There is a clue that councilman Jay Manning gave at the end of the February 20 meeting, when he asked to discuss the city's fee schedule at a future meeting.
He seemed a bit hedgey about it. He didn't act like he wanted to elaborate. Is there a secret or a big announcement? What, pray tell, does he want to discuss that he didn't want to talk about then and there.
I was not figuratively on the edge of my seat, trying to guess what the discussion would be about.
But I'm going to venture a guess, right here.
When Mr. Manning, head of GOBC, was running for office in 2016, one of the things that gave him heartburn was the Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs banquets and their demise and destruction. (Sorry, some snark crept it. Jeepers, I try to keep it from slipping out, but there it is.) Not that he had a problem with the banquets, not a'tall. I wonder how many military affairs banquets he has attended in the last several years? Hmmm?
Seeds were sown for this about two years ago, when the big rumbling between the council and the chamber was at its loudest. The poor, pitiful, victim of a chamber of commerce, just couldn't have its way and keep using the civic center because the council made fee changes for ALL, not just them. (Sooo, sooo, unfair, y'all!!) Mark Peterson, then one of the Military Affairs committee leaders, said in an open meeting that summer that, yes, the city had indeed presented chamber chairman of the board Butch Ronne with a proposed agreement to discuss, but he refused it. Then much whining ensued after that throughout the grapevine.
Um, in business, when someone you're dealing with makes you unhappy, do you think it helps to whine publicly about how "unfair" it is?
Anyhoo, I have a prediction for when this comes around again on the city council agenda.
I predict that Mr. Manning will bring up the fact that groups like the Military Affairs Committee should use the Copperas Cove Civic Center for FREEEEEEE because, well, they're the chamber of commerce and it's hosting commanders and soldiers from Fort Hood units.
He will ask that the fees be waived, or at least drastically reduced because (using my whiny voice), "It's such a longstanding tradition and it's the chamber, y'all."
You're right. The Military Affairs banquets are a more than 50-year tradition in Copperas Cove. We're thankful for our military. So let's just let every military-connected event use the Civic Center for FREEEEEEE.
But, dear council, let's remind yourselves again that the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce is a MEMBERS-ONLY, PAID organization. These military affairs banquets are NOT open to the public and even the committee members have to pay to attend. Funny, how the chamber makes businesses pay to join, but it expects special treatment and does not want to pay fees.
Anyhoo, dear council, go ahead. Because we DO love our troops, I think that if you let the CHAMBER, a MEMBERS-ONLY, you-have-to-pay-to-join organization, use the Copperas Cove Civic Center for FREEEEEEE, because it is networking with the military, then ANY GROUP that has a military connection should have the same discount or be able to use it for FREEEEEEE.
Just sayin'.
Watch for Mr. Manning ask for an ordinance amending the fee schedule, to AGAIN give special leeway to the chamber.
Dear Council, if you give it to one, you should give it to ALL if the same reasoning exists. Prepare for that.
AGAIN, here would be a member of the Copperas Cove city council using his energy to benefit an exclusive, members-only organization and something that does NOT benefit the majority of the residents of Copperas Cove.
Well, Copperas Cove, we elected 'em. And the conquest by the GOBC continues. . .
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