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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-05-29 Budget Meeting Minutes Supporting Services, COVA, Sunriver Minutes of Budget Meeting Wednesday, May 28, 2014 Page 1 of 13 Deschutes County Board of Commissioners 1300 NW Wall St., Suite 200, Bend, OR 97701-1960 (541) 388-6570 - Fax (541) 385-3202 - www.deschutes.org MINUTES OF BUDGET MEETING DESCHUTES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2014 – Afternoon Session ___________________________ Allen Room, Deschutes Services Building ___________________________ Present were Commissioners Tammy Baney, Anthony DeBone and Alan Unger. Also present were Tom Anderson, County Administrator; Erik Kropp, Deputy County Administrator; Mike Maier, Clay Higuchi and Bruce Barrett, Budget Committee; Wayne Lowry and Teri Maerki, Finance; and, for a portion of the meeting, Judith Ure, Administration; Keith McNamara, Veterans’ Services; Danielle Fegley, Human Resources; Joe Sadony, I.T.; Dave Doyle, County Counsel; Susan Ross, Property & Facilities; David Givans, Internal Auditor; and members of the Central Oregon Visitors Association and the Sunriver Chamber of Commerce. No representatives of the media were in attendance. Meeting minutes were taken by Bonnie Baker. Bruce Barrett opened the meeting at 1:25 p.m. ___________________________ Board of Commissioners. Tom Anderson indicated the expense budget for the Board of Commissioners is nearly identical to previous years. However, some of the expenses will be charged to the general fund ($190,000), for activities not associated with a department, such as general legislation issues. Research shows that other counties handle this in a variety of ways. In order to burden the departments less, his philosophy was to take a closer look at indirect charges to determine which costs are global for the good of the County and which have a direct relationship with the departments. Mr. Maier said in the past sometimes the departments with the most income covered a lot of this, but that is not equitable either. Minutes of Budget Meeting Wednesday, May 28, 2014 Page 2 of 13 Administration. Administrative Services shows a change in expenses. David Inbody was about half-time in Administration a year ago, with the rest of his time charged to Health Services. He moved into a position there, and the remaining workload was distributed to Judith Ure, Finance (for budget production), and other staff. Commissioner Unger noted that Wayne Lowry and Teri Maerki stepped up to help. Mr. Anderson stated that the internal charges should be shown on paper, just so departments will know who is doing the work and the true expense. Mr. Lowry said that all internal funds get support from other funds. If the internal funds charge each other, it does not make a difference as to what the departments are charged. It will show what the real costs are but the money will not be shifted around. Judith Ure said she is managing various funds related to the lottery, and will be working on legislative issues and the transportation fund. She is taking on a more supportive role with departments in grant writing. The dollar amount directly attributed to her work will show less in the future. Mr. Anderson stated that she has been very successful in getting some big grants. David Givans is focusing on public safety departments and models this year, to look at integrating the work they do. He is still in the development stages of how this will be done. Mr. Maier said Mr. Givans is a resource to help departments do their best work. Law Library. Erik Kropp spoke about contracting out the Law Library and associated services. The Public Library system is open to discussing this further. Per State law, the County has to make sure the Law Library is available to the public. He feels this change would allow for better access and the branch libraries may also be able to help. Mr. Maier asked about the reaction of the local Bar. Mr. Kropp replied that a proposal will be drafted and a meeting held with all interested parties to determine the best option. Much of the research can now be done on line. Mr. Anderson stated that housing the Law Library takes a lot of space that can probably be better utilized. The end result may be an MOU with the Library system. Minutes of Budget Meeting Wednesday, May 28, 2014 Page 3 of 13 Veterans’ Services. Keith McNamara said that the assistant position was increased last year; and he also got some grant funds from the State for outreach. He added that the increased staffing made a big difference to his office and local veterans. (He referred to a handout at this time.) This resulted in a greater amount of benefits, especially retroactive, being obtained for veterans. Further, some veterans live on their disability and this is a life or death situation for them. The workload is still increasing, with 640 scheduled appointments in the past four months. They are still backlogged on appointments. Recent veterans will require another five or ten years of service after they return. Chair Baney asked if there is a way to do some of this work on the front end rather than waiting for them to return. Mr. McNamara said the Yellow Ribbon Program helps veterans and their families prepare through the whole deployment and upon their return. There will always be the few in crisis when they come back. He is seeing a lot of Vietnam veterans who are retiring and now looking for services they did not try to access in the past. Unfortunately, some of the issues relate to post traumatic stress syndrome, which is worse when the veteran has a lot of free time. Mr. Maier asked if the D.A. talked with Mr. McNamara about a Veterans’ Court. Mr. McNamara stated they have. Deschutes County has a V.A. employee who visits the jail and talks about benefits with the inmates. They have to be qualified combat veterans. He would guess that the percentage of veterans in the jail is higher than one would think. Often the families contact him to see what help is available. Commissioner Unger thinks it will get worse with the latest war fronts. Mr. Maier feels one out of 12 veterans is a combat veteran. Many were support. Mr. McNamara stated that almost all veterans of Vietnam experienced combat, and many of the newer veterans have, too. Chair Baney feels they are doing a better job of identifying themselves as veterans when they go to jail. A solid number is needed so people can be assisted as appropriate. Mr. Higuchi asked about not having services here that are available in Portland. Mr. McNamara said the increase in services available here has increased the demand. This year he has seen more than 30 World War II veterans, and most of them did not know what services are available to them. Minutes of Budget Meeting Wednesday, May 28, 2014 Page 4 of 13 Commissioner DeBone asked how many times they might see a veteran. Mr. McNamara said that this usually is once or twice, depending on the issues. There are a lot of people moving here as well. He also meets with the widows or widowers of veterans to make sure they get help at that time. Chair Baney asked if the work is cyclical, and if there are times when it needs to be ramped up. Mr. McNamara said that the amount of veterans coupled with the available time is not adequate. More help and time with each is needed. They often have to research medical documentation. They cannot keep people waiting. Mr. Maier said that the Veterans’ Services office is smaller than it was in 1991. There is a lot more work now, perhaps even double. Chair Baney asked if volunteer involvement would help. There are veterans who want to give back. Mr. McNamara said he utilizes work study people, but whoever is there has to be approved to review medical records, per HIPAA. They help with administration mostly. He said they cannot do claims because they have to be accredited, and that takes two years on the job. The secretary is not accredited either. Mr. Kropp said it would take a reclassification and not overpaying for a portion of the work done. Commissioner Unger wants to be supportive but needs to know how. Mr. McNamara said the Department of Veterans Affairs received an extra $1 million from the State. They gave some of this to each County and the rest was to be distributed through grants. They got $10,000 and an additional $31,000, much of which will be used for a media outreach campaign. They want to be sure people know what is available to them. He is working with Anna Johnson, the County’s Communications Officer, on this. Outreach includes newspapers and other print media, and brochures. They hope to do some radio