Meeting Notice

Agenda:

Town Hall Holiday Decorations

It’s the VSB’s responsibility to decorate the Town H all. It was decided to do it on Monday, November 19^th at 11:00 a.m. It was also decided to have a rain date of November 20^th at the same time (11:00 a.m.). There will be refreshments as well as coffee and tea. Building and Grounds will get the stuff together for everyone. It will be requested that a custodian work with us. Jackie helped last year.

Public Statements

Women Inn Keepers

Lynn Mogell said she appeared before the VSB because the marketing grant idea is being questioned by Board of Selectmen (BoS). She has been the recipient of a grant for several years under Women Inn Keepers. She also said that she will be happy to attend the meeting with the BoS on the 26^th and speak about how helpful the grant has been. Her support was welcomed.

Rob Tosner said that - while we encourage new events – the established events continue to grow and we will continue to support established events. Basically this is why we encourage former grant recipients to testify before the BoS.

Lynn said that there’s $750K that comes into the Town from this event and adds room tax of $30K. Lynn continued that this figure isn’t taking into consideration the amount of money that people spend in local shops.

Dog Park

Candace Nagel – President of the Dog Park supporters said that she wanted to explore the potential opportunity for a grant for the dog park. Carmel, Ca is known as dog heaven on earth. She did a big pitch for promoting a dog park and read from a magazine supporting and promoting pet tourism. Since she has been fund raising at the fire station she finds that there is a definite lack of information about where to go and where to stay, etc. for doggie affectionados. She’s working with the Chamber of Commerce and also said that the Dog Park Assocoation has a web site and is aggressively merchandising a dog friendly town. She has ideas in making the park interesting and also is going to build on the Town’s reputation as an art center. Candy Crawford is a general contractor and an artist and has promised six benches for the dog park. One will be shaped as a dog tugging on a rope, etc. and for benches she’s been encouraged to ask for a grant for this They’ll have 6 benches in all - so she wanted to check in and wanted to know if it would make sense to apply for a grant for this.

Rob said that they’re anticipating meetings right now with the BoS to determine how VSB money should be spent and it would be premature to make a decision at this juncture.

David said it might come in under a promotional grant. Last year we did have a few tourist amenities so there may be an opportunity for a promotional grant. Rob would like Candace to come to the meeting on the 26^th. Her idea will be called an Art Park Festival and this is still in the process of planning.

Hersh said that she would like a plaque that would say “dog friendly” outside of her shop. If people don’t come in with their dogs that still leaves one wallet out on the street per Candace. So - any way – the Chamber is really behind this whole idea. Candace also said that she is going to suggest that Enzio’s devote their outdoor plaza to dogs so they could take Bubalas overage and accommodate all the dogs who would like to accompany their owners.

Michael P. said that these grants could be used for an event. If you’re able to nail down an event, once we have a full time director on December 1^st – then we can market the dog friendly park aspect. Maybe - per Candace - have a Saturday happening for washing dogs. It’s all about the love of dogs. She’s reaching out to all segments of the community and it’s a really diverse community.

Michael P. asked a series of tough questions – “Where are you with these plans? Where are you with the money raising? and Will the space be cleared out by then?”

Five Year Financial Plan

This discussion took up the bulk of the meeting. The first heavy question was wondering if the quarterly receipts represented the same span of time. David’s understanding is that the report is a whole quarter behind. David will be able to clarify that question with Alex Heilala in the near future.

The Executive Summary of the Five-Year Plan will be reworked a bit. David said that the VSB has to finalize the plan and Rob feels that it needs additional adjustments.

On page 4 the budget for FY 2008 should read – Tourism Subtotal - $421,680 as approved at the Annual Town Meeting. What David needs is for the group to crunch the numbers and to correct the projected distribution on page 5.

Next a discussion was held on the details of the spending plan on page 6. This was drafted by Bill Schneider and due to changes in personnel, etc. it needs to be reworked and updated. The new Tourism Director, Lisa Bowden, is a grade 9 but was hired for a 6-month probationary period. Thus, there’s a difference in her compensation. The coordination portion of this report doesn’t detail office supplies and doesn’t fully explain coordination, i.e., membership fees, telephone, training fees, and travel to beneficial happenings. Rob would like to hear from Alex about just how much money we’re saving.

David promised to report back with all the information on or before the 26^th. Laurel said that it should be stated – right up front – what each line item includes.

