TKC EXCLUSIVE AND BREAKING NEWS!!! "SEWER" JAN LEADS A KANSAS CITY COUNCIL RAID ON NEIGHBORHOOD TOURIST DEVELOPMENT FUNDS!!!
Check out a Kansas City policy wonk discussion that probably won't be reported in mainstream media . . .
RIGHT NOW THERE'S A CITY COUNCIL RAID ON NEIGHBORHOOD AND TOURIST DEVELOPMENT FUNDS!!! COUNCIL LADY JAN MARCASON LEADS THE EFFORT THAT WILL PROVIDE A LOT MORE LOOT FOR OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SPEND!!!
There's no denying that NTDF is BOOOOOOORING.
But . . .
NTDF is the place that all the community groups go when they need cash for an event.
It's run by appointees who are usually local power players in small circles but mostly operate independently and in a committee that does a decent jobs of preventing too much influence from any particular faction.
Behind the scenes . . .
WE HEAR THE NTDF STAFF AND CITY COUNCIL ARE IN AN EPIC CITY HALL CATFIGHT OVER THIS CASH!!!
This whole discussion seems to be about controlling Kansas City taxpayer funds and how they're allocated to neighborhoods.
From what I can tell . . . There's an effort to make NTDF a lot more TOURIST and a lot less NEIGHBORHOOD. Your mileage may vary . . .
What's for sure an in a recent City Council ordinance . . . COUNCIL LADY JAN IS REARRANGING THE WAY NTDF DOES BIZ!!!
Here's one of the controversial parts of her plan . . . Ordinance #120112 . . . Again this basically gives The City Council more control. Check it:
1. Civic Tourism Events. Fifty (50) percent of the fund shall be for civic tourism events that are defined as those events that promote the neighborhood in addition to drawing tourists nationally or regionally or that may have international appeal. A special emphasis shall be placed on events that are planned as recurring and have a plan to become self sustaining without the assistance of NTDF funds.
2.Neighborhood Tourism Events. Twenty (20) percent of the fund shall be for neighborhood tourism events as defined by the Neighborhood & Community Services that will promote the neighborhood and draw tourists primarily from the city and local region.
3. Destination Marketing Organization. Thirty (30) percent of the fund shall be for the promotion of the events that have been approved by council. The City shall contract annually with a not-for-profit organization incorporated in the state of Missouri and located within the city limits that is the official, designated Destination Marketing Organization ("DMO") for the western Jackson County and Clay County area, as prescribed by the Missouri Division of Tourism that will promote the approved events.
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Now, this may be perfectly reasonable . . . But EVERYBODY KNOWS City Staff hates the idea and it may even further politicize this cash.
TKC Full Disclosure: I know a HOT MAMA currently on the NTDF committee but she's scared to come down to the basement so we haven't talked about this one. And all of this info is on the City Clerk's website anyhoo . . . I don't know if she's for or against this move and I'm not sure she even has a say.
Still . . . This effort seems to follow a pattern of Kansas City's Council looking for more cash to spend.
DEVELOPING . . .