The 2015 TACO Fall Parks on Tour was exciting, informative & fun!

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1 TACO ews Promoting RV Travel & Camping in Texas Winter The 2015 TACO Fall Parks on Tour was exciting, informative & fun! The Texas Association of Campground Owners recently conducted its Fall Meeting and Parks on Tour next week in the San Antonio/ New Bruanfels area. The parks toured included Hill Country Cottage and RV Resort in New Braunfels, Yogi Bear Jellystone Park in Canyon Lake and San Antonio/Alamo KOA. The 2015 TACO Fall Tour took place on October 12th and enables guests to take a behind-the-scenes look at three highly successful parks. Each park provided an in-depth tour of the facilities, with fact sheets on park operations and conducted a question and answer session. For the first time, we had the perspective of a KOA, a Yogi Bear Jellystone Park and an independent operation all in one tour, said Brian Schaeffer, CEO/Executive Director of TACO. Attendees received a ton of valuable information all in one place. This unique look at park business models enabled attendees to optimize procedures. The Fall Tour also included profit-producing presentations on topics like planning and hosting successful activities, marketing cabins and cottages, and how to maintain unique operations. Lunch from a local Italian restaurant was served at Jellystone Park Hill Country in Canyon Lake.

2 V V Consider the Many Benefits of being a TACO Member! The RV Travel & Camping Guide to Texas TexasCampgrounds.com AccessCamping.com TexasCabinRentals.net STATE DIRECTORY The RV Travel & Camping Guide to Texas is the #1 preferred camping guide in Texas according to an independent nationwide survey by Yesawich & Associates. The TACO guide is the most widely distributed directory in the state which is critical since many parks are reporting that 60-70% of their business is coming from within the state. Also found was the fact that RVers are taking shorter trips closer to home (Stay-cations!) which makes it more critical than ever to have your display ad in the TACO guide. The entire guide is online at the State Website. STATE WEBSITE The #1 camping website in Texas is TexasCampgrounds.com. This site has experienced unprecedented 20% monthover-month growth. The site presents TACO member parks with complete listings and banner advertisment to help travelers plan their trips and see all the amazing events that the Lone Star state has to offer. For parks that actively use Google analytics to see where their website traffic is being generated, TexasCampgrounds.com always appears in the Top Ten referring sites! The site also features a robust Guest Reviews program that allows members to get direct feedback from their customers. LODGING WEBSITE TexasCabinRentals.net is a rapidly growing site where TACO members can have a full park listing and banner advertisment to promote rental accommodations. CO-OP MARKETING PROGRAMS The association offers a wide variety of cooperative efforts for parks to target their message. This includes mailing park literature weekly with the TACO Guide fulfillment requests. Handing out park literature at RV shows and listing parks in quarterly e-blasts to consumers. We also provide free social media set up for your website. TACO LEGAL AND LEGISLATION PROGRAM One of the most important features to being a TACO member is being a part of the ongoing battles to protect RV park owners and operators. Not only does TACO have an attorney to advise TACO members on specific issues but a legislative consultant in Austin who keeps his ear to the ground at all times. This includes introducing key legislation to enumerate parks in the penal code. Such was the case with the Theft of Services bill and the recently passed Trespass bill. These key pieces of legislation allow parks to more effectively run their businesses. TACO efforts were vital in getting a later school start date passed in the Texas legislature. This extended the camping season for many parks that experienced significant increase in their end of summer business. TACO worked directly with the state comptroller to implement a set of forms to allow parks to seek refunds of utility sales tax on usage by monthly guests. Many TACO members have gotten back thousands of dollars with the largest refund check to date being $42,000! One-on-one legal counseling through your membership with TACO. We ve helped dozens of individual campgrounds with specific legal issues that have arisen at their park and guided them towards a positive resolution. STATE SHOWS TACO offers a wide variety of opportunities for members to broaden their industry education and sharpen their park operations. H TACO WINTER TACOMEMBERS.COM H