Michael P asked for an accounting for ‘08. It was also suggested that the new events on page 10 be highlighted in the report.

The BoS deleted the Farmer’s Market but nine of the 41 applications were approved.

Kathleen F. said that maybe we need a little change in the verbal aspect which would state the “whys and hows” of the decision making by the VSB.

On page 9 it would be valuable to come up with a reason that grants were denied - perhaps because they would market only locally........ the way it was worded struck David as a means of concern.

The entire group agreed that Video News Releases (VNR) expand the VSB reach and have shelf life. It was thought that perhaps on pg 16 the VNR paragraph might be moved up……… maybe move it up and maybe make it the 2^nd bullet.

Laurel thought that perhaps headings would help the BoS to focus in on this.

The DPW didn’t spend the money that we had allocated to them in “07. If you just look at restrooms alone – they didn’t spend it all.

Rob wondered why there was a deficit in the marketing budget. Short answer: “We granted money to the TV people who didn’t come through.” Rob wants to have all the answers possible for his presentation to the BoS..

David has cautioned time and time again to not have too many carry-overs. Rob is concerned about defending the budget. David said that all these line items can be explained and he has it on his desk. Perhaps a quarterly review of how we’re spending our money might be in order.

Michael P said that he doesn’t question the wisdom of us placing ads in different communications – but he really feels that – quarter by quarter – we should decide just how much can be spent. Rob said that he doesn’t want to micro-manage the tourism director.

Page 4 of the 5-year plan needs to be totally corrected and the specific breakout needs to be in place. There are a whole lot of problems on this page and the projections for FY’09 through FY’13 were deemed to be totally incorrect.

After a good deal more discussion it was decided that Rob would totally rework the guidelines page. One suggestion that Michael P. had was that – instead of Municipal – the paragraph might better be entitled – Municipal Projects.

In regard to the Waterfront Park - currently in the ‘08 budget the Waterfront Park has $38K already allocated toward it – the remainder needs to come from the carry over funds. Alex needs to be at the meeting with the BoS to reallocate the funds.

Laurel feels that we should spend more money for the infrastructure.

David said that he will e-mail everyone the most recent 5-year plan. He needs all the help he can get and if anyone wants to make specific changes or wants to amend any of it – feel free.

Motion: Move that the VSB recommend to the Town Manager that a warrant be placed for the spring town meeting that the Ferry Embarkation Funds be utilized for municipal operating expenses related to tourism mainly trash barrel pick-ups, restroom facilities, and maintenance.

Motion: Michael Peregon Seconded: Rob Tosner Vote: 5-0-0.

FY2009 Grant Review Process

Basically the change should be in the e-mail and the tourism director should be listed as lbowden - not bschneider any more. Correction noted.

Tourism Director’s Report

Business Summit

The next Business Summit will be held on Wednesday – 28^th. The last one was held at the Provincetown Theater and that event was fully funded by the Economic Development Committee. The VSB will contribute 500 dollars to the next happening.

Motion: Move that the VSB contribute $500 from the Coordination and Support budget for the Business Summit to be held on November 28^th.

Motion: Rob Tosner Seconded: Kathleen Fitzgerald Vote: 5-0-0.

Restaurant Guide

Everyone loved the Restaurant Guide done by Dan Hoort but we have only one rack slot for one promotional. What Don is proposing is – with your approval – have Chuck Anzalone

design us a rack card – would have “lets be more than summer friends” and on the back we’ll direct the people to our website to check out the restaurants and businesses that are available. We’re going to take the information from December through April – so that all the information could be accessed. So far there’s no figure as to what it would cost. Hersh would like a copy of this because her shop has become an information booth for the off-season tourist, i.e., which restaurants are open, etc.

The most important element is that this will be updated next month. Rob said that it should say a specific date and Michael said he’d also like the guide to have a phone number - maybe the Tourism line, the Chamber line and the PBG line. David would like permission to go forward.

Chuck will design the rack card, we’ll get quotes, and we’ll work with Don to see that it gets on all the websites and that we do a local printing each month. David can do it on his color printer and we’ll do it once a month.

Approval of Minutes – November 6, 2007

They were not available.

The meeting adjourned at 12:10 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Evelyn Gaudiano

E. Rogers Gaudiano

Approved by_________________________ on _________2007

Rob Tosner, Chair