The Lowndes County supervisors Thursday voted to ask the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau to pay $400,000 to restore the old river bridge, echoing action earlier this week by the City Council.
The supervisors voted 3-2 to approve a resolution asking the CVB to pay the match on a $2 million Mississippi Department of Transportation grant to renovate the historic Highway 82 bridge across the Tombigbee River into a pedestrian walkway.
The Columbus City Council approved a similar resolution Tuesday.
District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks and District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith voted against the resolution asking the CVB to pay the required match.
“I don”t want it to be perceived we are being heavy-handed,” he said, noting CVB board members told him the CVB already has obligated its money to pay for other projects.
“I know the bridge is a worthy project in somebody”s mind, but it”s not in mine,” he continued. “That”s just not a priority of mine. I just don”t see how that bridge fits into tourism. I don”t see anybody coming to Columbus to walk along that bridge that goes to nowhere.”
Brooks suggested a “three-way split” between the city, county and CVB for the required match.
“I, as a board member, wouldn”t support anything that gives the impression we”re forcing our will on them,” Smith said, agreeing with Brooks about being careful not to impose the bridge work onto the CVB, but also noting the bridge restoration is a “worthy project.”
“This is a visitors and tourism project and I think they definitely should be a part of that project,” District 2 Supervisor Frank Ferguson said of the CVB. “That”s why we pay the two percent (restaurant tax to the CVB). We don”t have the money in our budget at this time. (And) if we don”t take the grant, it”s probably going to go to some other entity that”s probably not as worthy as this one.”
“That”s a sight-seeing thing,” said Board President and District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders, whose brother, David, serves on the CVB board of directors. “They have $1.5 million that comes in (for their budget) every year.”
Sanders noted the “other (CVB) projects” Brooks referred to include a restoration of the Tennessee Williams Welcome Center, for which the CVB received a $400,000 Mississippi Department of Transportation grant, scrapped plans to build a new office, and $600,000 for an art park next to the Tennessee Williams Welcome Center.
“Ask the CVB to decide what their priorities are,” he advised. “We have to make decisions every day. The visitors and tourism board is the medium by which those decisions should be made.”
“Are they going to (do those projects) every year?” he asked, noting the CVB receives $1.5 million every year. “I don”t think so.”
Columbus CVB executive director/CEO James Tsismanakis said Friday the plans to build the new office building have not been scrapped and his board has not received an MDOT grant.
“We have a contract with Mark Castleberry to do the work on the building. We are also committed to funding the restoration of the Tennessee Williams Welcome Center, and we are committing funds to work on the art park and the Josh Meador studio,” he said.
Tsismanakis said the CVB takes in approximately $1.2 million a year, with the major source of funds coming from a 2 percent restaurant tax. A check of state Tax Commission records shows Columbus” special tourism tax took in $1.5 million from July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009, and has earned $1 million so far this fiscal year.
“We do not receive any money from the city or county general funds,” he said.
Tsismanakis said the CVB has received a $108,000 grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History for the restoration work on the Welcome Center.
“We have not received a grant from the Mississippi Department of Transportation,” he said.
Tsismanakis said that the CVB board will discuss the price amounts for funding these projects at Monday”s regular meeting at 4 p.m. at the Stephen D. Lee Home. It is also when the board will discuss the proposal from the city and county concerning funding the bridge.
Tsismanakis said he cannot comment about the bridge funding proposal.
“This will be discussed Monday, and I do not wish to comment on this until after the meeting,” he said.
Sanders said that he believes “the county has done its share,” referring to a $3.25 million commitment to develop a soccer complex in the Burns Bottom area and a $850,000 commitment to restore and renovate neighborhood parks. “We”ve committed $4.5 million to $5 million for recreation for the coming year.”
The CVB is responsible for tourism, acknowledged Smith, but said he was worried about using “leverage” like the resolution against the CVB.
“It”s almost like, we”re asking you, but we”re not (really) asking you; we”re telling you,” he said.
Sanders noted the CVB board usually takes requests under advisement until a subsequent meeting, before making decisions.
“That”s true,” Smith laughed.
In other matters, the supervisors:
n Approved a request from County Administrator Ralph Billingsley to commit to a 10 percent match for a grant giving county emergency operations a new communication system.
New towers for a new radio network — Mississippi Wireless Information Network — are being installed and counties across the state are being asked to “tie in” to the new system, Billingsley reported.
About two years ago, the city and county signed an interlocal agreement stipulating required matches will be split evenly between the city and county.
The supervisors committed to spend $10,400 to tie into the new system and the City Council Tuesday will be asked to do the same.
The county also will purchase two radios — at a cost of about $5,500 each — and two radio systems — for E911 and a mobile unit.
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