Serving the High Plains

Tax board gives green light on marketing firm

Tucumcari Lodgers Tax Advisory Board members informally gave the city manager a green light to issue a request for proposals to hire a new marketing firm to oversee the city’s tourism efforts.

Members during their regular meeting Wednesday also discussed an official launch of the city’s tourism rebranding efforts, tentatively scheduled for Dec. 18.

City Manager Mark Martinez told the board he was inclined to give a one-year marketing contract to the Leighton Moon firm of Alamogordo, which oversaw the city’s recent tourism rebranding efforts, and hire a Tucumcari resident as the city’s coordinator of its social media accounts and websites.

Martinez said he needed approval from the board to proceed with issuing an official request for proposals for the marketing position. He said the RFP could be issued as soon as late January.

Board Chairman Larry Smith and board member Matt Bednorz gave their support for Martinez’s proposal, and other board members did not voice opposition to it.

Martinez also said he would act as a liaison between the marketing firm and the branding committee on suggestions and concerns.

Bednorz didn’t mention Martinez’s predecessor, Britt Lusk, by name but said the “last city manager” had communication problems with the board and the city’s previous tourism marketer, Sunny505 of Albuquerque.

Lusk, a supporter of Sunny505’s efforts, at times had a stormy relationship with the board, including him walking out of a meeting after an argument with Smith. Lusk shortly after left for another city manager position in Pilot Point, Texas.

Smith, agreeing with Bednorz’s assessment, added that Sunny505 also was constrained by the state’s New Mexico True campaigns.

City commissioner Todd Duplantis said the rebranding committee should not be disbanded after the logo launch because it also could serve as a useful liaison to the city manager.

Regarding the rebranding launch, Smith said the official introduction date of Dec. 18 was tentative because it was uncertain whether some merchandise, including pint glasses and rack cards that explain the new logo, would arrive in time.

He said the merchandise would be distributed to the city’s businesses, with Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce members getting higher priority.

Noting residents’ input molded the new logo, Smith said he wanted to distribute one of those items to as many of them as possible “as a surprise.” He said an option was to insert one of the items in water bills but wondered whether many of those would be thrown away. He said those might be distributed in City Hall’s lobby instead.

Leighton Moon oversaw the rebranding effort at no charge through New Mexico MainStreet. Leighton Moon and New Mexico MainStreet displayed a late-stage prototype of the logo during the board’s November meeting.

Martinez said he needed direction whether the new logo should be used with official City of Tucumcari business or whether to keep the current municipal logo.

“I don’t want to misrepresent the municipality,” he said.

Tucumcari MainStreet Executive Director Connie Loveland opined the new logo should be used for tourism efforts but not the municipality.

“We would use it for civic pride,” she said. “If we’re careful about it, there won’t be confusion.”

Smith agreed the city’s eventual marketing firm should have control over the logos and branding. He and other board members suggested a licensing fee and style-guide agreement for anyone who uses the logo with merchandise.

“We want to make sure we have that quality control,” Smith said. “After all the work over this, we want to make sure it’s used correctly. It could be another revenue generator for our tourism efforts.”

Duplantis said the board and marketing firm should consider using several local vendors to make the newly Tucumcari-branded merchandise.

Smith said the tourism style guide Leighton Moon also developed came together “very quickly.” He said that can be given to at least one of the city’s outdoor advertising vendors in January or February so its billboards can be redesigned before the spring tourism season.

Martinez was asked whether revenue and license fees from the new merchandise could be used to pay for the salary of the proposed social-media manager for the city. Martinez said he would check with the city manager on the legality of such an arrangement but acknowledged it sounded like a good idea.

In other business:

• Smith said the board’s next meeting Jan. 6 would include discussions on how to spend about $40,000 in extra money on “one-time spends for long-term benefit.” He suggested extra Route 66 directional signs with the city’s new tourism logo. Smith said he also wanted to buy tourism banners for the city’s light poles, but Martinez cautioned he would need to gain permission from Xcel before proceeding.

• City Finance Director Rachelle Arias gave the October and November revenue reports that prompted Bednorz to comment: “We’re actually doing pretty good, I think.” Smith said “fall was a definite improvement over summer” in the city’s motel business.

Arias said the board has about $84,000 in cash on hand, which includes $21,000 not spent because of events canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Tucumcari Convention Center director Loy McSpadden said the center’s restrooms had been renovated and roof leaks were due to be repaired. He said many of the building’s lighting — some which was damaged by a lightning strike — soon would be replaced with energy-efficient LEDs.

 
 
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