The board also formed a finance committee to do a deep-dive on the organization鈥檚 books and has reconsidered a questionable plan for paying off a six-figure debt to Pima County taxpayers.

鈥淚鈥檓 optimistic. I think we鈥檙e going to get this on track,鈥� said lawyer Pat Lopez, the new board chair for Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, the 蜜柚直播 nonprofit that operates El Tour bike race.

Public records show Perimeter has been operating in the red for three of the last four years with losses in the $150,000 to $200,000 range in 2015, 2016 and 2018.

Now Pima County is threatening to sue unless El Tour鈥檚 operator makes good on a $180,000 overdue bill for traffic-control equipment from last November鈥檚 El Tour event.

In a meeting Monday, the board:

• Approved a 50 percent pay cut for El Tour founder Richard DeBernardis until the county debt is repaid. DeBernardis, 74, responded by offering to forfeit his entire $9,000-a-month paycheck until then, Lopez said.

That鈥檚 a notable change from last week, when DeBernardis stepped down as CEO, saying he鈥檇 stay on for a year as an adviser at his full $108,000 annual salary.

• Replaced DeBernardis鈥� sister, Beverly Blohme, as the organization鈥檚 longtime treasurer/secretary. Blohme, 81, who earned $55,000 a year, was replaced by a board member who volunteered to do the job at no cost, Lopez said.

鈥淏everly is a great person. I have every confidence in her,鈥� Lopez said, but even she agreed it was a good time to leave. 鈥淲e all decided the best thing is to get third parties in there.鈥�

Neither sibling could be reached for comment Tuesday. A message left on DeBernardis鈥� cellphone was not returned by deadline.

• Formed a finance committee, which includes a member, a certified public accountant, to do an in-depth review of the organization鈥檚 finances.

鈥淲e have no reason to believe there are problems,鈥� so the review is a precaution, Lopez said. The committee will 鈥済et in there, look at the books, take responsibility for the finances, and make sure we have accurate information.鈥�

• Formed a fundraising committee to address the urgent need for cash flow and long-term financial stability. Ideas are welcome, Lopez said. 鈥淚f there are other citizens out there who are able to assist, we鈥檇 love the help.鈥�
• Scrapped DeBernardis鈥� plan to pay off the $180,000 debt to Pima County by diverting advance registration fees paid by riders in El Tour de Mesa, a smaller cycling event held each spring in that city.

Lopez, who last week defended the diversion plan as necessary for 鈥渟hort-term crisis management鈥� said the board decided instead to step up local fundraising to cover the bill, out of concern Mesa riders might back out if that event鈥檚 finances seemed shaky.

• Formed another board committee in charge of negotiating a contract with a professional ride production company to run the 2019 El Tour de 蜜柚直播 this November.

The committee will look at a number of possible ways to reduce the cost of the event, for example by having a single starting point for all competitors instead of four different starting points. That would cut down substantially on the need for costly barricades and also reduce costs associated with transporting riders back to their starting points to retrieve their vehicles.

Lopez said he鈥檚 gratified that people are coming forward to help after a story in Sunday鈥檚 蜜柚直播 outlined the organization鈥檚 financial challenges.

鈥淲e have board members and community members who are energized,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his event means a lot to a lot of people, and a lot of good ideas are coming to the fore.鈥