The Alva Tourism Tax Committee met Wednesday to hear three requests for funding and to discuss a proposed memorandum of understanding with the Chamber of Commerce. Chairman Norville Ritter was absent so Connor Martin presided. Other members present were Terri Parsons, Melinda Barton and Scott Kline.

Chamber Director Jodie Bradford reported the unencumbered bank balance available for funding is $379,106.49. Committee members looked over reports including quarterly collection of hotel and motel tourism tax. Martin commented the third quarter numbers are “pretty slim” compared to the third quarter last year. Parsons agreed saying, “It was not a good quarter for anybody it looks like.” She said a lot of the regular room bookings are companies working in the area, and the majority of those are in the winter. “They are not working around here,” she said.

The financial reports were approved.

Memorandum of Understanding

Last month, Dr. Kay Decker gave the committee a proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Chamber of Commerce and the Tourism Tax Committee. At Wednesday’s meeting she offered to answer questions.

The purpose of the MOU is to put all the Chamber’s funding requests in one document to be approved once a year. The proposed MOU which would take effect July 1 has a total price tag of $43,000 to be paid from tourism tax to the Chamber in quarterly installments.

The MOU divides the services into three categories: Tourism tax minutes and documents clerk services $9,000, visitors’ center staffing and operations services $9,000, and tourism marketing services $25,000.

“$40,000 is nearly half of what we took in last year so we need to look at that. It’s a lot,” said Parsons.

Decker replied, “It’s a lot of money. You’re getting a lot for what they’re doing. Something would have to go. Marketing and promotion would have to go. That’s where it is. That’s where the costs are – Oklahoma Today, Red Carpet Country, the fees for the website, staffing to manage all of that. It adds up.”

“If we are going to finance these Red Carpet, Oklahoma Today magazines, billboards, whatever we finance … I’d like to see a proof before it goes to the printers,” said Parsons. She said she’d like to see proofs for brochures, too.

“That’s a reasonable request. I would like that too,” said Barton.

Decker asked Bradford if that was possible. Kelly Parker asked if the committee wanted to see the proofs or wanted to approve them.

“I want to approve it,” said Parsons.

Decker and Bradford said there are themes for the Oklahoma Today issues which come out every two months. For example, July-August is museums, September-October is animals and November-December is shopping.

Parsons said she wanted to make sure Alva is more featured in the ads than say Waynoka. “I know Waynoka has the sand dunes, and it’s a big tourist draw, and they come to Alva and they spend their money. But they stay in Waynoka. They don’t stay in Alva like they used to because there are so many campgrounds there. It’s nothing,” she said.

“When we moved here, the town would be full. You’d see trailers of the buggies. But you don’t see that anymore because they have big campers and there’s hundreds more RV spots and they stay there. When we’re promoting, I want to make sure we’re promoting Alva. Honestly, I think with the restaurant I benefit more (from the sand dunes) than the motels do at this time.”

Barton also had a suggestion. “When we’re billed quarterly, if we could have just an update at this meeting on what the money’s been spent for,” she said. That way the committee could talk about it and know what direction the Chamber was going with the marketing.

There was discussion about adding the quarterly updates into the MOU. Decker said the final MOU will be presented for a vote at the June meeting.

Oklahoma Today Advertising

Bradford presented a request from the Chamber of Commerce for advertising in the Oklahoma Today magazine. The one year contract for $2,080 includes four half-page ads and two free ones which would schedule an ad in each of the six issues in a year. Although the ads are for the year starting with the July-August edition, the payment has to be made in advance so this bill would be separate from the MOU discussed earlier. The MOU would cover the next year’s ads.

Parsons asked if a copy of the magazine was available for her to see. Mayor Kelly Parker who was in the audience left and returned with an old copy he found in the city office. The magazine is available by paid subscription. Parsons asked where single copies may be purchased. Bradford said they have them in Enid and Ponca City and sometimes at Walmart in Alva.

Barton made a motion to approve paying for the ads, seconded by Kline. The motion passed with Parsons casting the only dissenting vote.

NWOSU Baseball Tournament

NWOSU baseball coach Ryan Bowen spoke about the high school baseball tournament scheduled June 23-26 at the university. This is the third year for the event which hosts club teams from Texas, Kansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. There are currently 12 teams signed up. Last year there were 14, and they can schedule up to 16 teams. He said local hotels and motels benefit greatly because most teams book rooms.

This year, they are looking for financial help because the tournament is growing and last year they had to hire more people. Also the cost for officials has increased. NWOSU baseball asked for $3,500 in tourism tax to pay for officials.

Parsons made a motion, seconded by Kline, to approve the funding request. The motion passed unanimously.

NWOSU Football Golf Tournament

NWOSU football coach Matt Walter appeared to ask for $5,000, the same as last year, for a golf tournament fundraiser for football. Walter said the tournament brought in 144 players and a total of 200 people last year. About sixty percent of them stayed in hotels. Because the June 3-4 tournament is the same time as the Nescatunga Arts Festival and Salt Fork June Jam downtown, those registering are being encouraged to bring their families with a promise of plenty of entertainment.

The majority of teams participating are alumni of the university. The numbers have grown to the point that the silent auction and dinner can no longer fit in the Alva Golf and Country Club. They have been moved to the merchants’ building at the fairgrounds.

Walter said the funds raised by the tournament are used for recruiting which brings more people to stay in local motels and hotels. Last year they booked more than 100 rooms.

Martin commented that “the tournament always makes the town buzz.” Parsons said since her family bought the motel, they’ve had some alumni returning year after year for the event.

Barton made a motion to approve the funding, seconded by Kline, and the motion passed unanimously.