The Penticton Hospitality Association wants to do its business but it says the City of Penticton seems on a course to terminate a legal contract signed in good faith in 2012.

Tim Hodgkinson, Operations/Director of the PHA says it is business as usual at the offices of the Hospitality Association but the media coverage and the City’s attempt to cancel a legal contract is disturbing.

Hodgkinson said the two parties began some informal talks recently but the discussions got off track with the city deciding not to stick to the agreed upon agenda and that was ITEM #1 – getting hotel tax funding passing through to the Hospitality Association again.

Hodgkinson said something happened after a very good first meeting “but Mayor Garry Litke did an about face” at the second meeting leaving the Association not knowing what was next. A third meeting “billed as a signing meeting” was not to happen as no agreement had been reached. Hodgkinson said the agenda had changed and that was not agreed to by the PHA.

Will a court be necessary to decide if a contract is valid or has been violated? Will the city release current monies from the BC government’s – Ministry of Finance?

Legal limbo it is – says Hodgkinson. He says the PHA has retained a lawyer and will wait for the next move of the City.

The present legal contract expires in the summer of 2017 more than 3 years away.

The history is complicated and only “good will” will work.