Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Special Meeting

TWENTYNINE PALMS TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA 6136 Adobe Road Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 www.29palms.org / www.Visit29.org Thursday, July 26, 2018 SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA 3:00 P. M. CALL TO ORDER Roll Call. Adjourn to Closed Session. CLOSED SESSION A “Closed” Session of the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) may be held in accordance with state law which may include, but is not limited to, the following types of items: personnel matters, labor negotiations, security matters, providing instructions to real property negotiators and conference with legal counsel regarding pending litigation. The Closed Session will be held in the City Hall Conference Room located at 6136 Adobe Road, Twentynine Palms, California. Any public comment on Closed Session items will be taken before the Closed Session. Any required announcements or discussion of Closed Session items or actions following the Closed Session will be made in the City Council Chambers, 6136 Adobe Road, Twentynine Palms, California. 1. Closed Session - Public Employee Performance Evaluation, Pursuant to Government Code 54957 - Marketing Specialist and Social Media Specialist. REGULAR SESSION AGENDA CALL TO ORDER Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call. Closed Session Announcements. Changes to Agenda. PRESENTATIONS 2. 29 Palms Chamber of Commerce - Visitor Center Report 3. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) - Report 4. Action 29 Palms - Report 5. Social Media Marketing - Report Page 1 of 13  6. Marketing Specialist - Report BUSINESS 7. Approval of TBID Meeting Minutes for May 10, 2018, June 14, 2018 and July 5, 2018. 3-9 Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting - 10 May 2018 - Minutes - Pdf Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting - 14 Jun 2018 - Minutes - Pdf Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting - Special Meeting - 05 Jul 2018 - Minutes - Pdf PUBLIC COMMENTS DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS 8. Tourism Marketing Budget 2018-2019 - Review, discuss, change and approve proposed TBID 11 - 12 Budget for 2018-2019 Fiscal Year. 2018-19 TBID Tourism Marketing Budget 9. Future Meetings Schedule - Confirm dates for August and September 2018 meetings and review 13 Timeline to Complete TBID Renewal Procedure for FY 2018-2019. TBID Renewal Timeline 2018-2019 10. Partnerships - (a) BLM Mojave Trails National Monument, (b) Night Sky Festival in November. BOARDMEMBER COMMENTS CITY MANAGER COMMENTS FUTURE BOARDMEMBER INITIATED ITEMS ADJOURNMENT It is the intention of the City of Twentynine Palms to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act in all respects. If you are a person with a disability who requires a disability-related modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting, including auxiliary aids or services, please request such modification or accommodation from the City Clerk at (760) 367-4890 (facsimile). Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to the meeting. Please advise us at the time whether you will require accommodations to participate in meetings on a regular basis. Any person affected by any application on this agenda may submit their concerns in writing prior to the meeting or appear in person and be heard in support or opposition to the proposal at the time the matter is considered on the agenda. The staff reports, applications and environmental documents may be viewed at either the office of Community Development or the office of the City Clerk, 6136 Adobe Road, from 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, except legal holidays. The Invocation is given per Policy 10-01, and does not reflect the views of the City but rather is an expression of speech by a private citizen making the presentation. Telephone inquiries may be made at (760) 367-6799. If you challenge any agenda issue in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues that you or someone else raised at the public meeting described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Twentynine Palms at, or prior to, the public meeting. This notice of agenda is hereby certified to have been posted on or before 5:00 p.m., July 23, 2018. Cindy Villescas, City Clerk Time/Date Page 2 of 13  TWENTYNINE PALMS TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT MEETING MINUTES City Hall, 6136 Adobe Road, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 www.29palms.org / www.Visit29.org May 10, 2018 CALL TO ORDER - Vice Chair Congdon called the meeting to order at 4:10 p.m. Pledge of Allegiance - Boardmember Maharaj led the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call - The following Tourism Business Improvement District Advisory Boardmembers were present: Congdon, Dusastre, Maharaj, Viloria. Chair Mehta had an excused absence. Changes to Agenda - None PRESENTATIONS 1. 