Monrovia’s Chamber Of Commerce??? Friend To Business??? Friend To Community???
Every year the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce (MCC) receives close to $50,000.00 from the city’s general fund to provide specified contracted services to the city and businesses in the city…(see contract).
Is MCC fulfilling the terms of that contract?
- The contract calls for a business directory but the MCC only provides a Member Directory.
- The contract calls for a Dinning Guide but MCC only provides the opportunity for restaurants to purchase paid ads in the MCC Publication.
Why doesn’t MCC have a larger membership?
- Why have non-members and members told me that MCC is a rip-off?
- Why have Community members spoke out at council meetings against MCC’s politics in the community?
- Why doesn’t MCC have 100% of Monrovia businesses as members?
Maybe the answer to all of the above is a city that doesn’t enforce its contracts and poor leadership at MCC?
Maybe these are some reasons why business in Monrovia could be better but isn’t?
Maybe the leadership of MCC should spend more of it’s time winning the support of businesses and the community rather then acting like a “Mean Drunk” and playing the wrong types of politics for a Chamber of Commerce to play?
Maybe the community’s money could be better spent then supporting a chamber that doesn’t support the community and all business but only supports itself?
The contract actually says the Chamber is to “publish and distribute an updated Monrovia street map/business guide.”
There is nothing in the contract that says it has to have ALL the businesses in Monrovia.
Question: has such a guide been published? They do have a business directory on their web site.
They are also required to publish a “Monrovia dining guide.”
Have they done so?
Also, again there is no requirement it have every restaurant in the city.
There is also no contractual requirement that 100 per cent of Monrovia’s businesses join the Chamber. It would be nice and the Chamber would undoubtedly like the revenue.
So, has the chamber published the two items they are required to publish?
They do not have a business guide on their web site; they have a member directory on their web site and a dated printed version of the member directory.
What the contract states: h. Publish and distribute an updated Monrovia street map/business guide and publication of a Monrovia dining guide;
• How could you publish a business guide without listing ALL of the current businesses in it at the time it was published? The contract doesn’t say partial business guide.
• Why would they call it a member directory as they do if it was a business guide?
• Why would you only list the businesses who are members in it?
There is no dinning guide according to the chamber when I asked. They referred me to the section of the member directory that is categorized and only lists member restaurants.
I never said they needed to have 100% of Monrovia businesses as members but that is what they should strive for instead of wasting their time in local politics that may only damage the businesses they should be serving by alienating segments of the community who may boycott member business because of their association with the chamber.
The city pays them to list all businesses not just members and that’s because it will bring more people to Monrovia to discover the shopping and dinning which in turn will enrich all businesses and the general fund through sales tax credits.
Someone who is looking for a type of business that may be here but is not a chamber member will not find it with an inquiry to the chamber, their web site or publication.
Good business practice should say to the chamber; do what you are paid by the city to do and you may find more businesses feeling more obligated to join and support you.