In case you missed the city council meeting last night, and from the number of empty seats, a lot of people did, the Council spent 2 hours discussing what do do about the lack of a tourism bureau and eventually decided ask City Manager Kevin Baity and city staff to recreate the Convention and Tourism Bureau in such a form that the newly reconstituted entity retains certification and the $60,000 grant from the state. Council directed Baity to have a proposal ready for the next council meeting but since that is August 7, the August 21 meeting date is more likely. Under state law, Baity would only have 48 hours to hammer out a contract in order to get it posted with enough advanced notice for the August 7 meeting.
Early on in the 2 hour meeting, Chris Wissmann strongly advanced reasons for turning over tourism duties in toto to Southernmost Illinois but the weight of the rest of the council was against him. Corine McDaniels pushed strongly for reconstituting the existing bureau under city control with the organization committing to assume the roughly $30,000 in debt accumulated by the old Bureau, which, if the discussion by the council carries through, will be retired by city funds.
The city reconstituting the Bureau is also contingent upon the members of the current BoT of the Bureau resigning, which interim executive director Richard Wright said would happen by the end of the week, with the exception of Councilman Wissmann. The seven people nominated to the board by Mayor Fritzler last April (note: I am one of them), would then assume seats on the new board and start a search for a new executive director, likely first appointing another interim director.
The Carbondale Observer has some thoughts on the topic
Early on in the 2 hour meeting, Chris Wissmann strongly advanced reasons for turning over tourism duties in toto to Southernmost Illinois but the weight of the rest of the council was against him. Corine McDaniels pushed strongly for reconstituting the existing bureau under city control with the organization committing to assume the roughly $30,000 in debt accumulated by the old Bureau, which, if the discussion by the council carries through, will be retired by city funds.
The city reconstituting the Bureau is also contingent upon the members of the current BoT of the Bureau resigning, which interim executive director Richard Wright said would happen by the end of the week, with the exception of Councilman Wissmann. The seven people nominated to the board by Mayor Fritzler last April (note: I am one of them), would then assume seats on the new board and start a search for a new executive director, likely first appointing another interim director.
The Carbondale Observer has some thoughts on the topic
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