Council considers additional funds for CVB
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
A Hillsboro City Council committee will review a request from the Highland County Convention and Visitors Bureau to increase the percentage of the city's lodging tax the organization receives, with the intention of putting the additional funds toward a convention and visitors center.
Bob Lambert, director of the HCCVB, addressed council during their regular meeting Monday that tourism is increasing in Highland County, and they wanted to be ready to meet the needs of the people traveling to the area.
"I would just like council to begin looking at the tax that's collected," Lambert said. "The room tax (is) 3 percent, I believe, for the city. You give a half a percent to the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and that's very welcome. We do need a convention center in Hillsboro, specifically, Highland County. We need to look at maybe apportioning a little more money from that bed tax toward a convention center."
Lambert said that the HCCVB would look into creating the center in an existing building in town.
"We wouldn't be building a new building," Lambert said. "Maybe in a few years. Convention and tourism is increasing in Highland County, believe it or not. And we want to make sure we're prepared and ready for any kind of group that wants to come here and share in the bounty of Highland County."
According to numbers from the Hillsboro Auditor's Office, the city's lodging tax, or "bed tax," brought in approximately $26,897 last year. Of the funds that are collected, 75 percent goes to the city's general fund, 12.5 percent goes to Hillsboro Fire and Rescue for safety inspections and 12.5 percent goes to the HCCVB.
The HCCVB received approximately $3,375 last year from the city of Hillsboro.
HCCVB treasurer Kathryn Hapner said Tuesday that their budget varies between $25,000 to $30,000 per year, depending on lodging revenue.
Additional funding, Hapner said, is provided by state statute, which requires businesses with more than two beds to charge an additional fee per night's stay. Hapner said those fees are collected by the Highland County Auditor's Office but are not county tax dollars.
Lambert called the center a "long-range goal" and told council that Ohio Revised Code Sections 5739.08 and 5739.09 specifically reference lodging taxes and convention and visitors bureaus and centers.
Council President Lee Koogler placed the matter into the finance committee for further review.
"Anything that we can do, obviously, pro-business in town and to promote Hillsboro. I would consider a good thing," Koogler said.
Hillsboro Mayor Drew Hastings said that, "I have a strong feeling we're going to see some building and some growth in this town, faster than we expect. And I want to be prepared for it."
In his first mayor's report to council, Hastings said that he felt council and the administration were at a positive starting point to help the city move forward.
"I didn't really start getting involved in this process (until) the last two years," Hastings said, addressing the people in attendance at the meeting. "I always sat out there in those plastic chairs scratching my head wondering how all this worked. I now - because of you, the community - am sitting up here and I am now part of the problem or the solution, however we all choose to work it. We have so far gotten council and the administration, I think, on a very positive starting point. I think we're really in good communication, and I think we're all on the same page as far as this journey forward. I'm really glad to be working with this group of people."
Hastings likened the city meeting process to a wedding, saying that the public got to see the end result, but they don't necessarily see the work that goes on beforehand.
"I was fairly mystified, and I'm a fairly well-versed guy," Hastings said, referring to when he first started learning about city government. "I would scratch my head and think 'How does this work up here?' After spending the last couple of months just having informal meetings and listening and learning curves, and talking, I kind of liken some aspects of city council to a wedding. You come and wonder how some things are done here, and they might seem to you a little cut and dry. They did to me, at first anyway."
"And then I realized a lot of stuff is done before we actually get here. It's like when we go to a wedding, and we see a couple being married and that union and that process going on," Hastings said. "We are there to see that event happen. We don't see what the couple argued about beforehand about how many kids they want to have or whether they want to live in the suburbs or out in the country, or whether they're going to use daycare or Mom is going to stay at home. All that stuff kind of gets taken care of in committees or in a talk with president of council, who is in talks with other council members."
Hastings said that he hoped the analogy helped "demystify" part of the council and administrative process for community members.
"But I'm still in a learning curve with all this," Hastings said. "I hope to learn along with everybody else and at the same time lead. I really look forward to being a part of this administration, part of this team and working with council and working with you guys."
Koogler said that he and council looked forward to working with Hastings and that they appreciated his "exuberance."
"'Exuberance' is a good word," Hastings said.
Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Richard Giroux gave his first report to council, saying that, "First off, I want to say that I'm very happy and proud to be a member of this community and a new member of the city of Hillsboro."
