Tourism boards are short-handed

Dissatisfaction with a subjective process, allegedly rife with favoritism, has focused increasing attention on how St Johns County awards grants from the millions of dollars in bed tax money to certain non-profit organizations that provide programming and events of a cultural, artistic, or heritage nature.

In recent weeks, Historic City News in St Augustine has published details of complaints by some organizations who question the methods employed to distribute those funds, the choice of which organizations will receive funding, and which will not. Further, before the final decisions are approved by the Board of County Commissioners, a paid private organization coaches applicants, an appointed board scores the applications, and another appointed board determines if providing money to the applicant will further the development, advancement, improvement, or promotion of tourism.

Some of these complaints are on the agenda of Monday morning’s meeting of the “board in the middle” — the Arts, Culture, and Heritage Funding Panel; including letters from the City of St Augustine Beach, the St Augustine Beach Civic Association, the St Augustine Art Association, Romanza and the Celtic Music and Heritage Festival.

As inquiries continue into the agreement and relationship between St Johns County and the private St Johns Cultural Council, some of its members and its executive director; Melissa Lundquist, manager of the Board of County Commissioners, is advertising for three new public board appointees — one to serve on the TDC and two to serve on the Funding Panel.

The Tourist Development Council is seeking one applicant who is an owner or operator of a motel, hotel, or other tourist accommodation that is required to collect the bed tax. Applicants must be registered voters in St Johns County. Council meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of every month at 1:30 p.m. in the Auditorium of the County Administration Palace, located at 500 San Sebastian View in St Augustine.

The Arts, Culture, and Heritage Funding Panel must fill one vacancy with someone who is actively engaged in the arts, culture, and heritage industry — and resides outside of the County. The second member should be actively engaged with the tourism or hospitality industry and reside in the County. This Panel meets quarterly in January, April, July, and October in the San Sebastian Conference Room on the second floor of the County Administration Palace.

Applications for all three positions are due before Monday, August 30.

If you plan to attend, the meeting of the St Johns County Tourist Development Council Funding Panel will be held on Monday, August 12, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. in the San Sebastian Conference Room, located on the second floor of the County Administration Palace located at 500 San Sebastian View in St Augustine. The meeting is open to the public and public comments may be made in accordance with the agenda.