By Natalie De La Garza
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Though the Caribou Area Chamber of Commerce will no longer be a department of the city as of Jan. 1, 2014, the chamber is still slated to receive some municipal support.
Caribou City Councilors approved an ordinance during their Nov. 25 meeting that removed the chamber of commerce from the city’s oversight but president of the Caribou Area Chamber of Commerce (CACC) Board of Directors Laurie Colton was quick to assure the community that the transition will be seamless for chamber members and citizens.
“The city is not cutting ties with the chamber,” Colton emphasized during a phone call yesterday afternoon, as she explained that the city and the chamber will continue working together. “Nothing’s changing here aside from some administrative items,” she added.
City Manager Austin Bleess confirmed yesterday that the decision to remove the chamber from municipal governance was an amicable move agreed upon by the chamber board members and city councilors.
According to Bleess, the current plan stipulates that the city will support the chamber with $20,000 for 2014, and the city will allow the chamber to continue operating out of the Nylander museum.
“The council has agreed to provide them with the Nylander museum for their use; the city would cover all the building expenses — heat, electricity, phone,” Bleess explained. “The city is still supportive of the chamber; we want to see it flourish.”
But Colton described that the chamber was not flourishing as it existed.
“It had come to the point where we all knew it wasn’t working — the city, the board, the executive director — we knew something needed to change,” Colton said.
Executive Director for the CACC William Tasker is currently employed — and paid — by the city of Caribou. Colton explained that this put him in a difficult position when he had to address municipal officials while advocating for his chamber members.
“Speaking on behalf of his membership to the Caribou city councilors can be seen as a conflict of interest,” Colton said. “It was an awkward position for him to be in.”
Starting January 1, Tasker will report directly to the chamber board instead of city leaders.
“We’ve seen a lot for positive momentum in the city as far as new life at events taking place, and we’ll do everything in our power to keep that moving in the right direction,” Colton said.
For instance, the Chamber has teamed up once more with the Recreation and Fire departments to put on a holiday event on Friday, Dec. 6, starting with a Snowman Parade and concluding with gingerbread festivities at the recreation department as well as a chamber-sponsored Santa’s Workshop.
The next meeting of the City Council is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. in the council chambers. The council will also be meeting for a budget workshop on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m.
