Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Council tells chamber to put plan in writing

By Clarence Cromwell

Town Council members asked to see a written agreement before they decide whether to grant money to the Town of Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce.

Councilmembers Jan Hutchins and Steve Blanton both said they support the idea, but they want to show taxpayers what they'll get before spending the money.

A June 11 letter from the Chamber to the council states that the money would be used to pay costs associated with the Community Resource Helpline: staff salaries, phone bills, photocopying and postage.

The contract would also ensure that the Chamber's desk at the Bank of America would be occupied 30 hours a week. The Chamber has had difficulty keeping the donated office space staffed three days a week with volunteers, according to Chamber and bank employees.

When the desk is empty, calls are forwarded to a phone at the San Jose Chamber.

Los Gatos Chamber Executive Director Linda Asbury said the town ought to be paying for the help line, which offers visitors and residents general information about the town. Currently, about 85 percent of the calls on the Los Gatos Chamber's phone line, or 450 calls a month, are for information about community events or other matters unrelated to the Chamber's business, Asbury said.

"It's a service we're providing to the community," Asbury said. If the Chamber weren't around, the calls would end up at Town Hall or local businesses, she added.

Many destination cities, such as San Jose and Santa Cruz, fund their own visitors' bureaus to help vast numbers of people find information, Asbury said.

The Chamber cannot currently afford to pay for the 30 hours per week of staff time required to keep the information line open, according to a June 26 letter from Robin Tole, former chairwoman of the Chamber's board of directors, to the council and to the Los Gatos Weekly-Times.

The Chamber's 100 members pay a minimum of $250 per year in membership fees. Tole recently was replaced by Kent Cooper.

Asbury said she's not at liberty to reveal the Chamber's financial dealings, except that, so far, membership dues have paid for postage, signs and membership plaques. Asbury currently spends part of her time as executive director of the Los Gatos Chamber and part as the membership, sales and marketing director for the San Jose Chamber.

In addition to offering the plaques and printed promotional materials, the Los Gatos Chamber plans to act as an advocate for businesses in townwide issues, help members build their management skills and strengthen the business community, Chamber promotional materials say.

The Chamber has already printed a visitors' brochure, a relocation pamphlet for businesses and a pamphlet explaining the town's sign ordinance. The Chamber also hired a "membership development specialist" to recruit new members.

The previous Chamber of Commerce, now defunct, failed to get financial backing from the town.

The Town Council is expected to consider the contract with the Chamber of Commerce July 21.

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