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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-02-27-TOUR2-minMinutes of the meeting of Monday, Febuary 27, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. Room G -15 Members Present: Carla Fortmann, Mary Gillespie, Dawn McKenna, Paul O'Shaughnessy, Denise Ricketts, Jim Shaw Staff: Masha Traber Guests: Alison Falitoco, Trisha Perez - Kenneally, Susan Kenyon, Gresh Lattimore 1) Minutes a) On motion duly made and seconded, the minutes of April 25, 2011 were approved. b) On motion duly made and seconded, the minutes of June 20, 2011 were approved. c) On motion duly made and seconded, the minutes of January 9, 2012 were approved. 2) Liberty Ride Operations a) Dawn will contact the MBTA to see whether we can arrange for the Liberty Ride Trolley to have a morning and afternoon run on Sundays during the Liberty Ride season per our vote at an earlier meeting. b) The MBTA is considering making drastic changes to service that would impact tourist abilities to travel to Lexington by public transportation. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Committee authorized the chair to send a letter to the MBTA expressing our concerns, and to represent the Tourism Committee at the public hearings on the matter. c) Minute Man High School PTA has sent a request for auction items and sponsorship for their upcoming fundraiser. It was agreed that this fits in with our policy of contributing to Lexington based organizations. Carla would also see if the Historical Society would contribute so we could make a larger package. 3) AAA Travel Marketplace a) The marketplace is this coming weekend (March 2 -4 There are still shifts that are not covered. Carla, Mary, Ashley and Dawn will help. Denise will help with set -up. Other shifts will be covered by guides. Masha will be there for most of the weekend. b) We reviewed the items to be passed out. Musket balls were ordered as they were a big hit last year. 4) Update on Inn Proposal — Trisha Perez Kennealy An article for the rezoning of the former Dana Home property on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Worthen Road will come before the 2012 annual Town Meeting. Previously this committee voted unanimously to support the use of this property as an inn, before the property was sold. We plan to take a vote on whether or not we support this particular project. The Owner of the property, Trisha Perez Kennealy, came to the meeting to present the project as proposed in the PSDUP on file with the Town. Two neighbors, Susan Kenyon and Gresh Lattimore, who oppose the project, also attended. They were given time to present their objections to the proposal for our consideration. Committee members present indicated their general support from a tourism perspective. Paul O' Shaughnessy indicated that from a tourism perspective, he agreed that this use was appropriate. He had concerns about some items that he felt were better addressed by the Planning Board and other committees. A vote on our position will be taken at a subsequent meeting. 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE • LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420 Due to the length of this discussion and the lateness of the hour, many of the items listed on the agenda in advance were deferred. 5) Signage a) The Town Manager has approved the placement of a sandwich board in Depot Square until the two information signs are repaired and replaced. b) Christopher Bing is working on the sign for the Battle Green with the hopes of completing it for installation this season. It is now thought that two signs would provide better opportunity for groups to have enough space to read the information simultaneously. The Committee needs to decide the content that will be on the sign. This will be discussed at the next meeting. Initial thoughts were: A centralized map that put in context the events of the day; a Lexington only map orienting visitors to the important events of the day; a reference to the Visitors Center being open year -round across the street, and possibly the library; and whether to consider a QR( ?) code for cell phone scanning to additional information. 6) Strategies and Funding Priorities Based on Vision and Mission Statement a) Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to authorize the purchase of a pop -up tent at a cost not to exceed $500 on which our "Linger in Lexington" logo will be printed. b) The need for business cards was discussed as we attend various conferences and travel marketplaces representing the Town. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to spend up to $50 to obtain generic business cards for the Tourism Committee and a smaller quantity for Dawn McKenna, Chairman c) We submitted the application to participate in the Boston Concierge Show again as this was useful last year in connecting with the area hotels. While we were intrigued by participating in Discover New England, we don't have the personnel to cover it at this late date. A table would cost $995. We agreed to think about it for next year with a little more advance planning. 7) Revolutionary Revelry a) The Adams Art Grant program has recently received funding and is soliciting requests for proposals. The deadline is in mid -March for initial proposals and with the final proposal being due in April. Funding would be made available July I This application was a significant amount of work. Dawn will look at it and figure out whether or not it makes sense for us to apply at this time. 8) Announcements a) We have been asked by the GMCVB to write a letter supporting the reopening of the 495 Visitors Center. Upon motion duly made and seconded the chair was authorized to send a letter in support. b) A meeting to solicit feedback on the Visitors Center will be scheduled. Adjourned at approximately 6:45 pm Respectfully submitted, Dawn McKenna Documents available at the meeting: 1. Minutes of April 25, 2011 2. Minutes of June 20, 2011 3. Minutes of January 9, 2012 4. Tourism Committee members as of 2/15/2012 5. Page from Marlo Marketing packet that includes "The Four Divisions of mm /c"