Polk County News
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 26, 2017 3A
Visitors Center evaluates events
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — The Dallas
Area Visitors Center is evalu-
ating its annual slate of
events to make sure they are
meeting the mission of the
organization.
Dallas Area Chamber of
Commerce and Visitors
Center CEO JD Shinn pre-
sented an update to the Dal-
las City Council at its July 17
meeting, demonstrating
what the community is get-
ting in return for the hotel
taxes given to the organiza-
tion to promote tourism.
Shinn said the technical
definition of “tourist” is
someone who stays
overnight in at a location.
Those visitors spend the
most money in a communi-
ty.
“Currently, as we look at
our events, we’ll not really
drawing a lot of tourists by
that definition,” Shinn said.
“We do get some, but we are
not drawing a whole ton. We
get a lot of same-day visitors
who love Dallas, and love to
come and take part in our
events.”
He said estimates on at-
tendance at events all year is
54,200 and that measures
“attendances,” which could
count one person more than
once if they visit an event
multiple times.
Shinn said the chamber
receives about $82,000 in
hotel taxes and doubles that
money through sponsor-
ships and fees to host
events.
By that measure, each
time a person attends an
event, it costs $3.03, Shinn
said.
He said the organization
and board want to take a
closer look at the events it is
spending that money on by
asking, “Are we doing the
right stuff?”
“This is a big transition
year,” he said. “You all know
I’m new to the position,
seeking to create a new cul-
ture and taking where we
are at and moving it further
beyond what we’ve been
doing in the past.”
City to ask residents
about public safety
facilities options
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer file
Summerfest draws an estimated 17,000 attendances each year.
He said Polk County
Bounty Market — the week-
ly farmers market that runs
May through September —
is a good program.
Freedomfest is growing,
especially with reinstating
the barbecue contest this
year.
Summerfest, Dallas signa-
ture event starting Thurs-
day, draws the biggest
crowds, estimated at 17,000
attendances.
Shinn said it’s tough to
provide solid numbers on
that event, and he will ask
police and fire departments
for estimates this year.
Winterfest, the kick off
celebration for the Christ-
mas season, appeals mostly
to Dallas-area residents and
pulled in about 1,500 people
in 2016, in what Shinn said
is a conservative estimate.
He said Winterfest could
benefit through a partner-
ship with the Dallas Down-
town Association, which
held a Christmas bazaar a
few weeks after Winterfest.
He said planning the events
for the same time could
broaden interest.
Shinn said preliminary
evaluation reveals some
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer file
Winterfest attracted about 1,500 people in 2016.
questions about the Old-
Timers Reunion Picnic and
the trick-n-treat event.
He said the Old-Timers
Reunion has potential.
“If we can make the right
tweaks and changes, (it
could) have a lot of impact in
terms of drawing people
back into Dallas who are
Dragons and want to show
their Dragon pride and come
and say, ‘I graduated from
here 40 years ago. I want to
come back and enjoy my
community,’” he said.
Trick-n-treat he wasn’t so
confident about.
The Halloween event held
each year at Morrison Cam-
pus Alternative School has a
pattern of declining atten-
dance.
Shinn added he has a plan
if the organization finds it
doesn’t fit anymore.
“So, is this one mission-
centric? It doesn’t look like
it, but I don’t want to take it
just because it doesn’t look
like it. I want bring more
data to see if that is some-
thing we want to do,” he
said. “If we do cut it, I would
like to pass it on to someone
else who can run it and be
community-minded about
it.”
DALLAS — City officials
say the Dallas Police De-
partment and Fire & EMS
need new or upgraded fa-
cilities, especially the police
department, which shares
space in Dallas City Hall.
“Anyone who has been
in our (police) facility
knows that they are spread
across three or four differ-
ent areas,” said City Man-
ager Ron Foggin. “As we
continue to grow, EMS and
the fire service, those facili-
ties are also in desperate
need to grow.”
The price tag on providing
new facilities gives some
members of the city council
pause, so much so that they
would like more public input
before moving forward.
The city hired Portland
architectural firm Maken-
zie to evaluate two options
for upgrading the police
and fire and EMS depart-
ments.
The first had the police
department moving to the
former Department of
Human Services building
on the corner of Church
and Oak streets near the
Dallas Post Office.
That building and the
fire station on Shelton
Street would both be re-
modeled at an estimated
cost of nearly $14.7 million.
The second option up-
graded the fire station with
a new building for police
attached at an estimated
cost of about $14 million.
Both options include a
combined emergency op-
eration center, community
room and training facility
at the fire station.
To reach those figures,
Makenzie asked each de-
partment for current space
needs, what amenities they
needed but didn’t have,
and how much growth is
anticipated in the next 20
years, said Cathy Bowman,
a project manager with
Makenzie.
For police, that meant
having department admin-
istrators close to police op-
erations and secured park-
ing for patrol vehicles. Fire
& EMS needs a bunk room
to provide 24-hour cover-
age, and would like to have
fire and EMS operations in
the same building.
Bowman added the new
police station would need
to meet “essential facility”
seismic standards.
Councilor Micky Garus
asked during Makenzie’s
presentation on July 17 if
the current owner of the
DHS building completed
the necessary upgrades,
without having to pay pre-
vailing wage to workers — a
requirement for the city — if
the cost would come down.
Jeff Humphreys, Maken-
zie’s director of architec-
ture, said yes, by about 10
to 15 percent on the police
remodel, not enough to
close the gap between the
two projects.
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The Titus 3 House 5th Annual Golf Tournament
was another HUGE success, thanks to the many sponsors
and helpers in our community.
A Special Thanks to the following:
Our First Time Ever Helicopter Golf Ball Drop
Sponsored by 'A Light in the Window'
Our Corporate Sponsor—L & L Equipment
Our Diamond Putting Contest
Sponsor—JP Morgan Concrete
Washington Street Steakhouse for catering a fantastic dinner.
Our grand Prize Winner for a 7 Night Stay
at 'The Grand View' in Las Vegas went to
raffle ticket holder 676, Mr. Ron Hannegan
at Hannegan & Sons Custom Homes.
Again Thank you to everyone for helping to support the women
living at Titus 3 House while they strive to find new purpose, goals and
skills to rebuild their lives once shattered by abuse & addictions
Catered by: