MINUTES FORT MADISON TOURISM COMMISSION October 29, PRESENT: Brad Randolph, Brian Wright, Lori Illner, Kimberly Engle, Mark Lair

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1 MINUTES FORT MADISON TOURISM COMMISSION October 29, 2018 PRESENT: Brad Randolph, Brian Wright, Lori Illner, Kimberly Engle, Mark Lair ABSENT: STAFF: Julie Hellman City Manager - David Varley, Tourism/Marketing Coordinator - Jean Peiton Meeting called to order at 6:00 pm by Brad Randolp. MINUTES Ilner MOVED and Engle SECONDED a motion to approve the July 2018 minutes. PUBLIC COMMENTS Public comments from Jan Garza were addressed in regards to NLCHS and its importance for the City of Fort Madison and that the volunteers were an asset to the community. A letter was read about the benefit that NLCHS had contributed to a bus group that could not get into the fort due to flooding in Riverview Park. Andy Andrews also mentioned a group that came from the Quincy area specifically to meet with and tour the Santa Fe Depot Museum. Tourism Commission acknowledged the asset that NLCHS plays in the City and thanked Garza for alerting them to the successes of NLCHS. CITY REPORT Application City Manager, David Varley addressed the commission on revamping the City s current guidelines and application being used for event and/or attraction funding. He expressed the need for a more detailed application that had clearer guidelines for applicants as well as the Commission. Varley felt that the draft addressed the mayor s idea of developing a mission statement: The mission of the City of Fort Madison s Hotel/Motel Event Funding Program is to offer financial support to events and attractions that promote and enhance tourism in the community as evidenced by an increase in overnight visitors traveling from outside the fort Madison Region to increase the economic impact of tourism. The new application process would be streamlined in order to better process guarantee the funds were being used towards marketing that directs tourists towards the events offered in the community. City Council will always have its budget approved before June. This budget contains the Hotel/Motel Budget for the upcoming fiscal year. This would address 1

2 how much funding is available to the Commission to award for this upcoming fiscal year. Only two funding cycles would occur in the future: 1 st cycle April, following approval of the City s annual budget by City Council This funding would become available on July 31 st which is the beginning of the City s Fiscal Year. Applications must be submitted by the 31 st of January to be scheduled for the first funding cycle 2 nd cycle September Applications must be submitted by June 30 th This funding would become available January 31 st. The Commission expressed concerns about agreeing to the application process at this meeting and wondered about the ability to revisit suggested changes in the future, if they were agreed to at this time. o Varley stressed that application processes do not have to remain the same from year-to-year. That processes can be updated as needed and amounts can change according to the flow of Hotel/Motel Tax Revenues. o Varley stated that funding revenue has come down close to the projected 20% that had been expected, resulting in reduced revenue. The Commission agreed that the submittal of applications needs to be longer. Varley addressed the increased time frame between application submittal and the date the application would go before the Tourism Commission. The earlier submittal allows the City Manager and the Tourism Director adequate time to review the applications and collect any missing data or information prior to the application being brought before the Tourism Commission. If applications are found to be lacking, there will be adequate time to request the needed information from the applicants through this process. If the required information is incomplete, then it would be rejected and not presented to the Tourism Commission for possible funding. The Commission agreed to a 2-month application time frame to allow for adequate screening of all applications. Varley also expressed the need to reduce the funding that applicants could receive. A $2,000 limit allows the ability to offer funding to other entities and institutions that may consider hosting an event and/or attraction. It also spreads the funding around better instead of concentrating it in just a couple of organizations. Discussion over an attraction versus an event and the amount correlating with these that is able to be awarded. The Commission members expressed concerns over the amounts proposed to 2

