoon. “We need promotions that will bring people to Highland Park.” 

Edelcup has been on the local retail scene since he was a boy helping his father at Ross. He is a property owner as well. He owns the real estate where Ross is located.  He understands the relationship between the stakeholders should be a collaborative one.

“It makes you partners,” Edelcup said.

Like us on Facebook!