The Chula Vista City Council unanimously approved an agreement between the city and the Chamber of Commerce allowing the chamber to act as the designated owners’ association for the city’s Tourism and Marketing District.
Under the district’s plan, the owners’ association must approve all major decisions, including the annual report, which contains the budget, work plan and goals and objectives for each year, as well as policies and audit requirements.
Revisions were accepted Tuesday to reflect previous council comments Jan. 10 and incorporate that hotel/motel owners constitute a majority of the board and that goals, objectives and a financial report be adopted before each new year, and that a documented effort be made to reach all board members, giving them ample time to attend and participate in a vote.
The Tourism and Marketing District Committee is comprised of 15 members, including eight hotel/motel representatives and seven chamber executives.
The agreement states that the chamber will pay operational costs associated with services provided by the city to the district, which include collecting assessments, remitting funds to the chamber and staff time and other resources spent assisting the chamber in preparing and submitting the annual report to council.
Economic development director Michael Meacham said the new agreement provides a better working relationship and more democratic process.
The agreement requires that the hotel/motel owners have a democratic opportunity to control the investment of district funds in activities and potential improvements that they have a majority stake in selecting before they come to council for review and consideration.
Funds raised by the district must be spent for sales promotions and marketing programs to market Chula Vista as a tourist, meeting and event destination.
