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La Porte historic panel weighs AutoCast history app, members raise long‑term cost and outreach questions
Summary
The La Porte Historic Preservation Commission reviewed AutoCast, a location‑based history app, received concrete pricing (setup $125/site; $60 annual maintenance), and agreed to ask the Convention and Visitors Bureau about shared promotion and cost support before committing to broad rollout.
The City of La Porte Historic Preservation Commission on Jan. 27 discussed adopting AutoCast, a location‑driven app and web platform, as a tool for education and walking tours but members expressed concern about ongoing maintenance costs and promotion.
The commission’s presiding officer summarized the vendor’s pricing: “The setup is, excuse me, is a $125 per site,” and gave an example that 10 points would mean a $1,250 first‑year cost. The officer added that annual maintenance after the first year would be $60 per site, and that adding a second language is a one‑time $25 per site (a third language $15). The commission also discussed a splash page that can carry sponsor content and be updated frequently.
Commissioners and staff flagged two main questions: who will pay ongoing maintenance and who will manage and promote the content. One member said the maintenance and sponsor pages “almost sounds like… it could be a full time job” if the commission were responsible for daily updates. Chair noted AutoCast staff would help with changes and that city staff would need to ensure graphics remain within city branding.
Members discussed partnering with regional tourism partners to broaden reach and reduce the commission’s share of costs. A member asked whether the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) would participate or commit funds; another volunteered to contact the CVB and report back at the next meeting.
On funding, the presiding officer said recent changes in the Indiana Landmarks contract freed some commission funds that could be used this year for initial setup, but emphasized a desire for a sustainable long‑term price. She listed possible revenue options including fundraising and business sponsorships that could underwrite individual site fees.
Action and next steps: the commission agreed to pursue details with the CVB and to report back at the next meeting. No formal vote to adopt AutoCast was recorded in the transcript; the discussion closed with members asking staff and outreach committee volunteers to get more precise cost commitments and promotional plans.
Why it matters: the app would create an accessible, mobile history tour for residents and visitors but would require an ongoing operating budget and staff coordination to keep content current and to fund multilingual options.