spots. Judith Ure helped him tailor his grant writing skills as well. Risk Management. Mr. Kropp said that Risk Management is self-insured for the first $10,000. They are self-insured for workers compensation, although there is an insurer for larger claims. There are unemployment claims to handle. General liability is self- insured. There was an increase in general liability payoffs this past year. One relates to the D.A. Office and three Deputy D.A.’s that went to federal court. Also, someone who was terminated by the D.A., and the County ended up sharing the cost. Minutes of Budget Meeting Wednesday, May 28, 2014 Page 5 of 13 The Health Department has been going through the OPAR. This required $75,000 in legal services to comply. This has been offset by workers compensation claims, which went down significantly. A proposal by CIS is to develop the Oregon Public Entity Access Pool. Agencies could group together and purchase from the Pool. Instead of purchasing general liability on the private market, they could pool together with others. They need to focus on the cost and covered Mr. Maier is not sure it is run well. Mr. Kropp stated that they associated with the 4-H/Extension District. Chair Baney feels that CIS might be best for smaller counties, but feels it is important to occasionally review options. Mr. Kropp said that during layoff times, unemployment payoffs skyrocket. It can be challenged but it is difficult. Personnel. Regarding Personnel, Danielle Fegley stated they hope to be Human Resources with some changes in the department. Personnel is imbedded in Code so they have to work through this. They provide primary services as expected for recruitment, benefits, training, payroll components and other duties. This includes labor relations as well, with six labor contracts. One significant issue is working with Finance on training modules, payroll and other services. Regarding payroll, they are looking at how to eliminate some of the manual work involved with time sheets. Regarding health and welfare, they have over ten providers for insurance and other services. They hope to evaluate this and bring the number down. The department has experienced some retirements and expects more. They are reviewing the evaluation process and making sure supervisors are current on issues regarding medical leave and similar issues. Ms. Fegley stated that there is a wellness coordinator position in the budget, .5 FTE, which is not done in house anymore. It is contracted out with Medcor at the onsite clinic. The investigator position has been contracted out for the most part. She hopes to better utilize their space to allow for more document protection. She is still in the process of evaluating overall operations, including interacting with representatives of other counties and cities. Minutes of Budget Meeting Wednesday, May 28, 2014 Page 6 of 13 Finance. Wayne Lowry said he is enjoying the work in his department. They handle finance, treasurer and tax collection. Some locations include what the Assessor does here. Some funds are revenue sources such as the transient room tax. They do a cyclical audit each year of the accounts, usually including a few of the larger ones. They check on line for advertisements for personal property that is being rented out, to make sure they are in the system. They also handle dog licensing. They have received awards for budgeting. Doing this right is a priority. They have hired new outside auditors through a bid process. They are from Boise, ID. The current firm came in second. Commissioner DeBone asked that the “based in Idaho” be dropped from the budget message as bei ng irrelevant. Regarding investments, they have been moving away from the pool and are making other investments to comply with statute. The Treasurer work is more active now, with a five year investment strategy. He said there are a lot of vendors in the middle tier who can help with a Finance/Human Resources program. He went through this process with a large firm, Oracle, that cost $5.5 million and resulted in a much bigger I.T. department when they were done. HTE has a new program, and Tyler has a similar program that he thinks the City of Bend will use. Some programs handle all city functions but here it will focus on Finance and Human Resources. An RFP will be prepared by late this summer. The County is very paper-intensive but only Finance seems to use HTE. Something more useful to others would be helpful. Information Technology. Joe Sadony said the I.T. budget is similar to those in the past. They are going through software replacement at this time and that work is intensive, but there has been a slight reduction in services. There are a lot of changes in the kinds of services they are providing, and they are starting to do more contracting and contract management for departments. These transitions are time-consuming. They are ramping up on some software development in-house since there are certain things municipalities do that no one writes software for. For instance, they developed software for electronic monitoring and community service monitoring in Parole & Probation. Another is handling developmentally disability cases and how services are tracked so they can get State funding. There will be another for environmental work, and they are developing one for dog licensing. Minutes of Budget Meeting Wednesday, May 28, 2014 Page 7 of 13 They have three funds, and there was a big change in GIS this year. It is primarily funded by recording fees and that revenue declined dramatically. They used reserves for this and ended up having to supplement it this year. They moved some FTE requirements to another fund. They expect that this fund has flat tened and will stay much the same for several years. What is missing is the refinancing factor. In GIS, they have reviewed core services. They cannot do the large projects as things are. The DIAL rewrite was one they had completed. There are many employees who use GIS every day, in the Assessor’s Office, Community Development and Road, and they all have licenses maintained by I.T. It is an important function but any extra projects cannot be undertaken at this point. Others handle housing data, phone system upgrades and other maintenance of expensive equipment. For instance, it took eight years to convert Community Development’s records. They used a contractor, DataStor, to do much of this work. Commissioner DeBone said the D.A.’s Office bought equipment but did not use much of it to digitize. Mr. Sadony stated that I.T. purchased this equipment back and other departments are using it. The D.A.’s Office wants to stay with paper for now. Mr. Anderson stated that the effort is indexing and storing it properly so it can be retrieved. The biggest cost is labor and not the equipment or system. Mr. Sadony said they pushed the D.A. to move it forward but it stalled. They did not want to pay for the maintenance on the software, either. Mr. Anderson pointed out that they need to have someone who knows what to keep and what to eliminate, what key words are important, and so on. Commissioner Unger asked about using Windows XP. Microsoft has dropped support for this system, so there will not be any updates if there is a security issue or other problems. The law enforcement community requires their work stations that access LEDS to be certified. They will not support the use of XP. All of those computers in law enforcement agencies have to go. They still have some in the Sheriff’s Office, and this is being audited. They have to show that these will be budgeted for and replaced. They do not have a choice. There are a lot of Windows XP computers at the County, but I.T. has not done much with this otherwise. They have to pay attention now to what desktops people are using. This change is going to amount to about 250 computers eventually. Much of this will be funded out of reserves. Minutes of Budget Meeting Wednesday, May 28, 2014 Page 8 of 13 Legal Counsel. Dave Doyle gave an overview of his previous experience and how things are going since he joined the County this year. He is very comfortable with how things are going. He did not develop the budget numbers for this year, but they run very lean and he does not expect a lot of change. He hopes to turn all the attorneys into more general practitioners, but not lose their areas of expertise. They all should be able to fill in and provide serviceable information as needed. It is a benefit for the lawyers to have more of a general skillset, and this will benefit the County as well. Chair Baney stated that they have somewhat categorized their attorneys, and this has not been a