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Record of Proceedings

Carson City Culture & Tourism Authority Board Meeting - September 14, 2026

Board of Supervisors — Monday, September 14, 2026
BodyCarson City, Nevada
SessionBoard of Supervisors
DateMonday, September 14, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:27:14

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
1:12

Today is Monday, September 14th, 2026.

1:16

It is 4 p.m.

1:17

and we are at the Carson City Community Center, Robert Bob Kroll Boardroom.

1:23

Can I get a roll call?

1:26

Andrew Reno.

1:27

Here.

1:27

Stacey Giomi.

1:28

Here.

1:29

Garrett Lupier.

1:30

Matt Dodd.

1:38

All right.

1:38

We have a quorum.

1:40

Okay.

1:40

Thank you.

1:41

Everybody could please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:00

Thank you.

2:02

Next, we will move on to item four public comment.

2:10

Stu, nothing.

2:11

All right.

2:14

Next, we will move on to item five, approval of minutes from August 10th, 2026 CTA board meeting.

2:23

Does anyone have any changes they want to make to the minutes?

2:27

Hearing none, can I get a motion to approve the minutes?

2:33

All in favor, aye.

2:35

Aye.

2:36

Any opposed?

2:37

Hearing none, the motion passes.

2:42

Next, we will move on to the consent agenda consisting of items six, seven, and eight.

2:49

Does any member of the public or the board have anything they'd like removed for further discussion?

2:58

Can I get a motion to approve the consent agenda?

3:03

Move to approve the consent agenda.

3:05

Second.

3:06

All in favor, aye.

3:09

Any opposed.

3:11

Hearing none, the consent agenda is approved.

3:15

Now we will move on to item 10.

3:18

And with that, I will turn it over to Mr.

3:22

David Peterson.

3:23

Thank you, Chair.

3:24

For the record, Dave Peterson, executive director with Visicar City.

3:27

Uh I'm excited to say we have Jenna and Sarah from KPS3 here today to talk us through where we're moving directionally with our brand foundation and our visual identity, some little tweaks, little changes.

5:00

So our goal, as Dave mentioned, was not to start over, but it was to find ways that we could enhance and help elevate and lift up the brand and make some adjustments just based on our learnings and where our audiences are.

5:07

So for us, uh we kind of talked about this on the history of like where the brand initially um was started.

5:13

So we just knew that this was time for us to move forward.

5:17

Um when we think about building brands, it is really important that we're not trying to be everything to everyone.

5:23

Uh that just is a recipe for disaster, um, because then we're not true to who we are and we're not able to really reach people in an authentic way.

5:31

Um, but you know, great brands are built on owning something.

5:34

What are the white spaces?

5:36

What can we defend?

5:37

What can no other destination absolutely um say?

5:42

And so for us, it was really about looking at all of the various competitors in this area, looking at what they were um, how they were positioning themselves and finding ways for us to differentiate.

5:53

So things that we knew needed to stay because we had so much brand equity built up where our colors, the logo, the brand pillars in the website, all we're going to remain intact.

6:03

Um, but where we did see opportunity was again looking at the strategy, talking about our audiences, how do we position ourselves, identifying different archetypes and personas, the attributes, the voice and tone.

6:15

Um, and then of course, wanting to what we like to call um zone in on the reasons to believe why would someone want to come to visit Carson City?

6:23

What can we, what promises can we make, and how can we uh make sure that those are true?

6:29

And of course, how can we enhance the visual identity?

6:32

Things again change from 2019 till today.

6:35

So we did um some research.

6:38

Uh our key audiences are millennials and boomers.

6:42

Um, and we have been able to really identify that even further.

