Economic Development Task Force

Meeting: March 3, 2005, 1:00 pm

Judge Welsh Room

Present: Acting Assistant Town Manager/Grant Administrator Michelle Jarusiewicz, Chris McCarthy/PAAM, Steve Tait/PBG, Bill Dougal, Hunter O’Hanian/FAWC, Alix Ritchie/Banner, Elizabeth Bridgewater/CDC, Judy Cicero/Chamber

1. Review of scope, budget, timeline MCC Adams grant award. Acting Assistant Town Manager/Grant Administrator Michelle Jarusiewicz presented overview of the recent $20,000 grant award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council Adams grant program. Copies of the original application and revised budget sheets were distributed. The Adams grant is for the development of strategies to increase tourism and stimulate year-round economic development through the creation and preliminary implementation of a strategic plan exclusively designed to use the existing cultural assets of the town. The grant was accepted by the Board of Selectmen and all activities must be complete by December 31, 2005.

Budget income includes $20,000 grant, Partners cash $8,000, Town cash $8,000, in-kind contribution $5000, total $$41,000. Budget expenses include $6,500 for a facilitator, $15,000 for urban planner, $8,500 for visitor survey, $5,000 in-kind personnel, $3,000 for personnel administration, and $3,000 for expenses, total $41,000.

Specific activities include (1) the hiring of a facilitator to assist the EDTF and all of the MCC grant partners to advance and work together, (2) the hiring of an urban planner to assist with devising strategies and specific action steps, and (3) conduct a survey of Provincetown’s visitors with a focus on cultural events and attractions.

Survey: The MCC grant includes funds for a survey of Provincetown visitors with a focus on cultural events and attractions. The PBG is about to embark on an electronic survey of potential visitors which will gather data on the travel habits and preferences of prospective gay and lesbian visitors. Discussion included the need to set-up a sub-committee to discuss the parameters of the MCC grant funded survey, to include a further discussion of the scope of the PBG’s survey so that they might be complimentary.

Facilitator: task force members agreed to submit potential facilitator names and numbers to the Acting Assistant Town Manager.

Urban Planner: again task force members agreed to submit potential planner names and numbers to the Acting Assistant Town Manager and agreed that a subcommittee should meet and draft initial scope for EDTF to further review. General discussion: need planner with knowledge about American traveler and how they make decisions today, what does Provincetown need to compete in real world, ideas that have worked elsewhere, new ideas, what about structure? Provincetown is more than a destination, it is an idea for those of us who are here or who want to be here. We now have the facilities. Marketing- every organization, every business does its own. Need to coordinate with underlying unified message. Some using “like nowhere else.”

Subcommittees:

Urban Planner: Hunter O’Hanian, Bill Dougal, Alix Ritchie, Judy Cicero, Elizabeth Bridgewater.

MEETING: Wednesday, March 9, 2005, 3:30 pm

Survey: Steve Tait, Judy Cicero, Christine McCarthy, Alix Ritchie

Next EDTF meeting: Thursday, March 17, 2005, NOON. General discussion about making sure that we contact key stakeholders to participate including members out of town, new retail organization, galleries, financial institutions [Seamen’s bank], etc. Perhaps make part of meeting more social. Perhaps plan for each meeting for specific outcomes. Acting Assistant Town Manager to draft tentative MCC Adams grant timeline.

Sample logo that the town must use on documents related to the MCC grant: