Sitka Visitor Industry Plan
Stakeholder Meeting
January 13, 2007 - Summary: The Stakeholders spend the morning working in small groups to further refine the Strategic Directions. After lunch, the whole group looks at all the benchmarks together and places them on a 2-year+ timeline.
| Read the notes of the meeting |  |
Steering Committee Meeting
January 11, 2007 - The Steering Committee plans the agenda for Saturday’s Stakeholder meeting. They also discuss a proposed revision to the “Partnerships” Strategic Direction.
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Steering Committee Meeting
December 28, 2006 - The Steering Committee plans for the January 13th Stakeholder meeting, and strategizes about getting a broad diversity of former Stakeholders and Conveners to attend.
| Read the notes of the meeting | |
Steering Committee Meeting
December 19, 2006 - The Steering Committee begins to plan one more meeting for Saturday, January 13. The purpose of this meeting will be to gather a representative cross-section of the community to see the plan as a whole, understand how it works, and to further refine some of the elements of it. They also take initial steps toward implementation strategies.
| Read the notes of the meeting | |
Stakeholder Meeting
December 18, 2006 - Summary: The Stakeholders work in small groups to further define the Strategic Directions and benchmarks. They also revisit the issue of setting target visitor numbers.
| Read the notes of the meeting | |
Steering Committee Meeting
December 13, 2006 - Summary: The Steering Committee discusses possibilities for resolving the issue of setting a target visitor number within the plan. They also strategize about how to make the most efficient use out of the next Stakeholder meeting, which is the last scheduled meeting.
| Read the notes of the meeting | |
Stakeholder Meeting
December 11, 2006 - Summary: Kayla and Matthew have “mined” ideas and concerns from the history of this process and they have placed them all with appropriate Strategic Directions. The Stakeholders spend some time reviewing the Strategic Directions, and they discover some ideas that they agree on some new action focus areas and benchmarks.
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Steering Committee Meeting
December 5, 2006 - The Steering Committee discusses ways to incorporate community feedback into the plan, how to resolve the issue of establishing a visitor number benchmark, and the idea of hosting a scenario workshop to test the cohesiveness of the plan.
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Stakeholder Meeting
December 4, 2006 - The Stakeholders review the Strategic Directions and feedback provided to the group from Chris Beck and some missing voices. They work to incorporate that feedback into the framework they’ve developed.
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Stakeholder Meeting
November 27, 2006 - The Stakeholders heard a presentation from Floyd Tomkins regarding visitor influence at the harbors. Mike Litman gave a presentation regarding visitor impacts on the community relating to emergency services and city services. Mim McConnell presented an updated spreadsheet on visitor statistics. Cleo Brylinsky presented the survey that was compiled by the Union College Anthropology Students last summer.
| Read the notes of the meeting | |
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| Mim McConnell's spreadsheet on visitor statistics |  |
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Stakeholder Meeting
November 13, 2006 - The Stakeholders heard from Chris Beck regarding feedback from the missing voices.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
| Chris Beck's handout distributed during the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
November 7 , 2006 - Summary: Discussion last evening's Stakeholder meeting for which Clarisa Sandhol took minutes. Long discussion of data shows that better data collection is necessary for Sitka. Lack of expected presentations shows that presenters need better notification of presentation date.| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Stakeholders Meeting
November 6, 2006 - Summary: The Stakeholders heard a presentation from Mim McConnell regarding Visitor Statistics.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Progress Report Ready for the Public
November 3, 2006: Download of the full report of the planning progress to date. This report will be circulated through November for feedback and endorsement. The second document can be used as an outreach tool for gathering responses to the plan.
| Progress Report | |
| Outreach Document | |
Stakeholder Meeting
November 1, 2006 - Summary: The Stakeholders finished their work to identify broad strategic directions.
| See a one-page DRAFT Strategic Directions and Goals worksheet | |
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
October 31, 2006 - Summary: The Steering Committee heard concerns from several Stakeholders about how to create a feedback loop for community input into this process, and shared their ideas about how the input from the missing voices would be incorporated. They also discussed the flow of the November meetings| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Stakeholder Meeting
October 30, 2006 - Summary: The Stakeholders refine a few of the blocks they had identified last week, and the begin to identify strategic directions that will both address the blocks and help the community move toward its common vision.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
October 24, 2006 - Summary: The Steering Commitee debriefs last night’s Stakeholder meeting, acknowledging there was some frustration, but generally feeling enough work was done to proceed to strategic directions next week. They decided that Steering Committee will facilitate the November meetings, but they are still searching for a note-taker. They also have a lengthy discussion about how specific the strategic directions and goals should be before taking them around for community endorsement, and they plan more details for Chris Beck’s November visit.| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Stakeholder Meeting
October 23, 2006 - Summary: The Stakeholders revise a few elements of the vision statement and then continue their work to identify the broad root causes – or blocks – in the community that prevent the community from achieving its common vision.
