KCCRV Commission Approves Funding For Chautauqua Programs
May 14, 2020 at 2:04 a.m.
By Teresa [email protected]
The KCCRVC board heard requests from Oakwood’s Mark Knecht at its meeting Wednesday and approved $3,550 for four upcoming programs.
Knecht said the Chautauqua had 18 programs this year and two have been cancelled because of state socializing restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. Two events have been rescheduled, including the popular Purdue Varsity Glee Club’s appearance, which has been reset for Oct. 23.
Held at the Oakwood Resort, in Syracuse, along Lake Wawasee, the foundation also will host the Oakwood Fine Arts Festival on June 13; a patriotic pops concert on June 28; and women’s suffrage centennial events on Aug. 26 and 29 and Sept. 5.
The sufferage anniversary was awarded $2,050; and $500 each will go toward publicizing the three other events.
Although the Northern Indiana Lakes Festival was cancelled for this year, the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams was awarded $15,000 in November 2019 for the event. Organizer Dr. Nate Bosch advised the board the money has been spent, well spent, on items like supplies and equipment which can be used during next year’s festival. He acknowledged that money spent on this year’s promotional materials and advertising couldn’t be recovered. The organization is also out $9,000 in paid contracts and the staff is negotiating a return of those funds.
He said other events are planned for this summer and offered to indicate they were sponsored by the commission.
Commissioner Mark Skibowski said the members have talked about what to do if a grant-awarded event was cancelled, never expecting the national recommendations and state executive orders resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. He said it didn’t seem fair to take the money away and commissioners Tammy Kratzer, Jo Paczkowski, Kathy Ray, David Gustafson and John Hall agreed the center could keep the funds.
Karl Swihart, CCAC director, said the athletic complex was hit hard by COVID-19 restrictions and revenues are down $180,000. The soccer season was lost and major tournaments had to be cancelled.
He anticipates a year-end loss of $70,000 because he sees some light at the end of the tunnel. He said travel teams have extended their seasons until Sept. 30. The park will reopen June 14 and events are scheduled every weekend into the fall, including a state fast pitch tournament.
He said to accommodate social distancing, the fields will be shortened to 200 feet and spectators can sit beyond the fence. The players will sit in the bleachers with only two or three team members in the dugouts at a time.
Paczkowski asked about construction of the new restroom facility and Swihart said work will probably begin in August.
Convention Visitors Bureau Director Jill Boggs said she and the CVB’s finance and executive committee recently met and made budget cuts in several categories, including firing two full-time employees. Trimming $98,796 from this year’s costs included reductions of payroll-related expenditures along with travel, professional training, partner relations, memberships and marketing.
The commissioners were a little alarmed by the staff reduction because the 2020 budget had been approved and the money was there to spend.
Ray asked if Boggs didn’t mean the employees were furloughed. Boggs said the two individuals were no longer working for the CVB.
Skibowski said the public meeting wasn’t the place to discuss personnel matters but reminded Boggs that usually CVB budget cuts came in the fourth quarter of the year, not the second quarter.
Boggs also presented a budget for 2021 for $409,000. The KCCRVC contribution was presented as $360,000 compared with $422,500 disbursed to the CVB in 2020.
The annual Visitors Guide, an 80-page glossy publication, also was discussed with some trepidation because much-touched paper pieces are being pulled from public places. Boggs said they’re being picked up at the regular drop-off points though.
Paczkowski said there didn’t seem to be much content in the piece, which she felt would help travelers get a better overall feel for the county versus page after page of advertising.
Boggs said content area costs more and she tried to utilize the content area carefully.
Hall noted that the innkeepers tax revenue was 12% less in February than from February 2019, before travel restrictions were in place.
Ray, who also is the Hampton Inn general manager, said last May occupancies were at 78%; this May they are at 18%. In June 2019 the occupancy rate was 80%; this year’s rate is 33%. In July 2019 the rate was 86% and so far it’s 54%. While things are looking up, everyone is experiencing losses in March, April and May.
The commissioners planned a $581,000 budget for 2021, down from $715,000 this year, because of anticipated loss of revenues.
