Door County Tourism Zone Commission : Meeting Minutes

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January 15, 2009 Door County Tourism Zone Commission Meeting

DOOR COUNTY TOURISM ZONE COMMISSION
MINUTES OF January 15, 2009
Jacksonport � Town Hall

ACTION ITEMS:
Tice moved and Nelson seconded to accept the appointment and seat new members of the Commission (asterisked below). Motion passed unanimously.
Tice moved and LeClair seconded to approve the December 18 minutes as submitted. Motion passed unanimously.
Nelson moved and Weddig seconded to sign the annual engagement letter with Kerber Rose & Associates. Motion passed unanimously.
Nelson moved and Tice seconded to approve Kerber Rose�s monthly reports. Motion passed unanimously.
Tice moved and Weddig seconded to pay the monthly bills. Motion passed unanimously.

Committee Members Present by Roll Call: Bob Kufrin, Tom Benzshawel* , Richard Briggs, Dave Holtz*, Debra Jeanquart*, Mike Johnson*, Jeff Larson, Little Bit LeClair, Craig Neddersen, Bryan Nelson, Sarah Sawyer, Dick Skare, Mark Stevenson*, Chuck Tice, Bill Weddig, Nora Zacek

Excused: Mary Boston, Andy Coulson, Nancy Goss, Diane Jacobson, Carol Stayton

Absent: George Delveaux*, Amy McClelland, Edson Stevens*

Also Present: Jack Moneypenny, Jon Jarosh, Sally Everhardus, and Mary Denis from Door County Visitor Bureau; Dianne Lensert, Kerber Rose & Associates

Audience: Leo Zipperer, Chair/Sevastopol; Kristen Kubisiak/Advocate

Call to Order
Chair Bob Kufrin called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m.

New Commission Members
Tice asked that we move up the welcome to new members first and vote to seat them. He named all new members in attendance (asterisked above). Tom Tostrup will be the member from Village of Forestville but could not be seated as the Village�s paperwork has not come in. Tice named additional new members not present (asterisked). Sturgeon Bay has two members because it collects more than the $300,000 annual threshold. Kufrin asked each member to give a short description. Previous members introduced themselves, and new members mentioned their municipality and business: Debra Jeanquart (Union; real estate sales), Mike Johnson (Clay Banks; Town Chair, owns Cherry De-Lite), Mark Stevenson (Gardner; Town Supervisor, owns an inspection service), Tom Benzshawel (City of Sturgeon Bay; Alderman & owner of B&T Television), Dave Holtz (City of Sturgeon Bay; owns Bridgeport Resort). Tice moved to accept appointment and seat new members of the Commission. Nelson seconded. All ayes.

Approval of Agenda
Tice moved to approve the agenda as amended. Nelson seconded. All ayes.

Approval of Minutes of December 18 Meeting
Tice moved to approve as submitted. LeClair seconded. Kufrin told new members that Kirkland can give them any past minutes of materials they�d like. The website has all the materials as well. All ayes.

Administrative Assistant Report
Kirkland noted that the seven new municipalities had all turned in paperwork except Village of Forestville. She noted the 23 new permits issued since the December 18 meeting. Several permit holders have not filed any reports for 2008, and Bill Vande Castle will be getting a list of those for follow-up. She explained the Electronic Communications Policy that all members need to sign; it protects personal privacy while upholding the open records law. Stevenson asked how long such paperwork must be saved; his municipality�s rule is 3 years. Kufrin felt it is 7, the same as most financial and paperwork. Kirkland said Vande Castle recommended that when a Commissioner leaves his/her term, that person should turn over all TZC records to either the office or to the new Commissioner and sign off on it.

Kufrin stated that the TZC created an Annual Meeting committee last year and spent time looking at locations. A disappointing number of people showed up. Is there any value in putting periodic notices in the newspaper about the requirement that one must obtain a permit if renting your home/cottage, whether irregular or regular basis? Neddersen asked if it would cost anything; should Vande Castle get involved? Kufrin said some aren�t aware that individuals are renting. He felt a periodic notice twice a year could go out. Kirkland noted it could be editorial and therefore no cost. She and Kristen Kubisiak/Advocate will talk. Zacek noted that the health department inspected her business and stated that as of April 1, there�s a $750 fine for not being licensed and permitted. Kufrin said the State has our list now; he�s surprised the County hasn�t asked for it.

Tice looked at the 2009 Meeting Calendar�s and said new municipalities could host the open spots of May, October, and November. Benzshawel offered the City of Sturgeon Bay for May 21. Mark Stevenson will claim October 15 for Gardner.

Moneypenny noted that he was approached by someone who has a permit but reports only about every third rental. He recommended the person call the TZC. Kufrin said any Commissioner or other person can make an anonymous report through the TZC. Kufrin asked if we should we accept anonymous reports. Kirkland said they could give their name but be kept confidential. Tice felt we should check all leads. Neddersen felt the cost of investigating rentals could become prohibitive beyond what Kirkland does. Kufrin agreed all should be investigated; if needed, we get the investigator from Green Bay involved. Nelson felt every lead is mandated by statute; he felt the Town of Baileys Harbor should be the contact person for anyone who wants to report, then he and the Town Clerk have to pressure the individuals. Kufrin felt that ultimately, reports should be either referred to the municipality or to Kirkland.

Kufrin said we have a year-end list of all permit holders; it�s 14 ledger pages. Do the Commission members want the entire list for themselves or the municipality? Each could look and see who�s permitted locally. Neddersen said it should be electronically to all. Nobody needs paper copy. Kufrin said the Commissioners should report to Board and share the list; elected officials should have vested interest in reporting those who are renting but not permitted/reporting. Kirkland will e-mail the reports. Nelson said it may prevent properties assigned to the wrong municipality, which impacts the money to each community; Kufrin said we collected a couple Town of Sturgeon Bay properties a year before they joined. Tice noted that the post office address is often different, but Kirkland checks the Real Estate Tax Records and uses their municipality code to be sure now.

Benzshawel asked if the TZC Budget been approved for 2009? It has. Were legal fees adjusted for adding the new communities? Neddersen said they weren�t; that should be considered.

UPDATE ON COMMUNITY MARKETING PROGRAM
Moneypenny said the Community Marketing Fund grown some heads and legs. There will be four meetings at end of the month; notices will go out notice next Monday. The meetings will be tied to community branding first and then about the Community Marketing Fund. They want to discover commonalities among the municipalities and work with all the communities. One suggestion is a template for a brochure so that all could be printed at same time for volume pricing. Another suggestion was to hire a person for three years to oversee the fund and coordinate municipalities on different issues. Dave Elliot and Moneypenny will meet on January 20 about disbursements, dollars. Some issues have come up: One municipality wanted to assign its CMF money to four different entities; Jack told them no, it has to be a single unit with strict how-to-spend regulations.

Moneypenny talked to DeWitt in Gardner, which is getting only about $900 for the first year. Who do they assign it to? The DCVB will be the marketing arm and help develop a brochure. Other municipalities seem to have marketing entities. July, August, and September will bring the majority of these funds; they could be restricted to the following spring for brochures, etc. Kufrin asked if he got any calls from the letter sent out asking to assign a marketing entity. He knows that Merrell Runquist/Gibraltar got the letter the day of their meeting. Tice said Sevastopol assigned their portion to the Sturgeon Bay Visitors Center. Kufrin asked if there are controls/obligations on part of local municipalities other than the designation of the recipient? Moneypenny said each marketing concept has to be presented to see if it fits State statute; the DCVB will report on the results next year. The governments cannot have a say in how it�s spent; of course, they can recommend behind the scenes. Kufrin said there should be some kind of agreement on reporting, representation between marketing entity and the town board. Neddersen said that�s not the initial intent; it�s strictly between DCVB and municipalities. Weddig said some voted to split it up; what if Ephraim decides to put into other municipalities, how would we resolve inter-municipality spending? Kufrin said Sister Bay has businesses in Ephraim that are members of SBAA; in fact, most have members outside the corporate limits. Tice said to keep in mind that CMF was formed to get the City of Sturgeon Bay to join; the deal between Sevastopol and the Visitors Center helped seal the deal. Moneypenny reminded that the only entities that can get CMF money this next year are those who paid room tax last year; municipalities would have had to paid tax in May of last year to be involved this year; next year, new municipalities will get a cut of CMF money as a ratio of what the municipality puts in. It�s a complicated scenario.

