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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes2004-047 Sponsored by: Clark CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA RESOLUTION 2004-47 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA, DESIGNATING THE SEWARD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AS THE LEAD MARKETING ENTITY AND DIRECTING THAT A WRITTEN AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING ACCOUNTABILITY BE PREPARED WHEREAS, the City of Seward has long sought to promote and increase business activities and employment in the Seward community; and WHEREAS, the City's Strategic and Comprehensive Plans clearly state the City's desire to expand its business base and to generate year-round employment; and WHEREAS, marketing is an important effort that must take place to achieve the goals of attracting new business and industry, supporting and growing existing businesses, and increasing customers coming to Seward; and WHEREAS, the City recognizes that a coordinated marketing effort at the community-wide level is critical to success; and WHEREAS, the Chamber of Commerce has tasked its Marketing Committee with focusing on Marketing two major areas, namely Business, Industry Development and the Visitor Industry; anQ WHEREAS, the Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber Marketing Committee are willing to accept responsibility for leading community marketing efforts; and WHEREAS, the Port and Commerce Advisory Board has recognized the need to focus and expand marketing efforts and passed at its March 10, 2004 meeting Resolution 2004-06 recommending that the City Council engage the Seward Chamber of Commerce as the lead marketing entity for the Seward community; and WHEREAS, the City and Chamber both recognize that the creation of a written agreement that defines the Chamber's role in community marketing efforts including an annual workplan and budget thereby creating an agreed upon plan, establishing clear expectations, and determining resource needs. CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA RESOLUTION 2004-47 I NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA, that: Section 1. The City Council hereby designates the Chamber of Commerce as the lead marketing entity for Seward. Section 2. The City Administration and Chamber of Commerce will jointly create a written agreement including provisions establishing accountability through a workplan and budget which must be approved annually by the City Council. Section 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption PASSED AND APPROVED by the City Council ofthe city of Seward, Alaska, this 26th day of April 2004. THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA /),' it ~ / rtlfi . ?- . '-<'~ .--<~ Vanta Shafer, Mayor I AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Branson, Dunham, Valdatta, Clark, Amberg, Shafer None None None ATTEST: Jean, ewis " l , C:ity C:lerk \\\\"'11'1'" ........ Or SE~ """ . ~.. ~4. ......... A1~ ,. (City S~ .'.o"~'i'OFl,.j;:.. ~ <::.. ~ ."'Q '~...;p ~ ....~ C.. Ii!lI .. . ........ -...- . d ... : ~ ~ .. . S"RJ.AT ,CU III . : ~ t"'U.J : :: : ~ : ~ -:. ... --O-.l:: -:. '. ""v ..."'.' "\ '" -:. I.S\~.".YE 1 ",~,,".~ :: c.~~, ...y~ ......1.. ~) ,;~ .~~:, li OF f>.\': ..,;:ll III,,"U"\\ I Agenda Statement Meeting Date: April 26, 2004 From: Council member Kevin Clark Thru Phil Shealy, City Manager Agenda Item: Chamber Marketing BACKGROUND & JUSTIFICATION: The topic of marketing has dominated many conversations over the past year and a half. For example, the realization that Princess was pulling out of Seward, and with little fight by Seward to keep them, was a wake up call to the community that we aren’t taking care of our customers. There was a scramble by the City Council, the City Administration, PACAB, the Chamber of Commerce, and many business leaders to try to fix things. Regardless of the reasons for the Princess decision, and whether or not we could have affected their decision, our efforts to keep Princess showed how poorly we functioned together as a community. The good news is that we all share a common goal and the desire to fix this problem. Everyone agrees that Seward needs to better take care of its customers and that we need to market Seward. It is also recognized that our customers include businesses and industry as well as the individuals who come to experience Seward as a destination. But, defining what we mean by marketing, and determining who is leading the effort has been a great source of frustration as the community has tried to gain forward momentum. The challenge is to figure out how to proceed. There is a need for leadership and focus at the community level to move things forward. There are two entities that can operate at a community-wide level to provide leadership in the marketing arena. The first is the City of Seward, and the second is the Chamber of Commerce. In either case, it is recognized that neither organization is currently staffed or has resources to fully implement a community marketing effort. Yet, it is important at this time to start building for the future. The first step is to pick a lead agency, and task them with leading the effort. Both PACAB and the Chamber of Commerce have started to address this, and at this time, both entities are recommending that the Chamber of Commerce take the lead. At this time, the City has not indicated that it is willing to become the marketing lead for the Seward community. It is not staffed to do so, and there is recognition of the fact that the Chamber has a more direct mission and expertise in this area. The Chamber exists to market Seward and to help build its business base. Yet, the City has a responsibility to ensure that it takes action to ensure a healthy business community, to expand our business and industry base, thereby creating more jobs, and to attract and take care of Seward’s customers. This means that the City needs support from another entity to achieve these goals. This entity should be the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has agreed to take on this role and responsibility. The Chamber has already begun to structure itself in a manner that will allow it to accept this responsibility, specifically through re-focusing its Marketing Committee to address the broader marketing needs of the community. It is also clear that the new Executive Director will be tasked by the Board with this project as a top priority. Designating a lead agency isn’t enough. Based on the history of working relations between the City and the Chamber, and recognizing that clarity will help build a productive working relationship, it is important to create a written agreement that documents how this relationship will work. The Chamber and City of Seward will need to negotiate in good faith the terms of this agreement. This will allow the City to ensure accountability and the Chamber to set expectations and address resource needs. This is a constructive way to move the budget conversations regarding the use of bed tax monies into a structured agreement. This resolution sets a policy direction and directs the parties to work together to create an agreement. It does not in any way bind either the City or Chamber to specific terms or conditions. This agreement, when completed, will still need the approval of the City and the Chamber Board, as well as annual approvals of workplans and budgets. This action is consistent with the City’s guiding plans. The Strategic plan starts with “Economic Base”, its first goal is to “Attract New Industry”, and its first strategy is to, “Develop an aggressive marketing campaign which highlights the diverse resources, and quality of life that make Seward a great place to live and establish a business or industry”. Clearly, at the five-year mark of this plan, not much progress has been made. Working through the Chamber, this goal can be assigned in a way that will ensure it becomes reality. The 1990 Comprehensive Plan has a number of places that address this need, and the current Comprehensive Plan even in draft form includes language very much like that found in the Strategic Plan. CONSISTENCY CHECKLIST: Yes No 1. Comprehensive Plan _____ _____ 2. Strategic Plan _____ _____ 3. Other _____ _____ 4. Not applicable _____ _____ FISCAL NOTE: Not applicable at this time. Fiscal impacts will be negotiated. _______________________________________________________________ _________ RECOMMENDATION: Council approve Resolution 2004-47, designating the Chamber of Commerce as the lead marketing entity for Seward, and directing Administration to implement this policy with a written agreement establishing accountability and annual workplans and budgets.