BOARD TELLS CVB STAFF TO RUN AS USUAL

The Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board has given the CVB staff the nod to "go ahead with business as usual."

The resolution, which was unanimously approved by the board Wednesday was in response to questions by CVB Director Lyn Muzzy concerning the level of budgeting for the CVB for 1992-1993.

"We're budgeted through June," Muzzy told the board Wednesday. "But we need to know what 1992-1993 will bring. There has been some talk of revising the budget."

The advisory board has recommended to the Cape Girardeau City Council, which administers funding, that the CVB be retained, but the board has not recommended a budget. The CVB, which is funded by the hotel, motel and restaurant tax, currently operates with a $300,000 budget. It recently submitted a five-year budget proposal to the advisory committee that requests no increases.

The advisory board started work on the budget request following the regular meeting Wednesday. "We did not arrive at a decision," said board chairman Narvol Randol Jr.

The CVB budget, staff reports and discussion of a statewide tourism sales tax were among items discussed at Wednesday's board meeting.

Al Stoverink, assistant city manager, presented projections of the Convention Tourism Fund through 2004, when the tax runs out. The fund provides money for the CVB and payments on the Show-Me Center.

"There has been talk of an early payoff of the Show-Me Center bonds," said Stoverink. "But due to penalty clauses required on the bonds, an early payoff is not really that feasible."

Muzzy, in his report, outlined a need for a new promotional video for the CVB.

"We have 11 copies of the current video in stock," he said. "But the video was produced in 1987 and is outdated. It also refers to a riverboat, and we don't have a riverboat. Videos are an important promotional tool for us."

No immediate action was taken.

Muzzy also reported that he attended three tour and planners conventions during January, where he met with a combined total of more than 500 tour and group leaders.

A total of 35 tour groups have already requested bureau assistance during trips to the area through June. Twenty-eight of these are overnight tours, said Muzzy.

In other action, the CVB Advisory Board adopted a motion to oppose House Bill 1474.

The proposed bill would establish a statewide tourism sales tax of three-tenths of 1 percent on motel and hotel rooms, campgrounds, and tourist courts. It also calls for a 15-hundredths of 1 percent tax on food and drink sold by eating and drinking establishments, and a tax of 1 percent on the purchase price paid for admission in any private tourist attraction. Proceeds from the taxes would be used for the promotion of tourism in Missouri.

"We support the need for funding tourism through general revenues," said board member Walt Wildman, who made the motion to oppose the new tax. "But we do not support this tax."