Minutes - 2026/06/22 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council June 22, 2026 Regular Meeting Page 2 6. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS A. Twin Cities Gateway – Al Stauffacher. Al Stauffacher, Executive Director for Twin Cities Gateway, provided the Council with an update on his organization. He reported the mission of his organization was to inspire visitors to discover the vibrant Twin Cities Gateway communities to enhance economic growth and vitality. He indicated his vision was to serve as a premier tourist destination showcasing ultimate sports, the rich culture and natural beauty of the 11 Gateway cities. He commented further on the sales, education and marketing work conducted by the Twin Cities Gateway. He explained Gary Meehlhause serves as the City of Mounds Views representative and acts as the treasurer for the Twin Cities Gateway Executive Board. He provided further information on how tourism impacts the community through a halo effect. Lisa Berkas, Marketing Director for Twin Cities Gateway, was pleased to report the hotels in the Twin Cities Gateway had a 64% occupancy rate and the surrounding metro area had an occupancy rate of 60%. Mr. Stauffacher discussed the grants that were offered to cities on a yearly basis based on lodging receipts. He reported the City would receive $8,100 in 2026. He explained he was elected Chair of the Minnesota Tourism Association. Ms. Berkas reported 2025 was a great year for her organization, noting the city of Ramsey was added to Twin Cities Gateway. She reviewed the new logo that was created this year and described how the logo was utilized by the Gateway. She commented on the 2025-2026 Twin Cities Gateway Visitors Guide that was being distributed at 40 different locations State-wide. She stated she would be working with Greenspring Media on the 2027 Visitor Guide. She provided further information on the other marketing efforts she would be pursuing on behalf of the Gateway. Mr. Stauffacher commented on the sports tourism that visited the Gateway area each year. He reported that tourists to this area have a $274.5 billion total economic impact, noting there were 339 million sports travelers annually. He explained he had a great partnership with the NSC and met with City park directors annually. He stated he would be volunteering at the Special Olympics event that would be held in Blaine from June 22 through June 24. He commented on the USA Bowling National Championship that would be held in July noting The Mermaid would be hosting this event for 18 days. Mayor Lindstrom thanked the Twin Cities Gateway for all that they do to promote the City of Mounds View. He questioned if there was a demand for turf fields. Mr. Stauffacher reported there was a tremendous demand for indoor and outdoor turf fields for both baseball and soccer. He indicated the best investment the City could make would be to have an indoor turf field that had a dome that could be removed during the summer months. Council Member Clark encouraged Twin Cities Gateway to consider hosting Pilates or yoga classes on the City’s new fitness court. Mr. Stauffacher stated wellness conferences are of interest and noted he would look into this.