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Visitors center contract goes to chamber; Business organization gets nod to move into train depot

John A. Bayless

Truckee Town Council approved the Truckee-Donner Chamber of Commerce’s bid Thursday to be the operator of the Visitors Service Center at the downtown depot.

The town also renewed its contract with the chamber for public relations and advertising services.

After extensive discussion and public comment, the council voted 5-0 to hire the chamber for both duties.



The chamber will be moving its offices to the downtown Intermodal Depot, and will modify the internal layout of the visitors center at the depot to make its operations secure.

Funding OK’d



Council approved $55,000 in yearly funding for the visitors center, and $60,000 yearly in funding for public relations and advertising. The council set aside $5,000 in funds to pay for the modifications to the depot and for initial months of rent.

Funds for visitors services, public relations and advertising come from Truckee’s transient occupancy tax – a tax assessed on visitors who stay at hotels in Truckee. Visitors services receives 10 percent of the funds from the tax, and advertising, promotion and public relations receives 10 percent as well.

Council placed one condition of the funding – asking the chamber to present a visitor services budget whenever 10 percent of the TOT exceeds $60,000.

The budget would show how the additional money would be spent, and the rationale for spending it.

Chamber President/CEO Rachelle Pellissier said she was pleased with the council’s decision.

“They thought about the importance of visitors services and promotions and voted for that,” she said.

“The chamber thanks the council members for their consideration on this very important issue. I think they did what’s best for the businesses and for our community.”

The chamber’s next hurdle will be getting out of its existing headquarters in central Truckee and making the move to the depot downtown.

In its bid to council, the chamber stated that it would be unable to pay rent at both locations, but would like to move into the depot as quickly as possible. It will have to abandon the lease on its current building.

“We’re looking into our options in getting out of the building,” Pellissier said.

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