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Tourism, Beautification commissions to merge

Posted May 18, 2016 11:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Staff Writer

The divided will now become united.

During Wednesday's meeting of the Chester Tourism Commission, a proposed merger with the Chester Beautification Commission was discussed.

Attending the meeting were Chester Mayor Tom Page, City Clerk Bethany Berner, Alderwoman Nancy Crossland and Chester Beautification Commission Chairman Tom Sauer.

Sauer said an amended city ordinance had been previously read and approved by the Beautification Commission and would create a 15-member Chester Beautification and Tourism Commission.

"We feel that's adequate for the number we have now," Sauer said. "We're not laying off anybody from the board."

Eligible candidates for any future openings on the board would have to live within the boundaries of the Chester school district.

"The ordinance is complete, I have the final copy," Crossland said. "It needs to go before the city council, but when (Tourism) is ready to go, we're ready to go."

The discussion also involved finances. The Beautification Commission recently received a share of the city's hotel/motel tax receipts, with Berner noting that the Beautification Commission's fund contained around $10,000.

Tourism Commission Treasurer Linda Rader's report showed the CTC had a bank balance of $7,589.43 - with $93.96 in petty cash - as of May 18.

Tourism's funds mainly come from fundraisers, donations and from giving tours to the riverboat passengers when the boats dock at the riverfront.

Plans are in progress for a pooled fund which would include general monies raised from each commission. A separate fund for non-tax money and fundraisers would be kept.

Brenda Owen, Tourism Commission secretary, said she wanted to thank those involved for their work on the ordinance, which now goes to the Chester City Council for approval.

"It seems the mission of the Tourism Commission was overlapping several areas and we were not sure what we should be doing," she said.

Tourism Commission Chairwoman Sandra Starr was asked about officers in the merged commission, which will have its first meeting on June 20 at 10:30 a.m. at Chester City Hall.

"At our next meeting, we will have an organizational meeting where we will nominate and elect officers," Starr said.

In other news, Chester Recreation Director Patti Carter announced a new riverboat will be docking at the riverfront on Sept. 15.

The "Louisiane," a 218-foot, American-made-and-crewed riverboat of the French America Line will dock at 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 15 and depart at 6 p.m. that day.

The riverboat's port of registry is New Orleans.

Chester is part of an itinerary that includes Alexandria (Louisiana), Baton Rouge (Louisiana), Biloxi (Mississippi), Cape Girardeau and Cave-in-rock.

The Louisiane is one of nine riverboat stops planned thus far at the riverfront, with the American Queen making the first visit on July 10.

Carter said French America Line would pay $100 per guide for up to four hours, with separate donations made to the Cohen Home, Stone Cottage and Randolph County Museum.

In an update on an initiative to get Chester properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Owen said she had made contact with Landmarks Illinois, a not-for-profit membership organization which is the state's leading voice for historic preservation, according to its website.

Owen said she has identified three consultants that could help the commission in its quest, and one had responded and shown interest.

"River City Renewal is willing to partner with the city on this," Owen said. "We've got this built-in resource that we're not taking advantage of to the level that we should."

Owen cited a 2004 report from a separate consultant that said Chester had the most diverse architecture of anywhere in the state with the exception of Quincy.

"The National Registry status won't protect a property," she said. "That will be up to the local preservation board to make a decision."

Owen also gave an update on the continuing renovations to the Stone Cottage, noting that the sidewalk has been poured in front of the building and recently-purchased furniture has been installed.

Roundup

Norma Baughman gave an update on Randolph County Tourism, stating that people from Fort de Chartres had approached the organization seeking money for the fort's annual Rendezvous, which is scheduled for June 4-5.

Baughman noted that both Randolph County Tourism and the Randolph County Progress Committee have contributed to helping put on the Rendezvous this year.

She also stated that it's not too early to be thinking about the state's bicentennial in 2018 and floated the idea of a cancellation stamp in honor of the milestone.

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