HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-09-12-TOUR2-minTown of Lexington
Tourism Committee
Dawn McKenna, Chair (781) 862 -0500 ext 84585
Minutes for the meeting of Friday, September 12, 2014
Approved 9.19.2014
Members present: Mary Jo Bohart, Kerry Brandin, Bobbie Carlton, Bebe Fallick, Dawn McKenna,
Members absent: Margaret Coppe, Trisha Kennealy, Wien Nijenberg
Center Committee Liaison present: Fred Johnson
Staff present: Jeanette Rebecchi
Guests Present: Peggy Enders, Jerry Michelson, Richard Pagett, Leeying Wu
1) Center Business Directory — Jerry Michelson, Chairman of the Center Committee, joined our
meeting to discuss the possibility of a business directory type of signage for Lexington Center. They
are proposing a few signs at different locations in Town. Peggy Enders, Chairman of the Bicycle
Advisory Committee was also present. As a part of the Toole report, signage along the Minute Man
Commuter Bikeway is also proposed. We agreed that it would be appropriate to consider the
request. The details, however, matter. The five areas that will need discussion are: 1) content —
how much information should be provided. Should it be different in different areas; 2) form —
should it be electronic, visible at night, removable /exchangeable information; 3) siting — location
does matter as does the number; 4) Center kiosk — should a kiosk that includes bikeway information,
events, business directory 5) design matters. After discussion it was suggested that 2 people from
each of the three committees get together to make a proposal that addresses all of these items.
2) Parking and parking signage - Melissa Tintocalis, Economic Development Officer has been
working on parking management and implementation plan for Lexington Center. As this overlaps
with the Battle Green Master Plan area, and the Signage program, the Committee was asked to
comment on the proposal. The Committee questioned the need for the proposed signs. The history
of the Tourism Committee's involvement in the signage in Lexington Center and the vote of the
Board of Selectmen regarding signage being reviewed with the Committee. How the Visitors Center
sign has functioned and the improvement with the 30 minute parking was also discussed. Regarding
the parking regulations, the main discussion revolved around the timing of the Battle Green Master
Plan study having just begun, versus the Center Streetscape nearing completion. Upon motion duly
made and seconded, the Committee unanimously voted to: Support the parking program
implementation plan and regulations as presented, provided that those regulations affecting the
Battle Green Master Plan area are temporary, pending the outcome of the Battle Green parking and
traffic study, and further, that we supporting the sign proposed for the parking hut, but that we don 't
support removing the arrow from the Visitor Center sign and believe that the other three proposed
parking signs do not appropriately direct cars and therefore do not support their installation.
3) Official Visitors Guide Reprint — The Official Map & Visitors Guide will need to be reprinted. All
Committee members were asked to review the document and make any recommended changes. In
addition, Jerry Michelson had previously provided some updates for businesses that have left and
others that had come since our last printing. Dawn and Kerry will work on updating it. There was a
discussion of the possibility of printing less quantity and redoing it yearly. The Committee will
discuss that option at a future meeting.
1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE • LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420
4) FY2016 Budget and Program Improvement Requests due October 14th - Committee members
were asked to being thinking about what budget recommendations should be brought to the staff
regarding for FY2016 budget planning. It was reported that $8,558.16 was returned to the Town as a
result of positive Liberty Ride Operations. With prior year payments, the balance owed to the
general fund has been cut in half. Last year's Program Improvement Requests (PIRs) were reviewed
as possibilities. One possible new request would be to fund a paid position for delivery of Visitor
Guides to various Lexington businesses. Currently, Michelson Shoes, Enterprise Rent -A -Car and
the gas station at the corner of Lincoln Street and Marrett Road are the only businesses to whom the
maps are delivered based on their requests. Additional businesses would like to distribute the
brochures but we don't currently have a mechanism for doing so. They are primary distributed at the
Visitors Center and at travel shows and events. Carl Valente had also mentioned the possibility of
funding a strategic plan Economic Development Plan
5) Minutes — Upon motion duly made and seconded, the minutes of March 14, 2014 were unanimously
approved.
