tourism agency ends expense-reimbursement dispute with former chief

The Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau ended its seven-month dispute over expense reimbursements with its former executive director on Tuesday, with both parties expressing relief that a final settlement had been reached.

Michael Glover, who resigned his position on Feb. 1 after the visitor bureau placed him on administrative leave for disputed reimbursement requests made during his 2 1/2-year tenure, wrote a check to the visitor bureau for $5,707.67 on Tuesday, according to the visitor bureau's lawyer. The amount was $1,200 less than the bureau had sought, according to press releases from the attorneys representing the bureau and Glover.

During its review of Glover's expenses, the visitor bureau found several expenses that were not documented adequately or were not explained as business-related, said Bob Lovlien, the attorney representing the visitor bureau.

The settlement was favorable because it saves the agency from further legal fees, Lovlien said.

"I don't know what the rationale was for offering $5,700 as opposed to our demand," Lovlien said. "Glover did not disclose any particular reason. But if this had gone forward, it would have cost the (visitor bureau) more than the $1,000 difference to go forward in collecting that."

Glover would not comment, said his Bend attorney, John Laherty. Instead, Glover submitted a written statement.

"I stand firm in my belief that the disputed expenses were legitimate business expenses, and that I was entitled to reimbursement for them," Glover wrote.

"Nonetheless, the emotional toll this matter has taken on myself and my family over the last seven months has simply been too great, particularly in relation to the relatively small amounts in question. For that reason, I have agreed to reimburse the (visitor bureau) for part of the disputed expenses, in return for the (agency's) promise to finally put this disagreement behind us."

The publicly funded visitor bureau, which has an $852,000 budget for the current fiscal year, draws its revenue from room taxes levied on overnight lodging guests. Its mission is to market the city of Bend to visitors, whose spending fuels myriad businesses in the local economy.

Glover's replacement, Doug LaPlaca, became the new president and CEO of the visitor bureau on Aug. 6. He came from Grand Traverse Resort & Spa in Traverse City, Mich., where he was senior director of marketing operations.

LaPlaca has made internal policies, the stewardship of public funds and the transparency of the bureau's operations among his top priorities for the organization, according to a press release submitted by the bureau.

"As stewards of public funds that are granted to us by the Bend City Council, we should be held to higher standards of accountability as an organization," Teresa Fehrenbacher, a visitor bureau board member, wrote in the release.

"We are pleased to have fully resolved this matter without legal action, and to have these funds returned to the (visitor bureau)."