Carson City CTA Board Meeting - July 13, 2026

The Carson City Tourism Authority (CTA) board met on July 13, 2026, at 4 p.m. to approve minutes, consent agenda items, and receive reports on marketing, events, arts and culture, and tourism performance. Public comment raised concerns about the CTA's relationship with the Dustin Wonder Trail nonprofit.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dr. Jennifer Varivi, a board member of the Dustin Wonder Trail, expressed that the CTA treated the organization adversarially and with a hostile vibe, and that she was stunned to learn through the general public about matters affecting the nonprofit. She stated it is her legal right to participate in decision making and access information, and that the future of the organization looks bleak under current conditions. She suggested a model similar to Friends of the Library, where the Dustin Wonder Trail could be an independent nonprofit supporting the CTA's mission, and called for more cooperation and collaboration.

Consent Calendar

• The board approved the minutes from the June 8, 2026 CTA board meeting by unanimous voice vote.
• The consent agenda, consisting of items six and seven, was approved unanimously as presented.

Discussion Items

• Executive Director's Report (David Peterson):
  • Final fiscal year 2027 rural marketing grant of $44,749 was approved by the Nevada Commission on Tourism, excluding the mine trip piece.
  • Hotel-motel and RV park transient lodging report for the quarter through March showed a tough winter, with no questions.
  • Transient occupancy tax actual versus forecast: April was very solid, May trending similarly, June projected up over 14% against prior year, with fiscal 26 forecast coming in about 2% ahead of last year.
• Events and Sales Update (Lydia Beck):
  • Tasmanian Boxing Club's "Prison Rumble" at the Nevada State Prison featured 16 bouts, 40 fighters, 36 coaches, 285 tickets sold (plus staff and volunteers, total ~400 people). Many attendees also toured the prison. Interest in a second event next year.
  • Legacy Sports Adult Slow Pitch: 34 teams (25-30 people per team), strong interest from California teams for the August 1-2 tournament, expected 60% from California. Praise for the quality of the new field.
  • Legacy Sports Youth Fast Pitch: 35 teams, hoping for same numbers upcoming weekend, three fast pitch tournaments this year.
  • Carson Cruisers Car Show: 185 vehicles at Mills Park, attendees from Washington, Arizona, California, and Nevada.
  • Cabalgata (horse dancing) at Rancho Vablanca: 72 horses, sold 500+ tickets, over 600 total including riders and vendors. Event ran late with enthusiastic crowd. Discussion of expanding to a three-day event with rodeo and potentially aligning with Nevada Day. New date secured for July 12 next year (before Reno Rodeo).
• Arts and Culture Update (Eric Brooks):
  • Nevada Pride 2026 at Brewery Art Center: first year as a three-day event, over 1,000 attendees Saturday, 40+ vendors, Sunday drag brunch sold out (78 attendees). Covered regionally.
  • Mark Twain bronze statue will be installed July 24 at St. Charles Hotel/Fox Pub area, funded by private donors, ribbon cutting at 5:30 p.m.
  • Love Lock Mini-Mural Festival: six new murals, artists included Bryce Chisholm, Autumn Harry, Anthony Ortega, Doomed Movement, Joe C. Rock. Community festival with street closure.
  • Points of Unity interpretive railroad spike sculptures: nine installations across Carson City with translations and QR codes; additional funding allowed a mural at VNT Commission building, painted by Joe C. Rock with $7,000 in-kind donation.
  • Eastgate Depot mural: first of three planned, completed ahead of schedule.
• Marketing and PR Update (Lydia Beck):
  • Digital growth: despite reduced media budget, lodging referrals up 3% month over month, conversion rate up 23%. Organic search lodging referrals up 25% from RV park landing pages.
  • PR: busy June with content creators, including Jacob Who and Esther Lee, and coverage of local events. Billy's horse dancing event TikTok garnered tens of thousands of views.
  • Expedia Co-op campaign (March–May 2026): featured tier below Travel Nevada, drove nearly 1,500 room nights, 1,200 travelers, $200,000 revenue, 3 million impressions. Funded through media plan budget, not grant.
  • FY27 Arts and Culture Media Plan: total $35,000 (flat). Priority events (e.g., Haunted Carson City, Murals & Music, Father's Day Powwow) each receive $1,500–$2,000 for social media advertising within 150-mile radius. Nine additional sub-events receive ~$400 each. Evergreen content (museums, trails) budgeted $16,000. Dust and Wonder Trail co-op set at $10,000.

Key Outcomes

• The board approved the June 8, 2026 meeting minutes unanimously.
• The consent agenda (items six and seven) was approved unanimously.
• No formal votes were taken on reports; they were received as presentations.
• The next regular board meeting is scheduled for August 10, 2026, at 4 p.m. at the same location.