3 The association hosts the largest industry trade show in the Southwest every spring. In addition to money-saving vendor opportunities, park owners can attend a wide variety of educational classes to gain the latest insight to the industry. In the fall, the association hosts a Parks on Tour that allows park owners to visit other parks and see how their fellow park operators are handling day-to-day operations and what plans they have for the future. TACO maintains a member s only website located at where parks can find numerous vendors that specialize in the campground industry. The savings offered by these industry specific companies can more than pay for the cost of membership in the association. On TACOMembers.com there is a password protected area where members can obtain legal forms such as monthly guest applications, monthly guest agreements, typical park rules, etc. This tool and the information it offers can be invaluable in running a campground. KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH MEMBERS The TACO office understands the challenges that face park operators today in delivering a quality experience. When park operators in Texas have a question they can always call the state office and get a response. Over the course of a year the TACO office gets hundreds of calls from members TEXAS with questions ranging from park rule violations, to non-payment, to work-camper issues, to marketing concerns and all points in between. Texas is known for its greatest export hospitality. Because of constant communication with other park owners and extensive research, the TACO office is able to provide answers to member questions. A great source of communication is TACO News. This quarterly publication features insightful articles, trade member information and spotlight write ups. Industry news is disseminated on a timely basis through this publication and also through monthly member e-blasts. TACO staff is readily available at spring and fall conferences, state RV shows, by and phone calls to the office. ADDITIONAL MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES For a small fee we have additional marketing opportunities such as displaying ads in the RV Travel and Camping Guide to Texas. Banner ads on TexasCampgrounds.com; and Featuring park status on quarterly consumer blasts regarding TexasCampgrounds.com. Various TACO member discounts from TACO trade members, which are located on the TACOMembers.com website. CAMPGROUNDS EDITOR: MICHAEL MOORE ARTWORK: DIANA MASK DISTRIBUTION: TACO MEMBERS, TACO TRADE MEMBERS, TACO PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS CONTACT: 910 S. CROWLEY RD, STE CROWLEY, TX TACO Officers & Directors Regional Directors Region 1, 1st Vice President Lee Brown Spring Creek Marina & RV Park San Angelo, Texas Region 3 Randall Dally Rayburn RV Hideout Brookeland, Texas Region 4, Past President Doug Shearer Parkview Riverside RV Park Rio Frio, Texas Region 5, President Gwen Craig Rayford Crossing RV Resort Spring, TX Region 6 Ed Welliver Oleander Acres Mission, TX Region 7, Secretary Cheryl McLaughlin Hatch RV Park Corpus Christi, Texas Directors At Large Director At Large Susan Prater Forest Retreat Paradise, Texas Director At Large Bryan Kastleman Hill Country RV Resort New Braunfels, Texas Director At Large Doug Jensen Texas Lakeside RV Resort Port Lavaca, TX Executive Director/CEO Brian Schaeffer TACO Office Crowley, Texas Legislative Ron Hinkle Legal Cobb and Counsel H TACO WINTER TACOMEMBERS.COM H

4 RV Park Insurance Specialists Since 1968 Rowley Insurance s long-standing commitment to be the best means that we go above and beyond the usual standards when it comes to providing competitive rates and exceptional service to our clients. Our stability means that you can rest easy when it comes to dealing with the details. There is No Substitute for Experience How long has your current insurance agent been writing RV Parks? Rowley Insurance has been writing RV Parks since 1968, longer than most other agents in the country. How many RV Parks does your agent write? Rowley Insurance writes more RV Parks in Texas than any other agent. The Independent Advantage We are an independent agent, which gives us access to more than one company, representing most of the RV Park insurance companies. As an independent agent, we can customize your insurance coverage to provide the best package to meet your needs. Major Underwriter of many TACO Events! Our professionals will be happy to provide you with a quote for your insurance coverage (with no obligation to you!) (800) (512) H TACO WINTER TACOMEMBERS.COM H

