STATE PARKS, RECREATION AND TRAVEL COMMISSION Crater of Diamonds State Park, Murfreesboro, AR May 19, 2016

Transcription

1 Commissioners Present STATE PARKS, RECREATION AND TRAVEL COMMISSION Crater of Diamonds State Park, Murfreesboro, AR Jim Dailey, Chair Shash Goyal, Vice Chair Bill Barnes Jay Bunyard John Gill Bob Knight Weston Lewey Mike Mills Jim Shamburger Cindy Smith Mike Wilson Randy Wolfinbarger Commissioners Absent LeRoy Dangeau Danny Ford Kalene Griffith Montine McNulty Ness Sechrest Department Staff Present Joe David Rice, Tourism Director Grady Spann, Director, Arkansas State Parks Ron Maxwell, Assistant Tourism Director Cynthia Dunlap, Central Administration Division Director Kris Richardson, Executive Assistant Randy Roberson, Planning and Development Manager Kelly Farrell, Program Services Manager Joe Jacobs, Marketing and Revenue Manager Monika Rued, Public Information Officer Marcel Hanzlik, Region 3 Supervisor Mike Wilson, Region 4 Supervisor Shea Lewis, Region 5 Supervisor Leah DiPietro, Communications Manager Tracy Morales, Group Travel Manager Kristine Puckett, Tourism Development Manager Miranda White, Research Manager Erik Holbrooks, Administrative Specialist, Tourism Division LaJeana Carroll, Administrative Specialist, Parks Division James Howell, Superintendent, Crater of Diamonds State Park Bill Henderson, Assistant Superintendent, Crater of Diamonds State Park Waymon Cox, Interpreter, Crater of Diamonds State Park Doug Carter, Ranger, Mount Magazine State Park Zoie Clift, Travel Writer, Tourism Division

2 Pg 2 Aristotle Marla Johnson Laura Kirk Jennifer Peper Whitney Ward CJRW Shelby Woods Darin Gray Brian Clark Jennifer Morgan Brian Kartkiewicz Delanie Thompson Elizabeth Michael Wade McCune Guests Jane Terrell, Queen of Diamonds Inn Bill Ott, Eureka Springs Mayor Rodney Fagan, Murfreesboro Roll Call Chair Jim Dailey called the meeting to order at 8:34 am on Thursday,. Kris Richardson called roll. Jim Dailey thanked the Swaha Lodge & Marina for hosting dinner the previous evening for the State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission (SPRTC) and staff. Approval of Agenda Jim Dailey requested approval of the Agenda. Shash Goyal moved to approve the Agenda. Mike Mills seconded and the motion carried. Presentation of Minutes from Previous Meeting Jim Dailey requested approval of the Minutes from the April meeting. Jay Bunyard moved to approve Minutes from the April 21 meeting. Mike Wilson seconded and the motion carried. Financial Report Cynthia Dunlap presented the year-to-date financial report for the period ended April 30, The expenditures were: Parks Division, $69,474,912 - including construction and grants; Tourism Division, $13,229,599; Keep Arkansas Beautiful, $475,764; Administration Division,

