The Sicamous and District Chamber of Commerce will be consolidating operations in an effort to reduce expenses and better utilize resources.
At its regular meeting last Wednesday, Sicamous council approved a request from the chamber to operate the chamber on a part-time basis out of the Visitor Info Centre location in the municipal civic centre. The request was received by council in a letter from chamber executive director Michelle Wolff.
In the letter, Wolff says the chamber’s board of directors has proposed reducing staff hours, requiring her to cover hours at the VIC.
Wolff notes how prior to 2011, the chamber and visitor centre offices were in the same building at the end of Finlayson, and this set up allowed a “much better use of staff time and resources.”
A related memo by district CAO Fred Banham states the chamber’s request was received in February, and was subject to debate. Banham said the district was hesitant to re-allocate floor space at a significant cost without a longterm commitment by the chamber.
“At this point, the chamber feels that they only need some time to reestablish before they relocate, to a yet-to-be-determined location,” says Banham, adding the option for the chamber sharing space with the VIC would be at little additional cost to the district.
In addition to the request to combine services at the VIC, the chamber also submitted its proposal for a fee-for-service agreement for VIC operations. This submission, dated April 1, 2015, and also signed by Wolff, offered the district three funding options, along with a breakdown of how the visitor centre and the Houseboat Kiosk highway information centre are being utilized.
The stats show the number of people visiting the kiosk last year dropped 60 per cent from the year prior, and that from 2009 to 2014, a greater number of people have stopped in at the VIC.
One of the proposed funding options would have the district pay $50,000 to the chamber for the year-round operation of the VIC, and staffing the kiosk from the May long weekend to Labour Day. A second option, also for $50,000, would keep the VIC open, but the kiosk would close, in favour of a roving ambassadors. Council, however, opted for option three, funding the chamber $37,000 to operate the VIC only.
Coun. Mallmes noted the chamber would also be inhabiting the VIC rent free.
“I know the chamber needs our support, and I think this is a way that we can kind of do it without it really costing us any more money and, at the same time support the chamber,” commented Mayor Terry Rysz.
Asked what would happen to the kiosk, Wolff said that would be up to the chamber’s board of directors.
“We were waiting to see what council came back with…, said Wolff. “So, I’ll take it back to my board… and we’ll discuss how we’re going to proceed with operations, whether it be only here (the VIC), here and the kiosk or using mobile ambassadors.”
