Jackson chamber seeks ARPA money for tourism

The City of Jackson has received $3 million from proceeds of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Aldermen are trying to decide how to spend the money, and Brian Gerau has a request.

Gerau, executive director of Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, asked aldermen in study session Monday for $150,000 to boost tourism.

Sarah Yenesel ~ sarahy@semissourian.com

In his remarks, Gerau noted that other Missouri cities in the region -- Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Perryville and Saint Genevieve -- have all made financial commitments to tourism.

"I think we are definitely behind (those cities) because we don't have designated tourism money specifically for Jackson," he said.

Gerau said if aldermen agree to his proposal to use ARPA money, he will seek a funding match from the State of Missouri.

The Jackson chamber proposal has three elements.

• $80,000 for a 5-foot by 10-foot electronic digital sign.
• $30,000 to build a tourism website and maintain it for two years.
• $40,000 for promotional materials -- brochures, maps, postcards, T-shirts, bags, mugs, display fixtures and money to call attention to Jackson on social media.

"We've been working on this tourism proposal for a year," Gerau said. "We've modified the proposal, the ask, at least seven times because a lot has changed in America the last 12 months. So our proposal did, too. At first, we wondered if we need to start a business incubator or build a welcome center, but as we looked at what Jackson didn't have, tourism continually popped up."

Gerau said the benefits of tourism are both direct and ancillary and will help restaurants and hotels, increase property values, help keep enrollment high and entice others to relocate to the town, the seat of Cape Girardeau County.

"The ultimate goal is to draw more people to Jackson so they see the great quality of life we have here," Gerau said in an interview with the Southeast Missourian.

No decisions are made at aldermanic study sessions, but several aldermen voiced support for Gerau's ideas last week.

Aldermanic council will meet again Oct. 3.

City lawmakers have until 2024 to commit the ARPA funds to specific projects and until 2026 to spend them.

"I know our aldermen have a hard job of determining where those allocations are going to go, and it's a tough decision," Gerau opined.