Wausau City Hall. MWC file photo
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Another Central Wisconsin city is set to exit its contract with a local convention and visitors bureau.
Wednesday evening a joint meeting was held between the Wausau Finance Committee and the Wausau Room Tax Commission to discuss the city’s contract with the Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention and Visitors Bureau. The discussion on the topic began back in July when it was accused that CVB Executive Director Richard Barrett was improperly collecting room tax money from the online travel site Expedia.
RELATED: No decision made on Wausau tourism contract with Convention and Visitors Bureau
Wednesday evening the committees did not hear again from Barrett but from CVB board Vice President Nick Patel. Patel’s company owns 4 hotels in the Wausau area, 2 of which are in Wausau proper. Speaking as a board representative, Patel said the organization would like to repair its relationship with the city and figure out how to rebuild trust with the City of Wausau. “We just want to work together. Obviously because if the money doesn’t come in, we cannot invest towards that money.
“Because if the money comes in, money goes out. That’s what we’re trying to understand. We cannot market it, we cannot do anything. Six hotels are in the Wausau district, four of them [owners] are sitting right here in this room. We know how important this is to this whole community.”
Finance Committee Chair and District 7 Alderperson Lisa Rasmussen clarified that the organization wants to work with the city regardless of what outcome occurred at meetings. Patel said that was correct and that the committee would like to work together again going forward. He also suggested that the two organizations work together without getting their legal teams involved in the matter.
“Let’s take both legal teams out of it. Let’s work together. Either you can have myself, the President of the CVB Brian Soles, and if you want to involve our CPA, we can have our CPA and a few members of your tourism department to work together rather than having legal involvement.”
Rasmussen thanked Patel for the idea but said the committee isn’t at the point yet where they could work with the CVB without a legal team. “I don’t think we’re to that point yet. We’re not in that position at least as a Finance Committee we’re not. Obviously then there’s common council action also to be taken at some point if there are new things that can happen. So that’s certainly not for today but thank you for stepping up and bringing that news.”
The two committees then moved into a closed session discussion to talk with the city legal team about the contract with CVB. After almost 45 minutes spent in closed session,the committees reconvened in open session to make a motion regarding the contract. Room Tax Commission member and District 4 Alder Tom Neal motioned that the city terminates its contract with the Central Wisconsin CVB immediately due to material breach. The motion was passed unanimously by both committees.
The recommendation now goes on to the full City Council, who will decide on the contract termination at their meeting next week on the 22nd.
Comments