29 Palms Chamber of Commerce Mariah Austin Kissack, 29 Palms Chamber of Commerce Administrative Assistant gave a report and mentioned the Chamber hired a new Administrative Assistant, Haley Moulton; they now have three assistants. She mentioned an increase of 200 visitors have gone into the Visitor Center on Farmers Market day(s). Lately, there have been many visitors, especially new visitors from Germany. 2. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) - No report this month. 3. ACTION 29 PALMS LeeAnn Clarke, Action 29 Palms Chair presented the report. She said they are working on reaching out to lodging with Oasis of Murals brochures and postcards. She mentioned there is an upcoming meeting to discuss mural restoration. Action 29 Palms are establishing a Friends of the Murals program. Mrs. Clarke said they will be updating their website with Jim Harvey; Vickie will send PDF of mural brochure. Action 29 Palms are interested in a partnership on postcards and commercial products with logo and website URL to promote the brand. She said they have numerous copies of the numbered mural prints available for sale. ChalkFest 29 will be in Luckie Park at Patriotic Hall on Nov. 3-4, and Nov. 3 will be an art class at 11 a.m. for ages 6 to 17. 4. Joshua Tree Communities/CW/DRTA FG Creative was contracted by DRTA to develop the new tourism website, combining CA Welcome Center and Joshua Tree Gateway Communities. No May meeting. 5. Social Media Marketing Robin Zimmermann, TBID Social Marketing Specialist presented the report. Facebook Likes are up from 432 to 777 Likes; and Instagram up from 307 to 402. Mrs. Zimmerman and Vice Chair Congdon will meet regarding need to co-share on Sky's the Limit (STL) page. Boardmember Maharaj recommends Laps App on Instagram. City Manager Luckino recommends investing in a video camera. Boardmember Maharaj wants Ms. Zimmerman to do YouTube. Boardmember Dusastre again recommends looking into Hootsuite (about $20/month), which has a lot of webinars, etc., of all updated platforms, and is a good management tool. Consensus to use “Visit 29!” and not “Visit29Palms” for TBID branding. Marketing Specialist Waite will ask Lori Rennie if she can add RSS feed for Facebook on the website. Page 1 of 3 Page 3 of 13  Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting Minutes May 10, 2018 6. Marketing Specialist Vickie Waite, TBID Marketing Specialist, presented the report on status and stats to date and will have updated Google Analytics for the website for June meeting. Boardmember Maharaj wants Landmarks mentioned on the Blogs (Google likes that); and make sure we are on Joshua Tree Chamber website, Greater Palms Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau (GPSCVB) website and others. Boardmember Dusastre wants Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP) more prominent on website home page; Marketing Specialist Waite suggests a line under “an Authentic Desert Getaway” … “A desert oasis at the North entrance to Joshua Tree National Park” in bold. There was a discussion on regarding the TBID Subcommittee meeting suggested to discuss: Desert ads and summer promotions. Marketing Specialist Waite mentioned email marketing will be monthly through Constant Contact. Boardmember Maharaj wants to know if we can get visitor center email addresses and wants to reach out to Fodors, Lonely Planet, and other directories re: advertising. BUSINESS Approval of Minutes from the TBID Meeting held on April 12, 2018. A motion was made by Boardmember Dusastre and seconded by Boardmember Viloria to approve the TBID Meeting Minutes as submitted. All in favor. TBID Meeting Minutes for April 12, 2018 Approved. PUBLIC COMMENTS - None DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS 7. Third Quarter Revenue Report - TBID Revenue for 2017-2018 Fiscal Year, actual and projected. City Manager Luckino presented the TBID revenue for 2017-2018 fiscal year, actual and projected. He mentioned that the TBID first and second quarter amount collected already is $114,918. City Manager Luckino said that now due to that amount they are projecting $203K for the year. He said that through Airbnb collecting Temporary Occupancy Tax from the Vacation Home Rentals it has made the revenue considerably higher than last year, $39K first/second quarter, last year whole year was $26K. He said Airbnb may possibly be collecting from Wonder Valley Vacation Home Rentals also. The Board would like to see a comparison chart of this year vs. last year. 8. Future Meetings Schedule - Establish dates for upcoming meetings through September 2018. The Board discussed establishing dates for upcoming meetings through September 2018. Annual meeting is tentatively set for June 14 (second Thursday of the month). Consensus by the Board to set up the Annual Meeting for June 14; set the June meeting as a budget meeting; skip August; make second Thursday in September a regular meeting. 