City funding mediation for tourism group conflict
By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on November 9, 2022.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com
Lethbridge city council on Tuesday voted by a 6-3 motion to approve as much as $10,000 from council contingencies to be spent on mediation services for two local tourism organizations.
Councillors Jeff Carlson, John Middleton-Hope and Rajko Dodic voted against providing the money for a professional to mediate the differences between Tourism Lethbridge and Lethbridge Lodging Association.
In a tense October meeting of the Economic Standing Policy Committee, the differences the two organizations have with each other exploded into public view.
No money has yet been spent on mediation services and an update of some kind will be presented by City administration to council on Dec. 21.
In an address to the SPC last month, Jason Elliott, director of Customer, Corporate and Commercial Services said conflict exists between Tourism Lethbridge and the LLA.
Elliot had told the SPC there is agreement that tourism is a critical component of the regional economy and now maybe more so than ever.
“There’s also agreement that the current situation is divisive and not as successful as it could or should be,” Elliott said.
He said there is a low level of cooperation between the LLA and Tourism Lethbridge which is agreed to be a problem. There is also a high level of overlap in activities and events, Elliott said.
Councillor Jeff Carlson on Tuesday said he had issues with spending taxpayer money on a matter which he felt could be settled between the groups in person or on the phone themselves, a sentiment echoed by Middleton-Hope.
Councillor Rajko Dodic, who at the SPC admonished the lodging association for the tone of a submission that was on the meeting’s agenda, said he had to miss the SPC vote but could not support spending the money. Dodic told his fellow council members he didn’t believe mediation will be successful.
Other members of council including mayor Blaine Hyggen, acting mayor Jenn Schmidt-Rempel and councillor Belinda Crowson expressed their support for having a mediator work with the two groups so they could settle their differences.
“I’m hopeful we’ll be able to see some resolution,” Schmidt-Rempel told council. She also stated the city needs to see the economic return of Tourism Lethbridge and Lethbridge Lodging Association working together.
Hyggen stated “it’s extremely important” for the groups to work together, adding he was “more than happy” to support the resolution.
Crowson said she’d prefer to see a mediator work on a solution than have City administration be caught in the middle.
Councillor Mark Campbell said being an optimist, he believed some common ground could be found between the two tourism organizations.
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18-17
Is Tourism Lethbridge not a City of Lethbridge funded operation? I remember it was defunded by the provincial government when the NDP was in power and for some time we lost both Information buildings on two major highways into the city and they thought it was a great idea to have it downtown, across from the Alec Arms, with no parking for tourists and in the middle of a drug crisis!
It is pretty bad that we have to pay $10,000 so these people will play fair in the sandbox! Maybe we should just fire them and hire someone with vision and willing to work with the industry!