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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB Study Session 2015-10-27 Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, October 27, 2015 Minutes of a Regular meeting of the TOWN BOARD STUDY SESSION of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held at the Town Hall Board Room in said Town of Estes Park on the 27th day of October, 2015. Board: Mayor Pinkham, Mayor Pro Tem Koenig, Trustees Ericson, Holcomb, Nelson, Norris and Phipps Attending: Mayor Pinkham, Mayor Pro Tem Koenig, Trustees Ericson, Holcomb, Nelson, Norris and Phipps Also Attending: Town Administrator Lancaster, Assistant Town Administrator Machalek, Attorney White, Deputy Town Clerk Deats Absent: None Mayor Pinkham called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. LOCAL MARKETING DISTRICT (VISIT ESTES PARK) 2016 OPERATING PLAN. Mayor Pinkham noted that Visit Estes Park (VEP) President and CEO Elizabeth Fogarty had recently updated the Board on the organization’s activities with reports presented during two Town Board meetings. He also noted that late in the Town’s 2016 budgeting process, VEP approached the Town to discuss a proposal for additional financial assistance for 2016 in the amount of $95,000 to be used for event marketing. The Mayor asked the Board to review the Operating Plan prior to discussion of the financial proposal. Ms. Fogarty and Local Marketing District (LMD) Board Chair Bill Almond were present at the meeting to provide information and answer questions related to the 2016 Operating Plan. Mayor Pinkham reviewed State statute and the original information that was provided to the voters when the LMD was created which included functions such as organizing, promoting, marketing, and managing public events, and noted that this role is missing from VEP’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values statement. LMD Chair Almond said the marketplace is very competitive and that the primary goal through the foreseeable future is destination product development and management and noted that “destination” means the Estes Valley and the entire LMD district. Trustee Nelson spoke to philosophical issues and scope creep for VEP, noting that an understanding of philosophical issues is needed. He said he perceives that over the past few years, the scope of service has changed and may overlap, or potentially overlap, with the roles and responsibilities of other businesses and organizations in town. When asked by Trustee Ericson about VEP’s major areas of focus for 2016, Ms. Fogarty identified the following: international tourism, regional and state tourism, implementing touch-screen technology at the Visitors Center, wellness tourism, and emphasis on the winter and spring seasons to create a more year ‘round economy. She also noted that with the addition of staff at VEP, brand strategy classes for businesses and the community will be continued and said that a program to recognize business owners and employees who integrate brand strategies and provide exceptional services to guests will be implemented. Topics of discussion are summarized: what do the VEP stakeholders want or need?; what percentage of the VEP budget goes to outside agencies (approximately 33%) and salaries (approximately 20%); VEP staff still below pre-flood level; a new Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the Town and VEP will be drafted; a Service Level Agreement (SLA) will also be drafted to define roles and responsibilities as it pertains to, and is compatible with, the IGA; the estimated revenues appear to be conservative; deficiency of revenue over expenses is not a good trend; LMD Board subcommittee is researching a 1% increase to the 2% lodging tax with no specific timeline defined at this point; information in the Operating Plan is too general, not enough detail provided; financial engine is the number of heads in beds in the community; how do you Town Board Study Session – October 27, 2015 – Page 2 project the number of heads in beds?; there is no yardstick to measure what kind of job VEP is doing; how do you measure performance?; and partnerships and collaboration with the Town, Economic Development Corporation (EDC), and others, as well as the downtown strategic plan will help to create a more positive image of Estes Park Trustee Norris and Mayor Pro Tem Koenig, will be representing the Board at a meeting that will be held on November 18, 2015, related to drafting of an updated IGA and the SLA. They requested that comments be sent to them prior to the meeting to ensure that the Board’s questions, concerns and ideas are taken into consideration. Mayor Pinkham initiated discussion regarding the VEP request for an additional $95,000. Ms. Fogarty stated that the focus of VEP is destination marketing, not event marketing. However, VEP is proposing that the Town choose VEP to market individual Town events in 2016 by making a financial event marketing investment of $95,000. Following discussion the Board concurred that no consideration or decision on the request would be made until after 2015 end of year actual figures are received in February 2016. Town Administrator Lancaster announced that there is an opening for a county position on the LMD Board. Application deadline is November 9, 2015. Mayor Pinkham recessed the meeting at 6:28 p.m. for a dinner break and resumed the meeting at 6:38 p.m. TRUSTEE & ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS & QUESTIONS.  The selection of trustees to serve on the Downtown Plan Steering Committee interview panel will be made during the October 27th Town Board meeting.  Handicapped parking spaces on MacGregor Avenue in front of the Municipal Building will be added this winter.  At the Town Board meeting held on October 13, 2015, the Board approved a fee waiver in the amount of $11,308 for a water tap fee for the Habitat for Humanity home being constructed on Kundtz Lane. The funds to reimburse the water enterprise fund for this fee waiver will be taken from the Community Reinvestment Fund. FUTURE STUDY SESSION AGENDA ITEMS.  The Noise Ordinance discussion will not be held on November 10th, and will be moved to a date in February or March of 2016.  A policy discussion related to fund balances will be held once end of year 2015 actual numbers are available, likely in February 2016.  The 2016 strategic plan will be finalized and taken directly to a Town Board meeting for approval. Mayor Pro Tem Koenig suggested review and clarification of the Town goals and the responsibilities and roles of the Town and other local organizations. She said with the creation of the Economic Development Corporation (EDC), economic issues should fall to them and the Town should focus more on topics such as infrastructure.  Due to flood recovery work, the parking structure project, the Loop, and at the request of Public Works staff, all discussions related to Bond Park improvements will be postponed for a year.  A briefing on small water districts and county improvements districts will be held at the Town Board Study Session scheduled for November 10, 2015.  The Transportation Advisory Board will present parking strategy recommendations at the November 10th Study Session.  A discussion of the Local Preference Purchasing Policy, which remains unscheduled, will be changed to a broader discussion of the Town’s Purchasing Policy. There being no further business, Mayor Pinkham adjourned the meeting at 6:50 p.m. Cynthia Deats, Deputy Town Clerk