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Saint Helena council approves two‑year, $160,000‑per‑year extension for visitor welcome center contract
Summary
The Saint Helena City Council unanimously approved a resolution on June 9 to extend the city's welcome‑center agreement with the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce for two years, authorizing payments up to $160,000 per year; staff said a $35,000 midcycle amendment will be requested to cover FY27 costs and FY28 funding remains subject to budget adoption.
The Saint Helena City Council on June 9 adopted a resolution extending the city's welcome‑center agreement with the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce for two years and authorizing payments not to exceed $160,000 per fiscal year, subject to the city's FY28 budget adoption process.
The contract funds the visitor/welcome center that provides trip planning, hotel and restaurant bookings, referrals to downtown businesses and wineries, and data tracking used for destination marketing. Amy Karaba Salazar, CEO of the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce, told the council the center is staffed by one full‑time and one part‑time employee, serves roughly 22,000 visitors annually, distributes about 11,000 city maps each year and has helped increase hotel bookings made at the center by about 10%.
"It brings a lot of value to the city of Saint Helena," Karaba Salazar said, describing the center's role in directing visitors to Main Street businesses and providing data that informs regional marketing.
Council members pressed staff on budget details. Finance staff (Mrs. Kelly) said the budget currently contains $125,000 for the visitor center line and that the city will present a midcycle budget amendment in July to add the additional $35,000 needed for FY27 to reach the $160,000 annual level in the resolution. Staff clarified that the two‑year amendment runs through FY27–28 but that FY28 funding is "subject to the fiscal year 28 budget adoption process," meaning the council will review FY28 allocations when that budget is developed.
The council voted by roll call with the four members present recording aye votes: Council Member Sparado, Vice Mayor Dey, Council Member Diaz and Mayor Paul Doring. The resolution passed.
Next steps: staff will include the requested $35,000 amendment in the midcycle budget update scheduled for July and will proceed with the contract amendment process. The council noted the lease for the visitor center space will require a decision later this summer, so the two‑year extension provides continuity while staff and council consider longer‑term facility plans.