5 Bastrop RV Park Left Recovering After Halloween Flood By the Austin American-Statesman Dozens of displaced renters who took refuge in the Walmart parking lot after the Halloween flood left much of the KOA RV campground along the Colorado River in Bastrop underwater are now being allowed back home. The RV park s owner Darryl Kitay said Wednesday that after the river receded back into its banks, tenants, friends and volunteers helped clean up the campground, remove debris and mud, and power was restored to the park between 11 p.m. and midnight Tuesday. RV park tenants were sent scrambling for safety over the Halloween weekend as the Colorado River grew to feet in Bastrop major flood status after heavy rains pounded Central Texas, inundating lakes and creeks that feed into the Colorado River. Kitay said he kept close watch on weather forecasts to determine appropriate flood preparations, but was left confused after Bastrop County officials initially said the river would crest at 28 feet in Bastrop, then hours later lowered the forecast river level before jostling into panic mode and increasing river-level predictions late Friday night. Kitay said when the river is expected to crest at 28 feet, only one RV site is in danger of taking on a few inches of flood water a risk, he said, that can be eliminated by moving the RV to another spot within the campground. When forecasts kept the river s crest in Bastrop below 28 feet on Oct. 30, Kitay said no preparations were taken as the campground would have been unaffected. After 9 p.m. that Friday however, officials began predicting the river s level at more than 30 feet. That s when, Kitay said, he began asking tenants to move to higher ground. The KOA campground is shaped like a bowl, with higher ground at each end, Kitay said. Thus, RVs in the center of the park are at higher risk for flooding when the river-level forecasts grow above 28 feet. As river-level predictions continued rising throughout Friday s overnight hours into Saturday morning, Kitay said he rushed to get people out of the park, but at that point it was too late for some. There was a lot of water and it was moving fast, he said. The water was rising fast, faster than we ve ever seen. There were several RVs that were being moved out of here and we were scrambling in knee-deep water trying to get them out of here. It was not a very safe situation. Kitay said his tenants were put in that hazardous position because river-level forecasts kept changing during the severe weather event. I know where water will lie on the campground depending on the depth of the forecast, and because that kept changing, we had to keep changing our plans because we don t want to unnecessarily have people evacuate to the Walmart parking lot and have no utilities, he said. Walmart allows KOA tenants to park at their parking lot during emergencies, Kitay said, but RVs without generators sit without power. Wednesday was Kathryn Howard s fifth day in the Walmart parking lot, a handful of days she describes as just kind of miserable. She doesn t have a generator. She and her dog, Roxy, have had to brave their time outside KOA without power. Fortunately for me I have an electric refrigerator, but I have been having to charge the battery with my car, she said. Other than that, the usual no TV, no air conditioning. Though her stay at Walmart has been exhausting, Howard said she s thankful she had a place to go to get out of high water. My experience wasn t quite as bad as I m sure other people s were, she said. I got out. I got a home still. For Kitay, as he recovers from the disaster left behind by the roaring Colorado River, he said he s left wondering what was so different between this flood event and others in the past. I think the whole thing was mismanaged, he said. In my view, LCRA s function is to manage the river and for flood control. Pape said last Saturday that Phil Wilson, the Lower Colorado River Authority s general manager, has agreed to install more flood gauges and other early-detection equipment to help provide accurate, real-time data during weather disasters. Are we going to have another event where something is not forecasted correctly and we re going to be in trouble again? Kitay said. I certainly hope not, but that s my concern. I can only react based on the information I have. H TACO WINTER TACOMEMBERS.COM H