good thing overall. Mr. Maier said Polk County is half the size of Deschutes County and Mr. Doyle was the only legal counsel, on a part-time basis. Mr. Doyle said he wants to look at areas that are being out-sourced. Workers compensation work costs almost $80,000, and this is something that might be handled in house. Bankruptcy matters related to taxes and other issues migh t also be something to bring in house. He thinks they may have the capacity for this. Regarding goals and measurements, effective service delivery applies. They want to be more responsive and approachable. However, there are times when Legal may have to ask for a time-out and they cannot be hesitant to say so. His first priority is to represent the Board. Legal as a whole works for all the departments. Chair Baney asked if records will be converted into electronic form at some time. Mr. Doyle stated before he started, the department had purchased an Amicus system but it was not being well utilized. His staff will begin learning about it and train each other. It is supposed to be very comprehensive. Mr. Anderson stated that feedback he has go tten from departments indicates they are pleased to be working with Mr. Doyle. Property & Facilities. Susan Ross said there have been no significant changes in the budget or FTE’s. There was an increase in materials and services charges, however, in the amount of about $128,000. Minutes of Budget Meeting Wednesday, May 28, 2014 Page 9 of 13 Notable accomplishments include the completion of the solar installation at the Fair & Expo Center, funded through grants. They are undergoing a project through the Energy Trust of Oregon, to look at energy savings overall. This will examine people’s behavior and how they use equipment in their office. You have to pay over $1 million in utilities to be in this project. It is a year’s process and they say the average organization saves about 5%, and they will give a kickback of 2 cents per kilowatt hour. Significant property endeavors include the demo landfill and OSU-Cascades. They are going through a brownfields study currently to determine the highest and best use. The other property is the 250+ acres in the City of Redmond that has been rezoned to industrial. She said they take a lot of pride in the work they do. Mr. Maier asked if they did anything with the jail in regard to utilities. Ms. Ross stated they looked at using biomass but it did not make sense at this time. Service Partners. Central Oregon Visitors Association. Alana Hughson of COVA presented Tom O’Shea, Dan Despotopulos, Scott Huntsinger, John Audia, and Kent Elliott, and provided a handout to accompany her PowerPoint presentation. Their mission statement has not changed. They represent all of central Oregon and are supported by lodging providers. They are very resort-driven and tend to target the higher end, more affluent visitor, who tend to be more mature. Most local resorts share this commonality. They leverage their programs through partnerships. They developed a three-year marketing plan to essentially open up northern California. The message is different from the one used for established areas like Portland. They will continue to work on the Bay Area and gradually work down through the State. Their strategy is to develop awareness. They do very little in-state marketing but about 40% of customers come from Oregon anyway. They need to make people in other areas aware of this area. Minutes of Budget Meeting Wednesday, May 28, 2014 Page 10 of 13 She explained how they utilize events for marketing purposes, to continue bringing in visitors. They need to determine which events to tie into and capitalize on those. They utilize print marketing and television and track the impacts. Sunriver marketing became more family-friendly. The Legends Program booked about $167,000 with $82,000 more pending. Other golfing events have been very successful. Golf –related earned value fiscal year to date is at $374,000. Travel Oregon has been successful and the State is happy with the industr y alignment. Travel Oregon spent a lot of money on this program and COVA is pleased to be a part of the impact. For every dollar spend on earned media, about $70 is generated. They do not have a way to track digital results but this is being examined. Social media was not the most important thing previously, but people of all ages are using this now. They made some staffing changes and hired some contractors to meet the social media needs. They are actively on Facebook and Twitter, but blog posts and video blogs require more emphasis. They want people to participate actively. This becomes free marketing. COVA can re-message selectively. The COVA newsletter is sent two times a month, and they are double the industry average for people who open the message. They are selective as to who receives what newsletter. The new website was launched in March and the e-messages directly increases the visits to the website. The Central Oregon Guide was a first place award winner out of all the western states. Advertising pays for the guide. They have invested in market research, so they try to dovetail with what Travel Oregon is doing. However, they wanted to do more specific research. They surveyed the people who already know the area. The latest surv ey is entirely random and they hope to have these results in June. Room tax revenue began recovering from the recession in FY 12-13. They are up 16% this fiscal year. Finance is now providing a breakdown of the geographic areas where the funding is generated. This will allow COVA to look at nuances. The partners within cities count on COVA to help them generate more business. Visit Bend is well-funded by the City but the other locations need more support. COVA wants to message outside of the core areas in Oregon. Visit Bend may focus on Washington in the future. Minutes of Budget Meeting Wednesday, May 28, 2014 Page 11 of 13 Chair Baney asked if the brand is now Bend. At one point it was Sunriver. Ms. Hughson said Bend is a powerful brand and Visit Bend is doing a good job of promotion. She sees COVA’s job as helping the other areas. There is room for both. Oregonians tend to be younger and travel more frequently. Washington is a composite of both younger and older. There will not be significant changes in allocations for FY 14-15. Campaigns are launched or are planned. It is too soon to know what to change or build upon. Their board may want to continue in California. Staff salaries were reduced but they are contracting out more. Chair Baney said that last year the budget was adjusted downward. There is now a new contract and she wanted to know how things are going with this. Mr. O’Shea said that changes happen in any partnership. They are all heavily vested in this work. The contract will provide clarity. He feels these are exciting times in the industry. Mr. Anderson said that per the contract, the County is obligated to provide proper notice if there are to be changes. COVA is also to report twice a year on how the existing marketing plan is performing. The Board can decide what measures or information it wants to see. Commissioner DeBone stated that to him it is the culture, what is working and what isn’t, more of how destination marketing is impacting transportation and other factors. Ms. Hughson said they heard measurements are important, and will use a template for this purpose, showing the goal and the results. The mid -year budget cycle is a good time to do this. Mr. Maier said that the Board wants to know where the funds are going and what is being done with them. Mr. Higuchi stated the room tax is to help drive the resorts. The question comes up, what are they doing with all this money, and maybe law enforcement should get more. He has no opinion of the marketing plan, as it is not his business. He can look at the finished product but can’t relate to most of it. Commissioner DeBone said they are doing good work with the money. Mr. Higuchi said it is worth it if it helps to support the community. Mr. O’Shea said they have to make good decisions on the use of the funds. They have to grow the pie and that is through marketing. This funds the County. If you do not market your business, you are not going to be successful. Minutes of Budget Meeting Wednesday, May 28, 2014 Page 12 of 13 Commissioner Unger feels they are doing a great job and have the right people on their board. He appreciates them paying attention to the airline industry. Mr. Barrett stated that he feels they are going in the right direction, especially with social media. He feels they are leveraging well and fulfilling their mission. Ms. Hughson