The TBID board approved funding for Area 29 and discussed grant requirements. Kevin Cole, the new Twentynine Palms city manager, introduced himself. Board member Maria Madrid announced her departure.
Kudos on another fine article, the Desert Trumpet’s in depth articles on local government and how it operates is invaluable. Too often I hear how organizations and local government entities are ‘secretive’ and ‘nontransparent’, when the truth is, there is usually an information gap between how an organization is run and getting the information out to the public. The solution is to either subscribe to an overwhelming number of newsletters, which often gloss over internal operations, social media pages and substacks, that often simply get deleted. The other option is publications like this that deliver timely information without having to shift through the chaff.
Regarding the city’s grants, I fail to see why overnight stays seem to be a benchmark for grant approval. It gives one the impression that the only businesses the TBID is interested in is the hotel industry. Otherwise, there are too many variables to make that a part of the criteria, especially if smaller events are going to be eligible.
The other thing I would suggest, and perhaps this is already in place, is that there be at least one person on the grant committee from out of the area, with no personal ties or invested interest in local businesses or events in the Morongo Basin
“Regarding the city’s grants, I fail to see why overnight stays seem to be a benchmark for grant approval. It gives one the impression that the only businesses the TBID is interested in is the hotel industry.”
That relationship and how it plays out in the grants has been an on-going community discussion. The Law governing the TBID says the board needs to be made up of assessed businesses, in this case that’s accommodation owners. Sometimes the board refers to “stakeholders” who also consist of assessed businesses therefore accommodations (hotels, short term rentals, RV Parks etc)
By the way, the TOT tax that funds the TBID is actually a pass-through tax. The accommodation owners are not paying it, they’re passing it through from guests to the city.
Anyway…some members of the TBID board believe that because their purpose is to increase tourism that events funded by them should prove tourist draw by overnight stays. Others have argued that tourist draw is more complex than a one-to-one event relationship, that events contribute to a vibrant community atmosphere, and that atmosphere in itself is also a tourist draw.
For sure, the TBID needs better data, and has generally operated with little research. For instance, it has never analyzed how much of the tourist draw is due to their promotion versus how much of the tourist draw is just generated organically by the Park.
But mostly, as with most appointed bodies in 29, they’re doing the best they can with limited time and resources. But because they have a built in budget, and some would say are managing promotion that benefits their own businesses, there tends to be some heated discussions about their governance and the grants.
Thanks for the detailed response! I understand that fees and taxes like TOT and sales tax are collected and passed on, hopefully to help make improvements locally, but not everyone does. It also makes sense that business owners get involved for their own best interests, however it should also be understood to them that a town full of hotels with nothing to draw visitors year-round is not workable. The testament to that are the husks of all of the mom and pop hotels and gas stations that flourished here in the Morongo Basin in the 40s, 50s and 60s, before the interstate system put tourists on the fast track towards the coast. Now those gas station buildings that remain sell donuts, one is being proposed as a smog station on a prime spot downtown, another is a revolving door of unsuccessful attempts, etc. The hotel buildings became studio apartments for marines, then strs. I remember when 29 Palms was only one major deployment from economic catastrophe. Like it or not, the recent commercial growth in 29 palms that is no longer centered on the Base means that the city is in a better position to withstand financial jolts. TBID and PAAC are really showing results, it just doesn’t happen overnight and doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for adjustment and re-vision. I wish the unincorporated areas could get MAC back and restart a chamber of commerce. That takes time too.
Hi there, DT, Thanks as always for great coverage.
Doing away with the smaller sponsorship grants would be unfortunate for many local events that also support tourism. The grant application and reporting would be too onerous for smaller event producers. I agree with Vicki Waite's idea that the $3000 tier could go up to 4 or 5K.
Thank you so much for your coverage of meetings like that of the TBID.
It keeps me informed which as an event producer and community member is so valuable.
Kudos on another fine article, the Desert Trumpet’s in depth articles on local government and how it operates is invaluable. Too often I hear how organizations and local government entities are ‘secretive’ and ‘nontransparent’, when the truth is, there is usually an information gap between how an organization is run and getting the information out to the public. The solution is to either subscribe to an overwhelming number of newsletters, which often gloss over internal operations, social media pages and substacks, that often simply get deleted. The other option is publications like this that deliver timely information without having to shift through the chaff.
Regarding the city’s grants, I fail to see why overnight stays seem to be a benchmark for grant approval. It gives one the impression that the only businesses the TBID is interested in is the hotel industry. Otherwise, there are too many variables to make that a part of the criteria, especially if smaller events are going to be eligible.
The other thing I would suggest, and perhaps this is already in place, is that there be at least one person on the grant committee from out of the area, with no personal ties or invested interest in local businesses or events in the Morongo Basin
Thanks for being a paid subscriber Marcia!
“Regarding the city’s grants, I fail to see why overnight stays seem to be a benchmark for grant approval. It gives one the impression that the only businesses the TBID is interested in is the hotel industry.”
That relationship and how it plays out in the grants has been an on-going community discussion. The Law governing the TBID says the board needs to be made up of assessed businesses, in this case that’s accommodation owners. Sometimes the board refers to “stakeholders” who also consist of assessed businesses therefore accommodations (hotels, short term rentals, RV Parks etc)
By the way, the TOT tax that funds the TBID is actually a pass-through tax. The accommodation owners are not paying it, they’re passing it through from guests to the city.
Anyway…some members of the TBID board believe that because their purpose is to increase tourism that events funded by them should prove tourist draw by overnight stays. Others have argued that tourist draw is more complex than a one-to-one event relationship, that events contribute to a vibrant community atmosphere, and that atmosphere in itself is also a tourist draw.
For sure, the TBID needs better data, and has generally operated with little research. For instance, it has never analyzed how much of the tourist draw is due to their promotion versus how much of the tourist draw is just generated organically by the Park.
But mostly, as with most appointed bodies in 29, they’re doing the best they can with limited time and resources. But because they have a built in budget, and some would say are managing promotion that benefits their own businesses, there tends to be some heated discussions about their governance and the grants.
Thanks for the detailed response! I understand that fees and taxes like TOT and sales tax are collected and passed on, hopefully to help make improvements locally, but not everyone does. It also makes sense that business owners get involved for their own best interests, however it should also be understood to them that a town full of hotels with nothing to draw visitors year-round is not workable. The testament to that are the husks of all of the mom and pop hotels and gas stations that flourished here in the Morongo Basin in the 40s, 50s and 60s, before the interstate system put tourists on the fast track towards the coast. Now those gas station buildings that remain sell donuts, one is being proposed as a smog station on a prime spot downtown, another is a revolving door of unsuccessful attempts, etc. The hotel buildings became studio apartments for marines, then strs. I remember when 29 Palms was only one major deployment from economic catastrophe. Like it or not, the recent commercial growth in 29 palms that is no longer centered on the Base means that the city is in a better position to withstand financial jolts. TBID and PAAC are really showing results, it just doesn’t happen overnight and doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for adjustment and re-vision. I wish the unincorporated areas could get MAC back and restart a chamber of commerce. That takes time too.
Hi there, DT, Thanks as always for great coverage.
Doing away with the smaller sponsorship grants would be unfortunate for many local events that also support tourism. The grant application and reporting would be too onerous for smaller event producers. I agree with Vicki Waite's idea that the $3000 tier could go up to 4 or 5K.