CVB board agrees to pay part of advertising invoice
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
The board of the Highland County Convention and Visitor's Bureau has voted to pay a portion of a bill for advertising with a Highland County publication, but is withholding payment on the entire bill until further documentation is presented.
The board met Feb. 17 at the Highland County Senior Center. Board members in attendance included Kathryn Hapner, Kirby Ellison, Betty Bishop, Ron Current, Bob Lambert, Sharon Hughes and Suzanne Hopkins.
Hillsboro City Council Member Rod Daniels and Highland County Commissioner Shane Wilkin were in attendance as well.
Hapner, CVB treasurer, presented the board with several bills that she was not certain had been previously ordered or authorized by the board or its former director Sara Lukens, including a bill to WVNU in Greenfield, and the Ohio Community Media, which owns the Times-Gazette in Hillsboro.
She also asked what the board wanted to do regarding outstanding bills for cable and for a post office box. The board voted to pay the cable, P.O. box and radio bills.
Hapner said that she had requested more information regarding the bill from the Times-Gazette, in the amount of $5,207.
"That is $5,207, after we just paid $3,000 in December," Hapner said.
Hapner said there were no invoices for the individual ads, rather one bill.
Ellison said that she had a more detailed bill, but Hapner said that she had only received it Thursday morning and had not had time to review it, extensively. She said that she had spoken with Lukens and there were several items Lukens said that she had not authorized.
During a Jan. 26 meeting of the CVB, the board had questioned the authorization and cost of ads on the Times-Gazette website. Hughes, a board member and employee at the Times-Gazette, was told that the online ads needed to stop.
“The main thing is that we take everything down, take the banners off the website,” board member and Highland County Commissioner Tom Horst said on Jan 26.
Hughes responded, “It is; or it will be free, if it’s still there.”
On Feb. 17, Hapner said that it didn't appear that the banner ads had been taken down immediately and that the CVB was still being charged.
Hughes said that the web ads had been ordered "for November/December or December/January, and then we took it down. We had it before, and Sara didn't pay, so we did it half and half."
"Tom said specifically to take it down," Hapner said, and noted that she wished Host were at Thursday's meeting. He was not in attendance as he was at a legislative meeting in Columbus.
"We said we would leave it up for a trial period," Hughes said.
"I have a different recollection of what was said," Hapner said.
When asked if the ad got a lot of "hits," Hughes said, "Oh, my God, it got a lot," and then noted that the cost was $350 a month.
"I can't understand this bill," Hapner said.
Lukens, according to Hapner, did not authorize six items that the CVB is being charged for.
Several board members said they felt that the full bill should be paid.
Hapner said that the Ohio Revised Code only allows for the CVB, which receives its funds through the tax dollars from area hotels (the "bed tax") and that the funds can only be spent to promote travel and tourism in Highland County. She said she did not believe that some of the ads fit that criteria.
Current said that Lukens left the CVB under "less than optimal circumstances, and the cleaner the break the better, if the budget can withstand it."
He said that he would feel comfortable presenting his position to state auditors that the funds had been spent to promote tourism.
Lambert said that he agreed and that the board should pay the balance.
"I am not going to pay the balance," Hapner said. "This is a disputed balance."
Bishop said, "These are some unfortunate circumstances, and if we want to start out with a clean slate, if someone says we owe this bill, we should pay it."
"I disagree," Hapner said. "We have really specific guidelines we have to follow. Board members can't make a profit from it. Sharon can't make a commission, and I can't charge for legal work. (Hapner is an attorney.) It's my name on the check, and I'm the one who gets in trouble when we get audited ... Sara said she didn't authorize this."
Hughes said she agreed that she should not make money off the board, and said several times that she would not be voting on the matter. "I don't care," Hughes said. "Brandy cares (referring to a Highland County Press reporter in attendance), but I don't care."
Bishop said, "This lady (Lukens) walked out (on the CVB) and now you have to take her word for it. I'm not sure I buy that."
"She did not just 'walk out' on us," Hapner said. "You don't have all the facts."
