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Council unanimously approves renewed Chamber contract despite complaints about reducing Temple City Life
Summary
The Temple City Council approved a renewed service agreement with the Temple City Chamber of Commerce that reduces the print frequency of Temple City Life in favor of event-driven outreach and digital communication; critics urged monthly publication and questioned value for money.
The Temple City Council voted unanimously to approve a renewed service agreement with the Temple City Chamber of Commerce that will shift part of the chamber’s work toward events, workforce programming and digital outreach while reducing the print frequency of the city’s Temple City Life publication.
Jerry Jambazian, a longtime business owner and former chamber leader, criticized the change during public comment, saying the proposed agreement would reduce Temple City Life "to once every three months with 500 copies" and argued the city’s $62,500 annual payment to the chamber should instead fund a public information officer. "The city and its taxpayers are not getting the bang for their buck," Jambazian said.
City Manager Brian Cook and chamber CEO John Barry told the council the cutback in print production reflected rising printing costs and lower distribution. Cook said staff and the chamber were pursuing "other tools and other manners in which to communicate to the public at large either via social media [and] other networking opportunities." Barry estimated the direct printing savings at "approximately $1,500 a month" for each issue the chamber does not publish and roughly $10,000 annually, and described new priorities such as "TC Bites," workforce development and increased business outreach.
Council members voiced mixed personal views on the trade-off. Some members said they value a monthly printed magazine, while others welcomed the chamber’s increased emphasis on events and business-facing services. After discussion, Mayor Chavez moved approval of consent calendar item 7D (the chamber agreement); the motion passed on a roll-call vote with Council Members Chen, Man, Sternquist, Mayor Pro Tem and Mayor Chavez voting yes.
The contract approval includes programmatic expectations for the chamber; the council asked staff to supply additional details on projected savings and distribution numbers. Because the matter came before the council as a consent-item approval, no separate ordinance or new regulation was enacted at the meeting.
What’s next: staff said they will provide the council with precise cost-savings figures and continue monitoring the chamber’s outreach and publication schedule.