6:45

We had always assumed they were them, but through our um research with DataFi and the engagement that we have with our audiences and all that information that we gather, it was absolutely I like confirmed that boomers and millennials are who we should be targeting.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Tourism█████████████████████████████████████████████51%
Marketing and Communications███████████████████21%
Arts And Culture███████████12%
Procedural█████6%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Rail Operations███3%
Economic Development██2%
Public Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Carson City Culture & Tourism Authority Board Meeting - September 14, 2026

The Carson City Culture & Tourism Authority (CTA) Board of Directors met on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in the Robert "Bob" Crowell Board Room at the Carson City Community Center. The meeting included approval of the consent agenda, a presentation on the updated brand foundation and visual identity from KPS3, and monthly updates from staff. No public comments were made.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the August 10, 2026 CTA Board meeting were approved unanimously.
  • Accounts Payable: Approved checks totaling $58,109.64 and p-card charges totaling $16,108.79 for July 2026.
  • FY26 Adjusted Budget: Approved with adjusted revenue of $3,944,569.19, expenses of $3,347,151.23, and a fund balance of $5,502,105.96.
  • FY27 Adjusted Budget: Approved with adjusted revenue of $14,430.39, expenses of $132,819.67, and a fund balance of $4,974,362.19.

Public Comments & Testimony

No public comments were offered during either designated public comment period (Items 4 and 13).

Discussion Items

Brand Foundation & Identity Overview (Item 10 – Discussion Only)

KPS3 presented a strategic brand update grounded in regional data and audience research. Key elements included:

  • Target Audiences: Millennials and boomers, segmented by travel mindsets (memory creators, discoverers, adventure seekers, culture seekers, easy escapists).
  • Competitive Positioning: Carson City will own the white space of "unexpected and discoverable," shifting from a familiar perception to one that surprises visitors.
  • Brand Promise: "Ease and opportunity" – a charming, easygoing small town that offers room to discover, history, character, and unexpected finds.
  • Six Reasons to Believe: Small town charm, easy to visit, outdoor fun for every level, stories on every corner, living history, and gateway to Lake Tahoe.
  • Visual Enhancements: The logo and core colors (Nevada Pride blue, Elpen Glow orange) were retained, with an expanded palette (capital blue, desert bloom), horizon line graphics, and updated typography.
  • Next Steps: Brand integration as new materials are created, development of a brand campaign, and continued focus on sports travelers, Nevada Day, and local events.

Board members provided feedback:

  • Stacey Giomi suggested incorporating community events (e.g., Brew Fest, Taste of Downtown, Mark Twain Days) into the campaign to attract overnight stays.
  • Garrett Lepire asked about featuring Carson City’s status as the state capital. Staff explained it would be folded into stories on every corner and living history rather than a standalone reason to believe. Lepire also proposed a video series with locals and tourists sharing why they love Carson City.
  • Staff confirmed that upcoming campaign concepts would address seasonality and special events, and that the brand foundation would allow flexible storytelling.

Monthly Non-Action Updates (Item 11)

11A. Executive Director’s Update (David Peterson)

  • A rail bike operating agreement with Tom Gray’s company was approved by the V&T Railway Commission. Rail bikes could operate in September and October (weather permitting) and resume in April 2027.
  • The Board of Supervisors approved a new short-term rental ordinance effective November 1, 2026. A room tax policy update will be brought for approval in October.
  • Two candidates for the hotel/motel board seat will be interviewed by the Board of Supervisors on Thursday, September 17.

11B. FY26 Hotel/Motel & RV Park Transient Lodging Report

  • Record year: lodging revenue up 2.59% (approximately $785,000), with nearly 6,600 additional room nights. Occupancy was slightly down due to rooms out of service. Average daily rate (ADR) increased by 13 cents.

11C. Transient Occupancy Tax Actual vs Forecast

  • July 2026 was the first $4 million taxable month, contributing to a strong start for FY27. The revised projection for FY27 is $32.75 million (up 7.7% over budget and 8% over FY26 actual), driven by tournament recovery and new hotel openings. The projection does not include the planned Marriott Express property.

11D. Events & Sales Update (Stu Wexler)

  • Upcoming events: Frafett Hema Women’s Sword Fighting Tournament (50 participants), Rock Alaka Bang Bang SWAT training (300 room nights, international attendees), Capital City Crushers cycling race (407 participants), NAF Masters softball (28 teams, 3-day tournament at Centennial Fields), Bonanza Kennel Club (500–600 entries, expected growth), Battle of the Sierras boxing (Casino Fandango, Oct 3), K9 Challenge, Legacy softball, Bronco Super Celebration (120–150 vehicles).
  • Stu joined Sports ETA (Sports, Events, and Tourism Association) and will attend the S4 Summit and TEAMS conference in Birmingham, Alabama. A hologram display will be used at trade shows.

