Uptick in lodging

The Carbon County Visitors’ Council (CCVC) had its monthly at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at the Cowboy Motel in Baggs.

All representatives attended the meeting either by conference call or in person.

The agenda and minutes from the July 15 regularly scheduled meeting were approved quickly.

The next order of business was to approve the treasurer’s report.

After the report was approved the council went over lodging tax revenue for August. The revenue actually comes from revenues during the latter part of June and early July. There was a sharp rise from the month before although compared to last year at this time, revenues were down.

Carbon County went from $4,402.94 to $46,051.38 July to August. The figure from last year for Carbon County for August was $66,119.40. Rawlins went from $13,113.61 in July to $21,842.70 in August. Last year at this time Rawlins collected $37,843.35. Saratoga increased from $960.97 to $3,997.03 July to August. Last year Saratoga brought in $5,095.77 although August 2018 Saratoga collected $2,610.06.

There were two towns that increased not only from July to August, but also last year’s figures. Dixon went from $69.22 in August 2019 to $748.93. Medicine Bow collected $28 last year at this time and this August collected $321.51.

The July statistics report showed the top five states requesting visitor packets were Colorado, California, Illinois, Oklahoma and Minnesota. The Riverside Visitor Center had 632 people come to it.

CEO Leslie Jefferson gave her report detailing her board bi-weekly meetings with Wyoming Office of Tourism, Wyoming Lodging Restaurant Association and Wyoming Travel Industry Coalition.

She attended a Wyoming Office Tourism webinar on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Relief Funds. Each of Wyoming’s lodging boards have the opportunity to get funds to help foster economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis at the local level.

Each lodging tax board must submit an application and ensure funds expended will adhere to federal guidelines. The CCVC is eligible for $185,254.

The Council approved submitting an application for the grant.

The Riverside Visitors Center was approved to have its signs repainted by Sandy Martin.

The meeting ended after the Council agreed to have the next meeting at 10 a.m. on September 16 in Saratoga at Firewater Public House.