Latest news with #SSCVA
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
SSCVA hears how Indiana legislative action will affect tourism, region
At its monthly meeting Thursday, the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority board heard how items passed during Indiana's legislative session will affect the region's tourism. 'More questions came out of this session than answers,' said Andrew Miller, managing principal for Bose Public Affairs, which prepared the presentation Thursday. Miller and Phil Siscuso, principal for Bose Public Affairs, highlighted four items that were part of Gov. Mike Braun's agenda during the legislative session: tax reform, government efficiencies, economic growth and health care. Government efficiencies take a business-like approach to government, Miller said, and he believes the Braun administration made that a priority. During the Indiana General Assembly, Miller said officials focused on how to prepare for a 'data center economy' and energy costs. 'Data centers are huge consumers of energy,' Miller said. 'Is Indiana prepared for that?' Energy conversations also tie in with economic growth, Miller said. Miller and Siscuso also highlighted the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission, which was created this legislative session as part of House Enrolled Act 1292, written by Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago. The commission will be tasked with exploring and implementing strategies to attract sports franchises to the region. According to Post-Tribune archives, the commission would have 17 members, including mayors from East Chicago, Gary, Hammond, Michigan City, LaPorte, Portage and South Bend, while the remaining members would be appointed by various people, including the executive director of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, and Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph county leaders. Both Miller and Siscuso said the commission will be beneficial for Northwest Indiana. Miller also mentioned Senate Enrolled Act 1, which creates property tax reform in Indiana. The effects of Senate Enrolled Act 1 are still yet to be fully known statewide. The group highlighted economic growth and government efficiency because this legislative session fell during a budget year, Siscuso said. The Indiana General Assembly creates a two-year budget every other year. 'One thing that came at the end of session that's more evident was that we're running a bit lower on tax revenues than the state had anticipated, and government efficiency took over the statehouse for the last two weeks,' Siscuso said. This year, the Indiana Destination Development Corporation's budget was cut to $3 million from $20 million, he added. The IDDC is Indiana's state tourism organization. Phil Taillon, president and CEO of the SSCVA, said it's more important than ever that the organization is more efficient with money from its innkeepers tax. Nicole Wolverton, chief financial officer, said Thursday that the reported innkeepers tax for April — which reflects February's numbers — was more than $50,000 less than it was in 2024. The SSCVA also received about $23,000 less in gross payments, bringing the organization more than $70,000 down from what was collected in 2024. In January and February, Wolverton shared that numbers decreased for the final two months of 2024 as well. Although innkeepers tax numbers decreased, Wolverton said the organization is still on track for appropriations. When Braun was in Munster for a chamber of commerce luncheon, Taillon said they talked about tourism in Northwest Indiana. 'I told him that we're really focused on how we get dollars from Chicago to Northwest Indiana,' Taillon said. 'Tourism dollars are so important for driving and growing communities or regions, and (Braun) feels the same way.' At the SSCVA's March meeting, the board reduced funding for Festival of the Lakes in Hammond and Pierogi Fest in Whiting, according to Post-Tribune archives. The board approved a $15,000 sponsorship of Festival of the Lakes when they usually pay $20,000. The reduced funding came as result of a lawsuit with former President and CEO Speros Batistatos. The organization has spent almost a quarter of a million dollars in the ongoing legal battle, which only covers one law firm involved, Barnes and Thornberg, according to Post-Tribune archives. Batistatos sued the SSCVA one month after it fired him, alleging the organization violated the law while handling his contract renegotiations due to his age and misspent federal Payroll Protection Plan funds in violation of the CARES Act, which the board disputes.
