Council Okays Short Contract With Chamber

The Mountain View City Council has approved $1,000 per month for an economic development contract with the Mountain View Area Chamber of Commerce following a presentation by new Chamber Treasurer Shawna Board June 9.

She told council members the Chamber is working to rebuild after a period of declining membership and financial challenges.

Contracting with the city for some of the services the Chamber provides will help offset a projected loss in this year’s budget. The approval is for the remainder of this calendar year, and the topic will be revisited prior to next year.

Board said that under the agreement the Chamber is committing to specific responsibilities including coordinating community events and festivals, promoting Mountain View through marketing and social media, maintaining tourism and visitor information resources, meeting regularly with city leadership, and providing quarterly and annual reports documenting activities, outcomes and accomplishments.

“If the Chamber ceases promoting tourism and coordinating events, those responsibilities do not disappear,” she said. “This agreement allows those services to be provided at a fraction of what it would cost the city to hire staff or contract independently for the same work.”

Alderman Finis Brewer commented that as manager of Sylamore Lodges he had not seen the value in membership under previous leadership because of problems getting referrals, and he asked about the financial loss.

Board said the projected loss for this year is $45,000, but she is still working to make sense of the bookkeeping records so that she has an accurate number.

Brewer also asked about the sales tax that is owed by the Chamber, and Board said it is estimated to be $36,000. Council member Jessica Sterlin, who resigned as a Chamber board member after being elected to city council, said before she left the board someone was working with the state on a payment plan for the taxes and a budget had been figured that would put the organization in the black, but she does not know what happened to that.

Finis asked how many members of the board represent the same business or entity, saying several residents have asked him and he wonders if more people would pay dues if there was wider representation. He said he would like to see that addressed.

Board said she tried to write the contract to make the Chamber much more accountable than in the past, noting that there has been no budget for various festivals, and no controls on spending. The board has agreed to hire an accountant to remove much of the bookkeeping burden from the executive director.

Mayor Roger Gardner said when he took office in 2015 he heard a lot of negativity regarding the Chamber but he is in favor of keeping it strong. When the contract ended the city has purchased advertising in various media.

The council previously contracted with the Chamber for $24,000 per year, but negotiations to renew that contract failed about 10 years ago when the Chamber president at the time objected to a provision about hours of the tourist information center and refused to sign.
Dana Woods, who said he has served as president of the Chamber in the past and saw it through financial challenges, stressed the need for the organization to build membership.

“The value is there, you just have to show it to people,” he said, “I used to go around and ask people to join. The most valuable asset is your member.”

Woods later moved to accept the agreement and it passed unanimously.

In other business, the council:

• was notified that Burton Avenue and Green Loop had been paved. The council approved payments for that work at more than $34,000 for Green Loop and more than $28,000 for Burton Avenue. Gardner said he requested a bid for Jefferson Street between Highway 9 and Franklin Avenue and it was $33,600. The council voted to proceed with the project.

• was notified that Brooks Jeffrey Marketing plans to make a proposal for IT services. Police Chief George Bethell said he had participated in a conference call in which the company indicated it could perform all services needed.

• discussed the budgeting process and a suggestion that the city have a budget committee. Gardner said he did not plan to have one at this point, but that the city could start the budgeting process earlier. He explained that he has always waited until the end of September and then added expenses and averaged with the previous two years.

“You can’t do it too far ahead of time,” he said.

• approved financial reports, noting that gas and oil was “eating up the budget” in a couple departments.

• heard a report on a number of water department issues: plans for a pre-construction meeting for the final section of pipe bursting (sewer rehab), the city is still waiting for the rate study report, work has begun on replacement of the water control panel, and the high service pump that was recently refurbished was to be set later in the week. Gardner said when the pump was installed, another would be sent to be rebuilt.

• agreed to pay $1,847.21 for a plaque for the new bridge on Green Loop to recognize the funding agency.

• responded to a question from the audience regarding gas price impact on the police budget. Bethell said the department currently is about $2,000 over budget and he is stressing to officer to watch expenses, not leave cars idling, etc. Gardner said the additional expenses were anticipated and there is money in the budget to cover overages.

• heard a report from Gardner about final details on the Highway 66 sidewalk project remaining unfinished and his plan to talk to the engineer about it. Council member B.J. Day asked about banners for the new light poles along the sidewalk and alderman Dana Woods said he would get back on that project. He had volunteered previously to research pricing and design.

• briefly discussed the swimming pool, noting that the diving board was still not installed. Gardner reported that for the kiddie pool, it had been determined a sand filtration system was preferable to a cartridge filter system and would cost about $4,000.