Flanders picks B&B owner for VCVB board position|[11/17/06]

Published 12:00 am Friday, November 17, 2006

Warren County District 4 Supervisor Carl Flanders presented bed and breakfast inn owner Harry Sharp Thursday as a candidate to fill one of two vacant county seats on the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau board, a move that brought dissent from two county board members.

The name of Sharp, operator of The Duff Green Mansion, was one of three submitted by the newly revived restaurant association this month and one of several passed onto Flanders by the tourism council of the Vicksburg Warren Community Alliance.

If nominated and appointed, it would be the second time the Miami native and resident of Vicksburg since 1985 has served on the tourism promotion board.

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&#8220We need to get beyond what’s been going on (on the VCVB board) and think positive,” Sharp said of the strife that has gripped the 11-member board much of the year. Much of it stems from the decision to outsource its management functions.

Another point of contention has been the influence of the Alliance’s tourism council on public officials’ appointments to the panel.

Shortly after Sharp left the meeting room, District 3 Supervisor Charles Selmon and District 2 Supervisor William Banks criticized Flanders for following the Alliance’s lead on a nominee.

&#8220I didn’t want to say this in front of him, but, I think, Carl, you’ve manipulated this process well,” Selmon said.

Banks’ nomination to the board has remained in limbo since his efforts to replace former board member Bobby Doyle with former city appointee Bobbie Bingham Morrow fell flat, with a 3-2 vote by the full Board and later when an attorney general’s opinion reinforced that a majority vote is needed to confirm appointees despite vagueness in the law that created the VCVB.

&#8220I didn’t want to hear anything this guy had to say. I think you’re just following orders. That’s all you are doing,” Banks said to Flanders during a heated 15-minute exchange.

Flanders pledged not to officially nominate Sharp and to hold to an uncodified gentleman’s agreement that board presidents not offer motions.

District 1 Supervisor David McDonald said later that if a motion to nominate Sharp is offered by another supervisor, he will support it because of Sharp’s closeness to the tourism industry.

The VCVB discussion followed by days a specially called meeting and executive session Monday for which the public was not notified. Chairman Nelda Sampey said personnel matters were discussed and the failure to notify the public was an oversight by a VCVB staff member, who notified board members of the meeting.

Sampey said the board voted to contract with an attorney to update the VCVB employee handbook, adjust the salaries of two bureau employees and move one part-time employee to full-time status. The board also discussed employee insurance coverage. Board members attending were Sampey, Omar Nelson, Patty Cappaert, David Maggio, Elmeree Bradley, David Maggio, Bill Collins and Lamar Roberts.

Sampey said board secretary Patty Cappaert had the minutes from the meeting, but Cappaert could not be reached despite repeated calls over three days this week.

The volunteer board is comprised of 11 members, five from the Board of Mayor and Alderman, five from the Board of Supervisors and one joint city/county appointment. The board was created to spend the 1 percent tourism tax collected countywide on tourism development.