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The Unified Government's Board of Commissioners voted last night to allow the Kansas City, Kan. – Wyandotte County Convention and Visitors Bureau to become an independent 501(c)(6) non-profit organization.

However, the UG will still have a say in some of the matters of the new organization and a voice on the newly created board.

The UG will have one-third of the nine seats of the established CVB board. Under the agreement, the CVB will receive nearly 75 percent of the transient guest tax collected in KCK.

One sticking point that consumed several minutes was the location of the now mostly independent CVB. Discussions surrounded whether or not the location should be mandated to be within the Kansas City, Kan., Chamber of Commerce's facility.

The Chamber and CVB have had a contract for nearly 15 years where the Chamber would provide some services and functions for the CVB.

Cindy Cash, president of the Chamber, spoke out in favor of keeping the CVB's location in the Chamber building on Minnesota Avenue.

"The Chamber accepts the move in good faith," she said. "But we ask for the CVB to remain in the offices of the Chamber."

Meanwhile, CVB Director Bridgette Jobe spoke against mandating the location at the Chamber's office.

"It could tie their (future board's) hands together," she said. "It's not logical. Good business decisions are not based on synergy."

After discussion between UG commissioners, the board voted in a 6-4 vote (with Unified Government Mayor/CEO Joe Reardon voting yes) to approve of a resolution that would require the CVB to approach the UG about moving.

As part of the compromise, the CVB must also inform the Chamber a year in advance.

"We're changing a lot of things here tonight," Reardon said. "I'd like to see their vision. If they provide a new plan for a location, that's a decision when it comes forward."