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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-29-2024 Study Session Summary Minutes MARANA AZ ESTABLISHED 1977 MARANA TOWN COUNCIL STUDY SESSION 11555 W. Civic Center Drive, Marana, Arizona 85653 Second Floor Conference Center, October 29, 2024, at or after 6:00 PM Ed Honea, Mayor Jon Post, Vice Mayor Patti Comerford, Council Member Jackie Craig, Council Member Herb Kai, Council Member John Officer, Council Member Roxanne Ziegler, Council Member SUMMARY MINUTES CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Mayor Honea called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM and directed the Deputy Town Clerk to call the roll. Council Member Craig was absent. Council Member Officer was absent for the Roll Call, Pledge, and Approval of Agenda but was present at 6:02 PM. All other Council Members were present, constituting a quorum. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/INVOCATION/MOMENT OF SILENCE: Led by Mayor Honea. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Council Member Ziegler moved to approve the agenda as presented. Council Member Kai seconded the motion. Motion passed, 5-0. DISCUSSION/DIRECTION/POSSIBLE ACTION D1 Relating to Tourism; presentation providing an update on the Town of Marana Tourism Master Plan; discussion and possible direction on current plan progress (Stefanie Boe) Council Study Session Meeting October 29,2024 Page 1 of 6 [Council Member Officer was now present.] A copy of the presentation slides is on file with the Town Clerk's Office. Clarifying questions were asked and answered throughout the presentation. For more detailed information, including images and charts, please see the presentation slides. Town Manager Mr. Rozema, introduced Tourism & Marketing Manager Stefanie Boe, the Tourism Master Plan consultants, and the Tourism Master Plan. He explained that this presentation was meant to provide an update to the Council and provide an opportunity for the Tourism Committee to present its work thus far and to receive guidance and direction from the Council regarding the Plan. Ms. Boe provided an overview of the Tourism Master Plan. She highlighted the Town's tourism-related billboards on Interstate 10 and explained that they help people realize they are in Marana when they are traveling on the Interstate. She said the Town won the Office of Tourism Award for a partnership with Oro Valley for the Tucson Bicycle Classic. Ms. Boe introduced Mr. Matthew Landkamer and Ms. Stacy Humphrey from Whereabout Destination Strategies, the Town's consulting firm for the Tourism Master Plan. Council Member Ziegler asked where the billboards are located. Ms. Boe said that one is located right by Estes Elementary School and the other is not far from that location.She explained the billboards are facing traffic as people come into Tucson from Phoenix. Ms. Boe provided some history on the Tourism Master Plan. She said the official kick off was in February 2024. She said the Tourism Committee has been working to gather and bring information to the Council for input. One of the highlights of the planning sessions were trips taken to Gilbert and Queen Creek. Another part of the research involved having an in-market assessment that involved one of the consultants posing as a tourist or shopper at various locations in Marana. For a timeline of the efforts put forward so far on the Tourism Master Plan, please see the presentation slides. Mr. Landkamer and Ms. Humphrey then presented. They introduced themselves and their company and described their experience. Theyspecialize in communities similar in size to Marana and focus on helping communities develop a robust and lasting visitor economy over time. Mr. Landkamer said that they drafted a Vision for the Town's Tourism Master Plan. Some of the themes and highlights to consider for the Plan were represented in the following words: trailblazing, welcoming, friendly, family, businesses, and festivals. For more detail, please see the presentation slides. The consultants also developed a Council Study Session Meeting October 29,2024 Page 2 of 6 Competitive Position Statement designed to help the Town understand the current State of Marana and what tourism assets it currently has. During the presentation, the consultants explained the current state of tourism in Marana and outlined different phases of what tourism growth could look like in Marana. They outlined the Tourism Master Plan timeline and explained next steps. For more detail, please see the presentation slides. Mayor Honea commented that Marana was built on Cotton Farming and requested that cotton farming should be represented somewhere in the plan. Council Member Ziegler commented that the Town does not have a lot of restaurants in North Marana. Ms. Humphrey said that while there were not a lot of restaurants now, the Plan is designed for the future and part of the plan is to help grow the restaurant environment in the Town. Vice Mayor Post asked for clarification regarding the goals of the Tourism Master Plan. He said he was interested in the scope of the Plan. Mr. Landkamer explained that the Plan has several objectives designed to shape tourism in the Town for the next ten years. He explained that there will be measurable objectives to make sure the Town is moving in the right direction. Ms. Humphrey said the Tourism Master Plan helps the Town to have a steering wheel that will help the Town reach the vision it embraces. Please see the presentation slides for more detail. Vice Mayor Post asked if the Plan included ways of finding out who is coming to the Town now. He asked how in depth Plan will go. Ms. Boe reminded the Council that the Tourism Master Plan is a part of the Towri s Strategic Plan Five and said data was being obtained and evaluated regarding where people are coming from, how to attract more people to Marana, and how to get people to stay longer. She said the Tourism Master Plan is a very comprehensive plan that includes all aspects of tourism. She emphasized that the Plan will be data driven and very transparent. Vice Mayor Post thanked Ms.Boe for her explanation. Council Member Ziegler wanted to know if Town staff knew how much money tourism brings into the community. Economic Development Director Curt Woody stated that the Town of Marana brings in approximately$200 million a year in economic impact from tourism. He clarified that it was not money coming into the Town as an entity directly, but that it was the estimated economic