New member joins A&P Commission
The Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission has a new member.
A specially called meeting of the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission was held Friday to review the A&P commissioner applications.
Commission member William Moss, whose term expired in June, was still serving on the commission. He expressed an interest in serving another term in the at-large position.
Another applicant for that position was John Lawson, who attended the special-called meeting Friday via Zoom.
Chairman Rosie Pettigrew’s term ended this month. She was the sole applicant for her position.
Last month, Pettigrew had nominated herself, but that was before discovering that a city ordinance required those openings to be posted publicly.
City Ordinance No. 6352 clarified the process for filling vacant positions on boards and commissions. The ordinance includes the requirement for informing the public of a vacancy and having the vacancies advertised on the city’s website.
Advertising and Promotions Director Sheri Storie consulted with Assistant City Attorney Joe Childers, who confirmed that the ordinance applied to all boards and commissions of the city, including the Advertising and Promotion Commission.
“The ordinance overrules the item that was left on our agenda last week,” Storie said. “When we became aware and received all the answers from Joe Childers, that put us in the direction we needed to go as far as the application process and how it needed to be followed.”
The listings were advertised for 30 days.
On Friday, a motion was made for Moss to serve again as a commissioner. The motion failed for a lack of a second.
A motion was then made that Lawson fill that position. The motion was seconded and passed.
Though Pettigrew had no opponent, the board still had to vote and her nomination was approved unanimously by the board.
The Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission was established by a vote of the citi
zens of Pine Bluff. Its mission is to enhance the economy of Pine Bluff by administering the sales tax collected from the sales of prepared food and transient lodging to entice visitors to come to Pine Bluff and spend money in the city.
The Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission is the primary source of operating funds for the Pine Bluff Convention Center. The Commission also provides funding assistance to other attractions in Pine Bluff which draw guests to town including the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame, Arkansas Railroad Museum, Arts & Science for Southeast Arkansas, Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Historical Museum, Hestand Stadium and Taylor Field.
The Commission attracts visitors to Pine Bluff by sponsoring or providing inducements in the form of funding assistance to many of the City’s festivals and events, and to dozens of sporting events such as baseball, softball, basketball, fishing and golf tournaments.
The Commission partners with the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, as well as other tourism organizations to combine efforts and dollars in promoting Pine Bluff and Arkansas.
The Advertising and Promotion Commission levies a 2% Tourism Tax that is added to all food purchases made from the sale of prepared food and beverages for on or off-premises consumption. This is commonly known as the Hamburger Tax.
The tax is collected by the prepared food establishment and remitted directly to the Advertising and Promotion Commission. In addition, the Advertising and Promotion Commission levies a 3% room tax for hotels, motels, etc.