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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2022)
8 Wednesday, February 16, 2022 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon MODEL: City to shift how it handles tourism Continued from page 1 an effort to be transparent, Council has been review- ing all public contracts. The revised Deschutes County Sheriff, Republic Services, and economic development contracts are examples of recent negotiations that ben- efit residents. Council now has time to examine our TLT use, goals, and delivery mechanism,= Connolly told The Nugget. In the spring of 2021, the City initiated a visitor oppor- tunity survey, destination scan, and destination man- agement project with Kristin Dahl, founder and CEO of Crosscurrent Collective. That project culminated in a presentation in October that can be found on the City website under Destination Management Presentation. At their January 26 workshop, Council heard presentations from Kevney Dugan, president/CEO for Visit Bend, and Jeff Knapp, executive director for Visit McMinnville, on their orga- nizations, communities, and insights regarding destina- tion management. Council President Connolly provided her thoughts regarding the presentations. <As a resident, I was pleased to hear that the DMO model emphasizes livability for residents while attracting visitors who share our cul- tural and environmental val- ues. It was eye-opening to discover that transient lodg- ing tax (TLT) funds could be used to provide future ame- nities that benefit locals and visitors. The focus on creat- ing a symbiotic relationship where the community ben- efits from the TLT was also educational. <As an elected official, I was excited to see the fis- cal accountability of TLT funds and the cultural shift designed to attract visitors who share our small-town values and love of nature,= Connolly said. <DMOs do not focus on bringing mas- sive numbers of people to visit an area; instead, the focus is on attracting visi- tors who want an authentic experience. In our case, it is a small-town Western expe- rience based on our decades- old historical events such as the Rodeo, Quilt Show, Folk Festival, and Harvest Faire. …the DMO model emphasizes livability for residents ... — Nancy Connolly <Our research shows that a majority of visitors come for an outdoor experience. With a DMO, emphasis could be placed on sustain- ing our natural resources while attracting year-round visitors who share our social and environmental val- ues. In other words, we are not Vegas, and a DMO would target specific visitors to enhance our livability, not destroy it by forcing their values on our residents.= At this point in time, the Council and staff are looking for opportunities for work- force development, protect- ing natural resources, being environmentally sensitive, and assuring the quality of life that attracted people to Sisters. Destination marketing involves much more than just advertising Sisters in other locations. Marketing is conducted strategically to certain demographics and interest groups. The City already has some targeted markets with rodeo fans, quilters, and music lov- ers. Outdoor recreationists come to enjoy all that nature around Sisters provides. All those visitors could enjoy richer experiences with local businesses and organizations collaborating to provide unique experiences. The visitor economy is basically tied to everything that happens in Sisters, and the residents, as well as the visitors, can benefit from facility improvements, coor- dinated programming, and stewardship of our surround- ings. Marketing can attract visitors who want to give back to the place they visit, which builds a relationship and investment in their des- tination. With destination management, the goal isn9t more visitors, but visitors who care about and are com- mitted to Sisters, making them more likely to make return visits and stay longer. Council has asked staff to look at existing DMO models regarding their non- profit status, funding mech- anisms and amounts, board composition, job descrip- tions, and how DMOs are held accountable to the public and City. This mate- rial will be used to prepare Council for upcoming goal setting and 2022-23 budget processes. As City Manager Cory Misley stated, <We are only at the beginning of the beginning regarding a DMO.= He likened the process to building a boat. The City can make the blueprints based on community input, build the boat, and supply it with resources and maps, but eventually the boat gets put out to sea. In other words, the DMO would be responsible for managing tourism. On Wednesday, February 9, at 5:30 p.m., the City Council will hold a work- shop where they will be exploring the DMO con- cept 4 what it is and how it differs from what is being done now. The workshop is open to the public with attendance either in person or via ZOOM. The link is available on the agenda, which is located on the City website under Agendas and Meetings. All in-person attendees are required to wear a mask. Focusing on livability By Sue Stafford Correspondent In a recent interview regarding destination man- agement, Council President Nancy Connolly addressed several adjacent topics. " How might a destination management organization (DMO) be paid for? <In the 980s, the state leg- islature established a state lodging tax, the Transient Lodging Tax (TLT). 8Heads in beds9 pay a nightly tax which goes to the city or county where the lodging occurred. There are restrictions on how the funds are spent on tour- ism and/or used for the gen- eral fund. In the past, the City has turned TLT funds over to the Chamber to use for tour- ism promotion. With a DMO, allocation of TLT could be focused on supporting a year-round program that cor- relates with our community values and potentially pro- viding a future community amenity.= " What should residents understand about destination management? <All City Councilors live within the city limits; we understand the balance between tourism and liv- ability. During the past eight years, Council has addressed the following issues to help maintain our quality of life: 1. Placed restrictions on short-term rentals so that our neighborhoods remain neighborhoods, not <de facto hotels= with increased traffic, parked cars, parties. This pol- icy has helped prevent long- term rentals from becoming short-term rentals, thus main- taining employee housing availability. 2. Adopted policy limit- ing the number of city-wide events that can occur during peak tourist season to ensure residents have access to pub- lic parks, and mitigate traffic. 3. Placed restrictions on street closures for events to ensure mobility of residents. 4. Reduced speed on all city streets to help ensure safer streets for pedestri- ans and make enforcement easier.= Connolly concluded: <Creating a DMO gives Council another way to help create a year-round program that benefits residents and tourists. It would ensure we reach visitors with shared cul- tural values. 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