HomeMy WebLinkAboutclosed_caption14:00:07 Just about ready to start two o'clock. We don't plan to haveâ¦
14:00:15 One, two, three, four, one. We have a quorum.
14:00:25 Aaron Tarada had to leave because of staffing issues at the state park. So Aaron has left the TCC, but I think that makes four people create a quorum away from one unit. I know
Cleon was going to join us remotely as well so
14:00:40 Just wait one sec before we call the border. And Marcia just sent an email said she'll be a couple minutes late okay
14:00:48 I thought Erin resigned.
14:00:51 That's what I'm saying. Aaron resigned, yes. Because of staffing issues at the State Department.
14:00:58 Was that before last meeting? I don't think everyone knew that.
14:02:12 Does the person with the phone number ending in 006 want to identify themselves?
14:02:19 You hit star six to unmute.
14:02:25 Hey, Greg, this is Steve. I'm at 360-440-7006.
14:02:30 Gotcha. All right. Thanks. All right. Well, we are on the two. So let's call this meeting of the tourism coordinating Council to order.
14:02:44 I apologize for the struggle getting documents to everyone, but I hope you're able to at least see most of them.
14:02:52 Maybe you can do a quick round of introductions. Who you are and who you're representing here. I'll go first. We'll start in the room. Greg Brotherton, County Commissioner and
chair with the new resolution repealing and reestablishing TC system?
14:03:09 Dan Ventura, President of North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce. Caitlin Friedman closely. Diane.
14:03:18 Diana Smelland, the resort of Fort Ludbau and I guess we're off of LTAC, so I don't know what's going on there yet but Yeah.
14:03:28 We've had with that. Great. Amy, you want to say hi?
14:03:33 Hello here, Amy Neil over at Clean Lark Lodge on the West End.
14:03:38 Good having you here. Steve, you want to say hi?
14:03:42 Hello, Steve Shively, Gateway Visitor Center.
14:03:45 And we have a guest. And Jesse, do you want to say hi, Jesse?
14:03:53 Don't ask her. We'll go on to the next.
14:04:00 Topic. Because this is a special meeting, we can't adjust the agenda and we'll get to one piece that I didn't appropriately notice it, so we can't actually take action.
14:04:09 But Jesse had submitted some written public comment. I don't know Jesse will open for public comment now. Would you like to make any public comment?
14:04:21 I can also read hers into the record. I said I would.
14:04:26 Sure. My comment was just that Portownsend holds their lodging tax meetings every other month.
14:04:34 The second Tuesday. From three to five.
14:04:39 One hour overlaps the current schedule of the TCC meeting. For someone wanting to attend.
14:04:49 Like, I'm going to leave this meeting early to attend that meeting.
14:04:53 But also, if you wanted any Port Townsend lodging tax representation on TCC, they would not be available every other month.
14:05:04 So. If you consider alternate times that might be.
14:05:13 A good idea.
14:05:16 Great. Thank you, Jessie. We'll respond to that in just a second. Does anyone else have any public comments?
14:05:26 And this is one of the areas
14:05:32 Where I made an error with the agenda. I didn't write under new business the regular meeting schedule of 2025. I didn't write discussion and potential action, so we can't actually
taking action on it. So the next meeting will be a special meeting as well because we have to publish the regular meeting schedule with the location.
14:05:52 I did check after Jesse made her written public comment, which was the same as her public comment today.
14:05:58 And we can get this room from one to three rather than three to five on the second Tuesdays as we normally meet. So when we get to that section and discuss when we're going
to have our, you know.
14:06:10 Special meeting when we like regular meetings to be. We can talk about cadence at that point. And that would be great if we could making sure they don't happen at the same time.
It's a good comment.
14:06:22 Any other responses?
14:06:30 Moving on, we have the first attempt at the first attempt kind of AI developed minutes from the March 11th meeting. Do folks have a chance to take a look through that? Do they
have any comments or questions about the uh
14:06:43 Minutes from March 11th.
14:06:50 And welcome a motion to approve the minutes if they seem accurate to folks.
14:06:55 I'll make a motion to approve.
14:06:57 I will second that motion. Okay. It's been moved and seconded to approve the minutes for March 11th.
14:07:04 See no conversation. All in favor indicate by saying aye. Aye. Aye.
14:07:12 While we're clear on. Oh, you're muted.
14:07:20 Was that an eye you didn't get a chance to look at the minutes, clearly?
14:07:24 Yep.
14:07:24 All right. That is unanimous. Minutes are approved.
14:07:31 And most of the other items here are old business. We don't have to go into a lot of detail on, but we can discuss as members like. So first is the new TCC resolution was passed
LTAP bylaws were passed and the posting for the LTAC positions
14:07:53 Is going in the paper tomorrow. First review dates on that. So it's a little complicated when the first review is. We currently have for applications. I expect more to come
in for the LTAC positions.
14:08:10 And we have the new we have the new bylaws that are draft bylaws and would be kind of the Also, I also⦠We didn't talk about.
14:08:24 But we're going to have to come up with bylaws for TCC here sooner rather than later as well.
14:08:32 And those LTAP bylaws are kind of the accounting template for bylaws at this point. It's the same template basically we use for the behavioral health advisory committee and
other meetings so I don't know if people have questions or if you had a chance to look at the TCC resolution repealing and reestablishing but um
14:08:51 Now is the time for conversation. Is that attached in the calendar invite?
14:08:57 It was, well, I emailed it in the big group of stuff. I think I got it attached with an Yeah, with laser fees to the calendar invite which is problematic to get to. So we've
got to still work on file management a little bit but
14:09:11 I can resend it if you did not get it in the email. I think some people received the documents and some people didn't.
14:09:18 I did receive them.
14:09:26 The way that wendy sent the information on how to get to the microfiche works well.
14:09:35 Great way to do it going forward.
14:09:34 Okay. Okay, I want to find a way to get them the documents a little smaller so we can just attach it to the calendar but we have most of our documents go on laserfiche when
they're when they're public documents and that way they're preserved as records as well, very automatically you have to drill in because of web crawlers, you have to log into Laserfiche
so it's public and public is the password to get in but
14:10:01 When we get done, I'll forward that email from Wendy, which shows you how you can get into not just the current meeting information, but all the previous meeting informations
and resolutions and everything that's happened before previous minutes. So it's a good shortcut to just we'll include on the agenda itself, I think, in the future.
14:10:20 See, Marsha joined us welcome
14:10:26 Any other questions or discussion about the uh The changes to the resolution, we don't have it on the agenda for today, but we will talk about items for inclusion in the bylaws
in future meetings and what we want those by how and i'm sorry, I'm unable to access an easy move but uh in the new resolution does it cite
14:10:52 Support as in, you know, funded labor support by the county to the TCC, or is it still an all volunteer organization with the county commissioner providing all the legwork.
It is silent on that. Hopefully we'll get it in the bylaws. I mean, it is my desire to get staff support, but it's my desire to use
14:11:14 Ltap funding for staff support, both for TCC and LTAC. Okay. And do you think in lieu of having a microfiche light pulled up, you might just summarize what you think the general
changes to the goals or reasoning are behind the TCC? Yeah.
14:11:32 The basic changes, and I have some pronouns here too um But it is⦠The fundamental changes are one we don't have specific geographic representation outlined you know general
members who are part of the tourism industry are welcome to apply.
14:12:01 It establishes it as a place for conversation between the tourism industry and the county to inform the Board of County Commissioners priorities for future LTAC.
14:12:18 Rfp cycles. And to talk about you know items and bring guests in to talk about things like the short-term rentals, which we'll talk about that new legislation, as well as other
items of county import you know there aren't the roundabout art at Paradise Bay, this kind of project, basically. And did I say it establishes the
14:12:44 County Commissioner rep as the chair. Great. And one of the clear changes that I can see that i'd like to See if we could have some discussion on or just understanding how we
can achieve it is um understanding the inputs and outputs, including workforce housing.
14:13:00 So I think that that's fantastic that that's added into the resolution regarding TCC. And I think that having private industry people involved in that conversation is super
important.
14:13:16 That's a comment that I would make on the resolution. I think that's great and excellent. I think just to add to the future conversations about how to shift the work so I can
see people on the screen too um
14:13:28 I think that there is a lot of nexus with resident-owned communities as well as short-term rentals. Right now, Bayside is trying to buy two of the big uh RV parks or non-RV
parks mobile home parks in the community for workforce housing, essentially. They also have a deal with a manufacturer of park models where they can get them
14:13:54 That cost at $40,000. So I think there's a lot of Leveraging for the tourist industry some of the housing opportunities and connecting us in that conversation, I think is really
critical.
14:14:06 Other thoughts?
14:14:21 Alrighty.
14:14:27 Next up on the old business is the Jefferson County short-term rental legislation has passed.
14:14:34 I appreciated folks. Writing notes. I think, Dan, your letter was great and a couple of people kind of amplified that I said many similar things.
14:14:47 All for naught as we did pass short-term uh legislation that put a zip code cap on short-term rentals of 4% in each zip code.
14:15:06 Notably, the NPRs, including the resort of Port Ludlow and the apartments around there are not included in the cap and future NPRs, you know, the Brennan NPR would not be included
in that cap either.
14:15:19 There's also health and safety regulations that go in. It'll cost folks, what, 294 basically twice the first year, about $600 to get going as a short-term rental and then $300
per year in licensing after that to maintain inspections on inspections
14:15:40 Health and safety. I guess I'm wondering if there's any Thoughts?
14:15:48 Impact. Sure, what's the budget for enforcement The budget for enforcement is existing staff. They were trying to get it where the uh we put it on the onus of enforcement on
a short-term rental platforms where it was a requirement, say, of Airbnb to put the license number on the listing. That was not deemed legal. We don't have a any you know Airbnb is
not licensing with us per se, so we can't mandate that they put it on.
