Council approves $30,000 for Chamber retail marketing to support local businesses

The Hastings City Council voted to approve a $30,000 funding agreement with the Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce to continue community marketing aimed at boosting local retail spending and attracting customers from the external trade area. The funding passed unanimously 7–1 earlier in the meeting when the item was first considered on the consent/regular agenda; in the transcript the motion passed with a roll call vote recorded as passing 7 to 1. Chamber representative Shannon told council members the funds will pay for content creation, video and print campaigns, retail data acquisition and marketing partnerships intended to highlight vacant commercial space and local businesses. “With the marketing that we did, just with our social media specifically, those campaigns created over 1,300,000 impressions,” the presenter said, noting efforts to reach external trade areas and to create advertising opportunities for local businesses. Council members asked few questions and thanked the Chamber for prior work; staff said the request is included in the proposed fiscal-year funding agreements. The funding will be executed under the city's standard funding agreement process and the Chamber will continue to report results to the council as part of its contractual obligations.