Defunding possibility looms in Keystone

Keystone budget hearings continued Aug. 21 with trustees preliminarily deciding to defund both the Keystone Chamber of Commerce and the Keystone Area Historical Society.

Keystone trustees decided to move in another direction rather than fund the Keystone Chamber of Commerce for another year despite a presentation from chamber of commerce board members Melody Heinis and John Wells.

Wells, who is in the  process of becoming the chamber board treasurer,  said he wanted to support the community and began by saying, “there has been and is some animosity with the chamber.”

He wanted trustees to look at this as an opportunity to move forward versus looking at the past.

Wells said the chamber board wanted more city and business involvement in an effort to increase visitation to the town.

Heinis said her intentions for Keystone were to  add value and “work together cohesively with the city and also with the community.” As vice president of the chamber board, Heinis said new changes and rebranding of the chamber were forthcoming, noting the chamber to move forward as one. Ideas included creating more  interpersonal relationships and bringing events to Keystone that would gain nationwide attention.

Wells said the rebrand would function more like a destination marketing organization but still operate as a nonprofit. 

“We’re basically changing our name but still operating within the nonprofit guidelines,” said Wells.

The chamber was asking  for $154,425 with  $138,625 going to marketing expenses.

However, Keystone Town Board president Casey McNulty said what the town board was proposing instead of moving forward with the chamber. 

“We’re not looking at a rebranding on our level. We’re looking at a total restructure,” McNulty said.

McNulty said there is no accountability after an organization is funded. He said people have asked him where the chamber money has been spent. 

“As an elected official I have to look at you and say, ‘I have no clue.’ I can tell you where  they say they’re putting it but have no definitive answer to that,” McNulty said.

He said trustees have to be strict in spending taxpayer dollars.

“We don’t  know what’s going on in their board meetings. It’s so inconsistent,” McNulty said.

McNulty, who said he spoke with other trustees and town business owners,  proposed creating a department of tourism under the town, saying a committee would oversee the marketing and a visitor center that would be operated by the city, with  town employees entitled to a “more consistent pay schedule and benefits.”

McNulty did mention a director. 

“We might be able to entice a little bit better caliber than what we have been able to because now they’ve got these benefits,” he said, while also saying “we don’t have all the answers.”

McNulty visited with Robert Sharp & Associates to bring in a marketing component and distributed a proposal for services at $120/hour. Trustee Will  Parks wanted to interview Robert Sharp before proceeding with them.

McNulty said his constituents are “ready for a change” and are looking for consistency.

Trustee Lynette Tyon agreed. 

“If we have employees at the city level they’re getting paid to do this. They’re not volunteers,” Tyon said. 

She emphasized the decision had nothing to do with friendship but rather business.

McNulty wanted to know if constituents wanted to move away from a chamber of commerce model to a tourism department  model.

McNulty proposed a line item for the chamber of zero and a line item under the promotional fund. Keystone city ordinances are written so that 50 percent of Bed Booze and Boarding tax money has to go to marketing.

Wells said the chamber board wants to be a part of anything moving forward regardless of what it is. No formal action was taken, as is usual in budget hearings, but a majority of trustees were in favor of the change.

The board also appeared to favor moving toward more control over what takes place at the Keystone Museum. The building has been closed since the town was made aware of possible fire-code violations earlier this month. McNulty said those repairs, which may include a sprinkler system and fire system, may cost the town over $100,000.

Currently the Keystone Area Historical Society (KAHS) oversees the city-owned museum building. It  asked for $25,000 for the 2025 fiscal year.

McNulty said the building is a city building.

“We’re handing money to an agency that’s operating our building, but we have no accountability,” McNulty said.

McNulty said trustees were proposing the city operate the museum “since it’s our building, have the town operate that structure to protect our best interests.”

The town currently pays all the museum utilities. McNulty said keeping the museum open is important.

Town finance officer Samantha Epler said the  county auditor is recommending just a line item for salaries.

The museum would be staffed for the summer only. Museum director Jeanine Kirkpatrick said there is work she can do in the winter but did not elaborate. She is presently working without a contract and the KAHS has no current lease agreement with the city for the building. (See separate story on KAHS meeting in this issue.)

By bringing the museum under the town’s control it would eliminate KAHS. Citizens wanted to know where KAHS money would go if it was disbanded, with McNulty saying the funds it had would finish out the year.

KAHS currently has $28,000 in its account.

The park board came to trustees asking what happened to funds that were appropriated to them when they first began to reform as a town organization.

Epler says the money does not automatically roll over but that trustees could do what they wanted with the money. Ultimately they agreed on rolling over $35,000 of the $60,000 available to them.

Kristin Thompson of Interstate Engineering, who is contracted as a funding specialist to help guide the park board, explained the importance of having that money allocated specifically to the park board and that the funds should be flexible, “to be used for another park structure or facility as grants present themselves.” 

The park board is looking at using most of the funds for a bandshell in Watson Park. Thompson wants to use $5,000 for advertising the park master plan to the community.

The Keystone seniors came back to the board for clarification. They were questioned by Tyon, who reminded the seniors that their building is privately owned and “you expect us to pay utilities and insurance and you just sit on that $29,000 and just save it in case something happens,” Tyon said.

Tyon said she wanted to see the town organizations become self-sufficient and that “if something happened with a furnace or something I would be more than happy to say ‘yeah, we’ll help ya,’” she said.

Sandi Mclain said the town could not keep up with added expenses. 

Karen Boland from the senior center board said a part-time director was very important for them.

Tyon said she wasn’t opposed to getting a director but held firm that since the senior building is theirs utilities should be theirs to pay.

John Veltman said traditionally the town has helped the seniors. 

“The town paid for the propane and the town didn’t charge us for water or sewer,” Veltman said.

Trustees agreed to $7,000 for senior funding and asked for self-sufficiency next year.

The last Keystone budget hearing is Aug. 28 at 6 p.m.