Vision Vancouver park board chair Aaron Jasper says a lawsuit launched in B.C. Supreme Court this week against the Riley Park/Hillcrest Community Association was prompted by an obligation to the public.
Jasper told the Courier Tuesday afternoon the board has made two requests to the association asking for a copy of its financial records.
“But we haven't received anything. They're expected to be transparent, but I'm hearing rumours of money being misdirected to charities so the park board had an obligation to step in,” said Jasper of recent accusations that association president Jesse Johl had been allegedly redirecting membership funds from the non-profit to a charity called Way to Give Foundation, of which he's listed as director. Last month the Courier reported some residents who bought membership to the community centre received credit card statements showing fees billed to the foundation.
At the time, Johl said the problem stemmed from a computer glitch that took place when the centre's website was recently redesigned. He added the glitch had since been fixed and noted the problem affected about 60 people and $800 and the money was redirected back to Hillcrest.
“Over the last few weeks, there has been significant public concern expressed to the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation in regard to alleged irregularities in the conduct of business at the Riley Park Hillcrest Community Association,” said Jasper in a statement Tuesday. “The park board has requested information from the association to assess the situation - a request that is the park board's right under the joint operating agreement.”
In a statement emailed to the Courier late Tuesday night, Johl said the annual independent audit for Hillcrest was underway. “Hillcrest originally stated that it would forward the unaudited financials to the park board by this Friday, May 9, 2014 and the independently audited 2013 and first quarter of 2014 financials as soon as available.”
Johl added, “The Vancouver Park Board has started a British Columbia Supreme Court action suggesting that Riley Park Hillcrest Community Centre Association has breached the joint operating agreement between the parties by not forwarding Hillcrest's financial statements to the park board in a timely manner when demanded, despite that fact the park board continues to breach the joint operating agreement, Hillcrest is actively seeking to resolve these issues of disclosure.”
Johl noted since the audit was extended from fiscal 2013 to include the first quarter of 2014, at what he says was at the request of the park board, a reasonable extension was required.
Riley Park/Hillcrest Community Association is in the midst of a joint lawsuit launched against the park board last fall for alleged breaches of the joint operating agreement. Hillcrest is joined by Killarney, Sunset, Hastings, Kerrisdale and Kensington community centre associations in the lawsuit.
As well, last month four former directors of the Riley Park/Hillcrest Community Association, Ken Charko, Jennifer Palma, Jaimini Thakore and Eli Zbar, were in B.C. Supreme Court with a litany of complaints against the association and Johl. Affidavits filed in court include accusations of everything from financial mismanagement to wrongful dismissal from the board to sexual harassment.
Charko told the Courier at the time taking legal action his last recourse because Johl refused to meet with them. The two sides came to an agreement out of court.
sthomas@vancourier.com
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