Economic Development Committee Meeting Minutes
Monticello City Office, 17 North 100 East
Thursday, May 15, 2014 ~ 4:15 pm
1. Call to Order/Roll Call:
Members in Attendance: Dorothy Pipkin-Padilla, Dawn Howe, Susan Taylor
Members Absent: Pam Hanson, Cody Richards
Guests Present: Scott Frost, City Council - Bayley Rogers, San Juan County Chamber of Commerce
Staff Present: Greg Westfall
Minutes Review/Approval: No minutes were presented for approval.
Public Comment: No members of the public were in attendance.
2. Business Spotlight: Tabled until next meeting.
3. Goals – 5 Year Plan & GOED: Dawn would like to review the goals with Pam at the next meeting.
4. Economic Development Incentive Program: $5,000 was approved the City Council for the program. We can add more from our budget should we choose to do so. Oliver will draft the application and policy/procedures. The City Council wants Oliver to administer the funding in order to facilitate the process. The program will be set up with a match required. It is to be finalized by the first week in June to be effective on July, 1, 2014.
5. Consider Big 4 Tractor Grant: Nothing has been done to date. The Welcome Center will do bake sales to raise funds for the tractor. It was suggested that there be an official city group convened, such as, Friends of the Big 4, Big 4 Helpers. Photo frames were discussed but it was felt they would not be an economic driver and would only be seen in the tractor barn. Scott suggested using a big screen TV at the Visitor Center with rolling photos of the tractor. No motion was made.
6. TRT Plan Update: Greg reported that transient room tax is probably up 10% or $2,000. The city directly collects between $18K and $20K a year in TRT plus the city receives $60K from the county TRT.
7. Website Presentation: Oliver was not present. The presentation was tabled until the next meeting.
8. Hotels: The hotels were full on Thursday evening attributed to a lot going on in Moab. This spring has been one of the best for the city’s hotels. Four Corners School construction and construction at The Hideout Golf Club are also a factor and will continue to be so through the winter.
Encouraging the hotels to work together with restaurants and the Hideout to provide packages that would appear on the participants’ websites was discussed.
The Visitor Center is seeing more people and sending people to the campgrounds
and hotels.
9. Other Discussion: Susan has more real estate listing to add to the EDC Utah site.
Dorothy gave an update on the Cultural Experiences they are holding at the Visitor Center: Over 75 people attended the program held by Scott Mitchell on blacksmithing.
Dawn reported that Rocky Mountain Power is looking for land for a solar farm.
Nothing new is known about the wind farm development.
10. Nest Meeting Agenda Items:
City Goals/General Plan
Economic Development Incentives
TRT Plan Update
Website Presentation
Hotels
MOTION was made by Dawn Howe, seconded by Dorothy Pipkin-Padilla, to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 4:45 pm.
ATTEST: ______
Cindy Holyoak, Recorder
Minutes APPROVED by: ______
Pam Hanson, Chair
DATE: ______