Representatives of the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, the Nevada City Downtown Association and the City of Nevada City met in pouring rain recently for a handshake to mark their merger.

“We're supposed to be all marching forward together,” said Nevada City Chamber of Commerce Executive Manager Cathy Whittlesey, whose organization absorbed the NCDA.

The event Friday at the intersection of Broad and Pine streets downtown was meant to bury the hatchet after a long dispute concerning mandatory, city-levied fees on downtown businesses in the Business Improvement District. Those funds were administered by the NCDA.

The NCDA is now dormant, according to Gary Tintle, formerly an NCDA leader.

Members of a group opposed to the downtown association — Nevada City Business and Property Owners Committee — were invited to the ceremony Friday but did not attend.

Not all the terms of the merger agreement have been met, NCBPOC member Tom Coleman said.

The board of the Chamber of Commerce, where membership is voluntary, now consists of the original 13 members, three new members formerly on the board of NCDA and one non-voting member, City Manager Gene Albaugh.