By Marvin G. Cortner
Editor

The Osceola County Tourist Development Council Tuesday recommended changes in the way it operates and also voted in George Chen as chairman.

The council, comprised of six appointees representing various sectors of the tourism industry and one elected official each from the County Commission and the cities of Kissimmee and St. Cloud, is an advisory board that makes recommendations to the County Commission on tourist development tax spending and the operations of the Kissimmee Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The County Commission, which appoints council members, has the final say on any changes. The 6 percent tourist tax is collected from lodging businesses providing overnight stays of 180 days or less.

Chen, just six months on the council as a representative of the lodging industry, will serve until October when a new chairman will be selected following the restructuring; he replaces long-time chairman Jim Murphy who could not continue to serve on the council because of the changes and because he no longer is involved in the lodging industry. Kissimmee Commissioner Cheryl Grieb will serve as vice chair.

The council also voted unanimously to recommend that chairmen serve no more than two consecutive one-year terms, and that no member serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. The council, however, did not incorporate Murphy’s suggestion that the chairman must be from the lodging industry.

“I truly believe the chairman should be an owner or a collector (of the lodging tax),” Murphy said, adding that the council in the past had trouble filling lodging appointments due to turnover in the industry. “The lodging industry has a major investment in the tourist area; you have to be selfish in that you have to protect this industry.”

In addition, the council recommended that the number of lodging industry appointees be increased by one (up to four) and that the number of appointees from other sectors be reduced by one (down to two). The lodging sector includes operators of motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks or other tourist accommodations subject to the tourist tax.

Another recommended change was that the County Commission adopt a resolution stating that final commission action would not be taken on policy issues related to the visitors bureau or non-budgeted spending of tourist tax money exceeding $100,000 unless the county manager notifies all council members in writing at least 30 days in advance of that impending action. That notification would permit the council to schedule a special meeting, if necessary, to hear staff presentations on the proposal and make recommendations.

Staff presentations to both the council and County Commission relating to the expenditure of tourist development taxes, the council recommended, also should include an analysis of the return on investment and the value of such spending to the tourism industry.

“We’ve been trying to do this for a year,” council member Guillermo “Bill” Hansen said, citing the recent three-year extension of the Gaylord Palms/ChampionsGate convention center deal as an example of that notification not happening.

“Are you really going to do this,” Hansen asked, directing his question to County Commissioner Michael Harford, who recently replaced John Quiñones on the council.

Harford said he is only “one in five” commissioners.

“I would want you to have advance notice on items coming before the commission,” he said.

In other council news, Shelley Maccini, visitors bureau interim director, reported that officials with the Osceola County Veterans Tribute and Museum are currently negotiating for a site to which the group’s museum of military history would be relocated. The original plan was for the museum to relocate to the building at Osceola Heritage Park along Bill Beck Boulevard now occupied by the visitors bureau.

The site the veterans group is considering is the former Denim World at 5210 W. U.S. Highway 192.

Wendi Jeannin, spokeswoman for the Silver Spurs Riding Club, said the February rodeo, which is sponsored by the club and for which the club receives promotional funding from the council, was very successful and that the Saturday night event sold out – the first time that has occurred since the rodeo has been held at the Silver Spurs Arena.

“For 2010, we estimate a $6 million economic impact (to the county) from the two rodeos (the other was held in June) and $170,000 in tourist development taxes generated,” Jeannin said.

And Beth Knight, deputy county manager, reported that the County Commission is still looking at whether to renew the contract for Philadelphia-based SMG to continue managing Osceola Heritage Park and the arena. SMG will be making a presentation to the commission during April, Knight added.