Crookston Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitor’s Bureau staff are doing their best to rally supporters to attend Tuesday evening’s city Ways & Means Committee meeting at city hall, when the city’s proposal to use CVB funds to pay for a Recreation and Sports Tourism Coordinator will be discussed by the city council.
The Chamber/CVB is advertising in the local media and sending out emails to various constituents, urging them to attend the meeting to “save” the CVB, and also detailing the work that the CVB does.
In the ads, various events and initiatives such as Ox Cart Days, the beautification baskets, King of Trails Marketplace, Crookston Farmers’ Market, the Visitors Guide and the visitcrookston.com Web site are listed as being in jeopardy if the CVB revenue from the local lodging tax is reallocated to fund the new position.
City Administrator Aaron Parrish, who crafted the proposal, said in an email to the Times today that it’s “unfortunate” that the campaign to publicize Tuesday’s meeting is creating the impression that things will disappear if the proposal is approved.
“The proposal still contemplates providing $6,000 to support Ox Cart Days activities, the Farmers Market is a stand alone organization, and a Visitor's Guide will be published,” he explained. “The downtown flower planting program is currently a collaboration between the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Crookston. Currently the Chamber collects the funds for the flower baskets and the City maintains them throughout the summer. If that partnership erodes, I am confident we could find a way for it to continue.”
Lori Wagner, Chamber president/CEO, also says Sandy Kegler, the part-time tourism and marketing coordinator, would lose her job if the proposal in its current form is approved.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. The committee is comprised of the entire council as well as Mayor Dave Genereux. At last Thursday’s CVB board meeting, City Administrator Aaron Parrish, who put forth the proposal, said there’s no rush to vote on it, so it’s likely that Tuesday’s meeting will feature discussion and debate, but not a committee recommendation to the council.
