Budget, events, and staffing were primary discussion topics of the July 8 City Advertising and Promotion workshop. Bobbie Foster, James DeVito, and Greg Moon were not in attendance, and Chair Carol Wright said that even more members may be absent at the regularly scheduled meeting for July 22, so she recommended rescheduling to July 29.
Commissioners had agreed in May to cut the budget by $390,600, or 24.5 percent, and have been closely monitoring their estimations for accuracy.
Early predictions suggested that a deeper cut of 30 percent may mirror more realistic tax collections due to the pandemic, but Wright jump-started the workshop with hopeful discussion of the amended budget saying, “We are about in line with what we forecasted.”
Finance Director Rick Bright confirmed that saying, “Through June we’re up $32,500 from what we projected with our new budget.” Bright also reported that tax collections from the Crescent Hotel was higher in June of this year than last year, easing concern for further cuts.
Annual accrued income is about $200,000 below the same period last year. Commissioner Susan Harman asked what amount was cut during May, “Weren’t we between 30 and 35 percent?”
“No, we didn’t get that far,” Wright said as she and commissioner Jeff Carter attempted to retrace their steps during the last few months to where the budget stands now. Carter said he believed the budget was cut by 28 percent.
“Weren’t we at about thirty, right?” Harman asked. “So, it’s just kind of a gamble as to what the next few months will look like.”
“I think a lot of it is going to depend on what the mayor decides to do as far as permits for us going into the fall,” Wright replied.
Discussion shifted to how Mayor Butch Berry has frozen all city event permits, including those of the CAPC, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Harman said the only major event the CAPC anticipates hosting for the remainder of the year is the annual Ozark Folk Festival in Basin Park in November.
“I think we are still in hold, that’s my opinion,” commissioner Terry McClung said. Wright agreed that the commission must wait on hosting events. “Let it float until anything major happens, I think we’ll just let it float,” she said. Commissioners also discussed preparing the 2021 budget by the first of October.
After grappling further with budget unknowns, discussion turned to staffing. The staff is currently directed by Interim-Director Gina Rambo, who was present. Commissioners discussed preparing to make changes to the administration.
“We may not go back and hire the way we thought,” McClung said referring to restructuring the title of the director to an administrator due to Paradise Marketing’s satisfactory role as the marketing firm. Wright agreed that it may involve a total restructure.
“As far as the title goes it doesn’t matter what we call them,” Harman said. “We need to figure out what questions we’ve got and what we want to still discuss.”
Commissioners discussed staff roles in general, and Rambo said that original staff job descriptions should be updated to reflect current roles as they have changed over the last couple years. She said she would like to provide commissioners updated descriptions of what staff is doing now.
Wright stated she does not feel comfortable making significant staffing decisions during the pandemic. “I don’t want to do it at the next meeting,” she said.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 22, but is anticipated to be changed to Wednesday, July 29 in the Aud.