City exploring using hotel-motel money for convention center
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

Jasper's city council approved a study to look into the possibility of using hotel-motel tax funds for the construction and maintenance of a convention center in Jasper.

According to Jasper City Manager Alan Grindstaff, a local hotel owner approached city staff with the idea and it was presented to council during the Nov. 13 council meeting.

"I think we need this soon and we need some type of a pavilion for this town," said Councilman Joe Clyde Adams. "If this is going to be a tourist town, then we need some type of a center. I think the city needs to go forward and bring us some more information that might help us along."

In this first stage, city staff is now expected to see how much it would take to construct and maintain such a facility.

"I would like to see this pursued," said Councilman Tommy Adams. "We need to see if this is feasible and I know we should have it."

Jasper Mayor David Barber pointed out this is just the first step in the process and final costs for the project have not even been planned.

"The staff wanted the council's direction on this issue before they spent a lot of time on it," Barber said. "Once they come up with a plan and costs, it will be brought back to the council for a final decision."

City staff has completed a cursory look at using the funds to build and maintain a convention center with a draft budget. According to city staff, benefits to the convention center would be:

Attraction for larger groups

Focal point Benefit local citizens

Indoor graduations

Opens another door to get people to come to Jasper

Improved facility for tournament registrations

Championship dinners.

One member of Jasper's business community disagreed with council's decision to proceed with this study. During the opening remarks portion of the meeting, Tim Berryman spoke out against using the hotel-motel money for a convention center.

"We have facilities in this area that are used to host events," said Berryman, owner of Catfish Cabin. "Before we try to build a convention center that we don't know if it will be Ford Park in Beaumont, I think we should utilize what we have. We need to grow the industries that the hotelmotel tax in meant for. It's meant to get tourist and bass tournaments in here. I don't want to be collateral damage to the money being spent wrong."