Public Comment Matters Not on the Agenda Jim Winterberger There were no comments on items not on today s agenda.

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1 MINUTES Truckee Tourism Business Improvement District (TTBID) Management Committee Meeting September 6, Business Park Drive, Truckee, California Call to Order/Roll Call/Determination of Quorum Jim Winterberger, Chair of Committee Jim Winterberger called the meeting to order at 12:00 PM. Attendees introduced themselves. A quorum was established. Committee Members Present: Borden, Llaca, Oesterman, Toutant, and Winterberger. Meharchand attended via teleconference. Committee Members Absent: Pullen Staff Present: Public: Lynn Saunders and Colleen Dalton Jeanne Kirschner; Pam Hobday, Truckee Chamber Board; Jeff Loux and Hillary Hobbs, Town of Truckee; Sven Leff, Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District; Leo Burke, Truckee Hotelier (Hampton Inn, Truckee Hotel) Public Comment Matters Not on the Agenda Jim Winterberger There were no comments on items not on today s agenda. WELCOME - Winterberger Welcome public and guests on agenda. TTBID Ground Rules Review Brown Act reminders Hard copies of the League of California Cities handbook on A Guide to the Ralph M. Brown Act 2 nd Edition Revised July 2010 were given to all Committee members and ed to Merharchand on Sept. 6. Saunders presented information on the Brown Act and reminded the group that TTBID is subject to those requirements. She explained the Act, also known as the Open Meeting Act, requires transparency and warned against conducting a serial meeting known as Hub and Spoke or Daisy meetings common in chains and violations of Brown Act. Added to Meeting Notes: please be educated on serial meetings : Communication/ INDUSTRY UPDATE - Winterberger Round Table Discussion Winterberger reported overall his summer numbers were up. Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) was up 5.9%, but Average Daily Rates (ADR) was down 4.7%. He attended a roundtable with other lodging suppliers who felt this area is in year four or five of a seven-year trend. Winter reservations are higher than this time last year. Bordon reported revenues are up approximately 8% or 9% overall for summer. Occupancy is flat. ADR is up about 17%. He only forecasts 14 days out and there currently is not a lot on the books. Llaca reported his numbers are much better this year than last year. Summer bookings continue to increase year-to-year. Oesterman reported this July was down a bit compared with last year, but that could be because reservations are being managed differently. Properties around the lake were not as consistently full as they were last year, perhaps because reservoirs are fuller than last year, so people aren t coming up. 1

2 Meharchand said she did a two-month lease on her home this summer, which is not atypical. She rents short term for a while and then long term for a while. TOT Collections Update & Observations Lynn Saunders Saunders presented the Town TTBID collections analysis by property type and noted TOT trends. Public comment: Hillary Hobbs said she is seeing more TOT compliance as new properties register and others drop out. INTRODUCTIONS NEW TRUCKEE LEADERSHIP Jeff Loux, Town Manager Intro, Q&A Loux described his background, saying he had been employed with the Town as the Community Development Director, before going back to UC Davis to finish teaching in July. In addition to being an Associate Dean at UC Davis, Loux has an extensive background in planning. He described his philosophy of economic development and socio-economics and how both components are wedded to the development of a place. When schools and parks are doing well and roads are in good condition, economic development is strong. He has also seen the opposite happen. All aspects are essential to the economic development formula. Loux described components beyond lodging and events that can drive the economy, such as the hospital. The General Plan Update provides an opportunity to look at the current economic base and consider ways to grow. Llaca asked if the Town s relationship to the lodging community will improve. His intention is to work with the Town, he pays TOT, and the lodging community should be listened to. Loux said his job is to figure out what s best for the community, which includes multiple voices. He believes in being transparent and honest and that open communication is essential. Loux has an open door policy. Public comment: Leo Burke asked for a clear picture of what the Town wants, including what facilities are available for what events. If everyone has the information, everyone can do better. For example, the town square in front of Moody s is difficult to use because the road can t be closed. He suggested guidelines be sent out. Winterberger said that from the single-family home rental perspective, there was a notion that the