The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association has started a GoFundMe campaign to help with the cost of a Freedom of Information request.
Last November, Windsor City Council voted to get rid of commercial space on the first floor of the Pelissier St. Parking Garage so it could add more parking spaces, but the decision has been controversial earning the ire of some on the council and the association. Those opposed to the decision say it goes against the advice of urban planners, architects, and residents living downtown.
Tenants of the garage, which included a hair salon and Windsor Pride, later told councillors they were struggling to find new locations to set up at a cost they can afford.
Recently, the DWBIA made the request to the city in a bid to find out the rationale behind the decision but was told it would cost $13,672.20 to access all meeting records, emails and text messages between administration, members of council and the Mayor's Office.
A statement on the GoFundMe page reads, "We strongly believe that Windsorites deserve to know the communication process that led to the disastrous November 2016 decision -- a decision that, by all professional accounts, will be detrimental to the vibrancy of Pelissier St. and downtown Windsor as a whole."
As of Monday morning, they have raised almost $1,500, and the page has been shared more than 98 times.