Visitor Industry Task Force (2019-2020)
Introduction
Mayor Weldon established the Visitor Industry Task Force (VITF) on October 14, 2019 with a charging document that tasked the group with addressing four major issues:
- Tourism industry management
- Revisiting the 2004 Long Range Waterfront Plan
- The concept of a “cap” on the number of visitors
- The necessity of additional public process in the form of surveys
The group held a number of public meetings between October of 2019 and February of 2020 to advise the CBJ Assembly and advance community thinking on a range of visitor industry topics.
The VITF took public testimony on January 11, 2020 and February 1, 2020 and received 43 spoken comments and 156 written comments. The testimony reflected a diverse range of viewpoints in the community and generally provided nuanced views of the benefits and impacts of tourism.
The VITF developed 45 recommendations to be completed over the next three years in response to the mayor’s charging document and established a set of conditions for construction of a cruise ship dock at the Subport property. Recommendations can be found in the dropdown boxes on this page, broken out by the year they are planned to be completed. Ongoing recommendations are operational or longer-term and will be completed over many years.
The relationship between CBJ and the visitor industry has evolved over the past two decades. Through investments in infrastructure, management tools, and in programs like Tourism Best Management Practices (TBMP), Juneau has managed tourism growth. While CBJ and the visitor industry should be proud of the success of their efforts, we have reached a point where we need to work together to develop proactive tools and strategies for tourism management over the coming years.
The VITF recognizes the work done by the community and CBJ in early 2000’s that resulted in the Tourism Management Plan and the subsequent Resolution 2170. Many of the findings and recommendations in the report are still applicable today and should be considered along with this report. The vision established in the Resolution continues to guide the efforts of this committee and should guide future policy decisions:
CBJ seeks a healthy and vibrant tourism sector generating business opportunities and employment for Juneau citizens, protecting Juneau’s heritage and cultural values and its natural resources, and making a positive contribution to the community’s quality of life.
The VITF report recommends that the CBJ coordinate and centralize tourism functions. The final report was submitted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and provides the Assembly with concrete steps to establish a proactive tourism management approach as the visitor industry returns to Juneau.
VITF Recommendations
Upcoming and Past Meeting Agendas and Minutes
To see the full CBJ Meeting calendar, including these task force meetings, please click here. Please check the CBJ calendar or call the Clerk’s Office 586-5278 for the most up-to-date information.
Agendas, Minutes, and Supplemental Materials will be posted on this web page below as they become available.
October 22, 2019 (TUES), in City Hall Conference Room #224 12:05 pm: Agenda packet Minutes
November 5, 2019 (TUES) , in City Hall Conference Room #224 12:05 pm: Agenda packet Minutes
December 3, 2019 (TUES), in City Hall Assembly Chambers 12:05 pm: Agenda packet Minutes
December 17, 2019 (TUES), in City Hall Assembly Chambers 12:05 pm: Agenda packet Minutes
January 7, 2020 (TUES), in City Hall Assembly Chambers 12:05 pm: Agenda packet Minutes
January 11, 2020 (SAT), in City Hall Assembly Chambers 10:00 am: No Agenda packet Minutes-Public Testimony
January 21, 2020 (TUES), in City Hall Assembly Chambers 12:05 pm: Agenda packet Minutes
February 1, 2020 (SAT), in City Hall Assembly Chambers 10:00 am: Agenda packet Minutes
February 18, 2020 (TUES), in City Hall Assembly Chambers 12:05 pm: Agenda packet Minutes
March 4, 2020 (WED), in City Hall Assembly Chambers at 4:30 pm: Agenda packet Minutes
March 8, 2020 (SUN), in City Hall Assembly Chambers at 10:00 am: Agenda packet Minutes
CANCELLED – March 19, 2020 (THURS) Agenda with Draft Report – CANCELLED
April 23, 2020 (THURS) Virtual via Zoom Webinar at 12:00 pm: Agenda packet
******************************************************************************************************************
PUBLIC TESTIMONY MEETINGS (individuals wishing to testify are asked to keep it to 3 minutes of testimony and are welcome to submit comments via [email protected] ahead of time or may submit written comments at the meetings)
- Saturday, January 11, 2020, in City Hall Assembly Chambers at 10:00 a.m.
- Thursday, January 16, 2020, in City Hall Assembly Chambers at 5:30 p.m.-cancelled due to extreme weather/high winds
- Saturday, February 1, 2020, in City Hall Assembly Chambers at 10:00 a.m. Immediately followed by the Regular Visitor Industry Task Force Meeting
*****************************************************************************************************************
Visitor Industry Task Force Members
Carole Triem, Chair – Assemblymember
Wade Bryson – Assemblymember
Public Member of the Task Force
Craig Dahl, Vice-Chair
Paula Terrel
Bobbie Meszaros
Holly Johnson
Alida Bus
Kirby Day
Meilani Schijvens
Dan Blanchard
If you wish to send comments to the task force, please email [email protected] and they will be forwarded to the entire task force.
CBJ Tourism Information previously worked on can be found on the City Manager’s web page: General Information – Tourism