11E. Arts & Culture Update (Eric Brooks)

  • Walls Mural: Raphael Blanco completed a mural at the Carson Valley Community Arts Center (formerly Minden Mill). The project was featured in an upcoming PBS documentary episode.
  • Dust and Wonder Public Art: The installation is 85% complete; State Lands permission obtained, geotech next. Final installation expected by end of 2026.
  • Plain Air Festival: Winners were all out-of-state; will be rebranded as "Roughing It Plain Air Festival" and moved to Mark Twain Days in 2027.
  • Silver State Art Festival: Concluded; wind on Saturday impacted setup. Results next month.
  • Motor Collar Rally: Very successful – the museum saw record attendance over three days with vintage rail cars from across the country.
  • Murals and Music Festival: 16 murals planned, including a Mark Twain-themed mural by artist Hisco (from Australia) on a south-facing wall. Artists from Spain (Jokin and Laura) are also participating. Events include artist talks and workshops at Brewery Arts Center.

11F. Marketing & PR Update (Lydia Beck)

  • Digital Growth: August brought nearly 61,000 website visits and over 1,000 lodging referrals. Paid search was the top driver. Organic search and referral traffic were strong due to fire-related links from Carson City.gov and V&T Railway.
  • Media Mentions: Features in Matador Network (ghost box at the prison), Travel + Leisure (Sassafras and Stewart Indian School), and Diablo magazine (weird weekend in Nevada).
  • Glocally FY26 Recap: Six content creator visits generated nearly 100,000 people reached, 11,000 engagements, and 300,000 views. Content was primarily on Instagram; plans to diversify onto TikTok.
  • Future Strategies: Use influencer content for ads, focus on events and itineraries, and develop a local video series (Silver State Stories) to capture local testimonials.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda Approved Unanimously (minutes and all three financial items).
  • Brand Presentation Received for Discussion: No formal action taken; staff will incorporate board feedback into the upcoming campaign concept.
  • Next Meeting: Scheduled for Monday, October 12, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in the same location.
  • Board Member Announcement: Garrett Lepire will highlight Mark Twain’s connection to Carson City at the Nevada Association of Counties conference, using crushed pennies with Mark Twain imagery as giveaways.
  • Meeting Adjourned at approximately 5:15 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

Today is Monday, September 14th, 2026. It is 4 p.m. and we are at the Carson City Community Center, Robert Bob Kroll Boardroom. Can I get a roll call? Andrew Reno. Here. Stacey Giomi. Here. Garrett Lupier. Matt Dodd. All right. We have a quorum. Okay. Thank you. Everybody could please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. Next, we will move on to item four public comment. Stu, nothing. All right. Next, we will move on to item five, approval of minutes from August 10th, 2026 CTA board meeting. Does anyone have any changes they want to make to the minutes? Hearing none, can I get a motion to approve the minutes? All in favor, aye. Aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, the motion passes. Next, we will move on to the consent agenda consisting of items six, seven, and eight. Does any member of the public or the board have anything they'd like removed for further discussion? Can I get a motion to approve the consent agenda? Move to approve the consent agenda. Second. All in favor, aye. Any opposed. Hearing none, the consent agenda is approved. Now we will move on to item 10. And with that, I will turn it over to Mr. David Peterson. Thank you, Chair. For the record, Dave Peterson, executive director with Visicar City. Uh I'm excited to say we have Jenna and Sarah from KPS3 here today to talk us through where we're moving directionally with our brand foundation and our visual identity, some little tweaks, little changes. So our goal, as Dave mentioned, was not to start over, but it was to find ways that we could enhance and help elevate and lift up the brand and make some adjustments just based on our learnings and where our audiences are. So for us, uh we kind of talked about this on the history of like where the brand initially um was started. So we just knew that this was time for us to move forward. Um when we think about building brands, it is really important that we're not trying to be everything to everyone. Uh that just is a recipe for disaster, um, because then we're not true to who we are and we're not able to really reach people in an authentic way. Um, but you know, great brands are built on owning something. What are the white spaces? What can we defend? What can no other destination absolutely um say? And so for us, it was really about looking at all of the various competitors in this area, looking at what they were um, how they were positioning themselves and finding ways for us to differentiate.

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