6) Liberty Ride Operations and Marketing
a) Electronic Ticketing — the research has not been completed on this possibility. Implementation,
if the Committee finds a vendor that will meet the needs, will begin with the 2015 season.
b) Sunday bus service — permission to begin Sunday service will be requested from the MBTA for
the start of the 2015 season.
c) Other unforeseen items that must be addressed prior to next meeting - Salem Trolley Ad is up
for renewal. When initially advertised, Salem had four trolleys, and we advertised on two of
them. Now they have 6 trolleys, typically run only 1 or 2 on any given day, meaning the odds of
our ad being viewed is diminished. Masha and Dawn visited Salem to ride the trolley and see
the impact of our ad. After visiting Salem, Dawn and Masha believe that there are more
effective advertising tools and recommend that the advertising through the Salem Trolley be
discontinued.
7) Updates & Miscellaneous
a) BrandUSA ads — a draft of the 500 word description for the website was distributed for
comments. A new email address has been established to collect inquiries from this site:
discover cgr,tourlexington.us The last step is for us to produce 20 high resolution photos for
inclusion in the website. Suggested photos are welcome, otherwise they will be taken from the
portfolio Kerry has been gathering.
b) People Counter Data — Visitor Center visits from February through August were reviewed. In
that period 67,184 people entered. Approximately 3 of those came through the Battle Green
entrance, with the rest coming off the bikeway side. The data also confirms that July is our
busiest month to date, yet more people entered during February and March than might have been
predicted.
c) Revolutionary Revelry — Planning for May 2015 will begin shortly. Thanks to the Town
Meeting appropriation a part -time event planner will be hired to help improve the event.
d) Other unforeseen items that must be addressed prior to next meeting
i) Registration for AAA Travel Marketplace 2015 is now open. The Committee confirmed that
Lexington should participate again. Coupons distributed in 2014 continue to be redeemed.
ii) Bebe reported that the Monuments and Memorial Committee has begun to meet and will
update the Committee when there is a further understanding of what will be reviewed.
8) Visitors Center Project Update — Originally, the Selectmen had planned to vote on whether to
support the program at the Visitors Center and release the funds to begin design work at their late
August meeting. However, The Chamber of Commerce has requested that the Town consider taking
over the visitor services at the Visitors Center. Until this has been resolved, the Visitors Center
design is on hold. Town Manager Carl Valente will attend the next meeting of the Tourism
Committee (September 19th) to seek our input as to whether or not the Town would be well served to
provide visitor services. Dawn related that in order to do so, the Manager would have to be in full
support of the Town's assumption of these duties.
9) Setting Future Meetings - A list of proposed meetings between October and June will be brought
to the next meeting. It was suggested that the 1' and 3rd Fridays of each month would be an
appropriate guide.
Next Meeting: September 19th
The meeting adjourned at approximately 12:45 pm
Respectfully submitted,
Dawn McKenna, Chairman
Documents available for inspection:
1. Center Parking Program Implementation: Parking Regulations for Massachusetts Avenue &
Additional Signage
2. Official Visitors Guide & Map printed March 2013
3. FY2015 Program Improvement Request Form 1 of 4
4. FY2015 Program Improvement Request Form 2 of 4
5. FY2015 Program Improvement Request Form 3 of 4
6. FY2015 Program Improvement Request Form 4 of 4
7. Draft not yet approved Minutes for the meeting of Friday, March 14, 2014
8. Proposed language for BrandUSA 500 word description
9. Email dated September 9, 2014 10:21 am from Dorinda Goodman (MIS) containing People
Counter data February — August 2014
10. Spreadsheet of Revolving Fund Loan repayment
11. copy of invoice from Salem Trolley for 2014 -2015
12. Email dated 9.11.2014 regarding Registration for 2015 AAA Travel Marketplace