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La Porte historic panel accepts CVB funding to add 10 sites to AutoCast app
Summary
At its March 17 meeting the La Porte Historic Preservation Commission voted to accept an offer from the Convention and Visitors Bureau to pay for 10 AutoCast entries this year, and assigned two commissioners to compile the initial site list.
The La Porte Historic Preservation Commission voted March 17 to accept funding from the Convention and Visitors Bureau to place 10 La Porte sites on the AutoCast mobile app, a platform that delivers audio and written histories of local landmarks.
The payout will cover the first-year upload and voiceover work for 10 sites, with the CVB representative saying the per-site charge is "either $100 or $150 for each place" and that costs would decline in later years. Commissioners said they plan to start small to measure user engagement before expanding the program.
Commission Chair Sally Lorocco introduced the item and recommended accepting the CVB offer so the commission can begin building content for the app. "I recommend we accept the offer of the Convention and Visitors Bureau to pay for 10 sites of AutoCast for the Historic Preservation Commission," Lorocco said before the motion was made, seconded and carried.
A CVB representative identified in the meeting as Dale told commissioners she could invoice the CVB and arrange payment to the AutoCast owner, and offered to record voiceovers if the commission provided content. "If you get me the information on the place, I would be more than happy to do all the voiceovers and send them to the owner of the site," she said.
Commissioners discussed practical decisions for the rollout: whether to start with downtown public points of interest such as City Hall, the train station and the courthouse, or to include grouped residential-designated areas; how to assemble and edit audio and written descriptions; and who would serve as the initial content administrator. Members were told the app reports which items users click, which specific items attract attention and whether audio files are listened to in full, giving data to justify future expansion.
The commission also approved a motion appointing Commissioners Mitchell Espinosa and Bruce Johnson to propose an initial list of 10 properties; the group agreed members would provide feedback by email before finalizing the selection. Commissioners noted some designated homes will require owner permission for photos or audio content.
The motion to accept CVB-funded AutoCast entries passed by voice vote. Commissioners said the smaller initial scope and the app’s analytics will allow the commission to evaluate public interest before seeking additional funding.
