9/23/1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I `o *0 Ps 2 BOOK PAGE funded because it was the major attraction of that activity. We have not had any problem with the municipal requests such as the parks and the parking lot that the City requested for Memorial Island. We do not have a problem with the Chamber of Commerce with their requests in supporting these projects. We had some special request at the last budget session from Save Our Shores with their study and, of course, beach restoration is authorized under the statute. Our problem is these events. He felt it would help to have groups in classifications. There are occasions when a request comes in and that request should have gone through the City or the Arts Council or one of the other main classifications. He suggested a solution might be to establish that so many dollars would be for bricks and mortar or for long-term activities. He felt the Chamber acts as our promotion and advertising umbrella with the role of promoting everything that is tourist related; they have been so designated by the County as our Tourist Bureau. They have no role in allocating dollars for these activities. Mr. Bireley stated that the Tourist Development Council knows that promotional dollars can be allocated for attracting tourists but they are not sure if the broad word "promotion" includes supporting the event itself. Commissioner Scurlock presented a situation where an entity would present an idea for a canoe race and they demonstrate the ability to pull it off; that would be the first test. The next test would be whether under the law they meet criteria one through four; and in this case, they do. The next step would be to request specific dollars and Commissioner Scurlock asked whether it would be an acceptable approach to insist that a percentage of the allocated dollars be used strictly for promotional activities, brochures, printing and so forth and a smaller portion could be applied to a band or some professional person, a referee, what have you. Commissioner Eggert agreed it is an approach, but when an event has to totally depend on tourist dollars to function, then that is too much support from tourist tax dollars. Commissioner Eggert asked what the money was used for in the bicycle race. OMB Director Baird responded that was used totally for advertising and brochures. For the Bourbon Street event we paid for the band and some of the costs affiliated with the stage and setup costs Commissioner Wheeler reported that information obtained regarding the bicycle race and the summer festival showed that there were no hotel or motel vacancies during those weekends and during the bicycle weekend the campgrounds were also used. He 4