Decatur visitors bureau

Paul Huggins, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily

The Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau conducted the following business during its monthly meeting Thursday:
Reported the bureau received $62,128 in revenue in June and had $32,475 in expenses for a net income of $29,653; for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, 2008, income was $506,750 while expenses were $511,556, a net loss of $5,068.
Reported the occupancy rate for reporting hotels in April was 55 percent, down 3 percent compared to the same month last year.
Reported the $2-per-night room occupancy tax generated $44,225 in April, which was down $2,521 from the same month last year. For the year, the room tax, which supports local tourism projects, has raised $329,894, down from $386,076 for the same nine-month period last year.
Reported the city collected $82,780 in lodging taxes in April, down 7 percent from the same month last year. The bureau receives 75 percent of that amount.
Reported that from July 1 to July 21, it had 84 computer users visit its Web site section where they can download free MP3 audio guides of the Civil War Walking Trail and Historic Decatur Tour. The same guides are available on 1 gigabyte memory cards for $20 at the bureau office or at Parham’s Civil War Relics on Bank Street Northeast.
Reported the Wet-Dog Triathlon, organized by the Decatur Jaycees, had a record 508 participants this year, up from 325 last year.
Announced it will apply for a 22-foot setback variance from the Board of Zoning Adjustments to erect a new sign in front of its office on Sixth Avenue Southeast. The new sign will match the new wayfinding signs the city installed earlier this year.
Paul Huggins