CCVC meets in Saratoga

The Carbon County Visitors Council (CCVC) met at 10 a.m. on September 16 at Firewater Public House in Saratoga.

The agenda and minutes from the regularly scheduled meeting on August 19 were approved.

A presentation was made by Leanna Jones, CEO of the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce, for a visual guide on the businesses and special services in the Valley area.

“It will have table of contents that help you key on what you are looking for,” Jones said. “I am hoping for help with the printing costs. I am calling it “The Local.”

The CCVC could not approve paying for the printing of the directory but approved advertising in it.

Jones said she is hoping for community support to get this project done and was grateful for any help.

The next order of business was to go over the winter grants. The CCVC approved grants for the Fishing Derby in Saratoga; Toast to History by Saratoga Museum; Saratoga Skijoring; 35th Annual Sierra Madre Winter Carnival in Encampment; Winter Fest 2020 in Rawlins; 30th Annual Silver Bullet Pistol Tournament in Rawlins and the Pepsi Premier Racquetball Tournament.

Lodging Tax for September came in at $119,815.12. This amount is actually figures coming in from late July to mid-August. Last year at this time, the CCVC collected $175,277.59. Carbon County was down from $130,905.10 last year to $85,930.34. Rawlins was also down to $27, 974.60 from $37,527.71. Saratoga was down a bit from $4,507.56 last year to $3,773.67. Riverside was up to $760.45 from $739.65 the year before. Dixon was the other municipality to be up from the year before at $525.37. The year before the town collected $54.09.

The top four states with residents asking for information on Carbon County were Arizona, California, Colorado and Wisconsin.

Leslie Jefferson, CEO of the CCVC gave her report after statistics were reviewed. She met with different tourism marketing companies during the month that pitched their products. Jefferson facilitated the monthly Carbon County Tourism meeting.

The board approved two designs for face masks that have scenic pictures on them that are branded with the CCVC logo.

The member at large on the council goes unfilled. There have been no letters of interest submitted to the board although there has been verbal interest.

The board approved applying for the second round of funding from the CARES (Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security) Act Relief Fund (CARF). The board is eligible for $46,605.61.

The board approved using ITI-DIGITAL for a business directory addition to their website called ‘Places’.

The October regularly scheduled meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on October 10 at the Best Western in Rawlins.