2/9/2021
10:00am via Google Hangouts and Live Stream to Facebook
committee members join through:
Staff Facilitator: Jennifer Lazarz, Tourism & Marketing Manager, jlazarz@gallupnm.gov
Committee Members: Cindy Tanner (chair), Jeremy Boucher, Anna Connell, Jason Arsenault, Ken Riege
A.
B.
Resolution No. R2021-1;Annual Determination Of Notice Under The Open Meetings Act
The New Mexico Open Meetings Act requires all public bodies to provide reasonable notice to the public of all its meetings. The Act also requires public bodies to determine its notice procedures at least once a year in a public meeting. While the Open Meetings Act itself does not impose any specific requirements, other than an agenda being available 72 hours in advance of each meeting, the New Mexico Attorney General will consider the following notice procedure as reasonable: 1) 10 days advance notice for regular meetings; 2) 3 days advance notice for special meetings; and 3) 24 hours advance notice for emergency meetings, unless threat of personal injury or property damage requires less notice. The proposed resolution encompasses the Attorney General's recommendations for providing notice to the public of all City Council meetings. Due to the current COVID-19 public health crisis and the State's restrictions on mass gatherings, the resolution also provides language for the City Council to comply with the Attorney General's guidelines for conducting virtual meetings.
C.
Annual Strategic Plan Update
The City Tourism and Marketing Manager proposes the following additions to the Lodgers Tax Tourism Strategic Plan:
1. Addition of the "Road to Route 66" Five Year Plan
2. Development of the Gallup Signature Events Program for the second half of FY22
3. Development of the Event Support Grant Program for FY23
The following programs and initiatives from the FY21 plan are moving forward in FY22 pending approval from City Council:
1. The website redevelopment and logo refresh
2. Route 66 Signage Grant Program
3. Route 66 infrastructure development (to be reinterpreted into the "Road to Route 66" plan)
1. Addition of the "Road to Route 66" Five Year Plan
2. Development of the Gallup Signature Events Program for the second half of FY22
3. Development of the Event Support Grant Program for FY23
The following programs and initiatives from the FY21 plan are moving forward in FY22 pending approval from City Council:
1. The website redevelopment and logo refresh
2. Route 66 Signage Grant Program
3. Route 66 infrastructure development (to be reinterpreted into the "Road to Route 66" plan)
Documents:
D.
Discussion: New Website and Features
The current version of www.galluprealtrue.com is now five years old, so it is time for a revamp. City Council approved funding of $65K from the Lodgers Tax reserve to initiate this program. Additionally, we have received a $12K grant from the State of New Mexico Tourism Department pending completion of the project.
Components being added:
Addition of a pop up widget that links to an app that can do walking tours of Gallup, that could possibly build out to tablets/touch screens for digital concierge options (https://visitwidget.com/ check out www.discoverruidoso.com for the widget in action)
Roll out:
Tentatively in September. Will include doing a new media campaign with a logo refresh, digital marketing, SEO and content creation for the blog (will get quotes in the summer to execute early fall).
Discussion:
What would you like to see added or changed on the site?
Components being added:
- hotel booking (will be added to our current site until the new site is complete)
- travel advisory section
- travel trade/group travel section
- weather
- newsletter sign up
- integration into our database
- reducing the amount of text, increasing visuals
- User Generated Content interface
- Restaurant listings include food photos, map to the location, and amenities. As will hotel listings through the direct reservation system.
Addition of a pop up widget that links to an app that can do walking tours of Gallup, that could possibly build out to tablets/touch screens for digital concierge options (https://visitwidget.com/ check out www.discoverruidoso.com for the widget in action)
Roll out:
Tentatively in September. Will include doing a new media campaign with a logo refresh, digital marketing, SEO and content creation for the blog (will get quotes in the summer to execute early fall).
Discussion:
What would you like to see added or changed on the site?
E.
Discussion and Action: Route 66 Sign Grant Program
COVID-19 restrictions have cancelled events in the foreseeable future. After examining our strategic plan goals and our current funding, the Gallup Tourism and Marketing Department is recommending creating a Route 66 sign grant program. The funding for this comes from what was previously allocated toward events.
The program would be modeled after the Tulsa, OK, grant program, in which applicants had to follow all signage requirements set forth by the city, and provide a 1:1 match. The grant program was reimbursable.
The timing of this program is good because Route 66 celebrate its Centennial in 2026. This would be an important step toward building out our Route 66 tourism.
Attached with this item are the documents from the City of Gallup Planning and Zoning as well as from the City of Tulsa Neon Grant Program.
https://www.cityoftulsa.org/NeonGrant
Discussion: what provisions would we like to add to the program, what are your thoughts on the program?
Recommendation:
Approval of $50,000 in the FY22 budget for the launch of the Route 66 Signage Grant Program
The program would be modeled after the Tulsa, OK, grant program, in which applicants had to follow all signage requirements set forth by the city, and provide a 1:1 match. The grant program was reimbursable.
The timing of this program is good because Route 66 celebrate its Centennial in 2026. This would be an important step toward building out our Route 66 tourism.
Attached with this item are the documents from the City of Gallup Planning and Zoning as well as from the City of Tulsa Neon Grant Program.
https://www.cityoftulsa.org/NeonGrant
Discussion: what provisions would we like to add to the program, what are your thoughts on the program?
Recommendation:
Approval of $50,000 in the FY22 budget for the launch of the Route 66 Signage Grant Program
F.
Budget Proposal for FY22
The City of Gallup Tourism and Marketing Department is budgeting to approximately $1 million in FY22.
The budget includes the following highlights:
1. contracting out more services
2. additional fees for the website
3. Capital Improvement Requests
4. no seasonal personnel at Red Rock Park.
Recommendation:
Approval of the FY22 proposed budget
The budget includes the following highlights:
1. contracting out more services
2. additional fees for the website
3. Capital Improvement Requests
4. no seasonal personnel at Red Rock Park.
Recommendation:
Approval of the FY22 proposed budget
Documents:
G.