Tourism fund committee selected

The Electric City Council last week selected Richard McGuire and Brad Parrish as representatives to the city’s hotel/motel tax fund committee.

The two have been on the committee, and the appointment is for the rest of their terms — two years.

The committee reviews requests for hotel/motel tax funds collected for boosting tourism and makes recommendations to the council as a whole.

The city plans to advise those who have sought hotel/motel funds in the past to make their request during the month of September. These requests for 2017 funding will be reviewed by McGuire and Parrish, and their recommendations will go to the council.

The selection of McGuire and Parrish was not without a bit of drama.

When it was brought up by Mayor John Nordine II, Councilmember Lonna Bussert volunteered to be on the committee.

Councilmember Aaron Derr responded that it wouldn’t be proper for either Bussert or Councilmember Birdie Hensley to be on the committee because both were involved with the chamber of commerce, which receives money from the fund. And Hensley received funds on behalf of the Coulee Pioneer Museum. The museum received $1,000 for 2016.

Bussert explained that all she did for the chamber was help with volunteer chores such as setting up tables for chamber events.

McGuire stated that he would like to continue serving on the committee until his term was over. Parrish also said he would like to continue on the committee.

That’s when Derr moved that McGuire and Parrish continue on the committee, with the motion passing 3-2. For the motion were Derr, McGuire and Parrish; against were Hensley and Bussert.

Electric City currently has $312,000 in its hotel/motel tax fund, less than the $400,000 of it that the council has said would go toward funding other city improvements proposed in the city’s pathways and revitalization plan, championed by Parrish.