By: T.J. Hug
The Village Reporter
A good many things were discussed at the first regular board meeting of the year for the Montpelier Chamber of Commerce.
February 26 was selected as the day the chamber will hold its annual banquet.
Board members spoke briefly on the coming shut down of Montpelier’s Shopko. Those who have been receiving prescriptions through the store’s pharmacy can now contact Rings Pharmacy.
Kellie Gray reported that the Coon Hunters, who have taken part in the Williams County Fair in the past, will now begin appearing at the Stueben County Fair instead. This information was relayed to her by George Steffes of the organization. While no reason was given for the Hunters leaving, there have been issues between them and the Fair Board previously.
But a majority of the conversations on the morning consisted of renovations being made to the chamber’s building, and the future outlook of the organization. Jeanette Hull, President of the Montpelier Chamber of Commerce, vows to alter the direction of the organization a bit in 2015.
“We’re going to be doing things differently.”
To begin with, Executive Director Susan Gearhart will be meeting with Vicky Hawke, a member of the Northern Ohio Association of the Chambers of Commerce. Hawke will work with Gearhart to discover ways to promote membership sponsorship.
Gathering members is great, but it doesn’t serve a purpose unless there is a clear plan in place for the group. So what is it that the chamber is trying to accomplish?
“We are not event planners.” Hull stated clearly. “We’re for economic development in this community.”
Of course, that doesn’t mean the chamber will cease to organize any event. After all, Bean Days is a major part of the group’s activities. However, the board plans to run the Montpelier Chamber more like a business in 2015 and beyond.
Another goal of the chamber is to continue renovating their building. The interior of the structure has been cleared of much junk, giving the space a cleaner look already. Application for a grant which would allow for the chamber to fix several minor issues with the building has been put on hold until WEDCO can select a new coordinator.
How the chamber handles the tenants of the building has also undergone a renewal process. They were forced to evict one tenant, who left the room in poor condition. Another tenant has recently put his utilities in his own name, something the chamber has hoped for all of its tenants to do. The process of transferring more utilities into the names of those living in the space is currently underway.
It seems the Montpelier Chamber emphasized change in its New Year’s resolution for 2015. The question is, will these changes pay off for the chamber.
“I think we’re heading in the right direction.” Hull proclaimed.
The chamber will hold its next meeting on February 13, at 8:00 A.M. Board pictures will take place at that session.
T.J. Hug can be reached at
publisher@thevillagereporter.com