3 sustain an always available attraction as opposed to an event. The Commission expressed that some events are merely one day, versus those which may go on for days at a time. Varley stated that amounts can be changed and determined by the Commission and that the draft submitted was a good starting point. Discussion determined that the same application would be used for both events and/or attractions, with the ability to adopt a separate application for each in the future if it is determined to be necessary. The Commission agreed to a $2,000 limit for either an attraction or an event at this time, with the ability to award less to smaller events/venues per the discrection of the Commission. Varley introduced the following schedule of funding upon agreement to offer funding: 1 st year - $2,000 or lesser amount if determined by the Commission 2 nd year 75% of award from the first year 3 rd year to 5 th year 50% of what was awarded the first year 6 th year to 7 th year ineligible to apply for funding 8 th year event/attraction eligible to reapply for funding. Discussion turned to attraction and/or event needing to show movement towards self-sustaining revenue generation in order to continue to be eligible for an application. Discussion among Commission Members that some attractions were essential attractions and/or events that may not become completely self-sustaining, to which Varley agreed, but stated that those attractions/events would need to still look at ways to grow their programming/events or ideas to assure continued interest in them as a tourism component. Commission Members inquired from Varley how the funding revenue became available to the City from state officials. Hotel/motel tax revenue is paid out by the state 4 times annually The Revenue is paid approximately 6 months after it is collected. Example: April/May/June revenue would be paid in the month of December, on or around the 15 th of the month. It was agreed upon that applicants should be showing attempts at securing other funding and aiming at being self-sustaining. That if an event and/or attraction cannot maintain or reach a self-sustaining status, that they may not be a viable option or may need to show different ideas or concepts to show that they are adapting their event/attraction to attempt to increase interest/demand. 3

4 Discussion of where all attractions versus events would fall in regard to the five (5) year application calendar. Commission Member Lair pointed out that Miss Rodeo had just given a report on their 4 th year of applying; would they be on year five (5) for 2019, or would they start over at year one (1)? Commission Member Illner pointed out that the attractions had been receiving funding for years without having that guideline imposed on them. Varley expressed that entities should be treated consistently across the board. The Commission identified that an organization and/or attraction could apply separately for each event, as opposed to one application covering multiple events or a single attraction. That way each event could be reviewed and determined if the commission desired to still support specific events. The Commission agreed that all applicants would start on year one (1) with the new guidelines and that they would universally apply to all applications, both events and attractions. All above mentioned changes to applications were agreed upon. Randolph Motioned and Lair seconded for acceptance of new application. MOTION CARRIED 6-0 Reviewing on remaining 2018 & Projected 2019 Fiscal Year Hotel/Motel Tax Revenue Varley reviewed the current obligations that the Tourism Commission had agreed to pay, as well as the budget amounts for the Tourism/Marketing Director s salary and the City s obligations of Hotel/Motel revenue for Old Fort Madison. Because of the current financial condition of this fund, there is no money available to contribute to outside groups. It was shown that currently, the Commission does not have the ability to entertain the applications that had been submitted for funding. o The Commission agreed to table the applications submitted by: Fort Madison Main Street FMAAA NLCHS o The application process will be finalized at the January 2019 meeting and those entities would be given the new application process in order to reapply for funding with the new guidelines being followed. They would be eligible for funding in the City s FY No funds are available for the remainder of FY Varley clarified for Illner that some funding will be used for capital improvements for items such as the dock in order to accommodate Viking Cruise Lines and 4

5 construction of the passenger platform of The Old Santa Fe Depot, so that Amtrak can be relocate there. Both need to be completed to help with tourism to the area. Wright exited the meeting due to personal obligations. FOLLOW UP REPORTS Miss Rodeo Iowa - Metcalf gave follow-up report on 2018 Miss Iowa Pageant. Lair commended Metcalf on their application submittals and their timeliness on submitting their application and their follow through on follow-up reports. He stated that they submitted their total expenses and there is a clear and concise understanding of what the City has invested in. Metcalf thanked the commission for their ongoing support. REQUESTS FOR FUNDING Applications were deferred to reapply after adoption of the revised application process. Directors Report Peiton gave a quick review on the Marketing budget that had been submitted and addressed ongoing glitches with the Tourburst App. Help had been secured to get the information online for the app and website to make them functional by tour season Randolph still expressed concern on how the app was working and that he hoped it could be functional to help not only with tourism, but to support the businesses in the area. Peiton also addressed ad placement in the usual periodicals. Peiton discussed ads in the Iowa Tourism Guide and the Eastern Iowa Tourism guide, as well as Co-op advertising that the City has contracted for with the Iowa Tourism Office. Lair MOVED to adjourn and Engle SECONDED at 8:54 p.m. 5

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