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Council reviews Chamber and Main Street requests, hears pitch for community web portal and flags lease/contract safeguards
Summary
The town heard a Chamber representative request about $25,480 for Chamber/visitor-center operations and a separate Main Street revitalization request (~$15,000), plus a $2,000 ask to explore a community web portal; supervisors raised potential advertising restrictions and conflict-of-interest and asked for contracts before funding.
The meeting included a detailed presentation from a Chamber/visitor-center speaker who outlined two separate budget requests: about $25,480 for chamber operations and visitor-center costs and an approximately $15,000 request for Main Street revitalization projects. The presenter described last year’s programs, signage upgrades, and the visitor-center’s seven-day staffing model, and said the Chamber carried an outstanding $4,700 repayment to the county from prior grants.
The Chamber presenter asked the council to consider a separate, community-focused online portal (described as a one-stop web hub for Quartzsite/Portside businesses, tourism information, snowbird guidance and links to services). The developer recommended an initial county contribution of $2,000 to develop a proof-of-concept and to confirm state website/security requirements with town staff and possibly run an RFP if the town participates in development (Presenter, S9).
Supervisors and staff raised compliance and practical concerns. One supervisor said government websites (and BLM pages) generally cannot host commercial advertising and warned that the town cannot use taxpayer money to promote private commercial sites; several recommended structuring a portal so the town controls official information while private businesses pay for advertising or listings elsewhere. Councilors also requested a written contract specifying what the town would pay, what the Chamber must deliver, and lease terms for the visitor center if the town helps pay rent, after hearing that the Chamber currently has no formal lease with its landlord (Committee member, S7; Presenter, S5).
The transcript shows no formal vote on the Chamber or Main Street requests. Supervisors suggested leaving the amounts in the budget now and adjusting later once contract details, conflict-of-interest issues and advertising restrictions were resolved. The likely next steps recorded in the discussion were drafting a contract that delineates deliverables and town oversight and returning with clearer terms for budget authorization.
