A&P approves SugarDitch contract
Members of the Forrest City Advertising and Promotion Commission approved four separate funding requests during a phone poll this morning.
Three of the items on the agenda were approved unanimously. A contract with SugarDitch Communications received four of five votes, with commissioner Louise Fields voting against the contract. Commissioners Justin Reeves, Larry Freeman, Dywarn Dawson and Y.K. Patel voted in favor of the request. Commissioner Rodney Franklin did not participate in the phone poll.
Funding was approved for a Rock the Ridge Downtown Music Festival, the Forrest Street Halloween Parade and advertising in traveling, cycling and motorcycling guides.
The request for funding for the SugarDitch Communications contract was made by Forrest City Mayor Cedric Williams, who asked commissioners to approve $4,000 per month for 12 months to supplement a contract between the city and Sugar Ditch Communications owner Lynn Craig.
This request was first received last year and denied. The request was presented again during the July 13 A&P phone poll during which commissioners agreed to table the request until the next meeting and to meet in person on the matter.
SugarDitch Communications also recently contracted with the Forrest City School District for $4,200 per month.
According to the request for funding, the city requested the contract in order to promote Forrest City through social media, video and website design. In the request, the mayor said this service would be used to promote Chamber members and events taking place in the community in an effort to reach people outside of the area and to drive more business and tax revenue into the city.
The Forrest City Downtown Revitalization Project received $5,900 to fund a Rock the Ridge
Downtown Music Festival that would feature local artists, food and beverages. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 2, with no scheduled rain date.
According to the request, the event would be held on the porch of the St. Francis County Museum and the block of Izard Street between Broadway to Front Street. The event will be free to the public with various food and beverage vendors available along with live music featuring local musicians.
Commissioners unanimously approved this request along with a request from Vince and Amber Billingsley for $3,000 for the Forrest Street Halloween Parade.
The request, sent to the A&P by Vince Billingsley, a resident of the Forrest Street area, shows that the funds would be used to supply volunteers with enough candy for all of the children in the community to have a fun and safe Halloween experience as well as to provide trash cans and bags to promote keeping the city clean.
The request estimates between 700 and 1,000 participants each year.
The travel guides, which are used to promote travel to and around the area, was approved for just over $6,000.