14:16:21 We can mandate that all operators of short-term rentals put a the license number on their posting. So it opens the door to more.
14:16:40 To lowers the barrier to enforcement because you can look and see, oh, is there a license number on it? Is that a license that we have but No, it's going to be a challenge to
enforce and it will be you know with
14:16:52 The addition of title Title 19, we do have enforcement provisions where we can find people per day if they are violating.
14:17:02 That's not the standard practice, but if someone continues to operate a short-term rental that has obvious health and safety violations, then I think those fines will be used.
14:17:16 But it will be a challenge to enforce. I'm not happy with the legislation at all.
14:17:24 Yes, go ahead, Marcia.
14:17:30 I'm still muted.
14:17:42 There you go. I can hear you.
14:17:43 All right. Thank you. Can you hear me? Okay, sorry, I'm going to be off camera because I'm driving.
14:17:50 But I'm very much paying attention. I just wanted to ask with your brotherton because I didn't dive into the details Do you know offhand how the new Jefferson County regulations
either⦠different.
14:18:13 Place on short-term vacation rentals here on the peninsula.
14:18:19 You know.
14:18:20 You're breaking up a little bit, Marsha, where I heard⦠Can you repeat the question?
14:18:26 Yeah, sorry. My question is just how the new jefferson county regulations either align with or different from different some of the other county and municipality regulations
around the Olympic Peninsula.
14:18:42 I'm just curious.
14:18:45 I don't know explicitly. I can look into that. We had some conversations with Port Angeles, which is just put in new short-term regulations.
14:18:57 Right.
14:18:56 It's a little different than Port Townsend's in that Gosh, I don't know. I'll find out and get back to you. I think Port Angeles in a similar way has a cap on percentage in
different areas, though I think they were a little bit more intentional in how they
14:19:16 Decided that from my recollection, but I can look into that and get back to you at the next meeting.
14:19:22 Thank you. It's more of a curiosity as to whether or not And I suppose my interest is more really consumer facing you know like are we presenting kind of a similar message or
are We're going to be different all over the peninsula and again just
14:19:39 The information, just curious.
14:19:41 Right. No, I think it's a good thing to know. Yep, we'll find out.
14:19:48 Was it a unanimous decision by the county commissioners? It wasn't a reluctant unanimous decision. I did vote with them, though I kept arguing for eliminating the caps or, you
know, quite a few things, but it was unanimous.
14:20:04 So I'm trying to turn captions on. It seems like we're, oh, there we go. Captions. Okay.
14:20:11 Any other thoughts about the short-term rental legislation? It's something I'd like to come back to as we move through the summer you know hearing what the impacts are. What
I'd like to say is as a group, does anybody in this group believe that this is not harmful to our mission?
14:20:32 There's going to be disagree that it's harmful to our mission
14:20:38 So everybody agrees that it's harmful to the mission of fostering tourism in the area. So I would say that we should work on putting out some kind of letter or lobbying for
changes in the future. I see Diana's unmuted and I'll just add on to that. One thing I did insist on is let's measure this in a year you know this is unlike other legislation like about
fireworks or something we can make
14:21:02 Changes pretty quickly or just eliminate the entire code. Measure it to what goal? What was the goal of doing this? Well, the goal is there's no way that it's going to achieve
the goal which is somehow creating more long-term housing options. So I mean, but we can measure the impact on tourism and as best we can. And I think
14:21:25 Give that feedback and you have something
14:21:29 My only comment was I thought that the current level was like 1% to 2% in the zip codes.
14:21:39 And so that was why you guys went with 4%. I don't know that.
14:21:44 We had a moratorium on short-term rentals While we worked through the process. But there was no cap before at all.
14:21:54 Set at the planning commission meeting due to some advocacy from housing organizations And they took the cap to 2% from the original 4% and we returned it to 4%.
14:22:12 That's the change.
14:22:19 And the other. Comments or questions.
14:22:26 Hey, this is Steve. Can you all hear me?
14:22:28 Yeah, we can hear you, Steve.
14:22:31 Great. I think to dan's point the determination of impacts yet to be seen how impacted the impacted short-term rental owners were within the non
14:22:52 Passover zip code areas are being communicated as far as their responsibility to display their license.
14:23:00 On those platforms that they're marketing should be inclusive of beyond Airbnb.
14:23:08 Vacation rental by owner, it should also be on all of the private ones such as the Windermere properties and else And then the ultimate question, the cost of enforcement. I
know that Brett Butler and others at the community meeting said that
14:23:24 Their only mechanism based on their only scarcity of supplies and staff was to be responsive to complaints from neighbors. And so I honestly don't think that this current legislation
as it's constructed.
14:23:39 Unless there's a proactive approach is going to result in a a needle change in either direction as far as how it
14:23:50 I will say I agree with most everything you said, Steve, though at the hearing when we were discussing it.
14:23:57 Dcd was very clear that they don't have to be just reactive to complaints, but I do fear that that is you know the direction that it will go there is i mean they've had a smattering
of applications you know there were no applications for over a year
14:24:15 Once you get in the system, it's really easy to get in the to kind of enforce. But yeah, it's going to be I think you were right that it will be mostly responsive to complaints,
like most of our other
14:24:31 I think it's going to have two direct outcomes. Outcome number one, it's going to have a chilling effect on people who want to follow the rules.
14:24:38 And we're adding additional cost burden of $600 the first year for someone that wants to rent out during just the high season, that can be a significant percentage of their
net.
14:24:50 So it'll have a chilling effect on those folks who want to comply. Additionally, it will drive everyone else underground Which will simply remove lodging tax revenue from Jefferson
County. So I think it's going to have a net negative effect both on tourism and on lodging tax revenue.
14:25:09 And unless Jefferson County staffs up significantly more and invest in processes and procedures the mechanism for enforcement is going to be skewed towards angry retaliatory
neighbors.
14:25:23 Yeah, we've gotten quite a few notes from angry retaliatory neighbors already so there will be those. But yeah, no, I fear it's It's right. And I'd certainly advocate for substantial
changes to it. I mean, I want regulations to work for people. And I think there's a real argument that
14:25:39 You know having life and safety inspections make the product better for the traveler. Having fire alarms and flushing toilets and all these things I think is critical. But I
would definitely hew to letting the market take care of itself a little more.
14:25:58 Yeah, it's platforms like Airbnb and VRBO had a way that people could rate their stay, whether it had a flushing toilet or if it was dirty or not, that would help. Yes, luckily
that does exist.
14:26:12 Yeah. So something to keep an eye on. And I think there will be another opportunity to examine this, but not for a little while. We're also bolstering DCD capacity, you know,
the fire marshal is already making a lot of
14:26:30 South County businesses frustrated with going around and doing fire inspections, commercial fire inspections as well. I don't know if⦠That's not what he's doing. He is asking
for a fee for us to do it ourselves and fill in a checklist for him
14:26:44 So I think that you're going to see a lot of constructive noncompliance with that.
14:26:50 And we'll see what happens with enforcement. But targeting South County businesses? Starting, starting with South County businesses. I think it was starting by targeting the
South County businesses. Yeah.
14:27:06 I, yes. Interesting.
14:27:12 Okay, anything else on that topic?
14:27:18 All right. On to updates on West End Roads. As you guys probably know, the Upper Ho Road is reopened. It's a little ribbon cutting. Governor Ferguson was out there and was The
first one up to the whole rainforest to walk the loop.
14:27:36 Oil City Road, which also access as a national park on the west end, has been repaired as well. And we are still looking for funds to repair the South Shore Road on the Quinault.
14:27:53 The National Park Service and Marsha, if you have more up-to-date information, please speak up but the North Shore access will be closed, I believe, beginning of July and all
of August as they do long planned flap federal lands access program repairs to the
14:28:12 One of the bridges that accesses the Quinault entrance to the national park So there'll be no access in July and August in there.
14:28:24 And the bomb cyclone has been rejected for funding by FEMA.
14:28:31 So we continue to look at the federal lands, FWHA federal wild highway access emergency fund continue to look with state partners for Moving that needle. We had a joint meeting
with the Grays Harbor County Commissioners this past week or the week before and have co-authored a letter to our state and federal delegation
14:29:00 To encourage supporting that repair as well. The upper hoe Road came in believe under budget. So we're also seeing I don't know if the came in at, I think, $430,000 thereabouts.
We had 650 whether we can apply some of those funds to you know
14:29:25 The South Shore Road. Is a question we're asking, but I think there's still some after the fact permitting on the Upper Ho Road. There will probably be that for most of those
plans.
14:29:36 No no marker do you have any other updates? What have you been hearing?
14:29:41 This is Marsha. No. Commissioner Brotherton, I don't i i don't My understanding from the national parks is what you said that you know they had sort of postponed this work on
the north shore road you know hoping it will all balance out but one way or the other, they have to move forward because they have funds they have to spend too so
14:30:03 That's my understanding that After the⦠4th of July.
14:30:09 They're going to have to do the work on the North Shore side.
14:30:13 And you did answer the other question I had. Someone at Optic had asked the question about whether or not if there were any leftover funds from the Upper Ho Road, whether they
could be applied to the North Shore Road, but you're already on it. So thank you
14:30:39 I know he's left the cat out of the bag now.
14:30:30 We're trying, yeah. We don't know this magical fund that the governor found, which is the first time anyone had heard about that fund. So we don't really know everyone's going
to be going for it.
14:30:44 Exactly, exactly. I don't have any other further updates.
14:30:50 So on that subject, in the new resolution for the TCC.
14:30:56 One of the things that I think is key, and it's something we've been talking about for a while, Greg, is measuring the inputs and outputs of the tourist economy so We ran into
this situation with the whole road closing and i
14:31:09 You know we were able to get some private funding and get the state involved to get that done.
