Chamber, community in uproar over Fest

ODESSA – A lack of communication and differing approaches among members of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce board of directors has led to an organization and a community in uproar, with Deutschesfest 2021 only two months away. A community meeting held in mid-July, according to some attendees was quite vitriolic in nature. One immediate result was that board member Jax Allen announced to her fellow board members that she was unwilling to continue as a member of the board. Another board member, Michelle Melgren, had already resigned from the board because she and her husband John Melgren are moving soon from the area. That left the board short of two people. The remaining board members, with the exception of Matt Roberson, who has been out of town for much of the summer on the rodeo circuit and missed most of the excitement, then had to decide whether to continue trying to enforce the Chamber’s bylaws or bow to the negative feedback and resign.

A special meeting of the Chamber membership was then requested by one third of Chamber members in good standing as per the bylaws and submitted to the treasurer Larissa Zeiler (and not the Chamber president), who called for the meeting to be held the evening of July 29. She announced the topic of the meeting as “to make plans for the fast-approaching Deutschesfest.” A lively discussion then ensued via instant messaging between Zeiler and Chamber Vice President Norman Ott as to whether the scope of the special meeting was truly intended as a discussion of Fest or, as he had heard from community members, an attempt to remove President Jeff Huiras from office.

The online debate was inconclusive but continued briefly during a board meeting called by Huiras the evening of July 28, during which Huiras attempted to clarify his stance on issues relating to compliance with the bylaws, security of the community center and the assets of the Chamber stored therein, fiduciary responsibility of the board and health concerns related to Covid-19. The outcome was no reconciliation between the two sides, followed by the resignations of Allen, Secretary Terrie Schmidt-Crosby and President Huiras, and the meeting was adjourned.

In view of those resignations, the scope of the July 29 special meeting was indeed expanded to include other items of Chamber business, including nominations and appointments to replace board members recently resigned. Vice President Norman Ott remained in office and chaired the meeting, opening the discussion on Deutschesfest (scheduled for September 16-19). According to Laura Estes, who attended the meetings as secretary pro tem, told The Record that Fest committee chairs gave reports of progress in the Biergarten and on German food preparations, music and entertainment scheduling, street-fair vendors and youth activities. A fenced outdoor seating area for the Biergarten was also to be added in the normally blocked-off section of First Street, between the community center and the Voise Sausage building to facilitate social distancing.

Estes reported that nominations from the floor and subsequent appointments by the seated board members, saw Norman Ott elected president, Ed Deife vice president, Paige Smith secretary, Larissa Zeiler remaining as treasurer, Matt Roberson remaining as a board member, Phyllis Sebesta joining as a board member and Kory Kolterman serving as Biergarten chair and board member.

The next regularly scheduled Chamber meeting is on August 10 at 12 noon in the community center. Community members are invited to sit in, but only Chamber members may vote. The main focus of the meeting will be, but is not limited to, Deuschestfest. Members who have business items for the Chamber to consider at this meeting are asked to contact Norman Ott at 988-0456.