(951) 659-2145 - Idyllwild Town Crier

Idyllwild Town Crier, January 12, 2006 - Page 15
An ambitious Chamber eyes the new year
By Marshall Smith
Staff Reporter
A rested and determined Ted
Cummings, still committed to
his expansionist plans for the
Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce,
presided over a well-attended
board meeting Monday
night.
Recreation
Cummings announced the
addition to the Recreation Committee
of Nancy Harrison and
Steve Kunkle. Existing members
are Chris Singer, Pete Capparelli
and Cummings.
The purpose of adding members,
according to Cummings,
is to expand recreational opportunities
to include those who
will serve the lion’s share of the
population — the 18- to 64-age
group — that, according to a
Nov. 11, 2004 census published
by the Valley Economic Development
Corporation, represents 64
percent of the population.
Currently, in Cummings’
view, recreation opportunities
are skewed to those ages 17 and
under, a group that accounts for
only 19 percent of the population.
The Idyllwild Community
Recreation Council (ICRC) on
which Singer also sits has long
urged expansion of recreation
activities for the age group Cummings
is targeting. It is, in fact,
preparing a community survey
to determine the particular kinds
of recreational activities Hill
residents want, including this
older demographic group.
Nevertheless, Cummings
reiterated his intention to try
again to bring ICRC within the
sway of the Chamber. To that
end he is proposing another
meeting with ICRC directors,
even though ICRC was adamant
in a December 2005 vote that it
believed it could best contribute
to the community by remaining
independent.
Capparelli, current County
Service Agency (CSA) 36 chair,
privately advised Cummings
that it might be a feather in
the Chamber’s cap to relinquish
recreation control to ICRC for a
six-month period, and if ICRC
performs to the satisfaction of
all, then relinquish the contract
permanently to a group that has
a deeper volunteer base for recreation
development, especially
in view of the many events the
Chamber is planning this year.
The Chamber scheduled two
“Town Hall” meetings for Jan. 19
and 21 (times to be determined)
to receive the input of the community
regarding the future of
Town Hall. Cummings recently
proposed that Town Hall become
a dedicated community
theater, with offices and dressing
rooms beneath.
New staffing
Higher-than-usual audience
attendance resulted — according
to attendees — from scheduled
agenda items of office staffing,
salaries and Chamber office
location. Sheila Guy resigned her
position as a director to become
a salaried office manager, working
every other Friday, Saturday
and Sunday for six hours a day.
Lisa Hamby was hired to work
alternating weekends with Guy.
The board hopes to staff the
Chamber office during the week
with volunteers, two of whom
are already in place, Director
Judy Begin and Bill Guy.
An issue of “transparency”
arose when the board refused
to divulge Guy and Hamby’s
salaries. Former Director Adele
Smith said, “Staff salaries have
always been public.” Vice President
Roy Regalado answered that
the board “was just not going
to do that.” In a subsequent
phone conversation with Cummings,
he said that “as far as
I am concerned, [the salaries]
are personal information. If
those hired want to release the
information, that’s up to them
and OK with me.”
Capparelli, who is a past
Chamber president, was startled
by the board’s decision to keep
staff salaries “clandestine.” “What
are they hiding” he asked. Capparelli
verified Smith’s contention
that staff salaries had always
been made public, to serve the
interests of transparency to
Chamber members.
Former Chamber employee
Virginia Lane questioned the
hiring process, since there was
no public advertisement for
the positions. Lane thought
the resulting hires represented
Chamber nepotism, since both
Guy and Hamby have personal
and/or existing professional ties
with directors. Commenting
on this, Cummings said, “We
wanted known commodities,”
people known to the board, and
of whom they could expect a
greater degree of accountability
because of their “known” status.
The Chamber will remain
in its existing office space on a
month-to-month basis, according
to Regalado, based on a Jan.
9 conversation with landlord
Kevin Underdahl.
IDY dances
The board reviewed three
other events that were also,
in principle, approved including
continued IDY-sponsored
dances at Town Hall, assuming
Ken Carlson and the Chamber
board reach agreement on security
measures.
Carlson made a plea to the
board on Jan. 9, asking the board
to vote on reinstituting IDY
dances. Carlson said that only
Cummings, not the full board,
had weighed in on whether or
not IDY could continue using
Town Hall, and that in conversations
with other directors,
he had been told that some
accomodation could be made
if security matters and other
valid Chamber concerns could
be worked out.
The board and Cummings
agreed to move forward again
with IDY as long as it presents a
reasonable business plan for the
anticipated dances, including full
detailing of security measures to
be taken.
Other events include a 60th
Chamber anniversary function
to be held in July or soon after;
and attendance by at least three
directors at the Riverside County
Economic Summit on Thursday,
Jan. 12 at the Pechanga Resort
and Casino. Primary among
reasons for attending is that 3rd
District Supervisor Jeff Stone’s
Chief of Staff, Verne Lauritzen,
implied that Idylllwild could be
in line for hosting the event.
Chamber Link
Lastly, the Chamber will
resume its Chamber Link with
See Chamber, page 26
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