6 Fall CAMP Meeting Concludes New Board Elected Campground Association Management Professionals DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. The fall meeting of Campground Association Management Professionals (CAMP) has concluded after two days of roundtable discussions and two marketing presentations held at the Hilton Daytona Beach Ocean Walk Village. The meetings took place Nov. 3 to 4 and coincided with the 2015 National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo. Elections were also held for a new executive committee. The new slate of officers includes: President Michael Moore, Texas Assoc. of Campground Owners Vice President Bev Gruber, Pennsylvania Campground Owners Assoc. Secretary Joann DelVescio, New Jersey Campground Owners Assoc. Treasurer Debbie Sipe, California Assoc. of RV Parks and Campgrounds Past President Don Bennett, Campground Owners of New York CAMP meets twice a year, in the spring and at the annual ARVC convention in the fall. According to its website profile, CAMP was formed in 1977 when several state campground and RV park association executives got together and formalized their meetings held in conjunction with the annual ARVC convention. They learned that sharing information and issues within their state, and programs offered within other states, helped each of them run a better association for their members. Among the issues discussed were different ways to increase membership value, an issue that affects every state association; rising property taxes and the increase in corporate entities purchasing campgrounds; and how each state addresses legislative issues facing their individual campgrounds. It s always great to get together and see what issues other states are facing and how they are addressing them, said new CAMP President Michael Moore. We re truly the only people in the world that knows what challenges the others face. Speakers included Ravi Parikh, founder of RoverPass, who gave a presentation on the future of internet marketing as it pertains to the campground industry. It mentioned sites such as AirBNB and Expedia as being models for the future. Additionally, CAMP sponsor AGS/TXAD held a question and answer session on state association websites as it has designed and manages several current such websites such as www. TexasCampgrounds.com, andwww. IllinoisGoCamping.com. Web Director Braden Walker answered several questions from state executive directors from pricing issues to functionality. The CAMP meeting concluded by selecting a site for the spring meeting, which will take place in Charlotte, N.C., May 17 to 18. SOURCE: Campground Association Management Professionals press release Pasadena David Lingman Red Bluff Road Pasadena, TX Whether your needs are as simple as a small homestyle washer and dryer for an apartment facility or as broad as a fully equipped coin laundry, Texas Laundry has you covered. San Antonio Richard Coan Gatecrest San Antonio, TX We Provide: A wide variety of washer-extractors Commercial dryers Flatwork ironers Other supplies for on-premises & vended laundries of any size. Coin Laundry and On Premises Laundry Equipment: Coin Laundry Accessories: Corpus Christi Richard Coan Ayers Corpus Christi, TX La Feria Greg Purcell Rt. 1, Box 4F, South Parker La Feria, TX Call Us at: H TACO WINTER TACOMEMBERS.COM H

7 V V Remember to call a TACO Member first! Visit TACOMembers.com and click on the Suppliers tab! AGS PUBLISHING MICHAEL MOORE Crowley, TX Guest guides, site maps and marketing B&B ELECTRICAL MATT LINNELL Keego Harbor, MI RV pedestals and distribution equip BAEHRE REAL ESTATE RUSSELL BAEHRE Kerrville, TX RV park real estate CAMCO TOMMY DOYLE Greensboro, NC Cg store display & merchandise CBRE MIKE NISSLEY Dallas, TX Commercial real estate brokerage DIGITALWAY SERVICES TIM MURRY Springtown, TX Wi-Fi and Cable System Design DIRECT VISION HENRY GONZALES Odem, TX Satelite & internet services GERBER MANUFACTURING JEFF URSO Madison, WI Picnic tables, benches, etc. GOOD SAM RV TRAVEL GUIDE DAWN WATANABE Ventura, CA National Campground Directory GUEST REVIEWS BOB MACKINNON Murietta, CA Online guest rating system HORIZON RV RESORTS RANDY HENDRICKSON Westlake Village, CA Property mgmt, acquisitions KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA CHRIS FAIRLEE Billings, MT Franchisor of KOA s LEAVITT RECREATION & HOSPITALITY INS. CHRIS HIPPLE Sturgis, SD Insurance for RV Parks and Campgrounds LIL LODGES OF ALABAMA STEVE SULLIVAN Bear Creek, AL Custom builder of high quality park model cabins ww.lillodges.com MISSION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS INC. PETER KEARNS Software, online reservations MOORE S CAMPGROUND CONSULTING JOE MOORE COLLEYVILLE, TX Professional Campground Assessment PAYMENT ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL KRISTA LOWERY West Palm Beach, FL Merchant service/payment processing PELLAND ADVERTISING PETER PELLAND Haydenville, MA Website design & hosting, 4-color brochures, rack cards, ad-free site maps PHILADELPHIA INSURANCE LANCE GOFF Addison, TX RV park insurance services PINNACLE PARK HOMES ANDY DAVIS Ochlocknee, GA Park model homes & cabins PLATINUM COTTAGES DE-ANN AMES Malakoff, TX park model manufacturer PPL MOTOR HOMES DIANA LEBLANC Houston, TX RV consignment dealer PREMIER OUTDOORS DAVID PACZOCHA Elkhorn, WI Fire starters and charcoal RED ROVER CAMPING ROBERT BOUSE Southern Pines, NC New customer delivery service ROVERPASS JOSH DODSON Austin, TX Reservation systems, advertising/ promotions, website services ROWLEY INSURANCE KEN ROWLEY Austin, TX RV park insurance services RV PARK REVIEWS ANDY RIBINOWITZ Southlake, TX Campground website that features consumer reviews SKYLINE DAVE WINTER Arkansas City, KS Park model manufacturer SOUTHEAST PUBLICATIONS BRIAN MCGUINN Plantation, FL Guest Guides, Printing & Marketing TENGO INTERNET ERIC STUMBERG Austin, TX Wireless internet provider TEXAS LAUNDRY SERVICES LINDA MOORE Pasadena, TX Sales/service/parts for coin & card operated laundry equipment TRVA RIO GRANDE VALLEY CHAPTER LINN BACKUS Alamo, TX TRVA Chapter for Rio Grande Valley TXAD INTERNET SERVICES BRADEN WALKER Crowley, TX Website design, hosting, & marketing TEXEN POWER CO. TOM STUBBLEFIELD Houston, TX Electricity savings & audits UTILITY SUPPLY GROUP WADE ELLIOT Preston, WA RV park utility products WELCOME HOME RIO GRANDE VALLEY KRISTI COLLIER McAllen, TX Rio Grande Valley Vacation Destination WILCOR INTERNATIONAL SUSAN CORRIGAN Frankfurt, NY Camping goods Be sure & visit the members websites for more information! TACO TRADE TACOMEMBERS.COM H TACO WINTER TACOMEMBERS.COM H

