City Council - Regular Meeting

And they don't have enough for a quorum. And with the recent resignation of almost half of their board, we are at a standstill with where that money's gonna go. And so, just to let you know, in the last couple of days, actually, the last couple of weeks, we've been working, possible solutions for this. And, I've, got together with a group of business owners in town that are part of the VC that were members of the original group there, not board members, but just members. And so what we would like to do is form a task force on rebuilding and restructure of the VCB.

And then from that point on, we would like to, see how that's gonna work out. Their recommendations coming to us. I and then from that, point on, we, would like to, try to get some discussion with BBC, and I know that, our city manager and his department and staff have been working with trying to figure out what bills are owed by the VCBB, what ones we may be, willing to take on, which ones we may not be willing to take on. And but we can't seem to, right at this point, get anybody that kinda gives us the book so we can do a deep dive and find out where we're at. We're still working that issue.

But in the meantime, I'd like to commission a group of task force that will go out and look at the structure and see how we can form. We do have some ideas, but that would all be premature if I speak about them right now until the board kinda comes back with their or the task force comes back with their recommendations. And then in the meantime, we may be spending a little bit of money in legal to make sure that, what we do and set up is correct. And then we may need also to, once we kinda dive into where, some of the bills are and what they are, which ones we are willing to pay for as a council and as a city, which ones we don't, we may be expending a little bit of money doing that also. So with that, I can open it up to question.

Not so much a question as I am. I do not want, to support the five zero five to BCDB due to concerns, obviously, of, them not having a quorum and no leadership at this time. So I think that, putting that money on hold and, having a task force is the best way forward that we can, support the city and the businesses alike for this upcoming season.

Go ahead.

So, just to, like, make sure I'm up to speed. So the VCVB no longer has enough board membership for quorum, and their president resigned as well. Right?

And their director.

And and the director. Okay. So so the all of that. So the the idea for the task force would be to have some other entity potentially, whatever comes out of that task force, serve some of the same functions or provide some of the same services that the BCPB used to. Not not to try to revive the organization, but but a new organization from whole cloth.

Yes. Okay.

And possibly structured very different.

Yeah. I mean, I think that that makes sense, I guess, with that, task force. And I think you said there's some, some local business owners from the membership of VCBB that would be involved. And I think as long as there's, you know, a good amount of local business centers that are really invested in stakeholders and making this, yet to move forward and come back with some recommendations that, they wanna see, I think that would be a good path forward. Yeah. And I guess, like, your idea I mean, I'm I'm open to the five o you know, spending the $5.00 5 k once some reckon some recommendations are

in front of us.

So it just kind of remains to be seen whatever those things are. And I guess, you know, the outstanding debt and legal expenses will kinda see as those come. What's what's your kind of thought in terms of timeline for getting some of those recommendations? Because I know, you know, I'm sure some of our businesses want to have a visitor center open and with cruise ship timing and stuff like that. Like, what's kind of the timeline you're thinking for?

So we have kind of sketched out just barely a timeline. You know, we'll we'll meet with the actual, task force. It hasn't been created yet, but we'll meet with them. I'm looking at, I think it was May.

Yeah. The the

I

would say a a prudent timeline would be by the April, have something firm fixed and ready to to go. There's there's obviously I've ref for a long time. They say hustle, don't hurry. And so I I think there's value in doing things swiftly, but doing them right the first time. And so I I don't wanna say that there's a a rush to get something done because I I think I think making sure that the right solution is what the outcome, I think, is important.

By the same token, there are there are businesses who their season is underway and or gonna hit full stride, really soon. And so I think it's important to to have a little sense of urgency to to work towards getting some done. So timeline wise, I think if mid to late April, there's a good definition and kind of a sunset time frame for the task force, think, would be appropriate. Yeah.

And we'll narrow those down, relatively quickly before we bring them to council on the third. This is the next meeting. Correct?