3 Pg 3 $2,780,069; and History Commission, $1,589,655. Expenditures for the Department totaled $87,549,999 an increase of 9.0% over the same period FY15. The year-to-date revenues included - operating revenue for Parks Division of $22,059,237, an increase of 17% over the same period FY15; 1/8% Cent Tax revenues of $25,622,756, an increase of 3.68% over the same period FY15; and 2% Gross Tax collections of $12,638,987, an increase of 8.8% over the same period FY15. Bob Knight moved to approve the Financial Report as presented. Mike Mills seconded and the motion carried. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR S REPORT Welcome to Murfreesboro Mayor Rodney Fagan welcomed the SPRTC and summarized the history of the Murfreesboro area and mentioned local attractions. Mayor Fagan presented a recommendation for Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism (ADPT) to promote the Crater of Diamonds State Park and the State of Arkansas at a booth at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. Vendor Contract Update Joe David Rice advised SPRTC of the upcoming changes with integrating the ADPT marketing plan; moving from two separate contracts to one contract comprised of advertising and website services. A tentative draft of the timeline for the Request for Proposal (RFP) was presented and discussion ensued. The suggestions will be considered and a revised timeline will be presented at the June meeting. PARKS DIVISION Mount Nebo State Park Rural Fire Department Randy Roberson reported that Arkansas State Parks (ASP) has benefitted from a partnership agreement with the Mount Nebo Rural Fire Department since The agreement has been amended several times over the last several years in order to extend the term of the original agreement. The current extension expires June 30, 2016 and a proposed "Sixth Amended Agreement" would extend the term for another five years. Jim Shamburger moved to approve the renewal of the partnership agreement with the Mount Nebo Rural Fire Department and Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism for a period of five years. Bob Knight seconded and the motion carried. Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council (ANCRC) - FY17 Grant Award Report

4 Pg 4 Randy Roberson reported that of the $10,229,324 requested from the ANCRC grant program, ASP was awarded $6,200,000, which is nearly 29% of the funding available. Jim Dailey commented that ADPT was well prepared and presented an excellent presentation for the committee. Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park Lions Club Clothes Line Fair Agreement Joe Jacobs reported that the Lions Club Clothes Line Fair has been a long standing tradition at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. The Lions Club is requesting a renewal agreement for five years. Jacobs noted the only changes were to some of names of the principal parties. Shash Goyal moved to renew the operating agreement with the Lions Club Clothes Line Fair and Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism for a period of five years. Jay Bunyard seconded and the motion carried. Geocache Maintenance Agreement Joe Jacobs presented that the maintenance agreement with the Park Cache Maintenance Program with the Arkansas Geocachers Association had lapsed and requested renewal for five years. John Gill moved to renew a maintenance agreement with Arkansas Geocache Association and Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism for a period of five years. Cindy Smith seconded and the motion carried. Cindy Smith shared that Kim Williams, Travel Writer for ADPT, researched and produced a brochure on geocaching and managed a Geocache booth at the Delta Resort Outdoor Expo. Davidsonville Historic State Park New Visitor Center Joe Jacobs reported on the grand opening of the new visitor center at Davidsonville Historic State Park scheduled for May 20, The presentation included photographs of the exhibits and the new building. The SPRTC was invited to attend the event. Parkin Archeological State Park Post Update Grady Spann updated the Parkin Archeological State Park find that was discussed at April s commission meeting, identifying / dating the remains of a wooden post possibly the cross De Soto raised in Unfortunately, Dr. David Stahle was unable to extract a sufficient number of tree rings to date through dendrochronology. The samples will be sent out for carbon 14 dating. This story has gone worldwide. Archeologists are very interested in the story and the outcome of the carbon 14 dating reports.

5 Pg 5 Lake Ouachita State Park Camper Cabins Monika Rued presented on Lake Ouachita State Park camper cabins; the newest overnight rental option available for visitors. The units are a nice option for families to have a camping experience without camping equipment. Discussion ensued about the cost and options for building the units. Devils Den State Park will receive camper cabins in the near future. Monika Rued reported that the Esperanza diamond was scheduled to go to auction in April, It has been acquired by a Montreal based investment consortium and will not go to auction. Discussion ensued and it is believed the diamond has been acquired to sell to an individual and will stay in North America. One of the latest diamond finds was a 1.8 Hudson Diamond that was found by Gail Hudson SPRTC Meeting Schedule Revision Grady Spann requested approval to modify the SPRTC meeting schedule and switch the Logoly State Park meeting (June) and Ozark Folk Center State Parks meeting (July) to allow more time to complete construction of the Logoly Visitor Center. Jim Shamburger moved to accept the recommendation to modify the SPRTC meeting schedule; the June meeting will be held at Ozark Folk Center State Park and the July meeting will be held at Logoly State Park. Mike Wilson seconded and the motion carried. National Association State Park Directors (NASPD) Annual Information Exchange Report Grady Spann presented the NASPD Annual Information Exchange Report. This report summarizes how ASP ranks nationally with other state parks systems in various categories for Fiscal Year The report does not always measure equally. Discussion ensued about rankings compared to each states per capita population, ways to increase revenue and increase support groups through a volunteer page on the website. John Gill requested a list of potential legislative changes that could increase revenue. SPRTC Certificate Approval Grady Spann requested approval for a certificate of appreciation for Mark Carte, Maintenance Assistant at Devil s Den State Park (DDSP), with 28 years of outstanding service to Arkansas State Parks. Jim Shamburger moved to approve a certificate of appreciation for Mark Carte for 28 years of service with Arkansas State Parks. John Gill seconded and the motion passed.

