Merger of Depoe Bay, Lincoln City chambers called off | News
DEPOE BAY — A plan to combine the Depoe Bay and Lincoln City chambers of commerce into one entity has seemingly fizzled out this week as the director of the Depoe Bay Chamber announced Monday there would be no merger.
According to a press release written by Depoe Bay Chamber Director Melissa Sumner and posted to the Depoe Bay Chamber of Commerce’s official Facebook page Monday, the Depoe Bay Chamber will not be dissolved and merged with the Lincoln City Chamber as planned, though the two chambers plan to partner for various events and for networking going forward.
The announcement indicates a complete change in direction for both chambers, as Sumner and Lincoln City Chamber Director Lori Arc-Torres met with News-Times staff in March to say a merger would happen some time this summer, likely in June or July when the new fiscal year began for the nonprofit entities. The merger was also discussed publicly at a Lincoln City Chamber luncheon.
The Lincoln City Chamber also debuted a new logo in its April newsletter, which was a combination of both chambers prior logos and read “Rediscover the 20 Miracle Miles,” in reference to a tagline coined in the 1960s used to advertise the 20-mile stretch of beach from Depoe Bay past Lincoln City during the two chambers’ prior attempt to merge.
Sumner, planning to work as co-director with Arc-Torres, shut down the chamber office in Depoe Bay and was reportedly working out of the Lincoln City Chamber office in preparation for the merger. Once the merger went through, Sumner intended to maintain a presence in Depoe Bay through several information kiosks the chamber planned to install throughout the city, an idea first envisioned by her predecessor, Laura Furgurson.
The merger came as a surprise to most Depoe Bay Chamber members, most of who told the News-Times they were either unaware of a merger was even on the table or had only heard about it through rumors and networking with Lincoln City businesses.
Sumner told the News-Times she sent an email on Feb. 15 to all chamber members asking them to vote on whether or not the merger should proceed and asked for responses by Feb. 18, but said only 15 percent of the chamber’s 47 members responded by then.
After the News-Times attempted to contact every member listed on the chamber’s website, none who responded said they were aware there had been a vote, and several who searched their email inboxes could not locate either email.
Some chamber members, such as Jerome Grant, the owner of Gracie’s Sea Hag and The Horn Public House and Brewery, said they would fight the merger if it happened, either by contacting the government agencies that provide funding or withdrawing from their association with the chamber .
The board of the Depoe Bay Chamber also underwent major changes during Sumner’s tenure as director, which began in June 2021. Several board members left around that time, and Sumner filled two empty seats by recommending Arc-Torres and Lincoln City City Councilor Mitch Parsons, neither of whom own businesses or property in Depoe Bay, but were approved by the rest of the board.
From there, several other board members either resigned or were kicked off the board for allegedly failing to attend meetings. Wut Eick, the owner of Bay View Thai Kitchen who served on the board since 2019, said he received an email from Sumner informing him he was being removed from the board for missing three meetings, but said he wasn’t even aware of those meetings were scheduled and received no prior correspondence before his removal.
By March, the only remaining members of the board were Arc-Torres, Parsons and Lori Galvin, the latter being the sole Depoe Bay business owner on the board and who told the News-Times she supported the merger.
Sumner wrote in the release she has since received five applications to fill the board’s empty seats.
In addition to calling off the merger, Sumner said she would leave her position as the Lincoln City Chamber’s office manager by the end of the month, making her job as director of the Depoe Bay Chamber her sole responsibility.
“For personal reasons and my commitment to Depoe Bay, my employment with Lincoln City Chamber will end this month,” Sumner wrote in the Monday release. She also stated that the Depoe Bay Chamber’s mission going forward will be “to promote, support, and advocate for businesses and the community.”
As of Monday, the Depoe Bay chamber office remained closed and mostly empty, and it’s unclear where the Depoe Bay Chamber will operate from going forward or if any of its previously discussed plans will change.
Sumner did not respond to a News-Times email asking for more information about why the merger was canceled and the Depoe Bay Chamber’s future plans.
Monday’s release states the Depoe Bay Chamber is currently working on a redesign of its website, so some chamber members may not be listed at the moment.
Sumner also said the Depoe Bay Chamber is in the process of planning the return of the annual Salmon Bake, which has been on hiatus for the last two years. The Salmon Bake is scheduled for Sept. 17, and those interested in volunteering are asked to attend a meeting at the Depoe Bay Community Hall at 4:30 pm Thursday.
Also, an art contest for the Salmon Bake began Tuesday and will run through July 26. Entries for the contest can be sent to [email protected] or dropped off at Tradewinds or ReMax office in Depoe Bay.