9. Partnerships - Partnerships with Sky's The Limit, Joshua Tree National Park, and Joshua Tree National Park Council for the Arts for promoting/supporting Night Sky Festival in November. a. The TBID Board discussed partnership with Sky’s The Limit (STL), Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP), and Joshua Tree National Park Council for the Arts for promoting/supporting Night Sky/Art Festival 2018 on Saturday, November 10. (The City will help with buses, etc.) Tickets will go on sale August 1, 2018 (and sale ends Nov. 1, 2018). Tickets will be limited, estimated to be less than 500 people. Vice Chair Congdon recommends that local lodging create package deals. TBID will supply swag bags for the event. The TBID Board mentioned the need to add night sky preservation encouragement to the Sustainability page on website. The TBID Board suggested to look into: San Bernardino County programs to trade out light bulbs, TBID certificate Page 2 of 3 Page 4 of 13  Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting Minutes May 10, 2018 for sustainable practices, Monthly visiting astronomers program, in which the lodging businesses could donate one room night. b. OTHER: [1] The TBID Board recommends $35/year membership to International DarkSky Association (IDA); Boardmember Viloria will research; Marketing Specialist Waite would implement it. [2] The Public Arts Advisory Council (PAAC) publicity, press releases have been done by Vickie; Vice Chair Congdon wonders if she can request Vickie attend meetings and continue support. [3] LeeAnn Clarke wants to know if TBID can support Action 29 Palms murals; she will send a report on Friends of the Murals and monetary buy-in. BOARDMEMBER COMMENTS Boardmember Dusastre gave thanks to Desert Trail coverage: Congrats to Pat Flanagan for Minerva Hoyt Desert Conservation Award; also good coverage for museum expansion. She mentioned the Mojave Trails field trip will leave City Hall at 8:30 on May 17. Rich and Kyle Sullivan from BLM will be leaders, there is 16 confirmed attendees, Mojave Desert Land Trust staff will also participate on the tour. She mentioned the 29 Palms Inn will be providing bag lunches. Boardmember Dusatre said Visit California report is coming out this month (May) – California Tourism month – and US Travel Association Travel & Tourism Week. Boardmember Maharaj said the Annual Meeting will take place on on June 14, Boardmember Maharaj and Boardmember Dusastre will help present. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS – City Manager Luckino had no additional comments. FUTURE BOARDMEMBER INITIATED ITEMS 1. ChalkFest Sponsorship 2. 29 Palms postcards, photos produced by the Tourism Business Improvement District. 3. Tourism Business Improvement District Sponsorship of Night Sky/Art Festival, including TBID sponsorship buying swag bags. 4. International DarkSky Association (IDA) Membership ADJOURNMENT - Vice Chair Congdon adjourned the meeting at 6:03 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Vickie Waite, Marketing Specialist Page 3 of 3 Page 5 of 13 Page 6 of 13  TWENTYNINE PALMS TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT MEETING MINUTES City Hall, 6136 Adobe Road, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 www.29palms.org / www.Visit29.org June 14, 2018 CALL TO ORDER - Chair Mehta called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. Pledge of Allegiance - Boardmember Maharaj led the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call - The following TBID Advisory Boardmembers were present: Mehta, Congdon, Dusastre, Maharaj and Viloria. PRESENTATIONS 1. Welcome City Manager Luckino gave an introductory Welcome statement and presented a recap of the first eight months of the Tourism Business Improvement District. He then requested introductions, going around the room from the audience to staff and board. 