April 20th Eggstravaganza Event Subject To Change

“Our goal is not to abolish or punish the Chamber of Commerce in anyway,” reads a statement from Fairfield Councilman Jason Bosley. 

  However, following a motion made by Bosley, as amended by Councilman Randy Johnson, Council voted during the March 12, 2019 meeting to put a hold on funding which constitutes half the Chamber’s administrative budget – a budget that was previously approved by this same council back in September.

  “It’s still clear as mud,” said Councilman Landis Bayless, emphasizing that withholding funds, without knowing details of the original agreement between the City and the Chamber, could be a breach of contract.

For several years, the Chamber of Commerce has served as the Visitor Center for the City of Fairfield. As such, the City has allotted Hotel / Motel funds to fund half the Chamber’s administrative costs, including such things as building costs, utilities, and payroll.

According to City Secretary, Misty Richardson, each month the Chamber presents invoices to the City for these expenses and the City pays their half directly to the vendor or utility company.

The subject came up initially during the February 12, 2019 Council meeting when newly appointed City Administrator Nate Smith placed on the agenda a proposal to allot 20% of Hotel / Motel funding to the Chamber of Commerce, to continue their services and allow for outside marketing of Fairfield to tourists.

Although the City and Chamber have enjoyed a close partnership for many years, a written contract or agreement was not found in the City archives.

During last week’s meeting, former mayor Roy Hill provided Council with a copy of documents from 1988 when the City first began collecting Hotel / Motel funds. The paper work, signed by then Mayor, the late Monte Cole, indicated that the City would approve their contract and continue to give 50% of Hotel / Motel funding to the Chamber of Commerce.

This would suggest that, while not found in writing, an agreement did exist between the City and the Chamber.

Following a request by Mayor Kenneth Hughes, a representative from the City Attorney’s office explained to Council members that, in the absence of a written contract, the City could formally approach the Chamber to determine their understanding of the Agreement or Contract.

When asked how long this would take, the representing attorney indicated that a letter could be drafted in time for a response before the Council’s next regular session on March 26th. Ultimately, the Council did not act on this suggestion.

According to Chamber Executive Director, Brenda Pate, the Chamber did receive a sample contract, based on City Administrator Smith’s February 12th proposal. However, the contract proposal the Chamber subsequently put together was never presented to Council.

“They never asked for it,” says Pate.

According to City Administrator Smith, although the Council moved to discuss the new proposal during a workshop on February 26th, contract details were never finalized.

Further, Smith states he never received any indication as to whether the Chamber was willing to approve the proposed agreement.

According to Executive Director Pate, as a Tourism Visitor Center, the Chamber filters hundreds of phone calls and emails from travelers to the area.

Among the Chamber’s duties, in that regard, have included managing the billboards, banners and brochures, which are sent to the travel centers along the Texas state lines.

The Chamber also makes sure local hotels have information about what is going on in the community and keep the kiosks around town filled with fliers. Plus, they provide packets for move-ins, as well as welcome packets for large events, such as Little Dribblers tournaments or the Dogan school reunion.

Currently, the Visitor Center and Chamber office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. However, with Visitor Center funding to end on March 31st, Pate believes the Chamber will have to revert to part-time.

“There will be no need for two people in this office,” she says.

Also up in the air is an upcoming City event, the tenth annual Eggstravaganza, set for Saturday, April 20th.

“The Chamber itself may do something,” says Pate, but reiterated that, as the Tourism Visitor Center has been defunded by the City, the Chamber Ambassadors and the Board will not be doing events for the City.

Although the City Council voted 3-2 to put a hold on Hotel / Motel funding to the Tourism Visitor Center at the end of this month, the final approved motion was amended to read that the City would continue to fund all events.

“That’s all City events,” City Administrator Smith clarified, following the meeting.

In the past, the Chamber of Commerce has planned, organized and supplied volunteers for several City events, including the Eggstravaganza, July Fourth activities, Show of Wheels, Christmas on the Square, and Jingle All The Way.

Added to that list last year was Boo! On The Square, an event previously organized by former City Administrator, Jeff Looney.

The budgets for each City event are prepared by Chamber and approved by the City during the budget process. As each event takes place, the Chamber submits invoices to the City for payment of vendors, rentals, advertising and supplies; and the City pays for them directly.

According to Pate, none of the supplies had been ordered for the April event, and the vendors have been informed that the Chamber is no longer in charge.

Budgets for these events do not include paid man-hours. “We don’t get paid to work events,” says Pate. “We work for the Tourism Center, and we work [City] events out of the kindness of our hearts.”

This includes the Chamber Board and all the Chamber volunteers, says Pate.

“I am still optimistic that an agreement will be reached,” says City Administrator Nate Smith. He spoke about the common ground the two entities share in utilizing Hotel / Motel funds as provided by the law, and to maximize those funds the most efficient way possible.

Smith also wanted to make clear that, while there was a problem with proper documentation, it was never about an abuse or misuse of Hotel / Motel funds by the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce.

“The Chamber is still strong,” adds Chamber Executive Director Pate. “They are still going to be here to support small business in the community, and we’re going to do everything we can, to do as much as we can, to bring things to Fairfield.”

She adds, “We’re not quitters! We love where we live, and we’re going to make sure that our town is fine, regardless of anything that happens.”

The next regular session of Fairfield City Council will be March 26, 2019.

A Board meeting of the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce is set for March 27th.

Editor’s Note: Paragraph 8, was corrected to read that the City voted in 1988 to approve the contract with the Chamber and continue giving them 50% of Hotel/Motel funding. Click here to read a copy of the minutes from that meeting.

Also, the 3-2 vote that passed to put a hold on Visitor Center funding was as follows: 

Ayes:  Place 5 – Jason Bosley, Place 3 – Keith Daniels, and Place 2 – Randy Johnson

Nays:  Place 4 – Landis Bayless, and Place 1 James Tyus