6 Pg 6 April Minutes Correction Grady Spann requested approval for a correction to the SPRTC April Minutes; Aristotle s website budget was incorrectly presented. Randy Wolfinbarger moved to accept the corrections to the Aristotle budget for website development approved at the SPRTC April meeting as follows: Aristotle Budget presented at April SPRTC meeting at Village Creek State Park (corrected) Marketing Budget Content Calendar & Creative $ 8,000 Sends and Support $15,000 Keyword Buys $30,000 Search Engine Optimization $16,634 Advanced SEO Tracking On-Page SEO Updates Technical SEO Programming Subtotal $69,634 Development Budget Updates & Maintenance $34,400 Feature Development & Enhancements $78,000 ($77,657 corrected) Microsite Content Integration w/ Landing Pages Usability/User Experience Testing Usability/Experience Testing Contingency Calendar of Events Updates Media Library Enhancements Site Speed Performance Analysis, Recommendations and Implementation (quarterly) $6,326 Monthly website analytics ArkansasStateParks.com ($340 setup; $800/month) $9,950 Subtotal $128,676 ($128,333 corrected) Contingency Contingency $10,000 Subtotal $10,000 Campaign Support CJRW Campaign Support $5,000 Subtotal $5,000 Hosting Hosting & Renewals $12,338 Subtotal $12,338 Total $225,648 ($225,305 corrected)

7 Pg 7 Bill Barnes seconded and the motion carried. Small Community Grant Projects Matt McNair, Outdoor Grants project officer, presented the process for small incorporated cities with populations of 2,500 or less and unincorporated rural communities applying for basic recreation facilities. The project officers become the liaison between the communities and the government and assisting with planning and applying for grants. Discussion followed on the possibility of linking several towns around Leslie with a trail system. Prescribed Burn Jon Brown introduced an additional component of Emergency Services, prescribed burns. He introduced Doug Carter, Chief Burn Boss/Park Ranger, Mount Magazine State Park, Emily Venable, Assistant Superintendent, Daisy State Park and Matt Briley, Park Ranger, Crater of Diamonds State Park. Prescribed burns are a way to manage the resources to reduce flammable fuels that build up in wooded areas. In addition, prescribed burns improve habitats for native species and remove invasive species while minimizing the spread of harmful insects and disease. Miscellaneous Grady Spann mentioned article Atop Rich Mountain by Rex Nelson, highlights the history of Rich Mountain and Queen Wilhelmina State Park. Included in the article is a review of the renovated lodge and restaurant. Grady Spann highlighted an article from Lt. Governor Tim Griffin s visit to Petit Jean State Park noting the park is a gem for its visitors and mentioned discussions on how the state could attract more tourists. Grady Spann discussed article about the River Trail, Bridge Projects get Metroplan Grants; Pulaski County received a grant to widen the Arkansas River Trail along Pinnacle Valley Road to the edge of Pinnacle Mountain State Park. ASP has met with the county judge to work on a recommendation to connect. Grady Spann encouraged SPRTC to read the article The Wizard of Wilson. The article focuses on why the Lawrence Group has spent money and effort to renovate Wilson and invest in the small town, the Delta and Hampson Archeological Museum State Park.

