Council moves Coliseum table purchase to August vote after Chamber offers to front $20,000

City Manager Laurie Phelps and Coliseum staff presented a proposal July 20 in which the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce would finance new 72-inch round tables for the Black River Coliseum and be repaid over time by waived banquet fees for the chamber’s annual event.

Manager Laurie Phelps said the chamber would front the money and the city would provide a payback through five years of the chamber's banquet event revenue plus an additional year as a courtesy, creating a six-year repayment arrangement. The presenter said the chamber would front approximately $20,000 for the purchase and provide in-kind match that could assist other projects.

Greg Smith, identified in the discussion as the Coliseum director, described the facility’s need for improved tables and chairs: he said the facility currently has about 28–32 good round tables and roughly 68–70 older or damaged round tables, and the goal would be to increase the inventory to about 100 round tables. He and Manager Phelps said staff would return with final pricing and bring the final table selection back to council for approval.

Council members asked whether the chamber’s banquet rate covered table use and who would make the final purchasing decision; staff said they would work with the chamber on models and returns to the council for final approval. A motion carried to move the item to the voting session scheduled for August 3, 2026, so councilors can review pricing and quality before a final vote.

Next steps: staff will finalize vendor quotes and models, present comparative pricing and quality information to council, and return the item for a formal vote on August 3.