Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown Tourism City Promotion, Capital Construction Funds request were heard by the Tourism Grant/Executive Board, on Thursday at The CSi Technology Center, at Historic Franklin School.

Members present: President Matt Woods, Taylor Barnes, and Tena Lawrence.

Also present:  Tourism Director Searle Swedlund, Jamestown City Administrator, Sarah Helleckson, and Ex Officio Members: Pam Phillips Jamestown City Council, Pam Fosse Civic Center Manager, and Corry Shevlin, JSDC.

Goals and objectives of the Capital Construction Fund were outlined.

Request were made by:

National Buffalo Museum, for remodeling projects.

National Buffalo Museum, for the Bison Puzzle Interactive Exhibit.

Jack Brown Stadium, for Batting Cages.

Frontier Village, for roofing projects.

Frontier Village, for Stagecoach Restoration.

Frontier Village, for Midland Continental Railroad Caboose.

Additionally a  request was made for the Grant/Executive Board to hear a request for Tourism Funds from the Five Star Bucking Bulls event, directed form Jamestown Tourism Grant Funds.

Representing The National Buffalo Museum was Director, Ilana Xios.

Requested was $30,000 for two museum remodeling  projects which will complete the renovation of the museum’s space.

The project will start in November this year, and completed no later than February, 2019.

The Tourism Board approved, $17, 500.

Next the National Buffalo Museum  requested $40,000 for a Bison Puzzle Interactive Exhibit, created by kidZib!ts.  Through physical interaction with life-sized reproduction of bison bones and organs, visitors will learn more about bison anatomy and physiology. The exhibit is created using a taxidermy form and an actual bison hide.  The application states that interactive exhibits enrich visitor experience, and increases the amount of time in the museum and in Jamestown.  The actual cost is $48,200.

The Tourism board, approved,  $10,000.

Next the Board heard the request  of  and a power point presentation by Jeff Gould from Jamestown Parks and Recreation Foundation  for batting cages at Jack Brown Stadium.

The application  says the current batting cages are 23 years old, and in disrepair.

The new batting cages will increase the number from three to four and be safer when repositioned.  Youth programs will then be able to attract or  host tournaments, such as  Babe Ruth and Youth Baseball, and for daily use.

$72,000 has been raised so far with just of $19,000 to be raised.

The amount requested was $9,000.

The amount funded was  $5,000.

For the Roofing projects Frontier Village requested $15,805 to stop further damage and protect the artifacts inside.

The board approved funding for the specific projects of the small caboose, the post office building and the dentist office building at a total of $3,500.

Not funded were:

The Frontier Village Board requested $1,851 for stagecoach restoration.  The application states that the Frontier Village currently had no money for that project.

The Frontier Village request for $11, 588 for the restoration of the Midland Continental Railway Caboose.  The project would start in the spring of 2019, with completion  by the end of 2019.,

The Grant/Executive Board acting separately heard a request from Five Star Bucking Bulls/Jamestown Civic Center, for funds amounting to $5,000, directed from the Jamestown Tourism Grant Funds.

The organization was asked to come back to this meeting with additional information.

Justin Stringer said, the dollars would be used for Duel in the Dirt bull riding final promotion and advertising and to grow bull riding for children 9-14 years old.

The event will be November 16, 17, this year at the Jamestown Civic Center.

Sponsor fees are expected to generate $35,000, and rider entries $7,000.

The economic impact is estimated at between $252,500 and $333,750.

The Board voted to, approve $5,000, and requested that any additional funding requests including attendance tracking relative to where the attendees are from, with specific zip code, along with paid and unpaid tickets.  Searle Swedlund said the information will help determine the way out of town attendance impacts tourism to the Jamestown community.