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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-04-29 MemorandumApril 29, 2005 Honorable Pat Porter, Mayor Members of City Council CITY OF KENAI 210 Fidalgo Avenue Kenai, AK 99611 -7799 Re: May 4, 2005 Report Lake Clark National Park Convention Visitors Bureau,. 11471 Kenai Spur Highway Kenai, AK 99611 (907) 283 -1991 Thank you for this opportunity to report on the recent activities of the Kenai Convention Visitors Bureau and the Kenai Visitor Cultural Center. Kenai Visitor Cultural Center Approximately 400 invitations have been mailed for the annual Gala Reception. Charlotte's will be catering the event this year, with oysters from Snug Harbor and a few other surprises. This year everyone will receive two drink tickets and will be able to purchase additional drinks from the bar. Once again, we will be using this as an opportunity to raise additional funds, so look forward to some fun silent auction items, as well as a raffle to be drawn on Saturday, May 28, 2005. The show has been installed. We have left space in the Conference Room to allow for the free summer interpretive programs. In the past these programs have been located in the Board Room and quickly became crowded. By moving it back into the Conference Room we can accommodate more people. When not in use for interpretive programs, videos will be running. These videos will include a variety of Alaskana topics. Alaska Zoos Native Arts \ow officially opens on May 2, 2005, with a First Thursday event on May 5, 2005. The Gala Reception will be May 13, 2005 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. We hope to see you there! Kenai Convention Visitors Bureau We've been working on several different issues over the past few weeks. They are Lake Clark National Park and Kenai's Saturday Market. This first came to our attention upon receiving a postcard from the Homer Chamber of Commerce about the National Park Service opening an office there and the opportunities Homer has as a Gateway Community to Lake Clark National Park. I contacted Roy Wood, Chief of Interpretation for Katmai National Park and Preserve, Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, and Alagnak Wild River. Lake Clark National Park used to be included in his duties, and he was our original contact on updating the replacement Lake Clark exhibit in the Kenai Visitor Cultural Center. He invited us to participate in an upcoming discussion about the updated exhibits, which we did. During the discussion I inquired why Homer was considered the Gateway Community when it is our understanding that Kenai is. I was told there could be more than one Gateway but one could see the national park from Homer. Later in the discussion 1 stated it was my understanding Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Illiamna were in the Park, and were assured they were. At that point I commented how Kenai identifies itself with Mt. Redoubt. It is in our logos, the roofline of the Kenai Visitors Cultural Center mimics the mountain range and it follows us as we move around town. In addition to the exhibit for the Center, there will be three two -panel exhibits placed in the Homer, Nondalton and Illiamna "airports I asked why the Kenai Municipal Airport wasn't receiving one, but didn't want to push this issue without speaking with Rebecca Cronkhite first. However, the comment was made about the Homer Airport not having enough space to place a two -panel display with each panel measuring 3'x4'. According to a recent article by Craig Medred in the Anchorage Daily News, a 2001 study by the Institute of Social and Economic Research determined the Kenai Fjords is a $52 million -a -year business in Seward. While I'm not promising the same results for Kenai, I do know there are distinct economic advantages for Kenai being the Gateway Community for Lake Clark National Park. I was asked by the KCVB Board of Directors to research whether the National Park Service made any promises to the City of Kenai when it closed its office here eight or nine years ago, so am working on that. However, for us to maintain, or retain, this status, we all need to work together and speak as one group representing many interests. The major talking points are our shared ties going back centuries: indigenous culture (Dena'ina), commercial history (fishing) and recreation. Homer's indigenous cultures, on the other hand, are Sugpiaq or Alutiiq. Not to mention you can see Lake Clark National Park from Kenai too. KCVB will continue to work on this, but would like to have our City officials, and the Kenai Chamber of Commerce involved to ensure past promises are addressed and we retain our rightful position as a Gateway Community for Lake Clark National Park. John Quinley, NPS Spokesperson, and I will be attending the same travel /trade show the first week in May. I hope to have more information after we have had the opportunity to discuss this face -to -face. Kenai's Saturday Market The Saturday Market was a KEDS strategy to turn Kenai into an arts destination. What is interesting to see is how this is generating economic interest in Kenai, and a central point for disseminating information about starting a small arts and crafts or produce business. We've met with several representatives from different agencies, including Dee Gattis, with EDD. During our meeting, she informed us about the Export Alaska program for vendors who qualify for the program as well as the mini -loans EDD has available for small businesses We have six vendors who have committed for the season, and hope to see more. We've received the necessary forms for produce growers to become eligible for collecting WIC coupons. We met with Jerry Farrington of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation on Thursday, April 28, 2005 to discuss food handling and permitting needs. We learned that prepackaged foods are fine but if someone is preparing foods during the Market, s /he needs to have a permitted mobile unit. We are working with Marilyn Kebschull to get the proper variances in place so we can place a few mobile signs off premises to direct people to the Market. This was a request from those who attended the organizational meeting on April 23, 2005. Finally, this may become an additional outlet for commercial fishermen to sell their fish directly to the consumer, with the proper permits. In other news, Kenai was listed as one of five recommended family travel vacation spots in a piece titled $2,000 Spots That Sparkle in the April 2005 issue of Nick, Jr. The other destinations listed were: St. Lucia, West Indies Quepos, Costa Rica Lake Placid, New York Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico The Must -do Freebie is looking for moose, caribou and bald eagles along the Kenai Spur Highway. Plus, the CVB's phone number and website are listed for destination information. This size advertising in a national publication would cost several thousand dollars, and wouldn't include an endorsement. This is great for Kenai!