Whitefish Sustainable Tourism Management Plan Standing Committee

Sustainable Tourism Management Plan Standing Committee January 16, 2024 @ 2:00 P.M. City Council Conference Room Minutes 1) Call To Order STMP Chair, Brian Schott called the meeting to order. Members present were Mark Pascoli, Heather Cauffman, Ella Kobelt, Steve Kane, Liz Colley, and Michelle Howke. Mariah Joos and Matt Gebo was absent. Explore Whitefish Executive Director Julie Mullins and Consultant Kate McMahon (virtually) were present. Nate with Whitefish Legacy Partners attended as a member of the public. 2) Approval of December 19, 2023, Minutes Steve made a motion, seconded by Liz to approve the December 19, 2023, minutes. The motion carried. 3) Planning for Community meeting – postponed from January 25 to February (TBD) There was discussion having the community meeting in early May to reflect the winter data. The make up of the meeting would be 1) Panel discussion – livability, suggestions were members of the Housing Committee, Climate Action Committee, Bike/Ped, Chamber and a representative from the Council, younger generation. 2) Live poll with group – myth from reality and perception of tourism. 4) Complete Goals/Strategy worksheet with committee members The Committee worked individually on the Goals/Strategy worksheet that Kate provided. Kate summarized the actions that are attached to the minutes. 5) Updates from Committee The City has awarded an Engineering Contract to Robert, Peccia and Associates for the Safe Streets for All project. The City has started the process to recruit for the Short-Term-Rental Compliance Officer position. 6) Review timeframe for complete report The draft plan should be completed in March and presented to the Council on April 15th during a work session. 7) Public Comment None 8) Next Meeting February 20, 2024 9) Adjourn The meeting was adjourned at 3:50pm.  STMP Action Summary Draft 1-29-24 Tourism 1. Benchmarking/Record Keeping • Annual report on sustainable tourism plan activities and successes • Measure visitor levels, economic statistics, short term rental stats and other data related to the sustainability focus areas (see data in plan update) • Compile statistics that differentiate between different types of growth (tourism economy vs. real estate economy) • Identify livability thresholds to measure progress towards goals. 2. Community Outreach & Education • Incorporate education and outreach as part of the community meeting. Conduct two meetings annually to inform/engage the community. • Increase outreach to businesses in the community to increase involvement in Explore Whitefish • Messaging to a wider net of stakeholders in the community (young adults, family- oriented events, non-profits/civic groups ….) • Quarterly newspaper column on sustainable tourism activities and successes • Create a hotel-lodging committee within Explore Whitefish to discuss their needs. • Messaging to emphasize the benefits of a tourism economy (i.e., Resort Tax, Explore Whitefish Sustainability Fund ….) • Coffee with a cop (or rotate employees from different City of Whitefish departments) • Use alternative media methods for outreach (Podcasts, social media, …) 3. Coordination – Partnerships • Work with Explore Whitefish on plan implementation (outreach, sustainability fund, benchmarking….) • Work with Glacier National Park on reservation system that prioritizes residents access to park. • Coordinate with University of Montana Institute of Tourism and Recreation Research on data collection and benchmarking • Coordinate with regional tourism organizations (Glacier Country, Kalispell CVB …) 1 Economic Diversification 1. Support Local Businesses • Work with local businesses to organize community days. • Community bucks’ program • Business survey to identify issues and support for various programs. 2. Develop Business Incubators – Creative Spaces for economic development. • Promote Music Hubs - Artist Community • Identify potential meeting spaces to promote the shoulder season for corporate retreats, think tanks, wellness retreats, …. • Target business recruitment to year-round, good paying jobs to diversity economic base. (Finance, tech, life sciences ….) 