[Vision2020] Daily News: "After lengthy debate, chamber lands its cash"

[Saundra Lund]

After subjecting y'all to my impression of last night's Council meeting, I see
that today's Daily News covered the story on page 1:

"After lengthy debate, chamber lands its cash

By Alexis Bacharach , Daily News staff writer


Moscow City Councilwoman Linda Pall asked her colleagues repeatedly on Tuesday
why tax dollars should pay for day-to-day operations at the Moscow Chamber of
Commerce. 

"Why are taxpayers paying chamber staff to answer the phones?" she said. "I have
a problem with the city writing a check to keep the doors open at the chamber.
And if that's what needs to happen then we all need to sit down and have a long
discussion about what is going on with the management of this organization." 

Council members debated for more than an hour Tuesday before they approved a
request for $10,000 from the chamber of commerce. 

Recent concerns over financial difficulties and hiring practices at the chamber
were mentioned several times by council members and some who attended Tuesday's
council meeting. 

Chamber President Janice McMillan admitted the organization has dealt with many
challenges in the last year. 

Financial statements in August indicated the chamber had a deficit of more than
$70,000. It also appeared as though chamber staff failed to apply for multiple
grants that account for a large portion of the organization's annual budget. 

Questions about the chamber's financial problems led the chamber board to order
a financial review, conducted by the accounting firm Presnell Gage. 

"That review identified a number of areas where the chamber could implement
changes to improve accountability and transparency," McMillan said. "We (the
board) have prioritized those items, and I apologize it has taken so long to
start implementing those changes. Much of our work is done by volunteers. You
can only push them so hard." 

Pall said it wouldn't matter "if the chamber was the best managed organization
in the universe," she'd have a problem using tax money to pay for any entity's
maintenance and operations. 

"The city used to support the chamber on a project-by-project basis," Pall
explained. "Two years ago the city made a rather substantial shift and from
paying between $2,000 and $5,000 for specific services and projects, to just
giving the chamber $10,000 a year." 

Chamber Executive Director Paul Kimmell said his staff and volunteers promote
the city and the city's businesses on a daily basis. 

"We make 35,000 referrals on a yearly basis," he said. "We truly are an
informational clearinghouse in all respects. There have been questions raised
about our finances and I take full responsibility, as does our board, to be as
transparent as possible." 

Councilman John Dickinson said he'd feel a lot better about approving the
chamber's request for funding if he had assurances the chamber would implement
all the changes recommended by Presnell Gage. He specifically referenced the
chamber's failure to identify itself as an equal-opportunity employer. 

"That was identified as a deficiency," Kimmell said. "We are working on that." 

He suggested the city and the chamber could enter a memorandum of understanding
that quarterly financial reports would be provided for the council's review.
That memorandum of understanding also could address some of the policy changes
council members are concerned about, Kimmell added. 

Former chamber President BJ Swanson, who was invited by the council to speak on
the matter, said she was concerned the chamber still hasn't implemented all the
recommended policy changes. 

"I have raised many questions about the chamber in the last year," Swanson said.
"I'm a banker and I've expressed my concern many times about the chamber's
finances. Many of those concerns were put to rest with the financial review." 

At the same time, Swanson said, additional concerns she had about various
chamber policies have not been dealt with. 

"I withdrew (AmericanWest Bank's) membership earlier this month," she said. "We
need a chamber that is a cheerleader for the city. The financial review
identified several things that needed to be done, and they never happened. I'm
not here to tell you not to fund the chamber, but things are not getting done in
a timely manner." 

Council President Joann Mack said she had no problem discussing the council's
concerns about transparency and accountability at the chamber. She did not want
to discuss rumors that led to the chamber's recent controversy. "The chamber is
an integral part of this community. I think the city needs to recognize the
chamber needs our support." 

Alexis Bacharach can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 234, or by e-mail at
abacharach at dnews.com.
__________

Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

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