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MINUTES
MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BISBEE,
COUNTY OF COCHISE, AND STATE OF ARIZONA, HELD ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2026, AT
6:00 PM AT COUNCIL CHAMBERS LOCATED AT 118 ARIZONA STREET, BISBEE, ARIZONA.
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY MAYOR BUDGE AT 6:02 PM.
ROLL CALL
COUNCIL
Councilmember Karen Schumacher, Ward I
Councilmember Peter Skinner, Ward II
Councilmember Trish Damon, Ward III
Mayor Ken Budge
Councilmember Anna Cline, Ward III, Mayor Pro Tempore 6:04PM
Councilmember Mel Sowid, Ward II
Councilmember Lori Reynolds, Ward I
STAFF
Ashlee Coronado, Interim City Manager/City Clerk
Keri Bagley, Finance Director
VACANT, Personnel Director
Matthew Gurney, Public Works Director
Logan Dodd, Operations Manager
Tim Cox, Police Chief
Jim Richardson, Fire Chief
CITY ATTORNEY
Joseph Estes
THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS DISCUSSED AT THIS MEETING:
1. Discussion and Possible Direction to staff regarding the DMO/Marketing RFP and Discussion on How
Direction will be given to the Potential DMO/Marketing Firm from the City of Bisbee.
Ken Budge, Mayor
Mayor Ken Budge opened the discussion by noting that the council had previously voted to hold a
work session to discuss the proposed RFP for a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO). He
invited council members to share their concerns and questions, beginning with those who had
requested the work session.
Councilmember Schumacher expressed her primary concern about the lack of a clear budget outline.
She wanted to understand the financial breakdown between what would be paid to a DMO, what
would fund marketing activities, and what would support a visitor center. She noted that without these
numbers, it was difficult to make informed decisions about moving forward. Schumacher also raised
questions about the communication structure between the city and the DMO, particularly whether a
tourism advisory board or a city employee would serve as the liaison.
Mayor Budge explained that most RFPs do not include specific dollar amounts upfront, as this allows
proposers to submit their best offers without being constrained by preset budgets. He noted that the
city would receive proposals and then negotiate during the contract phase.

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MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL FEBRUARY 17, 2026
He also shared that the Finance Director had provided an estimate of approximately $112,000 to
operate the visitor center (including staff, printing, internet, and coordination with Cochise County
Tourism), which could be subtracted from the overall tourism budget to determine what would be
available for the DMO and marketing.
Councilmember Damon agreed with the approach of not specifying a dollar amount in the RFP. She
suggested that the city could work with estimated numbers based on the visitor center being operated
separately, allowing the council to move forward without further delays. Damon acknowledged
learning more about the RFP process and understanding that contract negotiations would be the
appropriate time to address specific requirements.
Councilmember Damon emphasized her primary concern: ensuring that any DMO hired would
regularly engage with local business leaders and residents for input. She suggested this requirement
could be added to the RFP under the scope of work, with the DMO proposing how they would conduct
community roundtable discussions and surveys.
Council agreed this was an important addition and could be incorporated without delaying the process.
Councilmember Skinner, drawing on his government contracting background, supported not including
a specific dollar figure in the RFP. He explained that this approach allows the city to evaluate
proposals based on requirements and compare how different firms structure their costs and services.
Skinner also expressed interest in seeing a tourism advisory board established at some point and
suggested that local business organizations like Bisbee Forward and Bisbee Vogue could have
representation on such a board.
Councilmember Sowid agreed with the approach of issuing the RFP without predetermined budget
amounts, noting that once proposals come back, the council could make decisions about what services
to accept or decline based on available funding.
Mayor Budge shared his perspective on the overall structure, explaining that he initially favored a
tourism advisory board but now believes a city employee serving as a tourism coordinator or director
would be more effective. This person would staff the visitor center, serve as the day-to-day liaison
with the DMO, coordinate with local businesses and the Cochise County Tourism Board, and handle
administrative tasks such as updating the website, managing map and brochure distribution, and
hosting travel writers. He emphasized this approach would follow the recommendation from Bisbee
Forward to spend less on visitor center operations and more on marketing. The position would not
require a marketing expert but rather someone personable who understands tourism and can facilitate
communication between the DMO and the community.
Discussion turned to how to structure oversight and communication with the DMO.
Councilmember Schumacher expressed concern about repeating past difficulties in filling tourism
positions with qualified candidates at the city's pay scale. She suggested that if the city were to pay a
competitive salary to a highly qualified marketing professional, that person could function as an in-
house DMO rather than hiring an external firm.
Mayor Budge acknowledged this option but noted the city had gone over a year and a half without
successfully filling such a position, which was why the external DMO route was being considered.
Council discussed several amendments to the RFP document.
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MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL FEBRUARY 17, 2026
Councilmember Schumacher requested adding a scoring category for "proximity and familiarity to
Bisbee" to give preference to local or Arizona-based organizations. After discussion, the council
agreed to add this as a criterion worth 10 points, taken from the methodology and approach category.
Councilmember Damon suggested adding "recreation" as a key messaging pillar, which the council
supported, noting the importance of outdoor activities and the upcoming Bisbee Bikeways project.
Regarding the primary objective statement describing Bisbee as a "premier destination,"
Councilmember Schumacher expressed concern that the language was too generic and didn't
sufficiently capture what makes Bisbee unique.
After discussion, Council decided the existing language, combined with the detailed scope of work
elsewhere in the document, adequately conveyed the city's character.
Councilmember Schumacher also raised the question of how the city would measure the DMO's
success.
Mayor Budge noted that the RFP already requires proposers to establish Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs) and measure marketing effectiveness.
Council discussed using bed tax revenue and cell phone data (available through Cochise County
Tourism) to track visitor numbers and patterns, though they acknowledged external factors would
make year-to-year comparisons challenging.
Council reached consensus on moving forward with the RFP, incorporating the agreed-upon changes
regarding community engagement requirements, the proximity scoring criterion, and emphasis on
outdoor recreation.
Mayor Budge confirmed with the council that they were satisfied with moving forward, indicating the
revised RFP would come back within a week for a special session rather than waiting two weeks.
Once approved, the RFP would need to be posted for at least 15 days as required by state law, meaning
responses would likely be received in about a month.
Mayor Budge stated that, as there was nothing else before this Council this meeting was adjourned.
ADJOURNMENT: 6:50PM
___________________________
Ken Budge, Mayor
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