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Visit Dell Rapids pitch prompts debate over oversight, pilot funding and relationship with Chamber
Summary
Desiree Osborne proposed Visit Dell Rapids, a visitor-marketing website; council debated governance, oversight and overlap with the Chamber and discussed a proposed three-month $4,000/month pilot or a contract-for-services approach; council tabled until staff can confirm budget availability and scope.
Entrepreneur Desiree Osborne presented Visit Dell Rapids, a visitor-marketing website and email-marketing program she said already has roughly 200 contacts and measurable ad results. She asked the council to consider using the city’s gross-receipts tourism fund to support the project and described tracking tools to measure visits and spending.
Councilors questioned governance, oversight and whether the effort should be part of or separate from the Chamber. Concerns included whether the city would be funding a private startup and how the site would be managed if the founder is no longer available. One councilor proposed a three-month trial at $4,000 per month with documented return-on-investment, while others preferred a defined contract for services or to wait for formal nonprofit (501(c)(3)) paperwork. The council ultimately tabled the request for the budget process and asked staff to determine whether funds are available and to request performance data from the presenter.
