The Poplar Bluff City Council approved $70,000 from the city’s tourism tax fund to help pave a portion of the county road leading to Brick’s Off-Road Park in anticipation of the Rock the Country concert June 28 and 29.
The city’s contribution will be joined by $70,000 each from the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce and the Butler County Commission.
The decision was made Monday by the council, following a workshop and voting session concerning the matter. Council members Barbara Horton and Billy DePew voted against the ordinance with the other five members voting in favor.
Key points of contention were the legality of using the city’s tourism funds outside city limits and residents’ concerns over previous events at Brick’s getting out of control.
Council member David Boyer relayed the doubts of his ward’s residents over the legality of using city funds in the county.
City Manager Matt Winters explained the tourism tax’s governing statutes mandate at least 25% of the revenues must be spent on tourism promotion.
“For example, the See the Ozarks website,” he elaborated, “we support about $50,000 a year toward tourism and promotion through the chamber... That is marketing not just across the county or across the state, but across the country.”
Boyer asked if any maintenance items for the Black River Coliseum would get deferred by contributing funds to the road.
Winters replied all scheduled renovations will be unaffected and said, “We, right now, have a surplus in our tourism tax fund.”
Mayor Shane Cornman stated the organizers of Rock the Country project a possible $20 million economic impact from 25,000 visitors for Butler County.
Winters estimated the tourism tax fund would be fully replenished in three years, notwithstanding revenue from other sources such as sales tax.
Boyer reiterated citizens’ hesitation over previous incidents taking place at Brick’s.
“Some of the people I talked to didn’t want the city partnering with somebody that has such poor PR image,” Boyers said.
“I’ve heard the stories and seen the news reports,” Winters replied. “This is not a Brick’s Off-Road event.”
He confirmed the head of security for the event will be a retired colonel from the Alabama State Highway Patrol with a national private security firm. Winters explained there will be more than 50 sworn officers from local law enforcement with arresting power, metal detectors, a mobile command center, and cameras installed at intersections.
He said the increased security, “makes the George Bush trip here look a little pale in comparison.”
Cornman pointed out the two previous events in this year’s Rock the Country tour occurred without major incident.
“We’re not the guinea pigs here,” he emphasized. “You can like the event or not.”
Chamber President Steve Halter said in a separate phone interview, “But one thing’s for sure. We will all benefit from the economic impact.”
Halter pointed out the recent fireworks show at Brick’s happened without any problems.
“It’s not a scary place,” he stated.
Boyer said the county commission is in talks with the owners of Brick’s to have them pay to pave the other half of the road out of their private funds. The promoters intend to return to Butler County for the next 10-15 years, according to Cornman.
He continued, “I don’t think we should let $70,000 get in the way of our businesses, our hotels, our gas stations, our restaurants... $70,000 is a trickle.”
“If this passes tonight,” Mark Massingham remarked, “I would like to see more cooperation from the county with the city because, over my years, I never saw much cooperation helping us with anything. And that’s a little bit of a problem for me.”
Horton objected to the short timeframe required to complete the project.
“I was just concerned they waited so late to ask us and to bring it before the council,” she said.
Before the council motioned to move the matter to the voting session, they heard the objections of two residents.
Sanjay Varma, the owner of Heartland Express, began by saying his business would benefit tremendously from the influx. However, he disagreed on whether the tourism fund could be used outside of city limits.
Another local, who refused to give her name, strongly opposed the measure for the same reason. DePew raised questions over the wording of the tourism tax’s statute.
“It doesn’t say in the adjoining counties,” he said.
Varma advocated the funds be used on facilities inside the city such as the Coliseum and the Chamber of Commerce building.
City Attorney Mark Richardson said the use of the money on this project is, “clearly and unequivocally,” within the confines of the statute.
“This is right down central,” he commented.
Richardson advocated the influx of people would benefit the city of Poplar Bluff specifically, not just the county. Under this framework, he argued the tourism tax fund can be used on a county road if it generates tourism for the city.
In the split vote, Massingham ultimately agreed to the project due to the projected economic benefit, though he originally intended to vote against it.
“I know it’s very controversial,” he explained. “It’s a tough decision.”
DePew maintained, “I just don’t think it’s the right thing to do.”
With the council’s approval, the joint project will need to be completed in short order ahead of the concert in June.
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