said that it is a lot to take in if you are not living it every day. They are the experts in this field and know the economic impacts. Mr. O’Shea added that as a group they are not the easiest ones to manage, so Ms. Hughson has done an admirable job with this job. They have to adapt to the market and be smart. Sunriver Chamber. John Audia and Kent Elliott of the Sunriver Chamber of Commerce. They said their Director retired and another quit. Mr. Elliott said that they operate on $70,000, and about $23,000 of that comes from the County. They could not operate without this. The Sunriver publication is self- supporting through ads. The magazine is mailed to whoever asks for it, and some requests come through COVA. As a community their membership in the Chamb er is under 200. It is because they are a small community. They have to operate with the funds they can get. Mr. Audia said their goal is working on a partnership with COVA to enhance Sun river’s impact. They had talked about shutting down the Chamber and letting COVA take over, but the membership was worried about the smaller businesses. There is a place for the Chamber and they will do what they can through COVA. They are working on a site with prime traffic in the village. COVA could lease the space and the Chamber would co-lease from them. Visitors will get all kinds of help, whether in Sunriver or other parts of Central Oregon. Visitors don’t know who COVA is or what a Chamber does. They just want information. Mr. Higuchi said if the Chamber shuts down, the members’ dues stop. Then they won’t have anything to contribute to COVA or the visitors’ center. Mr. O’Shea said that the COVA board has not made a decision on a location in Sunriver at this point. Being no further discussion, the session ended at 5:15 p.m. DATED this 1~Day of ~/ 2014 for the Deschutes County Board of Commissioner Anthony DeB one, Vice Chair ATTEST: Al ~C ~an nger, ommlSSlOner ~~ Recording Secretary Minutes of Budget Meeting Wednesday, May 28 ,2014 Page 13 of 13 BUDGET COMMITTEE AGENDA Thursday, May 29th , 2014 Program Budget TablPage Sheriffs Office • Public comment (Continued) • At conclusion of presentation, continue Countywide Law Enforcement District meeting to Friday, May 30th, at 9:30 a.m. • At conclusion of presentation, continue Rural Law Enforcement District meeting to Friday, May 30th, at 9:30 a.m. 1:15 -1:25 PM 1:25 -1:35 PM 1:35 -1:50 PM 1:50 -2:05 PM 2:05 -2:20 PM 2:20 -2:35 PM 2:35 -2:50 PM 2:50 -3:05 PM 3:05 -3:20 PM 3:20 -3:30 PM 3:30 -4:00 PM 4:00 -5:00 PM Break Support Services • Introductions • Budget discussion · Board of County Commissioners (Fund 628)............... . • Administrative Services (Fund 625)............................ -Law Library (Fund 215)......................................... .. -Veterans' Services (Fund 001-23)................................. • Risk Management (Fund 670).................................... • Personnel (Fund 650)............................................... · Finance (Fund 630).................................................. • Information Technology (Fund 660)........................... • Legal (Fund 640)...................................................... • Property and Facilities (Fund 620)............................. Break Service Partner • Central Oregon Visitors Association (COV A) Review and Discussion • Recall Departments for further clarification • Other issues and considerations Continue the Deschutes County budget meeting to Friday, May 30t h, at 9:00 AM 6/211 6/216 6/224 6/221 6/225 6/226 6/233 6/240 6/245 6/249 Page 2 ~ Budget Presentations ­ Attendees Group(s) Daterrimes ~,,-?t'l 'en} fA--5iZ (Please Print) Name Dept./Agency Phone # e-mail address JJJti'e &rr~ _~ij _ C2 {' 8~ . js L/l-~8'j-5SD5 -tJ./;_arr~6e~/)r17~n;j()t/ !l~ UUjh5Vh ~ I t4/-!J9'J-9]"~ I 11 ~v1~rfu,,~O~,~ '1LWl D'~~ CoJOv SJ.lI·Sq3 -(000 t-QS~~f\~-~~~ C6ft"\. ~,v A-u [?) :a Su AI a.; 1fe12-Ct-fA--w1 J3EI2.. 911-"3S6 -:>55/ A U~I ·A~Ii.v @ 'ff6NP8n~;tt[}jI".,..». Cd I j eli? l!JJ-./(}; I ~o"OZ/tJrf2 CIJJf!YJrE7!k 111/-5"93 -2lrq e-;(eC~ s,~ >1,() tX'rclon1W(, tJ~)U \Je~~a~)6~ I C ()u (), 5"Cf f-tf.lf$ -&?) ( {'J AbJ~10 _t"-sG \0-k~ )G OI/ +-\0.'-Ir;-V1/Y9~( , Cvv 4 511-&irtJ'-KJY 7l1~ ~ J'~ f-u-.VVJ.?I "7 e J (c;. 6LL-.~l/tA:~~" L J--z-t: + t I -- Deschutes County Veterans Service Office Statistics Januarv 1, thru A~ril 30, Subject Total 2 0 13 2014 Pe r cent ChanJ.~e POA'S 90 158 75.55% New claim submitted 121 153 26.44% Granted Claims 115 180 56.52% Denied Claims 7 12 71.42% Retro benefits awarded $1,083,312.00 $2,022,702.00 86.71% Average retro per veteran $8,953.00 $11,238.00 25.52% Monthly benefits paid $119,952 .00 $149,438.00 24.58% Average per veteran $991.33 $830.00 -19 .39% Total Per month Per week Per day Pe rVSO 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 Percent Cha n ~e Submittals for VA benefits 661 899 165.25 300 41.3 75 10.32 18 .75 5.16 9 .4 36 .00% Scheduled Appointments 366 640 91.5 213 22.9 53 5.7 14 2.85 7 74.86% In-office interviews 360 628 90 209.3 22.5 52.3 5 .63 13 2.81 6.54 74.44% Out of office interviews 33 47 8.25 15.5 2 .06 3 .87 0 .51 0 .96 0.25 0.48 42 .42% Walk in clients 364 497 91 166 22.75 41.5 5.69 10.37 2.85 5.18 36.53 % LEGAL COUNSEL BUDGET PRESENTATION -May 29,2014 1. BACKGROUND 2. BUDGET NUMBERS 3. MY PLAN 4. QUESTIONS??? Who is this guy? Prepared by Mark P. No Basis Not to Accept Budget Projections/Requests; Full Responsibility for Next Budget Year; Recognize that Legal is an internal support department (lean operations -no fluff) Develop general practice skill-set; Retain areas of expertise Reduce budget impacts of other departments via less outsourcing (workers' camp, bankruptcy) z u 0 Lf) lJ) lJ) OJ O ..c 0 ....... ....... c lJ) 0 ....... -rn ....... > c OJ (,/)Z Q) !....0 c.. 0 -.J a::: Z UJ ill UJ ~ ~ ~ ~ 0 U t- UJ ~ 19 n 0 0 => N ....CO (j') >-N I­ Z ~ => ~ 0 U V') UJ ~ => I U V1 UJ 0 "The Central Oregon Visitors Association will market and promote Central Oregon as a year­ round visitor destination to improve the economic vitality of the region ." " Deschutes County Transient Room Tax collections are up for the 3rd consecutive Fiscal Year, evidencing sustained post-Recession recovery in Central Oregon tourism: " FY12 up 6.52% I FY13 up 10.08% I FY14 up *16.54% (*stays through March) " Direct Marketing & Advertising Programs comprise 73% of CaVA's total budget " COVA contracts with niche specialists for advertising, media buying and digital development for optimal efficiencies and cost effectiveness " Staff salaries are just 17.5% of total budget (WACVB industry average in competitive set is 31.4%) " FY14 Total Advertising Impressions -Print, Television & Digital: 51,194,309 " FY14 -to date, Public Relations earned media results: " 546 stories published with total circulation of 49,585,260 " Domestic Earned Media Value of $3,131,192 " Every $1 of CaVA's domestic PR spend generated $69.58 in earned media coverage " Total online Reach: 474,178,411 (Online reach and earned media value not calculated in totals) " cavA's leveraged resources and cooperative marketing increase buying power: " Central Oregon Legends Collection: $100,000 in partner co-op and $177,000 in Added Value from negotiated media " Sunriver co-op: $42,500 in partner co-op and $167,000 in Added Value from negotiated media " Golf Trail co-op: $35,000 in partner co-op and $119,000 in Added Value from negotiated media " RCMP/TraveIOregon: Statewide alignment supports COVA's regional marketing strategies and leveraged $2.3 million investment from Travel Oregon for the 7 Wonders campaign " The new VisitCentralOregon.com (launched March (14) is generating measurably improved results: " User Sessions up 58.09% I Unique Visits up 56.42% I Pageviews up 44.95% " Month-over-month Outbound clicks up 85% I Book Now member clicks up 120% " Destination Event promotion drives awareness and credibility: " The PacAm is the 2nd largest amateur golf tournament in the nation, generating more than $2 million in Central Oregon economic impacts and attracting visitors from all 50 states, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. " The PacAm annually generates more than $250,000 in earned media, positioning Central Oregon as a nationally competitive golf destination " Example: Two years ago the PacAm was attended by 8 visitors from Italy who stayed 7 nights and played six different golf courses. In 2014, the PacAm will host the editor of Golf e Turismo, the largest monthly golf publication in Italy; and the golf editor for La Gazzetta della Sport, Europe's largest sports daily paper. The PacAm is a vehicle that leads to Central Oregon being recognized as a