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City reviews visitor center operations, staffing and fees after building purchase
Summary
At the Nov. 4 meeting, staff updated the Urban Renewal Agency on visitor center expenses and plans for staffing, volunteer onboarding and fee policies after purchasing the building; directors asked staff to compile monthly operating costs and volunteering protocols for follow up.
Agency staff provided a detailed update on the newly purchased visitor center and asked the board to review operating expenses, staffing and programming.
Staff said the building purchase was completed last month and circulated a compilation of post‑purchase expenses — utilities, signage and non‑labor costs — asking the board to consider monthly overhead and startup costs when setting hours and fees.
Directors discussed a phased staffing plan that would rely on volunteers coordinated through the library, the Chamber and the Lions Club. The plan presented called for limited winter hours (one day per week) with a goal of expanding to two days a week by March. The Clerk said volunteers will complete an application and the city will run background checks for anyone greeting the public.
“...we are requiring a volunteer application be completed, which includes a background check,” the Clerk said, describing the onboarding step the agency plans to use for public‑facing volunteers.
Board members debated whether to adopt the community center fee schedule or a reduced fee for the smaller visitor center and suggested treating the space as a small‑business meeting zone (10 or fewer people) rather than a full event venue. The board discussed waiving fees in exchange for volunteer hours and using a sign‑up and outreach strategy via social media and community organizations to recruit volunteers.
Other operational items included a proposed mural on an exterior wall — which board members said would require the agency’s approval — and scheduling coordination with recurring users such as Head Start; staff noted Head Start has already scheduled three parent meetings at the facility. One director said the city may have invested roughly $250,000 in the building including ongoing in‑kind labor, which participants characterized as an estimate to be refined.
Next steps: staff will prepare a schedule, monthly cost estimates and a proposed fee/usage matrix for board review at the next meeting so the board can finalize hours, volunteer procedures and any fee structure changes.
