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Chamber Asks For Boost To Business
Officials Appeal To Council For Financial Help
By Dustin Kass, dustinKass@miconews.com
The Osawatomie Chamber of Commerce is looking to revive its role in the city, but chamber officials are hoping for some financial assistance for the effort.
Chamber representatives Mark Fuchs and Joe Lilley gave a presentation to Osawatomie City Council members Thursday during their meeting. The presentation included a request for $30,000 to be included in the city’s 2009 budget.
The money would be used to hire a part-time executive director, according to a funding request presented to council members. Former executive director Joe Martin resigned from his position July 1.
“We want to get a quality person,” Fuchs said.
If approved, the funding request noted that the chamber would ask for money on an annual basis. Membership dues and fund-raisers would be used to cover operating expenses.
“We’re trying to get the Osawatomie Chamber of Commerce on a sustainable path,” Fuchs said.
Council members questioned whether the city should be playing a role in supporting the chamber financially. Jeff Walmann said he did not feel comfortable with using city funds in that manner.
“I see the chamber as a business, and I have a little bit of a problem with using taxpayers’ money for it,” he said. “We have capital improvement projects we can’t pay for.”
Council member Tamara Maichel suggested that some type of dual position could be created, where one person served as the city’s economic development director and headed up the chamber of commerce. She said such a person would fill the city’s need in economic development staffing.
Council members did not take action on the issue and will likely discuss it at an upcoming council meeting.
Meanwhile, the chamber of commerce has temporarily closed its location at 223 Sixth St. and is looking at “alternative office locations,” according to an e-mail sent to chamber members last week. All phone calls to the office are being rerouted to City Hall. President Grady Atwater can also be contacted on chamber matters at adaircabin@kshs.org or 755-4384.
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Chamber representatives Mark Fuchs and Joe Lilley gave a presentation to Osawatomie City Council members Thursday during their meeting. The presentation included a request for $30,000 to be included in the city’s 2009 budget.
The money would be used to hire a part-time executive director, according to a funding request presented to council members. Former executive director Joe Martin resigned from his position July 1.
“We want to get a quality person,” Fuchs said.
If approved, the funding request noted that the chamber would ask for money on an annual basis. Membership dues and fund-raisers would be used to cover operating expenses.
“We’re trying to get the Osawatomie Chamber of Commerce on a sustainable path,” Fuchs said.
Council members questioned whether the city should be playing a role in supporting the chamber financially. Jeff Walmann said he did not feel comfortable with using city funds in that manner.
“I see the chamber as a business, and I have a little bit of a problem with using taxpayers’ money for it,” he said. “We have capital improvement projects we can’t pay for.”
Council member Tamara Maichel suggested that some type of dual position could be created, where one person served as the city’s economic development director and headed up the chamber of commerce. She said such a person would fill the city’s need in economic development staffing.
Council members did not take action on the issue and will likely discuss it at an upcoming council meeting.
Meanwhile, the chamber of commerce has temporarily closed its location at 223 Sixth St. and is looking at “alternative office locations,” according to an e-mail sent to chamber members last week. All phone calls to the office are being rerouted to City Hall. President Grady Atwater can also be contacted on chamber matters at adaircabin@kshs.org or 755-4384.
Comments on "Chamber Asks For Boost To Business"
Comments are limited to 200 words or less.question wrote on Jul 16, 2008 11:31 AM:
" Is the City using taxpayers' money by the taking time to answer phone calls for the Chamber when the Office Staff could be doing City business? I agree with Dr. Walmann the City should not take taxpayers' money to support a business. Let's operate the business (City and Chamber) as they should be operated in a professional manner. "