The city of Yachats is seeking proposals by people or groups to run the city’s visitor center and marketing programs for the next two to six years.
The current contract expires July 1 and is held by Yachats Chamber of Commerce. The chamber contracts with Beverly Wilson to do much of the work and organize volunteers.
While the city’s request for proposals to run the center and marketing program is routine, the new contract gives the city a chance to update its expectations and the chance for others to bid on the contract. Applications are due May 26. The contract is for two years with an option by the city and contractor to extend it for two additional two-year terms.
The city’s budget for the center and marketing in 2019-20 is $64,765. There is no budget suggested in the city’s request for proposals.
Among the services the city is asking for is to staff and operate the visitor information center in downtown Yachats, develop strategic marketing communications, recommend and implement media strategies, offer suggestions for the city’s digital presence, and identify new marketing opportunities for the city. It also requires organizing or coordinating several city events.
The city plans to have a committee evaluate proposals based on four criteria: experience, staff qualifications, quality of the proposal and familiarity with the Yachats area.
In other city of Yachats news:
- The application for businesses to apply for an emergency loan funded by $100,000 from the city is now available on the website of Community Lending Works, a nonprofit based in Springfield. The two-page application also requires business owners to submit 2019 and partial 2020 financial reports and operation plans during the coronavirus shutdown and for restarting operations. Money for the program was pulled from the city’s general reserve fund, the city said.
- The next City Council meeting will likely be May 20, not May 7, Mayor John Moore told YachatsNews. He said City Manager Shannon Beaucaire is trying to put together a 2020-21 budget proposal that will be heavily impacted by business shutdowns and that she lacks the time to properly prepare for a council meeting next week. One of the topics of the May 20 meeting, Moore said, would be whether the city should go ahead with planning events for the July 4 holiday.
- Once Beaucaire prepares a budget proposal, Moore said the city’s Budget Committee will meet at least twice in May using the Zoom online meeting system. The council will get the budget in June; it has to be approved by July 1.
- The Planning Commission will apparently be the first non-council group to meet since early March. It has scheduled its monthly workshop and regular meeting for 2 and 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 19 via Zoom. It plans to resume discussion of a lighting ordinance at its workshop and hold a hearing on a lot partition during its regular meeting, said Chair Helen Anderson.
- The city is seeking applicants for vacancies on three city commissions – planning, library and public works/streets.
- The city’s code enforcement contractor, TCB Security of Newport, has set up a special complaint telephone line that is staffed 24/7. The phone number is 541-265-1963. The company will also put the information into the city’s database to track results.