The Morgan Hill City Council will consider today a proposal by
the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce for a three-year funding model
for the newly formed South Santa Clara Valley Tourism
Partnership.
Morgan Hill – The Morgan Hill City Council will consider today a proposal by the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce for a three-year funding model for the newly formed South Santa Clara Valley Tourism Partnership.
The partnership was formed in 2006 between the Gilroy Visitors Bureau and the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce to promote the two cities into a regional approach.
Chamber Executive Director Dan Ehrler told council members Wednesday night
the partnership had already increased Morgan Hill’s visibility. He asked that the council consider a $50,000 funding commitment for three years. The city originally gave the partnership a $36,000 allocation as part of the Economic Development Partnership between the City of Morgan Hill and the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce.
Ehrler also introduced Mark Denham, CEO of 247 Workspace, who told council members local businesses have formed the Morgan Hill Business Improvement Organization.
The MHBIO, Denham said, wants the city to consider budgeting for a “comparative analysis” to be conducted by a consultant to determine what Morgan Hill does compared to other cities to recruit and retain businesses.
Mayor Steve Tate said he thought the city had already conducted a study; Denham said there was a study in 2002, “but it was all about the City of Morgan Hill … exclusively about Morgan Hill.”
City Manager Ed Tewes said there was a different study conducted last year.
Councilman Greg Sellers was willing to meet with the MHBIO as a subcommittee to discuss the proposal, and Councilwoman Marby Lee, also a member of the Community and Economic Development Committee, agreed.
“It sounds like a very interesting proposal to me,” she said. “I think it is incumbent upon us, with them bringing it to us, to at least discuss it.”
