Council Approves Funding for City Chamber

Grove Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lisa Friden appealed to Council to restore last year's funding to $27,000, which had been cut to $10,000 in the proposed budget for '06-'07. Council voted 3-2 to keep it at $10,000 which was greeted with boos and chamber supporters walking out of the meeting Tuesday night.
Immediately after, councilman Terry Ryan made a motion to put $18,000 in the budget for Chamber work which passed 5-0. Those who left the meeting after the 3-2 vote were not apprised of the increase from the proposed budget. The Chamber had requested $38,000 for next year.
This year the Chamber board voted to move its offices from a building shared with the Grand Lake Association on Highway 59, to a downtown office provided by PSO where parking is limited, rather than share the rent with the GLA. City officials have perceived some Chamber officials as being anti-council, anti-city manager.