FARMINGTON — After making every cutback they could, the Board of Directors of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce decided Tuesday to recommend dissolving the chamber.

It will require a vote of members, board President Ivan Gould said.

A membership meeting is planned for 5:30 p.m. April 4 at the chamber office on the Wilton Road. Letters will be sent to members Wednesday, he said.

The letter outlines two options: Dissolve the organization or not.

It it continues, some new faces may need to step up, although Gould said he thought some board members would continue while others have reached the end, he said.

“Board members have given their heart and soul. Some board members have given nearly 100 hours of their time over the past four weeks. It’s easy to burn out,” he said.

While the recent resignation of the chamber’s executive director brought concerns about the chamber’s future upfront, it’s an issue that’s developed over the last few years, Gould said.

“When membership goes down, attendance at chamber sponsored events goes down and participation in the chamber’s guide goes down, it means income goes down while expenses stay the same,” he said.

The board had to take a look at whether it could continue doing this.

“Can we effectively operate and still offer our members what they deserve,” he said of their quandary. “The board made every cutback that they could and looked at different options but now recommends choosing to close.”

If that is the outcome of the membership vote on April 4, Gould said, according to the chamber’s bylaws certain chamber-sponsored events like Chester Greenwood Day would be turned over to a group with the best interest in that event.

Assets such as furniture and fixtures would probably be auctioned to members.

The board is working with CN Brown on the three-year lease it now has on the Wilton Road building and hopes to be released from it if they dissolve.

The membership will make decisions on whether to keep the chambers website going, he said.

The board did agree to go forward with the chamber guide for the sake of the members. The guide will represent members through next spring so it’s important to keep the guide going, he said.

According to bylaws, members won’t be reimbursed their membership fees if the chamber dissolves.

If members decide “we need the chamber,” they’ll need to also decide “how are we as a group going to make this work,” he said.

[email protected]