Giroux told council that he was born in Massachusetts and grew up in Cambridge, Ohio, but he's now happy to call Hillsboro home.
Having been in the office only four days, Giroux said that the administration's budget work is continuing, that he is reading through policies and procedures and that he is beginning to familiarize himself with staff and operations.
"I feel that we have a great platform to work with, and I really look forward to it," Giroux said.
In other business:
• President of the Hillsboro Festival of the Bells Committee Michael Bradford asked council to approve the dates for the 2012 festival, July 5, 6 and 7. Koogler said that he wanted to "see council a little bit more involved" so they are aware of everything that is going on with the festival. Koogler placed it into the street and safety committee, so "we're all on the same page moving forward." Bradford said that the committee would do whatever they needed to cooperate. Council approved the dates of the festival 6-0.
• Council voted 6-0 to re-appoint Beverly Brown as the clerk of council.
• Lambert, who is also president of the Highland County Historical Society, told council that they are starting their 2012 membership drive, and that they are organizing a heritage music series at the Highland House Museum starting Jan. 21.
Additionally, Lambert is the Colony Theatre representative for the Hillsboro Uptown Business Association, and that HUBA wants to be more involved with the Festival of the Bells. Speaking as a member, Lambert said HUBA wanted "to have some input as to the Festival of the Bells. It's a wonderful festival, brings a lot of people to town, and we just want to make sure that they get the right support, and that it also comes back the other way. We'd like to see Hillsboro left a better place when they leave. They do a wonderful job. They do their own policing, their own cleanup, everything. They leave the town exactly as they found it. Perhaps we could leave it a little better every year.
Koogler advised Lambert to attend and participate at the street and safety committee meeting where they will address the festival.
• Council voted 6-0 to approve Giroux to apply for LEAP funds, which is a low-interest rate loan, that would pay for a city performance audit.
• As council members gave committee reports, Koogler removed several items from the agenda that were not actively being addressed by committees. The items included the noise ordinance from the street and safety committee; additional city personnel from the finance committee; and the temporary sign ordinance from the property maintenance and restoration committee.
A Hillsboro City Council committee will review a request from the Highland County Convention and Visitors Bureau to increase the percentage of the city's lodging tax the organization receives, with the intention of putting the additional funds toward a convention and visitors center.
Bob Lambert, director of the HCCVB, addressed council during their regular meeting Monday, saying that tourism is increasing in Highland County, and they wanted to be ready to meet the needs of the people traveling to the area.
"I would just like council to begin looking at the tax that's collected," Lambert said. "The room tax (is) 3 percent, I believe, for the city. You give a half a percent to the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and that's very welcome. We do need a convention center in Hillsboro, specifically, Highland County. We need to look at maybe apportioning a little more money from that bed tax toward a convention center."
Lambert said that the HCCVB would look into creating the center in an existing building in town.
"We wouldn't be building a new building," Lambert said. "Maybe in a few years. Convention and tourism is increasing in Highland County, believe it or not. And we want to make sure we're prepared and ready for any kind of group that wants to come here and share in the bounty of Highland County."
According to numbers from the Hillsboro Auditor's Office, the city's lodging tax, or "bed tax," brought in approximately $26,897 last year. Of the funds that are collected, 75 percent goes to the city's general fund, 12.5 percent goes to Hillsboro Fire and Rescue for safety inspections and 12.5 percent goes to the HCCVB.
The HCCVB received approximately $3,375 last year from the city of Hillsboro.
HCCVB treasurer Kathryn Hapner said Tuesday that their budget varies between $25,000 to $30,000 per year, depending on lodging revenue.
Additional funding, Hapner said, is provided by state statute, which requires businesses with more than two beds to charge an additional fee per night's stay. Hapner said those fees are collected by the Highland County Auditor's Office but are not county tax dollars.
Lambert called the center a "long-range goal" and told council that Ohio Revised Code Sections 5739.08 and 5739.09 specifically reference lodging taxes and convention and visitors bureaus and centers.
Council President Lee Koogler placed the matter into the finance committee for further review.
"Anything that we can do, obviously, pro-business in town and to promote Hillsboro. I would consider a good thing," Koogler said.
Hillsboro Mayor Drew Hastings said that, "I have a strong feeling we're going to see some building and some growth in this town, faster than we expect. And I want to be prepared for it."
