Explore Two Rivers’ board approved its 2026 budget, including plans tied to hiring a new Tourism Director and shifting where room-tax dollars go. The board also teed up next-step work on website tools (calendar, itinerary builder, possible chatbot) but didn’t vote on those priorities yet.
Key Decisions
Board approved the 2026 budget with conservative revenue assumptions and cost planning for a new Tourism Director, while also cutting back some support items (wayside support reduced to $15,000 and the $12,000 Main Street overhead support discontinued). That’s a real shift in where tourism dollars will land next year.
Tourism Director report flagged a major facilities development: a sports organization signed a 15-year lease to build a new softball stadium at Vietnam Memorial Park, with tournaments expected to return after the fields are established (targeting 2027). If it materializes, this could affect park use, neighborhood traffic, and overnight stays.
Board discussed 2026 website priorities (shared calendar, itinerary builder, and a tourist-facing chatbot) and assigned follow-up meetings to explore options, but took no formal action—meaning the direction is still fluid and residents shouldn’t assume any specific tool is happening yet.
Public Input
No public comments or communications recorded for this meeting.
Agenda Items
2026 BUDGET (agenda grouped this with the Treasurer Report)
Passed
The board approved the 2026 budget using conservative revenue assumptions and planning for personnel and health insurance costs tied to a new Tourism Director. They also discussed trimming or realigning spending, including reducing wayside support to $15,000 and ending $12,000 in Main Street overhead support—choices that will be felt by partner groups and downtown programming capacity. The board also floated bigger-picture ideas (e-commerce for logo wear, coordinated community event planning after the loss of KiteFest and Wayzgoose, and youth/volunteer engagement), but those were discussion items, not decisions.
Old Business a. Website updates & AI focus in 2026 (Board to set priorities)
The board talked through what to prioritize on the Explore Two Rivers website in 2026: whether a shared community calendar is feasible, whether an itinerary builder would be a higher-impact feature, and whether a tourist-facing chatbot makes sense. They assigned next steps (meetings with vendors/partners to explore calendar integration and itinerary best practices) but did not vote on a direction. This is the kind of project that can quietly soak up time and money if the board doesn’t set clear goals and limits early.
Staff reported that a grant application was submitted to fund a Lakeland University intern (about 120 hours at $16/hour, grant-funded), and they are waiting to hear back. No board action was taken. If awarded, it could add short-term capacity without tapping room-tax reserves, but it’s still uncertain until the grant decision comes in.
Old Business c. Marketing Committee update from meeting on 10/28/2025
The board received an update that the committee reviewed the 2026 marketing proposal and is weighting spending after Q2 so they can adjust if early-year revenues come in low. They also discussed using AI tools in support of the plan. No action was taken, but the timing choice matters because it effectively delays major spending until there’s a clearer revenue picture.
The Tourism Director reported on marketing partnerships (including a full-page co-op with MAGIC in Mishicot), an Ice Age Trail Alliance project with volunteer activity and positive coverage, and the internship grant application. The biggest forward-looking note was a signed 15-year lease by a sports organization to build a new softball stadium at Vietnam Memorial Park, with tournaments expected to resume after the fields are established (targeting 2027). That’s a long runway, and residents will want clearer details later on costs, scheduling, and how park access will work during build-out and tournament weekends.