14:31:15 But other pieces of infrastructure that the county is responsible for could be hit with natural disasters or damage.
14:31:22 A meteor could fall on the gateway Visor Information Center. So understanding the assets that the county has and that relate to tourism and creating a list of them and quantifying
their impact on tourism might help us better prepare for these things, determine where to spend money in the future and you know
14:31:43 To have a better strategy when something needs to be pulled from another fund. So I think part of the new resolution, these are the types of low hanging fruit that we can focus
on utilizing the whole road initially and we can help to kind of dive into that discussion about the forks visitor information center you know what does that provide to the county?
What does the whole road provide to the county? What are the quinault roads provide to the county and
14:32:07 Happen may be budgeted for and planned for for things in the future.
14:32:11 I think that's great. An inventory of assets would be really valuable and upgradable i mean you know As we, you know, I've been looking at Lodging tax is a way that we can measure,
right? That's the easiest measuring stick that we have right now. But as we build an inventory of rooms that I started building, but it's complicated because you don't want to
14:32:34 Share private information of different hoteliers or anything so finding a form that we can develop that list of assets I think would be really valuable. So ReCompete is starting
to work with a piece of software called Placer AI, and it utilizes anonymized geolocation data from cell phones.
14:32:55 And you can tag different businesses or different geolocation areas and find out where did people travel to there from beforehand. And I think if we can highlight specific recreational
areas that the county is responsible for, we can then see, okay, well, did they stop at county businesses beforehand or what percentage did and we can start to quantify that stuff.
We're looking through it the chamber of Commerce to determine what the costs are. My hope is that we can maybe
14:33:24 Convince the repeat coalition is going to be paying for it to generate some specific reports for us.
14:33:30 And we may be able to share that back somehow to the TCC or the county.
14:33:35 I think that's great. Another⦠planning measure that's going on right now is every five years we have to do a new SEDS, the economic development you know and it's got NAICS
codes for tourism aspects as well so i think
14:33:53 Working with NODC on the new SEDs and like creating a tourism element in that would be a way to added into a larger quilt of our economic development. Often the SEDS is given
a pretty short shift to tourism as not being an economic
14:34:13 Driver in the same way that some of the other industries are. I think for this group to be effective, we're going to need to capitalize on technology and infrastructure to create
better data Because I think a lot of the challenges we had in the past eight or nine months were related to
14:34:28 Differing opinions on what the data meant. Appreciate that.
14:34:36 Oh, Marcia and who else raised their hand.
14:34:39 Yeah. Hi, I just was going to weigh in a minute on the Placer AI.
14:34:45 Not to complicate those, but maybe there's a something here So we're only looking at the same for Collum County. I mean, I knew we would have it, at least for the northeast
Georgia.
14:34:58 One of the things that will help you know is Where else do they go?
14:35:06 So it could help move some of that. Thank you. I can tell you high level, Spacial AI is kind of the Cadillac of these services there there are others So we're looking at Datafi
and Zardico and Place your AI. And Placer AI is going to be
14:35:27 South Carolina's $30,000, you know, depending on the parameters So my question is.
14:35:35 And I don't know the answer to this. I wonder if there's any value having pilot.
14:35:43 Joint conversation with Placer to say, look, you know, we both got this information And there's going to be a whole lot of crossover How can you help us?
14:35:54 They can do regional sort of things. They tend to want to sell a municipality by municipality So I don't know. And I also have some good resources if you're interested A couple
of other DMOs that either have used closer and moved on to a different one or vice versa
14:36:16 And I have a couple of them that are pretty well versed on Placer So, you know, if we just wanted to even have an informational call Then I'm going to have an informational
call. If you want to be on it as well, that would be great to sort of
14:36:30 That someone who's actually using it to tell us what it does and what it doesn't do. So each of these of their strength. And so it's really about what's the problem we're trying
to solve.
14:36:43 You know what I mean?
14:36:45 I think so. You were breaking up a little, or I'm not sure if our room is hard to hear, but let me see if I can reiterate what you said, just that a lot of folks are using Placer,
which is the Cadillac of these tools.
14:36:59 And that⦠while they want to kind of do a municipality by municipality finding a way to leverage Many folks, many groups together to utilize this tool would be good and maybe
we can have uh I'm meeting with folks that are using it or have tried different tools to talk about the real functionality.
14:37:22 Did that capture what you're saying?
14:37:25 Yes, thank you. That got the gist of it. I am going to speak to Yeah, on the south side.
14:37:32 Use this place there right now and it's pretty familiar with it.
14:37:36 It really depends on what you're trying to measure. And some of them measure better in line and better in another. But I'm more than happy if Dan is the interested party and
wants to join me, I'm really happy to have you join or
14:37:52 I just think we should explore Please ask the question.
14:37:56 If there's any leverage. Because Port Townsend is going to want the same data and Port Angeles is going to want the same data and Forks is going to want the same data.
14:38:06 So it's so
14:38:06 So how do we not sell different accounts if we don't have to.
14:38:13 Instead of different accounts, kind of my idea is that someone in the area become the thought leader for it, procure the software with a wide enough coverage and enter into
financial arrangements with other interested parties, basically resell the reports.
14:38:31 So maybe that's a good fit for optic. Or someone else to buy the package for the entire Olympic Peninsula, let everyone know, look, it's going to cost us X amount of dollars.
We will produce you reports in this manner for X amount of dollars per year, kind of the same way that optic is the clearinghouse for the digital marketing
14:38:54 This could be basically reverse digital marketing. It'd be digital mining and digital data analysis. If optics not up for it, maybe this could be under recompete, which is kind
of my original thought, or I mean, maybe Jefferson County has a commissioner that's super into AI and technology. Maybe Jefferson County grabs this piece for reporting since it's important
to the changes that we're making.
14:39:15 When Jefferson County dedicates some labor and resources to it and then sells it back to OPTEC, to PT, to PA, to Forks, to other areas under the coverage.
14:39:25 But I think having everybody sign up for individual accounts and using them differently will create really muddy data but having one kind of focal point can consolidate resources.
14:39:36 But then everybody would have to pay that focal point to get that data, I think would be fair.
14:39:41 I think it's really intriguing. I would love, I mean, Dan, Marsha was offering to include you in the conversation, I think, about placer AI that she's convening would you like
to join in that as we i'd be happy to join that and with the eye of what could it do for Jefferson County. Yeah.
14:40:02 And I think that Andrew Schwartz actually has a call today or tomorrow with one of their sales representatives.
14:40:09 Great.
14:40:10 That is perfectly fine. I will just tell you from having worked with Bill on a couple of things.
14:40:18 Place their ai that outreach to different parts of the op so I don't know you know it's like a little drip.
14:40:29 We may or may not be talking to the same people, but not a worry i'm I'm first going to be speaking to someone that is that that move to PlaySour AI off of another service.
14:40:42 And it's a DMO, and I want to you know what they like, what they don't like, how the service is, what's customer service like, all that.
14:40:52 But I think just even knowing that humanity following there's probably several different ways we could solve the problem. The person has a license and then we have an MOU to
share information I don't know, but I think talking to Placer AI and
14:41:11 Having the conversation that says ultimately we have a goal to be able to share this information broadly, but just our own individual municipality. So how do we get there?
14:41:25 I'd be happy to join that conversation and I'd be happy to assist My companies are engaged with several vendors like this, and I may be able to have add some shading and color
on how to point them in the right direction.
14:41:39 Sure.
14:41:40 To structure the licensing and finances you know advantageously
14:41:46 I think we all have similar needs. And it's just⦠You know, a matter of place very AI.
14:41:57 And others, you know, because if we If they're going to get some more expensive it is, too, so then it becomes whether it's a or not?
14:42:07 Place for AI and it was going to be about $15,000 just before I know that are using it?
14:42:19 Again, depending on the size They rented up $30,000, $40,000 range for a single CMO, so anyway That's all I know at this point.
14:42:31 These people are SAS people. They're software as a service. Adding geographic areas cost them nothing really So I think there's a lot of leverage that can be used. And if we
can get everybody together kind of in the way that optic does it for digital marketing
14:43:00 Yes, sir.
14:42:49 We can probably squeeze them into something palatable Well, I've got Plazer AI down in future agenda items too. So include Dan in the conversation and you know I'm happy to
be included in the conversation too if there's room and I'd love to learn more about it as well.
14:43:06 All right.
14:43:06 I think Steve has his hand up too.
14:43:09 Oh, sorry, I didn't see it, Steve. I've turned on the captions here. We're having trouble hearing Marcia. Go ahead.
14:43:16 No problem. Thank you. Good conversation. And encourage you all to ask the questions that you are asking what I've heard about a variety of these products is that their performance
in metro areas is significantly different than it is in a crossover into a rural area. So making sure that
14:43:38 Visitors Digital cookie crumbs are cached so that once they come out of the woods, literally, their activities are recorded.
14:43:51 On the servers is going to be vital and important, particularly down in South County and particularly down on the west end in the Claylock area and so forth.
14:44:02 And to Dan's point and Marcia's point, they are SaaS services and so letting them know that there are cooperative neighbors who are all marketing to the same visitor and so
therefore they should treat a pricing quote.
14:44:20 In a unified approach as opposed to silos would be essential.
14:44:24 Thank you.
14:44:25 Thanks, Steve. Yeah, the rural urban divide never goes away.
14:44:34 Okay, that was our update on West End Road. We'll move on to new business. And again, sorry that I did not write discussion potential action here.
14:44:45 I am right now listed the second Tuesdays at the county courthouse from two to four, can't take action where we can't have discussion. These are the dates that we've already
kind of identified and I want to make sure those are okay and wondering about
14:45:01 Moving to one to three o'clock, which I did check and we have availability in this room so Are we able to move agenda items in time? I think before discussing times and dates
discussing new applicants would probably be more appropriate so they can weigh in or not?
14:45:23 Hands, but we can't really do anything on this way anyway. So let's just go let's just go do it. We'll move to, I'm fine to go to the discussion, potential action, and we'll
come back and discuss freely, but honestly, we can't vote on it anyways. But let's follow your suggestion and we'll go to new applications for TCC. So we have two applications. Hopefully
you guys were able to get them. They are not strangers to anyone. We have Steve Shively here and Caitlin Friedman, who's with us in the room.
14:45:55 They have both their applications. We usually, I mean, we could ask them to leave, but it's a public meeting, so they could just log on to their phone so um thoughts about the
additions of Caitlin and Steve. And one other thing just
14:46:10 Prior to this, I think Caitlin had been kind of appointed as a I don't know, alternate for Clio. We don't need to differentiate between primary and alternate, this would just
be full membership since we don't have geographic assignations anymore
14:46:28 Thumbs up from Cleone, Diana.
14:46:32 I'll make a motion to approve the new applicant.
14:46:37 Okay, Diana's moving to approve the slate. Can I get a second?
14:46:43 Can I ask one question real quick? You can make the second and then we can have discussion. Okay. I will⦠second that motion with pending discussion. Okay, go ahead. Awesome.
So Caitlin um presenting the museum or yourself or what would be
14:47:03 It will be a fit. I honestly didn't think about that. I obviously started coming to the TCC meetings because of Bolstein Historical Museum.
14:47:17 But I do generally consider myself to be in relatively good conversation with a lot of people within quil scene. I'm the vice president of the garden club um so I'm not sure.
So can I just get a quick statement from you
14:47:39 Why tourism is important to you and what you hope to achieve being a member.
14:47:45 I obviously being involved in the groups that I'm involved in tourism plays a pretty big role in my own personal business side of trying to start a business doing graphic design,
technical writing, a little bit of that stuff.
14:48:02 I have, so far my main clients have been in the tourism industry, so I'm interested in kind of I guess keeping up with what's going on. That makes perfect sense and a perfect
answer.
14:48:15 I don't need any more discussion okay any other conversation before we call the question.
14:48:24 Hearing none, all in favor of the motion on the floor to approve the slate of applicants for TCC, indicate by saying aye. Aye. Aye.
14:48:36 Hi from Aiden. I for Marsha, aye from Clown.
14:48:41 Hi.
14:48:42 Okay. Any opposed? Okay, great. Well, welcome. There's still an official appointment by the BOCC, but for all intents and purposes, please participate as full members right
now. And that's really just a A formality. All right. Well, thank you guys for your interest.
14:49:02 And we'll continue our conversation about a regular meeting schedule that we do need to vote on as a group, but we cannot vote on today because of my neglect.
14:49:14 But generally, does second Tuesdays from 1 to 3 work for folks and later it would be used much better for me.
14:49:27 Amy?
14:49:23 Hey, Greg. One o'clock does not work for me. I have a meeting from 1 till 2 every Tuesday.
14:49:34 I could be late but not present for the whole thing.
14:49:35 Does⦠We can also look to a different Tuesday. I haven't checked. I'd have to check on scheduling.
14:49:45 But is there a different cadence of Tuesdays that would work for people Where's the conflict with 2 p.m. To 4 p.m.
14:49:55 So as Jesse pointed out, the Port Townsend's LTAC, if we really want to ever be at the same meeting at the same time, they're meeting from three to five, second Tuesdays every
other month.
14:50:09 So it doesn't look like one to three is going to work on second Tuesdays, but we could look My schedule's sort of flexible.
14:50:29 I can do first Tuesdays of the month.
14:50:40 Oh, yeah. Downstairs right underneath
14:50:45 I like First Tuesday.
14:50:49 First Tuesdays from 2 to 4 still
14:50:54 This is Diana.
14:50:54 Whatever works. I can make Yeah, so that fit with Amy's schedule. Yes, I can make that work.
14:51:00 Yeah, that works for me too.
14:51:03 Amy, did you say your meeting is every Tuesday?
14:51:07 I'm sorry, say again, Martin.
14:51:14 We're really having trouble.
14:51:18 Was every Tuesday? Okay, sorry.
14:51:21 Marshes. Is it every Tuesday?
14:51:26 To Amy.
14:51:26 Oh, no. First Tuesday. Oh, your question to Amy was, is your one o'clock meeting Tuesday.
14:51:36 Yes, it is.
14:51:40 Yeah, so you'd need it to always start at two or later.
14:51:43 Right. Yeah, two is perfect.
14:51:47 Marsha, how does that first Tuesday work for you?
14:51:57 Anyone else?
14:52:00 I think it's generally good. Hard to look at drive, so⦠I think that'll work.
14:52:07 Right. Yeah, I'm glad you're not looking at your calendar, I guess, right now. Never mind. I retract the question. First Tuesday's fine.
14:52:15 Okay, Steve or Leon, any issues with that? And we can suggest, it's going to have to be a special meeting next time.
14:52:22 So, but I will work at the the first Tuesday in June as the next special meeting, unless I hear otherwise.
14:52:34 Butâ¦
14:52:33 I should be able to make first Tuesday work.
14:52:36 Yeah, I can too, Cleo.
14:52:39 Okay. And I will, this is all conditional on having a room available. So I'll confirm with the email to everyone
14:52:51 Okay, I think that is that. So let meâ¦
14:53:02 Share my screen. I wanted to share my screen. I don't know if you guys were able to look at the design that we have for the Gateway Visitor Center.
14:53:17 But there is I think I talked about this before, but right now We're undergoing a planning exercise with
14:53:32 Do you guys see that screen? Online?
14:53:38 We don't see it addressed. I'm going to have to move it over. One second.
14:53:39 Yes. Yes.
14:53:41 Yeah, we can.
14:53:47 I don't know why I don't see it here.
14:54:01 Sorry. Theâ¦
14:54:08 Gosh, I'm going to stop the share.
14:54:13 That over here.
14:54:24 Here, sorry, this is⦠awkward.
14:54:41 You can see there is something that is not here that is there now. Steve, I'm sure you can see it, but the uh This is the Gateway Visitor Center plan that Jefferson Transit
has a contract that had to be expended very quickly.
14:54:57 They got a, this is a grant that they got from WSDOT for creating connections to Washington State ferries.
14:55:05 And both this is really the inciting incident for this was clallum Transit with the addition of the roundabout at Beaver valley road We're excited about the ability to take
a safe left turn and looking for a safer place for the straight shot route 123 to stop in Jefferson County.
14:55:27 The Discovery Bay stop is problematic in many ways, including land disputes over whose property that is it's an old old bus stop from a private line that doesn't have any legal
parking, actually.
14:55:43 Both Clallum and Jefferson Transit were pretty insistent on separate entrances for buses and private vehicles.
14:55:52 Which created this design that does not have a visitor center on it.
14:55:59 This is not something that is funded or anything. This is just we had to come up with a design And⦠I was hoping to get people's thoughts.
14:56:12 So this is a design that doesn't have the visitor center placed yet, or this is a design that does not include a visitor information center. This is a design that does not include
a visitor information center.
14:56:23 I think it was two, one that included the visitor center and one that did not.
14:56:31 That?
14:56:30 So this is the, where's the one that does include the center
14:56:36 Well, last week. The consultant said, we need to go forward with one of these designs and came to the commissioners as well as Jefferson Transit Authority Board and the clown
transit board And said, we need to choose one of these designs to do the engineering for. There's very different concrete and pavement
14:56:57 There's no money to build this. The Jefferson County Commissioners as well as the two transit boards agreed on getting the design specs ready for this at this point.
14:57:20 I sent you.
14:57:12 Yeah, because the one we were sent today that's out on the microfiche has both It has⦠still and then the second page has this design similar but not exactly.
14:57:29 So just my, so what happens to the visitor Center.
14:57:36 Does it get moved across the street with the county's other property or what happens to it?
14:57:43 It's possible. There's a capital planning effort that's going on right now with the other side of the street, which is county owned, though it's not very, I mean, the plan is
to put in a transfer station. So I'm not sure if that's a harmonious use with the visitor center. Basically, there was not room for two separate entrance for the bus
14:58:09 And the Visitor Information Center. This is right now the assessment of the highest and best use, and it would probably be Jefferson transit purchasing this land from the county.
So you're saying we shouldn't put the visitor center at the trash facility that that's not a good idea i'm not sure if it's harmonious but uh yeah i mean
14:58:32 Good evening.
14:58:31 You can see VIC is on for future presentations. I missed the tourism summit but steve uh is you have your hand up go ahead
14:58:45 Yes, disappointed to see that this plan which is not in the documents that you had forwarded to Diane's point.
14:58:55 There were two alternatives. I know that originally you were looking at three Two of which retained the visitor center and then a modification of this one which eliminated it.
I've had numerous discussions with Route 14.
14:59:12 Jefferson Transit drivers as they stop twice a day. To at a time stop there at the gateway And they're aware of the plans for the straight shot collaboration. They're excited
for it. They see all the benefits that uh that
14:59:31 I think are positive. But when the question is asked Do they need to eliminate the existing VIC in order to navigate Not a single one of the transit drivers say that that's
necessary and numerous of them pointed out during those time stops.
14:59:50 To the visitors to the passengers on the buses who were jumping off running in to get a map or a drink of water and so forth. And so they find it a great added value. I know
that when the Haines Place
15:00:07 Visitor center across from Safeway was initially a visitor information center for Port Townsend having that uh point of presence with a visitor center in addition to the Jefferson
Transit was a benefit and Tim Caldwell would testify to that value of having those items there.
