The continued growth of sports tourism in Scottsbluff County and the possible creation of a paid position to guide that growth was a major topic of discussion at Monday afternoon’s work session of the County Commission.
Commissioner Charlie Napper, the tourism committee’s county commission liaison, gave a presentation that featured statistics and recommendations culled from a playbook provided by a sports tourism consulting firm.
Highlights of the lengthy discussion that followed included a strong recommendation from Napper to establish a sports commission for Scottsbluff County and hire an executive director to advance the county in the sports tourism market.
Napper envisioned that until the sports commission becomes self-sustaining, which he believes could happen in five years or less, the total benefits for the position would be between $85,000 and $100,000, funded by a variety of sources, including the tourism budget.
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Whether the proposed director would be employed by the county, the sports commission or another nonprofit was subject to further consultation with stakeholders and legal counsel.
But the economic impact of a well-managed sporting event makes the cost of hiring such professionals well worth it, Napper said. He said Western Nebraska is well positioned to fill a void in the mutual aid market, with existing sporting events already bringing in about $300,000 in spending to the region over a weekend alone.
“The return on investment will be higher than any tourism-related activity we’ve seen so far, except for the balloon festival,” he said.
Attendees, including local tourism experts, were generally in favor of considering Napper’s plan but agreed that more planning and discussion is needed to work out the plan’s logistics and legal requirements.
“I think it’s a great idea, but it’s just going to take a little bit of time to put it all together,” said County Council Chairman Ken Meyer. “I think the end result is going to be really good.”
Napper indicated he is willing to move the issue forward. “Scottsbluff County is my home and this is very important to me,” he said. “I truly believe we are brimming with opportunity.”
Also at the meeting, Commissioner Mark Harris gave a brief update on the county’s efforts to develop regulations for renewable energy projects. Commissioner Harris said Building and Zoning Director Bill Mabin and Attorney Phil Kelly are working on the policy and will provide an update at the commission’s Aug. 19 meeting.
In response to Reginald Preston’s public comments, Harris said Kelly would also answer questions about the legality of the county’s moratorium on solar project applications, which was issued in January and extended in June.
Preston, whose family is involved in the rejected Situla Energy project, has questioned multiple times since the renewal whether the commission has the legal authority to impose a moratorium, but the commission has yet to respond.
Commissioners meet the first and third Monday of each month at 4:30 p.m. on the second floor of the County Administration Building.
The county commission also set tentative dates for its 2025 budget workshops, which will be open to the public. Three sessions are scheduled for Aug. 13, 14 and 21 from 1 to 7 p.m. The third session is a fallback if an agenda cannot be finalized by Aug. 14.
Board members expressed an intention to minimize spending increases over last year’s budget and to avoid another “pink postcard meeting.” Harris noted that rising property assessments and other factors shouldn’t affect how much the county spends.
“Our spending (increases) should be in the 2 percent range,” Harris said. “As long as we stay within the 2 percent increase range, I think we’ve done what we need to do.”
Contact Fletcher Halfaker: fletcher.halfaker@starherald.com, 308-632-9048.
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