ITEM TITLE:
Valdez Visitor Study Report
SUBMITTED BY: Lisa Von Bargen, CED Director
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
None. Report only.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
The Valdez Visitor Study is attached. This is one of the three Strategic Planning Milestone tasks assigned to the ED Commission. The Study was originally supposed to take place in 2015, but previous City Manager John Hozey requested it be postponed given the significant negative impacts expected from new harbor upland work in 2015. Ironically, the study work ended up taking place with as much or more disruption in town given all the road projects during the summer of 2016. The study addressed both winter and summer visitation to Valdez. Work began in February and continued through the fall of 2016. The McDowell Group submitted the draft report on December 5th. Staff reviewed it and requested the addition of an overall economic impact section. That resulted in the addition of an executive summary, including overall economic impacts. The document was provided to, and reviewed by, the VCVB. They had no additional changes following the addition of the executive summary. The Economic Diversification Commission reviewed the Study at the December 21, 2016 meeting and had no additional changes.
Staff is working with the VCVB on an official roll-out and presentation to the community. Right now a representative from McDowell Group is scheduled to give a presentation on the study findings in a joint ED Commission/Council work session on January 18th. The study findings will also be presented at the January ED Commission Business Luncheon where education for businesses about how to use the data will be included with the presentation.