8 Central Texas State Park Begins Wildfire Recovery by Associated Press SMITHVILLE, TX Traces of recovery are appearing amid scars of a devastating wildfire that raced last month through more than 5,000 acres in Central Texas, including half of the 1,000-acre Buescher State Park. No one was hurt in the mid-october fires but about 70 homes and nearly 80 other structures just outside the park were destroyed. Wildflowers now are emerging from ashes left behind after the second severe fire in four years in the popular Lost Pines area near Bastrop, about 40 miles east of Austin. The park has reopened, though hike and bike trails were kept closed. More than five miles of trail, three foot bridges and numerous markers, signs and fencing were destroyed. All trees were lost on about 35 percent of all the land. Knowledge is KEY Providing Extraordinary Solutions to RV Travel Parks throughout North America. Electric Pedestals Surface Boxes Conversion Kits Electric Meters Water & Gas Meters Power Distribution Equipment Lighting Wire Replacement Parts Accessories Now available Internal Light Kits with LED! Reduce power usage and maintenance costs with LED lamps that last much longer than regular bulbs! Call owner Maggie Linnell today. Toll free sales@yourelectricalsolutions.net H TACO WINTER TACOMEMBERS.COM H

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10 Pipeline Bringing Commerce to East Texas by Pennylynn Webb, HOUSTON COUNTY Six hundred unionized workers will soon descend upon East Texas to work on the Lone Star Express Pipeline. Crockett Economic Development Executive Director Tom Lambert reported that the Wisconsin-based company signed a contract on Oct. 5 to utilize 28 acres in Crockett s industrial park as their base of operations as they work on a pipeline for ETC. ETC Texas Pipeline, LTD, is the company behind the new Alamo Gas Plant. The plant, located west of Crockett, will liquefy raw natural gas. The establishment of the Alamo Gas Plant is a new and welcomed phase for Houston County, said County Judge Erin Ford. The gas conditioning facility not only provides technical employment to the local economy, but our future will benefit with the expanded gas distribution network within Houston County. We are fortunate to have the Alamo Gas Plant as part of our long-term business plan. Ford added, The Lone Star Express Pipeline is going to be integral to Houston County s economic future. We have a unique opportunity with the influx of 600 craftsmen moving into the local economy over the next year. I have roughly estimated that, if all of them live on the local economy, we will receive $15 million in revenue and local sales tax. We want to welcome them and their families to Houston County and the surrounding area. Of the influx of workers, Lambert said, This is a union job, so these workers have benefits so they won t be dregs on our local economy. They will actually bring commerce with them. They will be bringing their families with them to the area. They will be a boon to our local economy as they fill up our RV parks, hotels, motels and patronize our restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores, etc. Lambert reported that the leadership team for Precision Pipeline is already in the area and looks for the bulk of their employees to arrive in the next few weeks and for an entire work crew to be in the area by mid-november. Lambert reports that this project is scheduled to last somewhere between eight to twelve months. Free Full Color Guest Guides Free Social Media Marketing Free Oversized Vinyl Banners Free Profile on Mobile Applications Free Web Page on MobileRVing.com Free Exposure in Our MobileRVing Newsletter Free E-Map for Your Establishment's Web Page Promoting The Best Campgrounds since 1986 Call Today to Sign Up for Southeast Publications' Free Services and Receive a "Preferred Property" Listing on Our Website and Mobile App! p: f: SoutheastPublications.com MobileRVing.com ContactUs@SoutheastPublications.com Facebook.com/SEPublications H TACO WINTER 2015 Twitter.com/SEPublications 10 TACOMEMBERS.COM H YouTube.com/SEPublications