In his first mayor's report to council, Hastings said that he felt council and the administration were at a positive starting point to help the city move forward.
"I didn't really start getting involved in this process (until) the last two years," Hastings said, addressing the people in attendance at the meeting. "I always sat out there in those plastic chairs scratching my head wondering how all this worked. I now - because of you, the community - am sitting up here and I am now part of the problem or the solution, however we all choose to work it. We have so far gotten council and the administration, I think, on a very positive starting point. I think we're really in good communication, and I think we're all on the same page as far as this journey forward. I'm really glad to be working with this group of people."
Hastings likened the city meeting process to a wedding, saying that the public got to see the end result, but they don't necessarily see the work that goes on beforehand.
"I was fairly mystified, and I'm a fairly well-versed guy," Hastings said, referring to when he first started learning about city government. "I would scratch my head and think 'How does this work up here?' After spending the last couple of months just having informal meetings and listening and learning curves, and talking, I kind of liken some aspects of city council to a wedding. You come and wonder how some things are done here, and they might seem to you a little cut and dry. They did to me, at first anyway."
"And then I realized a lot of stuff is done before we actually get here. It's like when we go to a wedding, and we see a couple being married and that union and that process going on," Hastings said. "We are there to see that event happen. We don't see what the couple argued about beforehand about how many kids they want to have or whether they want to live in the suburbs or out in the country, or whether they're going to use daycare or Mom is going to stay at home. All that stuff kind of gets taken care of in committees or in a talk with president of council, who is in talks with other council members."
Hastings said that he hoped the analogy helped "demystify" part of the council and administrative process for community members.
"But I'm still in a learning curve with all this," Hastings said. "I hope to learn along with everybody else and at the same time lead. I really look forward to being a part of this administration, part of this team and working with council and working with you guys."
Koogler said that he and council looked forward to working with Hastings and that they appreciated his "exuberance."
"'Exuberance' is a good word," Hastings said.
Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Richard Giroux gave his first report to council, saying that, "First off, I want to say that I'm very happy and proud to be a member of this community and a new member of the city of Hillsboro."
Giroux told council that he was born in Massachusetts and grew up in Cambridge, Ohio, but he's now happy to call Hillsboro home.
Having been in the office only four days, Giroux said that the administration's budget work is continuing, that he is reading through policies and procedures and that he is beginning to familiarize himself with staff and operations.
"I feel that we have a great platform to work with, and I really look forward to it," Giroux said.
According to the city auditor's office, Giroux's salary has been set at $72,000 a year.
Former Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt made $56,307 in 2011.
According to the city auditor's office, Giroux's salary has been set at $72,000 a year.
Former Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt made $56,307 in 2011.
In other business:
• President of the Hillsboro Festival of the Bells Committee Michael Bradford asked council to approve the dates for the 2012 festival, July 5, 6 and 7. Koogler said that he wanted to "see council a little bit more involved" so they are aware of everything that is going on with the festival. Koogler placed it into the street and safety committee, so "we're all on the same page moving forward." Bradford said that the committee would do whatever they needed to cooperate. Council approved the dates of the festival 6-0.
• Council voted 6-0 to re-appoint Beverly Brown as the clerk of council.
• Lambert, who is also president of the Highland County Historical Society, told council that they are starting their 2012 membership drive, and that they are organizing a heritage music series at the Highland House Museum starting Jan. 21.
Additionally, Lambert is the Colony Theatre representative for the Hillsboro Uptown Business Association, and that HUBA wants to be more involved with the Festival of the Bells. Speaking as a member, Lambert said HUBA wanted "to have some input as to the Festival of the Bells. It's a wonderful festival, brings a lot of people to town, and we just want to make sure that they get the right support, and that it also comes back the other way. We'd like to see Hillsboro left a better place when they leave. They do a wonderful job. They do their own policing, their own cleanup, everything. They leave the town exactly as they found it. Perhaps we could leave it a little better every year.
Koogler advised Lambert to attend and participate at the street and safety committee meeting where they will address the festival.
• Council voted 6-0 to approve Giroux to apply for LEAP funds, which is a low-interest rate loan, that would pay for a city performance audit.
• As council members gave committee reports, Koogler removed several items from the agenda that were not actively being addressed by committees. The items included the noise ordinance from the street and safety committee; additional city personnel from the finance committee; and the temporary sign ordinance from the property maintenance and restoration committee.