| Download a one page summary of the refined Vision statement. | |
| Download a one page summary DRAFT of the Blocks to the Vision statement. | |
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
October 17, 2006 - Summary: The Steering Committee reviewed last night’s Stakeholder meeting, and specifically discussed the possibility of making some of the vision statement elements more directly relevant to the visitor industry. They also discuss the addendum request for the facilitator’s contract, and plan for the facilitation team’s absence in November.| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Stakeholder Meeting
October 16, 2006 - Summary: The Stakeholders finish the Vision Workshop, although some of the category titles may need further revision. They begin the Contradictions Workshop, where they begin to identify things that block the community’s ability to realize its vision.
| Download a one-page summary of the DRAFT Vision for the Sitka Visitor Industry | |
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
October 10, 2006. Summary:The Steering Committee is preparing to ask the Assembly for additional funding to finish this part of the process. Much of the conversation focuses on what will happen at the next few Stakeholder meetings, the plan to get community-wide endorsement of the SH’s strategic directions, and the outcomes that are expected in the next two months.| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Stakeholder Meeting
October 9, 2006 - Summary: The Stakeholders finished their work to revise the mission statement and began to create a vision statement by envisioning how Sitka would look in 10 years as a result of this group’s work.
| Download a one-page summary on the Visitor Industry Impact workshop | |
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
October 3, 2006. Summary: The Steering Committee spent a considerable amount of time talking with Chris Beck about the process overall. Chris offered some feedback about where he thinks the process is at and makes some suggestions about next steps which initially seem somewhat contradictory to the process that’s been established, but eventually the group recognizes how his suggestions align with the current process plan. The SC also discusses a letter that was sent to the Assembly from the Chamber of Commerce expressing their concerns about the process.| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Stakeholder Meeting
September 25, 2006 - Summary: The Stakeholders hear a presentation and close the following topic:
- Environmental impact of building a dock and disturbing sludge at mill building quarry (Cruise D)
They also finish the consensus workshop on Quality of Life and begin a workshop to identify contributions made by the visitor industry to Sitka.
| Download a one-page summary on the Quality of Life workshop | |
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
September 19, 2006. Summary: Again the Steering Committee debriefed last night’s Stakeholder meeting and discussed ways to fill in the missing voices in the Stakeholder group.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Stakeholder Meeting
October 2, 2006 - Summary: Planning consultant Chris Beck gave a presentation on how tourism plans have been put together and implemented in other AK communities. The SH finished consensus work on what the visitor industry contributes to Sitka. The following pieces of needed information were answered:
- Definition of quality of life (Community B)
- What control and planning tools have worked in other communities (planning C)
- How have plans been implemented elsewhere? (Planning J)
| Download a one-page summary on the Visitor Industry Contribution workshop | |
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Stakeholder Meeting
September 25, 2006 - Summary: The Stakeholders hear a presentation and close the following topic:
- Environmental impact of building a dock and disturbing sludge at mill building quarry (Cruise D)
They also finish the consensus workshop on Quality of Life and begin a workshop to identify contributions made by the visitor industry to Sitka.
| Download a one-page summary on the Quality of Life workshop | |
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
September 19, 2006. Summary: Again t he Steering Committee debriefed last night’s Stakeholder meeting and discussed ways to fill in the missing voices in the Stakeholder group.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Stakeholder Meeting
September 18, 2006 - Summary: Stakeholders spent some time reflecting on the information phase and the common ground they have found so far. Concern is voiced about community perspectives that have been consistently missing from this process. A new process plan and schedule are presented. Stakeholders begin work to define “quality of life.”
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
September 12, 2006. Summary: The Steering Committee debriefed last night’s Stakeholder meeting and discussed ways to fill in the missing voices in the Stakeholder group.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Stakeholder Meeting
September 11, 2006. Summary: The Stakeholders hear a panel presentation from the Sawmill Cove Industrial Park board about their current plans and operations. They also hear two other presentations from Stakeholders, and learn that starting next week, the meeting format will change to include more facilitated dialogue and not just focus on information presentations.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
August 30, 2006. Summary: The Steering Committee and facilitators agree on the future steps and schedule for the process from now through December. They also hear an update on plans for a Stakeholder and public party to be held in September.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
August 24, 2006. Summary: The Steering Committee is updated about the budget request approved at the last LRPC meeting. They discuss hosting a party for SH and the public on September 16. They attempt to define local, non-local, and big business, and strategize about if and how to have presentations from the cruise industry, STE, and SCVB. They also have a brief discussion about designing the end product for this process, and seeking input from people who most likely will use the document.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