2. Board Statements / Commitments Boardmember Maharaj, Boardmember Dusastre, Boardmember Viloria, Vice Chair Congdon, and Chair Mehta gave brief statements about their role on the TBID Advisory Board, their service and commitment of time, and encouraged others to consider being future boardmembers. 3. The TBID Advisory Board and Organization City Manager Luckino introduced general information about the Tourism Business Improvement District, including an Organizational Chart of the TBID Advisory Board and staff, and operated a PowerPoint presentation for the annual meeting. 4. Marketing Plan Boardmember Maharaj discussed the Executive Summary, SWOT analysis, and major sections of the TBIID Tourism Marketing Plan and its purpose. 5. Marketing Programs Boardmember Dusastre discussed the Marketing Programs, the SWOT analysis of the original Visit29.org website and process of rebuilding the site, and social media, etc. 6. Marketing Specialist Vickie Waite, TBID Marketing Specialist, presented the Visit29.org redesigned website, analytics to date, marketing results and stats for email marketing and other programs, and presented a handout. Page 1 of 2 Page 7 of 13  Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting Minutes June 14, 2018 7. Social Media Robin Zimmermann, TBID Social Media Specialist, presented social media results and stats and presented a handout for the current platforms, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. CONCLUSION City Manager Luckino concluded the meeting with explaining the revenue and budget for the TBID, estimating $203,000 income for the 2017-2018 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. He then asked for Q & A and comments from the audience. ADJOURNMENT - Chair Mehta adjourned the meeting at 5:50 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Vickie Waite, Marketing Specialist Page 2 of 2 Page 8 of 13  TWENTYNINE PALMS TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES City Hall, 6136 Adobe Road, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 www.29palms.org / www.Visit29.org July 5, 2018 CALL TO ORDER - Chair Mehta called the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m. Pledge of Allegiance - Boardmember Dusastre led the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call - The following TBID Boardmembers were present: Congdon, Dusastre, Maharaj, Viloria, Mehta. Public Comment - None. Adjourn to Closed Session - Chair Mehta adjourned to Closed Session at 12:35 p.m. CLOSED SESSION 1. Closed Session - Public Employee Performance Evaluation, Pursuant to Government Code 54957 - Marketing Specialist and Social Media Specialist. There was no reportable action. ADJOURNMENT - Chair Mehta adjourned the TBID meeting at 1:30 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Vickie Waite, Marketing Specialist Page 1 of 1 Page 9 of 13 Page 10 of 13  Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District 51-1013 TOURISM MARKETING BUDGET 2018-2019 2017-18 2017-18 2018-19 Budget YTD Actual Budget REVENUE: Visit 29! Tourism Assessment Fee (as of 6/21/2018) $150,000.00 $114,918.00 $200,000.00 6348 TRAVEL SHOWS Budget YTD Actual Budget Feb2019 LOS ANGELES Travel & Adventure Show (Feb.16-17, 2019) $3,270 paid $3,170.00 $3,270.00 Prepaid Expenses: Booth Equipment 6'x42"Counter $170, Cartload In/Out $80 $350.00 $249.40 $250.00 Expenses: Hotel,Meals,Car,Gas,CCParking $1,600.00 $1,834.64 $2,000.00 Feb2020 LOS ANGELES Travel & Adventure Show 2020 (Prepay to save $700) $0.00 $0.00 $3,270.00 Jan2019 SAN DIEGO Travel & Adventure Show (Jan.19-20, 2019), VisitCADeserts $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Expenses: Hotel,Meals,Car/Gas,CCParking $1,200.00 $1,474.41 $1,500.00 June2019 IPW (International) VisitCADeserts (Anaheim, June 1-5, 2019) Exp. $1,500 $0.00 $0.00 $1,500.00 $6,320.00 $6,828.45 $8,520.00 6347 TRADE CONVENTIONS & ORGANIZATIONS Jan. CaliforniaTravelAssn. Membership (<$1M in tourism revenue = $450/yr.) $450.00 $495.00 $495.00 May/June CalTravelSummit ($699Reg+$85TBID+$85Dn=$869; Exp:Hotel,Meals,Car) $1,600.00 $2,423.09 $2,000.00 May SanBernardinoCountyEDA TourismSummit (Expenses: Car/Gas) $300.00 $80.65 $100.00 Feb. Partnerships/OrganizationMemberships: Chambers 29P/YV/JT & Other $0.00 $315.00 $500.00 $2,350.00 $3,313.74 $3,095.00 6346 TOURISM PRINT ADS Nov. Sunset Magazine, Travel Directory ad, Dec./Jan. issue ($1,750x3)(315K) $1,750.00 $1,750.00 $1,750.00 Dec. Sunset Magazine, Travel Directory ad, Feb. issue ($1,750x3)(315K) $1,750.00 $1,750.00 $1,750.00 Jan. Sunset Magazine, Travel Directory ad, Mar. issue ($1,750x3)(315K) $1,750.00 $1,750.00 $1,750.00 Apr. California Road Trips , VisitCalifornia annual guide, T+L insert(1M) & web $3,250.00 $3,600.00 $3,600.00 $8,500.00 $8,850.00 $8,850.00 6345 REGIONAL PRINT ADS Apr. Desert Magazine (TheDesertSun ,1/4-pg@$485 x6 issues,June+Sept.