15:00:34 I'm disappointed to hear that of the three highest and best uses for a future transfer station that the property that has been for over 30 years identified as a future location
for the visitor center is being relegated to a transfer station. And I agree with all of you that
15:00:55 It's an incongruatous partnership to have a new gateway overlooking the transfer station.
15:01:05 I⦠am surprised that the documents that were sent out for this meeting don't jive with what's being presented and it sounds like it's a faita complete already that you're
reporting it in the past tense. And again, I don't recall seeing it on the
15:01:22 Agenda of the BOCC that this mandate to make a decision was was publicly discussed with the commissioners so A whole lot. Thanks.
15:01:36 I asked.
15:01:36 Yeah, I'm sorry. I mean, I did include this. It's on the laser fee site now and i attempted to send it. I did send a different plan first, which was what I had when we created
the agenda. I literally got this
15:01:51 On Friday and uh sent it out, tried to as well, but I'm sorry I didn't label it well
15:02:05 Okay.
15:02:00 It's not on the microfiche site because I pulled every document from there today And the doc on there is the two One with the gateway and one without. But I really think that
I understand the bus if that's what they want, that's great. But I think that there could be
15:02:19 Some real work done to ensure that the visitor center can stay And the parking we configured to allow that you know what we've found is The trails committee in Port Ludlow said,
oh, we don't need printed maps.
15:02:35 We're going to digitize them. They have gone through all of their maps. They should have gone to LTE for more money because they don't have any more People are begging for the
printed copy.
15:02:48 And they're stopping at our hotel now and begging for a printed copy.
15:02:53 So we on our own dollar have gone out and paid to have maps printed of the trails in Port Ludlow.
15:03:02 Because we get so many questions at the end. And so it just doesn't make any sense.
15:03:09 That we're going to eliminate something that still has value to our tourists especially because now we don't have our 300,000 anymore We're not marketing to these people. How
are we going to get them?
15:03:28 But then they have no resources for how many miles?
15:03:33 Till they get to, I guess. Chamber would be the first place maybe that they could get some information And so, you know, I really think There needs to be a lot more discussion
on this before just eliminating the building that has
15:03:50 Who've been trafficked. To it and has kept traffic records forever.
15:03:57 So I just think that that's definitely not a good decision to move forward without it.
15:04:03 Well, this is a design and we had to make a decision to one design and really literally overnight because we have to have this grant completely spent out by the 30th. But I
do hear your concerns and you know
15:04:19 This is what's planned right now, but it can still be changed. So I think there is still opportunity for advocacy. And Marcia, I see you have your hand up.
15:04:32 Yes, thank you. I just wanted to query it seems that if this area is going to be the shelter or transit and you know ideally maybe people coming you know where you haven't traveled
to the peninsula without cars and whatnot
15:04:54 I could sing all kinds of reasons for having some kind of visitor information center there.
15:05:02 Whether it's, you know, you've got 20 minutes to wait for the next boss who are you know you need to use the restroom or you all got a map. It does seem that that location in
some capacity I don't know whether it could be a new build you know maybe we don't need the size that it is
15:05:20 But it just means that if this is going to be kind of the crossroads I borrowed.
15:05:29 Rotation. System.
15:05:33 It kind of sounds like the perfect place to have a visitor information center of some sort.
15:05:38 And I know⦠There's some thought about whether the information center could also pick up
15:05:52 I don't think they'll be able to sell tons of houses.
15:05:55 It just seems to me that⦠some consideration.
15:05:57 Marsha, we're really⦠we're struck.
15:05:59 Consideration of having a VIC would be good.
15:06:05 Considering, okay, we're struggling to hear you here. I'm not sure if it's more clear but i i The conversation about whether there's a VIC there is not done design set is going
to be done.
15:06:18 You know whether it's, you know, there's room for a board with the QR code, and I know from the reports that you talked about diana that Correct me if I'm wrong, Steve, but
I think about 10 times as many people use the QR code outside the VIC right now as come into the VIC. That's the numbers that I remember.
15:06:37 So we're not eliminating all opportunities. There's probably opportunities for creating another VIC. It doesn't have to be that large. We're looking for bathroom options as
well.
15:06:50 But I think there's a bigger incomplete discussion that this group has not finalized Which is our visitor information center is important?
15:07:02 Because that is the crux of the matter that this group needs to come up with a clear statement on It does not help us to go to the transit board or the county commissioners
and say, well, don't do that because we'll lose our visitor information center. I don't think that's a productive line of discussion. Line of discussion is
15:07:21 This group says that visitor information centers are important. Therefore, there must be one. If you do this, how will you follow through on the recommendations of the board
to create one?
15:07:31 And I don't believe that just saying, please don't demolish it, we want it is effective.
15:07:37 So does anybody have any thoughts on that? I agree with you. And if you'll see under future agenda items, I know I referenced the tourism summit that happened on the same day
as our POCC meeting, so I could not be there.
15:07:52 The VIC presentation, and I think that i think For us tackling, I mean, obviously I have a different opinion than many here about the value of the VIC versus obviously what
I think is a higher and better use as a
15:08:07 As a transit facility in this very constrained piece of property. So I'm open to the conversation about VICs and their effectiveness and where they should be, what should they
do? Is this the right place for one? I mean, one of the real issues with with
15:08:24 Jefferson County as part of
15:08:33 And in Clown County, there's two or three stories Unless you know you're veer off, go down the road. So what's how do we How do we focus folks into our businesses in Jefferson
County? I think that that's a the question and and our VIC is the right tool i would love to have the VIC presentation here soon. I'm not sure who gave that one and and uh
15:08:56 And tackle this in a larger discussion. I see Steve has his hand up.
15:09:12 Oh, you muted yourself, Steve. There you go.
15:09:15 I simply neglected to lower my hand. Apologies.
15:09:19 Okay, no problem. Well, when is the appropriate time to have that discussion? I think that this group should have a formal opinion on Our visitor information center is key to
the mission of I'm sorry. Yeah, measuring the inputs and outputs of the tourist economy, including destination development, destination marketing, event marketing, and workforce housing.
15:09:41 Do we need visitor information centers to carry out that mission? I would say that we do.
15:09:46 Now, there's all the details about where are they, when are they, how much do we spend on them, but I think we need to get past that first statement. Do we need them?
15:09:55 Obviously, we can't take any action today, but does anybody think that we don't need them and if there's any discussion to be had with the exclusion of the chair because you've
already made your you know your opinion pretty well noted.
15:10:11 Okay. So can we get that on the agenda for the next special meeting to take action to draft some kind of statement policy or letter stating our desire for visitor information
centers to be key integral to the role of the new memorandum, the new resolution.
15:10:30 I guess I still think I'm not convinced that they're valuable. I mean, I know that people will go for printed maps. If printed maps is what we're talking about.
15:10:41 You can put an acrylic covered thing and put maps in it so would you consider that a visitor information center i think it's I guess it's how you would define a visitor information
center I think the existing model of visitor information centers is not a good return on investment. So I have not, no, I don't think that they are. And I think we need to have more
conversation about
15:11:03 What are the inputs and outputs and why are they valuable? I mean, I understand that There's not enough printed maps. We're actually going through the same thing with Jefferson
Transit, too, where people are like.
15:11:14 We want printed out schedules. And then we also want to get young people on the buses and they don't want printed out schedules so is that do we do both? I know that Marcia
and many others have talked about
15:11:28 The need for both and i guess someone gets a map, a printed out map.
15:11:33 Instead of going on Google and using their map, what is the actual value to the tourism industry. So I would like to treat this as an action item So I would like to say, can
we work now to craft an action item to be added to the next special meeting agenda, something to the effect of
15:11:53 Define a visitor information center and quantify or qualify its necessity to carry out the mission and the resolution.
15:12:02 Yeah, I'm probably crafted more like what are the values what are the what is the
15:12:22 Which is this big difference of opinion and the resolution's done, the bylaws being put together you know, if this board all of the members with the exclusion of the chair believing
that visitor information center is important in some respect and can create an action item to document and define that.
15:12:44 And put it out as the board, I think that you know But you can vote against it. The chair can vote against it or whichever. But I think that that's an important thing, an important
hurdle for us to get over, especially with this information that seems to be somewhat
15:13:00 Unexpected that the gateway Visitor Information Center might disappear without plans for replacement.
15:13:09 I welcome the conversation. I guess I'm not sure if we've had enough of a conversation to move past that stumbling block.
15:13:21 This is an advisory board to the county commission. The county commissioners have a different opinion right now. And I think we need more analysis behind a motion that visitor
information centers are still a worthy investment. I would like more analysis by this board
15:13:39 Not just a vote the same thing still is the right thing. And herein lies the challenge where if we had labor and staff resources We could identify that staff member and say,
hey, we need you to take 10 hours next week and do a lot of research and put a presentation together for the pros and cons that we can then evaluate and refine. And we don't have those
factors. That's why I'm suggesting we slow down a little bit. First, we ask for the presentation from the
15:14:06 From the tourism summit and really talk about what is the value of a visitor information center. I guess I'm just not I'm not satisfied that that model still works and uh The
focus of this group is find alignment with the county right now
15:14:26 There isn't on that conversation. I'd like to, no, I don't know.
15:14:33 I think that there's an inherent disconnect between what the purpose of the group is.
15:14:38 I think the purpose of the group is to assess and advise using our experience, our place in the industry, our place in the market, our life experiences, our skills, et cetera.
And to assess and advise that the Board and County Commissioner's decision on whether or not to take
15:14:56 Action on those specific items. I wish that somebody else might chime in on whether they think it's time to take action on something like this or if this needs to be pushed
off further.
15:15:09 Amy's got her hand up, but we can't take action on this today. Yeah, not today, but for the next, put it on the agenda for the next meeting.
