LOWELL -- The city's Advertising and Promotions Commission wants to hire a director and pay its commissioners.
The commission on Thursday voted to offer the director job to Mike Maloney of Cave Springs. The city attorney was working on the position's one-year contract, and Maloney hadn't officially accepted the job as of Thursday.
Lowell commission
The Lowell Advertising and Promotions Commission meets 6 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of every month in Lowell City Council Chambers, 216 N. Lincoln St.
Source: Staff Report
Commissioner Frank Jameson said the commission was created to explore how the city can promote itself and move forward with tourism and events, and the city needs an advertising and promotions director to help move the commission's ideas forward.
The commission was established in 2018 after the City Council in November 2017 passed a tax on hotels, motels and restaurants, meaning gross receipts of hotel and motel accommodations and prepared food and beverages are taxed an additional 2 percent. People eating or staying in a hotel or motel in the city now pay an 11.5 percent tax.
The city began collecting the tax in May 2018, and Jerry Hudlow, finance director, said the tax was bringing in about $31,000 per month. Cities are required to have an advertising and promotion commission if they have a tax on lodging or prepared food.
The position will be part-time and pay about $45,000 a year, Jameson said.
"Mike's background is extensive in tourism and advertising and promotion commissions, and he was looking to step back from a full-time position into a more part-time position," he said after Thursday's meeting. "So for us being an upstart, brand new commission, this gives us the chance to bring someone on who can provide the leadership and direction from their experience."
Maloney recently retired after eight years as the advertising and promotions director in Eureka Springs, he said. His last day was about week ago. Maloney was mayor of Cave Springs from 1994-98 and he served for several years on the City Council.
Maloney said the job is a good fit for him and he can help the new commission have a better plan for the city.
"There's a huge opportunity for growth," he said.
Maloney said he would first like to focus on guiding the commission through the rest of this year, noting the annual Mudtown Days, featuring a carnival, concerts and fishing derby, is coming up in June. He would also like to consider having a Fourth of July celebration, a festival in October and Christmas festivities, he said.
He said he would also like to develop a three- to four-year plan to include more entertainment, such as summer concerts, and introduce more ways for families to get involved in community events, he said.
The commission originally looked at hiring a branding company to help promote the city but that was more expensive than expected, so the commissioners opted for a part-time staff member, Jameson said.
Maloney was one of 14 applicants.
The commission voted unanimously to offer the job to Maloney with commissioner Rodney Lowe absent.
Commissioner Bill Adams also made a motion Thursday commissioners be paid $150 per regular monthly meeting based on attendance.
The commission has seven spots, meaning the city would pay the commissioners a total of up to $12,600 a year.
Commissioners voted 5-1 for the stipend with Linda Vannoy opposed. Vannoy and Todd Fenix are on the City Council.
Planning Commissioners make $100 per meeting based on attendance, Hudlow said. The Planning Commission is the city's only other commission.
Mark Hayes, executive director of the Arkansas Municipal League, said he didn't think it was illegal for city council members on an advertising and promotion commission to recommend their own salaries to the city council, but said they should abstain from voting on that to avoid the appearance of impropriety or having a conflict of interest.
Advertising and promotion commissioners in Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville don't get paid, officials said. A representative of Experience Fayetteville didn't respond to a request for comment Friday.
Springdale advertising and promotions is handled by the Chamber of Commerce, and the city doesn't pay a director, said Wyman Morgan, the city's director of administration and finance.
The Visit Bentonville staff's salaries are paid by the city's advertising and promotion tax, but the staff aren't considered city employees, said Kalene Griffith, president of Visit Bentonville. Griffith's salary is $105,000 a year.
Likewise, the Rogers' advertising and promotions tax pays for Visit Rogers' staff salaries. Visit Rogers is a division of the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, and its director, J.R. Shaw, makes $110,000 per year, said Raymond Burns, chamber president.
NW News on 04/27/2019