Lodging fee up for bid
Published 8:22 pm Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Details are still being ironed out for the city of Selma contract with the Selma-Dallas County YMCA — a contract that is giving the YMCA 75 percent of the revenues from a city lodging fee, mostly contributed by tourists.
Due to state standards, city attorney Jimmy Nunn said the council would need to bid out this contract first and then at the next council meeting vote on what person or organization would receive the funding.
“We wouldn’t be in violation, but we know that the amount [the YMCA] would be receiving would exceed the $15,000 mark,” Nunn said. “As it regards to the contract funding the YMCA will be receiving, they will still receive it on the scheduled date.”
The city made bids available on March 11 and will be opening the bids on March 25, the day before the next scheduled council meeting.
The city is opening up bids to all organizations that offer programs for health and fitness. These organizations must be within the Selma city limits or within police jurisdiction lines.
“Hopefully we can vote on the award to whoever it will be and also in that award we will go ahead and vote on the contract for the individual or the company that receives the funding,” Nunn said and then he apologized for the inconvenience and said, “The correction is something that we had to do.”
Because the contract to award funding is retroactive, Nunn told the council that he didn’t think the delay of the contract details would delay or interfere at all with the YMCA getting funding.
The increased lodging fee officially went into effect for hotels within city limits on Feb. 1.
The YMCA would receive its first payment from the fee on April 1, if selected during the bidding process.