primary golf destination in the United States. FV14 is year two of COVA's 3-year goal to develop and build destination awareness, targeting the No. Cal. / Bay Area markets: " Advertising & Cooperative Marketing " Public Relations " Social Media " Consumer Remarketing " Website Development Visitor Guide / Inquiry Fulfillment " Market Research OBJECTIVE Develop awareness of Central Oregon as a must-see, world-class travel destination STRATEGY Inspire and initiate interest, inquiries, engagement and bookings from west coast markets with emphasis in the Bay Area and Northern California. Central Oregon differentiation using key destination drivers to attract affluent adults (couples/families age 35 -54) with a propensity for actual and/or aspirational outdoor recreation travel experiences. TACTICS Image messaging heavily during the spring travel planning season; sustained with year­ round PR and digital support. Destination brand messaging will utilize television (broadcast & cable/iTVL print (magazines & newspaper inserts), digital web banners inclusive of call-to-action sweepstakes offers and social media engagement tactics. FY 2013/2014 TOTAL ADVERTISING BUDGET: $6 .,,0 FY 2013/2014 print marketing circulation reach (through April 30) 30.4 million FY 13/14 television reach (through April 30) 16.4 mill i 0 FYTD Banner Ad FYTD Banner Ad Click Through Rate* Impressions Clicks (Mar-Apr) 4.5 million 5,245 .12~o *Industry average .07% OBJECTIVE Promote Sunriver as a key destination driver for family and affluent adult travel to Central Oregon. STRATEGY Leverage Sunriver's 40-year reputation as the premier luxury/family destination of the northwest to build visitation from Bay Area. Message primarily during spring travel planning timeframes and include a winter strategy with Mt. Bachelor. TACTICS Spring '14 Broadcast and cable television (iTV/RFI), digital web banners, golf & ski print, event focused niche publication and year-round public relations FY 2013/2014 BUDGET: $281,780 + $42,500 partner co-op = 0 ,. CLICKS TO SUNRIVER PARTNERS: APRil '14 General clicks directly to "Book Now" clicks to lodging Partners lodging Partners 190 107 Total April '14 Pageviews 4,334 Avg. Time Per Visit 2m 28s OBJECTIVE Build awareness of Central Oregon as a world-class golf destination using key resort property destination drivers "Central Oregon Legends Collection" resort golf co-op STRATEGY Target affluent golfers in Northern and Southern California. Drive package bookings (lodging and golf) to featured golf destinations in Central Oregon TACTICS Spring '14 Print advertising in vertical golf magazines, Digital web banners, Public Relations FY 2013/2014 BUDGET: $97,000 + $100,000 partner co-op = $19 00.00 Legends Golf & Lodging Booked -April '14 $37,535 Total Booked to Date Pending Bookings $167,283 $82,214 April Pageviews 5,176 Time per Visit 2m 385 OBJECTIVE Promote the quantity (29) and caliber of Central Oregon Golf Trail courses establishing the region as a golf destination. STRATEGY Utilize The Central Oregon Golf Trail and the Pacific Amateur Golf Classic as incentives to book destination golf vacations. Leverage west coast messaging synergy with COVA's campaigns in key markets with emphasis in the Bay Area TACTICS • Spring {14 golf magazine print and digital buy with lodging and tournament package offers in conjunction with tournament entry to the PacAm. • Golf specific consumer e-newsletters (golf specific email database of 15k) • Public Relations FY 2013/2014 BUDGET: $35,000 + $35,000 partner co-op =$70.000.0 MARKETING & PROMOTIONS Marketing efforts for the Pacific Amateur and the Central Oregon Golf Trail included consumer e-blasts (NCGA, SCGA, PNGA, Golfing Oregon, Travel Oregon) Spring 2014 to date: • 194 PacAm registrations (field of 500+) • 54 PacAm lodging packages booked • 324 room nights booked, to-date for 2014 • 6 nights =average length of stay for PacAm • $2 million+ in economic impacts annually FYTO Golf Consumer FYTO Golf Related Public Marketing Email Impressions Relations -Earned Value 495,000 $374,000 ,., ............, t La •• I C '.1'••1;. __ ___ .. '"""'__... ~:::=~.:'-=--:: .. ---'-----.-. .1..---_.,-.__.-.......-P<>CItlc_1H -._------_._-­..~-- :r---=:"'::.:,.-------____ --. • ....._---­_..--­ OBJECTIVE Leverage Travel Oregon's $2.3 million '7 Wonders of Oregon' image campaign to inspire visitation, consumer engagement and sharing of experiences by consumers, travel bloggers and photographers. STRATEGY COVA's leveraged messaging with Travel Oregon, concentrated in the Bay Area, resonated powerfully with the combined reach and frequency of the Travel Oregon media buy. TACTICS Spring '14 Central Oregon's 'Smith Rock Wonder' video; online photography contest; blog series; social media campaign and eNewsletter blasts. FY 2013/2014 BUDGET: $75,000 + Travel Oregon co-op $2.3 million = • Total Digital Video Email Impressions 3,016,393 Clicks to Travel Oregon Site from Video 15,520 Pre-Roll Companion Web Banner Impressions 435,264 Clicks to Travel Oregon from Web Banners 570 Video Views on YouTube 471,184 Clicks to Travel Oregon from YouTube Channel 2,759 OBJECTIVE Raise awareness of Central Oregon as a travel destination in targeted markets in the west, with a Northern California emphasis. STRATEGY Secure earned media coverage from influential travel writers and editorial staff featuring Central Oregon as a visitor destination. TACTICS Produce press releases and pitch story lines utilizing Central Oregon storytelling elements. Produce travel writer familiarization tours to experience Central Oregon firsthand. FY 2013/2014 BUDGET: COVA/ $30,000 + RCMP $15,000 = $45.000 --=--='I-~" --~~'~~~~:==..~-~: .===-';:"""--~--.-­ American Eagle, Latitudes, 8 pages Alaska & Horizon Airlines, 10 pages Earned Media examples - Earned Value of domestic Public Relations -FYTD $3,131,192 Total # of Stories Total Circulation Total Online Reach 546 49,585,260 4 8,411 Every $1 of COVA domestic PR spend generated $69.58I : in Earned Media coverage. Travel writer relationships and content development are a growth program in FY15 I OBJECTIVE Inspire visitors through engagement with peer groups, interest groups and family communications to explore a Central Oregon vacation experience STRATEGY Create content to show and tell the Central Oregon story (relevant to what is happening now, and the conversations that we want people to have). Give people a reason and inspiration to visit. Demographic targeting and follower engagement. TACTICS Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo, YouTube, etc.: Telling and sharing stories of how to experience Central Oregon. Every post includes a call-to-action for further engagement with the consumer via links to Member sites, sweepstakes entry or package/offer. FY 2013/2014 BUDGET: .,15.,000 SNAPSHOT -APRIL '14: SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT The new VisitCentralOregon.com web site launched March '14. In companion with the site launch, COVA implemented a comprehensive social media strategy. From April 1-30, there were 457 mentions (#CentraIOregon, #inCentralOregon or #VisitCentraIOregon), reaching an audience of 187,241. Of these 457, 18% were retweeted by 53 unique profiles, spreading the mentions to an additional 141,213 people. Facebook "Fans" Twitter "Followers" New Blog Posts New Video Blogs 26,380 2,565 84 6 OBJECTIVE Convert COVA website visitors into vacation planners and buyers STRATEGY Digital remarketing to connect with those who are already familiar with Central Oregon offering a specifically targeted marketing message or promotion TACTICS Web banner retargeting campaigns and consumer E-Newsletter blasts are re-targeted to visitors engaging with VisitCentralOregon.com FY 2013/2014 BUDGET: $15.00 COVA E-Newsletter Consumer e-newsletters are sent two times each month. The focus for these messages include, trip ideas, regional events and call-to-action promotions. Consumer Email Database Open Rate* 38,004 31.6% ........'-..'"'''''III 0Iwt0Il AO~ ......D.:r. '!><I'­ ~~.- . ....... (~...... -.--­ 1Mc::r...In..-,.................,.~1N ,..III .....__........ ...., .....~-..---......................~..-­...--....~................--....,.............-----­-..-.....-flilllCr----­~ ...:... I ~.... lt_t lll· .