15:15:16 Go ahead, Amy.
15:15:17 You know, as we're going into looking at data and different things, do we have any data from any of the current visitor centers showing what their visitation levels are?
15:15:28 We do, and I'm happy to bring back some of the information from the LTAC reports. I mean, that's really what we have to to quantify its impressions, how many people are in i
mean like One of the data points that I brought up from the Gateway Visitor Center is that 10 times as many people use the QR code outside compared to going inside. So I guess we can
figure out how to measure this and that's what I
15:15:54 I'd like to work on. That'sâ¦
15:15:56 I get the data for the Forks Visitor Center and their numbers last year were busier or bigger than they've ever been before.
15:16:04 So I feel like, and obviously as a hotel operator, we have endless people coming in and using us as a visitor center looking for the visitor center.
15:16:14 To me, it's still a great value. But I think the big thing for me is just looking at data and seeing how many people are still utilizing it and has it changed over the years.
15:16:24 Yeah, I agree with that. We can try to bring back some for the That's me for sure.
15:16:32 Marsha?
15:16:36 Yeah, I'm sorry that my connection is so bad But quickly⦠We have several years worth of that we collect from the people that are centered around the ocean so yes we have
that data. It's only as good as what is reported to us.
15:16:57 But I have that going back several years. Number two⦠you would like a survey How visitors information center fit into the mixing of destination marketing and that sort of
thing.
15:17:15 I am happy to send out a survey to the The DMO group, I'm part of the Washington State Deathstakes marketing organization And if you want to excuse me.
15:17:26 You know, four or five questions that you would like. Pull the group and say.
15:17:33 You know do you operate a visitor center if so The organization Some of the questions are, I'm happy to crap you know a survey document and send it out to my parents And then
you would get information sort of statewide.
15:17:53 But that's helpful.
15:17:55 That would be very helpful. I appreciate it.
15:17:59 Joanna, you had some good questions up to speed, blah. It's a pretty simple survey type of thing, I could do it like in a Google survey or something.
15:18:08 I'm happy to do it. I won't get it done this week, but I'm happy to work on it.
15:18:14 Okay, it'll probably, yeah, let me i will Yeah, let me think on that. But yeah, I think it's I think that's great. I appreciate it.
15:18:23 And if anybody has any questions that they'd like to see on such a survey.
15:18:30 Devices.
15:18:33 Great. Thanks, Marcia. Steve.
15:18:38 Yeah, just, you know, Greg, you were commenting on a 10 time or a tenfold QR code over in person and the benefit of that is that they are available 24 7 outside versus inside
but also that number was definitely
15:19:00 Predicated on COVID times and that ratio has greatly diminished since We've come out of COVID and we've returned to five and six day a week hours of in-person operation.
15:19:17 And when we do hear it compartmentalized in total with the Olympic Peninsula Tourism Summit.
15:19:25 Which was all about storytelling and in-person visitor center is the perfect megaphone and the optimal platform for personalized storytelling and uh that is an irreplaceable
benefit that helps personalize and helps curate all of the printed material.
15:19:49 And even more than that, for the visitors so I applaud Marcia's willingness to get a statewide survey, but I think what you're hearing from Dan will be um elevated and underlined
in the findings if this is placed on a
15:20:14 Future agenda item for discussion.
15:20:18 Thanks, David.
15:20:22 Yeah, I think a little more research needs to be done. I appreciate Marsha wanting to send something to a wider band I do know that we do know that We have much more requests
and much more in-face.
15:20:40 And I think we're going to find that because look at the commercials that are happening now.
15:20:45 It's all about building relationships and it's all about face-to-face and it's put your phone down.
15:20:50 And do this and get out and talk to people and I think people are really realizing that that's what we're missing kind of in that time frame and the whole optic tourism summit
was about telling a story And building that richness with the person standing in front of you that makes them want to go there.
15:21:11 Or even finding multiple areas that they could go to when things are closed or you don't want a three hour backup or let's not do the whole here, let's do the hole here But
if you don't have that and you're just looking at a map, how do you even know where to go?
15:21:28 And so I just really think we need to do some research here You know, on a quick chat GPT, there was huge stories so I think we need to spend a little bit of time with this
before we just
15:21:41 Throw out the baby with the bathwater.
15:21:44 I agree. I welcome the conversation. So it's not something, I mean, I don't want to rush to an answer. You see it as a stumbling block, but I see it's an important conversation.
I disagree. I disagree from wholesale. And I think that
15:21:59 My goal would be to get past the last 12 years of frustration and to shake things out.
15:22:05 And to identify does this group have the ability to produce a recommendation contrary to the Board of County Commissioners understanding or their opinion and then can this group
survive and absorb a decision being made that they disagree with.
15:22:28 For me, I feel like this group, the idea is here to put things together and to say this is what we think is important and this is our advisement. And then it goes up to the
Board of County Commissioners. We don't take any liability here as volunteers in this group. We don't have any authority on it. And then to be able to kind of shift and move flexibly
to say, okay, well, we've put that together. We've said that we think these things are important
15:22:52 And then the Board of County Commission, this is nowhere closing the gateway and we're demolishing it, we're not putting another one then can this group say, okay, great, I
understand that and move on to the next thing on the list or the next thing that we can be effective at. And I worry that delaying I worry that that i worry that
15:23:12 Delaying a decision that's already been made simply might make people in this group feel like they're spinning their wheels. I can tell you right now that Marcia is going to
come up with great information on why visitor centers are important. And Steve's going to have data from
15:23:28 Gateway and Diana's going to have, and I'm going to have my own opinions and some, you know, experiential information on why I think these things are important. We're all going
to say that.
15:23:36 But if we're going to end up with the same answer irrespective of the data that we bring forward, why not just kind of rip the band-aid off and say, hey, let's make a decision
and say, this is what we advise based on our history and knowledge.
15:23:49 And if the boarding county commissioners does something different, like, well, that's okay. We're all adults. What I don't want to do is feel like we're screaming at the wind
and presenting data that's when the decision's already foreblown.
15:24:01 Decision is not foregone, but I don't think the conversation has actually happened yet. I think we've been talking next to each other but not to each other. But I'm interested
in having a conversation.
15:24:12 I've had detailed conversations with most of the people here and including visitor information centers in math and i've heard different things. Maybe people support this model.
15:24:25 I guess I'm not done with the conversation yet, and I hope that we can have you know a robust conversation trying to agree And I'm in the minority here, but I hope that we can
we can slowly come to an agreement on how to measure the effectiveness of this tool. Is this tool need
15:24:48 Modifications for the current suite of tools that are available.
15:24:54 Where is it appropriate to have a visitor information center? Is the gateway actually the right place to have? I think that's where my misunderstanding is, or maybe misunderstanding
of what I'm suggesting. I'm suggesting a very broad statement.
15:25:09 Defining a visitor information center, what does that mean? Does that mean in-person staffed at least one day a week?
15:25:15 And does that mean a physical location? Like, what does that mean? What is a visual information center? And are they important are they important and need to be maintained or
important Are they not important, not effective and to be removed? As opposed to like the details about like, well, how do we do the visitor information center is gateway the right
spot? Is this the right spot? Because I think those are like.
15:25:36 Actual conversations to be had. I think what information we want to deliver to visitors to give them a good experience, to be storytellers, to also understand how to understand
how travel has changed. And so as a visitor information center changed in how in
15:25:55 Conveys information we're hearing no we need both. We need to have the map and the storytelling. And I'm wondering is that the most effective delivery system? And I just hope
to continue that conversation a little bit more. I guess I'm not quite ready to put a pin in it yet
15:26:11 I'm not trying to be argumentative and I'm not trying to beat a dead horse, but I'm going to anyways.
15:26:17 If we can just distill it down to a simple question.
15:26:20 Is a physical retail style location with a human being necessary.
15:26:29 Or is it the recommendation to have one or more of these locations throughout the county? Just to look down at whether it's maps or computer screens or robots or whatever, it
doesn't matter. But that would be, I think, the core of the question. Or do we move to an all digital platform?
15:26:44 That I think is the core. I think that is a core question, and I definitely think people's phone is a better way to get to them.
15:26:52 But I think that it's a nuanced issue. And I don't think that we can unpack it all at once. I think it's going to take us a couple of meetings.
15:27:02 Okay.
15:27:02 One to keep in mind too is the brand new resolution There are three purposes to the TCC.
15:27:10 Purpose three is three and local destination development in partnership with other stakeholders such as Gateway Visitor Center.
15:27:19 So now. We're talking about eliminating it and yet we've named it in our resolution as important And as somebody that we need to work with as a stakeholder.
15:27:31 You know it's kind of confusing on where we're going based on some of the documents that just came out.
15:27:38 You know, they're brand new. And, you know. What does that say?
15:27:45 So, you know, I just think it needs more conversation and I think everybody needs to keep an open mind.
15:27:52 The world is changing the world is changing what is the right answer? And I think there needs to be more information given before we have that answer.
15:28:01 And everyone has an opinion, but the facts should stand out. If people are visiting And people are asking for data They don't want a phone.
15:28:11 And maybe they're not asking for data. So we just need to come up with some facts. We need to come up with what is the trends that we're seeing and then what makes sense.
15:28:22 100%, Diane. So I know we have⦠Yeah, and I'm not What is the Gateway visitor center? What should it be? So I think these are big questions and I hope to continue to chew
on with you as a group.
15:28:37 I know that's not easy conversations. Steve, did you have your hand up again?
15:28:46 Oh, I neglected to lower it again. No, I neglected to lower it once again.
15:28:48 Okay, no problem.
15:28:54 Any other⦠conversation on that.
15:29:02 I guess we are to the round table then.
