The Philippi Convention Visitor’s Bureau shall be governed by a seven member Board of Directors selected as follows.
(a) Appointees. Six members shall be chosen by the Mayor with the consent of Council, of whom at least two may be engaged in the travel/tourism industry. The appointees may be a Council member, administrative employee or a public member selected from groups such as, but not limited to, Philippi Main Street, the Chamber of Commerce, the Barbour County Historical Society, the Parks and Recreation Board, or from any other organization related to tourism and visitor promotion as deemed appropriate by Council.
(b) The seventh member. The seventh member shall be elected annually by the six members and shall be engaged in the travel or tourism industry, such appointment to be made subject to the approval and consent of the city.
(c) Terms of members. Members appointed by Council shall serve for three years with their original terms staggered in such manner that each government shall subsequently appoint one member each year for a three-year term. The city shall determine the length of the term for each initial appointees.
(d) Travel/tourism industry defined. Travel and tourism industry is herein defined as any business or organization involved in lodging, retail shopping, restaurant, entertainment or promotion that caters to and attracts consumers primarily from outside the city. The qualification for any appointee to be appointed to the Philippi Convention Visitor’s Bureau as a member of the travel and tourism industry shall be at the sole discretion of the appointing authority, that is, the city, and in the case of the annually appointed seventh member, at the sole discretion of the six sitting appointees.
(e) Election of officers. The officers of the Bureau shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer who shall be elected from among the voting members of the Bureau for one-year terms at the annual meeting which shall be the first meeting following the appointment of the news members by the city.
(f) Duties of officers.
(1) The President shall preside at meetings of the PCAVB, shall appoint committees not otherwise provided for, shall authorize calls for special meetings, shall see that all orders and resolutions of the PCAVB are carried into effect, and generally perform the duties pertaining to the office. He or she shall be ex officio member of each committee.
(2) The Vice President shall assist the President and perform the duties of the President in his or her absence.
(3) The Secretary to the PCAVB shall send notices and keep minutes of all meetings of the PCAVB.
(4) The President, Vice President or Treasurer shall have the power to sign vouchers and checks. All vouchers and checks shall require two signatures.
(g) Establishment of executive committee. The elected officers of the Board shall serve as an executive committee and shall be empowered to act for the Board between meetings or in situations where it is not possible to convene a meeting of the entire Board.
(h) Meeting schedule. The Visitor’s Bureau shall meet at least quarterly and at other times by call of the President or of any four members of the Board of Directors. The dates of quarterly meetings shall be set at the annual meeting of each year. All meetings of the Visitors Bureau shall conform to and be governed by the provisions of W.Va. Code §§ 6-9A-1 et seq.
(i) Powers and duties of the Visitor’s Bureau.
(1) Expend all funds allocated to the Visitor’s Bureau from hotel/motel taxes and from other sources in the promotion of travel and tourism;
(2) Hire and direct employees to carry out its functions at least one of whom shall be full time devoted exclusively to the promotion of tourism;
(3) Lease space and purchase office furnishings for offices;
(4) Enter into contracts necessary to carry out its mission;
(5) Raise finances from other sources to carry out its mission such as, but not limited to:
A. Voluntary membership dues from tourist businesses;
B. Advertising on Visitor’s Bureau maps, brochures and publications; and
C. Contributions from individual businesses to fund special literature distributions, take part in conventions and meetings, and other activities not a part of ordinary operations.
(6) Stage special events to benefit the travel/tourist industry.
(j) Annual financial report. The Visitor’s Bureau shall maintain a complete and accurate statement of revenues and expenses and shall submit the same in quarterly financial statements to the city and shall submit the same at least annually for audit by the city, or the state’s Tax Commission.
(k) Use of taxes not allotted for tourist promotion. The Visitor’s Bureau shall be responsible only for those funds turned over to it pursuant to the state law powering political subdivisions to enact hotel/motel taxes and to set up Visitor’s and Convention Bureaus. Any funds from the one-half of taxes collected which may be spent at the discretion of the political subdivisions and which are not turned over to the Visitor’s Bureau for tourist promotion, shall be allocated to the city.
(Ord. passed 8-2-1993)