Dear Branson Community and those interested in Branson,
Our Finance Department, with support from the entire city staff, has just received the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for 2020. This award reflects our commitment to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. You can view the award on our website. Congratulations Team!!!
The Chamber of Commerce put on an information session this week titled "202ONE, Cutting Edge Marketing Technology for Every Branson Business." The group discussed identifying visitors through cutting-edge cell phone technology, growing tourism this Christmas and into 2021, and understanding the "personas" of our visitors based on travel behavior and desire. The personas are formed from the cell phone data from every visitor from 2018 to the present which tells us the story of our primary visitor types. These personas are available to every local business for free and can be used to better understand our guests. What a great tool that can help all of our businesses.
We conducted a regular Board of Alderman meeting this Tuesday, October 13, 2020. We had 18 items on the Consent Agenda and 25 on the Regular Agenda. One of the items we voted on was the continuation of the face covering ordinance. The Alderman voted 5 to 1 to keep the ordinance in place. As we continue working through Pandemic Stage 5 (Spread), and begin working toward Stage 6 (Recovery and Prep for Subsequent Waves), it is important to keep the end in mind, the end being a vaccine that is readily available for all citizens of Branson who desire the inoculation. This is an end state, not an end date and the face coverings, along with good hygiene and social distancing, are helping us lead more normal lives until we get to that point where there is a vaccine available. The agenda for this meeting and more information on all of the agenda items can be found in the Agenda Center on our website. As a reminder, all Board meetings are live streamed and can be replayed on our website at www.bransonmo.gov/livestream.
About vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the flu vaccination in the months of September or October. There is still time to get yours! The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reports that the age group currently with the highest number of cases, year-to-date, are those 25 to 49-years old. You can find more information on the flu on the CDC’s website and the Missouri DHSS’s website.
Thank you to those who continue to pray for our city. Please stay positive and be thankful for living in the best city in America. Thank you for letting me serve you,
Mayor Edd Akers