CDC board moves ahead on proposal promoting tourism

by Angie Asam, Staff Writer

At the September 9 meeting of the Presque Isle County board of commissioners, Joe Cercone, executive director of the county development commission/economic development commission (CDC/EDC) came before the commissioners to discuss the lack of a tourism council in the county.

Cercone spoke of tourism being a direct link to economic development and urged the commissioners to think about solving the issue in some manner. Cercone told the commissioners one of the biggest issues is that there is no Web site for tourism in the county. The only Web sites that exist are those talking about county government. After hearing Cercone?s discussion the county board asked him to come up with a proposal that would involve hiring a tourism coordinator for the county and costs of getting a tourism website developed and up and running.

At Thursday?s meeting of the CDC/EDC board, the topic took up most of the discussion. ?I have been making contacts with some people who know more about it (tourism) than I do,? said Cercone. He will be meeting with those people in the next few weeks and hopes to have a proposal before the board in October, which if approved would then be presented to the board of commissioners.

Cercone?s initial thought was to hire a tourism coordinator that would operate much like the business coordinator does, on a part time basis, that could manage the Web site and other tourism issues in the county. ?I feel like things went well at the county board meeting. Funding is a question but we have some time to figure that out,? said chairman Mel Perkins who was with Cercone at that meeting. Cercone will be worki

ng on coming up with a proposal that would fit the needs of the county and provide a better tourism link for those wishing to visit the county. Following that discussion the board discussed the need for some updating on the CDC Web site, which is another cost issue but will be looked into by Cercone.

IN OTHER CDC/EDC NEWS: ? With the resignation of Andy Hayhoe from the board, a vacant seat remains. Previously a list of people were interested in being a part of the board. The board asked Cercone to try to track that list down. Perkins asked the board to also begin looking for nominations for the board.

? The development and retention committee will be reviewing and amending the renaissance zone agreements in October before the regular meeting of the board.

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