Commissioners vote to move Scottsbluff County tourism director’s office from Legacy of the Plains to county administration building

The Scottsbluff County Board of Commissioners voted to move the county tourism director’s office from the Legacy of the Plains Museum to the county administration building, citing cost savings and the availability of vacant offices in the administration building. The motion passed 4–1, with Commissioner Meyer recording the lone no vote.

The county’s Building Utilization Committee reviewed the current office at Legacy of the Plains and two available offices in the administration building before the vote. Charlie Knapper, the commissioner who requested the item be examined, said the move would allow the county to use space it already owns and redirect roughly $6,000 in annual rent toward other tourism priorities such as supporting sports tournaments.

The decision drew objections from Legacy of the Plains and local tourism stakeholders. Susan Wiedemann, board treasurer of the Legacy of the Plains Museum, told commissioners: “We feel that the move would be very detrimental … to serving tourists of the area.” She and other Legacy leaders warned that the museum’s visitor-center functions and brochure displays, which appear on Google Maps and are used in statewide brochure swaps, could be disrupted if the tourism director’s office leaves the site.

Supporters of keeping the office at Legacy raised the point that the visitor center drives foot traffic to the museum and that relocating the director could require reprinting materials. County staff and commissioners countered that the county currently pays $6,000 a year for the office (plus about $270 a month for phone and internet), that the Building Utilization Committee found available office space in the administration building large enough to accommodate the tourism director’s needs, and that housing the director in county offices would save public funds. The committee’s on-site review noted Brenda Lacy’s current office is roughly 12 by 14 feet with storage and equipment needs that can be met at the administration building.

Public comment strongly favored retaining the tourism director at Legacy. Several event organizers and business representatives, including Nicole Egan of Flyover Brewing Company and Colleen Johnson of Old West Balloon Fest, described events and visitor activity they attribute to the tourism office’s work and asked the board to keep Brenda Lacy in place. Egan said Brenda “has had a direct impact on many businesses here” and listed multiple events and festivals that local businesses rely on.

Commissioners debated trade-offs. Several said the county could reallocate the $6,000 rent to support additional tournaments or marketing programs that bring hotel room nights and lodging tax revenue. The board did not take action on personnel matters during the vote; the separate personnel item about the tourism director was tabled for later consideration after procedural discussion and a public-request issue.

Outcome: Motion to relocate the tourism director’s office to the administration building carried 4–1 (Commissioner Meyer opposed). The separate personnel item concerning the tourism director was tabled for a later meeting.

What’s next: The Legacy of the Plains board and county staff were advised to locate and review the written lease. Commissioners directed staff to follow up with the Building Utilization Committee and to coordinate a plan for moving the office if Legacy and the county cannot reach another arrangement.