Sedalia Tourism Commission Hears Funding Requests

The Sedalia Area Tourism Commission met Wednesday at Katy Depot, 600 E. 3rd, to hear requests for funding from six local organizations.

SATC Chairman Chuck Kempton said he anticipates the group's finances to be strong, as evidenced by the last 2 or 3 years.

“One of things that I think this commission always tries to set out to do, is every dollar we can collect, we'd like to put right back into the community and spend it to draw more people to Sedalia,” Kempton said following the meeting.

“I think we've done a good job. Things are bright,” he added.

Kempton noted that he doesn't foresee any problems granting the organizations' requests.

“Our revenues again are strong and they're coming in on time. So I think it's all good. And we're really proud of all the applicants and all that they're doing,” Kempton told KSIS.

Six SATC members were joined by four Sedalia Convention & Visitor's Bureau members Wednesday afternoon, which pleased Kempton.

“They have been a huge help, because they actually have a tighter finger on the pulse of what's going on in the community, because they meet more often than we do. So their input's very important,” Kempton concluded.

The SATC heard from five of the six scheduled organizations – Missouri State Fair, Scott Joplin Ragtime Foundation, Sedalia Katy Depot, SDDI and the Sedalia Convention and Visitors Bureau. No one from the Liberty Center Association for the Arts appeared Wednesday, but Kempton noted that the commission will most likely hear from Executive Director Terri Ballard at the start of the Oct. 19 meeting.

A list of the organizations and the amounts they are requesting is as follows:

Missouri State Fair - $88,575
Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation - $23,450
Katy Depot - $21,640
Liberty Center - $22,532
Sedalia Convention & Visitors Bureau - $223,608.38
Sedalia Downtown Development, Inc.  - 5,600

Overall, the amounts total $385,405.38.

The SATC meets again Thursday. Oct. 19 at 1:15 p.m. to announce their decisions.

In the top photo: Deb Biermann speaks during a meeting of the Sedalia Area Tourism Commission Wednesday afternoon at the Katy Depot, 600 E. 3rd. Biermann was speaking as a liaison between the Tourism Commission and the Sedalia Convention and Visitor's Bureau.