Greater Mauston Tourism Association Meeting

GREATER MAUSTON TOURISM ASSOCIATION MEETING MINUTES March 11, 2026 at 5:00 PM 303 Mansion Street Mauston, WI 1. Call to Order/Roll Call: The Greater Mauston Tourism Association meeting was called to order by Chair Michel Messer on March 11, 2026, at 5:07 p.m. Members present were Leanna Hagen (via phone, departing at 6:07 p.m.), Doug Linder, and Wendy Murphy. Also present were Jessica Bilski (On The Line Presence), City Administrator Daron Haugh, Jordan Wilke representing G.O.L.D., Tamaya Lowe representing JCEDC, and Courtney Curran with the Juneau County Forestry and Parks. Absent were Meredith Sornsin and Ben Bader. 2. Minutes: Motion by Murphy, seconded by Linder, to approve the February 11, 2026, minutes. Motion carried by voice vote. 3. Financial Report: Motion by Murphy, seconded by Hagen, to approve the financial report as presented. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote. 4. Event Support Activities a. GMTA Event Application Wording: Motion by Murphy, seconded by Linder, to revise the application wording to clarify that payment will be issued after the required event follow-up is completed. Updated wording will be circulated to the committee via email for final approval. Motion carried by voice vote. b. Juneau County Forestry and Parks Event Support Grant Application: Motion by Messer, seconded by Murphy, to approve the grant in the amount of $4,800. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote. The Board requested post-event follow-up information including attendance estimates for non-campers attending fireworks and any related boat traffic. Curran agreed to provide the report. c. 2026 Fly-In/Drive-In Grant Application: Motion by Linder, seconded by Messer, to approve the grant in the amount of $500. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote. d. G.O.L.D. Ice Fishing Tournament Follow-Up: Wilke reported that 99 anglers participated from both local and out-of-town communities. Approximately $14,000 was raised to support maintenance of the lake weed harvester, which operates up to 40 hours per week during peak season. 5. Marketing Activities  a. CiviSocial: Motion by Messer, seconded by Murphy, to approve the CiviSocial proposal as presented. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote. Haugh explained that the City will also contribute to the project, which includes marketing training for hoteliers, On The Line Presence, and other local businesses. The program aims to improve promotion of Mauston to attract visitors, residents, and businesses. The proposal cost is $18,000. The City will fund a redesign of the City website, including ADA compliance and integration with social media and the GMTA website. b. JCEDC Tourism Billboards: Lowe explained that JCEDC owns and maintains the I-90/94 tourism billboards in Juneau County, including utilities, registration, and land lease payments. The lease term would be one year. The billboards are classified as tourism signs and may not advertise specific business names. 6. Staff Report a. Advertising Expenditures: Bilski reviewed additional advertising expenses related to event promotion through On The Line Presence. The invoices primarily reflect January 2025 advertising costs and were confirmed as legitimate expenses. 7. Adjourn: At 6:07 p.m. Alderperson Hagen departed the meeting, resulting in a loss of quorum. The meeting was adjourned. ___________________________________ ______________________________________ Chair Date