COLUMBUS CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING
900 FRONT AVENUE, COLUMBUS, GEORGIA 31901
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
Commissioners Present: Bruce Smith, Chair, James Smith, Secretary, Elizabeth
Barker, Treasurer, Allen Woodall, Teresa Tomlinson, Scott Ressmeyer, Past
Chair, and Dhan Parekh
Commissioners Absent: John Shinkle, Vice Chair, and Tom
Gates
Ex-Officios Present: Larry Campbell, Cyndy Cerbin, Isaiah Hugley, and Mayor
Jim Wetherington Ex-Officios Absent: Richard Bishop, Herbert
Greene, Mike Gaymon, Dale Hester, Nadine Coker, and Judy Thomas
Staff Present: Peter Bowden, Shelby Guest, Laura Walker, and Linda Olvera
Special Guests: Jamie DeLoach, Asst City Attorney, and Brian Plemmons
Call to Order: Bruce Smith, Chair, called the meeting to order at 3:31 p.m.
Welcome & Introductions??..Dhan Parekh, new Board member
Special Recognition??????Brian Plemmons for his years of service as a
Board member
Approval of Minutes: Jim Smith, Secretary, presented the January Board minutes
for approval.
Teresa Tomlinson made a motion to accept the minutes as presented. Scott
Ressmeyer seconded the motion, a vote was taken and the motion passed.
Treasurer?s Report: Elizabeth Barker, Treasurer, presented the January
financial statements to the Board. Jim Smith made a motion to accept the
financials as presented. Scott Reemeyer seconded the motion, a vote was taken
and the motion passed.
Chair?s Report: Bruce Smith
FY 2011 Budget Approval-------Peter Bowden e-mailed the budget to the Board
members for their review prior to the February meeting. Mr. Bowden explained
that the budget was based on zero growth in revenue. Since there were no
questions regarding the budget, Scott Ressmeyer made a motion to accept the
budget as presented. Elizabeth Barker seconded the motion, a vote was taken
and the motion passed.
On-line Travel Law Suit-update----------Information provided by the legal team
representing the Columbus Consolidated Government was read to the Board:
?There was an appellate argument in Atlanta Thursday (2/11/10) on a discovery
matter. Expedia?s internal documents suggest the OTCs knew or suspected that
the taxes were due and payable on the retail room rate but nonetheless
developed and maintained a program to under-remit. Expedia has been ordered to
produce some documents that bear on that issue. Rather than do so, Expedia
appealed. Assuming the Court will set a hearing while the appeal pends;
Columbus is prepared to go forward on the Motion to Relist.?
City Initiated Hotel Audit?update--------Peter Bowden and Shelby Guest attended
2 meetings with the City Council to discuss the audit. Judy Randall, with
Randall Travel Marketing, participated by telephone to explain the STR Report
and how she conducted a research project that revealed a variance between what
revenue/taxes reported by STR (Smith Travel Research) and the City revenue
department. Council members agreed the hotels should be audited (this has not
occurred in the past.) The question now is who should conduct the audit (City
internal auditor, Georgia Municipal Association, or an outside auditing firm.)
Also to be determined is the number of hotels audited and to identify funding
from within the City?s budget.
HB 993--------------This bill was introduced by Macon, Georgia to rewrite the
Georgia hotel/motel tax law; the Macon bill is being crafted to help fund the
Music and Sports Halls of Fame; the language of the bill, as written, sets a
dangerous precedent in that other local governments could re-allocate hotel
motel tax for purposed other than destination marketing. The Georgia Hotel and
Lodging Association and the Tourism Development Alliance of Georgia are not
supporting this piece of legislation; and have asked Georgia-based DMOs for
help in creating opposition; the Columbus CVB and other CVBs have contacted
their state legislators with appropriate information and asked that they not
support HB 993. Tourism is important to the economy of Columbus.
President?s Report: Peter Bowden
GSAE Annual Meeting---------The CCVB sales department is making weekly sales
missions to Atlanta to invite members to the annual meeting to be held in
Columbus June 2 through 4, 2010.
Building Smoke Issue------The CCVB Board went into executive meeting to discuss
a potential legal matter.
Sales Report---------The February report was presented by Laura Walker (see
attachment)
The meeting was adjourned at 5:09 p.m.
Attachments
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