8 Pg 8 TOURISM DIVISION Directors Office Joe David Rice, Tourism Director, shared that several staff members attended focus groups in Dallas, Minneapolis and Phoenix. A full report will be given at the July meeting. Ron Maxwell, Deputy Tourism Director, shared that the Tourism Gift Shop sales at the 2016 Governor s Conference was $4,347.29, Auction was $77,000, and the net income for the Foundation will be approximately $35,000 after expenses. Tourism Development Kristine Puckett, Tourism Development Manager, informed the Commission that National Travel and Tourism Week was May 1-7. Puckett shared the proclamation by Governor Asa Hutchinson along with several noteworthy news articles. The hashtag #NTTW16 was used for visitors to share pictures of their travels during the week. Kane Webb spoke at the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau where Mary Osteen live-streamed the speech, it reached 4,275 people. The 2017 National Travel and Tourism Week will be May Welcome Centers Tiffany Knox, Welcome Center Administrator, was not able to attend the May meeting. Ron Maxwell gave a brief report on the recent FAM tour. Welcome Center personnel toured the Ozark Mountain Region and Ozark Gateway. Photos were shared with the Commission. Research and Information Services Miranda White, Research Manager, presented the Research report to the Commission. The Research and Information Services Section processed 19,960 requests for travel information during April 2016, a decrease of 21.6% from April Online media accounted for 64.7% of all inquiries. Inquiries from magazines led traditional media with 15.5% of all inquiries. Newspaper inquiries saw an increase to 7.8% of all media, which are anticipated to increase in May as well, due to the running of the late April newspaper insert campaign. Total traditional media represented 35.3% of all inquiries. A total of 7,592 fulfillments were completed in April 2016, and the average number of pieces (including the vacation kit) mailed per day was 253. Fulfillment was down in April by 54.1% compared to Note that the newspaper campaign started in late April of 2016, as opposed to the first of April in The time difference of these launches aids in explanation of the decrease.

9 Pg 9 White shared that visitor spending in National Parks has risen since In 2015 visitors spent million dollars in National Parks nationwide, that is an economic impact of million dollars. Group Travel Tracy Morales, Group Travel Manager, informed the Commission that Cassie Crane, Administrative Specialist II, attended the NASC Sports Event Symposium April 3-7 in Grand Rapids, MI. Crane assisted 24 pre-scheduled appointments. Morales informed the Commission that the spring Group Summit Meeting was a success in Bentonville May Certificates of Appreciation were presented to all of the A-Team members at the meeting. The group visited The Peel Mansion Museum and Heritage Gardens, Black Apple, Fishers Ford Whitewater Park and had a wonderful dinner at Fred s Hickory Inn. Communications Leah DiPietro, Communications Manager, stated that she attended the North American Travel Journalist Association Conference in Oxnard, CA, May DiPietro said there were 70 journalists in attendance from Canada and the United States. DiPietro informed the Commission that the Arkansas YouTube channel has reached over one million views. Lastly, DiPietro shared April photography taken by Kirk Jordan and Casey Crocker. Internet-Related Items - Aristotle Jennifer Peper reported on Aristotle s Internet-Related Items. Peper stated that there are three main focuses for the next six month budget summary; Mobile, Driving Traffic, and ADPT staff support. Mobile consists of 18% of the budget; while Driving Traffic consists of 69% and ADPT staff support consist of 13%. Peper explained that for Mobile, the first project is the Dining page and making it mobile friendly. There were 289,000 sessions for the Dining page from The second project is the Family page and moving it to a mobile responsive site. There were 432,000 sessions for the Family page from The third project is the Group Travel page and moving it to a mobile responsive site. Peper stated that for Driving Traffic, the Music page will be updated to a new, creative, interactive page and will promote the Ozark Highland Radio along with the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home. Bikes and breweries will now play a larger role in the website marketing. Peper explained that every month the homepage for Arkansas.com is updated with something new.

