On Tuesday April 13, the Block Island Tourism Council declined a request for additional funding to fund the visitor center for the summer of 2021. The tourism
The council has already pledged half of the funding for the “Tourism Ambassadors” briefing the public in the center of Old Harbor.
Last month, Block Island Chamber of Commerce director Lars Trodson came to the Tourism Council with a request for $ 25,000 to fund the workers’ wages in full. The Tourism Council agreed to finance half of the amount in its fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021. They suggested using some of the money raised from fees paid by companies to join the Chamber for this purpose, and they also suggested speaking to town for funding.

The visitor center has become a task shared between the Chamber, the Tourism Council, and New Shoreham City, and the funding conversation takes place every year at budget time.
Trodson appealed to the city for the remaining $ 12,500 but was turned down, and First Director Andre Boudreau suggested returning to the Tourism Council for the remainder of the money. However, the city is providing $ 10,000 in its budget to support the center in the form of a rent waiver.

On April 13, the Tourism Council again refused additional funds. The reasoning was largely the same. However, some went further, pointing out that the city is renting out several properties to companies. Member Logan Mott Chase said these companies don’t require their rent to be waived because they can’t pay their bills. Two examples are the transfer station rented from Block Island Recycling Management and the concession area in the Fred Benson Town Beach Pavilion.
John Cullen, a member of the Tourism Council, said that while he “does not mean disrespect for the Chamber”, he has two points to make. The first was that a couple
Years ago there was a chamber assembly and then director of the chamber, Cindy Lasser, said the chamber had a deficit and asked if there was any support
for collecting fees.
There was support, according to Cullen, and fees increased 40 percent. “Fast forward two years later,” said Cullen, and the city is donating $ 10,000 and the chamber won’t pay a dime. He recalled Trodson when asked last month that he thought about 90 percent of the companies on Block Island were chamber members.
“I don’t know if you can’t or won’t pay,” Cullen continued. “We didn’t see a budget.”
Member Julie Fuller said she agreed with what Chase and Cullen said. “I fully support the chamber,” said Fuller, saying that the company she works for – the National Hotel – is a member who benefits from the chamber. However, she said that in addition to collecting fees, the chamber also benefits financially from a prime location in Old Harbor. Additional money is made through retail sales, locker rentals, and ATM fees from a machine there.
“Can we help? Yes, ”said Fuller. “But the chamber must have some skin in it.”
Trodson said additional funds were thrown back to you by the city council. We want to be a partner of the Tourism Council. “
“So where are we going from here?” asked tourism chairman Dave Houseman. “We discussed half now and half later,” he said.
Executive Director Jessica Willi reminded him that the $ 12,500 approved last month was included in the upcoming budget that needed to be approved at the meeting and that the Chamber’s Tourism Council had already approved and granted $ 10,000 in the current fiscal year. This money was requested from Lasser in November and should help
Fund salaries in summer 2020.
The Tourism Council accepted its budget without funding the extra money for the chamber, but said Trodson could come back later and check again.
Members also thought that there might be other ways to support the chamber than just giving them money. Chase said she was sure that Trodson “had a lot
of great ideas ”for other things the Chamber could do. “We’re cheering them all on,” she said.
“Yes,” said Trodson, “we have a lot
Ideas. “

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