15:29:10 Oh, yeah. If this is the standard TCC go around, what's happening in your neck of the woods? You want to start in the room? Dan, you want to What's going on, Brent? Yeah, so
Shrimp Fest, June 21st. I've been fairly heavily supported by
15:29:32 Steve's organization, the Olympic Culinary Loop. It's going to be pretty heavily marketed. We've got a great team put together for it. We've got a band list.
15:29:42 To include Buck Ellard, Northwest Swing Events, which is like 17 piece band Nick Vegarino is a blue slide guitar player. It's going to be pretty great. And it's going to be
one day. All the permitting has been crested.
15:30:00 I would also say in Brennan that things are looking up great this year because of the weather. And we've had a lot of people in town and it's been going really well for everybody.
I know the restaurants have been pretty busy. My store's been busy. Shrimp dates are coming.
15:30:16 The weather is creating an early start to the season, which we're all happy to see. Nice. How much is shrimp going to be?
15:30:22 I don't know that I can release that publicly, but I can say it's going to be at a more historically realistic number that everyone's going to be really happy with.
15:30:31 What I can say is that there'll be a pre-purchase where you can get 16 ounces of shrimp two shrimp meals, a shrimp skewer similar thing for like 60 bucks.
15:30:45 And it's going to be pretty good. The trip's going to be pretty good like probably half the price that it was last year.
15:30:53 Oh, good. I mean, that's still, I mean, even at the expense, people were upset last year, but still cheaper than trimming.
15:31:01 Well, especially with the rise in the licenses. Oh, really? Did they go up? Yeah.
15:31:08 That's my story. Caitlin, you want to tell us anything that's going on at Worthington? Worthington is having the Bon John gravel bike race again on June 14th.
15:31:20 Other than that, we're hoping that we're still going to have the 4th of July picnic community picnic at Worthington Park on 4th july to be determined. We're still trying to
talk to all the other people that are involved in that, all the other groups.
15:31:35 Um and That is actually all the information I have right now because I've been out of town for an entire month. And I just got back on Friday. No, it wasn't, but it's okay.
15:31:46 All right, Steve, anything you want to report from the gateway or culinary loop?
15:31:54 Gateway was featured recently when the Hood Canal Bridge had its mechanical issue. They sent Crews from Cairo and Como and we've had an online on como and a in-person, live
and live rebroadcast at the six And 11 o'clock news
15:32:18 Reporting from an in-person staffer there at the Gateway is the value of the Canal Bridge.
15:32:26 The other piece is that we are involved with getting the final four for the request for proposals for the roundabout roundabout at Paradise Road and the Hood Canal Bridge getting
there them all set up to prepare their request for proposal response and we had a good
15:32:53 Cadre of candidates for requests for qualifications. And as I said, we parted that down to four very talented designers and we look forward to proceeding with them.
15:33:05 Cool. I feel like I'm in that group, but I haven't seen these lists. Can you share those with us?
15:33:15 The four
15:33:19 You wish for me to share the four Finalists, is that what you want?
15:33:24 I'd like to see them, yeah. The applications, did Iâ¦
15:33:32 May I?
15:33:32 Well, Greg⦠I'm happy to talk with you offline because we haven't received confirmation back from the acceptance of the four and those that we have sent regrets to.
15:33:45 We have a silent period. Just to make sure there's no protest or any concern on that. So I don't want to place all those names in the public record at this point. But on May
15th, we will have a public announcement.
15:33:59 And I'm happy to talk with you prior to May 15th on that and get you caught up on all the meetings that we've had that I know your busy schedule you haven't been able to participate
in.
15:34:11 All right. I appreciate it. And also, I saw that email from last week that I have not responded to, but I don't know if you responded to the guy that wanted to put the flag
up at the roundabout, but⦠I'm happy to send him a sorry other plans going on if you haven't.
15:34:30 That was⦠That was deferred to Eric Kuntz in public works department and so I don't know if and how the county has responded to that gentleman with his proposed monument being
an American flag that would be staffed and illuminated. But yes, we
15:34:51 We agreed that that would not be the appropriate place for something like that.
15:34:58 Great. Thanks. All right. Damn, what's going on in Portland.
15:35:05 So a bunch of things with wine. First, let's see, what are we on today? Second Tuesday of every month all the way through the end of the year.
15:35:15 We're doing a $10 wine tasting at the end. From 4 to 7.
15:35:20 And then we have our wine dinner scheduled for the rest of the year.
15:35:25 There's one in May and then they start up again October and November, December time frame We have been working, we started our farm steppers. We're working with the farms. We're
seeing produce come in, which is really great.
15:35:41 So every Sunday, May through September, we'll be putting out the menu on social a day or two before and saying what the dinners are.
15:35:51 It'll be really fun. At the golf course, we've been doing a lot of activity, including U.S. Kids was here And that was really fun to see kids of all ages out hitting phenomenal.
15:36:06 I wish I could get that far. And we've been doing a bunch of fitting days.
15:36:11 Which has been great at the um Marina, she's had some rendezvous, but the Memorial Day weekend will be her first very large rendezvous so a lot of activity in poor although
Friday night through Sunday morning.
15:36:29 We are also still working with events that are happening in our area to try and be the pre So we've been working with maritime center wooden boat festival.
15:36:43 We've always been involved some way. So working with them to figure out how we can be involved and maybe in the future You know, maybe even be day one and then they would continue
through their Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
15:36:56 Working on that, keeping an eye out. And then we're working with port level performing arts on a concert That's coming up and we just did our marina swap which
15:37:11 People could buy a table with marine items and then they could sell them or swap them and we sold a couple of small boats at that event also. So lots of little activities we're
going to do quirk and canvas.
15:37:24 So you'll get a glass of wine, you'll paint a picture We're going to set them up for pretty much once a month.
15:37:32 Same kind of idea. And just having different events available in the area.
15:37:41 Great. Thank you, Diana.
15:37:53 What's that? I⦠I mean, no, not so good with power.
15:38:01 Battery. Can you guys still hear us?
15:38:05 Yep.
15:38:07 We've lost our new whiteboard. It's the first time I've ever reused it, so I'm wrong. It's just an oversight.
15:38:18 Okay.
15:38:22 Claire, did you have anything else to add about Quilsey?
15:38:25 Yeah, I was going to add that Caitlin and her partner Bobby Strong, they have⦠are the leaders of putting together the weddings and they went to wedding shows and so forth
Last year, was it four weddings we had, Caitlin?
15:38:45 And this year And this year it'll be six.
15:38:45 No funerals.
15:38:52 Right? Yeah. Anyway.
15:38:52 I think we're at six right now.
15:38:57 Uh interesting the brides.
15:39:01 In the past, we've had to have Santa cans because we didn't have regular restrooms for them and so That was the one thing that when they wrote up reviews about having their
wedding at Worthington Park.
15:39:19 Mm-hmm.
15:39:19 They really wanted to have⦠regular restrooms with toilets and sinks and so forth. So anyway.
15:39:27 People on the board, Dave Satterly and others that Along with Bobby and Caitlin.
15:39:35 They came through and we got a grant, some money donated So within a couple months.
15:39:44 The brides are going to have restrooms along with their visitors. So that's a big and then i don't know.
15:39:51 Thank you.
15:39:54 Go. We're in the planning stages right now we're going to have Instead of the wine tasting gala we're going to have taste of quill scene.
15:40:04 And we're going to have tastes of food as well as wine and beer and so forth so Kind of exciting looking forward to that.
15:40:14 The landscaping spring and now we've done a lot with we have a gal by the name of Emily Burke that has been in charge of that and oh we have wonderful boxwood hedges around
The whole Worthington Mansion and roses and isstas
15:40:36 Absolutely gorgeous. And on the uh end of this month, actually the 31st of this month We're hosting a celebration of life.
15:40:49 Christine Satterly has been on our board for about 15 years.
15:40:55 And she was the project manager in finishing up the interior of the house.
15:41:00 Well, she passed away a couple months ago and going to be having the celebration of life for her on the 31st. She's going to be greatly missed.
15:41:11 Was a very strong leader. That whole process i don't think With T and Dave, I don't think that house would ever have been finished if it hadn't been for them.
15:41:23 So anyway. That's it for me. Mm-hmm.
15:41:24 Thanks for that, Clim. Yeah, no. Christine was great. I think it was the first wedding there. I was at Christine and Dave's wedding at And I'll be there on the 31st.
15:41:33 That's right. That's right. They were. In the pavilion.
15:41:37 Yeah, she was a classy lady. All right. Thank you, Claire.
15:41:38 Oh, good. She was.
15:41:46 Uh huh.
15:41:44 Marcia, anything? Or from the west end
15:41:54 I pulled over. Can you hear me okay?
15:41:58 You're just, I guess, speak very clearly and use short words and we'll try it here.
15:42:06 Well, I pulled over, soâ¦
15:42:12 Big news.
15:42:15 Marcia, maybe type it in the chat if you're pulled over. We really, it's not even, it's just your we're you're pretty garbled and staticky. It's hard to discern.
15:42:24 Yeah, it's not.
15:42:29 So maybe you can put it in the text in the chat and we'll read it out and turn it over to Amy to see if there's any update from claylock.
15:42:38 Yeah, I feel like the season's kind of turned around now. We had that little behind Easter hole and now it's getting really busy. So we're pretty much hitting peak season now.
We've got a full staff.
15:42:48 Everything around us is opening up. Park Service have repaired all the beach access points, all the stairs everywhere back intact.
15:42:57 We lost a few more cabins this last winter, of course, and we'll lose a few more the next one but Things are coming along nicely for the season where predominantly sold out
now through pretty much through October so Things are looking pretty good. We're just trying to do, like most people are, some little events, just some celebrations for some of the
different holidays we had
15:43:18 Good Mother's Day and Easter activities. What are you going to do?