-Jan.) $2,910.00 $2,910.00 $2,910.00 Mar. Hwy 62 Art Tours Catalog, Oct. full-page Patron Sonsor ad (10K) $1,250.00 $1,500.00 $1,500.00 Nov. "Off the Grid" Visitor Magazine (HDPublishing 1/4-pg ad @$195) $195.00 $195.00 $195.00 Apr. "Off the Grid" Visitor Magazine (HDPublishing 1/4-pg ad @$195) $195.00 $195.00 $195.00 Apr. Visitor's Digest (HDPublishing, Spring 1/2-pg ad @$275) $0.00 $275.00 $0.00 BasinWide Spirit Magazine (1/4-pg x 4 @$175.50) Previously pd by City $0.00 $0.00 $702.00 Oct. CaliforniaWelcomeCenter, 29 Palms backlit panel ad,brochure,web ad+link $225.00 $225.00 $225.00 BILLBOARD ADS, Lamar (Hwy62 $1000-1500/4wks+$750vinyl) $0.00 $0.00 $4,000.00 $4,775.00 $5,300.00 $9,727.00 6241 MARKETING SUPPLIES Ongoing Office supplies/labels/printer ink/paper/envelopes/stamps/copies etc. $1,000.00 $176.07 $1,000.00 TravelShow/Marketing Giveaways (Pens1000@.32,StylusPens@.77;totes) $1,225.00 $0.00 $1,000.00 Marketing Supplies: RackCard/display holders, bins, RoadrunnerShuttle etc. $60.00 $246.41 $500.00 Printing: DrawingEntries(30pads@50/pad=1,500/$50,Bkmarks500/$30) $80.00 $0.00 $50.00 Printing: Business cards (500@$34.80 V+R+5Board) $35.00 $69.60 $250.00 Marketing Equipment $3,000.00 $0.00 $3,000.00 $5,400.00 $492.08 $5,800.00 6356 INTERNET MARKETING & WEBSITE Internet Advertising, Social media ads across platforms ($500/mo) $16,875.00 $1.99 $6,000.00 Internet Marketing Software (Hootsuite,FinalCut,MusicLibrary,Photoshop) $0.00 $0.00 $2,000.00 Internet Marketing Supplies/Hardware $0.00 $0.00 $1,000.00 Internet Marketing, Bloggers, Influencers $0.00 $0.00 $2,000.00 Website Redesign, Consulting, Web fixes, tech updates, troubleshooting $10,285.00 $10,285.00 $2,000.00 Website, Wordpress & Plugins security updates $0.00 $0.00 $750.00 Website Hosting/Domain Renewal ($130.81Eli)(GoDaddy$538.92+$12.17) $0.00 $681.90 $550.00 ConstantContact Email Marketing (501-2500names) (Renew March/April) $540.00 $549.00 $550.00 Canceled TripAdvisor PremiumDestinationPrtn Mktg sponsorship+ads(May2018-2019) $5,500.00 $0.00 $0.00 New: MCCS/MCAGCC LifeIn29 email ads $1600, MCCS website ads $1400 $0.00 $0.00 $3,000.00 $33,200.00 $11,517.89 $17,850.00 6344 BROADCAST MEDIA Radio, TV, Pandora ads, Videos, Podcasts, etc. $0.00 $0.00 $5,000.00 $5,000.00 6371 SPONSORSHIPS Skys The Limit, BLM, Action 29 Palms, 29P Art Gallery, Art Events $0.00 $0.00 $5,000.00 MCCS/MCAGCC Sponsorship, event support/event giveaways $2,000.00 $7,000.00 6251 TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT Trainings, Training Travel Expenses, Travel writers/FAM tour hospitality $0.00 $0.00 $2,000.00 Page 11 of 13  $2,000.00 6340 MERCHANDISE FOR RESALE Postcards, T-Shirts, hats, souvenirs, swag with Visit 29! branding logo $0.00 $0.00 $5,000.00 $5,000.00 6353 CONTRACT SERVICES Marketing Director: Implement TBID Marketing Plan & Budget $0.00 $0.00 $60,000.00 Marketing Specialist (as of 6/21) $30,000.00 $22,900.00 Social Media Specialist (as of 6/21) $16,800.00 $8,157.43 $46,800.00 $31,057.43 $60,000.00 Tourism Marketing Subtotal: $107,345.00 $67,359.59 $132,842.00 6244 Contingency: Contingency Fund: +/- 10% of Total $10,000.00 $0.00 $10,000.00 TOTAL BUDGET: $117,345.00 $67,359.59 $142,842.00 Draft Proposed Budget 2018-2019 -- Updated 07/16/2018 Page 12 of 13  Visit 29! City of Twentynine Palms TBID 6136 Adobe Road Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 www.visit29.org Timeline to Complete the TBID Renewal Procedure for FY 2018-2019 STEP DATE COMPLETED 1. Advisory Board must prepare an Annual Report July 30, 2018 2. Advisory Board must file Annual Report with the City Clerk July 30, 2018 3. Annual Report must be submitted to City Council for review July 30, 2018 – August 14, 2018 4. Council must hold a public meeting to (1) consider and approve the Annual Report and (2) consider and adopt a August 28, 2018 Resolution of Intention to levy an assessment for FY 2018-2019 5. The Clerk must publish the Resolution of Intention in a newspaper of general circulation for at least seven (7) days before the Council Hearing during September 4 – September 10, 2018 which Council will consider adoption of a Resolution to levy the assessments 6. Mail a complete copy of the Resolution of Intention to each business owner in the TBID area who is subject to the assessment within Mailed by September 4, 2018 seven (7) days of Council’s adoption of the Resolution of Intention 7. By September 30, 2018 Council must hold a Public Hearing to adopt a Resolution to levy the proposed September 11, 2018 assessments Page 13 of 13