[BoulderCouncilHotline] RE: Convention and Visitors’ Bureau (CVB)/Events Management/Budget

[Brautigam, Jane]

Dear Mary,

Thanks so much for your email.  Here are the answers to your questions:


  1.  Does salary for the events manager come from the general fund?



Yes, the city has a contract with the Events Manager that is supported by the General Fund annually.



  1.  The memo mentioned staff participation from 13 city departments in reviewing special events applications, is this collective time also funded through the general fund?

The city’s special event review and management efforts are broken into three groups:

  *   Special Event Coordinators – city contacts for event applications, facilitating the review process and processing the final permit, if approved
  *   Special Event Core Team – review team for new city-wide events, advocacy, and issues
  *   Special Event Review Team – department point of contact for all class I and II event requests

The salaries of the staff are funded through a variety of funding sources; half of the staff members are funded by the general fund and the others are funded through dedicated funds. The duties of these staff vary and they typically spend only a small portion of their overall time on special event related efforts, making it difficult to quantify the overall cost of their time annually.  The only full time, dedicated special event staff are the Parks and Recreation Events Manager – funded by dedicated P&R budget and the City-Wide Events Manager – funded by the General Fund.



  1.  Given that these events relate to tourism, would it make sense to have the above costs directly covered by the accommodations tax?
These events are already supported by the Accommodations tax which is deposited into the General Fund to help support all General Fund efforts, including special events.



Not all events relate directly to tourism, a significant number are designed, facilitated by or support local businesses, groups, clubs, and non-profits to create local, community & neighborhood programs, activities and events. Examples might include Meadow Music, Walk with a Doc, Bike to Work Day, Tulip Bulb Give-away, and the Bee Boulder Festival.  Each of these are among the events that are supported through the work of the Special Events team.





  1.  Could these city expenses be paid for by funds currently allocated to the CVB?


The Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is funded by Food Service tax and Accommodations tax. While neither tax has dedicated uses per charter, the Accommodations tax language states “although the city council recognizes that it cannot bind future city councils, it nonetheless declares its intention that up to 20 percent of the revenues generated by this tax be appropriated by future city councils for purposes of promoting programs and services that bring increased tourism to the city.” If City Council wishes to shift funds from the CVB to other efforts, it may do so without altering charter language.



  1.  If so to #4 above, is it possible to adjust the 2019 budget to have the CVB cover event management expenses?



Yes, the contract with the CVB can be reduced to cover the Special Event Manager’s expenses or any additional expenses that City Council may determine. Council can alter the motion language tonight at 1st reading so that any changes are included for both 1st and 2nd reading on the budget.


I hope this is helpful.  See you this evening!
Jane

Jane S. Brautigam
City Manager
ICMA - CM

[CMO_lockup_COBlogo]
O: 303-441-3090
brautigamj at bouldercolorado.gov<mailto:brautigamj at bouldercolorado.gov>

City Manager’s Office
1777 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80302
Bouldercolorado.gov<http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/>

From: Young, Mary
Sent: Monday, October 1, 2018 8:06 PM
To: HOTLINE <HOTLINE at bouldercolorado.gov>
Subject: Convention and Visitors’s Bureau (CVB)/Events Management/Budget

Hi Jane,

First of all, based on our conversation last week regarding Event Manager duties and expenses, I see the value in having city staff dedicated to management of special events and event applications. Special Events are more likely to run much more smoothly when the interests of the city are front and center.

Some questions regarding how this is funded:
1. Does salary for the events manager come from the general fund?
2. The memo mentioned staff participation from 13 city departments in reviewing special events applications, is this collective time also funded through the general fund?
3. Given that these events relate to tourism, would it make sense to have the above costs directly covered by the accommodations tax?
4. Could these city expenses be paid for by funds currently allocated to the CVB?
5. If so to #4 above, is it possible to adjust the 2019 budget to have the CVB cover event management expenses?

For reference, I have attached a screenshot of the graph in the staff memo illustrating CVB funding.

[image2.png]
Thank you.

Best,

Mary Dolores Young
Boulder City Council
303-501-2439


“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” ~Martin Luther King Jr.
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