The board, which guides the distribution of about $100,000 a year in hotel/motel sales tax revenue, is considering the creation of a Convention and Visitor Bureau.

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The bureau they're suggesting would be a "one-stop-shop" for tourism, lodging, recreation and convention information and would be paid for by a portion of that tax revenue.

The proposal involves adding extra duties for the current Le Mars Convention Center manager, Jessica Lingren, transitioning her into being the bureau's director, along with managing the convention center rentals.

The current Hotel/Motel Sales Tax Advisory Board would become the board of directors for the new bureau.

This idea was the central topic of the advisory board's public meeting last week.

According to the planners' idea, this board of directors would include representatives from the chamber of commerce, the City of Le Mars, the Plymouth County Fair and other tourism-related groups.

"It's like arms reaching our to those organizations and bringing them under one roof," said board member Angela Watson. "That way everybody would be firing on all cylinders together."

Applications to serve on the board are available at Le Mars City Hall. The deadline to apply is August 15.

Applicants must be residents of Le Mars.

Current Hotel/Motel Tax Advisory Board members are Lisa Whitehead, Kathy Faber, Terri Pauling, Becky Wiersma, Troy Kneip, Knapp and Watson. Two at-large positions will be open as Pauling and Wiersma's terms expire June 30.

Also during last week's meeting, current board members began planning the steps it would take to create a bureau in Le Mars.

A big step, they noted, will be getting Le Mars City Council approval. The group plans to bring the concept fully to the council at its first meeting in September.

Before that, they want to outline the framework for the proposed bureau.

"We need to build our ship, and then set sail," Watson said.

Because of the way Hotel/Motel sales tax works, the bureau wouldn't be funded until July 1, 2009.

Tom Vance, a member of the public attending last week's meeting, asked the group how they plan to maintain accountability.

City Councilman Rex Knapp said the board of directors, with representatives from different groups, would be a part of that.

They would carry out periodic reviews with Lingren to get a pulse on the bureau's activity.

Vance also asked why the Convention and Visitor's Bureau couldn't be simply rolled into the Chamber of Commerce.

"The Chamber does not have the personnel to do it," Watson explained.

Knapp pointed out that the Chamber is more focused on the business aspect. This bureau, he said, would be more of an umbrella.

"We're not creating a new layer of higherarchy," Knapp said. "We're just creating one place to go for all eight things."

The next advisory board meeting is slated for 5:30 p.m. July 31 in the City Hall.

The public is invited to attend.

Anyone with further questions can contact Watson at 712-541-1097.

A Brief History of Hotel/Motel Sales Tax

Hotel/Motel sales tax revenue comes from a local 5 percent hotel/motel tax.

Le Mars residents voted "yes" to the 5 percent tax in 2001. That vote approved the tax until 2016 with the revenue set aside for tourism projects in the city.

The revenue, currently awarded to groups in grants on an application basis, provides money for Le Mars TV advertisements, promoting and running Ice Cream Days, and projects like building restrooms at the fairgrounds' grandstand and restoring the Postal Playhouse's front lobby.

To receive grants, groups submit applications, which are reviewed by the Hotel/Motel Sales Tax Advisory Board. That board then gives recommendations on awards for the city council's final approval.