Yes. We we've drafted a resolution for you all to consider, in creating the task force, kind of with their objective stated, timeline stated. I don't know that I'll specifically name membership of the task force, but, we'll we'll determine a method for making those assignments, within the resolution.

Although one name was already suggested, and I really like it. So

I I would just from the administration's perspective, as a task force's concern, I certainly it's not our role to be the lead on tourism and and visitorship and destination marketing. That's not it's not really in our lane. Having said that, we I would like us to

have a seat at the table just for

if there are things that we can provide guidance on, but also to kinda watch out for any hurdles or roadblocks that might might arise.

Well, I think you and with that being said, I know that, you know, we're gonna probably use Sherry's expertise in drafting up whatever comes outcomes of the, board, you know, as far as what their guidelines and principles will be. You know, that'll be, you know, some city help on that. In the meantime, I've talked to Nate also. And if there's some things that we have to act on, you know, while we're waiting for the commission to get or the task force to get recommendations to us, Nate said that they have some small capacity to be able to help and kinda work some of those, things out that may arise that, you know, where a business may want something that, you know, for winter tourism or something that he may have the capacity to help out in some some small aspect until we get on our feet. So we're gonna be relying a little bit on that.

Okay. So we'll see the deliverables of the task force in that draft, that resolution that comes forward on the third.

Yeah.

I guess another question too. Just,

I

think somewhere here tonight, just with the VCBB staff, what's kinda going on? Like, is that just outside of our

That's outside of

our PV. Right now? Yeah. K. Yeah. So that all going to add just at least concerned about all that. That's all gone, but, unfortunately, it's out of our hands. And then, I guess, to what you were saying, city manager, the structure would just be something potentially akin to, like, a relationship with the museum potentially, something like that? Or

Yeah. I I think there's a number of options on the table. Everything ranging from re reconstituting or rebuilding what's what's already there. You could,

you know,

structure like the museum, city department, separate private organization, a grant program. I I think there's any myriad of options. I I I certainly don't wanna take anything off the table or necessarily have a preference, but I do think in light of the current circumstances, I think whatever the recommendation is, I I think it needs to have a a strong backing from the from the the industry. I think that's critical. And I think if if the city council is a primary funder, there need to be some guardrails or some authority from the council to have some oversight.

I think those are two key guardrails with whatever is established.

Yeah. I essentially agree with what you guys are saying there. It sounds like we're gonna earmark those five zero five funds. They're on hold. There are some outstanding bills that we'll work with, work through. This task force will be established, and part of their role is, very clearly defining the scope of work for the city as well as the mission for this new organization or group. Is that correct?

Yeah. Not for necessarily the city, but for the business of the businesses of Valdez.

The expectations. Yes. So what our needs are, it'll be clearly defined so that we so that all parties involved have a clear understanding of what their role is and their accountabilities.

Yes.

Very good. Thank you.

K. So any other questions from the group? Okay. Did you get everything you needed, city manager?

Yeah. So the the money that was appropriated will stay in its appropriated location. We'll get you the draft for the resolution to establish a task force. They'll generate a final report that says this is our recommendation to successfully promote and support tourism and visitorship to Valdes,

and

we'll make it happen.

Okay.

I've also asked Nate to put, like, a press release, together after this meeting, you know, so that it goes out that, you know, the city council and the city of all these is, you know, things that tourism is very important and we support it. It's just not in its current form that we support it. So we'll, make some recommendations and send out a, news release tomorrow and, go from there.

Yeah. One more question there. Sure. Just from your conversations that you

guys have had, do you have a a

pretty clear understanding about the priorities, you know, short term priorities that we need, say, in, like, the next ninety days?

Yes. We we got a pretty good understanding what those are and, how we're gonna go about getting those done.

Okay. Very good. Thank you.

Alright. With that, meeting adjourned. Thank you.

Thank you. Have

a good evening.

Good night.

And Joe's on there. Joe's I didn't

know. I didn't know Joe

was on there either.