By Katie Northcott, News Director
During its meeting on Thursday, March 26, the Manchester Policies and Procedures Committee discussed a potential restructuring that would bring the Manchester Parks and Recreation Department under a Tourism Director.
The discussion was prompted by an item on the agenda to approve the job description for a Tourism Director.
“Does this say anything about overseeing or managing Parks and Rec?” Finance Director Anthony Burrows said while looking over the job description.
“No, I don’t think it does,” HR Director Tina Warren said.
“Aren’t they supposed to?” City Attorney Craig Johnson said.
“Well, now, that is true,” Warren said. “He was wanting to mesh the two.”
Warren seemed to be referring to Manchester Mayor Joey Hobbs, who was not present at the meeting.
Alderman Thomas Crosslin questioned whether the Tourism Director needed to directly oversee the Parks and Recreation Department.
“There would be synergy between the departments but not necessarily responsibility for the tourism director over Parks and Rec,” Crosslin said. “We have a Parks and Rec Director.”
A.J. Fox currently works as the city’s Parks and Recreation Director and reports directly to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA). A restructuring might mean that Fox would report to the Tourism Director who would also oversee the visitor’s center.
Warren said that the reasoning behind putting the Tourism Director over Parks and Rec was that things like sporting events held at the Parks and Rec buildings generate tourism dollars. Johnson said that the restructure could streamline the “flow” of hotel/motel tax dollars.
“There might need to be more discussion about what we’re going to put in [the tourism director job description] because it may depend on whether or not there’s an appetite … from BOMA to restructure our departments,” Johnson said.
The committee ultimately decided to table the discussion of the job description until the BOMA could give more direction on how to proceed.
Manchester currently has a Tourism and Community Development Commission, but the commission has not met since January due to lack of quorum. A citizen appointment to the commission and the Tourism Director job description are on the agenda for the April 7 meeting of the BOMA.