-­ •...In-.n' ......) ~"'~ *double the industry average of 18% Website Retargeting COVA uses software to display website banner ads to people who have visited visitcentraloregon.com or the Travel Oregon 7 Wonders pages. Total Targets Total Impressions Cost Per Target 63,412 812,748 $.08 OBJECTIVE Develop VisitCentralOregon.com as the comprehensive regional visitor information web site for Central Oregon. STRATEGY Design a visitor-centric website that provides relevant and informative content created specifically to inspire and encourage vacations to Central Oregon while providing links and click-through's to COVA members and industry partners TACTICS {{Trip Idea" stories, photography and video. Member Lists and Outbound Links. Social Media programs, Regional Event Calendar, Member and Activity Highlights. Every post has a call-to­ action and links back to web site, videos and blog stories. Direct Online Reservation Booking Links to Members via JackRabbit program, providing real-time rates and availability FY 2013/2014 BUDGET: $35.000 April 2014 VS. April 2013: July 1, 2013 ­ April 30, 2014: 5""'01\$ +58.09% Sess'rOl\S +39 .90% 106,38' vi 75.330 _ ____.t!..-,..'.'...... us .... P _ I­ +56.42% +44.95% M.870 ... 26.817 Us ers Paguviews 1-35 .67% +22.30% 88,2811 VI 63 .68!I 240.573 VI 196,l'Q2 en ' '"11e t i l f .Iet! Apr 1,2014 -Apr 30,2014: • Sessions Apr 1, 2013 • Apr 30, 2013: • Sess ions 000 Apr 8 Apr crCJl~ A\\~W 2013 BEST VISITOR GUIDE +75K eiRe CentralOrelJon Viritqp(juitle Total 2013/2014 Production 00,000 Western Publishing Association Award Winner for Visitor Guide with circulation over 75,000 OBJECTIVE Increase understanding of consumer behavior and travel trends to enhance effective communication and marketing to target consumers STRATEGY Supplement Central Oregon regional research, conducted in partnership with Travel Oregon (Longwood's Visitor Profile / Dean Runyan Economic Impacts of Tourism / Smith Travel), with independent contractor research utilizing cost effective digital surveys in key target markets TACTICS 2014 establishes annual benchmark for consumer behavior studies with digital survey's of: 1.) COVA's consumer database; and, 2.) random target market research. Increase engagement with consumer database through incentivized survey response. FY 2013/2014 BU DGET: 5.000 DESCHUTES COUNTY TRANSIENT ROOM TAX (TRT) DATA • FY12 was the first post-recession recovery year; with Deschutes County realizing TRT growth of 6.52% (Bend up 7.41%, Sisters up 6.84 and Redmond down -1.72%) • FY13 saw continued recovery, ending up 10.08% in Deschutes County (Bend up 10.34%, Sisters up 7.58% and Redmond up 6.0%) • FY14 to-date, is on pace for a record year, up 16.54% in Deschutes County (Bend up 18.33%, Sisters up 8%, and Redmond up 7.59%) • Sunriver is the #1 destination driver for unincorporated Deschutes County TRT Jul.13 Auto13 s.p.13 Oct·13 Nov-13 0.0.13 ....14 feb.14 ....14 Apr.14 -.,.14 Jun.14 Tolaia I sa.n....... 24 .915 66.134 Cl1,92 4 23.000 7,785 7,731 11,180 S.Cl18 4 ,1)301 6,293 218, • I Redmond Eaglec.... 31.974 51,054 55.072 38,783 18,280 10 ,.590 18,092 14,"60 8.006 20.450 212,742 I BendIOlt.­87 .334 138.318 179.878 88.226 20.668 10.468 44.9&3 24,123 32.478 41,292 82S,M4 l.II PIne 8,701 13,173 15.982 9 ,773 1.499 197 435 522 318 941 50,1167 sw.two. 3 18.618 848.6&5 S93,9'19 266.048 9.1.002 101 ,888 24&.861 135.659 109,287 155.483 2,eeT•.a S 44.,807 '-----­ S 111$,383 S toU75 s .oUl0 S 1311.23" , 131,.451 S 3111,538 , 180.382 , lM,023 , 224,_ S . S . S 3.125,443 • No! by Zip Code 2013 TRAVEL OREGON DEAN RUNYAN AND LONGWOOD'S RESEARCH Annual Overnight Deschutes County Visitation: Lodging Tax Receipts: 3.6 M $8.4 M Deschutes County total Central Oregon direct travel expenditures: Lodging Tax Receipts: $703 M $9.1 M Tourism Industry Employment: 8,680 2014 COVA CONSUMER DATABASE RESEARCH SUMMARY HIGHLIGHTS: • 24-page Research Report on the Market Perception of target travelers • Two-thirds of all visitors (67%) visit Often/Always between June -September • Destination Awareness: Bend @ 3.51 Sunriver @ 3.45 Central Oregon @ 3.32 • California visitors are more mature (baby-boomers/ empty-nesters), more affluent, stay longer (3+ days), and spend more per trip • Oregonians visit more frequently, are younger (Millennia Is) and focused on the destination as a sunny, outdoor adventure playground • Washington visitors sit squarely between the wealthier, empty-nester Californians and the 40-somethings from the Willamette Valley LONGITUDES grou FY14-15 Approved Budget -February 2014 Central Oregon Visitors Association Support & Revenue Unrestricted Deschutes County 6% Deschutes County 1% Marketing -leveraged co-op's Membership Dues Pacific Amateur Golf Classic Regional Cooperative Marketing Program Visitor Information Center -Trail Cards Visitor Guide & Web ad sales Credit Ca r d residual Net Asset Reserve Marketing Investment Total Revenue: Expenses Advertising & Marketing Expenses Pacific Amateur Golf Classic Regional Cooperative Marketing (RCMP) Central OR/destination brand co-op's Digital Development Industry Representation & Dues = Public Relations Visitor Information Center -Trail Cards Visitor Inquiry Collateral Fulfillment Telephone & Internet provider Central OR/Sunriver brand co-op Central OR/resort golf brand co-op Total Advertising &Marketing Expenses: Proposed FY15 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 681,841.00 524,244.00 35,000 .00 120,000.00 300,000 .00 148,000 .00 40,000 .00 20 ,000.00 9,000.00 125,000.00 2,003,085 .00 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 300,000.00 148,000 .00 364,005 .00 60,000.00 3,500 .00 30,000.00 40,000.00 25,000 .00 7,000.00 336,263.00 158,242 .00 l,472,OlD.OO FY15 Proposed Comments Fund 160 Fund 170 Golf Trail committed for FYl5 4% increase in member businesses Event Production -revenue neutral Travel Oregon Grant Central Oregon GolfTraii Player's Card print/digital ad sales in COVA marketing mediums rev. neutral -in/out COVA maintains a 3-month Net Asset Reserve Event Production -revenue neutral Travel Oregon Grant 50% = $494,505 Central OR brand development web site development, digital video development, social media US Travel!WACVB/ORLA/ODMO/IAGTO Domestic & Int'I PR FAM's generate $5+ mill. Earned Media for CO Golf Trail Cards are pass-through sales to fund golf marketing co-op 50% paid by COVA -50% paid by RCMP fulfillment co-op 68% of 50% to Sunriver brand development 32% of 50% to CO resort brand development 73% of total budget allocated directly to Programs --- Central Oregon Visitors Association FY 2014-15 Approved Budget Facilities & Equipment Computer Hardware/Software Computer Programming & Support Depreciation Equipment Repair & Maintenance Office lease / CAM's / utilities Total Facilities & Equipment Expenses: Office Expenses Annual Audit & Accounting Credit Card & Bank Fee's Copier / Fax / Scanner Insurance Legal Fee's Office Supplies Total Office Expenses: Personnel Expenses Wages & Salaries Payroll Taxes Simple IRA Plan Employee Benefits Contract Labor Total Personnel Expenses: Proposed FY15 $ 1,000.00 $ 1,000.00 $ 4,000.00 $ 1,000.00 $ 40,000.00 $ 47,000.00 $ 14,000.00 $ 9,000.00 $ 5,375.00 $ 3,450.00 $ 250.00 $ 5,500.00 $ 37,575.00 $ 350,000.00 $ 30,000.00 $ 10,500.00 $ 55,000.00 $ 1,000.00 $ 446,500.00 FY15 Proposed Comments Harrigan, Price, Fronk annual outside audit & general accounting 5 FTE and seasonal .5 PTE staff salaries are 17.5% of total budget / industry Avg. 31.4% Net Asset / Expense $ zero based budget 2014: Deschutes County (#61) is the only Oregon county in the Census Bureau's top 100 'fastest growing' Tourism promotion is Economic Development Thank you for your investment in COVA ________________C HA~IBER OF COMMERCE & CVB _________ _______ May 24 , 2014 To: Alana Hughson Re: COY A Partnership Dear Alana, As you go into your budgeting cycle with Deschutes County, I would like to state what a privilege and honor it is to work with you and the entire COY A team. The Redmond Chamber of C ommerce and CYB is working hard to brand Redmond as a unique thriving destination and community. With COY A 's regional message, support and ongoing leadership, we are able to accomplish what a single standalone community could not do. It is critical that each community be supported in a regional effort, with a unified voice touting the benefits of all , while allowing each voice to be heard .. With COY A 's leadership Central Oregon is known throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest as a leader in collaborative thinking and teamwork . Together we can accomplish much more than alone, as evident in our ongoing and continued relationship serving together on the Central Oregon Air Service Team (COAST). The Redmond Airport , Roberts Field, would not be what it is today without the overwhelming regional support, which you have played such a pivotal role in. Building up Central Oregon assets , through years of teamwork has proven to be successful for all of Central Oregon. Each community in Central Oregon is a gem and