ELY — The Ely Chamber of Commerce has parted ways with its executive director, the Chamber’s board of directors announced in a letter to members this month, ending a tenure marked by one of the more contentious governance disputes in recent Ely history.
The letter, dated May 8 and signed by the Chamber’s board of directors, informed members that the employment relationship with executive director Eva Sebesta had ended effective April 27. The board declined to discuss the circumstances surrounding the departure.
“Out of respect for all parties involved, we will not discuss personnel matters,” the letter read.
The departure comes after months of public conflict over the distribution of Ely area lodging tax proceeds, a dispute that drew in the Ely City Council, state tourism officials, and a parade of lodging business owners who packed public meetings to defend the Ely Tourism Bureau, now operating as VisitEly.
The Chamber had been at the center of that controversy after seeking lodging tax funding to staff the new regional trailhead building on Ely’s west end, a request that put it in competition with VisitEly for dollars that the tourism bureau and its backers argued were legally required to flow to marketing efforts. The push drew sharp criticism from lodging business owners and tourism operators who argued the arrangement was both legally dubious and organizationally inefficient.
The board that oversees VisitEly is made up almost entirely of lodging business owners and outfitters, the same constituency that comprises much of the Chamber’s own membership base. That overlap may have complicated the Chamber’s position as the funding dispute dragged on through the fall and winter.
The joint powers board that distributes lodging tax funds ultimately resolved the dispute last week, voting to make VisitEly whole at its full $315,000 request while also granting the Chamber and city funding for trailhead operations. But the resolution came only after months of contentious meetings, dueling legal opinions, and the resignation of VisitEly director Abby Dare.