OTTAWA — Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce President Tom Weigand and County Tourism Director Kristi Lee told county commissioners Monday that the Franklin County Convention and Tourism board may ask to separate from the chamber in another year or two. Weigand said the chamber has been in charge of the tourism agency for 25 years and the agency has been an asset to the county. He said he’s 50-50 on the idea of a separation. There are advantages to either option, he said. Staying with the chamber allows the tourism agency to draw on chamber personnel but separating gives the tourism board more control over the agency, he said. Weigand said in most counties, tourism agencies are part of their local chambers but some counties have been splitting the two. Although the chamber oversees the Franklin County Convention and Tourism Bureau, the tourism agency has a separate building, which is on East K-68 in Ottawa.