together we are an unbeatable combination . Again, it is an honor to work with you and the COY A team. COY A 's consistent messaging has brought economic viability and stability to the tri county area. Your understanding of the needs of the "greater" Central Oregon community is deeply appreciated . Sincerely, Eric Sande Executive Director 446 S.W. Seve n t h Street • R e d mond, Or ego n 9 7 7 56 • P h : 5 4 1-92 3 -5191 • F ax : 54 1-923-6442 Alana Hughson, President & CEO Central Oregon Visitors Association 705 SW Bonnett Way, Ste 1000 Bend, Oregon 97702 May 23,2014 RE: COVA 2014/2015 Budget Cycle Dear Alana, Thank you for the opportunity to share our experiences with the Central Oregon Visitors Association with the Deschutes County Commissioners during the 2014/2015 budget planning cycle. Tourism is a critical piece of the economic puzzle for every communrty in Central Oregon and specifically Deschutes County. Each community offers a unique experience for visitors. A unified voice, like COVA provides, shares all benefits across the region and simultaneously allows each community's message to be heard. Sisters Country has worked hard to develop and enhance our brand as a destination within Central Oregon. Our market reach is limited by our small budget. We rely heavily on COVA's regional message, support and ongoing leadership to help share the Central Oregon story to a broader audience. COVA's campaigns allow us to draft off of the regional message and deploy smaller and more effective marketing programs for Sisters Country which we could not afford to do on our own. With COVA's leadership Central Oregon is known throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest as a leader in collaborative thinking and teamwork. Central Oregon is host to a variety of communities including both those that represent the urban lifestyle and those that are rural. Arts-based cultural activities, dynamic events, recreational assets, including mountain biking, cycling, hiking, fly-fishing, rock-hounding, and much more all help to make our individual communities strong. Together, as a region, we are an unbeatable product. We can accomplish much more as a unit than alone. Alana, it is an honor to work with you, your staff and the leaders and innovators on your board . CO VA's consistent "Central Oregon" message has brought economic viability and stability to our area in west Deschutes County, and can also be felt across the tri-county area. You r understanding of the greater Central Oregon community is appreciated and valued. r all you do. Executive Director Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce 541-549 -0251 Fax 541-549-4253 29I E. Main Ave . P .O. Box 430 Sisters, OR 97759 www.sisterscountry.com • La Pi:n.e 7he Heart ofNewberry Ccunl11 Oregon Chaiiiber of Commerce &Visitor Center May 27, 2014 To: Alana Hughson Re: COYA Partnership Dear Alana, Two years ago, we started a true partnership with you and the COYA team to help us in marketing our unique area and lifestyle. Now our message "Affordable Adventures" is becoming known beyond our Central Oregon borders and this success is directly attributed to the support and leadership from everyone at COVA. Your mission to market the entire region and showcase its remarkable diversity, has enabled us to accomplish what we could never have with our limited resources. This support, partnership and uni­ fied voice has proven to be critical to our success. I have no doubt COVA's regional view has also proven to be crucial to all of the smaller communities and, of course, beneficial to the larger more widely known community of Bend. This benefit extends to the visitors who are charmed by the di­ verse choices available and they extend their stay in order to see it all. Collaborative thinking and teamwork has made COYA and Central Oregon well respected in the tourism industry throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. We can always accomplish more to­ gether than alone. In particular this regional support was instrumental in bringing about the expan­ sion of air service into Redmond that benefits travelers on the west coast. Your efforts to bring this about were vital and hugely successful for all of Central Oregon. The opportunity to work with you and the COYA team has been a highlight for "the girls from South County". Your ideas, assistance and being "kept in the loop" have given my team inspiration and cohesiveness. We have established working relationships with the communities directly adjacent to ours and we no longer feel on the outside of efforts to market Central Oregon. Your sensitivity to the needs of the many areas within the entire region of Central Oregon is greatly appreciated. I look for­ ward to a long and mutually successful partnership. Sincerely, /J/:) "'~ ~~~///l- AnnGa~ PO Box 616, La Pine, OR 97739 * 541-536-9771 Fax: 541-536-8410 * director@lapine.org REPORT TO THE DESCHUTES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MID YEAR REPORT & FUNDING REQUEST TO THE DESCHUTES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 5-28-2014 On July 1, 2013, the Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce continued receiving funds from Deschutes County to subsidize the operation of its visitor center. The support for the fiscal year 2103 to 2014 consists of $23,473.00 from transient lodging tax monies. Highlights of the visitor center's current operations are as follows: Location: I -57195 Beaver Drive, Two Country Mall, Sunriver, Oregon. f jBecause of construction in the Village Marketplace and in order to reduce expenses, the Chamber moved its location out of the Village and into the Two Country Mall. The move t treduced the Chamber rent expense, but decreased its visibility and presence to the general public. This has reduced the number of actual physical visits to the visitor center. Hours of Operation: -Off Season: 9 am to 5 pm, 5 days a week, Monday through Friday -Peak Season: (July & August: including holidays and weekends) 6 to 8 hours a day, 7 days per week. Staffing -One fulltime executive director. -Peak Season-Trained volunteers. Activity (during the period of July 1, 2013 to April 30th, 2014): -3,233 visitor inquiries and information packet requests as compared to 2,982 during the same I period last year. ! Magazine Distribution: (Continuous throughout the year) t t I I -20,000+ copies of the Sunriver Magazine (SRM) printed and distributed during the period of July, 2103 to April 30th , 2014. -Magazines are mailed (free of charge) to anyone who requests it from the Chamber's web site. This includes visitor requests as well as relocation requests. Over 350 magazines were mailed in the past 12 months. t -CaVA provides the SR Chamber with "leads" from their web site. SRM was directly mailed to over 400 individuals who requested it from CaVA's web site. Additionally, the SRM is: -Displayed at 9 State of Oregon Welcome Centers (Travel Oregon Visitor Center Program), including PDX and the "End of Trail" visitor center at Oregon City. -Displayed Redmond Airport -Displayed at all Chambers of Commerce and visitor centers statewide (including Visit Bend and CaVA) -Displayed in all rental units (homes & condos) in Sunriver and all lodging units at the Sunriver Resort. -Displayed Sunriver Owners Association offices and the Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic & Recreational Center (SHARe). -Displayed in all participating Sunriver area businesses. -Distributed at Sunriver Resort conventions and all special events (Pacific Crest Sports Event, Sunriver Music Festival, and Sunriver Art Faire). -Digital edition also appears on Travel Oregon and CaVA's web sites. Enews Letter: -The Sunriver Chamber publishes a weekly enews letter announcing and promoting current events, activities and relevant business information throughout the Sunriver Area. 52 enews letters sent to over 1000 email addresses per week. Web Site: -22,450 visits to our web site during the period as compared to 22,174 last year. -Digital edition of the Sunriver Magazine appears on site. -Web site includes a mobile app, enabling Smartphone users to access the web site's business directory and community calendar of events. Community Support: Sunriver Owners Association: Allows for community activities and groups to use the SHARC for Chamber events and meetings. Supports and hoists non-profit events. Articles and announcements are written in the Sunriver Scene (monthly periodical) in support of events and activities. Management serves on the Sunriver Area board of Directors. The Village at Sunriver: Village at Sunriver management is represented on the Sunriver Area Board