There will be some continuity with the Ponoka and District Chamber of Commerce for 2019.
At the organization’s monthly meeting on Dec. 18, hosted by Siding 14 Brewing, the present executive were acclaimed following no other nominations being brought forward.
That means Barry Grant remains president, treasurer Pam Baron and directors Judy Dick, Dan Lea, Mike Ro, Inger Laing and Melodie Helm will stay on their positions, while Kaliana Johnston becomes the new vice-president.
However, that doesn’t mean there is isn’t a chance for someone to come on board and contribute. The Chamber allows for up to 12 directors, so that leaves seven open for anyone wishing to add their voice to the organization.
“From a board of directors perspective, it would be great to have a few more directors to possibly bring some fresh ideas,” Grant said.
He noted the time commitment is one early morning meeting each month then assisting with the Chamber’s two large events — the business awards and the trade show.
The membership also voted in favour of a special resolution that rescinded the present bylaws and adopted an updated version. The bylaws had not been updated since 1998 and required changes to update the language used as well as to how the Chamber presently operates.
Budget
The membership also approved the 2019 budget that Baron presented at the meeting.
“We were fairly conservative in our financial projections for 2019, given the economic conditions,” she stated.
Overall, next year’s budget is estimated at close to $104,000 with a projected $379 surplus.
Membership fees of $26,000 represent the largest revenue item while office operations at $38,000 — nearly the same as in 2018 — is the biggest single expense.
Other significant revenue is expected to come from the trade show at $13,000 (about $3,000 less than was realized in 2018) and the annual business awards at $4,200 (about $3,500 less than was made in 2018).
There were two items that were added to the budget for next year in the form of creating more networking and business information opportunities in addition to potentially hosting some political forums.
Grant explained that with the potential of having both a provincial and federal election in 2019, it was felt that setting aside some funds — around $2,000 — to hold some forums would be a good step to take. Meanwhile, another $2,000 is being set aside in order for the Chamber to bring in a couple of speakers to continue what was started this year.
“We, as an executive, believe it is important to focus on these kind of networking aspects and to try to improve and expand on our other current activities,” Grant said.
The next monthly meeting will be the organization’s annual general meeting, scheduled for Jan. 8 at a venue to be determined.
jordie.dwyer@ponokanews.com
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