DCVB MARKETING REPORT
Moneypenny noted that January�s report is the last of this type of report to be given out. Next month, there�ll be a synopsis sheet with goals and numeric, quantifiable numbers. If something doesn�t happen until May, it�ll be 0% until it starts to happen. There will be a full scope of activities that will be easy to see. When the TZC sees the new report in February, we can talk about if it needs to be tweaked. DCVB has started talking to the auditors; should be done in the next 2-3 weeks, so the year-end 2008 audit will be in the next packet along with two budget breakdowns. At the end of every quarter, there�ll be a report. He announced that Jarosh has shifted to Director of Communications and PR, and Mary Denis is full-time Director of Marketing. He mentioned that the Visitors Guide should be out shortly; they�re arriving today.

Jon said Geiger cracked the $1 million total for ad value equivalency, done in 18 months� time. The DCVB is pleased with the timeframe. Jarosh is working on the February 26-March 1 winter press trip. AAA Living and other magazines are publishing winter articles from last year. Regarding eBrains� economic impact guarantee: They�re still working on the last conversion study, but it looks as though they�ll hit the $22 visitors spending guarantee and then some.

Denis noted her report on page 8 that in addition to sales, she is now doing marketing and working on family brand positioning, plus getting an ad ready for Newsweek targeted to Chicago area. Holiday Showcase in Chicago was attended by Denis and Moneypenny for bringing small meetings to Door County; they got 45 names as a base to solicit. She�ll be attending tour operators and travel show meetings. Nelson asked on the cover page about Cision is being used instead of the old company for media contacts, etc. Jarosh said Cision has everything under one company. They calculate ad value for photographs, etc., and the cost is slightly less than Bacon�s. Neddersen asked about Geiger�s future media hits; Jarosh said with the new reporting, Geiger found niche markets to emphasize (fisheries, etc.). Can we analyze placements such as art magazines and specialty magazines to see our effectiveness? Jon said each month, articles are available to Commission members; he�ll work with Kirkland to make sure all Commissioners get CDs. The DCVB Members Website, www.doorcountyvisitorbureau.org, one can sign up and get a quarterly report of articles.

Kufrin asked Jarosh if there can be links between articles and websites to see them. Jarosh said it�s in the works through the members� website. Kufrin said what about visitors as well? Jarosh felt that was a good idea; it will be done by the end of February. The DCVB keeps in touch with the writers and when their articles are scheduled. Benzshawel asked what the process is to get writers; Jarosh said it�s not fully controlled but we can give them opportunities/activity tracks for each journalist, who selects what s/he wants to do. Neddersen said Geiger selects journalists who have a history of a certain type of article/specialty.

Kufrin asked about new municipalities. Will the DCVB look at the activities in a different way to push visitors into Southern Door? Yes. With the City in the mix, they can incorporate new activities not previously available. Tour of Cherry De-Lite, etc., as an example of a brand attribute. Kingdom So Delicious is culinary based and there are opportunities in Southern Door. Nelson has hosted journalists and can attest to how much they�re handled/scheduled. Geiger takes them to all events, so they�re directed in a way spearheaded by Jarosh to get the desired result. There are 4 tours total this year; last year, many were in peak season and it became hard to work it out during the busiest times. The 2009 summer trip in late June, October will be the Sunday of Fall Fest, all will be during the week. The December trip is Thursday to Sunday.

Jarosh�s new responsibility is working with Wisconsin film industry. The �Feed the Fish� movie has filmed the Polar Bear swim, talked to Kufrin, and will be shooting primarily in Northern Door, some in Sturgeon Bay. The crew will be here in February. Moneypenny said the movie takes place in Door County/Sister Bay, that�s the premise. It�s about the destination it�s filmed in. They opened a new editing studio in Milwaukee. Tony Shaloub is starring.

Moneypenny said Denis referenced the Newsweek ad, a remnant sale. It�s 122,000 copies that will go to homes and newsstands, with a pass-around readership of 746,000 readers. Neddersen asked about funding; Moneypenny took it out of the Opportunity Fund, it didn�t cause a dent in anything. Those are opportunities that come at the last minute that we can take advantage of. Moneypenny attended the Holiday Showcase in Chicago, and the Shirtsleeves event included directors of sales and marketing. It�ll be a tough year: Business travel has all but disappeared; that doesn�t affect us. Groups/meetings have a 40% falloff. However, resort/leisure destinations are where everyone�s hanging their hats. Shoppers are looking for best value and packaging, so our businesses need to cross-promote with hotels/restaurants/shops with a package price. DCVB will try to get that word out and facilitate what they can. The DCVB will target Chicago, northern Illinois, Milwaukee, Twin Cities but also Iowa, where there is great interest in travel.

