1979-04-02 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Presentation re: Chamber o~ Commerce - Proposal for Thomas Jefferson Visitors Bureau A proposal was presented from the Chamber of Commerce proposing that the City, County and Chamber of Commerce enter into an agreement to create the Thomas Jefferson Visitors Bureau. The proposal calls for a $20,000 financial commitment from the City for the next twelve months, $10,000 from the Caunty and $10,000 from the Chamber of Commercce for the first year. Mr. Mike Ludgate of the Chamber of Commerce Tour~ism Committee addressed the Council and made a formal presentation of the plan. He stated that the proposal they are making is draw~ from one, the identification of need and, two, supplying those needs with money and the division of the monies is predicated on one thing that is easy ~to identify and that is the transient lodging tax and they think it is a fa~.m proposal to begin with and it is only a beginning. The Mayor stated that this plan was given to Council just prior to the meeting and some members have not had an opportunity to discuss it and he suggested that maybe Council would like to defer action until the plan is presented to the Board of Supervisors before taking action. Mr. Buck stated that there might be details to be adjusted but he would like to go on record as generally favoring the proposal and he would urge the other City Councillors to look on it favorably, even though the ratios for funding are just the initial phase, and he would hope that what develops is what developed in the area like the Pennsylvania DutchCountry wheme the public.money was a predominate part initially and how the ratio has changed rather~dramatically where the budget is now primarily financed by the private sector. The City Manager stated that he and Mr. Agnor were pretty well in agreement on this proposal and see the possibilities of this particular proposal. He stated that the matter of timing is a concern due~t~ the fact that theme is a matter before the board of supervisors and the city council with regard to the hiring of a consultant to develop a program for us. He stated the board of supervisors ham not seen fit to act on it yet, but probably will at the April 18th meeting~ but tHe~e'~is some concern with the hiring of the individual considered in this plan if there is a study going in the meantime that may lock that person in. He suggested that action be deferred until it is presented to the board of supervisors. He stated the Council has agreed to find out what a consultant would cost, but the board of supervisors has not gone that far. Mrs~ O'Brien stated that if it was decided to proceed with this plan and the right type of person was hired she had doubts that a consultant was needed. Mr. Gatewood remarked that if this proposal were adopted it would supercede the previous action taken to seek a consultant.