of Directors. Supports and encourages events and activities that are held in the Village. Organized new Sunriver Home and Garden show to be held June 13th • Sunriver Resort: Management served on the Chamber of Commerce board of directors, subsidizes numerous events and activities including the annual Swings fore Strings golf tournament and distributes the Sunriver Magazine to conventions participants and all rental units. Specialized Events: Sunriver Music Festival, Sunriver Art Faire, Pacific Crest Sports Festival, the Sunriver Quilt Show, the Sunriver Artist Gallery. Request for Funding: SUNRIVER CONTINUES TO BE THE NUMBER ONE TOURIST DESTINATION IN DESCHUTES COUNTY! This is evidenced by the fact that the Sunriver Area collects and pays to Deschutes County approximately two thirds or more of the total lodging tax revenue received by the County. In other words, 7 out of 10 tourists who "Iodgell in Deschutes County, do so in Sunriver. As an unincorporated community, Sunriver does not receive any "cityll support or funding. The only funding support received by the Sunriver area for tourism promotion and operation of a visitor center is provided by Deschutes County. The majority of income received by the Chamber is obtained through membership fees and Chamber advertising. However, the Sunriver Area contains less than 200 businesses and therefore total membership fees alone will Inot financially support the entire Chamber activities as well as covering the costs associated with the operation of a visitor center. I I In calendar year 2013, the Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce operated with an annual income of approximately $70,000, which is the smallest operating budget of any direct marketing organization (DMO) in Deschutes County. The Chamber was only able to successfully operate on this small budget because of the generous community support and the numerous volunteer hours that have been provided to the Chamber as well as the funding provided by Deschutes County. In fall of 2013, due to remodeling in the Village at Sunriver and in an effort to reduce expenses, the Chamber relocated its visitor center to 57195 Beaver Dr. However, the new location is less visible to visitor traffic and this has reduced visitor contacts. With the new renovations being completed in the Village, a new location is now available at the new entrance to the Village. This would provide Sunriver with a visitor center that would be highly visible and easily accessible to visitors and would be an excellent location for a visitor center. Currently, the Board of Directors of the Sunriver Chamber of Commerce and the Central Oregon Visitor Association (COVA) have been discussing the idea of jointly operating a visitor center at this location with the two organizations sharing visitor center operating costs. However, because of the large increase in lease costs, the total operating expenses allocated to the Sunriver Chamber will actually increase. This means that in order for the Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce to be able to pay for its share of operating costs, it is imperative that the Sunriver Chamber continue to receive the annual funding of $23,473 from Deschutes County. While our request is being conSidered, the Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce wishes to express its deep appreciation to the County Board of Commissioners for helping us continue our services to Sunriver visitors and for supporting our efforts to market Sunriver as Deschutes County and Central Oregons' number one destination location. We sincerely thank you for your continued funding of our visitor center operations and we look forward to keeping you informed of our progress in providing this important service. Sincerely, Kent Elliott Interim Executive Director Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce 05122114 10:18AM Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce Accrual Basis Profit & Loss January through December 2013 Income 400000 . Publications Advertising 405000 . Web Advertising 410000· Visitor Center Advertising 415000' Affinity Rebates 425000 . Contributions & Gifts 440000 • Service Fees 445000 • Grants &Contracts 450000 • Interest Income 455000 . Membership Dues 460000 . Merchandise Sales 465000· Miscellaneous Income 470000 . Raffle Sales 477000 . Special Event Sponsorships 485000 . Annual Dinner Ticket Sales 490000 . Special Event Ticket Sales Total Income Gross Profit Expense 600000 . AdvertiSing Expense 602000 . Bank Fees 604000 . Dues and Subscriptions 606000 . Equipment Purchases 608000 . Equipment Rental & Maintenance 610000· Food &Beverage 612000· Grants to Other Organizations 614200 . Insurance· General Liability 614300· Insurance· Workers Comp 618000· Postage & Shipping 620000 . Printing & Copying 622100 . Professional Fees· Accounting 624000 . Publications 626000 . Rent 626100· Utilities 628100· Services· Compu Prog &Malnt 628400 . Services· Website Development 628500 . Services· Website Hosting 632100· Supplies· Office 634000 . Telephone &Telecommunications 638100· Payroll Expenses· Empl Benef 638200 . Payroll Expen • Off & Dir Wages 638300 . Payroll Expenses· Payroll Tax 638400 . Payroll Expenses· Sal &Wages Total Expense Net Income Jan· Dec 13 2.000.00 2.292.50 2.550.00 1,107.35 1,160.00 9.00 22.405.98 9.16 29,422.50 87.00 5.983.00 690.00 5.900.00 630.00 3.100.00 77,346.49 77,346.49 706.00 679.28 97.08 627.95 9.23 4,931.68 1,108.50 1,110.00 238.10 1.367.08 1,437.43 1,483.60 955.00 8,289.51 1,373.08 357.00 120.78 2,630.70 2,504.41 3.188.63 1,600.00 25,373.08 3,812.13 2,445.00 66.445.25 10,901.24 Page 1 VISITORS CENTER STATISTICS July 2013 to April 2014 2013 2014 JulY Aygpst S~ Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March lY2ril »Visitor Packet Requested: Local 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 4 Out of area 6 7 1 13 10 8 17 9 19 20 Out of state 15 12 16 40 17 26 14 18 3 10 International 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 »Relocation Packet Requested: Out of area 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 Out of state 0 1 1 2 0 1 1 1 0 1 International 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 the above information was compiled from emails and phone calls made directly to Chamber office) I »COVA(via email): I Visitor Pkt. Req.: Out of area 2 2 9 1 3 10 9 5 9 8 Out of State 31 8 19 3 13 18 63 9 31 44 Intemational 1 0 1 0 2 2 7 9 5 3 Local I 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 Relocation Pkt. Req. 3 6 9 3 15 15 27 5 5 22 the above information was compliled from emails sent b COVAl » Visitors Information Requests: non-packets) Via Phone: 125 98 125 155 30 25 15 4 6 25 Via Email: 70 65 98 111 9 8 10 18 19 20 Via Walk-In: 80 75 60 58 20 10 29 25 30 40 Local: 5 5 5 5 15 2 4 2 0 4 Out of area 45 42 47 49 25 18 10 9 20 24 Out of State , 40 60 48 , 45 26 20 15 14 10 12 I l t •i l The Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Cascade Publications is proud to announce that the 2014-2015 Sunriver Magazine is now available for distribution! This year's edition of the Sunriver Magazine is bigger and better than ever, with 114 pages of stunning photography, detailed geographical information, informative articles, complete events calendar, specific event descriptions and professional advertisements. The magazine has become a showcase for Sunriver and has truly captured the reason that Sunriver and the surrounding area is so unique and special. This is a magazine that is displayed on the coffee table and used again and again. The magazine is currently being shipped to every visitor center in Oregon as well as the Portland International Airport. In addition, the magazine is placed in all Sunriver Resort rooms as well as all Sunriver Area rental properties. l Locally, the magazine will begin to appear at newsstands throughout the Sunriver Area. However, if you would like to begin to distribute the magazine at your place of business, please feel free to personally come by the Chamber I Office (next to Blondies) and pick up a box (50 magazines per box). Otherwise please call the Chamber office at 541-593-8149 or email the Chamber at exec@sunriverchamber.com, place your order and we will get them to you as soon as possible. Finally, we would like to encourage you to send a thank you to the outstanding people at Cascade Publications. These people have done a tremendous job of working with each one us and arranging the magazine in order that all of us are professionally represented. In addition, they have kept their advertising rates I affordable and have provided us with an excellent adverting value. I ! I [ J I f