MAIN STREET HARDY

Archive for the ‘A & P Commission’ Category

How to Write a Business Plan for Small Businesses

 July 21st, 2010   5:30-7:30

 The Hardy Advertising and Promotions Commission will host a seminar at the Hardy City Hall, located at 124 Woodland Hills Road on how to write a Business Plan for Small Businesses. The SBA will give information on how to write a business plan and will also be available for questions. This workshop is just one of the continuing educational and business oriented workshops that has been hosted by the A&P recently.

Please call City Hall @ 856-3811 to sign up for this seminar

The Feb. 16, 2010 meeting was almost the final stand for Main Street Of Hardy, Inc. (Main Street). In a last ditch effort it appears that the official Main Street Organization will not desolve as had been discussed in prior City Council meetings, but instead will work on restructuring itself and getting a new focus on its objectives plus strive for new supporters to continues its purpose.

The city council approved its $6,000 payment to the Main Street Of Hardy, Inc.  for the 2010 fiscal year. This funding  which is a reduction from prior years due to budget restraints. This had also  been a major part of the concerns that Main Street had in being able to continue its operation.

Everyone agrees that Hardy’s Main Street area needs the representation and support that the Main Street Of Hardy, Inc. offers to the historic area and the community of Hardy!

City council spoke up in favor of Main Street and agreed that they needed to bring to the next meeting a signed contract to enter into a agreement with the City as required by law.

Note:  The Hardy Advertising and Promotions committee meets monthly at 5:35 p.m. , normally at Hardy City Hall break room, unless prior arrangements are announced for an alternate meeting location.

Hardy finally receives a long talked about weather station and camera for our area.

In the past the closest weather observations were from Mountain Home.  This new weather station will provide the  residents in hardy with current temperature, wind speed and direction, how much rain has fallen. A&P is the first organization to sponsor a SkyCAM and are very proud of their new camera; it joins Arkansas Methodist Center in Paragould and ASU’s stadium cam.

Mayor Nina Thornton hopes that this new weather station will bring more people to their town. “It has so many great benefits for the community,” Thornton said.

Thornton said, “I think that this will bring tourism, more tourists people to come to our city. I think that people don’t really know exactly what we have to offer and they’re going to be able to see it live 24/7 now.

The weather station is sponsored by the Advertising and Promotions Committee of Hardy which sponsrs many exciting events and promotions for our area. The new weather station will allow the Region 8 StormTEAM to see what’s happening across the area and keep the area residents better informed.

Skycam purchased by the Hardy Advertising and Promotions Commission. Cutting the ribbon is Hardy Mayor Nina Thornton. From left are KAIT?account executive Howell Westbrook, March Herring, Margaret Harness, Sunni Cooper, Sherri Groves, meteorologists Justin Logan, Ryan Vaughn, Sarah Tipton and KAIT?Vice President and General Manager Tim Ingram.

The Hardy Advertising and Promotions Commission (A & P Commission) will host a Hospitality Training Seminar on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010, from 6pm until 9pm at the Hardy City Hall.

 This seminar is for every business owner or manager within the Hardy City Limits that is interested in teaching key employees the art of “Good Hospitality” that should be shown to visitors and local residents.

Sign up now by calling the Hardy City Hall at 856-3811.

 Deadline for sign up is January 6th, 2010.

 This seminar is free. Refreshments will be provided by the A&P Commission.

WHY WAS THE A & P ESTABLISHED?

The tourism industry is one of Arkansas’s greatest assets. Goals of the Commission include attracting visitors to the community through the creation and promotion of events, attractions and tourism-related activities and to enhance the city’s coverall quality of life, through the development of community parks and other recreational facilities.

Below is the State law in regards to the purpose of the A & P Tax

The powers and duties of an advertising and promotion (“A&P”) commission are purely statutory in nature and are primarily defined at A.C.A. § 606 (Supp. 2007). Specifically with respect to your question, this statute provides as follows regarding a commission’s general powers and its particular role with respect to the issuance and retirement of debt:

(a)(1)(A) In the manner as shall be determined by the municipal advertising and promotion commission, all funds credited to the city advertising and promotion fund pursuant to this subchapter shall be used for the:

(i) Advertising and promoting of the city and its environs;

(ii) Construction, reconstruction, extension, equipment, improvement, maintenance, repair, and operation of a convention center;

(iii) Operation of tourist promotion facilities in the city or the county where the city is located if the city owns an interest in the convention center or facility, and facilities necessary for, supporting, or otherwise pertaining to, a convention center; or

(iv) Payment of the principal of, interest on, and fees and expenses in connection with bonds as provided in this subchapter.

(B) The commission may engage such personnel and agencies and incur such administrative costs as it deems necessary to conduct its business.

(2)(A) The commission is the body that determines the use of the city advertising and promotion fund.

(B) Pursuant to this section, if the commission determines that funding of the arts is necessary for or supporting of its city’s advertising and promotion endeavors, it may use its funds derived from the hotel and restaurant tax.

(3)(A) The commission may purchase, own, operate, sell, lease, contract, or otherwise deal in or dispose of real property, buildings, improvements, or facilities of any nature in accordance with this subchapter.

(B) If the commission is dissolved, the city shall assume the authority under subdivision (a)(3)(A) of this section.

(b)(1)(A) Any city of the first class that may levy and does levy a tax pursuant to this subchapter may use or pledge all or any part of the revenues derived from the tax for the purposes prescribed in this subchapter or for the operation of tourist-oriented facilities, including, but not limited to, theme parks and other family entertainment facilities or for the retirement of bonds issued for the establishment and operation of other tourist-oriented facilities, including, but not limited to, theme parks and other family entertainment facilities.

(B) These revenues shall be used or pledged for the purposes authorized in this subsection only upon approval of the commission created pursuant to this subchapter.

(2) Funds credited to the city advertising and promotion fund pursuant to this subchapter may be used, spent, or pledged by the commission, in addition to all other purposes prescribed in this subchapter, on and for the construction, reconstruction, repair, maintenance, improvement, equipping, and operation of public recreation facilities in the city or the county where the city is located if the city owns an interest in the center or facility, including, but not limited to, facilities constituting city parks and also for the payment of the principal of, interest on, and fees and expenses in connection with bonds as provided in this subchapter in the manner as shall be determined by the commission for the purpose of such payment.[[2]]

(c)(1) All local taxes levied as authorized in § 26-75-602(a) shall be credited to the city advertising and promotion fund and shall be used for the purposes described in subsections (a) and (b) of this section.

(2) The taxes shall not be used:

(A) For general capital improvements within the city or county;

(B) For the costs associated with the general operation of the city or county; or

(C) For general subsidy of any civic group or the chamber of commerce.

(3) However, the commission may contract with such groups to provide to the commission actual services that are connected with tourism events or conventions.

(4) The authorization and limitations contained in this subsection shall be reasonably construed so as to provide funds for promoting and encouraging tourism and conventions while not allowing such special revenues to be utilized for expenditures that are normally paid from general revenues of the city