15:43:22 Some barbecues for Memorial Day. We'll do the same thing for 4th of July and Father's Day. Yeah, just trying to keep events going. We're sort of planning more things for the
shoulder seasons back in the fall at this point. Since our occupancy is already too full to
15:43:39 Draw more people in for, which is a good problem to have Yeah, it's looking pretty good. And having the hoe open makes a massive difference.
15:43:47 It makes my commute to work much less enjoyable, but there's a lot more people around.
15:43:53 So it's good. And that's about it.
15:43:55 Sorry to make your commute worse. How's the tree doing?
15:43:58 Yeah. It's still there. I think, I mean, at this point, the winter is pretty much over and there's a bunch of logs under it. So it's just kind of just sitting there hanging
out as long as people stop messing with it, it should
15:44:09 Okay. Good.
15:44:09 Should keep going. We'll see what next winter brings, but it should be good for the season now.
15:44:16 Yep.
15:44:14 Fingers crossed. Okay, so future agenda items. And I know, Steve, maybe at the next meeting would be, would that be a timely, oh, Marcia, sorry, you raised your hand.
15:44:28 I didn't see a tense. You want to try again?
15:44:30 That's all right. I was going to see if this I've Does this work?
15:44:34 Much better.
15:44:35 All right. Well, it's not going through my car I, so.
15:44:39 Oh, okay.
15:44:41 Let me just do a couple of quick things then. Amy gave you the shout out on the West End, obviously reopening the whole huge, huge, huge, huge, and certainly massive thanks
to Jefferson County's leadership for getting that across the finish line. A couple of things from the optic meeting.
15:45:03 We did have both WSDOT was there to tell us about all the construction that will be going on this summer along all over the Olympic Peninsula. And I think the short version
of that is it's going to be orange traffic cone season.
15:45:23 And we're just going to have to live with it. And I think all of us need to be directing our guests to download the Wash Dot app.
15:45:31 While they travel because they travel You know, we're just going to be dealing with it. There weren't any⦠big items no uh Hood Canal bridge closures or things like that like
we've had in the past so Nothing big, but just ongoing construction everywhere, which most of us know anyway, if we travel around here.
15:45:51 We also had a presentation from the US Forest Service talking about You know, what they danced around was just basically coming out and saying that They have less staffing and
they will have less hours and they need everybody's help.
15:46:11 That's my interpretation of what they said. You know, they are open. Camping will be reopening but They're running thin and they have⦠kind of limited hours during the summer.
They also did a presentation on their vendor program for anyone that was interested in learning more
15:46:31 How to be a designated vendor with the Forest Service. I think that was interesting to the group as a whole.
15:46:38 The other thing, two things I want to let you know.
15:46:42 Opvb sponsored, we worked with Olympic hiking Company and we sponsored, this was sort of a trial run.
15:46:48 So I'm telling you because this might be something to think about for next year.
15:46:55 Hosted three hosted three local fam tours specifically for frontline workers so People that worked in visitor centers, people that were frontline of hotels.
15:47:07 Lodging establishments and so forth. To get them out to some of the other areas besides the Ho Rainforest.
15:47:16 To understand where other rainforests were and what some of these other beautiful facilities looked like.
15:47:22 So they can be better ambassadors to their visitors about their appropriate places to visit, you know, that would meet the family need or the traveler's need.
15:47:33 And we extended that. To lodging all across the North Olympic Peninsula. We ran three tours, I think, all together we had 20 to 25 people that took advantage of that and uh
we took them to land of legends, to the Quinault, to Rialto Beach.
15:47:54 Lake Crescent. I'm probably forgetting some things, but we took them every place except the rainforest. Really just wanting to get our frontline people trained up. So we thought
it was successful and we'll probably do it again next year. So something to tuck away. We really wanted to encourage people to do that.
15:48:15 And the last thing I'll just let you know for the good of the order, I don't have the document in front of me, so I don't know that this affected Jefferson County as much.
15:48:24 If you all have seen the lodging tax report. And Greg, I can send it to you if you want. I don't know if you got the combined lodging tax report I will send it.
15:48:34 Please send it.
15:48:36 So the first thing you're going to notice is a huge, huge drops, like 74% drop.
15:48:44 April over April. For clallum County. I mean, we went from 115,000 last April to 20 some odd thousand.
15:48:54 So that was a big shock. And the county treasurer
15:48:57 Canada are in the hoe together or what do you what do you
15:49:00 No. Yeah. So that fortunately our county treasurer reached out to the state treasurer back and forth. You all know this is all very confidential information, so they can't really
tell you a whole lot.
15:49:13 But what we learned in Clallam County was that was there was a refund, a major refund a clawback if you will.
15:49:27 To a lodging entity that operates statewide.
15:49:34 Can't be named. Don't know who it is. We're probably not the only one that saw it or is going to see it.
15:49:41 It relates to overpayment of lodging tax in 2021.
15:49:48 And so for Clallam County, that refund effect was like $75,000.
15:49:56 So you're talking like a platform like Airbnb or something. I mean, you're talking some
15:49:57 So that got hurt. Well, we're⦠We're sort of speculating but you know they can't tell us so that's That's my speculation when they say it's somebody that you know, kind of
counter could affect statewide.
15:50:16 Say what? Wow.
15:50:18 We saw some big drops. I don't think Jefferson County actually did. I'll have to go back and look and I'm sorry I don't have that right here but I'll send it to you, Greg, and
you can send it out to the committee if you want.
15:50:32 We'll do.
15:50:32 But Squim saw about a 50% drop in lodging tax April over April, which would have been the February numbers.
15:50:41 And Port Angeles saw about a 25% drop. So the question here, of course, that everybody's asking is how much of that is tariffs, lack of Canadian travel government travel pulling
back, etc.
15:50:58 Versus how much of that might have been affected by some level of refunds and we just really don't know that information But I would say looking Added.
15:51:18 Correct. Correct.
15:51:10 I'm sorry, Marsha, to be clear, you were talking the april lodging tax payment so february Lodging is what was severely. Okay, so that was kind of a tariff, wasn't it I mean,
ma'am.
15:51:24 No, I think that's when they started kicking in. So correct it's correct It's April reporting.
15:51:28 Okay. Yeah. 100 days?
15:51:34 On February collections.
15:51:38 Gotcha. Thank you.
15:51:40 And it caused me to actually go and pull the whole, all the lodging tax numbers for the whole state.
15:51:48 And⦠there's a lot of anomalies. That's all I'll say. So now a lot of people are looking into their lodging tax because there's just a lot of anomalies in this particular
report.
15:52:01 So we might not have as good a picture until next month.
15:52:05 But it's definitely something to keep an eye on. One way or the other, it's definitely trending down when you see the April report.
15:52:17 So. Yeah.
15:52:16 Interesting.
15:52:17 Let me jump in real quick. The other piece that Marsha and I looked at just at a 60,000 foot level correlation between a long legislative term when the budget is set and they
do the multiple iterations of financial forecasting versus a every other year short term where the biennial budget is set.
15:52:45 And there seems to also be a correlation between a dip in a dip transient accommodations recorded on long-term years which This year was in association with the off year. So
there's a lot of tea leaves that need to be
15:53:04 Understood and filtered and factored in.
15:53:10 Thanks, Steve. So I will just say when you look at the report.
15:53:15 Look at it with a cautionary note. I mean, I don't want to jump to the conclusion that it's all related to cancellations of Canadians and drops in government travel.
15:53:27 But certainly the clallum County numbers that you see, which are really dramatic.
15:53:33 Is a result of a major refund that was done. Our county treasurer or our cfo went back and sort of back back into the math and he he figured that without that refund.
15:53:53 We would have been down about 9% year over year. So that's his estimation of what the net would have been had they not taken out that $75,000 refund.
15:54:06 Wow. Interesting. Well, thank you for sharing that. It's very concerning.
15:54:12 Thank you.
15:54:15 Okay, Steve, did you⦠Your hand just is always out. Did you have another question or comment, Steve?
15:54:25 Once again, no. Once again, no.
15:54:28 Okay. No problem. But while I have you, would you be willing at the next June, we're hoping the first Tuesday, unless this room is booked.
15:54:37 To give a little report out about the roundabout project.
15:54:46 Be happy to brief everybody in June on the status of the roundabout signage process.
15:54:54 Great. And then I'll, you know, kind of process the minutes and and I guess if anyone has any feedback on how to continue the conversation about VICs.
15:55:08 Welcome thoughts about formulation and the continuation of that conversation. And does anyone else have other future agenda items for the short or the long term they'd like
added to the list.
15:55:27 Is there any interface between TCC and LTAC at this point, or does LTAC need to be reformed first LTAC, you've got the draft bylaws that LTAC to consider. I'm going to bring
back a similar set of bylaws for us as well.
15:55:43 We're just posting the positions. It'll go in the paper tomorrow for the first time.
15:55:50 There isn't direct interface anymore, but we can have a conversation about that interface if you'd like.
15:55:55 I think having a conversation about how PCC will work with LTC based on the new resolution, I think would be helpful to add to the agenda yeah okay And two.
15:56:13 Anything else?
15:56:17 All right. And a reminder, we're going to try to do still two to four, but first Tuesday.
15:56:23 I'll send out a note and I'll, I'm sorry I didn't get the updated plans for the Gateway Visitor Center in the laserfries, but I'll make sure that that is in the meeting materials
under laser fish and I will also include the directions to get into laser fish.
15:56:40 On the next and subsequent agendas. You can always go in there and drill down yourself to figure that out.
15:56:50 Sorry. Myself a note. Anything else for the good of the order?
15:56:58 All right. Well, welcome, Caitlin. Welcome, Steve. And we are adjourned. See you guys next month.