Town was hearing from the public, but not necessarily professionals in the field. He suggested the relationship can be improved by talking to each other. Winterberger believes lodging is the goose that lays the golden egg in Truckee, but that doesn t discount the need to diversify. Loux acknowledged the need for open and continued conversation. Llaca said there seems to be less involvement from the Town Council than he s seen in other places (cities), which gives a lot of power to the Town Manager. Loux cited examples of how every jurisdiction is different. If the community feels they aren t being listened to, tell him. Borden said the TTBID was formed to help fill shoulder seasons. Former Town Manager Tony Lashbrook was forthright in saying Truckee is over-evented. Borden feels there has been pushback when trying to schedule fields or events because of parking. Loux reminded the group that the Town doesn t do Recreation and Parking, those are Special Districts. But the Town will be involved with events that need additional services. Borden asked for a cheat sheet of what can and cannot be done. Sven Leff, TRPD Recreation Superintendent Intro, Q&A Sven Leff introduced himself. He said the Town s main roles are police, roads, planning, and development. TRPD builds and maintains recreational facilities and is a partner with the Town in realizing tourism as an economic driver. Leff provided his background and explained how his experience in Iowa dovetails with Truckee s interest in events and sports tourism. He sees his job as finding the balance between what the community wants and what can be supported. He suggested that given the weather challenges in Truckee, 2

3 creative thinking comes into play. For example using artificial turf, from which dirt and snow can be easily cleaned off, extends the usability and reliability of a facility. There was a brief discussion about ways Loux and Leff are coordinating efforts. Loux has been involved in developing Parks Master Plans, trails, bike paths, and open space. He feels it is the Town s job to collaborate with all Special Districts seamlessly. PRESENTATION TRUCKEE TOMORROW Phase II - Pam Hobday Hobday began her presentation by explaining that no TTBID funds are allocated to Truckee Tomorrow. She explained that Truckee Tomorrow was developed by business leaders in 2011 because there were five empty storefronts downtown and concerns about how to increase economic development. In 2013, a broader group of people was engaged and those discussions led to agreement that there needs to be one website for Truckee, one brand, and one image. The Town offered a $75,000 matching grant toward that effort, and it was matched by Truckee Tomorrow in two weeks. Phase II of Truckee Tomorrow is getting ready to be launched and the agreement with the Town is a $301,000 matching grant. Hobday distributed the Truckee Tomorrow Phase II brochure describing the trilogy of economic development initiatives, including Business Speaks, Branding, and Place-Based Marketing. Hobday reported the over 640 businesses in Truckee are the Chamber s customers, whether they are members or not. Business Speaks is a strategy used to get feedback and open the lines of communication. Eleven business communication areas have been identified in Truckee. Each one may have different needs and issues. In 2018, four highly structured and facilitated meetings will be held in each of the eleven areas. Meetings with investors will be convened to determine how to allocate funds to solve problems. Growing our own is a component of Business Speaks that identifies needs and explores opportunities to train people to fill them. For example, a local business needs two people with CAD skills, so perhaps a CAD class can be offered at the college. After hearing that a restaurant may need to close because it couldn t find dishwashers, Rob Leri from TTUSD suggested students could work in areas that do not require high skills in order to keep businesses open. Hobday reported investors can give anywhere from $500 to $10,000 for the grant match. So far $120,000 has been collected and she hopes to have $200,000 by the next Town meeting toward the $301,000 needed. These efforts insure a vibrant middle class in the community. Another component of Truckee Tomorrow is the Quality of Life Survey focused on five core values. Also, creating a database of Socioeconomic Indicators. The first Annual Community Report will be published in The final component is to continue building the brand and place-based marketing, which includes the website. Hobday said the role of the Chamber is changing. It wants to represent all businesses by listening and acting as a catalyst to move forward. She encouraged everyone to participate. BUDGET UPDATE - Colleen Dalton Approved Budget Dalton distributed the financial reports, including FY 2016/17 actuals and the approved FY 2017/18 budget, with