by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Citing a handful of reasons, the Duval County Tourist Development Council voted Thursday to ask City Council to approve a two-year extension on a contract the TDC has with Visit Jacksonville.
Council President Richard Clark said he doesn’t favor extending professional service contracts, especially those that require Council to waive a City rule, but given Visit Jacksonville’s current situation, the extension may be necessary.
“Visit Jacksonville is in an interesting position right now,” said Clark, adding a Request for Proposal for a tourist marketing and development service was supposed to be issued soon because the current contract between the TDC and Visit Jacksonville expires Sept. 30.
The current status of the contract isn’t the only factor that weighed on members of the TDC. Mya Carter is currently serving as the interim president of Visit Jacksonville, a position she has held since John Reyes resigned March 19 to take a similar position with the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau in California.
A task force was formed to look for his replacement and Clark believes it would be difficult to attract high-caliber candidates to head an organization that has an expiring contract looming.
Also, in August the TDC approved a three-year, $875,000 marketing plan that Visit Jacksonville has been implementing since. Carter said she’s pleased with the rate of return on the plan and the TDC funds that have been in use since September.
“I think it’s very good,” she said of the proposed extension. “It gives us time to produce what we do best, which is heads in beds which have an economic impact on Jacksonville.”
Clark said he will introduce the bill to Council Tuesday on behalf of the TDC. He said his biggest concern is the $875,000 the TDC has dedicated to Visit Jacksonville’s marketing efforts.
“We have too many moving pieces. We need to have some semblance of normalcy,” said Clark. “We have put a lot of burden on tracking the dollars and they (Visit Jacksonville) have been good about doing that. If we change horses now, I see a problem.”
Clark added the contract between the TDC and Visit Jacksonville is a professional services contract, which will make it easier for the Council to waive the City ordinance.
“It’s not lowest bidder,” said Clark. “It’s best value, not lowest dollar amount. I have a lot of angst against extending contracts. It’s a very heavy lift. Now, we have $875,000 invested and I don’t want to see that investment get sideways.”
According to Janice Billy of the Council Auditor’s Office, in 2002 Council voted to extend the contract with what was the Jacksonville and the Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“It’s been done before,” said Billy, who supplied the TDC with information that shows the TDC will provide Visit Jacksonville with $3.073 million for the 2010-11 fiscal year.
Carter said she believes the local tourism industry is starting to turn around. She cited an increase in consumer confidence and feedback from a recent meeting she attended in Atlanta.
“People want to get away with their families and reconnect. And, they are taking business trips, which is good for tourism and will help us get out of the economic crunch. We have the Jazz Festival Memorial weekend and the Fourth of July coming and there is huge demand for both,” said Carter, who doesn’t think the Northeast Florida area is missing anything.
She says the area needs to be promoted better. “It comes down to funding. We have the product. We went to a focus group in Atlanta and people told us we have a crown jewel. It’s a restful, relaxing, wonderful Florida destination. People just don’t know about us.”
In other news from the TDC meeting:
• A grant for $122,588 was approved for Florida’s First Coast of Golf to market golf in the area. According to President David Reese, the funding, which runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2011, will help bring more than 25,000 golfers to the area during the 2010-11 fiscal year.
• Clark was asked to appoint TDC member Sonny Bhikha to another term. Bhikha’s current term expires soon and technically he isn’t eligible for another two-year term.
“Mr. Bhikha is quite an asset,” said TDC member Fred Pozin. “He represents the Beaches and he knows the business.”
• Hyatt General Manager Dan King presented Clark with a plaque on behalf of his work as chair of the TDC. During his tenure, Clark approved the $875,000 marketing plan and other programs that King said have allowed area hotels to “sell our way out of a very difficult economy.”
• Thursday’s meeting was the last for Clark, who chairs the TDC by virtue of being Council president. Since the next TDC meeting is Aug. 19, it’s likely current Council Vice President Jack Webb will chair the TDC.
• The meeting was the first for new TDC member and former PGA of America President M.G. Orender.
“I don’t know who suckered you into this gig, but welcome,” Clark joked.
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