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Visitor center reports slow spring traffic, maintenance needs and new marketing pushes
Summary
Staff reported low door counts and maintenance issues at the Rusk County visitor center, described recent donations and display updates, and outlined marketing activity including a Fox 47 contract and a TIC award; a bid for trim painting was noted.
Rusk County visitor center staff told the committee the site experienced a slow month in late winter, reported building maintenance needs and outlined current and planned marketing work.
Visitor center staff said door counts were down (177 for the prior month) and that the building’s heating system was not working at the time of the meeting. Staff reported new donated display cabinets from the county museum and a carved mining lantern donation for the mining display. A painting bid for exterior trim work of $3,950 was reported, with an additional quoted option to paint beams under the fascia for a small extra charge; staff said missing trim and shingle issues around the chimney will need contractor attention.
On marketing, county staff reported a year‑long media contract with Fox 47 (Madison) and that the county produced three short scripts to generate fresh content focused on bird watching, hiking and biking; staff said those segments are scheduled to air in April, May and August. Staff also noted receipt of a Tourism Information Center (TIC) grant already entered into 2024 revenues for visitor‑center wages and a GEM grant awarded to a community group (approximately $7,100) to support Mardi Gras advertising.
Staff raised distribution and print‑run questions tied to the visitor guide discussion: the county has boxes of older guides in storage and staff want to better align printed copies with actual distribution to travel centers and welcome centers. Staff also described efforts to collect updated photos and user‑generated content (testimonials, social posts) to improve guide imagery.
The committee took no formal vote on maintenance contracts at this meeting but recorded the maintenance bid for future action and encouraged staff to pursue needed repairs and to coordinate with county buildings staff on heating repairs and painting schedules.
