Chamber seeks city support for state tourism statute change; aldermen discuss wording

The Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce asked Pacific aldermen May 6 to support a proposed change to Missouri's tourism statute (identified in the presentation as 68.1364) that would clarify residency requirements for tourism commission appointees.

Debbie Baker, executive director of the Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce, told the board the change was added to Senate Bill 283 during the House review and that prior efforts (House Bill 913 in 2017) had sought to require tourism commission members appointed by a city's governing body be residents of the county in which any part of the city is located. Baker said the chamber is asking the city to send a letter supporting refined statutory language so the tourism district can be broadened without allowing out-of-state appointees.

Mayor and several aldermen discussed draft language for a city letter. Alderman Cleave proposed adding wording to permit members from "any county that borders the city limits" or a person "who has a city address," and the board debated how that language would read in a state statute. Attorney Jones and staff cautioned that state statutes typically use the terms "city" and "county" and that suggested phrasing must work in a statewide law. The mayor said he would draft a revised version and run it by the city attorney before returning it to the board.

Baker provided packets and a summary of outreach to state lawmakers; she identified Representative Allen Andrews and Senator Ben Brown (and others) as contacts who had discussed the proposed change. She asked aldermen to contact her or the named legislators with input on the wording. The board agreed to continue work on the letter and to return with revised language at a future meeting.

No formal vote was recorded; the matter remains at the direction-of-staff/drafting stage.