CAPE MAY — Mayor Edward J. Mahaney Jr. attempted to replace two long time members of the Tourism Commission July 7 but in a compromise, only commissioner was usurped.
Both positions were up for renewal by City Council.
The mayor proposed commission members Robert Steenrod, who serves a president of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May and Mary Stewart, of Mid Atlantic Center for the Arts, be replaced by Chuck Pritchard, an owner of the Whale’s Tale shop on the Washington Street Mall and Jerry Emery, an owner of Oyster Bay Restaurant on Lafayette Street.
Councilwoman Terri Swain echoed the mayor’s choices for commission membership.
Mahaney said he “admired” both Stewart and Steenrod but he questioned if officers or leaders of organizations should have seats on the commission. He said he believed commissioners should represent all tourism interests in town.
Mahaney said that provided a sense to the public that there is no favoritism or bias in the expenditure of funds by the tourism commission that would possibly benefit one group over another.
Deputy Mayor Niels Favre said he supported Steenrod and Pritchard.
Councilman David Kurkowski said he supported Steenrod and Stewart.
Councilwoman Linda Steenrod abstained from voting since she is married to Robert Steenrod
In the end, Steenrod remained on the commission while Stewart was replaced by Pritchard.
Favre asked City Solicitor Tony Monzo to investigate if alternate members could be appointed to the commission. The mayor suggested Stewart and Emery as alternates.
“I truly believe we need to reassess and change the way we’re promoting tourism in the city,” said the mayor. “I believe that we are going to be at a severe disadvantage in future years if we don’t set up a more systemic process.”
Mahaney said the Tourism Commission needs to take the role of getting all the tourist promotion and marketing groups in town together under one umbrella to have a unified tourism marketing approach that will maximize their efforts in advertising and bring a better return on ad dollars.
“Currently, we have overlap and duplication in advertising and marketing which is limiting the effectiveness of dollars provided,” said Mahaney.
He said with a new Convention Hall coming, it is time to completely revise the city’s role and participation in tourism, especially in marketing and promotion in a competitive worldwide market.
“We have to go to new technology, new skill sets and basically new people working for the city and serving on the boards,” said Mahaney.
He said the city will need to reconfigure the departments of Civic Affairs and Recreation to be a more all encompassing body with expanded physical, personnel and financial resources to handle management of Convention Hall and Recreation programs and be a conduit and facilitator for city wide marketing and promotion efforts as well as being a public information office and coordinator of all city events producing a master calendar.
Mahaney said such changes would produce a Convention Hall that is professionally managed, scheduled and used to the betterment of residents and visitors. He said the goal is to have the hall to be as self-sustaining economically as possible.
He said the new Convention Hall will require more complex management with theatrical performances and mid sized conventions. More employees will be added to Civic Affairs, said Mahaney.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
