BREWSTER WASHINGTON GENERAL MEETING AGENDA
(in Standard font)
Minutes: (in Italicized font)
DATE: Jan 11, 2023
TIME: 6:00PM
LOCATION: Senior /Chamber Center 109 Bridge Street, Brewster
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Mike, Charlene via zoom
OPEN:6:00
FLAG SALUTE: yes
REPORTS: N/A
INTRODUCTIONS: Eliena Rosales, Debby Leonard (STCU) Mike, Charlene
GUEST SPEAKER: N/A
OLD BUSINESS:
Paid Northwest Portal for 2023. Jennifer has updated the maps and is making us a map of Brewster that we can print out with our businesses address on them, perfect for the visitor center, and to mail out in our flyers.
Paid Okanogan Country Tourism Council again for 2023 – the sponsor level.
Turned in the information to the Omak Chronicle for the INFO book that should be coming out soon.
All of these will or should be reimbursed by the city with the LTAC funds.
It looks like our Christmas lights lasted thru the storms although something shorted out with all the rain this last week. I will contact PUD soon and get the lights taken down but plan to wait till the snow is more gone.
Membership: we now have 29 paid members. We need another membership drive to get more, we are way down from last year.
NEW BUSINESS:
Events: At the last meeting we talked about the events the Chamber is sponsoring and actually doing.
4th of July :
I turned in an event application on the first week of Jan. It may be on the agenda this month. It is the same as last year no changes so it should be approved.
Parade: 10:00 am starting at the Legion ending at the Park with the option for those that want to turn off at 7th and Main are welcome to. We have updated the form and it is on the website and we have sent a few requests to the Stampede and the Fair asking for their entries in the parade. We need to contact the school and see if they would be interested in having their band in the parade.
VENDORS:
I have updated the vendor application and it is on the website and in the Chamber office and I also added it to the membership welcoming pamphlet I am sending out.
SALMON DERBY: We turned in an event application to the city in December and hope to be on the agenda at the City Council meeting this month. It should be approved as it is the same as last year.
We have heard from a few of the bigger sponsors and a few smaller ones and it is looking good for this year. The Salmon counts and predictions look excellent. We will have a booth at the Big Horn Show selling tickets and t shirts and promoting not only the event but the town and area as well.
TIRA HYDRO RACES : They have turned in an event application for Labor Day Weekend, we are waiting to make sure it is approved and will talk with them again to make sure they want the Chamber to handle the Vendors and maybe the live music. That was discussed at a previous meeting but nothing definite on that. I requested a copy of their event application to see if we need to put one in for the vendors or what . It is still a long ways off but need to work that out soon.
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HALLOWEEN: To far out to plan anything but the Chamber will do the Costume contest again
NOVEMBER -Small business Saturday will be like this last year
Now for what we are working on with the businesses to see if we can get them to do put on several big events this year:
We had a very nice discussion on these and Debby and Eilena have volunteered to help gather sponsors and vendors and get community support.
Cinco de May in May! I heard from a couple of businesses that are on board, we can help nudge them and we can host as long as they do the work!!!
No discussion about going forward with this so have tabled it for now
Labor Day Weekend:
I hope since the Tacoma Inboard Racing Association is bring they are bringing in the Hydos, and I hear the AirStream Campers group will be in town that weekend, businesses should step up and have more events up town and down at the park- LETS DO A BIG EVENT , make this Brewster’s annual festival!!! We have a great opportunity to do this up right! We need our businesses to do this and volunteers. The Chamber will host what we can, but we do not have the manpower to organize it nor carry it out!!! We could have a car show or how about trying to get RC planes as they will have RC boats I think, and maybe a street dance up town on Saturday night? Anyway just a thought, Mikes says he knows he cant do it but our town could.
We discussed this at length and think this could be made into the Yearly town festival. It was recommend NOT to call it the Hydro Fest as it needs to be inclusive for our town, the boats will just be a part of it. We need to be sure to either have this up town or if we can do part up town and part at the park that would be good. The thing is with the Hydros taking most of the park and the air stream campers taking the rest of the RV spots, it will need to be addressed if we can use the soccer field which in the past has been a no go from the city. Eilena has offered help to draw up a plan and present it to our businesses so at least we have help, it is a start.
But first we need a plan. Mike reminded them that the chamber does not have the manpower at this time to do this and it can ONLY be accomplished if the business are on board and do 99% of the work.
We will pursue this hot and heavy now and see if it is worth the Chambers time and effort to try to do this.
CONSTITUTION DAY Sept 17th I think the Chamber should have some type of event if nothing else some speakers or something
Nothing discussed on this
WINTER FESTIVAL: Manny suggested that the businesses step up and put on a nice Christmas, holiday event. Again, it is up to the businesses.
Mentioned, but winter festivals are very difficult in our area especially as we are experiencing one of the hardest ones we have had in years. We talked of it may be best to concentrate on starting with the Labor Day festival and go from there.
At this point we adjourned the meeting
ADJOURN: 7:15