A free concert series begun over the summer and put on by the City and a local non-profit group will get funding after all, which is prompting Estero Bay News to do a follow up article to correct the record.
Last issue’s story about the concert series at Tidelands Park reported that the City Council stiffed the group when it asked for a community organizations grant.
Apparently, while it was true the Council refused the grant request for $10,000 from the Morro Bay Seniors, Inc., City Manager Scott Collins said that didn’t tell the whole story. Collins said the Council had already approved $10,000 for the concerts within the Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget.
Collins said the City budgeted $10,000 and since the council’s denial of the grant request, Visit Morro Bay (the latest incarnation of the Tourism Business Improvement District or TBID), which is a separate entity from the City, had approved another $5,000 in funding.
Collins also said the Seniors group will also be doing fundraising and seeking sponsorships over the next several months. Their leadership along with the City Recreation Division will evaluate the success and future funding needs to keep the concert series going.
“Seniors are seeing how much more is needed after sponsorships and their contribution,” Collins said, “and the City is committed to covering it. The concert series is a partnership between the City and the seniors, and it went really well this year and we are all excited to make it a mainstay moving forward.”
Putting on free concerts on Thursday evenings in summer that feature local bar bands, wouldn’t seem to be much of a tourism draw. So why did Visit Morro Bay step up, considering their purpose is primarily to promote the lodging industry?
Collins said, “Visit Morro Bay Board supported the $5,000 because it sends a message to visitors about the vibe in our community, and potentially could lead to longer stays in Morro Bay.”
