The Pinedale Lodging and Tourism Alliance discussed their goal of installing a three-percent lodging tax in Pinedale this year at their meeting Jan. 8, and are seeking the support of town residents, businesses and officials to do so.

On Monday, Alliance representatives Lana Koppenhafer, Shane Johnson and Sophia Wakefield attended the Pinedale Town Council meeting, asking them to pass a resolution in support of putting the tax on the voting ballot this May. The council unanimously agreed to do so.

“We feel it is very important during the times we are having right now…with the economy changing, to get some support and some money in here to do some good advertising to get some tourism back in Pinedale,” said Koppenhafer, Alliance president.

“I agree. I like the lodging tax,” responded Council member David Smith. Council member Nylla Kunard also said she supported a three-percent tax.

Town Attorney, Ed Wood said a resolution would be ready for the council to adopt by their next meeting on Jan. 25. He explained that once the resolution passed, a special election would occur and be run by the county.

The former lodging tax dissolved in the fall of 2008 when the majority voted against it. It was a countywide tax. However, this tax would be unique because it’s specifically for the town of Pinedale.

At the Alliance meeting last Friday, a petition was passed around and Sophia Wakefield, Alliance treasurer, asked people who were in support of a lodging tax to sign. Since then, around 50 signatures have been collected.

If a lodging tax in Pinedale were put into place, the Alliance would like to form a board of people who would ensure the money generated from the tax was fully accounted for and make the process “totally transparent,” said Koppenhafer. A Town Council member would also be appointed to the board.

“[A lodging tax] just makes sense and would have a positive effect for all of us,” said Koppenhafer, at the Alliance meeting.

Dave Hanks, the director of Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce and Pat Robbins from the Wyoming Business Council were at the meeting to give tips on how to pass and continue a lodging tax here in Pinedale.

Robbins, who was instrumental in passing a lodging tax in Sweetwater county, said a lodging tax would benefit Pinedale directly because the money is generated from visitors, not residents, and would stay in the town as opposed to a sales tax, which goes to the State.

“This tax stays in the community,” said Robbins.

Another project the Alliance is heading is finishing a package of Sublette County promotional videos with hopes they will help attract tourists to the area. This includes a four-minute video compiled of short, scenic eye-catching clips highlighting what the county and Pinedale have to offer throughout the seasons. The other two videos, 12-minutes and 18-minutes, would be longer features to be used as promotion at conferences and possibly for local businesses to run in their stores.

The videos were started by the former tourism board but never completed. So far, $72,000 has been spent on the films. The Alliance is using a production company in Jackson for the videos and would like to see it complete them before summer.

Wakefield asked the Town Council if they could speak to the County about allowing the new Alliance to use money left over from the tourism board in order to finish the films.

Council member Dave Hohl said he thought the videos should be finished.

“You’re kind of picking up the ball for the previous group,” he said.

Hohl told the Alliance reps should speak directly to other towns in the county and the County Commissioners themselves about the project.

The next Pinedale Lodging and Tourism Alliance meeting will be Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. at the Hampton Inn.

For the complete article see the 01-15-2010 issue.

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