Jim Trantham, Ward 2 Alderman | City of Waterloo
Jim Trantham, Ward 2 Alderman | City of Waterloo
City of Waterloo Economic Development Committee met July 21.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
Attendance: Chairman Joel Vogt
Committee Members: Jim Hopkins, Tina Charron. Jordan Riley, Gary Most.
Attendees: Mayor Stan Darter, Jim Trantham, Sarah Deutch, Nathan Krebel, Mechelle Childers, Matt Buettner, Kyle Buettner, J.R. Landeck, George Wise, Marty Miller, and Jason Jones.
Meeting called to order at 6:04 PM.
Agenda Item 1: Petitions by Citizens on Non-Agenda Items: None
Agenda Item 2: AO Creatives Digital Marketing Proposal
AO Creative is a marketing firm that specializes in helping businesses strengthen their digital presence. George Wise and Marty Miller from AO Creative were present to propose a plan to the City of Waterloo aimed at increasing engagement, promoting local events, attracting new businesses and residents, and boosting tourism— essentially increasing our visibility. Alderman Most inquired about the nature of the interaction between AO Creative and the City, specifically how much time and commitment would be expected from the City in content development. Mr. Wise stated that it would be a team effort, with AO primarily handling graphics, messaging, the content calendar, and content provision. He also emphasized that flexibility would be a key component. They would focus on developing our SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to improve visibility and attract more people to our city and events. Sarah’s time commitment should be minimal, as materials would be prepared in advance, and she would focus on making final decisions. They would also coordinate with our new web developers. Sarah would provide guidance, advising on what can and cannot be done, ensuring we remain within established parameters. Chairman Vogt briefly reviewed the financials, including the average revenue from the hotel/motel tax, the monthly cost of this program, and the projected seven-month investment. He believed this was exactly the type of initiative the hotel/motel tax fund is intended to support. Sarah added that, through our Tourism Bureau membership, we could save 15%.
A motion was made by Alderman Most and seconded by Alderman Charron to recommend accepting the AO Creatives Digital Marketing Proposal as presented. Motion passed unanimously.
Agenda Item 3: Comments. None.
The motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Alderman Most and a second by Alderman Riley.
Motion passed by a unanimous voice vote.
Chairman Vogt adjourned the meeting at 6:27 p.m.
https://www.waterloo.il.us/wp-content/uploads/Economic-Development-Cmte-Mtg-Minutes-07-21-25.pdf
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