August 15, 2006. Summary: The Steering Committee debriefed the 8/14 Stakeholder meeting, and began to discuss the transition from the information phase into the visioning and strategies phase. They also plan to make an assertive effort to get all the Stakeholders up to speed about what’s been covered during the summer meetings – especially the tourism industry folks who have been absent this summer.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Stakeholder Meeting
August 14, 2006 - Summary: Stakeholders heard presentations on a number of topics. They closed the following topics, agreeing that they have enough information now to make decisions on these questions later:
- Harbor dept – who are the owners, # of users of harbor by visitors, plans - moorage (Business U)
- Current resources from harbormaster/possible development of harbors? (Planning W)
- Does local government have regulations in place to regulate cruise industry? (Cruise T)
- Basic studies (like McDowell Group studies) that deal with numbers and dollars concerning visitor industry. Include other studies (business H)
- Need pertinent sections of Sitka Comprehensive Plan (Business I)
- Copy of a generic tourism plan outline (visitor experience A)
- Review findings of "Gateway Plan" (NPS) (Culture J)
- VIS tourism study (Planning R)
- McDowell reports (planning S)
Stakeholders also heard presentations on these topics, but they remain open for further information:
- Sitka harbor usage by time (Economy P)
- Carrying capacity of harbor system (Community C)
The Steering Committee and Stakeholders also agreed to table 24 questions until the next phase of the process. The questions they tabled asked questions that were more about strategy than current information.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
August 10, 2006. Summary: The SC meets a group of anthropology students from Union College who are studying tourism in SE Alaska for 3 weeks. They have offered to help this process, and agree to do a small survey of visitor impressions. The SC also discusses a budget revision, makes a plan to ask the Assembly for more money, and considers hiring Kayla to write the end report for this process.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Stakeholder Meeting
July 17, 2006 - Summary: Stakeholders heard presentations on a number of topics. They closed the following topics, agreeing that they have enough information now to make decisions on these questions later:
- What does the city need to do to collect property tax from ALL businesses, including seasonal? (Planning N)
- Seasonal businesses contribution to tax base (property, sales, bed) (Economy W) rephrased to say: What is a comparison of the bed and sale tax revenue by quarters where visitor industry is active vs. when it is less active?
- Sitka sales tax revenue by quarter since 2000 (Economy H)
- City reports: sales tax, bed tax generated from visitors vs. locals – where does the money go? (Planning A) rephrased to say: City reports: sales tax, bed tax – where does the money go?
- Sale tax revenues – history, projections (Business R)
- What are the natural resources and infrastructure? (R&E F)
Stakeholders also heard presentations on these topics, but they remain open for further information:
- Known fees and taxes on visitors in Sitka (i.e. lightering fees, other port comparison) (Economy S)
- Do off-shore enterprises pay sales tax? (Business M)
- What is the capacity and impact on infrastructure, support services, NPS, hospitals, SPD, airport, Trail Works, City of Sitka, STA, NFS, etc.? (Planning B)
- What is carrying capacity of Sitka: medical, fish as a resource – what’s too many per day?; trails; telecommunications; roads; museums; police; dock usage; city services – H2O, sewer, garbage? (visitor B)
- How many Sitka tourist-based businesses are locally owned/non-local? (Economy T)
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
July 7, 2006 - Summary: The Steering Committee reviewed 46 requested pieces of information and developed recommendations about each, which they will present to the Stakeholders at an upcoming meeting. They also discuss possible research projects for visiting anthropology students who have interest in helping with this process.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Steering Committee Meeting
June 20, 2006 - Summary: The Steering Committee debriefed last night’s Stakeholder meeting, including a reflection on the subcommittee structure, and the need to make the list of Stakeholder concerns more visibly connected with the requested information needs. The SC is on the STA meeting agenda tomorrow night. SC members divvy up some of the remaining specific information requests they will make available to the SH, and discuss some potential survey options.
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |
Stakeholder Meeting
June 19, 2006 - Summary:Stakeholders heard presentations on a number of topics. They closed the following topics, agreeing that they have enough information now to make decisions on these questions later:
- What are ordinances on noise? (business category)
- Visitor traffic pattern studies (planning category)
- Zoning laws as they relate to businesses (business category)
- Is it legal/possible for local government to not allow shops to close in the winter – can we limit # of types of shops, i.e. jewelry/fur, etc. What tools are available to address these issues and what has worked in other places? (visitor experience category)
- Do non-local businesses that leave/close before 12/31 contribute to property taxes and/or inventory taxes in Sitka? (business category)
- Will the visitor industry affect rural status? (community issues)
- Are passengers directed to certain shops/businesses by the cruise ship industry? How? (Cruise ships)
- Who owns or manages resources? (Resources and Environment)
- Can we maintain local control over resource use and environment; what mechanisms are available to influence or control resource use and environment? What can we learn from other communities? Proactive vs. reactive responses? (Resources and Environment)
Stakeholders also heard presentations on these topics, but they remain open for further information:
- Value of locally produced goods (economy)
- Target species of charter boats (economy)
- # of full-time charter boats (5 year trend) (Economy)
- Cruise industry – who are they, how do they work? (Business)
- How are ships scheduled to come to Sitka? How is port length determined? (Cruise ships)
- What is the optimum length of a port call for the community/ship? (Cruise ships)
- Does the community have say in numbers/volume of ships/days? Through what mechanisms can they have a say?(cruise ships)
- What control and planning tools have worked in other communities (in AK and elsewhere)? (Planning)
| Read the notes of the meeting. | |