September 8, 2023 |
Photo – Tourism meeting – by Matt Copeland Bigfoot99
The Carbon County Tourism Master Plan is nearing completion.
On Thursday, the tourism master plan steering committee met in Rawlins to finalize the proposed document. The group’s master plan is a comprehensive list of ways to attract more travelers to Carbon County. Darren Rudloff, who is steering the plan’s creation, held a meeting at a hotel in Rawlins to go over the document and solicit input from the steering committee members. Rudloff said he gathered information from sources across the county to determine what could be done to bring more out-of-state travelers to Carbon County.
To open yesterday’s meeting, Rudloff presented his idea for how Carbon County should present itself in advertising. Rudloff said the county is home to beautiful scenery and unique small-town living.
Earlier this year, the steering committee sent out a survey to Carbon County residents asking for suggestions on how to attract more travelers to the area. One of the top survey responses was a desire to improve the county’s appearance along the highways. Rudloff said towns should implement programs to encourage the removal of unsightly items.
Another top priority on the tourism master plan survey was a need for affordable housing within the county. Rudloff said the tourism master plan steering committee must fight to loosen state and county regulations regarding housing. Rudloff specifically pointed to strict municipal ordinances governing the minimum size of a residential lot.
Rudloff also suggested the creation of wind energy attractions. Rudloff said developers should be contacted about sponsoring informational sites about their industry. Yvonne Johnson, the Carbon County Economic Development Director, said the idea has been discussed for a long time. Johnson said developers have not shown interest in funding such a project.
The steering committee members present at the meeting said they wanted to include more public transit and a focus on the local museums in the master plan. Ruddloff said he would make the changes to the document. Rudloff said the master plan is a living document that can be altered at any time as the county’s needs change.
The 2023 Carbon County Tourism Master Plan will be available to view online at the end of this month.