10 Pg 10 She stated that 69% of people want to try something new. Campaigns also drive traffic, and Barkansas was a huge success, Peper stated the campaign will see a relaunch soon. The current campaign, Parkansas is now underway. Lastly, Peper stated that changes would be made to the Back Office or ADPT staff site. Changes will be made to the photography category which will make uploading, categorizing and organizing photos easier for the Communications section. Peper was happy to announce that there were 1.9 million leads to industry partners for the calendar year Bill Barnes moved to approve the budget breakdown for July 1 December 31, 2016, as presented to the Commission as follows: Mobile: $ 130,500 Driving Traffic and New Niche Content: $ 508,072 Back Office and Industry Partner Support: $ 102,500 Total Budget for July 1-December 31, 2016: $ 741,072 John Gill asked Joe David Rice if he recommends the budget presented. Rice stated that he did. Randy Wolfinbarger seconded and the motion carried. Advertising Agency - CJRW 2016 Fall/Winter Advertising and Marketing Proposal Brian Clark, Wade McCune, Brian Kratkiewicz, and Elizabeth Michael presented CJRW s Fall/Winter advertising recommendations to the Commission. It was stated that the average person spends 3:58 hours a day watching television. 40% of the overall budget will be spent on TV ads with 70% going to cable and 30% on broadcast. Six regional video spots were presented to the Commission. McCune shared creative ads with the Commission that will be featured in magazines. Katkiewicz presented six regional radio spots to the Commission. The radio spots will be featured in Arkansas and contiguous states, except Mississippi. Commissioner Cindy Smith stated that the radio spots should be playing in Mississippi since she knows many Mississippians who travel The Natural State. It was stated that the Arkansas Tour Guide will become the Arkansas Travel Guide. The guide has a 50 year history of evolving to serve the traveling public. In 2015, CJRW organized the

11 Pg 11 editorial to make up the six Destination Marketing Areas (DMA s). Freearkansasinfo.com has been the central distribution point of the Departments co-op programs. The April 8 th satellite media tour featuring P. Allen Smith was seen or heard in 21 media markets. The audience for these markets is over 10 million people. The program generated other media inquiries from national and regional outlets. Discussions are underway with Georgia Pellegrini, an internationally known outdoor enthusiast and chef. CJRW is exploring the idea of a fall satellite media tour with Pellgrini. This would involve her participation in the ESPN Car Wash project focusing on outdoor adventure in Arkansas. Partners in Tourism consists of P. Allen Smith, BASSMaster, Natural State Golf Trail, Biography Arkansas, and Hispanic/Latino Niche Marketing. Key interest groups are currently mountain bikers and motorcyclists. The mountain biker s brochure will be reprinted with an IMBA Partnership. Shash Goyal moved to approve the budget as presented to the Commission: Fall/Winter Advertising Budget Total is $4,340,535. Bob Knight seconded and the motion carried. Commissioner John Gill stated that he would like to see more winter activities in the ad campaign. He stated the campaign seemed to be geared toward fall, and that there is still plenty to see and do in winter. Cable Association Grant Partnership The following is an agreement between CJRW and the Arkansas Cable Telecommunications Association for a $50,000 grant (currently budgeted in the Fall/Winter campaign). CJRW requested Commission approval of the agreement with the allocation of funds. A partnership agreement for $50,000 will be established by CJRW and the Arkansas Cable Telecommunications Association (ACTA) on behalf of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. This will be used for airtime of Public Service Announcement (PSA) schedules as an informational tool for Arkansans about tourism in Arkansas. For the $50,000 expenditure, ACTA Members will air in excess of $100,000 in airtime (minimum 2-for-1 matching ratio) during the twelve-month period beginning July 2016 through June Payment of the $50,000 will be in four quarterly installments of $12,500 gross, to coincide with the Arkansas fiscal year (July June) budget. There is a 15% Agency Fee therefore the $12,500 gross per quarter would actually result in a $10,625 payment per quarter to ACTA.