The board voted to pay the portion of the bill that was undisputed and authorized by Lukens, and to hold off on paying the remainder of the bill until they received further documentation.
The board began discussions regarding finding a new executive director, and Hapner noted that both Current and Lambert had applied for the position.
Hapner reported that she attempted to place ads for a new CVB executive director in both The Highland County Press and Times-Gazette, as had been previously agreed upon by the board. Hapner said the ad was placed with The Highland County Press, but the Times-Gazette would not run the ad because of the outstanding bill – even though Hapner said she attempted to pay for the bill up-front. She said an agreement had been reached with the publication and that the ads would be published soon.
The last day to apply for the position is March 1.
Current said that he wanted to understand the ad situation, and said he felt the billing issues came about because "(Highland County Press publisher) Rory Ryan was not happy we were doing business with the Times-Gazette and he wanted to bid on it."
"It should be bid," Hapner said.
Ryan said he agreed with Current's assessment.
"Mr. Current is correct," Ryan said.
"As I wrote to CVB member and county commissioner Tom Horst on Dec. 8, the Convention and Visitors Bureau receives tax dollars through the local hotel/motel tax and, according to the county commissioners (and the Ohio State Auditor's Office), the CVB is a public office. (Therefore), I respectfully request a written copy … of the CVB’s policy regarding local advertising; i.e., who approves the ads for the CVB and how does that person determine which media to support and which local media not to support?
"Moreover, if the CVB is in need of local media support, (The Highland County Press) would be happy to assist in any way we could. However, we have had absolutely no recent communications with the board, its chairperson or its interim director…."
The board then discussed the job duties and the qualifications of the new director and it was decided that Hapner would come up with a job descriptions. Hapner noted that she would most likely have Lukens write out all the duties she performed while she was director.
Hughes said that there were some projects that the CVB had discussed setting up, such as a bus tour of the county targeted at Ohio senior citizen centers.
Lambert said that he had contacted Pepsi corporate offices and that "they would fully support us if we would do a Mountain Dew festival."
There was also discussion on applying for 501(c) 3 non-profit status.
The board will meet again on March 10 at 12:30 p.m. at the senior center to review all applications for the executive director.[[In-content Ad]]
The board met Feb. 17 at the Highland County Senior Center. Board members in attendance included Kathryn Hapner, Kirby Ellison, Betty Bishop, Ron Current, Bob Lambert, Sharon Hughes and Suzanne Hopkins.
Hillsboro City Council Member Rod Daniels and Highland County Commissioner Shane Wilkin were in attendance as well.
Hapner, CVB treasurer, presented the board with several bills that she was not certain had been previously ordered or authorized by the board or its former director Sara Lukens, including a bill to WVNU in Greenfield, and the Ohio Community Media, which owns the Times-Gazette in Hillsboro.
She also asked what the board wanted to do regarding outstanding bills for cable and for a post office box. The board voted to pay the cable, P.O. box and radio bills.
Hapner said that she had requested more information regarding the bill from the Times-Gazette, in the amount of $5,207.
"That is $5,207, after we just paid $3,000 in December," Hapner said.
Hapner said there were no invoices for the individual ads, rather one bill.
Ellison said that she had a more detailed bill, but Hapner said that she had only received it Thursday morning and had not had time to review it, extensively. She said that she had spoken with Lukens and there were several items Lukens said that she had not authorized.
During a Jan. 26 meeting of the CVB, the board had questioned the authorization and cost of ads on the Times-Gazette website. Hughes, a board member and employee at the Times-Gazette, was told that the online ads needed to stop.
“The main thing is that we take everything down, take the banners off the website,” board member and Highland County Commissioner Tom Horst said on Jan 26.
Hughes responded, “It is; or it will be free, if it’s still there.”
On Feb. 17, Hapner said that it didn't appear that the banner ads had been taken down immediately and that the CVB was still being charged.
Hughes said that the web ads had been ordered "for November/December or December/January, and then we took it down. We had it before, and Sara didn't pay, so we did it half and half."
"Tom said specifically to take it down," Hapner said, and noted that she wished Host were at Thursday's meeting. He was not in attendance as he was at a legislative meeting in Columbus.
