Sharing Information | Encouraging Engagement
This was the advisory board’s first meeting. Maya Kitt of Civitas presented on the process of establishing a Tourism Improvement District. The advisory board voted to accept Civitas’s proposal. A project manager will be assigned to work with this advisory board.
A. PRESENTATIONS
1. Introductions, Board Objectives, Operating Guidelines
Board members will provide a brief introduction. The board will review meeting objectives and discuss operating guidelines as established in the bylaws.
- Board members introduced themselves.
- District 5 has a vacancy
2. Review Proposal, Process & Timeline
Civitas will explain the proposal, process and timeline associated with efforts to establish a Tourism Improvement District. https://civitasadvisors.com/sustainable-funding/
- Maya Kitt walked the board through the presentation materials attached to the agenda.
- This board needs to determine the scope/focus of the initiative
- Tax – no defined term, government-managed and imposed, no requirement of benefitting the paying business
- TID – Specific term and plan, business managed and approved, legal accountability to the district plan, based on benefit to tourism businesses, TID funds cannot be diverted.
- The district plan is a required component of the initiative.
- There are currently 215 TIDs (vs. 95 when Trinity attempted this in the past)
- There are only 23 states that support TIDs
- Annual Amount Raised by TIDs – low $10,000, High $120,000,000, Total $682,682,372
- Basis – the basis for assessments can be a fixed dollar amount, based on the number of rooms or occupied rooms, a % of gross revenue, etc.
- Five Key Steps
- Outreach and Steering Committee
- Stakeholder outreach and develop parameters of plan
- Service plan and petition prepared
- Stakeholder approval process (more than 50%) (weighted assessment)
- BOS hearing and approval
- If starting from scratch, the cost would have been more like $70,000 to $100,000 and the timeframe 7 to 10 months. Rough estimate = 7 months, $70,000
- The board asked questions regarding the process, methods for defining the scope of the TID, etc.
- Civitas success rate with TIDs is 80% to 90%
3. Overview of Advisory Board Responsibilities – Civitas will explain the responsibilities of Advisory Board Members within the Civitas-proposed process.
- Monitor, guide, and provide a stakeholder perspective for the process to form the TID
- Periodically meet with the consultant team, plus review and critique draft reports and plans.
- Encourage stakeholders (i.e. business owners- to attend focus groups, plan review workshops and any other participatory forums.
- Become a commuter resource for the various elements of the TID
- Evolve into a “sales team” that will assist the consultants in seeking support from the business representatives.
4. Review the History of Previous Formation Attempt – Civitas will provide a brief history of and lessons learned from the previous attempt to form a Tourism Improvement District in Trinity County.
- A Weaverville hotelier opposed the process and lobbied others to oppose
- Petition only reached 35%
- There was an opportunity to “carve out” a portion of the proposed district (even during the petition stage)… but the individuals leading the effort at the time decided not to pursue it.
5. Next Steps & Meeting Cadence – Civitas will describe next steps and cadence of meeting required to complete the process within the six months proposed by Civitas.
- Meetings every other week for 1 to 1.5 hours
- The project Mgr will be assigned and participate going forward to address items such as:
- Kick-off meeting/call
- Outreach Strategy
- Service Plan Development (district parameters)
PUBLIC COMMENT
No public comment.
1. Elections – The board will elect a Secretary who will be responsible for the duties outlined in the bylaws.
- The board elected Ric Leutwyler as Secretary
- Motion – Ryan Crockett
- Second – Liam Gogan
- Unanimous Vote
2. Proposal Consideration – The board will discuss Civitas’ proposal and vote on moving forward with Civitas or delaying to consider other options. NOTE – the Civitas proposal reflects an abbreviated timeline and reduced cost based on their ability to build upon work done via the previous attempt.
- Civitas confirmed $30,000 as the professional fees for this initiative – based on the estimated 5-month timeframe. Additional months (if needed) would be billed at $6,000 per month.
- Lake County is a recent client – they are collecting $113,100 after formation in 2023
- The board approved the Civitas proposal
- Motion – Leah Groves
- Second – Liam Gogan
- Unanimous Vote
3. Next Meeting Date, Time, Location, Agenda – The board will choose the date, time and location of the next meeting. The board will also discuss potential agenda items.
- The board plans to meet every other Monday from 3:30 to 5:00 PM – understanding there will be dates and times that must be adjusted to ensure a quorum
- The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 10th, from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
- The agenda will be developed with Civitas personnel assigned to this project.
ADJOURN
Sharing Information | Encouraging Engagement
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