MONROE - The Visitor and Promotion Board tied up some loose ends in funding requests from 2013 and parceled out new hotel tax revenues due this year when it met earlier this week.
Previously approved in 2013 was $7,500 for the Monroe Trailhead and $12,000 for a Discover Wisconsin Cheese Days promo. The Green County Tourism Department, Main Street Monroe and Monroe Chamber of Commerce, approved in January 2014, received a total of $42,000.
With its leftover cash of about $7,000 and an estimated $30,000 of revenue expected for the remainder of 2014, the board Tuesday approved or pre-approved about $14,500 for seven more entities and events.
To qualify for V&P funding, an organization's advertising must reach beyond a 60-mile radius of the city and must have a high probability of generating an overnight stay at a city motel. The board reimburses only a portion of the incurred advertising or marketing expenses.
The board had suspended applications in August, when pre-approval funding was expected to exceed the revenues for the year. The board determined it had to look more closely at funding requests this year and decide which advertisement efforts truly qualify for reimbursement and which events generate a good return on the investment.
Caught behind the application suspension in 2013, organizations returned this year with actual expenses or receipts in-hand for consideration and were approved:
n Green County Family YMCA, $200
n Monroe Balloon Rally, Inc. 2013, $5,577
n Big Brothers/Big Sisters, $605
n Green County Model Railroaders, Inc., up to $1,000 upon receipt of bills
n Alpine Curling Club Men's Bonspiel, $624
n Alpine Curling Club Mixed Bonspiel, $562
Receiving pre-approval, Monroe Balloon Rally, Inc. 2014 had applied for $5,600, but Matt Urban, the rally's coordinator, adjusted the amount to $1,900, saying some advertising had to be put off until he had pre-approval and those opportunities had now past. The rally is scheduled for June 13-14.
The board also ordered about 320 half-minute commercials for a cost of $4,000 from Big Radio 93.7 FM.
John McNeil had presented the radio's advertising package of 810 commercials for $10,000, but board members Art Bartsch, Randy Haglund and Richard Thoman balked at the offer. Bartsch and Haglund said guests at their hotel and bed-and-breakfast establishments give no confirmation that they have heard the commercials.
Thoman motioned for a $5,000 package for half the number of commercials, which failed to pass. Bartsch voted against, with Mayor Bill Ross and Tom Miller, favoring the full package, also voting against.
A motion by Miller for the full package, failed with Haglund, Thoman and Bartsch voting against. Bartsch offered up a motion for $4,000, which passed on a vote of 3-2. Ross and Miller voted against.
Big Radio was approved for $10,000 in 2013.
Ross was re-elected chairman and Thoman was re-elected as vice-chairman for the year.
Previously approved in 2013 was $7,500 for the Monroe Trailhead and $12,000 for a Discover Wisconsin Cheese Days promo. The Green County Tourism Department, Main Street Monroe and Monroe Chamber of Commerce, approved in January 2014, received a total of $42,000.
With its leftover cash of about $7,000 and an estimated $30,000 of revenue expected for the remainder of 2014, the board Tuesday approved or pre-approved about $14,500 for seven more entities and events.
To qualify for V&P funding, an organization's advertising must reach beyond a 60-mile radius of the city and must have a high probability of generating an overnight stay at a city motel. The board reimburses only a portion of the incurred advertising or marketing expenses.
The board had suspended applications in August, when pre-approval funding was expected to exceed the revenues for the year. The board determined it had to look more closely at funding requests this year and decide which advertisement efforts truly qualify for reimbursement and which events generate a good return on the investment.
Caught behind the application suspension in 2013, organizations returned this year with actual expenses or receipts in-hand for consideration and were approved:
n Green County Family YMCA, $200
n Monroe Balloon Rally, Inc. 2013, $5,577
n Big Brothers/Big Sisters, $605
n Green County Model Railroaders, Inc., up to $1,000 upon receipt of bills
n Alpine Curling Club Men's Bonspiel, $624
n Alpine Curling Club Mixed Bonspiel, $562
Receiving pre-approval, Monroe Balloon Rally, Inc. 2014 had applied for $5,600, but Matt Urban, the rally's coordinator, adjusted the amount to $1,900, saying some advertising had to be put off until he had pre-approval and those opportunities had now past. The rally is scheduled for June 13-14.
The board also ordered about 320 half-minute commercials for a cost of $4,000 from Big Radio 93.7 FM.
John McNeil had presented the radio's advertising package of 810 commercials for $10,000, but board members Art Bartsch, Randy Haglund and Richard Thoman balked at the offer. Bartsch and Haglund said guests at their hotel and bed-and-breakfast establishments give no confirmation that they have heard the commercials.
Thoman motioned for a $5,000 package for half the number of commercials, which failed to pass. Bartsch voted against, with Mayor Bill Ross and Tom Miller, favoring the full package, also voting against.
A motion by Miller for the full package, failed with Haglund, Thoman and Bartsch voting against. Bartsch offered up a motion for $4,000, which passed on a vote of 3-2. Ross and Miller voted against.
Big Radio was approved for $10,000 in 2013.
Ross was re-elected chairman and Thoman was re-elected as vice-chairman for the year.