August 23, 2007

TO:                  Mayor Sue Hack & Members of the City Commission

FROM:            Derek Felch, Chair CVB Advisory Board

RE:                   Proposed management organization

CC:                  Dave Corliss, City Manager

This communication is to let you know that the CVB Advisory Board met yesterday afternoon to consider the proposal made to you and others by Deanell Reece Tacha to form Destination Management, Inc. (DMI) for the purpose of contracting with the city to manage the use of bed tax collections to perform the duties of the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Judge Tacha and Lavern Squier, President of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce made the presentation to us explaining the suggested components of DMI and the need to separate the CVB from the Chamber in order to accomplish this goal. 

After much discussion, the CVB Advisory Board unanimously approved a motion to support the oversight of the CVB by the newly formed DMI. 

The board also expressed the firm desire to collaborate with the city as it drafts a new contract under which the CVB Advisory Board and CVB staff will work within this new framework in the future.  I look forward to hearing from you how this board will be involved in this process. 

Thank you very much for your continued support of our efforts to bring new money to our community through the promotion of tourism.  We feel that this is a very valuable economic development tool that continues to add valued sales tax to the city budget.