11 Heavy Texas Storms force water rescues, halt flights by Paul J. Weber, Associated Press BUDA Punishing storms and suspected tornadoes last week socked an Temporary Control Tower at Airport already sodden swath of Texas that was still drying out from the remnants of Hurricane Patricia, forcing evacuations and shutting down a busy 10-mile stretch of interstate. More than 16 inches of rain soaked one neighborhood and Austin Bergstrom International Airport suspended all flights after a half-foot of water flooded the air traffic control tower. A lazy creek cutting through Texas wine country swelled into a rushing torrent, sending eight members of a vacationing church group scrambling to a second floor and awaiting rescue from the National Guard. Powerful winds tossed a trailer from an RV park onto the roof of a three-story Holiday Inn. Abandoned cars, many submerged in water, littered backroads that weary drivers risked after heavy downpours flooded Interstate 35 between San Antonio and Austin, closing one of the busiest stretch of roadways in the U.S. No serious injuries were immediately reported. That made for an almost remarkable second consecutive week in which torrential rains pummeled Central Texas but appeared to cause no casualties. Although not deadly, that drenching left the ground saturated and unable to sop up this latest deluge. The flooding was so much, said Kathleen Haney, who was part of the Dallas church group rescued from a bedand-breakfast in Wimberley. It just kept coming up and coming up. From KXTC.com - A family living at the Waco RV park off of Highway 6 had to be rescued by boat after intense flooding on Friday. The family of three and one dog were not able to evacuate the park quickly enough and soon became stranded as high water surrounded their trailer. The other residents were able to evacuate their homes before the water got too high. Texas Parks and Wildlife wardens used their boat to rescue the family, but had a little difficulty trying to launch in the shallow water. It made it pretty difficult because this isn t a boat dock, said Captain Steve Smith with the McLennan County Sheriff s Department. You just got to get the boat out to deeper water where you can unload it and use it properly. The wardens assisted by Mclennan County Sheriff s Department, Bellmead Fire Department, Riesel Fire Department and other local police agencies, were able to get the family out safely. We were able to get three adults and a dog out of the trailer without incident and now everyone is safe, said Captain Smith. Others at the RV park were able to get out safely before the water rose. A neighbor knocked on our back door and said the dam had broke and the water was rising very quickly, said resident Samantha Wesley. We had like 10 minutes to get everything in before it started washing away. At that point it was already up to the back of our RV. Residents say this is the third time this year it has flooded, but it has never been this bad. THE ANSWER FOR GROWING YOUR CAMPGROUND BUSINESS CONSULTING SERVICES OVERALL PARK ANALYSIS REPORTS Interviews, observations, SWOT analysis, needs assessment PROJECT REVIEW AND CONSULTATIONS Reviewing overall client needs and providing valuable insight for success STAFF TRAINING Outdoor hospitality, operations, activities, logistics Joe Moore, CPO, OHP 133 Acuff Lane Colleyville, Texas tx.rr.com H TACO WINTER TACOMEMBERS.COM H

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