Tourist Development Agency To Rule Monday On Requests

Thursday, July 21, 2005

The Tourist Development Agency will meet Monday morning to decide on recommendations for $338,448 in requests.

Louis Wright, county finance director, said $370,000 is available from the hotel-motel tax fund.

The County Commission makes the final decision on the allocations.

The Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau is seeking $100,000 to buy portable docks for the upcoming Head of the Hooch rowing competition that is to become an annual event on the Tennessee River at downtown Chattanooga.

The Greater Chattanooga Sports and Events Committee asked $75,000 for its annual budget as well as $25,000 for promoting a new soccer tournament.

Merrill Eckstein, executive director, said the committee will be promoting its own tournament for the first time. It will be held at Camp Jordan, which is expanding to 14 soccer fields.

Chattanooga Downtown Partnership asked $25,000 to fund half the cost of permanent, custom-designed lights and lighted sculptures for Ross's Landing and Renaissance Park.

The group is asking $36,500 to help defray the costs for the first annual Storytelling on the Rive, a major storytelling festival to be held here in the spring of 2006.

The African American Chamber of Commerce asked $15,000 to help with the costs of the Chattanooga Choo-Choo Multicultural Festival set for Sept. 3-5 at the Waterfront.

The Brainerd Youth Association asked $5,998 to help with costs for the Choo-Choo Bowl to be held Nov. 24-27. A number of football teams are to play on five local fields.

The Cre824 Group asked $50,000 to help with costs of the 2005 cre824 Technology Festival and UTC asked $5,950 to help with a local film festival. But no one from either group showed up, so Chairman Charlie Arant said the TDA members would not be evaluating those proposals.

Board members heard presentations on Wednesday and are scoring the different groups prior to getting back together.


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