Title
An Ordinance to create Section 2.52 of the City of West Allis Revised Municipal Code establishing a West Allis Tourism Commission.
Body
The Common Council of the City of West Allis do ordain as follows:
Part I. Section 2.52 of the Revised Municipal Code of the City of West Allis is hereby created to read:
1) Creation. Section 66.0615 of the Wisconsin State Statutes permits a single municipality the ability to create a Tourism Commission. This amendment to the City of West Allis Revised Municipal Code (“RMC”) hereby creates a West Allis Tourism Commission.
2) Purpose. The City of West Allis recognizes that marketing of the City as in important part of a broad-based tourism promotion and development program resulting in economic development benefits. The Tourism Commission shall have the following purposes:
a. To be the receiving body and monitor the collection of local room tax revenue at an amount apportioned per State Statutes.
b. To provide the City a Commission whose role would include tourism promotion and development through marketing of projects to promote the City, tourist informational services, or municipal development significantly used by tourists, and attract tourists.
c. To fund tourism marketing for activities and products available in the City of West Allis.
d. To contract with the West Allis Convention and Visitors Bureau to perform the functions of a tourism entity by obtaining staff, support services, and assisting in development and implementation of programs to promote the City of West Allis to visitors.
3) How Constituted and Terms. Members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Mayor and shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the members of the Common Council who are present when the vote is taken. Commissioners shall serve for a one-year term, at the pleasure of the appointing official, and may be reappointed. The West Allis Tourism Commission shall consist of five (5) Commission members.
a. Members:
i. Mayor.
ii. City Administrator or a designee.
iii. One Common Council member.
iv. One West Allis citizen at large.
v. One representative of the West Allis hotel and motel industry.
b. The Commission shall meet regularly and, from among its members, shall elect a chairperson, vice chairperson, and secretary.
c. The Commission shall adopt regulations and rules for its own governance.
d. Commission Members shall serve without compensation.
e. Special meetings may be called by the Chair.
4) Powers and Duties. The Commission shall:
a. Have exclusive control of the expenditures of the collection of all room tax imposed by the City of West Allis.
b. Formulate and submit an annual budget pursuant to financial policies and procedures of the City after giving due consideration to the anticipated tax revenues collected under room tax. The City shall not budget and make payments in excess of the tax collected under Chapter 1.12 of the RMC, less administrative expenses. No expenditures exceeding the budget approved by the Common Council shall be made without any appropriated fund transfer approved by the Common Council.
c. Stimulate, promote, advertise, develop, and publicize tourism and development of the City and hotel/business community.
d. Support and assist the efforts of local organizations to promote “local” businesses and to attract visitors to the City of West Allis.
e. Annually report to the Common Council on the success of the Commission’s activities.
f. Control of the promotion, management, and maintenance of promotional materials that are produced by the West Allis Convention and Visitors Bureau, including but not limited to, media buys, website, creation of and distribution of printed or electronic promotional tourist materials, or efforts to recruit conventions, sporting events, or other groups.
g. Finance development initiatives that will help attract tourism, events, or leverage other funds.
5) Funding. Funding is structured as follows:
a. Section 66.0615 of the Wisconsin State Statutes permits a municipality to adopt an ordinance or resolution imposing a tax on the privilege of furnishing, at retail, rooms, or lodging to transients by hotel keepers, motel operators, and other persons furnishing accommodations that are available to the public. This tax is commonly referred to as a “room tax.” The Common Council, under Ordinance 6637, adopted the provisions of a Hotel and Motel Room Tax and provisions listed under Chapter 1.12 of the RMC.
b. The City shall allocate local room tax collections, at an amount apportioned per State Statutes, to the West Allis Tourism Commission to promote tourism and development in the community.
6) Reporting. The Commission will report annually to the Common Council on expenditures and value-added achievements related to tourism and development to the community.
PART II. All ordinances or parts of ordinances contravening the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed.
PART III. This ordinance shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and publication.
ADM\ORDRES\ADMO302