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Stakeholders push council for oversight, audit and transparency of Visit 29/TBID
Summary
Multiple residents and stakeholders used public comment to press the City Council for greater transparency and oversight of Visit 29 (the tourism promotion body/TBID), raising concerns about outreach, missing listings, tight grant timelines and a proposed conversion study.
Several residents and stakeholders urged the City Council during public comment to increase oversight and transparency of Visit 29 (the tourism‑promotion entity formed as a public‑private partnership) and related TBID activities.
Susan Peplow, who identified herself as a property owner and stakeholder, asked the council to intervene and requested a report on the TBID’s outreach and communications to stakeholders, citing repeated outreach failures and a recent event‑grant reminder that was posted only 12 days before the application deadline. Peplow asked why Visit 29 had not listed an accommodation provider that was licensed in November and raised concern that few vacation rentals (five) had been added to Visit29’s listings since the website redesign in 2023.
Eric Menendez and other commenters (including Mary Kay Sherring and Carlos Blandon) urged the council to review TBID spending and practices, questioned the transparency of board minutes and staff support, and asked the council to consider an audit or ordinance changes. Menendez said he was concerned about a proposed Civitas conversion study budget (he referenced a $25,000 figure) and the plan to distribute about $200,000 in event sponsorships without clearer outreach timelines. Mary Kay Sherring asked the council to place an item on a future agenda to revamp the TBID ordinance — including board term limits, subcommittee oversight and stricter reporting — and to consider halting further payments tied to the conversion process until stakeholders’ concerns are addressed.
Speakers emphasized repeated attempts to raise issues with the TBID board and staff, and they asked the council, as oversight authority, to request reports on stakeholder outreach methods, frequency and results. Council members acknowledged the concerns and said the strategic planning workshop is not the forum for detailed TBID debate but that the council will hear public comment and consider follow‑up at future meetings.
