Patch Local Voices Blogger Steps into Conversation about Visitor Center

As the Enumclaw City Council continued discussing funding requests on the part of the Chamber of Commerce in next year's budget for sustaining the Visitor Center, a new player emerged during Wednesday's budget workshop who could help both the city and Chamber keep costs down for next year.

Tom Spencer is a local business owner (and ) who presented himself as a third party who would not only be interested in continuing the services provided by the Visitor Center but to pay rent for the building that houses the Visitor Center at market rate.

Spencer currently runs www.EnumclawBusiness.com, an online directory of more than 550 local businesses that he provides free of charge. "We don't promote anyone based on membership or anything like that," he told council.

His company's lease on its current facility is up, he said, and they'd be ready to make a move any day. However, he has not submitted a formal proposal to council. "We're for-profit, and I'd love to have a couple hundred people come into town and ask about the businesses we promote."

Spencer's introduction to council came after Chamber President Tim Pierick presented a formal proposed funding request of $25,000 in next year's city budget to help sustain current service levels at the Visitor Center.

Following reports last week that the Chamber may bow out of running the Visitor Center without city support, Pierick reiterated that the Chamber is a self-sustaining membership organization and that the Visitor Center is a separate entity, historically run by the Chamber with a stipend from the city. (Read the last week about the issue.)

The city opted not to fund the Chamber in the 2011 budget but instead provided a for lease of the property. The Chamber spent its own money to renovate the center and launched a line of Enumclaw souvenirs (T-shirts, mugs, etc.), said Pierick, to support tourism. 

However, "we've now depleted our reserves over the last two years," he said. "It's not financially viable for the Chamber to run the Visitor Center without support."

To remain independent of the city, the Chamber would need to raise membership dues by 60 percent, which wouldn't be fair to members, Pierick said.

Funds Would Support Existing Hours

Pierick verified the $25,000 would be used primarily for staffing to keep the Center open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

The Chamber's pool of volunteers has largely dried up, Pierick said, following prior staffing changes, though it does offer internships and scholarships at Enumclaw High School which also provides some part-time help.

Optimally, the Chamber would be staffed with two people for safety reasons as well as back-up for when the executive director is off-site for meetings, he said. Without the $25,000 the Visitor Center would only be operated by one executive director.

Asked by Councilman Glen Jensen if he would consider an outside resource like Spencer, Pierick said, "We're not opposed to any outside business running the Visitor Center."

In fact, Jensen further offered it might be better to have the Chamber partner with the city in its economic development projects rather than concentrate on the Visitor Center. (See under 'Community Development' for more information.)

Pierick, in his presentation to council, did offer that in doing marketing and research, "we believe Enumclaw is a potential goldmine of tourism and I'm sad to see we as a city don't seem invested in that. ... We believe our economy is more resourceful than we give it credit."

Following Procedure

Spencer said the Visitor Center is "one of the key economic entryways into this great business town. ... We'd be honored to represent the city and its businesses."

But first thing's first: City Attorney Mike Reynolds indicated the city would need to put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) if the Chamber were to vacate the current building in order to give everyone in the public a fair opportunity to do the same thing that Spencer is offering.

The RFP would specify the conditions for leasing the building combined with running the Visitor Center.

It would give council a better idea of what Spencer is proposing to do. Councilmen Rich Elfers and Jeff Beckwith both asked to know more of what was being proposed including hours and staffing. Beckwith additionally voiced concerns over issues like branding -- would Spencer's business get top billing on the Center's displays? 

Without any formal proposal from Spencer, there was no action by the council Wednesday.