MANISTEE — A new committee has been established to ensure large events continue to take place in the city of Manistee.
Manistee City Council took action during its Dec. 19 meeting to create an ad hoc committee to make actionable recommendations regarding major events to city council.
“Events typically involve an initial expense, planning, a commitment to fundraising as well as a commitment to recruit and manage volunteers to work at the event,” Gambill said in a Dec. 15 memo to council members. “Several stakeholders have been identified as either involved in events in Manistee or are interested in ensuring that events continue and are successful.”
Council member Cindy Lundberg was designated to serve on the committee through a unanimous vote.
According to an agenda for the meeting, the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts will no longer act as the fiduciary for the Victorian Sleighbell Parade and Old Christmas Weekend.
Gambill said in the memo members of the Sleighbell Committee are interested in starting a 501(c)(3) to accept donations and fulfill the role themselves.
While the Ramsdell served as fiduciary for the past two Sleighbell weekends, Nancy Ferguson, board chair, said in an email to the News Advocate it was never intended to be a permanent arrangement.
“The RRCA agreed to serve as the fiduciary for the Sleighbell Committee while they worked to establish themselves as an independent organization under their own 501(c)(3) status,” Ferguson said. “We were happy to support their efforts as we recognized and appreciated the value of the Victorian Sleighbell Parade and Old Christmas Weekend to the community. It also complemented our programming at the Ramsdell.”
Victorian Sleighbell Parade and Old Christmas Weekend is estimated to bring 15,000 to 20,000 people to downtown Manistee.
Gambill said in the memo the committee may include the following individuals and/or representatives from the following organizations:
Lukaskiewicz said during the public comment portion of the meeting she was in support of the city taking on more involvement with events such as Sleighbell Weekend.
“The Victorian Sleighbell Parade has so much more potential, given its uniqueness and its specificity to downtown Manistee,” she said, “but it needs more representation from Manistee so we can grow it, make it even better and create a truly Victorian culture around that one weekend a year.
“… This is not about Manistee stroking a check to pay for this event, but rather having oversight for an event that is uniquely Manistee, belongs in Manistee and should be run by Manistee so we can grow it to its fullest so hotels, retailers, restaurants, charities and the city all succeed.”
