Chamber gets control of visitors bureau

The city of Cape Girardeau officially handed over control of the Convention and Visitors Bureau to the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce at its meeting Monday night.

But, with a few amendments to the original contract, the council took steps to make sure the city will still have an active voice in the direction of the CVB.

Chamber of Commerce president John Mehner said he will have to present the amendments to the chamber's Board of Directors before the deal is sealed, but he said he didn't see that as being a problem.

The amendments are:

The council will appoint a nonvoting representative to the CVB board and to the Chamber of Commerce's board of directors.

Administrative expenses must be included in the proposed annual budget and may not exceed 10 percent of the proposed budget.

The city will subsidize the chamber on a quarterly basis instead of monthly.

Performance reviews will be performed semiannually.

The two parties must specifically agree on any changes regarding the building and parking areas which may be used by the chamber.

The biggest issue discussed was the city's involvement, or lack thereof, in the CVB. The appointment on nonvoting representatives is to assure that the city would have first-hand knowledge of the goings-on in the CVB.

"What the amendments did more than anything was allow more checks and balances," said Mayor Jay Knudtson.

Some council members have voiced dissatisfaction with the results of the CVB in recent years, and Knudtson introduced the idea of having the chamber take command. The department has been in limbo since director Terri Clark-Bauer resigned in May.

Knudtson's reasoning for chamber operation of the CVB was that the chamber and the city-run CVB often overlapped responsibilities. Knudtson and Mehner both said a private organization can act more quickly on some things than a governmental body.

Tim Blattner, chairman of the existing CVB advisory board, which met twice to discuss the switch in power, did not make a recommendation on behalf of the board.

However, he hinted that the chamber could give the CVB a higher priority than the city could.

"What it comes down to," he said, "is the CVB will be a big fish in a smaller pond instead of a small fish in a bigger pond."

He brought up the fact that the city is facing several other challenges, including finding ways to increase revenue.

Sewer dispute ended

In other action Monday night, the council finally put an end to a sewer district dispute between four neighbors on Perryville Road.

The council forced all four property owners -- all of whom currently use septic tanks -- to join the sewer district, although only two of the neighbors needed it.

Ruth Ellen Holdman and Bob McDowell have septic tanks that do not work. Holdman has been told by the health department to take the necessary steps to fix it.

The other neighbors, Norval Friese and Robert and Julie Pastrick, did not feel they should have to pay for someone else's problem, though they were willing to donate easements.

After the issue was tabled twice by the council in hopes the parties could work out a compromise, the council ruled in favor of Holdman and McDowell, but waived the $750 hookup fees for Friese and the Pastricks as a consolation.

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127