Stone Harbor Council Considers Hiring Tourism Director

STONE HARBOR – Borough Council discussed strategies on how to organize tourism events Aug. 4 with potential to create a Recreation/Tourism Director position.
Councilwoman Joanne Vaul, chair of the Beach/Recreation Committee, said the committee has discussed the position since January and it was included in the borough’s 2009 budget. She said a majority of the committee supports creating the position but it was not unanimous on implementation.
Vaul said the current tourism approach is fragmented and lacks structure. She said a director, serving as a “point person of focus” could help organize more events to extend shoulder seasons and improve quality of life for residents and visitors.
Vaul figures the new position would cost each household less than $5. She estimates the position would increase borough expenses by about $13,500, which would be divided among 3,000 taxpayers.
Vaul said the director doesn’t necessarily need to be one full-time year-round job. She said council could consider two part-time positions, one recreation and one tourism director who would work closely together, as a cost saving measure because the borough would then not be required to pay benefits.
In creating the position, there might need to be a change to the current Beach/Recreation Committee to include Tourism, Mayor Suzanne Walters said.
Stone Harbor has not had a tax-funded tourism position in the past. Council members noted that neighboring Avalon has tax-funded tourism services and Sea Isle City uses a lodging tax for designated tourism funds.
Several cost-saving measures were discussed, including paying the director on a contact-service basis instead of salary.
Also, Vaul said the borough could take some of the event-planning responsibilities of the Stone Harbor Chamber of Commerce and consolidate those efforts with the new director.
She said the borough could use net proceeds from events for tourism services.
Councilman H. Brain Levinson asked about 25 questions after reviewing a memo Vaul had supplied council members for discussion.
“Are businesses committed to staying open year-round? Has a lack of interest in the off-season been determined? What can the borough do that businesses can’t do to attract visitors?” Levinson asked.
He challenged Vaul’s $5 calculation because, he said, compensation would annually increase, posing more cost in the future.
If the borough gets what it wants, more people year-round, Levinson said there would be additional service expenses.
Vaul noted that the Master Plan defines the borough as a seasonal resort community.
“Recreation is a subset of tourism, which is the larger ball,” Councilman Tom Cope said.
Councilman Randall Bauer suggested a Business Improvement District (BID) in addition to taxes since, he said, businesses would be the beneficiary.
“It’s for the overall good of the town, not just the business district,” Vaul said.
Professional Planner Linda Weber, who helped the Planning Board zone the Waterfront Business District and create the 2009 Master Plan, recommended against a BID, because it is not a good fit for the town, Vaul said.
No action was taken and council will continue discussion during future meetings.
“It was time to get this out of committee and discuss it with council and the public,” Vaul said.
Contact Truluck at (609) 886-8600 ext. 24 or at: ltruluck@cmcherald.com.