St. George Area Sports Commission Meeting
Date: July 20, 2016 9:00 a.m.

Board Present:
         Jason Boothe 
	Cimarron Chacon			
	Roxie Sherwin		
	Steve Bingham	
	Kevin Lewis	
	Shayne Wittwer
	Tom Dansie
	Nick Ence
	Dave Kiel
	Jeriah Threlfall
	Kyle Case							

Location: Washington County Administration Building- Upstairs Conference Room 

A)	Welcome: Chairman Jason Boothe called the meeting to order at 9:05 am. It was determined a quorum was present for voting on action items.  

B)	Minutes:  Mr. Boothe called for a motion to approve the minutes from May 18, 2016. 

Motion by Nick Ence to approve the minutes of May 18, 2016 as presented. Motion seconded by Roxie Sherwin and carried by a unanimous vote. 
C)	Commission Business:

1)	Discussion of Recent/Upcoming Events 

a)	ProWatercross Tour 2016

Kevin distributed a handout of post event data from the ProWatercross Tour. There were sixty-seven (67) registered athletes and 330 estimated total visitors for the event. The estimated direct economic impact of the event was $330,000. Mr. Lewis went on to mention that media views were very high in comparison to spectators but did not have an exact figure. Overall the event was a success and it will likely return in the future. 

(See attached handout)

b)	Tour of Utah Update (August 1)

Kevin mentioned that there will be a shuttle service from Dixie High School, stop in Hurricane and arrive Springdale at 7:00 AM on the date of the event for anyone wishing to be a spectator. Tom Danise reported that the local organizing committees have done a great job and he anticipates that Tour will be a success. He also mentioned special permission has been granted for the cyclists to ride through the Zion tunnel with the assistance of motorcycles for lighting. He went to say that the Washington County side of Highway 89 will be closed for approximately thirty (30) minutes and the Highway 89 portion of the Mount Caramel side will remain closed for approximately two (2) hours in order for traffic to completely clear.

Mr. Dansie reminded the Commission of the Tour of Utah's promise to promote cycling and bring attention to traffic and transportation issues in Springdale and hoped that they would keep working on that between now and the time of the event. 

Kevin mentioned that the shuttle to the event will cost ten dollars ($10) and is considered a donation fee. Half will go to the Southern Utah Bicycle Alliance (SUBA) and the other half will go to the Park Association. Cimarron mentioned that SUBA is also promoting riding bikes into Springdale to watch the event as well. 

c)	Tri-State Rally (September)

Dave Kiel explained that the Tri-State Rally is a rally car event which takes place in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. They have asked the BLM to identify four (4) roads approximately five to twenty (5-20) miles in length with ample turns and maneuverability. The four (4) roads/areas that have been identified are Warner Valley; Highway 91 near the Arizona Border/Reservation; Motoqua (power line road), and near the western end of the County. He reported that there will be approximately twenty (20) cars participating in the event.

2)	Presentations:
 
a)	Grant/Sponsorship Applications

Kevin reported that approximately two (2) weeks ago, the official Outdoor Recreation Grant program was announced and he wanted to make sure that all the members were aware. Mr. Dansie stated Springdale has applied for the grant to make improvements to SR-9 as well as the Bike Trail. Dave Kiel mentioned the BLM has partnered with Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association. They have planned a ten (10) mile downhill mountain bike trail from West Mountain Peak to Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area. Steve Bingham stated that St. George City is planning on applying as well for their bike park and outdoor youth programs.

Cimarron mentioned that there will be a total of three (3) Outdoor Recreation Summits this year, rather than one, and went on to say that there will be one held in Cedar City on September 14th.  

i.	St. George City- Horseshoe Court Lighting

Kent Perkins, Leisure Services Director of St. George City; Dennis Duszynski, League Director; and Angelo Disante, Club President, from the Southern Utah Horseshoe Pitchers Club (SGHPC) presented to the Commission the need for lighting at the horseshoe pitching facility located at J.C. Snow Park. It was explained that Elks Field was sold to make room for a new school. Due to the sale of the Field, the horseshoe pits were also lost. There were twenty-one (21) courts that needed to be replaced. It was determined to build the best pits possible and the cost to do so was approximately $161,000 for a total of thirty (30) pits. 

Mr. Perkins went on to mention that the World Horseshoe Tournament will be coming to Washington County in 2017. Lighting for the facility would allow athletes to practice later in the evening during cooler hours of the day, as well as allow for 'side' tournaments. It was stated that there will be several horseshoe events taking place throughout the year that would also benefit from the addition of lighting. 



The cost of the new lighting is estimated at $35,000. The hope is to collect contributions from the club totaling $5,000. They are seeking $20,000 of the total cost from the Sports Commission, and then plan to present to St. George City that they have collected a large portion of needed funds and require a small remaining balance of City funds to complete the project. 

Mr. Lewis mentioned that the Sports Commission is in place to help steer where funds are spent to help with infrastructure. He also stated that anything that is recommended would be contingent upon them securing the remaining funding.  

Motion by Dave Kiel to recommend an amount up to $20,000 for the Southern Utah Horseshoe Pitcher's Club to the Washington County Commission for approval, contingent upon the Club securing the remaining funds. Motion seconded by Kyle Case and carried by a unanimous vote.

Other Business

Roxie mentioned that there are approximately ten (10) new hotels currently in the process of being built or planned across Washington County. The list includes: Hampton Inn, off exit 2; Hyatt, near the Convention Center; Wingate, in Hurricane; La Qunita, in La Verkin; Springhill Suites, in Springdale; Best Western Plus, in Springdale; several more in La Verkin and one in Virgin. She stated that it would add between 800-1,000 rooms. Currently, there are 4,000 rooms in Washington County. 

Meeting Adjourned at 10:20 a.m. Next meeting: August 17, 2016 @ 9:00 a.m.

Minutes Prepared by: Cheyenne Bentley