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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 09/07/1999 - RESOLUTION 99-108 AUTHORIZING MODIFICATION OF THE ITEM NUMBER: 18 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY DATE: September 7, 1999 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF: Frank W. Bruno I SUBJECT: Resolution 99-108 Authorizing Modification of the City's Contract with the Fort Collins Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) to Reallocate Current CVB Budget Resources to Provide Proactive Conference and Convention Sales. ° RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution. FINANCIAL IMPACT: No additional funding will be provided at this time. The City will, however, allow the CVB to reallocate roughly $32,000 from its current budget for the above purpose. These funds were previously dedicated to the operation of a film office that is no longer needed. The balance of the funds were previously directed towards functions that were not critical,or did not provide significant return on the investment. In the future, additional Lodging Tax may be allocated to the CVB or 1 another tourism services provider for this purpose. a EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In 1996 the City of Fort Collins modified its contract for tourism and conference services with the s CVB. Pursuant to the previous contract,the CVB received a straight 75%of the total Lodging Tax collected v<ithin the city. With the new contract in 1996,the focus was somewhat shifted to a more local event and general tourism direction.The CVB was limited to a flat$250,000 per year plus CPI growth. The new agreement also eliminated proactive conference and convention sales from the Bureau's contract. limiting the focus to general tourism, local event promotion, and reactive conference and convention activity. Recently. Lodging Tax collections have begun to decline despite the growth in new hotel rooms. While this may be due in part to a general decline in tourism statewide, and lack of statewide l marketing.there may well be a connection with the elimination of proactive conference/convention sales that coincided with the 1996 contract modification. City staff and CVB representatives recently agreed that it made sense to initiate an evaluation of the impacts of tourism spending within our communim.Proposals are now being reviewed,and the work on this project should be completed this coming Fall. This work will assist the City of Fort Collins in making longer-term funding decisions regarding the importance of general tourism, as well as x r future conference and convention activity. )ATE: September 7, I999 2 ITEM NUMBER: 18 The reallocation of current resources to return some measure ofproactive conference/convention will also help City staff and the CVB in evaluating this segment of the market. The current contract between the City of Fort Collins and its vendor, the Fort Collins Convention &Visitors Bureau was initially set up in 1996 as a one-year contract,with four(4) successive one- year renewals. The final renewal will commence on January 1,2000,and will expire on December 31, 2000. An evaluation of the impact of this modification will be prepared by staff prior to submitting recommendations regarding future contracts for these services. i . RESOLUTION 99-108 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS AUTHORIZING MODIFICATION OF THE CITY'S CONTRACT WITH THE FORT COLLINS CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU (CVB) TO REALLOCATE CURRENT CVB BUDGET RESOURCES TO PROVIDE PROACTIVE CONFERENCE AND CONVENTION SALES WHEREAS,pursuant to Ordinance No. 20, 1984,the City of Fort Collins established a 3% Lodging Tax on hotel/motel rooms with City limits for the purpose of promoting tourism, conventions and other activities which utilize public accommodations within the city; and WHEREAS,the City ofFort Collins,pursuant to Resolution 86-181,contracted with the Fort Collins Convention&Visitors Bureau(CVB)to coordinate tourism and visitor promotion activities pursuant to Section 25-244 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins; and WHEREAS, a staff team reviewed the CVB's performance in 1995, and evaluated various options for continued tourism and visitor promotion services that maximize community benefits;and WHEREAS,the City,pursuant to Resolution 95-177,amended its contract with the CVB to redirect its focus towards general tourism and local event and visitor promotion, and away from proactive conference and convention sales; and WHEREAS,the City of Fort Collins and the CVB now agree that it is in the public interest to enhance the current contract by adding the ability to engage in conference and convention sales and marketing, funded through a reallocation of the existing CVB budget; and WHEREAS, funds have been budgeted by the CVB and have been approved for this use by the Board of Directors of the Fort Collins Convention& Visitors Bureau; and WHEREAS,future recommendations regarding additional funding for this purpose shall only be made following the conclusion and evaluation of the Tourism Impact Study by City and CVB staff. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLIN'S that the Purchasing Agent is hereby authorized to amend the contract with the Fort Collins Convention & Visitors Bureau to allow for the provisions of proactive conference and convention sales and marketing.This modification shall be in force upon execution of an addendum consistent with this Resolution for the remainder of the current contract tern, and the final annual term, which ends December 31, 2000. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council held this 7th day of September, A. D. 1999. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk