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Show Thursday, February 14, 1980 The Bureau : 111 " ", ... iiim v $1 "la''iil,liilftl,l-ilB HHHIMMHMHlMiaHM The Chamber of It has been a year since the Park City Convention and Visitors Bureau was established, estab-lished, yet many local businesses busi-nesses still are confused as to how the bureau functions and what it does that the Park City Chamber of Commerce Com-merce doesn't. To clear up the confusion, The Newspaper took advantage advan-tage of the bureau's first anniversary to find out what it accomplished last year and what it hopes to do in the second year. Additionally, there was a stop at the Chamber of Commerce office of-fice to review the same questions. "The Visitors Bureau's job is to promote Park City outside the town through advertising and sales," said bureau director Debby Travis. "We want the rest of the state and the nation to see Park City as a year-round center for tourism, and conference and convention business." It is at the local level that Chamber of Commerce Director Amanda Peterson draws the promotion line between chamber activities and bureau programs: "The Convention and Visitors, bureau represents the mar keting arm of the community on regional and national levels. Once the visitors are here it is the chamber's role to see that he finds Park City attractive and his stay here pleasant." Both directors are quick to say that membership to both organizations is important City To A public hearing held to discuss the development of a fire sprinkler ordinance drew only a dozen Parkites to last week's City Council meeting. The need for such an ordinance was brought to the attention of the city by local resident Ira Sachs, who said he feared the high rate of multi-unit dwelling development develop-ment in the city increased the risk of major fires. Mayor Jack Green commended com-mended Sachs' interest, and noted he has been in contact with the state fire marshall's office for information concerning con-cerning a sprinkler ordinance. "I got a lot of excellent suggestions from the state office," Green said. "It Council Appoints Library Board The City Council last Thursday Thurs-day night adopted an ordinance ordi-nance creating a library board of directors to be made up of citizens at large for the purpose of updating the Park City Public Library. Li-brary. The ordinance was proposed pro-posed by City Councilwoman Tina Lewis, who is chairman of the library committee. Ms. Lewis commented that Park City is growing rapidly and needs to update its library to keep pace with the population's resource needs. "A library is a vital resource for both young people and adults," Ms. Lewis said. "Our library can be the best small library in the state." The councilwoman said she has been in contact with the State Library Commission and was given direction about establishing a library board, as well as guidelines Commerce's newest member, Bonnie Bedford. for local businesses. Though the duties of each organization organiza-tion are separate, their services are complimentary, contend the two directors, and promotion of Park City tourist and convention business busi-ness can best be understood and effected through dual membership. Indeed, each director is considered an ex-officio member of the other's organization and they attend one another's board meetings regularly. A better understanding of the two organizations can be gained by looking at the particular programs initiated init-iated by each. Last year the Convention and Visitors Bureau spent $181,000 on marketing Park City to potential tourists, travel agents and convention planners. Travis pointed out the dollars spent on promotion promo-tion is 3.8 fold the $47,800 collected by the bureau from its 70 plus membership. Most of the funding increase came from matching funds from transient room tax, a three percent tax visitors pay on checking out of overnight accommodations. The county cojlects the transient rprnXj, and redivides it dinuilg iLHJdl Clues 1U1 pi tr motional programs. Bureau monies also were stretched through cooperative advertising adver-tising programs and spon-sorhips. spon-sorhips. An example of this are the airline brochures which promote Park City, that were printed last year with the airline companies Draft Sprinkler seems we can consider three or four different ordinances; one that requires sprinklers in new construction of over two stories and five units; one that requires sprinklers in the Main Street commercial commer-cial area; one that includes both areas; or don't do anything at all." - "The whole idea of such an ordinance came from the urging of a Park City citizen who is interested in upgrading upgrad-ing life safety," Green continued, con-tinued, pointing to Sachs and asking for his comments. "I could see at the present time drafting an ordinance that would initially cover new construction," Sachs said. "Then I think the second part to that would be for developing an adequate library based on the population popula-tion and needs of the people. The commission also offered suggestions for setting a city budget and applying for state and federal funds. "This is an exciting project, and one that can be benefitted bene-fitted by a board." Appointed to the board of directors was: Tina Lewis, City Council Coun-cil representative, whose term expires with her council coun-cil term in 1984; Nan McPolin, continuing board member, 3-year term; Emily Wilde, continuing board member, 2-year term; Louise Snow, continuing board member, 1-year term; Judy Taylor, 3-year term; Julie Bertagnole, 2-year term; Max Jarman, 3-year term; Wilma Wilde, 1-year term, and Hank Louis, 2-year term. Each director may be appointed for a second, three-year term. One Year Later paying 90 percent of the manufacture cost and the bureau covering the remainder. re-mainder. Another co-op program pro-gram is the bureau's policy of purchasing ad space in Wasatch Front publications to match space purchased by a local merchant or property manager. Under this program pro-gram Park City gets two ads, one of which is a general promotion of the town bought by the bureau each time a merchant or property manager man-ager advertises in Wasatch Front newspapers. The Bureau's main membership mem-bership currently comprises lodges, condominium property pro-perty managers and restaurants. res-taurants. Travis said she hopes to include more merchants mer-chants in the organization this year and expand the bureau membership to 150 by next year. "I think most of the merchants have adopted a wait-and-see attitude about the bureau," she said. "But Park City is so splintered with shop owners that if each tries individual promotion outside the town it will be useless. Those individual efforts would be much more effective, jl , coordinated into a unified marketing plan that can draw on the transient room tax funding." The bureau cut in half the due structure for restaurants and