Cori Humes, executive director of the Kosciusko County Visitors Bureau, presents a request to the commission for $30,000 to refresh the bureau’s website. InkFreeNews photo by Brianna Pitts.

By Brianna Pitts
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Visitors Bureau received $25,000 from the Kosciusko County Convention, Recreation and Visitors Commission for a website refresh at its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 13.

The bureau acquired the “Clearly Kosciusko” brand from the Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams in 2022 while already having the brand of “Live Well in the Moment.”

This website refresh has become necessary after deciding to commit solely to the “Clearly Kosciusko” brand instead of maintaining the “Live Well in the Moment” brand as well, said Cori Humes, the Visitors Bureau’s executive director.

This decision came due to these two separate brands having very similar missions within the visitors bureau. Along with the needed refresh of their website, merging will also require the acquisition of certain font licenses as well as updated marketing materials in the office and “swag bags” totaling to roughly $30,000.

KCCRVC Commissioners Lyle Shrock and Matt Metzger both shared their concern over the price and asked if Humes had searched for any other quotes. Humes said she had not because the company, Reusser, has handled all of their website needs in the past and they have a long-standing relationship. She also said if any other company were to do it, they would have to create an entirely new website, which would increase the cost exponentially.

Mark Skibowski, KCCRVC’s vice-president, suggested Humes try to get Reusser to lower the price since it is only a refresh and not an entire upheaval and offered $25,000 instead of the requested $30,000.

The commission also addressed having overdrawn funds for grants in the amount of roughly $60,000 and approved appropriating an additional $200,000 from savings.