The next KCCRVC meeting is July 8.
Commissioner Ron Robinson was absent.
The KCCRVC board heard requests from Oakwood’s Mark Knecht at its meeting Wednesday and approved $3,550 for four upcoming programs.
Knecht said the Chautauqua had 18 programs this year and two have been cancelled because of state socializing restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. Two events have been rescheduled, including the popular Purdue Varsity Glee Club’s appearance, which has been reset for Oct. 23.
Held at the Oakwood Resort, in Syracuse, along Lake Wawasee, the foundation also will host the Oakwood Fine Arts Festival on June 13; a patriotic pops concert on June 28; and women’s suffrage centennial events on Aug. 26 and 29 and Sept. 5.
The sufferage anniversary was awarded $2,050; and $500 each will go toward publicizing the three other events.
Although the Northern Indiana Lakes Festival was cancelled for this year, the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams was awarded $15,000 in November 2019 for the event. Organizer Dr. Nate Bosch advised the board the money has been spent, well spent, on items like supplies and equipment which can be used during next year’s festival. He acknowledged that money spent on this year’s promotional materials and advertising couldn’t be recovered. The organization is also out $9,000 in paid contracts and the staff is negotiating a return of those funds.
He said other events are planned for this summer and offered to indicate they were sponsored by the commission.
Commissioner Mark Skibowski said the members have talked about what to do if a grant-awarded event was cancelled, never expecting the national recommendations and state executive orders resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. He said it didn’t seem fair to take the money away and commissioners Tammy Kratzer, Jo Paczkowski, Kathy Ray, David Gustafson and John Hall agreed the center could keep the funds.
Karl Swihart, CCAC director, said the athletic complex was hit hard by COVID-19 restrictions and revenues are down $180,000. The soccer season was lost and major tournaments had to be cancelled.
He anticipates a year-end loss of $70,000 because he sees some light at the end of the tunnel. He said travel teams have extended their seasons until Sept. 30. The park will reopen June 14 and events are scheduled every weekend into the fall, including a state fast pitch tournament.
He said to accommodate social distancing, the fields will be shortened to 200 feet and spectators can sit beyond the fence. The players will sit in the bleachers with only two or three team members in the dugouts at a time.
Paczkowski asked about construction of the new restroom facility and Swihart said work will probably begin in August.
Convention Visitors Bureau Director Jill Boggs said she and the CVB’s finance and executive committee recently met and made budget cuts in several categories, including firing two full-time employees. Trimming $98,796 from this year’s costs included reductions of payroll-related expenditures along with travel, professional training, partner relations, memberships and marketing.
The commissioners were a little alarmed by the staff reduction because the 2020 budget had been approved and the money was there to spend.
Ray asked if Boggs didn’t mean the employees were furloughed. Boggs said the two individuals were no longer working for the CVB.
Skibowski said the public meeting wasn’t the place to discuss personnel matters but reminded Boggs that usually CVB budget cuts came in the fourth quarter of the year, not the second quarter.
Boggs also presented a budget for 2021 for $409,000. The KCCRVC contribution was presented as $360,000 compared with $422,500 disbursed to the CVB in 2020.
The annual Visitors Guide, an 80-page glossy publication, also was discussed with some trepidation because much-touched paper pieces are being pulled from public places. Boggs said they’re being picked up at the regular drop-off points though.
Paczkowski said there didn’t seem to be much content in the piece, which she felt would help travelers get a better overall feel for the county versus page after page of advertising.
Boggs said content area costs more and she tried to utilize the content area carefully.
Hall noted that the innkeepers tax revenue was 12% less in February than from February 2019, before travel restrictions were in place.
Ray, who also is the Hampton Inn general manager, said last May occupancies were at 78%; this May they are at 18%. In June 2019 the occupancy rate was 80%; this year’s rate is 33%. In July 2019 the rate was 86% and so far it’s 54%. While things are looking up, everyone is experiencing losses in March, April and May.
The commissioners planned a $581,000 budget for 2021, down from $715,000 this year, because of anticipated loss of revenues.
The next KCCRVC meeting is July 8.
Commissioner Ron Robinson was absent.
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