Petition to Lanesboro Chamber Board

Please open this link 
to read original letter or see below, minus formatting. You can also sign this petition anonymously.

22 February 2021

Dear Chamber Board,

From recent comments (in a thread on the FB Business Promotion page initiated by Brooke Pfeffer over the Fall Into Lanesboro event) and recent important loss of chamber business memberships, it is clear that many of us are and have been concerned about how the chamber can more effectively work with non-chamber-member businesses for the benefit of our visitors and community. This specific issue, however, is just one part of our greater dissatisfaction with the chamber as a whole.

We acknowledge the hard and good work of the chamber, and that we need such an entity. We in turn, many of us chamber members, want acknowledgement that our concerns are valid and will be immediately addressed at the 2/24 retreat.

By March 1st, we want the chamber to communicate the following to the entire Lanesboro business community:

First, we want to know the 1) specific steps/changes, 2) measurable goals, and 3) timetable that it will implement to improve the following:

1) Communication expectations, including turnaround time for requests
2) Complaint mechanisms
3) Ways for non-members to not feel ostracized for non-membership and/or pressured to join the chamber
4) How non-chamber-member volunteers can easily and quickly access resources to effectively market community events

Second, we want clarification of the chamber's "Purpose" (bylaws) and "Mission/Vision" (lanesboro.com) statements in terms of their relationship to each other, to Lanesboro, and to the wider community beyond Lanesboro.

Third, we want the chamber to change its bylaws, allowing for two additional board members (for a total of 11) - one a non-member community representative, and the second a non-member business representative.

Fourth, we want more transparency, fiscal and otherwise, in the chamber's operations - please see the Addendum.

Our goals are two-fold, and positive. First, to create open dialogue that will ultimately result in a win-win for the chamber, chamber members, and community, as its goals and processes are clarified and made more transparent. Second, we believe that these changes will result in a stronger and better chamber that can win back disillusioned current and former chamber members. We believe that our requests are reasonable. Failing action on these items, however, we are prepared to enact additional pressures on the chamber.

Respectfully submitted,

Addendum (for Greater Transparency)

Greater governance transparency in minutes, financials, and membership data:

Minutes and financials posted to intranet within 7 days of board meetings (see below example for more on this).
Annual meeting minutes and financials posted to intranet within 7 days of annual meeting. (Currently none posted at all)
More detailed minutes.
Include the above documents as far back as available - not just for two years.
Consider hiring an assistant to keep on top of daily administrative tasks and, if necessary, reduce the director's hours/salary accordingly to facilitate this.
Greater transparency in membership reports at annual meetings. (2021 data was presented in a way that disguised the loss of business memberships.)

Greater governance transparency in staffing, salary, dues, and lodging tax:

In order to answer the questions of why Lanesboro's membership dues and payroll expenses are so much higher than surrounding towns, and any significant increases in them, we request that the chamber study and present publicly to Chamber Members the following:

(Note: We understand that Lanesboro will have higher costs than surrounding towns, but these costs should not be comparable to the significantly larger communities listed below)

Salary/payroll data from 2015-2021 showing apples to apples FTE comparison of:
Directors' and Co-Directors' salaries
Part-time staff salaries
Compensation of full and part-time staff in comparison to other Fillmore and Houston County chambers AND in comparison to Winona, LaCrosse, Decorah, and Rochester chambers.
Business membership dues comparison within Lanesboro from 2015-2021 and in comparison with Houston and Fillmore County chambers, and with Rochester, Winona, LaCrosse, and Decorah.
Chamber industry standard for what percentage of budget should be devoted to payroll, and where Lanesboro fits in that.
Chamber industry standard for membership dues as a percentage of budget, and where Lanesboro fits with that.

Statement on intranet explaining how lodging tax works, how much goes to Chamber, and what percentage of annual budget it is. (Note: at present it is apparently not a separate line item in the budget and it appears that the entire membership dues and lodging tax cover the director's salary - is this correct?)

EXAMPLE:

The information below is taken from "LACC Essential Activities" on the intranet.

Here is information on its current status:

Annual Meetings = no data
Financials 2021 = no folder
Financials 2020 = only 2 2021 items
Financials 2019 = dead link
Lodging Tax Report = access locked
Minutes 2021 = no folder
Minutes 2020 = October missing
Minutes Archive = December missing
ED Reports 2021 = no folder
ED Reports 2020 = many months missing
ED Reports Archive = dead link
Talent Teams 2021 = no folder
Talent Teams 2020 = dead hyperlink
Talent Teams Archive = dead hyperlink