businesses this year to make membership more attractive. A change also is slated for property manager dues. This coming year, the a retroactive ordinance for the Main Street area and other buildings in town. I've talked to a lot of developers about the possibility of such an ordinance, and I put it in a motherhood, apple pie way, so none of them would dare come and oppose it." Green said the state fire marshall suggested a retroactive retro-active ordinance for the Main Street area, but noting such a project would be ineffective unless every property pro-perty owner participated. Councilman Richard Martinez, Mar-tinez, who owns a business on Main Street, objected to including existing structures in the ordinance, noting that several problems would be involved in installing sprinklers. sprink-lers. He commented that sprinklers must be installed by a sprinkler firm, rather than by a handyman, with prices regulated; that most Main Street buildings would need new water hook-ups from the city main into their buildings to accommodate the increased water flow; and that the sprinklers would be visible since hiding them in the ceilings would require extensive cost and construction. PARK WEST CITIZEN'S RACE First race Feb. 14 Every Thursday, 6-8 Register 4-6 (in bar) 3timed runspass awardsbeer ALL FOR JUST $7.00 Beginner to Pro welcome! managers will be paying dues on only 60 percent of managed units rather than last year's 100 percent unit scale. The change, Travis said, will more accurately reflect year-round occupancy occu-pancy levels. Last year the bureau used dues and matching funds to run Park City ads in seven national travel agent and convention trade magazines. Bulk mailings were made to meeting planners across the nation. Bureau staff members mem-bers attended numerous conventions where they offered of-fered exhibit information on Park City. And a continuously continuous-ly running bureau program of familiarization tours takes travel industry representatives representa-tives on a tour of what the ' town has to offer conventions and tourists, both in summer and winter. Last year's single biggest promotional push was the bureau's sponsorship, spon-sorship, to the tune of $70,000, of the Western Regional Re-gional ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) Convention, which brought 700 travel agents to savor the amenities and recreation possibilities of the town. "With the golf courses that are going in, the athletic clubs, skiing and horseback riding, all the restaurants, Park City has a lot to offer," noted Travis. "But people really aren't fully aware of just what we've got until they come here for themselves them-selves and find out." Getting people to come and find out has prompted the bureau to plan even bigger programs for the coming year, including a heavy press release and publicity program that will include a twice-monthly newsletter to wire services, newspapers and' magazines to highlight Park City events like the building of the Jack Nicklaus golf course. Two sale blitzes also are planned for Phoenix, Phoe-nix, Ariz., and San Diego, Calif., in which the bureau will be selling Park City to potential group visitors. The Chamber of Commerce serves as the main information, informa-tion, purce ,and qootact, center for visitors. As such, the chamber strives to ensure tourists get the white glove treatment when they arrive. A series of chamber familiarization workshops were held this fall for new employees of local businesses busi-nesses so tourists wouldn't get a "I don't know" answer Ordinance "I would like to see more input from Main Street businessmen to see what they think," Martinez said. "We're sitting here making decisions for everyone out there (hat could cost a lot of money, and I'd like to have more input first." Sachs remarked, "I think we need to define this in a few areas. I feel the problem is so basic that it doesn't need to be argued, which is why no one is here tonight. I envision the adoption of an ordinance as soon as possible for new construction so we don't have some 50-unit hotel being approved without fire sprinklers. The next problem will be dealing with the downtown area where there are contiguous buildings." Green commented the cost of installing sprinklers may be offset by a reduction in fire insurance premiums, making compliance with the ordinance easier. He agreed enacting the ordinance for existing structures presents a hardship, but stressed fire prevention in the older parts of the city is vital. Councilwoman Helen Alvarez Al-varez suggested a retroactive retroac-tive sprinkler ordinance be with every question asked about the town. "Your repeat customer, or visitor, is your most valuable asset," remarked Peterson. "You want to do everything you can to make sure his stay here is pleasant." The chamber also keeps an eye out for what it deems of vital importance for the community as a whole, visitor and resident. Peterson Peter-son lists four major areas of community issues with which the Chamber of Commerce Com-merce is currently dealing: Community Affairs that benefit the entire community economically, culturally or educationally. The director direc-tor includes in this group the recent Winter Carnival and the filming of Celebration. Coordinating marketing goals and programs of the various community businesses. busi-nesses. Here, Peterson noted communication between groups is the most important element. Pushing for the new state highway. Overseeing highway signage sign-age on roads into Park City. (The federal government recently deemed Park City a scenic area. As of Aug. 1, 1980 all advertising billboards bill-boards must come down on those highways leading into the town unless the sign is on the advertisers private property, as is the Park West sign. A sign promoting the whole area will be allowed on the 1-80 entrance. ) Helping the chamber meet these goals will be its newest staff member, Bonnie Bedford, Bed-ford, a 23-year-old who is working toward her Masters in Leisure Studies with an emphasis on recreation "just what Park City is all about," in her words. Bedford started as a volunteer volun-teer worker with the chamber cham-ber in October, then was hired as a full-time staffer at the beginning of the year. As a research project for her degree, Bedford will be doing a perception analysis of Park City retailers how they view themselves and how their customers view the retailer and his shop. Collected survey data will be analyzed with the help of computers. The survey results re-sults should help Bedford complete her research project, pro-ject, and give the chamber that much more information with which to set goals. discussed further, but that an ordinance be drafted now that would include all new construction over two stories or greater than five units. The motion unanimously was carried. HONEY Located in the white house across from POLAR KING in Oakley. 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