EDC Board Votes to End 16-Year Shared Director Agreement with Chamber, City

Spearman's Economic Development Corporation board voted 6-0 on June 25 to separate from a shared executive director arrangement with the Spearman Chamber of Commerce and the City of Spearman, ending a partnership that has been in place since 2008.

The vote came during what the posted agenda described as a workshop "to discuss the recommendations pertaining to the structure of the agreement" between the three entities. Board members ultimately went beyond discussion, with alderman and EDC board member Brian Gillispie making a motion to "separate from the current contract." Board member Jessica Brown seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously among the six board members present: Ginger Pittman, Stephanie Crossland, Don Schroeder, Brown, Gillispie and Annette Bynum.

Under the current arrangement, Bonnie Thompson serves as executive director for both the EDC and the Chamber, splitting her salary and duties between the two organizations. According to the meeting minutes, the Chamber currently pays the EDC $3,937.50 per quarter — about $15,750 annually — toward the director's salary.

Records obtained through an open records request show the board went into the meeting with two competing recommendations on the table. The Hansford County Reporter Statesman requested and reviewed the written feedback each board member submitted ahead of the meeting. Gillispie had recommended in writing that the EDC separate from the shared arrangement entirely — the same position he brought forward as a motion at the meeting. Thompson, meanwhile, had submitted a draft memorandum of understanding along with a Chamber board proposal in support of keeping the shared arrangement in place, restructured so the position would be split roughly 70% economic development and 30% Chamber duties. New City Manager Jamey Piper's own recommendation, also submitted in writing, was that the three entities remain under a single agreement, governed by a new, revised MOU. A 2015 update to the original 2008 agreement was approved by the entities, but a signed copy of that agreement cannot be found, leaving the 2008 contract as the only operative agreement between the three entities. Under that arrangement, the director has reported to three supervisors — the city manager, the EDC board president and the Chamber board president.

At the June 25th meeting, Piper presented a framework document reflecting that revised-MOU approach, which he said was based on feedback from EDC board members and the director. The board discussed where the position should be housed — the EDC director at City Hall, a separate Chamber director remaining at the Chamber's offices at 211 Main Street. Board member Annette Bynum requested the EDC director be based at City Hall, and Piper said space could be made available. Thompson raised concern that City Hall currently lacks a private room with a door, which she said she needs when meeting with business owners to discuss their financial records. Board members also discussed the possibility of the City covering 25% of the EDC director's salary, a cost split that differs from the current agreement. Records show two board members, Don Schroeder and Jessica Brown, had not submitted feedback ahead of the meeting, which the city manager confirmed.

Board members offered a range of views during the discussion. Gillispie said he did not believe the EDC was receiving adequate value for the portion of the director's time it funds. Crossland said she believed the director should be supervised directly by the city manager. Brown supported changing the contract structure. Schroeder noted the EDC is funded monthly while the Chamber is not, and said he was concerned about how the workload — much of it tied to community events currently handled by the Chamber board, director and administrative assistant — would be managed if the positions were split. Pittman said her primary concern was ensuring the Chamber remained stable and supported if the split occurred, and the board agreed to assist the Chamber's transition as needed.

Thompson, who has served as director since 2018 — eight years — asked the board directly whether the vote meant she was being terminated. Board members told her no, and minutes reflect that the discussion was repeatedly described as not related to her individual performance. Her annual evaluation, due in July, will proceed under the current job description for the past year, with a new description and performance measures taking effect after October 1.

The board is also currently operating one member short. Two applications for the vacant seat had been submitted to city council in June, but the council declined to appoint either, at Gillispie's suggestion. City Council members have instead discussed the possibility of filling the seat with a Chamber board member.

No timeline for implementing the separation was specified in the minutes, and it remains unclear whether additional City Council or Chamber board action is required to finalize the change. The agreement runs through the end of the current fiscal year in September.

The Chamber board was not consulted or made aware that termination of the shared agreement was under consideration before the June 25 vote, according to both an EDC board member and a Chamber staff member, who separately confirmed the account to the Reporter Statesman. Both sources also said the posted agenda item — which described the meeting as a workshop to discuss recommendations on the agreement's structure — did not adequately provide notice that a vote to terminate the arrangement could occur.

The EDC board is scheduled to meet again Thursday at 10 am at City Hall. The agenda includes a presentation from the Chamber board.