LAIC, chamber officials request annual funding from city

By CHUCK CLEMENT, Staff Reporter

Officials with the Lake Area Improvement Corporation made their request Monday for the city's contribution of $140,000 to help fund their operations during the coming year.

Dwaine Chapel, LAIC executive director, and Dustin Williams, LAIC president, met with the Madison commissioners to request funding for the development corporation. Chapel and Williams also asked for the city's annual contribution of $100,000 to the Forward Madison program.

The Forward Madison program is dedicated to economic development that includes the retention and expansion of employment in the Madison area. Public and private donors had pledged $2.3 million in contributions to the program when it was created. The city had promised to contribute $100,000 annually for five years.

City Commissioner Karen Lembcke asked Chapel about current negotiations with companies that are part of LAIC's efforts to provide additional jobs in Madison.

Chapel said that LAIC has worked with two companies, one for about 1 1/2 years and another for about seven months, concerning Madison expansion. He added that the development corporation was also negotiating with several other businesses. Chapel described the work as "an ongoing process" and added that LAIC officials had "focused real hard" on retaining jobs already in the community.

Mayor Gene Hexom complimented LAIC officials on the TV commercials that are broadcast to promote Madison and the beautification projects that have decorated the downtown area.

"I think the television commercials are very well done," Hexom said.

Commissioner Nick Abraham asked Chapel if the LAIC could provide a detailed budget for the next fiscal year. Chapel agreed to provide a budget.

Chamber request

Julie Gross, executive director for the Madison Chamber of Commerce, and Bob Sahr, Chamber board president, also came before the commissioners to request $75,330 from the city to help fund the Chamber's operations.

Gross described some of the Chamber's efforts in promoting Madison, such as ads in tourism magazines and information cards distributed to the traveling public. Gross said the Chamber had updated the Madison Visitor's Guide and promoted the use of a coupon book for local businesses.

Sahr told the commissioners that Chamber officials were "making sure that we're doing things in the most cost-effective manner." He also described the Chamber's operations as "an investment that serves Madison well."

When Hexom asked City Finance Officer Jeff Heinemeyer where the funding originated which supported the LAIC and Chamber operations, Heinemeyer said the the city's contribution came from the third-penny sales tax, totaling about $140,000, and the rest came from second-penny sales tax revenue.

©Madison Daily Leader 2010