Support cools for one director for EDC, chamber

The enthusiasm for a plan to have one director to run the Greater Tucumcari Economic Development Corp. and the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce appears to have cooled down somewhat.

The chamber board is set to vote this week on a proposed memorandum of understanding for one director for both organizations to save costs and due to overlapping responsibilities.

Both entities saw their leaders depart last summer.

The EDC board meeting last Tuesday lacked a quorum to take any official action. Instead, interim director Kristine Olsen discussed several topics.

Regarding the idea for one director for both organizations, Olsen said: “It makes sense initially, but it’s going to be challenging.”

Tucumcari Mayor Mike Cherry was succinct in his opinion: “We don’t want to pursue it.”

Olsen said, however, she “wouldn’t mind” moving the EDC from the Tucumcari Convention Center to an office in the chamber building. She said she could be at that office at least two days a week.

City manager Paula Chacon said such an arrangement would help the chamber and bolster the perception that the building is open to the public.

In other business:

— Olsen said the R. Kelly McFarland certified public accounting office in Tucumcari has turned down a request to look over the EDC’s snarled Workbooks accounts.

Olsen said McFarland doesn’t want to have an appearance of a conflict of interest because one of its employees, Jonathan Brito, is a city commissioner.

Olsen said she wants recommendations for other CPAs in the area. She said in a previous meeting the organization’s Workbooks are months behind in reconciliations.

— Regarding the EDC’s lapsed federal nonprofit status, Olsen said options are to reinstate it to the date of its 2012 revocation or have it be reinstated with a requested date. She recommended the revocation date to lessen the organization’s possible tax liabilities.

Olsen said the EDC probably would need an accountant to take care of that paperwork.

— Olsen suggested a future roundtable to suggest changes to EDC bylaws before it holds a full membership meeting in June.

She also proposed an EDC executive board that would take care of time-sensitive issues.

She said bylaws probably need updates for conflict-of-interest policies and confidentiality agreements.

— Olsen said the EDC was short about $1,200 in covering expenses for the annual Quay Day in Santa Fe in January before the New Mexico Legislature began its 30-day session.

She said the event planned for about 65 attendees but counted only about 40. A snowstorm in northern New Mexico during that time likely blunted attendance.

Bobby Hockaday said Quay Day still was considered a success because several Cabinet secretaries attended the event for the first time in years.

Connie Loveland, director of Tucumcari MainStreet, suggested a preregistration window or staggered rates for Quay Day.