Convention, Visitor's Bureau Vote Stalled

Beachwood did not hold a vote to approve $65,000 in startup funds for a Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) at Monday’s meeting.

Councilman Brian Linick said that he did not want to vote on the CVB until the city’s who starts April 23, has a chance to weigh in.

Linick’s opposition and two absent councilmen – Saul Eisen and Fred Goodman – would not have left Council with enough “yay” votes to pass an ordinance.

Linick expressed the same opinion at a council work session earlier this month, when Director Wayne Lawrence 

Councilmen told Lawrence that Beachwood’s six hotels should help fund the CVB.

Linick said Monday that he left the meeting with the impression that the council would wait until a new economic development director was in place before deciding whether to fund the CVB.

The CVB’s first-year budget, at $65,000 would be paid for out of the city’s revenue from bed taxes the hotels generate — around $750,000 for 2011. Beginning in April 2013 the cost will be no more than $150,000 annually, said Lawrence.

The CVB is one of several recommendations made to Beachwood in

Council could vote on the CVB at their next meeting May 7.