revisions made as a result of Committee discussions at the last meeting. In response to a question from Winterberger, Dalton said there will be an action item at next month s meeting to adjust the budget if necessary Final ROI Results Dalton presented the Return on Investment (ROI) report for FY 2016/17, showing manpower, events funded, leads, and specific event marketing investments per quarter, as well as the return in social media and engagement. The report included statistics regarding the e-newsletter and traffic growth to the website. Reminder: Council Presentation, Sept. 12 (TTBID Results & Budget 17-18) Dalton reported the measurable items from the Chamber IMCP Contract and budget are being presented to the Town Council next week. Also presented will be TTBID budget and high-level intentions for the next fiscal 3

4 year. All Committee members are encouraged to attend. A hard copy of the TTBID Annual Report sent to Town was provided to all Committee members. GROUPS + EVENTS UPDATE - Jeanne Kirschner & SubCommittee Kirschner reported that for the last seven months, she has been working on the goal of putting heads in beds during shoulder seasons and working through the application process for all current local events and producers. As she works on a sales pitch for producers to bring their events to Truckee she and Dalton are hoping to pull together all stakeholder associations and agencies for a discussion of who is Truckee now and what do we want to be. so they are in line with what the community would like to see. There are many challenges to be considered, including weather, venues (and lack of), and meeting the needs of producers in order to fulfill the # s TTIBD would like to see in attendance at these events. Public comment: Loux suggested including the Chief of Police and head of Roads (public works) to address their concerns about events. Kirschner presented a spreadsheet indicating the events she is working on, as well as pending and finalized agreements. She discussed the dates the producers are interested in and details of some large events. The Tough Mudder and Summit Lacrosse have already rebooked. Under discussion are some food events and a large one that includes golf. A local swim club is bringing in about 400 families for a tournament in September 2017 and an associated festival is being discussed. A film festival is being considered for May. Public comment: Given the quality and number of golf courses in the area, Loux expected more golfrelated events. He also asked about mountain biking. In response, Dalton explained the recent Golf FAM tour that gave Truckee courses significant exposure, although that may translate more to FIT business. Kirschner spoke about a Food Wine and Golf event being discussed which would be held out at Old Greenwood. A brief discussion followed about mountain biking, and the agreement that was lost and town application withdrawn given the participation from many agencies on the complicated and illegal trail system that would have to be coordinated. There may be an opportunity at some point to promote the world-class dirt trails, once they are deemed legitimate by landowners, including the US Forest Service. VENUE DEVELOPMENT UPDATE - Jim Winterberger, Hilary Hobbs Fields Winterberger Winterberger said that from his single-family home rental perspective, events such as the Tough Mudder and Ironman may be beneficial, but a 2000 person event over a single weekend isn t. It takes the next week to bring the field back. He had a good meeting with Leff and agrees that artificial turf would be beneficial because it extends the use of the asset, is relatively inexpensive, and can be accomplished relatively quickly. Winterberger suggested the investment would be paid for by the users. Public comment: Leff said during his conversation with Winterberger, the question of results came up. A massive complex can be built with a lot of time and money. But to just improve the resiliency of a venue, artificial turf is a good investment that can be done quickly. A regulation field could cost approximately $500,000 - $750,000. He can have an engineering firm provide costs and a timetable. Also, a multi-purpose flat space is much more versatile than something like a baseball diamond. Llaca suggested the Town make the investment. Winterberger said TTBID was formed to have more control over the funds available. This is a unique time in Truckee and we might have to give back a little bit. Borden said he upsold TTBID saying there would be great events putting heads on beds. It s not working as fast as he d hoped, but TTBID has a significant amount of money so maybe this partnership will eventually pay off. Public comment: Burke suggested that if TTBID dollars are invested, it could bring in a lot of TOT that could be used to address items like artificial turf. 4