Kufrin asked if Moneypenny has told lodging/restaurant members about the packaging? No, a letter will go out in a couple days with trends and resort travel. Tice asked if the DCVB is promoting year-round? Moneypenny said there was a 6-week TV campaign in the fall, and opportunities like Newsweek, an ad in January�s AAA magazine, all pushing winter opportunity. But we have to be careful what is promised the traveler about what�s open; promise enough but not too much. Tice feels the southern end will be worse; they don�t have much in summer either. They�ll have to work with business associations to get attractions going.

Engagement Letter with Kerber Rose
The Commissioners received a cover letter and letter of engagement from Dianne Lensert/Kerber Rose & Associates. Kufrin said the Finance Committee has discussed it and acknowledges Kerber Rose�s great help. There is donated work that isn�t billed. This is an annual renewal. Nelson asked about a previous engagement letter to compare; has anything changed? Dianne said the P&L has been added; it�s a financial statement. That�s the only change; some wording is different with regard to Kirkland�s work. Nelson moved to sign the engagement letter. Weddig seconded. All ayes.

ROOM TAX COLLECTIONS/OCCUPANCY
Lensert added the black box, updating the late collections, YTD comparison is also added, May-November (April wasn�t in place in the prior year). These are adjusted dollars. The bottom section pulls in late collections. It�s up $70,000, a 3% increase 2008 over 2007 when comparing the same municipalities for the same period of time. Some additional lates are coming in and will improve the figures. September was an odd month and lower; October will make up for it, she felt.

Kufrin explained to new members how we keep apples-to-apples comparison; collections are adjusted for municipalities who start mid-year to keep the numbers accurate. Benzshawel said for the core group it�s 3%. Neddersen said it�s important to analyze where they came from; increased rates even though occupancies are down. That doesn�t mean more heads-in-beds, which is the goal. Lensert said when December closes, the spreadsheets will have municipalities by month, and statistics will be updated for year-end for true comparisons. She possibly will have it for February�s meeting but certainly for March. Benzshawel asked if we�ve met expectations, have certain goals? Kufrin said they�re Moneypenny�s goals. The Finance Committee looks at the level of activity and project a certain amount of collections, and that figure is provided to Moneypenny for what he�ll be able to spend. Moneypenny has strategic marketing goals as well for 2009; he�ll get a copy to new commissioners with all the goals.

Nelson said to finish the cycle for the new Commissioners, after we have our budget, we give a projection to Moneypenny who comes up with annual marketing plan for approval by the TZC. Moneypenny has there�s a contingency fund in the event we need it. This year, there�s a $100,000 Contingency Fund and $50,000 Opportunity Fund. Nelson felt some new members may want to be part of the finance Committee. Larson suggested another training session. Kufrin asked new members or others to stay after and try to come up with a time for new training. It will give them a history.

He reminded members that next Tuesday in Sturgeon Bay, at 10 a.m. at the City�s Council Chambers, there�ll be an informational meeting for people to talk to any officials, Q&A, how it all works. No one is required to be there; everyone�s welcome. Tice said it�s for new business owners. Kubisiak will print an article. Benzshawel get it on the Public Access Channels for Sturgeon Bay.

Lensert said next year, we�ll have comparison YTD as well. If anyone wants revisions, we�ll try it. Neddersen wants to know if it�s a 3-year comparison? The Finance Committee will talk about it. Benz asked about room occupancy comparisons? Lensert said that should be added. Occupancy percentage usually varies slightly; YTD would be the important figure along with dollars. Kerber Rose has been tweaking the report as we go. Nelson moved to approve Kerber Rose monthly reports; Tice seconded. All ayes.

PAYABLES PLUS RECEIPTS
Lensert said Town of Liberty Grove had to reissue a check this month. Tice moved to pay the bills. Weddig seconded. All ayes.

Anything on P&L? Lensert noted that in the annual Budget for 2008, collections were $2.4 million, so it�s already at $2,567,000, so it�s a fair amount.

Next Agenda
Kufrin asked for agenda items for February. Nelson asked that expanding the Finance Committee be put on as well as planning for the Annual Meeting.

Adjournment
Zacek moved to adjourn; Weddig seconded. All ayes. The meeting was adjourned at 10:40 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Kathy Kirkland
Administrative Assistant

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