Now it’s up to Town Manager David Hollis and Tourism Development Authority Director Glenda Browning to see if they can convince developers and other business owners to pony up some money.
Browning had originally suggested the idea to the town council. If approved for the state-run program, the town would pay $10,000 for a five-year commitment to take advantage of the program’s significant advertising reach.
“Being that we are in the middle of the greatest place to live, we know that we would benefit from others living here, as well,” Browning said. “We feel that it is important that we look at opportunities not just (of people) coming to play here, but … business people who would like to bring businesses here.”
The council’s original hesitancy stemmed from worry about image, that, in fact, Leland was much more than a place for retirees to settle. Indeed, community leaders were more interested in attracting families, council agreed last week.
Not too worry, Browning told the panel on Thursday. “If you look at what’s happening, we are already getting people 50 and above,” she said. “What’s happening is their families are following, and because they have moved here, they are also requiring services. When you have services, those entities that provide them … are run by working people, not retirees. Retirees bring the families; it’s a domino effect.”
Already-existing promotion of Leland as an active community will not change, she said.
The program is state-run and involves a considerably detailed grant-application process that Browning estimated might take up to a year to complete. Winning a grant would mean Leland’s “inclusion in all of the state promotions that they do in other places. It would be cost effective for us to be a part of that group (of communities) that get that ‘extra,'” she said.
Brunswick County has a considerable number of tourism destinations; Leland does not. “We look for opportunities like this so we are able to say, ‘hey, this is where you need to come,” Browning said. “We are close to everything, and are within a day’s drive of doing anything imaginable.”
The TDA is funded by a hotel occupancy tax, money which cannot be spent on the application, so the money would presumably come from town coffers. State-level administrators, however, suggest towns partner with the private sector, both to help with the expense and to ensure greater participation in the program.
Browning and Hollis will be visiting some possible business partners in the weeks ahead, trying to line up the funding before a final decision is reached on making application.
“We will be going to (developments) saying, ‘give us X amount of dollars for this fee,'” Hollis said. Their payback will come, he said, when people relocate here.
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