Economic Development

Nelson County Department of Economic Development and Tourism

Board of Supervisors Report

April 2010                                                                            

Projects

• Received federal broadband grant
• Advising University of Virginia students in a Community Food Class audit
• Nelson County is a mandatory stop for the Virginia Tourism 2010 Motorcycle Grand tour
• Opened the Monticello Golf Trail
• Working with Lynchburg Small Business Development Center on a Rural Development microloan program
• Representing the region at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Community Day April 21
• Updating the Buy Fresh Buy Local publications with Nelson producers
• Working with a new event, The Festy, October 9-10
• Coordinating marketing efforts with Amherst County for the Virginia Summer Solstice Festival
• Assisting with the green infrastructure inventory program
• Hosting the quarterly meeting of the Virginia rural economic development directors May 3
• Management Team liaison for Dept. of Housing and Community Development planning grant project for artisan trail network
• Assisting with the new Virginia Craft Brewers Guild
• Assisting with Fish Virginia First marketing
• Working with the Nelson County Bike Festival (August 28-29, 2010)
• Assisting with 2010 anniversary of the Virginia Scenic Rivers program
• Coordinating tourism program for TransDominion Express with regional partners
• Assisting with Crozet Tunnel project
• Blue Ridge Parkway 75^th anniversary celebration coordinator
• Shenandoah National Park 75^th anniversary celebration coordinator

• Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services local rural economic development directors committee
• Coordinating Afton Greenwood historic district
• Marketing regional brewery trail – Brew Ridge Trail

• Assisting with Buy Local projects with Economic Development Authority
• Virginia Sesquicentennial Commemoration of the Civil War Committee
• Working with Wintergreen Resort on marketing initiatives

March Meetings

March 2 – Economic Development Authority

March 3 – Albemarle County Board of Supervisors – Artisan Trail Network

March 3 – Nelson County Public Meeting – Artisan Trail Network

March 4 – Brew Ridge Trail Guild

March 5 – Crozet Tunnel

March 8 – Artisan Trail Management Team meeting

March 9 – Scenic River Clean up

March 9 – Blue Ridge Medical Center

March 12 – Small Business Development Center and Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development

March 12 – Nelson County Bike Festival

March 16 – The Festy

March 17 – Virginia Tourism Corporation

March 18 – Summer Solstiee Festival

March 19 – Virginia Employment Commission

March 19 – Piedmont Environmental Council

March 22 – Community Food Class University of Virginia

March 23 – Waynesboro City Council Crozet Tunnel proclamation

March 23 – Small Business Development Center

March 23 – Nelson County Bike Festival

March 23 – Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development

March 24 – Summer Solstice Festival

March 29 – Wintergreen Resort

March 31 – Blue Ridge Parkway

Montebello Fish Hatchery

309 visitors in March 2010

Tourism Statistics                    

                March 2010             Fiscal YTD     March 2009   Fiscal YTD

Phone       602                         4239                672                  5555

Internet    211,001                   1,966,237        206,123                       1,892,883

Walk In     534                         7960                625                  7465

Taxes        February 2010        Fiscal YTD      February 2009      Fiscal YTD   

Lodging    $ 55,315                 305,359                       51,229                 321,410      

Meals        $ 58,184                 404,884                       54,718                  281,894