[Vision2020] City of Moscow Gives Moscow Chamber of Commerce $10, 000

[Saundra Lund]

Visionaries:

Well, I'm very disappointed that the City of Moscow granted a $10,000 request by
the Moscow Chamber of Commerce last night.  I'm copying our City Council members
and mayor on this because if I get any facts wrong, I sincerely welcome
correction/clarification.

I was quite curious to see an agenda item "9.  Presentation of Chamber of
Commerce and Request for Funding - Paul Kimmel" for last night's meeting.  So, I
downloaded the current Council packet from the City web site hoping for details.
That effort was in vain, however, because while there was lots of information
about virtually every other thing on the agenda, I couldn't find a thing about
item 9.

It was a tough call because I also wanted to attend the water meeting last
night, but since I could find no information about this funding request, I chose
to attend the City Council meeting instead.

And, I'm glad I attended the (very long) City Council meeting, but I'm heartsick
as well.  It was particularly odious to me that the City Council granted the
Chamber's $10,000 request the day after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday.

Because, you see, here in 2005, the Moscow Chamber of Commerce still has NO
policy of non-discrimination and NO policy of Equal Employment Opportunity (nor
do they practice one).

Because the information wasn't readily available to Moscow citizens, I'm not
exactly sure what the request for $10,000 was for, but if I understood
correctly, some of that money will go to support Chamber staff and some will go
to purchase equipment.  It seems to me that a third category was mentioned, but
I missed that in my notes, and no breakdown or details were offered during the
meeting.

It absolutely horrifies and sickens me that *my* City is giving a huge chunk of
money to an organization that has refused to adopt non-discrimination and Equal
Employment Opportunity policies, procedures, and practices in anything remotely
resembling a timely manner, and it adds insult to injury to have such action
taken the day after we honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Let me preface my following remarks with a few comments.

First, I want to start out by saying that the meeting last night was very long
(I don't know if that's usual since my attendance at Council meetings has fallen
off in the last couple of years due to family obligations), but I was absolutely
impressed at the hard work evident by many City employees and elected officials!
There were several interesting agenda items, and the level of preparation for
presentation and inquiry was truly impressive to see!

Second, I feel compelled to state the obvious:  a vital *and* effective Chamber
of Commerce is important to our community.

However, the Moscow Chamber of Commerce has been at the center of a fair amount
of controversy the past year or so.  They have struggled -- and continue to
struggle -- with some serious issues.  It's not my intention to rehash all of
those issues, but suffice it to say that contrary to the statements of one
Council member who seems to attribute the controversy to "rumors," there was
more than a fair amount of fire that caused the smoke, fire that has hurt
Chamber membership and our community as a whole.

Specific to my concerns, it is deeply troubling to me that the Council opened
our wallets to give a significant amount of money for staff support to an
organization without policies, procedures, and practices that ensure
non-discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity.  My understanding is that
those concerns were brought to the Chamber Board by its own members over ***four
months*** ago!  Still, nothing has been done!  For Pete's sake -- this isn't
rocket science and doesn't require any Herculean effort!

Chamber President Janice McMillan addressed the difficulties the Chamber has had
making progress, much of which seemed to center around the nature of volunteer
organizations.  In all fairness, it does sound like progress in at least some
areas is happening, but *still*:  no policies of non-discrimination or Equal
Employment Opportunity and part of the request was for staff support.  While it
sounds like the Chamber enjoys a lot of volunteer participation, the fact
remains that the Chamber also has paid staff, staff we as taxpayers are
supporting.

I'm the parent of a teen <sigh>, and I've learned some lessons the hard way.
For instance, when faced with a recalcitrant teen, I've learned that purse
strings are often an incredibly powerful motivator when other approaches fail.
And, I've learned that continuing to offer a line of credit (so to speak) to a
teen dragging her feet getting with the program is most unwise and often ensures
a continuation of the unacceptable status quo.  Performance *before* pay, in a
sense, when payment has been made but there's been a lack of adequate
performance in the past.

I think the Council erred in a major way by not following such strategies for
helping the Chamber learn the lessons of responsibility, accountability, and
transparency.

In the spirit of compromise, much was made of the fact that the Council will
receive quarterly financial reports from the Chamber, and the City and Chamber
will also enter into a Memorandum of Understanding.

However, given the Chamber's recent troubled history and the significant
problems (financial, organizational, and social) identified, I'm concerned:
once the Chamber has the money (which they got last night), a most powerful
motivator for compliance, improvement, and growth is gone, and it seems to me
the City missed an important opportunity to ensure needed changes are made.
This seems particularly unwise given the Chamber's recent history of lack of
responsiveness to its own members.

I'm sure this issue is more complex than I realize, but it would seem to me that
requirements of non-discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity policies,
procedures, and practices should be a *minimum* requirement for groups and
organizations asking for substantial money from the City, particularly when some
of that money is targeted for staff support.

And, since the Chamber has had many months to address these significant
deficiencies and *still* hasn't done so, I do NOT understand why the Council
didn't keep our wallet shut until such time as these important issues had been
resolved, and I strongly disagree with the decision (Council members Linda Pall
and John Dickinson voted against the funding request).

I also do not understand why this request, which if I understood correctly was
originally on the Public Works/Finance Committee agenda and was by the minutes
of that committee supposed to go back there for further discussion, was moved to
the Council agenda *before* Public Works/Finance was able to finish their part
of the process?  Nor do I understand what appeared to me as a taxpaying citizen
to be our mayor's strong-armed tactics to keep the item on the Council's agenda.
Indeed, he seemed angry at one Council member for bringing that detail to light
and questioning the process of how the switch happened.

I also found it interesting that as apparent justification for the request, the
Chamber Executive Director seemed to want to make a big deal out of the phone
calls the Chamber gets where they provide city services information (where to
pay water bills, who to contact about permits, etc.).  Well, for goodness sake!
While I've never personally worked for a Chamber of Commerce, I've had several
friends throughout the years who have, in positions ranging from receptionists
all the way up to executive directors, and that's one of the dues supported
functions:  information and referral.  And if the Moscow Chamber finds that a
burden requiring significant additional compensation, I'd hate to see what
they'd want if they were located in a city with significant state and federal
government offices!

Council member Linda Pall raised what I think are some *excellent* questions
about why the City is funding the Chamber's ordinary operating expenses, which I
would think would be covered by member dues.  These are questions I'd like to
see answered and that I believe the taxpayers (since we're giving the Chamber
not an insubstantial amount of money *in addition* to dues) deserve to have
answered.

I sincerely hope that the Moscow Chamber of Commerce is successful at addressing
the problems its faced in recent times.  I know that the Chamber does some
really great things for our community and for its members, but I'm so tired of
the attitude that questioning is somehow bad.

However, as a taxpayer *and* given the magnitude and types of problems
identified at the Chamber, I expected more from my elected officials who are
responsible for safeguarding our City coffer.  And, I think they dropped the
ball big time last night.  I think the Chamber's request for $10,000 should have
been deferred until such time as the Chamber met clearly defined expectations
which should have included, at a minimum, non-discrimination and Equal
Employment Opportunity policies, procedures, and practices.  That approach would
have also provided time for questions to be answered about why we, as taxpayers,
are supporting the ordinary operating expenses of the Chamber of Commerce and
whether that's an appropriate or wise use of taxpayers' money.


Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
nothing.
-Edmund Burke