Merger talks today

Members of the Chestnut Hill Parking Foundation, Business Association and Business Improvement District will meet early this evening to discuss the possibility of merging operations of all three entities.

A memo that was circulated to interested parties -- and that was described as purely a preliminary, work-in-progress starting point to the discussions by Business Association President Greg Welsh -- describes an organization plan that would establish a three-person oversight or supervisory committee composed of one member from each participating organization. That committee would hire and supervise a CEO, who would supervise other staff members of all three organizations.

According to the memo, all three organizations would control their own budgets but pool revenues and other resources in an effort to increase efficiency. Models cited in the memo included Center City and Manayunk, both of which have central business organizations that employ an empowered CEO. Those districts are organized  based on the "Main Street" program model.

The Local will report on these talks as we learn more.