Is it Time to Clean the “Chamber” Pot?

We were pleased that the independence Chamber of Commerce (ICC) decided to locate here in Old Town, especially on the north side the Square where acres of blighted asphalt remained in the fallout of Urban Renewal. Their new building was attractive and we figured the local business community and civic leaders would not tolerate the new ICC headquarters being adjacent to undeveloped and blighted empty spaces. But we were wrong. As it turned out, the open space was actually critical for ICC’s Labor Day festival, Santa-Cali-Gon, its primary source of revenue. We appreciate The Examiner’s recent reporting about concerns in the local business community and, yes, past reporting about situations down in the Little Blue Valley. It’s interesting to read in The Examiner that the ICC Board spokesperson defending the executive leadership of ICC was the same spokesperson for the City Manager and the City Council in a meeting in early March defending their stealth approach to millions of dollars in debt payments after short falls in the Bass Pro development. Now I’m no accountant and do not think organizations should be judged solely on their bookkeeping. If it were me, I would first judge the current ICC leadership (board members & executives) on performance by asking the following questions:

· Are ICC leaders offering appropriate leadership in the community and at City Hall when it comes to present economic conditions, especially at the Bass Pro development?

· Is ICC promoting not just business development in Independence but also promoting members to actually live within the city limits of Independence?

· Is ICC promoting attractive economical development tools offered by state and federal governments, i.e., Historic Preservation Tax Credits for historic properties and tourism-related business opportunities?

· Is ICC taking advantage of its location in the heart of local tourist sites and The Square to promote Heritage Tourism?

While traveling recently through a small community 500 miles from here (pop. less than 1,500) we picked up a wonderful 48-page full-color magazine promoting local businesses and tourist sites published by the local chamber of commerce. It was obvious that the local chamber was not just supporting its own organization but was promoting the local community and surrounding towns while focusing on its strengths: heritage tourism. There was a sense of community, cooperation, and pride with all the businesses and sites. We ended up staying 3 nights and spending a few bucks. And it was about 50 miles to the nearest Interstate Highway. Here in Independence, we have so much more to offer travelers. But I’ll ask one more question. Are we as a community prepared to take advantage of these opportunities?