Loudon County Visitors Bureau Monday got help from Lenoir City Council so the bureau could keep its doors open. 

Several members of the bureau's board and staff were present for the meeting to show their support. 

During a workshop last month, visitors bureau board members and supporters made a plea for $32,000 in additional funding for this year. Council members expressed their support of the center and said they would see what they could do.

"Mr. Hurst, knowing the budget as well as he does, had some wonderful input as to some possible funds we could utilize without interrupting the city's budget and without interrupting any city services as well," Mayor Matt Brookshire said Monday. 

Brookshire said they were able to generate $24,000 by doing the following:

• Take $5,000 from its VIP fund.

• Tap into economic development funds for $2,500, still allowing for the other $20,000 to be used in that fund.

• Take another $16,500 from the city's hotel/motel tax revenues. 

"We are currently tracking at about $24,000 per month in the hotel/motel tax line-item, which if that continues we would bring in $297,000 for the year," Brookshire said. "We only budgeted $265,000 for the year. The $297,000 is $32,000 more than we budgeted."

"I think it's much needed for the visitors bureau to stay open," Council member Tony Aikens said. "As I said earlier at the workshop, I think we would be foolish not to try to keep it going. It's beneficial to Lenoir City and to the county.  

"I certainly commend Mr. Hurst and yourself (Brookshire) for trying to find some funds to keep it open," he added. Aikens then made the motion, seconded by Council member Douglas "Buddy" Hines, to make the allocation.

"Will this $24,000 be enough to keep it (the center) open?" Council member Mike Henline asked.

"We'll do fine," answered Doug Davis, chairman of the bureau's board of directors. "We did do some more budget cutting." 

While the center has asked for funding, as well, from Loudon County Commission, it has not yet received an answer.  

"I would like to make a comment and remind the county commission that everything we do is usually a 70-30 split," Council member Eddie Simpson said. "Everything we participate in, they contribute 70 percent and we contribute 30 percent, and this takes us out of kilter by a substantial amount of money.

"We are still part of the county, even though sometimes they try to push us off and say 'You're your own entity,' and I agree we are. I think the funds we collect we also collect that same amount for the county. And, I think the county should realize that, step up to the plate and say, 'You're right.' We do pay county taxes although we do pay city taxes as well. 

"I think it's very fair for the county to pay their portion. They offer no services to the city - we do all the services to the city - therefore, I think they need to stay a major player in all the projects we participate  together in," Simpson said. 

In other business, the council voted to:

• Authorize a road closure for Sixth Avenue Church of God's annual Christmas Nativity event, scheduled for 6-9 p.m. Dec. 4-6, at the church. 

• Authorized spending $50 per employee for Christmas bonuses, coming to approximately $5,000. 

• Approved a contract with Tennessee Department of Tennessee (TDOT) to make improvements to Harrison Road. This is to be a $3.2 million project, with 80 percent coming from federal funds and 30 percent coming from local money. The action was recommended by the transportation committee. 

• Voted to convert Lenoir City Schools' warrant accounts into a checking account system for its general purpose, federal projects, capital projects, sales tax and payroll direct deposit school funds.