Carson City Culture and Tourism Authority Board of Directors Meeting - April 13, 2026

The Carson City Culture and Tourism Authority Board of Directors met on Monday, April 13, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in the Robert Bob Kroll Boardroom at the Carson City Community Center. The board approved the FY2027 tentative budget, received updates on marketing, events, and arts and culture, and discussed transient occupancy tax trends. All actions were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes from the March 9, 2026 CTA board meeting and the March 20, 2026 CTA special board meeting.
• Approved the consent agenda (items 6 and 7) without additional discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the public comment periods at the beginning or end of the meeting, nor during the consent agenda discussion.

Discussion Items

• Item 9: FY2027 Tentative Budget – Chris Kip presented the proposed budget with estimated expenditures of $3,431,794 across three funds. The general fund projects an ending fund balance of $3,363,724 for FY2028. The budget includes room taxes, intergovernmental revenue, arts and culture donations, and investment income. A transfer of $608,115 from the VNT capital projects fund to the general fund supports marketing. The board approved the budget after a motion and second.
• Item 10A: Executive Director Update – David Peterson reported that the recruitment for the second lodging partner resulted in no applicants; the application period remains open. He highlighted a rural marketing grant request of $52,749 for FY2027, including a Datafy co-op, Expedia co-op, and Mind Trip AI platform. Lydia Beck will attend the Cannes International Film Festival (May 10–18, 2026) representing the Reno Tahoe Territory. A boxing event, “Nevada State Prison Rumble,” is scheduled for June 6, 2026.
• Item 10B: TOT Actual vs. Forecast – David Peterson reported January room tax actuals were 1.87% below forecast. February is projected to be down approximately 4%, and the fiscal year is pacing 1.6% behind last year. He noted that three properties have rooms offline, offsetting a new property. The winter campaign helped mitigate declines.
• Item 10C: Transient Lodging Report – Tabled due to incomplete December data from properties; will be brought back in May.
• Item 10D: Events and Sales Update – Stu Wexler reviewed the Reno-Where? Trading Card Show (over 1,000 tickets, nearly 100 vendors, now considering Carson City as primary market), the Go West Prefam Tour (8 operators visited Stewart Indian School and the prison), and the Go West Summit in Las Vegas (42 appointments, strong interest from international buyers due to no resort fees and Wild West history). Upcoming events include the Comstock Shootout, Capital City Gun Club, Tasmanian Boxing Club (24 bouts, 48 fighters), and Caballero Ballador horse dancing event on June 27 at Fruit Park.
• Item 10E: Arts and Culture Update – Eric Brooks highlighted the Pete Paulus exhibition (paper cutting, French eclair reception with Minden Mill whiskey), the Brewery Arts Center's 50th Golden Jubilee Gala (celebrity chef Mark Este, multiple partnerships), and the United States Conference of Mayors Public Leadership in the Arts Awards. He noted that arts contribute $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy and support 5.4 million jobs.
• Item 10F: Marketing Update – Lydia Beck reported March digital performance mixed but lodging interest up 24% month-over-month and 23% year-over-year. PR wins included placements in Matador, Travel Nevada, National Geographic, and The Points Guy. The winter campaign drove 3,850 attributed trips, with a 9.34x visitation lift (nine times more likely to visit after seeing ads). The campaign overperformed on Datafy benchmarks. The Los Angeles market is growing due to proximity to Tahoe.
• Item 10G: Future Agenda Items – No items were proposed.
• Item 10H: Next Meeting – Scheduled for Monday, May 18, 2026, at 4:00 p.m., shifted one week later due to budget hearing requirements.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the FY2027 CTA tentative budget unanimously.
• Approved minutes from March 9 and March 20, 2026, unanimously.
• Approved the consent agenda unanimously.
• Tabled the Transient Lodging Report (Item 10C) to May 2026.
• Noted that the second lodging partner recruitment remains open with no applicants.
• The rural marketing grant request of $52,749 will be submitted; decisions expected by June 2026.
• Lydia Beck will attend the Cannes Film Festival May 10–18, 2026, with sponsorship from Cordillera International Film Festival and Reno Tahoe Territory.
• A presentation on film tourism by Emily (Cordillera) and Lydia Beck will be scheduled for a future board meeting.
• The next regular meeting is set for May 18, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.