12 Pg 12 At the end of each quarter, ACTA will send notarized affidavits to CJRW from all participating stations as verification of all spots aired. Payment will be made upon receipt of these invoices. CJRW will produce and duplicate the spots, and the ACTA agree to pay for captioning and distributing dubs to all participating stations. CJRW will supply Traffic Instructions with all dubs. Following is the daypart distribution preferred in each market for the Parks and Tourism schedules: Early Morning 20% 6:00am 9:00am Daytime 25% 9:00am 3:00pm Early News 20% 5:00pm 6:30pm Prime Access 5% 6:30pm 7:00pm Prime Time 30% 7:00pm 10:00pm Participating ACTA members shall use their best efforts to place PSA s in the preferred dayparts listed above. The ACTA agrees to a six-month review of the grant proposal. This will enable both parties to re-evaluate the grant program. All dubs provided by CJRW to ACTA will be tagged Brought to you by this member station and the Arkansas Cable Telecommunications Association, or a similar phrase. Participating ACTA member stations agree to be judicious in selecting programming for airing the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism schedules. Family oriented programming is requested. Programming that contains violence, obscene language (i.e. Jerry Springer) or strong sexual themes is not acceptable. Mike Mills moved to approve the $50,000 grant partnership between CJRW and Arkansas Cable Telecommunications Association. Jay Bunyard seconded and the motion carried. CJRW Miscellaneous Brian Clark presented several Late Summer Radio Spots to the Commission. Jay Bunyard moved to approve the Late Summer Radio Spots. Bob Knight seconded and the motion carried. Tourism Miscellaneous Joe David Rice requested approval for a Certificate of Appreciation to be awarded to State Representative Kelley Linck on his retirement from the Ozark Mountain Region.

13 Pg 13 Jim Shamburger moved to approve a Certificate of Appreciation to be awarded to State Representative Kelley Linck. Shash Goyal seconded and the motion carried. A request for approval for a resolution for Kenneth L. Smith was presented to the Commission. R E S O L U T I O N Kenneth L. Smith developed a deep appreciation for the Arkansas Ozarks while attending the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville; and Kenneth L. Smith was introduced to the Buffalo River region of northwest through outings with a university hiking club; and Kenneth L. Smith spent countless hours exploring and photography points of interest within the Buffalo s watershed; and with assistance from The Ozark Society, Kenneth L. Smith published his first book, The Buffalo River Country, in 1967; and The Buffalo River Country, which has gone through numerous printings, helped generate public knowledge of and appreciation for the unique beauty of this classic Ozark stream; and Kenneth L. Smith therefore played an extremely critical role in the ultimate designation of the Buffalo as America s first National River; and in subsequent years Kenneth L. Smith laid out the Buffalo River Trail and directed the volunteer effort to get it built; and Kenneth L. Smith also worked diligently to bring other Arkansas conservation issues to the attention of the public; and of Arkansans and visitors to our state alike will be able to better understand and appreciate the history and heritage of Arkansas because of Kenneth L. Smith s efforts: NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission hereby recognizes and congratulates Kenneth L. Smith for his exceptional service in behalf of the Buffalo River and other state treasures; and

14 Pg 14 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission sincerely thanks Kenneth L. Smith for his years of selfless work in behalf of the Arkansas tourism industry; and That the State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission is pleased to adopt and approve this resolution on this 19 th day of May, State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission /S/ Jim Dailey, Chair Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism /S/ Kane Webb, Executive Director Shash Goyal moved to approve a Resolution be awarded to Kenneth L. Smith. Mike Mills seconded and the motion carried. Adjournment Without any further business, the SPRTC adjourned at 1:00 pm on, at Crater of Diamonds State Park, Murfreesboro, AR.