_{Thumbnail photo: Among its contribution to the chamber this year was an extra $5,000 to help pay for the July 4th fireworks. | Photo courtesy of the Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce}

Two days after the local chamber of commerce and visitors bureau brought 300 classic cars to Del Norte County, the Crescent City Council approved the first formal agreement the two agencies have had in decades.

The memorandum of agreement between the Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce and the city formalizes its $107,000 total contribution to the chamber. 

But councilors weren’t sure they could swing an additional $3,000 allocation for the visitors center even after Chamber Executive Director Cindy Vosburg said that hasn’t increased in about 11 years.

“One of the things this MOU has is $22,000 earmarked for the visitor center,” Vosburg said Monday, adding that the funding would help pay for the visitor center’s two employees. “If we can get $25,000 from the city and $25,000 from the county and we make about $10,000 in sales in souvenirs and banana slugs and stickers in the visitor center, that will almost cover the cost of running the visitor center.”

Councilors were also unable to decide whether they would approve Vosburg’s request for an additional $3,000 as part of the city’s budget for the 2027-28 fiscal year. Councilor Jason Greenough thanked Vosburg for her eight years of work with the chamber, but said he couldn’t make a decision “with the current environment in our community.”
“I would love to revisit this when we have the budget-to-actuals,” he said.

According to City Manager Eric Wier, in addition to the $22,000 that goes toward operating the visitor center, the city’s $107,000 contribution also includes $80,000 for the Visitors Bureau and $5,000 for Fourth of July fireworks. 

The $80,000 to the Visitors Bureau also allows it to employ a marketing agent, Lynnette Braillard, of LuLish Design, to market Crescent City as a visitor destination. The Visitors Bureau also promotes city-sponsored events and community activities and maintains a website with information for visitors.

Crescent City also allows the visitor center to occupy the Cultural Center rent free while its staff offer support for events such as the Fourth of July.

The $5,000 contribution for the July 4th fireworks came from a request Vosburg made to the City Council in March, stating that the cost for the display in 2026 had increased to nearly $40,000.

“Over the course of time, the cost for services are going to go up, but they might not go up equally,” Wier said. “Within this MOA, it also stipulates the events they put on: Fourth of July, Sea Cruise, the annual awards dinner and the economic summit — the city will at least assist with Fourth of July and Sea Cruise.”

In response to a question from Councilman Steve Shamblin, the city manager said that apart from the $5,000 increase the City Council approved earlier this year, the last recent increase in funding was $30,000 a few years ago to augment the Visitors Bureau. 

Shamblin asked if the Visitors Bureau had looked elsewhere to see if there was “something better out there.”

“I’m thinking if somebody can do it better (and) cheaper,” he said.

Wier noted that Braillard not only has institutional knowledge that creates cost effectiveness, she also is a marketing agent for the city’s RV park.

Shamblin’s colleague, Mayor Pro Tem Candace Tinkler, Redwood National and State Parks’ former chief of interpretation, said she has a background as part of her previous career in marketing. Braillard works way beyond the hours she’s contracted for, Tinkler said. The website is vibrant and it’s succeeded in bringing people to Del Norte County, she said.

“The work we are receiving is phenomenal compared to the price we’re paying,” Tinkler said of the Visitors Bureau. “We have people working for us that are bringing in travel writers from all over the U.S. and beyond…. We’re getting more bang for our buck.”

In response to the Council’s reservations about the additional $3,000 for the visitors center, Wier acknowledged that the budget is tight. Crescent City Finance Director is still putting together a report on the budget-to-actual numbers from the 2025-26 fiscal year, Wier said. He expects that report to be presented to the City Council in November

Vosburg pointed to a report she gave to the City Council in March where she noted that visitors bring about $1.9 million to Crescent City and Del Norte County in transiency occupancy tax revenue annually. The Visitors Bureau operates on an annual budget of $182,000, Vosburg told the City Council in March.