Minutes: Tourism: Jan 2013

City of Evansville Economic Development Committee Subcommittee on Tourism Tuesday, January 15, 2013, 6 PM Creekside Place, 102 Maple St., Evansville, WI MINUTES 1. Call to order at 6:19 p.m. 2. Roll call. Present: Sue Berg, John Decker, Dave VanDerHaegen; Ex Officio Sandy Decker, Jim Brooks. 3. Motion to approve agenda. VanDerHaegen/Decker. Unanimous. 4. Motion to waive the reading of the minutes from October 30, 2012, and approve them as printed. Decker/VanDerHaegen. Unanimous. 5. Citizen appearances. None. 6. Marketing/promotional opportunities. a. Jim Brooks reported on a meeting Nov. 14 with Beloit to discuss the I-39/90 reconstruction/ expansion project and its impact on communities via detours. The goal is to apply for JEM grants from Tourism Department for funds to promote the area as detour destinations. The first application will be submitted late 2013. Potential partners in the JEM application may be Beloit/Janesville, Evansville or another community such as Stoughton. Funds are needed to produce an area “fun map” and promote tourism. b. Working on the walking tour handbook are John Ehle (photography) and John Decker (narrative) with potential participation from Ruth Ann Montgomery. The content from the original book has been typed into a Word file that needs proofreading. Content needs to be added about the more recent additions to the National Register. Sandy Decker will inquire if a Coop student is available to do this project. An improved map may include either a driving tour and/or three separate walking tours, all loops starting at Eager Free Public Library. John Decker will talk to Ruth Ann about participating in the development of the remaining content. The goal is to have the updated walking tour brochure produced by September 2013. c. The Discover Wisconsin Evansville tourism brochure is at the printer with delivery expected late January or early February. d. The use of QR codes and/or other applications are opportunities that may be pursued later depending on availability of resources 7. Retail Market Analysis Subcommittee There was nothing to report. 8. Tourism updates: a. Oktoberfest is set for Oct. 12, 2013. b. Olde Fashioned Christmas was featured in the Wisconsin State Journal, resulting in very nice publicity. Overall attendance was reported up. c. Creekside Place was the drop off site for the Tourism Department’s The Big Bundle Up. Statewide, about 17,000 pieces of outerwear were collected. Items collected in Evansville were donated to the intermediate school. d. The National Park Service advised that the proposed routes for the Ice Age Trail near Evansville have been reduced to 2 choices, one of which includes Evansville! The Park Service plans to host meetings for public input at Creekside Place this spring. e. John Decker reported that our application for This Old House contest was acknowledged. There has been no further word. f. The historical plaque for the bridge is done and currently stored at City Hall. Sandy Decker will contact Dave Wartenweiler, director of public works, for final determination of the plaque placement on the bridge, and the Public Works Safety committee for authorization to close the street for a few hours for a dedication ceremony. The proposed date is Friday afternoon, May 31, the traditional Memorial Day. Sue Berg will check on the potential of Verona author Bob Moore as a speaker. The Legion will be asked to provide an Honor Guard. The VFW and Allen Creek Gallery may be willing to host receptions. g. Peace Park committee members are exploring alternative sites. The original preference for Leonard Leota Park faces challenges due to the park’s recent inclusion on the National Register of Historic Sites. h. Geocaching has a local, small audience. There are a number of caches in the area. i. Applications for the April 19 Earth Day Energy Fair have been sent, and inquiries are coming in. j. Lisa James and Margaret LeMay are initiating inquiries and plans for the Spring Art Crawl, set for April 26. Creekside Place will propose its facility as the starting point. k. Rally Round the Flag is set for May 17-19. l. The Theordore Robinson Plein Air Painting Contest is set for June 14-23. The April 26 Art Crawl is an opportunity to cross sell the plein air event. m. The Fourth of July planning committee is meeting. There is interest in having the trolley historical tour if funding can be found. n. The 150th anniversary of the railroad’s arrival in Evansville will be celebrated as a three-day event July 18-20. Hayden Barlass has agreed to exhibit trains o. Evansville’s 150th anniversary is noted for 2016. 9. New business. a. Janesville buses feature images of area communities. Judy Walton sent a picture of a plein air painter in downtown Evansville. b. Disc golf has a couple of local people spearheading the development of a Frisbee golf course at Lake Leota Park. Installation at the park will be minimally disruptive and manageable with National Register requirements. Cheryl Fuchs is fundraising, and Mark Sendelbach is the local source expert. c. Evansville speaker series will feature Bill Christofferson speaking on Gaylord Nelson on April 17, just two days prior to Evansville’s Earth Day Energy Fair. Earth Day itself is April 22. d. Mary Rajek, executive director of the Evansville Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism has resigned to accept a career opportunity that will move her closer to family. Christina Slabek is the new executive director and has been appointed to the Tourism Committee. 10. Next meeting. The Tourism Committee will set a schedule to meet every other month. The next scheduled meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, 2013, at Creekside Place. Note the new start time of 6:30 p.m. 11. Meeting adjourned 8:20 p.m. Decker/VanDerHaegen.