HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012/07/10 Item 17Office of the Mayor
DRAFT
The Honorable Robert J. Trentacosta, Presiding Judge
Superior Court of California, County of San Diego
Main Courthouse, 3rd floor
220 West Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101
RE: Grand Jury Report: "City of Chula Vista Tourism Marketing District"
Dear Judge Trentacosta,
Please know that the Chula Vista City Council received the above-named report.
[The City Council and] I take seriously Recommendation 12-36 of the San Diego County Grand Jury:
Closely monitor implementation of the March 2012 contract between the City and Chamber for
TMD operations and the independent audit it requires to ensure the finances and activities are
targeted to the purposed required by the Management District Plan.
[We] I appreciate the attention that the Grand Jury gave to addressing their concern.
After working with the board of the Tourism Marketing District (TMD) for a period of several months, the City
Manager's staff and the City Attorney recommended and the City Council adopted a contract with the Chula
Vista Chamber of Commerce to administer a Tourism Marketing District. The contract calls for an annual
financial report, budget and written goals, objectives and status for proposed activities and improvements to
implement the to be submitted in June and an audit performed and submitted to the City in September. The
City fully intends to monitor the Chamber's implementation and compliance with this contract.
Representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, including Executive Director Lisa Cohen and their counsel
have attended publicly-noticed and televised Council meetings over the past several months. Conversations
held in public resulted in the TMD improving outreach to its members and a renewed commitment that
members be made aware of TMD operations decisions. The City Manager has assured the public and the City
Council that his staff is available to work with individual and collected hotel motel owners upon request. The
City Attorney has made his office available as well.
We anticipate that the TMD will meet the demands of its contract with the City of Chula Vista, including the
audit required be delivered to our staff prior to October 15.
[We] I have also reviewed each of the Grand Jury's findings enumerated in the Report. It is [our] my
understanding that the responding entity for each of these findings is the Chula Vista Tourism marketing
District Committee. Accordingly, this letter does not include a specific response to those items.
[The City Council and] I recognize the economic value in promoting Chula Vista as a destination and in
increasing hotel/motel occupancy.
Respectfully,
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