impact within the Town limits. Council Member Ziegler asked to see data on the numbers. Mr. Woody said he would send her the information. Finance Director Yiannis Kalaitzidis said that during Fiscal Year 2024, the bed tax fund brought in$1,734,000.00. He said before that it was around $1.9 million per year. Council Study Session Meeting October 29,2024 Page 3 of 6 Council Member Kai commented that the Tucson Rodeo brings in several million dollars a year and that the Town should be able to capture some of that. Council Member Ziegler agreed and mentioned other events in Tucson that bring money into Marana from hotel stays, restaurants, and shopping. Vice Mayor Post asked for a definition of tourism. Ms.Humphrey explained that tourism is any visitation from greater than 50 miles away. She explained that the current key drivers for tourism in the Town are people visiting friends and relatives that live in the Town, outdoor recreation, agri-western experiences, and day visitation for Town festivals. She said the Town is currently generating mostly one-day-visit tourism and isn't generating as much income from overnight stays.She explained that overnight stays significantly increase the economic impact of tourism. Vice Mayor Post asked if it would be considered tourism if someone came down from the Phoenix Metro area and used the Loop path in Marana/Pima County.Ms.Humphrey confirmed that that type of visit would be considered tourism. Vice Mayor Post commented that the Plari s goals were good and that they really fit what the Council wants. Mayor Honea commented that the Town needed to focus on hotel stays and dining and tap into tourism already brought to the Town by activities and events provided by the region. He also would like to focus on finding out what can be done to get people to spend money in Marana. Vice Mayor Post agreed and said that sometimes Marana piggybacks off of Tucson events because the Town lacks some of the things that promote tourism. Council Member Ziegler agreed and said that Marana has been living off of greater Tucson events and asked what the Town will do to become a destination. She said Marana needs to establish itself as a destination, and that we need more than just our current events. Mayor Honea pointed out that the Ritz Carlton is probably the closest thing the Town has to a destination. Council Member Officer suggested the Tortolita Mountains with a focus on bat and bird watching were possible reasons for people to visit and stay.Council Member Ziegler said the El Rio Preserve was a great amenity and said many of the Towri s residents do not know about it and that it could be improved and promoted for bird watchers. Mayor Honea agreed and added that the new Aquatic Center can become another destination. Council Member Kai suggested golf tournaments as another possible tourist draw. Council Study Session Meeting October 29,2024 Page 4 of 6 Vice Mayor Post brought up the importance of advertising,and the importance of getting the word out about what there is to do in Marana. Ms. Boe said it was important to capitalize on things that Marana already has going on, including partnering with and supporting organizations that already exist in the town. She said she would like to start a grant fund to help non-profits grow and advertise what they have to offer. She pointed out that there are many untapped possibilities for tourism, including the Heritage Park where the Town has 160 acres of under-utilized land. She also discussed the importance of having a powerful SEO(search engine optimization) and explained how the Town has the most powerful SEO in the area and many of the Town's events are highlighted when a search is done. Discussion ensued between Council Members and Ms. Boe regarding possibilities to increase tourism in the Town, including visits to the Saguaro National Park, Ironwood Forest,the Town's signature events, and the Tortolita Mountains. Ms.Humphrey reiterated the importance of using data to track attendance at events. She also explained the importance of having a catchment area, where a tourist stays in one place and visits other places. Mayor Honea highlighted the importance of having people stay the night in Marana. Council Member Ziegler said the Town should find ways to support businesses like Lil Abner's. Ms. Boe and Town Attorney Jane Fairall reminded the Council that there are legal limits on how the Town can assist private businesses. Council Member Comerford thanked Ms. Boe and the consultants for seeking Council input regarding the Tourism Master Plan while it was in its early stages of development as opposed to presenting the Council with a finished product. Mr. Rozema summarized the Council's input thus far and highlighted the importance of the Town's work on developing Marana's downtown. He said the Tourism Master Plan is an important tool to help draw people to the Town of Marana. EXECUTIVE SESSIONS Pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03, the Town Council may vote to go into executive session, which will not be open to the public, to discuss certain matters. El Executive Session pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03 (A), Council may ask for discussion or consideration, or consultation with designated Town representatives, or consultation for legal advice with the Town Attorney, concerning any matter listed on this agenda for any of the reasons listed in A.R.S. §38-431.03 (A). Council Study Session Meeting October 29,2024 Page 5 of 6 FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Notwithstanding the Mayor's discretion regarding the items to be placed on the agenda, if three or more Council members request that an item be placed on the agenda, it must be placed on the agenda for the second regular Town Council meeting after the date of the request, pursuant to Marana Town Code Section 2-4-2(B). Mayor Honea asked for future agenda items. There were no requests for future agenda items. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Honea asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Vice Mayor Post moved to adjourn the meeting. Council Member Kai seconded the motion. Motion passed, 6-0. Meeting adjourned at 7:10 PM. CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing are the true and correct minutes of the Marana Town Council Study Session Meeting held on October 29,2024. I further certify that a quorum was present. Debbie Thompson, Dep ty Town Clerk 1966' MARANA AZ ESTABLISHED 1977 Council Study Session Meeting October 29,2024 Page 6 of 6