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Pacific aldermen agree to draft letter asking legislature to clarify tourism-board residency rule
Summary
After a presentation from the Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Aldermen voted to draft a letter to state lawmakers asking for a change to Missouri statute 67.1364 to broaden eligibility for the city'9s tourism commission.
The Board of Aldermen voted April 1 to draft a letter to Missouri lawmakers asking them to consider changing the residency language in Missouri statute 67.1364 so more volunteers can serve on the city'9s tourism commission.
The request followed a presentation by Debbie Baker, executive director of the Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce, who asked the board to support an effort to broaden the statute'9s eligibility rules. "We would like to . . . address the decision to remove Christine Slusser from her role as the chair of the Pacific Tourism Committee," Baker told the board, and said the chamber will contact state lawmakers and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce to seek a statutory change.
Why it matters: The board's action is intended to help the tourism commission recruit volunteers and maintain continuity for events and promotion. City officials and residents said the current language has prevented a longtime community volunteer from serving and that the change could affect future volunteer recruitment.
City attorney Adam Jones told aldermen the city cannot enact a local ordinance that conflicts with state law. "As a statutory class city, Pacific cannot have ordinances that are inconsistent with state statute. So no, we cannot do that," Jones said, adding that the statute'9s language had been broadened previously in 2017 and that legislative history is not always easy to obtain.
Board discussion focused on how the city can legally support a state-level change without creating a conflict of interest for aldermen who are chamber members. Multiple aldermen said they support Christine Slusser personally but wanted more background on why the statute was written as it is before formally endorsing a chamber letter. One alderman said they would recuse themselves from any vote because they are a dues-paying chamber member.
Alderman Stewart moved to have a letter of support drafted for the mayor and aldermen to sign; Alderman Cleave seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote. The mayor said the draft would be returned to the board for review and signatures at the next meeting.
What happens next: City staff and the chamber will gather more information about the statute's 2017 revision and provide draft language for the letter. The board asked staff and the chamber to provide any background they can find before the letter returns for final approval.
