Tropic's sign:
City requests Tourism Bureau assistance

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[May 13, 2015]  LINCOLN - Monday evening the Logan County Tourism Bureau met for its monthly meeting for May. The agenda contained several items for discussion including the Tropics sign. In attendance at the meeting were Lincoln city administrator, Clay Johnson; and Bob and Tami Goodrich. Tami Goodrich is the daughter of the past owners of the Tropic's Restaurant and was involved in the giving of the Tropic's sign to the city.

Over the last several weeks there has been much discussion about the sign, beginning with concerns raised by the Illinois Route 66 Association. The Association was led to believe the sign was being neglected or discarded as it was stored outside in the elements at the city’s landscape waste facility. The Association approached the city asking that the sign be given to them. They would in turn take it to Pontiac, restore it, and display it at the Route 66 Museum in that town.

After that discussion had taken place at a city council meeting, Tami Goodrich came forward and said that the agreement between former Mayor Keith Snyder and her family had included the stipulation that the sign stay in Lincoln. If the city could not take care of the sign, it was to be returned to her family. At that meeting, she said that she was not concerned about how the sign was being temporarily stored, but she was concerned that the city might be inclined to give it away. She said her family was prepared to help keep the sign in Lincoln. She told the council that there was nothing in writing to this effect, but she would work with Johnson to get something put on paper.
 


At the same time, Andi Hake of the Logan County Alliance was in attendance at that meeting. She spoke up saying that the Tourism Bureau was interested in helping keep the sign in Lincoln, and would also work with the city in whatever way they could.

This week, Johnson told the Tourism Council that for the city to take ownership of the sign, it was going to be complicated, and he wondered if the Tourism Bureau could help. In discussing a written agreement with the Goodrich’s, Johnson said the family wanted the sign returned to them if the city was not able to care for it. However, Johnson said because of state laws regarding disposal of property; the city could not enter into a contract that specified such a condition. In addition, he said the current city council could not enter a binding agreement that would force future councils to comply.

Johnson said he would like for the Tourism Bureau to consider taking the sign, but that the city would still work with Tourism in helping to get the sign restored and placed somewhere in the city. He would encourage Tourism, the Illinois Route 66 Association and the city to enter into more dialogue to get the sign refurbished.

Bob Goodrich spoke saying the family had been sitting on the sidelines watching the process, but they were now interested in taking a more active role in the process.

Andi Hake said that the discussion between the city and tourism had begun with a conversation between Johnson and herself. The first question had been, would the Tourism Bureau be interested in owning the sign. Hake said her immediate reaction was “no.” However, in considering the position the city is in regarding the ownership and possible disposal, she felt like it was in the best interest of everyone if Tourism did get involved.

Hake said her suggestion would be for the Bureau to take the sign for a period of time. She explained that the Bureau could own the sign, and lead in raising the funds to refurbish it. If that were accomplished, the restoration could be done, and a location found for the sign in Lincoln. Then, the Bureau would turn the ownership over to the city for maintaining the sign.



Hake said her desire to handle the sign in this manner stemmed from the Bureau’s experience in being the owner of the Railsplitter Covered Wagon. Council member Shawn Taylor asked her to elaborate on this.

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Tourism Director Maggie McMurtrey explained the situation with the wagon. She said that Brad Matthews of Matthews Construction had a crew out to the wagon to put the canopy back on for the summer. While there they discovered vandalism to the wagon. She said the book in Lincoln’s hand had been written on with a permanent marker. The door to the wagon been had been nearly torn from its hinges by someone trying to get inside, and the split rail fencing had been broken. The Tourism Bureau will have to absorb the cost of making the repairs from the acts of vandalism. In addition, she said, the Bureau is responsible for the general maintenance of the landscape as well as the wagon.

McMurtrey was asked if the wagon was insured.

It is insured, and the insurance coverage paid for the wagon repair when it fell over, last year. However, the vandalism was not going to cost enough to make it worthwhile to file a claim.

Hake said no free tourist attraction is ever truly free, and this is why, she doesn’t think the Tourism Bureau should take permanent ownership of another attraction.

The question also came up, where is the Tropics sign now, and is it being protected. McMurtrey said the sign is still at the city landscape waste facility. She said that it has been covered with a tarp, and the edges of the tarp have been weighted down with sandbags.

It was suggested that the Council appoint a committee to investigate the options for the sign. Hake said she’d suggest that the committee have representation from the City, the Bureau, the Illinois Route 66 Association, and the Goodrich’s. She commented that the Route 66 Association had been very concerned and upset about how the sign was being treated. She felt that including them in the process now would help repair the relationship between Lincoln and the Association.



Tourism Council Chairman Jean Bruner-Jachino said that the bureau needed to establish a step-by-step process for this project. She wondered what that first step should be. The discussion that followed led to a motion that the City and the Bureau work together to draft an agreement regarding the sign. The agreement should be a three-way document between the Bureau, City, and the Goodrich’s. Hake suggested the agreement have an expiration date so to speak. She said there should be a point in time when the three parties would evaluate the progress of the restoration and determine whether to continue moving forward or return the sign to the Goodrich’s.

It was recommended that McMurtrey work with Johnson on drafting an agreement and ask city attorney Blinn Bates to review the draft. The draft will specify that the Tourism Bureau will take temporary possession for the purpose of restoring it. The sign will then be turned back over to the city.

Other steps will include taking bids for the restoration of the sign that includes restoration of the neon lighting, a costly venture. The city had acquired two estimates on the restoration, but new bids will be taken. Neither the Bureau nor the City has a budget for the restoration, so another step will be fundraising to pay for the restoration.

[Nila Smith]

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