City Council Meeting Date: November 17, 2026
To: Mayor and Members of Council
City Administrator
From: Scott Wopata, Community Development Director
Emery John, Interim Program Coordinator
Title
Consider Resolution Establishing an Ad-Hoc Committee to Review CVB Contract Performance.
Body
Action Requested:
The City Council is asked to approve a Resolution establishing an Ad-Hoc Committee to assess CVB performance under the current contract, in preparation for competitive RFP in the Fall 2027.
Summary Report:
The Northfield Chamber of Commerce has held the contract for the Northfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) since its inception in 1987. The initial agreement ended in 2012, when the City issued an RFP for the CVB contract. The City received three proposals - two from private marketing groups and one from the Chamber. The professional services contract was awarded to the Chamber, with subsequent renewals occurring on a three-year cycle. The contract was then renewed with the Chamber with minimal revisions for 2016-2018, 2019-2021, 2022-2024, and the current contract term of 2025-2027.
The CVB provides an annual presentation to the City Council. During the Fall 2025 presentation, Council members raised questions regarding the effectiveness of the CVB's social media expenditures, including audience engagement in addition to overall reach; the impact of specific marketing campaigns, including a regional road trip collaboration, on tourism in Northfield; and opportunities for the CVB to collaborate with local businesses to reach more targeted audiences.
The CVB has, and continues to be, primarily funded from lodging tax revenue generated by hotel and short-term rental stays in the City of Northfield. Under the current allocation structure, 95% of the lodging tax revenue generated is passed through to the CVB, with 5% retained for administrative costs. This mirrors the statutory provision allowing up to 5% of lodging tax revenue to be retained for administrative purposes. All other lodging tax revenue must be used for the promotion and marketing of the City.
As the City and CVB enter the final year of the current contract, staff recommends a more comprehensive assessment of the CVB's performance under the Chamber's administration. Given that the City's last competitive solicitation for CVB services occurred in 2012, this assessment will provide an opportunity to evaluate the existing partnership, identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement, and provide the Chamber with feedback in advance of a future RFP process.
This Ad-Hoc Committee will work with CVB leadership to evaluate performance relative to the key objectives established in the current contract, listed in Exhibit 1 “Scope of Services”. These objectives include collaborative marketing of Northfield businesses; communication and promotion of local events; promotion of the City through social media and other marketing channels; increasing lodging occupancy, event attendance, and visitor spending within the community; and aligning marketing campaigns with broader City initiatives. The Ad-Hoc Committee will consider the extent to which these objectives are being achieved and whether public resources are being used effectively and in accordance with the City's contractual and fiduciary responsibilities. The Ad-Hoc Committee's findings and recommendations are intended to inform the development of a future RFP and provide the Chamber with an opportunity to consider and respond to the City's assessment.
Staff recommend that the Ad-Hoc Committee be composed of the following members:
• One City Council member
• One City Staff
• One EDA member
Staff recommend nominations for the positions to include:
• City Council -Councilor Kathleen Holmes (appointment to Ad-Hoc Committee would carry beyond her term)
• City Staff - Community Development Director, Scott Wopata
• EDA member - EDA Chair Randy Yoder or another EDA member at his appointment
Further, staff recommend that the EDA serve as the primary public body for ongoing oversight of the CVB contract, providing a regular forum for communication and accountability between the CVB and the City outside of the Ad-Hoc Committee's review process. This recommendation reflects the substantial overlap between the CVB's objectives and the EDA's economic development priorities, particularly business promotion, tourism, and local economic activity. Staff anticipate this change happening in tandem with the release of the RFP in late 2027.
The Ad-Hoc Committee will work through Q1 2027, providing feedback to the EDA and City Council with a summary of the review in Q2 2027.
City Plans & Policies Relevance:
Alternative Options:
City Council could forego a contract assessment.
Financial Impacts:
None at this time. The CVB receives 95% of the Lodging Tax revenue from the City of Northfield, which is estimated to be around $200,000 in 2027.
Tentative Timelines:
November 17, 2026 - CVB Council presentation and task force formation
• December 2026 - Ad-Hoc Committee begins to meet; creates schedule and formalizes objectives.
• January 2027 - Regular Ad-Hoc Committee cadence begins
• February 2027 - Initial report to EDA
• April 2027 - Final report to EDA and City Council
• August 2027 - RFP draft to City Council for review
• September 2027 - RFP issued for CVB contract
• November 2027 - CVB contract awarded for 2028-2030