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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: December 7, 2009 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~}- - h <br />SUBJECT• Visitors Bureau Tourism Sales Coordinator Position Classification Title Change <br />DEPARTMENT: Human Resources <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Tourism Sales Coordinator Job Laurie Paolicelli, Visitors Bureau <br />Description Director, 968-2064 <br />Michael McGinnis, Human Resources <br />Director, 245-2552 <br />PURPOSE: To approve the classification title change from Publications Coordinator to Tourism <br />Sales Coordinator. <br />BACKGROUND: Section 5.1 of Article VI of the Orange County Personnel Ordinance provides <br />that the Board of County Commissioners adopts the position classification plan and approves <br />any amendments to: <br />Add or delete a class; <br />Change the title of an existing class; <br />Revise the salary grade of an established class. <br />Change Title of an Existing Class <br />In July 2009 the Publication Coordinator at the Visitors Bureau retired under the County's <br />retirement incentive program and created a vacancy in the position. At that time, Visitors <br />Bureau staff began working with the Human Resources Department to review the position <br />responsibilities to better align them with the current needs of the Bureau. Based on this review, <br />the Bureau is now recommending a transition from the role of Publications Coordinator to one <br />more closely related to a sales coordinator. Current staff and the Jennings advertising agency <br />(currently under contract with the Bureau) are skilled in publication development and creative <br />development. <br />The transition to a Tourism Sales Coordinator is further warranted because the Bureau has not <br />added to its sales force since its inception in 1992. Currently the staff maintains one full time <br />position focused on selling conferences, tour groups and events to the County's hotel and <br />related facilities. Since 1992, the number and variety of hotel rooms, meeting and banquet <br />spaces in Orange County has grown 70%. The competition for the tourism dollar from <br />surrounding counties and regions has also grown considerably as new development opens. As <br />a result, the advisory board for the Visitors Bureau and the Orange County lodging industry <br />recommends a Tourism Sales Coordinator position be added to the Bureau's staff in place of a <br />Publications Coordinator. <br />