Carson City Culture & Tourism Authority awards $131,000 consulting contract

The Carson City Culture & Tourism Authority Board of Directors approved a one-year contract with Joel Dunn, the authority’s former executive director.

The $131,040 contract calls for NV Consulting LLC, Dunn’s consulting business, to develop a strategic plan for Carson City tourism as well as “recommend a strategic plan for the succession of the CTA Executive Director position.”

Dunn retired in October citing health reasons. At the time, the CCCTA board awarded his consulting firm a contract, but was later told it would have to go out to bid through a request for proposal process because it exceeded $50,000.

“I am glad to be back in front of you. It’s been a longer process than expected,” Dunn told the board Friday. “I look forward to finishing up these projects.”

At the board’s December meeting, Dunn said he was about two-thirds done with the authority’s strategic plan and would complete it.

Carson City Supervisor Karen Abowd, who’s a CCCTA board member, asked Dunn if he could add an events coordinator to his consulting team.

Dunn said that was outside the scope of work, but he would come back with a request for a proposal for that position.

The selection of Dunn’s consulting firm was made in December, but staff amended the original contract to include the scope of work listed in the RFP, and the revised contract needed final approval from the board.

The board also received an audit of the Capital Collage event held Oct. 27 at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada. The inaugural fundraiser for public art programming took place on the eve of the Nevada Day Parade, which had arts and entertainment as its theme.

The event took in $6,680 through tickets sales, raffle tickets and donations. Total expenses were $14,809.71, although some of the expenditures were also used for the authority’s Nevada Day program.

The next fundraiser may be a Mardi Gras event in February 2019. The time and location will be discussed at the Cultural Commission’s meeting on Jan. 24.