Agenda Item #12.3
For Council Meeting of: April 11, 2023
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: RAFAEL RIVERO, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SUBJECT: SANTA ROSA TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA ADVISORY BOARD APPOINTMENTS AGENDA ACTION: RESOLUTION
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the Planning and Economic Development Department that the Council, by resolution: 1) appoint Hugh Futrell, co-owner and operator of Hotel E, to the Santa Rosa Tourism Business Improvement Area Advisory Board to serve as the representative for a full-service hotel; and 2) appoint Janelle Meyers, Visit Santa Rosa Vice President of Marketing and Communications, to the Advisory Board to serve as an alternate representative for the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber in the event their primary representative is unavailable.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Santa Rosa Tourism Business Improvement Area (SRTBIA) was established by Ordinance 3946, creating an assessment district on Santa Rosa lodging establishments. Per the ordinance, the Advisory Board is comprised of one Santa Rosa Metro Chamber employee, one City of Santa Rosa employee, and three Santa Rosa lodging operators, at least one of whom is employed by a full-service hotel and one by a select-service hotel. This resolution updates the current vacancy on the Advisory Board with the appointment of a full-service hotel representative. Furthermore, the resolution replaces the alternate position previously filled by Visit Santa Rosa’s Director of Sales with the Visit Santa Rosa Director of Marketing and Communications in the event the Chamber’s Chief Executive Officer is unable to attend the meeting.
BACKGROUND
The SRTBIA was established by Santa Rosa Ordinance 3946 on August 3, 2010, creating a public-private partnership between the City of Santa Rosa, the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, and Santa Rosa lodging establishments. The ordinance enables a 3% assessment paid by people staying at Santa Rosa lodging establishments, producing an average of $1million annually since 2011. 30% of the funds collected go to the City and is managed by the Economic Development Division of the Planning and Economic Development Department. The remaining 70% goes to the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce for their Convention & Visitors Bureau and Welcome Center operations & services.
The Advisory Board is comprised of one Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce employee (Chief Executive Officer Peter Rumble), one City of Santa Rosa employee (Program Specialist Rafael Rivero), and three Santa Rosa lodging operators, at least one of whom is employed by a full-service hotel (vacant) and one of whom is employed by a select-service hotel (Donna Renteria). The remaining representative may be employed by either a full-service or select-service lodging operation (Todd Anderson). In addition, there are 2 alternatives to the City and Chamber representatives (Arts and Culture Manager Tara Thompson for the City, and a Visit Santa Rosa program representative for the Chamber)
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
On July 27, 2010, the City Council, by Resolution No. 27690, appointed the first Advisory Board for the Santa Rosa Tourism Business Improvement Area.
On August 3, 2010, the City Council, by Ordinance No. 3946, established the Santa Rosa Tourism Business Improvement Area.
From 2010 to present, the City Council, by Resolution, has appointed a City, Chamber, and hotel representatives to fulfill vacancies on the Board as they come up.
ANALYSIS
SRTBIA Advisory Board members are required to utilize their expertise in the hospitality and tourism industries to advise the Council on the amount of the Area’s assessments and on the services, programs, and activities to be funded by the assessments.
The Board has most recently experienced a vacancy resulting from the reassignment of full-service hotel board representative Tony Pace, General Manager of Hotel E.
On March 23, 2023, the SRTBIA Advisory Board voted to support and recommend Hugh Futrell, co-owner (through Futrell Corp.) and operator of Hotel E, a full-service hotel, to participate in the activities required by Ordinance No. 3946. Hugh Futrell will join Donna Renteria of Best Western Garden Inn (a Select Service Hotel), Todd Anderson of Best Western Plus Wine Country Inn & Suites (an At-Large Hotel), Rafael Rivero of the City of Santa Rosa, and Peter Rumble of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber on the board.
In addition, Visit Santa Rosa’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications will fill the alternate position to the Board on behalf of the Chamber.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of this action does not have a fiscal impact on the General Fund or the SRTBIA Fund.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Ordinance No. 3946 Establishing Tourism Business Improvement Area Resolution
PRESENTER
Rafael Rivero
[email protected]
(707) 543-3460
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