Tax board discusses future tourism

The Tucumcari Lodgers Tax Advisory board and city officials on Wednesday discussed future tourism initiatives that included securing more billboards, erecting banners on the city’s light poles, hiring a full-time tourism manager and working on the city’s branding efforts.

A few of those items likely would become action items at the board’s next meeting Sept. 9, when officials would complete a re-examination of the city budget amid COVID-19’s economic effects.

Matt Bednorz, giving credit to fellow board member Al Patel for the idea, urged the board lease more billboards east and west of Tucumcari from Lamar Advertising and SunVista Outdoor Advertising.

Patel said he’d learned of several billboards along Interstate 40 corridor west of Oklahoma City with “wonderful pricing.” Bednorz said the board also should consider leasing billboards on U.S. 287 in Texas, a major link to Dallas-Fort Worth.

Both said more billboards in prime locations at affordable prices are available because advertisers are cutting back during the recession. Bednorz said the board should consider the availability of billboards in Arizona and Colorado, as well.

Bednorz said the board should secure the billboards in the coming months after the city’s branding efforts are completed.

He noted the city has $50,000 a year available after the non-renewal of its marketing contract with Sunny505 of Albuquerque. The refinanced debt on the Tucumcari Convention Center would be paid off in mid-2021, freeing another $115,000 a month.

“If we don’t spend this money, I feel like the city commission would find other things to spend it on,” he said.

Acting city manager Mark Martinez, while supportive of Bednorz’s billboards proposal, told Bednorz lodgers tax money “can’t be touched” by the commission because it’s earmarked specifically for tourism efforts.

Martinez said he would press the commission to hire a full-time, salaried marketing person who would serve as a public-information officer, oversee the city’s social media accounts and attend social events. He said such a candidate should have marketing experience and must reside in the city.

He noted Tucumcari can market itself more readily during the COVID-19 era because of its relatively low number of cases, lack of traffic and its tight-knit community.

Board Chairman Larry Smith said tourism efforts also must be mindful of 2021, the 95th anniversary of Route 66.

Smith said he’d try to have officials from Lamar and SunVista attend the board’s next meeting and have the city examine existing contracts with those companies. He noted billboard firms have their own design teams the city could use at no cost.

City commission liaison Todd Duplantis suggested some businesses split the costs of the billboards, but Martinez cautioned he needs to check the legality of such an arrangement.

Smith said he was inclined to retain existing billboards close to Tucumcari because they provide an important repetitive image to travelers, much like campaigns by Clines Corners and Flying C Ranch in New Mexico and Wall Drug in South Dakota.

Connie Loveland of Tucumcari MainStreet said it and the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce would host virtual meetings at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday to survey branding ideas. Those who wish to participate need to attend only one of the online meetings. Loveland said she’d post more information about them at facebook.com/tucumcarimainstreet/ as it became available.

Loveland expressed doubt the branding would be finalized by the board’s Sept. 9 meeting but acknowledged the process would proceed quickly after this week’s virtual meetings.

Loveland also provided preliminary quotes from vendors, including Tucumcari’s ArteFormz, on producing new tourism banners for light poles. Bids ranged from $4,900 to $11,000 depending on banner material and how far the city wants the banners to extend on First, Second and Main streets and Tucumcari Boulevard.

In other business:

• Patel expressed interest in the board giving money to Tucumcari MainStreet to buy more decorations for Very Merry Tucumcari festivities during the Christmas holiday. He said he wanted it to be an action item during the board’s September meeting.

• When Martinez described upcoming improvements to the convention center, Patel asked whether the Route 66 monument’s stucco could be repainted and its chrome polished. Martinez said he could make that a priority.