Convention center: No policy proposed in case of reservation dispute

HOLLIDAYSBURG — A committee appointed two months ago to review a policy on booking local events at the Blair County Convention Center made no recommendations Wednesday.

But convention center executive director Tom Schilling and Doug Simon, owner of the Lakemont Park Casino, agreed to meet and review what Schilling said Wednesday was a limited number of local reservations at the convention center.

Simon, on behalf of himself and other area businesses capable of hosting events and providing meals, challenged the convention center’s booking of local events as unfair competition.

Unlike local business owners, the convention center — built with significant support from state and federal grants — pays no property taxes and receives about $250,000 a year in tax revenue from the county.

Although the centre was built to attract businesses and individuals to the county, it hosted local events that Simon said could have been booked at private venues.

Convention Center Authority member Ron Beatty — appointed in July to chair a committee to consider a policy to accommodate local businesses — told the authority Wednesday that he called a committee meeting with fellow authority members Donna Gority, Jamie Van Buren and Matt Stuckey, who offered no support.

“But Ron, at that meeting, you did not propose such a policy,” Gority told Beatty Wednesday. “The only thing you suggested was to add an administrative surcharge (fee) to the fees.”

Beatty said he had proposed adding a “local use fee” to the convention center’s local reservation fees. He suggested the fee would be a way to offset the convention center’s advantage over private businesses that pay local property taxes and don’t collect a resort tax.

“So this is the policy you think should be put in place?” Gority asked.

“That should be the start,” Beatty replied.

After the meeting, Beatty said committee members did not offer any counterproposals.

Gority recalled at the meeting that Beatty had asked committee members for their opinions.

“I thought we had a policy that we would definitely market outside the zone and the periphery,” Gority said.

Although local organizations, residents and businesses hold events at the convention center, Schilling has long argued that it’s not because it’s sought after.

“We’re not going after anybody (locally),” Schilling said at Wednesday’s meeting. “They’re knocking on the door.”

Van Buren said Wednesday that the convention center typically sets prices that cover event expenses and generate money for building repairs, equipment purchases and other needs.

“I think we already have a facility fee built into every deal,” Van Buren said.

Simon told officials he makes the same effort to prepare bids for events interested in the Lakemont Park Casino. But unlike the convention center, Simon said he also has to consider property taxes.

In his presentation Wednesday, Simon stressed that he does not object to the convention center receiving funds from the tourist tax.

“This property was designed to attract people to our community…to experience all that is great about Blair County, to stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants and visit the unique attractions of the area. Its mission is to put heads in beds and that is what allows this property to make money through the resort tax,” he said.

In his closing remarks to the authority, he suggested a competition policy based on a simple criterion: if an event does not put heads in beds, then it should not be booked at the convention center.

During the officials’ meeting, Schilling also offered to meet with Simon and further review information about local convention center reservations that may or may not be available for other venues for various reasons.

“I know we just sent you two weddings, one of which was a relative of mine,” Schilling said.

Simon told Schilling he would meet with him, prompting the two men to agree that they would like to see the problem resolved so they could devote their time to operating their respective facilities.

Beatty complimented Schilling and told him he was doing an excellent job and accomplishing the job he was hired to do.

“I think it’s the council’s responsibility to give you guidance on what local businesses are,” Beatty said. “I think the council should have a clearly defined policy that you can use to make decisions … to (look for) what kind of businesses you need to keep the place open, but also to not step on the toes of local businesses that pay property taxes and don’t get a share of the local occupancy tax.”

Gority, who chaired the meeting in Taddei’s absence, later responded: “Then come back with a policy proposal.”