Meeting Notes

The Decatur Daily
by Paul Huggins

Visitors Bureau Board
The Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau Board conducted the following during its monthly meeting Tuesday:

■Reported $57,866 in income in January and $47,105 in expenses for a net surplus of $10,760. For fiscal 2011, the bureau has had $227,201 in revenue and $223,284 in expenses for a net surplus of $3,878.
■Reported the city collected $69,908 in lodging taxes in November, up 13 percent from the same month last year. For fiscal 2011, the city has collected $243,345, up 14 percent compared to the same four months last year. The bureau receives 75 percent of lodging taxes for operating expenses.
■Reported the $2-per-night room occupancy fee generated $36,706 in November, up $3,952 from the same month last year. The fund goes toward paying for tourism attractions, such as Ingalls Harbor.
■Reported Decatur hotels filled 46 percent of rooms in November, up 5 percent from the same month last year and the third highest November rate in 10 years.
■Began discussions with Ellen Didier of Red Sage Communications for upgrading the bureau’s website and making it more user friendly for smart phones.
■Formally accepted the annual audit by Byrd, Smalley & Adams, P.C. accounting firm. Report showed bureau ended fiscal 2010 with $669,340 in assets.