Downtown West Bend BID elects Rebecca Sarwat as vice president, updates purchasing rule to match operating plan

Rebecca Sarwat was elected vice president of the Downtown West Bend Business Improvement District at the board's meeting; the board also formally approved John as the BID executive director and changed the bylaws to let the executive director approve invoices that conform to the board-adopted operating plan.

The change to Article 7 of the BID bylaws replaces a dollar threshold (previously purchases under $500) with language allowing the executive director to approve invoices “if they are in accordance with the BID operating plan.” Board members said the revised wording aligns the bylaws with longstanding practice and avoids forcing the board to meet monthly solely to authorize routine, budgeted line items.

Board members and staff said the operating-plan rule will preserve board oversight because the detailed financial report and line-item breakdowns will continue to appear at regular meetings. The board discussed hypothetical examples — landscaping, marketing postcards and facade-grant work — and agreed that items already budgeted in the operating plan would not require a separate board vote when bills arrive.

During the same meeting the board unanimously approved John as the BID executive director. John confirmed acceptance of the position on the record.

The motion to amend the bylaws was made in open session, seconded, and carried. Board members described the change as a clarification to reflect how the BID has functioned in practice rather than a broad delegation of new authority.

Board members directed staff to continue to present the detailed budget and financial reports at regular meetings so the board retains visibility and can question unexpected line items.

Members quoted in this report spoke during the governance agenda item at the May meeting and appear in the transcript.