The Burlington Performing Arts Centre is going to undergo a governance review ordered by Burlington City Council. The exact issues that led to a call for the review were only hinted at in a council session November 14th but BPAC Executive Director Tammy Fox who has been at the helm for eight years was in support of the move. The board has been without a chair and a vice chair for some time, and executive director Fox suggested the lack of direction may have resulted in a recent lost opportunity to collaborate with the Burlington Sound of Music Festival. Members of council made it clear that they were pleased with Fox’s operation of the entertainment venue, but councillor Angelo Bentivegna, who is council’s representative on the BPAC board and whose motion proposed the governance review, pointing to the vacancies and turnover on the board, said the time had come to update the facility’s governance structure.
The current governance structure was put in place before the centre opened in 2011. Burlington resident Rick Burgess appeared before council to ask for a delay in a decision on the review, saying board members had not had time to consider the proposal, which was walked on to the meeting without a report, but it was clear from questions and answers that he and fellow board member Bentivegna were not on the same page with regard to the board’s performance. Burgess identified himself as twice past chair of BPAC and current candidate for Chair, but he admitted the board even at this point was having difficulty holding an election of officers.
Council made its annual subsidy to BPAC contingent on the review taking place. Council will select the consultant but the fee will be covered by BPAC. The consultant will conduct interviews with current board and staff and make recommendations to council. Councillor Paul Sharman said he wanted to hear what the board members have to say. Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said the matter is urgent because the report is needed by next March.