SIDNEY -- In the April 7 county commissioners meeting, the Cheyenne County Commissioners discussed proposed changes in the Tourism Director position and Visitor Board.

The changes will be viewed for approval in the next  commissioners meeting. 

Cheyenne County Tourism Director Kendra Mitchell said she has been working with County Attorney Amber Horn as well as reviewing other counties and the State. She discussed with the commissioners proposed changes to the Tourism Director job description, Visitors Committee bylaws, Visitors Committee member job description and application, grant policies and guidelines and the grant agreement templates.

"The first one on the list is the job description, and I've updated that from the existing job description. The big changes include my role in relation to the Visitors Committee, and then also adding the role of Grant Administrator to the position," Mitchell said.

She said the other job description did not include maintaining the Visitor Center, so that was added as well.

She said as Grant Administrator, the Tourism Director would be responsible for compliance and following the rules for the grants. She said the Grant Agreement will provide more formal documentation on what is being funded.

The new structure provides for the Visitor Committee to meet quarterly, and presentations by organizations to be limited to 10 minutes each.

Commissioner Randy Miller said he concerned that the executive committee of the Visitor Committee has only two officers: Mitchell said she has not had an executive committee meeting since she took the role of Tourism Director. 

"The only thing I've ever used the executive committee for is to approve the agendas when I write them, send them. And it's only been Brooke (DeNovellis). We haven't had a vice-chairman since I came into this position," she said.

Miller said since it is in the bylaws, it is highly important the Visitor Committee has a chairman and a vice-chairman. Mitchell said the State Statute does require the executive committee.

The commissioners also expressed the importance of receipts for grants.

The commissioners and Mitchell also discussed how advertising is used; local, within 50 miles or 100 miles or more.

"The State and North Platte are 100-mile. They won't support anything within 100 miles of the event. [In Cheyenne County] local advertising is still eligible for funding. They must prove they are advertising outside of the 50-mile radius," Mitchell said. 

The commissioners also encouraged Mitchell to meet with each of the Visitor Committee members.