Tourism Commission approves funding request for water garden tour; Commissioners plan to ask city for help with tax enforcement

At its meeting Wednesday morning, March 3, Marshall Tourism Commission heard requests from two groups concerning funding.

Representing Friends of Jim the Wonder Dog, Larry Arrowood spoke to the commission about the group's upcoming water garden tour, scheduled for Sunday, June 27.

He said the event was not yet scheduled when the Friends submitted the annual application for tourism funds underneath Marshall Chamber of Commerce's umbrella, which is why funding was not requested then.

"We didn't know at that time we were going to do this," he said.

Arrowood said the event used to be a popular one, though it has not been held for the past two years. Previously, about 300 to 400 people attended, with 80 percent coming from out of Saline County.

In total, the group requested $1,700 for brochures, posters and advertising reaching more than 50 miles outside of Marshall.

The commission voted unanimously to grant the request.

Stan Moore, representing the chamber's tourism committee, was present at the meeting to discuss funds already awarded. The chamber has received $3,000, to be paid to Poole Advertising for marketing services.

Moore said the chamber would like to use the funds instead to pay Jill Murray, who currently works part time for the chamber, to write grants under the state department of tourism's Cooperative Marketing Program and another individual to handle the "strictly clerical" side of the chamber.

"We'd like to kind of create some permanency and structure to this whole process," Moore said.

He said that will be achieved in part by using more in-house services, rather than contracting everything out to various entities.

The commission approved the change of use for the funding.

Moore said the chamber will also need to approve the project at its meeting Monday evening, March 8.

In her report, Treasurer Gracie Bouws said tourism taxes collected in the fourth quarter of 2009 amounted to $19,327.55. For the year, collections were $85,367.62.

But, the commission awarded $91,098 to be spent in 2010, and some of the money must come from reserves.

"We have sufficient funds available to cover the overage," Bouws said.

The first quarter tax report for 2010 will come out in April, she said.

As reported numerous times already, some hotels are not paying their taxes on overnight stays to the city, Bouws said.

President Shellee Peuster said she recently spoke with City Administrator Connie Latimer about the issue, but was referred to attorney Don Stouffer and has not received a response.

The commission opted for Secretary Amy Crump to draft a formal request to the city that action be taken to address the delinquent hotels.

Crump will present the letter at the commission's next meeting.

In other business, the commission discussed its bylaws and made a few minor changes.

The draft will be revised and then submitted to Stouffer for review. Commission members hope to vote and approve the bylaws at their next meeting.

Commission member Gary Grote was also present at the meeting.

The commission will meet again Wednesday, April 14, at 8:30 a.m. in the conference room at the City Office Building.

Contact Sydney Stonner at marshallbusiness@socket.net