RAGBRAI_Allocation of Expenses 2010 EventMasterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: RAGBRAI
DATE: May 12, 2010
Dubuque
Ibtril
AN- AmdicaCity
1 I
2007
Assistant City Manager Cindy Steinhauser recommends City Council approval of an
allocation of $25,000 for RAGBRAI expenses. Funds are available from a change in
plans for the remodeling of Police Offices Capital Improvement Project.
concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Molly Grover, Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce President & CEO
Keith Rahe, Convention and Visitors Bureau Director
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
DATE:
Introduction
Background
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
RAGBRAI
May 10, 2010
Dubuque
kretell
AN- AmdicaCity
11111,
2007
The purpose of this memorandum is to request City Council approval of an allocation of
$25,000 for RAGBRAI.
Earlier this year the Des Moines Register announced that Dubuque was selected as the
ending city for RAGBRAI 2010. RAGBRAI®, The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride
Across Iowa ®, is an annual seven -day bicycle ride across the state. Heading into its
38th year, RAGBRAI is the oldest, largest and longest bicycle touring event in the
world. RAGBRAI is held annually the last full week of July. Riders start by dipping their
back tire in the Missouri River and end with dipping their front tire in Mississippi River.
This year's event will end in Dubuque on Saturday, July 31, 2010 in the Port of
Dubuque. During the FY 2012 Budget Process the Dubuque Area Convention and
Visitors Bureau submitted a request for up to $25,000 in funding to help offset expenses
associated with Dubuque being selected as the ending city for RAGBRAI 2010. It has
been 21 years since Dubuque was selected as the ending destination for this worldwide
event. However, this request was not able to be recommended for funding at that time.
Since then, I have been meeting with city staff from Police, Fire, Public Works,
Engineering and Leisure Services departments along with Keith Rahe and Julie
Kronlage from the Convention and Visitors Bureau to manage this event through
Dubuque to discuss this event. RAGBRAI traditionally attracts between 15,000- 20,000
participants from all 50 states and many foreign countries. In addition, RAGBRAI
receives national media coverage and this year will include a documentary film crew.
The selection of Dubuque as the ending community will give us an opportunity to
showcase the city to the participants and the rest of the country.
As a result of our meetings, a final route has been announced and city staff has been
meeting weekly to evaluate managing this event from a public safety and community
enhancement perspective. Based upon feedback from the RAGBRAI representatives
and Keith and Julie's experience in managing RAGBRAI events in the past, it is
anticipated that the biggest impact will be between the hours of 8 a.m. — 2 p.m. on
Saturday, however, riders can begin arriving as early as 6 a.m. or as late as 4 p.m. In
addition to the riders, there will be hundreds of support vehicles from the event
organizers and the cycling teams that will first come to Dubuque on July 24 one week
prior to the event and then again on July 31, the last day of the event.
Discussion
As previously released, the RAGBRAI route through Dubuque will be as follows:
• Middle Road to Seippel Road
• Seippel Road to Chavanelle Drive
• Chavanelle Drive to Radford Road
• Radford Road to Pennsylvania Ave.
• Pennsylvania Ave. to Chaney Road
• Chaney Road to Hillcrest
• Hillcrest to Asbury
• Asbury to Clarke Drive
• Clarke Drive to Madison Street
• Madison Street/Main Street to Third Street overpass
• Third Street Overpass to Bell Street
In reviewing this route with city staff, we have identified staffing needs for intersection
control and management and directional signage needs. In addition, given the
opportunity to showcase Dubuque to thousands of visitors as well as national news
media, we are recommending that enhancements such as street striping, painting Tight
fixtures or hydrants as well as plantings be added to the route. The CVB is currently
working on other enhancements such as welcome banner signs to promote Dubuque. I
have visited with Budget Director Jenny Larson and she has indicated that there is
$25,000 savings from the Police Office remodeling Capital Improvement Project (CIP)
that could be used to cover costs associated with RAGBRAI. I have also visited with
Keith Rahe about his original request for funding. Based upon our discussion I am
recommending that the city allocate $25,000 for RAGBRAI and that the funds be
distributed as follows:
• $20,000 to the CVB to help cover costs for managing RAGBRAI. These funds
will primarily be used to cover police staff at intersections and other city costs
such as traffic control, water hook -up and parking ramp rental fees for the day of
the event and other costs the CVB incurs. In is anticipated that the city costs for
police staffing, traffic control, water and parking fees will not exceed $15,000. At
the end of RAGBRAI, the city will submit a bill to the CVB for a not to exceed
amount of $15,000 for reimbursement for the costs incurred.
• $5,000 to be used by city staff to "spruce" up the route. This includes costs to
paint light poles, replace damaged sign posts, and enhance planting in key
locations such as the entrance to Dubuque Industrial Center West, downtown
and the Port of Dubuque. Funding is already budgeted to paint fire hydrants,
however if additional funding is needed for improvements to the route, the city
will identify additional resources within the existing budget to pay for these
improvements.
Request
1 respectfully request City Council approval of the allocation of $25,000 from the Police
Office Remodeling CIP for RAGBRAI expenses as outlined above.
Cc: Jenny Larson, Budget Director