The destination marketing organization has promoted economic growth in Bastrop by attracting visitors for leisure, conventions and other events since 2018.
When asked, city officials had not provided Community Impact with a statement as of press time regarding why there was a shift away from Visit Bastrop.
The details
The city will soon roll out Discover Bastrop in its place.
“What does that mean to you? That means the ability to be efficient,” Bastrop City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino said during her State of the City address in early September. “We’re going to be able to do all those things that the [hotel occupancy tax] fund was intended to do.”
She discussed how HOT funds will be applied toward a variety of projects, including improvements to the Convention and Exhibition Center—a facility that has needed a new roof for “a significant amount of time.”
That improvement, Carrillo-Trevino said, carries a price tag of approximately $250,000.
“The long-term plan is that this building becomes a recreation center,” she said. “I want to make sure that it is in good condition. The last thing I want to turn over is a building that is in disrepair, that we've not managed to upkeep well.”
Also of note
During a Sept. 23 meeting, Bastrop City Council approved the dissolution of the Bastrop Cultural Arts Commission and transitioned its functions to the Bastrop Cultural Arts Committee, which will be housed within Discover Bastrop.
“This transition will maintain support for arts and culture in Bastrop while improving efficiency, coordination, and accountability across related programs,” Main Street Manager Michaela Joyce said in a staff report.
The outlook
Discover Bastrop will allow the city to have “a united marketing front”—an effort that will be led by Joyce.
“We've got a cadre of new staff that'll help make [Discover Bastrop] come to fruition this year,” Carrillo-Trevino said.