3. Coordination – Partnerships • Coordinate economic development strategies with City of Whitefish Growth Policy – Vision 45 plan update and economic studies. • Work with Whitefish Chamber of Commerce to implement plan recommendations. • Support local business development and promote entrepreneurship programs (MWED, Montana Dept. of Commerce, Flathead Valley Community College, and Whitefish High School) 4. Appropriately target incentives for desirable economic development • Incentives and recruitment to attract targeted business clusters as identified in City economic development study. • Incentivize sustainable-green businesses. • Incentives to off-set high cost of living for employees 2 Transportation 1. Expand alternative transportation options • Peak season shuttles to major trailheads – outdoor recreation amenities ( • Park-n-Ride lots for carpooling (Project Whitefish soccer fields, mall …) • Increase public transit options. (Mountain Climber, Snow Bus …) 2. Address parking issues during peak summer seasons • Continue to collect data for parking management studies. • Address employee parking issues in downtown through permit system or other parking demand management tools 3. Coordination - Partnership • Cooperative transportation planning between county, state and local governments on countywide planning regarding transportation issues and funding • Explore options for funding a regional transportation planner. • Support recommendations in City of Whitefish Transportation Plan • Support Mountain Climber efforts to establish transit for an inter-city fixed route system. • Promote increased membership in Snow Bus in order to expand services. • Work with airport to increase options for airport shuttle services especially for early morning departures and late-night arrivals. • Work with MDT to implement recommendations from the U.S. 93 Core Area Transportation Plan 4. Pedestrian, trails, and walkability • Communicate periodically with Whitefish Pedestrian & Bicycle Path Committee to identify potential areas of cooperation. • Support efforts by the city, local groups, and MDT to create a connected trail system. • Engage in Whitefish Safety Study and support recommendations for safe, walkable pedestrian/bike system. • Sponsor events to promote cycling, walking, and carpooling to work. • Incentives for hotels to provide bikes to customers. 3 Housing and Development 1. Affordable workforce housing • Expand use of land trust model in Whitefish (i.e. Snow Lot …) • Identify and secure funding sources for the construction of permanently affordable housing. • Incentives for landlords to convert STR’s into workforce rentals. • Support or incentives for cooperative housing developments • Work with businesses on rental assistance for workforce. • Landlord education and recognition program for responsible landlords 2. Short-Term rental regulation and enforcement • Conduct outreach about city efforts to enforce short-term rentals. • Work with community partners to establish a hot line for reporting illegal short-term rentals. • Monitor and collect data on STR enforcement efforts to determine best practices. 3. Support development and projects that are compatible with existing community character. • Work with civic groups on community service projects for public art, community gardens, gateway landscaping/signage, and other projects. • Update design standards to be consistent with Growth Policy update and incorporate sustainability principles. 4. Coordination and Partnerships • Integrate housing policies from STMP into Growth Policy -Vision 45 update. • Support projects by Whitefish Housing Authority to create new workforce housing. • Engage community non-profits on outreach and build support for workforce housing projects. 4 Environment -Sustainability 1. Promote sustainability through green business practices, resilient infrastructure, and community projects. • Sponsor or partner on workshops – mini-courses on green business – sustainable business practices. • Establish green business certification programs and recruit businesses with incentives. • Create an adopt-a-park and community clean-ups to engage residents and businesses. • Support preservation of current open space/farmland. • Continue and supplement visitor outreach efforts such as “Be a Friend of the Fish.” • Promote sustainability through infrastructure investments in EV chargers, bike racks and renewable energy projects. 2. Coordination – Partnerships • Integrate sustainable tourism strategies into city plans and budgets (Growth Policy, Climate Action Plan, ….) • Address quality of life issues in the strategic plan for Explore Whitefish including recommendations for business partners to incorporate livability concerns into their activities. • Work with partners to establish a recycling and composting program. • Support Whitefish Lake Institute on water quality programs and to education the community on best practices to protect Whitefish Lake 3. Establish community sustainability fund to support projects related to sustainable/resilient community • Explore best practices for a voluntary sustainability tax that businesses can promote to visitors. • Explore partnering with other groups advocating for sustainable practices to identify potential carbon off-set contributions from large employers. 5