Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development Tourism topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chamber lease talks move forward; commissioners direct five-year arrangement and $40,000 annual support to town landscape
Summary
After extended discussion, the board directed staff to draft a five-year lease with the Highlands Chamber of Commerce and agreed in principle to a $40,000 annual commitment toward town landscape maintenance (subject to fiscal flexibility), to be formalized and vetted in a lease and related documents.
The Highlands Board of Commissioners and representatives of the Highlands Chamber of Commerce discussed the Chamber Building lease and related offers to support town landscaping and visitor services. After substantive discussion, the board directed staff and the town attorney to finalize lease language for a five-year term and agreed to a fiscal arrangement in which the Chamber commits $40,000 annually toward town landscape maintenance or similar items, subject to periodic vetting and fiscal conditions.
Chamber leaders said they want a stable multi-year lease for the visitor center so they can continue operations and improvements. They proposed a five-year renewal as a compromise between a longer-term renewal and shorter terms that had been previously discussed. The Chamber said it is prepared to facilitate maintenance of public restroom facilities and to partner on downtown landscape maintenance activities.
Board members discussed how the Chamber’s contribution could be administered and asked the town attorney to include appropriate language in the lease and related instruments. The board requested that the Chamber and administration specify how the $40,000 annual contribution would be applied (for example, downtown landscaping contracts, Founders Park maintenance or other eligible items) and include a clause allowing adjustment if Chamber revenues decline by a significant percentage.
A motion to direct the town attorney to prepare lease language reflecting a five-year term and a $40,000-per-year commitment passed unanimously. The board noted that the funds would be routed through established town accounts and subject to normal procurement and auditing processes; the Chamber said it would work with staff on the final language and that the parties would formalize arrangements before executing a lease.
Speakers cited: Chamber leadership (unnamed in transcript), Town Manager Josh, and various commissioners who debated lease term length and the scope of the Chamber’s contribution.
