Jamestown, ND (KCSi-T.V. News Apr 19, 2013) — The Buffalo City Tourism Foundation Grant Advisory and Executive Board met in monthly session, Friday at the CSi Technology Center, at Historic Franklin School in Jamestown.

The board granted requests made by  James River Rodeo in the amount of $1,500, the North Dakota Roughrider Association for the State Rodeo to be held in Jamestown in the amount of $10,000, and $1,500 for the Jamestown Kite Festival.

It was pointed out that under BCTF guidelines, 30% of the grant dollars are to be spend on advertising.

With Tourism Director Searle Swedlund’s report, he made suggestions, to be approved by the board, concerning additions to the Strategic Plan.

Those included putting out Requests For Proposals to hire an ad agency, to assist in developing strategy, including continuing to image ways to improve the “story of Jamestown and Stutsman County.”  Board President Aldon Kollman suggested a rebranding of the name Buffalo City Tourism, to “Tour Jamestown,” to identify the tourism location more specifically.

Swedlund will also explore digital marketing purchases, and strategy, along with a graphics standard/template system, and an assets assessment for the so called “best visitor.”

He will report back to the board at the next meeting.

Swedlund also added an Operational Goal to work with the full BCTF Board to explore the use of grant application and award structure.  He also plans to shorten the length of the monthly meeting, now lasting about 3 hours.

He went on record as noting that the Frontier Village Association will host Pioneer Days this summer, without funding requesting of the BCTF.

An operational goal still pending is,  after a needs assessment, to explore the possible relocation of the tourism office.  A BCTF representative will be at Tuesday’s (Apr 23, 2013) Jamestown Council Legal and Finance Committee meeting on the topic.

Civic Center Manager, Pam Fosse said the Civic Center is booked almost every weekend between September 1, 2013 and July 1, 2014. She pointed out that due to the winter weather and snow hanging on, the AII Baseball Tournament at Jack Brown Stadium made be in jeopardy with a decision to made next week.

On another topic JSDC CEO Connie Ova said her office is getting calls concerning if the fertilizer plant in West, Texas that recently exploded is the same type of facility that CHS is planning for the Spiritwood Energy Park.

She said the two facilities are different, in that the Texas facility is retail and it also handles different types of fertilizer than is planned to be manufactured locally by CHS.

Dollars Committed by Buffalo City Tourism so far  in 2013:

$ 6,000 Stutsman County Museum – Staffing

$ 9,500 Ft. Seward – Summer Staffing

$33,546 Frontier Village – Summer Staffing

$11,700 Frontier Village – Horse Care

$ 1,817 Fort Seward – signs & board sealant

$13,682 National Buffalo Museum Staffing

$ 4,000 NBM – White Cloud’s 17th Birthday

$ 8,250 Drag Races

TOTAL COMMITTED: $88,495

BUDGET: $145,000

BALANCE: $56,505