Members of the city's legal committee recommended further study of the proposed agreement with the Roswell Hispano Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Roswell.
Both groups have requested funding from the city to provide assistance during the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.
Edward Heldenbrand, chairman of the legal affairs committee, explained that his committee is focusing on the form, content and language used in these contracts, while the finance committee, which is scheduled to meet on Thursday, is concerned about the financial aspects of these contracts.
Main Street Roswell is seeking $75,000, with some of that money to cover the salary of someone working part-time as an assistant to help with the increased workload.
The UFO Festival, currently hosted by Main Street Roswell and attended by many segments of the community, is not specifically mentioned in the document, nor are other Main Street events held throughout the year, such as the Main Street Roswell Farmers Market and the Chili Cheese Festival.
The staff report explains that removing such references will allow the city and Main Street to “focus on moving forward with our relationship with the City of Roswell and emphasize how we will work together, rather than specific issues.”
“The UFO Festival is a Roswell event,” City Councilman Robert Corn said, “It's not a city event. We don't sponsor it, but we support it.”
Main Street Executive Director Barbara Gomez said the group's relationship with city government has changed: After taking a leading role for the past few years, the city stepped back from its leadership this year.
The city provides funding and support for the UFO Festival.
“I don't think we have a problem with communication now,” she told committee members last week, noting that it was difficult to get in touch with city officials before.
MainStreet also provides programs to promote business retention and economic development, such as spearheading beautification efforts, working with the city to prepare and apply for resources and grants, and maintaining an inventory of properties available for sale or rent.
The Hispano Chamber of Commerce requested $50,000 to “provide services to businesses and expand business and economic development in our area.”
Adam Villegas of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce said his organization is open to adjusting the agreement. He also said an audit of the group's financial records is ongoing.
The organization is involved in community activities and supports many local programs. Donations can include monetary, labor, or other forms of support.
The need to more than double the organization's membership is being addressed. In April, the Hispano Chamber of Commerce reported only about 80 members. The goal is to reach 200 within the next few months.
Part of the proposed agreement provided to legal committee members for review included the Hispano Chamber of Commerce’s responsibility to find and identify “educational opportunities for local small businesses related to business improvement, business marketing and promoting business growth opportunities.”
Workers will also have the opportunity to identify their career paths, find jobs and increase their marketability in the workplace.
Other specific responsibilities include helping businesses use online tools such as internet marketing and social media for advertising, as well as offering specialized leadership courses with a “community-focused mission of developing future community leaders.”
Heldenbrand asked why so many local organizations are working to retain and develop employees, including the Hispano Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Roswell, as well as the Roswell Chamber of Commerce and the Roswell-Chavez County Economic Development Corporation.
Councilman Juan Oropesa, who was the executive director of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce for a time, said that during his time in the position, many local businesspeople were members of both chambers at the same time. For those who don't speak English, the Hispano Chamber can also provide information about other opportunities for these area residents.
“The community is ready to support both parties,” Oropesa stressed.
Villegas said meetings have been held between the two chambers, each of which has its own type, process and targeted services to assist learners with special needs.
“We want to provide different levels of education to the Hispanic community,” he explained.
“(We) don't think we're holding people back … at the moment.”
Heldenbrand said it was important for these groups to pursue “different means” to achieve their goals, explaining that “interaction has to happen” to offer different programs.
The Hispano Chamber of Commerce announced in April that this year's Cinco de Mayo celebrations would have to be canceled due to a lack of volunteers, with the announcement being accompanied by a promise to return to the event in 2025. Community events such as Día de los Muertes and the Piñata Festival are also the result of the efforts of the Hispano Chamber.
Both the Hispano Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Roswell have been asked to submit additional documents for review by the Finance Committee, which is scheduled to meet Thursday.
In April, the Law Commission postponed a decision on the allocation of the city to the Hispano Chamber of Commerce until a meeting held last week.
“The situation is very different compared to where (the Hispano Chamber of Commerce) was a month and a half ago,” Villegas stressed.