5 Discussion followed. Llaca reported another TBID he was a part of agreed to invest in basketball courts and they lost $500,000. Events have a direct and indirect impact. TTBID can work with the Town to raise money, but the Town needs to pay for venues. Oesterman said that to get groups to come back year-after-year, the fields need to be quality and reliable. Toutant suggested going back to events and asking for multi-year contracts. She would rather do things right than quickly. Winterberger reminded the group that the TTBID is coming up for renewal (2020) and progress needs to be shown. Theater- Hobbs Hobbs reported the Town is in the early stages of conversation to include a three-screen movie theater as part of Phase 1 of the Railyard project. One of the theaters is larger than the other two, has flexible seating, and can be used for theater productions and special events. It will be available for Town use during the shoulder seasons. The proposed operator is the current owner of the Tahoe City Art Haus. Minimum seating is 100 for the two smaller theaters and 200 for the larger one. COMMENTS TTBID Process and Focus Leo Burke Burke said when he first met Saunders he was concerned TTBID would just use a lot of money. He voted for it because the Committee is comprised of business owners who get heads in beds. If TTBID money is spent to increase heads in beds, there will be an increase in TOT and the Town can fund other components such as signage. Burke voiced concern about some of the expenditures identified in the budget, such as the website and Community Relations. Any surplus dollars can be put in a fund to earn interest. He liked Toutant s idea of 5-year contracts for events. All that s needed is bringing in 1500 people for the 16 off-season days each year. But arrangements need to be made with the Town to close off streets. He asked if TTBID is getting the answers it needs. Overall he s impressed with what this Committee is doing and he urged them to stay focused. TTBID Dissolving Groups & Events Subcommittee- Jon Borden Borden believes the Groups & Events Subcommittee is a waste of time and putting huge burden on staff. He feels there is a conflict with members also being applicants. He thinks it would be more efficient and require less staff time to dissolve the Subcommittee and let the Chamber allocate grant funds. Discussion Discussion regarding Borden s comments followed. Saunders was impressed by the Subcommittee s work and felt there was a good sharing of information. This is only year one of the group and things have changed since the Chamber facilitated the grant program through the Town contract. She feels the Subcommittee has coalesced and is doing good work. Toutant feels if the Subcommittee is dissolved, decisions would need to be made within a two-hour Chamber Board meeting. The Subcommittee provides information for the Board to make informed decisions. Winterberger felt the recent Subcommittee meeting was very productive. That said, if the group is dysfunctional, dissolve it. Public comment: Hobbs said she sees both sides. With the new scoring process, there is room for it to become more streamlined and efficient. She suggested that if there is a concern about a conflict, the applicant should step out of the room during discussion. Borden feels the Brown Act slows down the Subcommittee s process. He reiterated there could be conflicts and this Subcommittee is not working. Dalton agreed the process could be more efficient. She worried that if the entire TTBID Committee reviews all applications, key dialog with the Town (Hobbs) will be missing. Saunders recommends giving the process more time to become more efficient and reap the benefits everyone s been working toward all year. Borden acknowledged. TTBID STRUCTURE TTBID Ground Rule Come to meetings prepared and participate Winterberger Winterberger suggested that for TTBID members, attendance and contribution be considered. 5

6 TTBID Voting by proxy, using TTBID funds for lobbying special interests Lynn Saunders said that because TTBID is a standing committee of the Chamber Board, proxies are not allowed. Also, per the Committee s request, she investigated using TTBID funds for lobbying special interests, and that is not allowed. MINUTES August 2, 2017 Regular Meeting Approval of minutes. Motion by Toutant, second by Borden, carried unanimously to approve the August 2, 2017 TTBID Committee meeting minutes as presented. UPCOMING TTBID MEETING DATES October 4, November 1 No meeting December 2017 Adjourn Winterberger There being no further business to come before the Committee, the meeting adjourned at 2:36 PM. The next regularly scheduled TTBID meeting will be held on October 4, 2017 at 12 Noon. Respectfully submitted, Judy Friedman, Recording Secretary THE PAPER TRAIL SECRETARIAL & BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Minutes approved at the Truckee TBID Management Committee meeting held on Signed: Dated: 6