Chicago Tribune
19-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Convention authority reduces funding for two big festivals because of fees from lawsuit with former CEO
The South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority will reduce funding help for two of the area's biggest festivals because of its ongoing lawsuit with its former CEO. This year's smaller SSCVA sponsorships for two of Northwest Indiana's biggest festivals – Festival of the Lakes in Hammond and Pierogi Fest in Whiting – prompted President and CEO Phil Taillon to consider changing the application process, he told the CVA board during its Thursday afternoon meeting. Having previously paid $20,000 for a high-level Festival of the Lakes sponsorship, the organization will be able to give only $10,000 to it this year and $5,000 to Pierogi Fest, he said. The lesser sponsorship amounts, Taillon said, are directly tied to the SSCVA's lawsuit between it and former President and CEO Speros Batistatos. 'We've had some additional expenses with the lawsuit, attorney fees we're dealing with,' he said. 'It's capacity building, but we're going to have one year where things are normal and another where we can't give as much. But I'm OK – I'm basing the decreases on past events.' Board member Bernie Grisolia asked whether the board would consider giving Festival of the Lakes $15,000 since $10,000 is 'kind of an insult.' Chief Financial Officer Nicole Wolverton concurred with Taillon that the money isn't there right now. '(The sponsorship amount) has been on the budget,' she said. '(The legal bills) are hundreds of thousands of dollars that have been making me nervous.' Taillon said he envisions the new process as having the 19 Lake County municipalities submitting their events for which they want sponsorship by a proposed time each year so the CVA can plan the funding all at once. Because the events are scattered throughout the year, however, he conceded handling the process that way 'won't work perfectly.' 'So you're saying there's only a $20,000 budget?' board member Matt Schuffert asked, to which Taillon said they were talking only about Festival of the Lakes and Pierogi Fest. 'This lawsuit is costing us so much money. Hopefully next year, we'll be past it.' The board then voted unanimously to put Merrillville Board Member Dena Patena in charge of a committee to create a sponsorship process. Schuffert then asked about funding for the Gary Air Show. Chief of Events and Facilities Kristin Taylor said that the air show is different because the CVA runs it while the city of Gary provides money, in-kind donations or both. This year, the city will provide an in-kind donation of security; last year, it provided security as well as a $50,000 donation, she said. With the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds – and its $100,000 price tag — coming back to the event this year, the CVA will need more than the $580,000 it raised in sponsorships and donations last year for 2025, Taylor said. So far, the money isn't coming in as quickly as they hoped. 'It stinks to say, but I think it being the 'Gary Air Show' is deterring it,' Taylor said. The South Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau has spent almost a quarter of a million dollars in its ongoing legal battle with Batistatos — and that only covers one of the law firms involved, the Post-Tribune previously reported. An analysis of some of the legal bills the tourism agency has racked up in the litigation reveals that it's so far paid $237,835.80 between 2021 and November to Indianapolis-based Barnes and Thornburg, which is representing the SSCVA as an entity. For the month of February, the CVA paid Barnes & Thornburg $100.50 in 'February legal services' and Hammond-based attorney firm Westland & Bennett $2,805, according to the CVA's April claims register. Westland & Bennett Principal Dave Westland is representing Board President Andy Qunell, Board Members Brent Brashier, Matt Maloney, Schuffert and former Board member Tom Dabertin individually in the suit. Batistatos sued the SSCVA on August 29, 2022 — a month after it fired him — alleging it violated the law in the handling of his contract renegotiations due to his age as well as misspent federal Payroll Protection Plan funds in violation of the CARES Act, a claim the board disputes. The SSCVA budgeted $150,000 in its legal line item for 2025, though it's able to make appropriations from other funds in its $6,614,250 2025 budget. The entity is not a publicly funded agency, but is funded through casino and hotel tax revenues, according to its website. In other business, the CVA awarded unanimously several contracts for facility repairs, including a $29,889 contract to Hammond-based Gluth Brothers for a new roof; a $11,950 contract to Crown Point-based Bellsom Electronics to replace the center's outdoor flood lighting; a $22,680 contract to Cover-Rite Flooring in Crown Point for new carpeting in the upstairs offices; and $431,800 contract with Tri Electronics in Hammond for AV system upgrades to the center's exhibition hall, theater and boardroom. The projects will be paid for out of a $2 million bond the CVA took out when former CVA President Dave Uran was at the helm.