"We said we would leave it up for a trial period," Hughes said.
"I have a different recollection of what was said," Hapner said.
When asked if the ad got a lot of "hits," Hughes said, "Oh, my God, it got a lot," and then noted that the cost was $350 a month.
"I can't understand this bill," Hapner said.
Lukens, according to Hapner, did not authorize six items that the CVB is being charged for.
Several board members said they felt that the full bill should be paid.
Hapner said that the Ohio Revised Code only allows for the CVB, which receives its funds through the tax dollars from area hotels (the "bed tax") and that the funds can only be spent to promote travel and tourism in Highland County. She said she did not believe that some of the ads fit that criteria.
Current said that Lukens left the CVB under "less than optimal circumstances, and the cleaner the break the better, if the budget can withstand it."
He said that he would feel comfortable presenting his position to state auditors that the funds had been spent to promote tourism.
Lambert said that he agreed and that the board should pay the balance.
"I am not going to pay the balance," Hapner said. "This is a disputed balance."
Bishop said, "These are some unfortunate circumstances, and if we want to start out with a clean slate, if someone says we owe this bill, we should pay it."
"I disagree," Hapner said. "We have really specific guidelines we have to follow. Board members can't make a profit from it. Sharon can't make a commission, and I can't charge for legal work. (Hapner is an attorney.) It's my name on the check, and I'm the one who gets in trouble when we get audited ... Sara said she didn't authorize this."
Hughes said she agreed that she should not make money off the board, and said several times that she would not be voting on the matter. "I don't care," Hughes said. "Brandy cares (referring to a Highland County Press reporter in attendance), but I don't care."
Bishop said, "This lady (Lukens) walked out (on the CVB) and now you have to take her word for it. I'm not sure I buy that."
"She did not just 'walk out' on us," Hapner said. "You don't have all the facts."
The board voted to pay the portion of the bill that was undisputed and authorized by Lukens, and to hold off on paying the remainder of the bill until they received further documentation.
The board began discussions regarding finding a new executive director, and Hapner noted that both Current and Lambert had applied for the position.
Hapner reported that she attempted to place ads for a new CVB executive director in both The Highland County Press and Times-Gazette, as had been previously agreed upon by the board. Hapner said the ad was placed with The Highland County Press, but the Times-Gazette would not run the ad because of the outstanding bill – even though Hapner said she attempted to pay for the bill up-front. She said an agreement had been reached with the publication and that the ads would be published soon.
The last day to apply for the position is March 1.
Current said that he wanted to understand the ad situation, and said he felt the billing issues came about because "(Highland County Press publisher) Rory Ryan was not happy we were doing business with the Times-Gazette and he wanted to bid on it."
"It should be bid," Hapner said.
Ryan said he agreed with Current's assessment.
"Mr. Current is correct," Ryan said.
"As I wrote to CVB member and county commissioner Tom Horst on Dec. 8, the Convention and Visitors Bureau receives tax dollars through the local hotel/motel tax and, according to the county commissioners (and the Ohio State Auditor's Office), the CVB is a public office. (Therefore), I respectfully request a written copy … of the CVB’s policy regarding local advertising; i.e., who approves the ads for the CVB and how does that person determine which media to support and which local media not to support?
"Moreover, if the CVB is in need of local media support, (The Highland County Press) would be happy to assist in any way we could. However, we have had absolutely no recent communications with the board, its chairperson or its interim director…."
The board then discussed the job duties and the qualifications of the new director and it was decided that Hapner would come up with a job descriptions. Hapner noted that she would most likely have Lukens write out all the duties she performed while she was director.
Hughes said that there were some projects that the CVB had discussed setting up, such as a bus tour of the county targeted at Ohio senior citizen centers.
Lambert said that he had contacted Pepsi corporate offices and that "they would fully support us if we would do a Mountain Dew festival."
There was also discussion on applying for 501(c) 3 non-profit status.
The board will meet again on March 10 at 12:30 p.m. at the senior center to review all applications for the executive director.[[In-content Ad]]