IT’S A GO-GO ON THE LOGO!

Mammoth Lakes Recreation approved spending tens of thousands in special use tax revenue on recreation projects Monday, but not without keeping a piece of the pie for itself

A portion of the same public funds will go toward rebranding the taxes themselves.

Measure U and Measure R are meant to fund recreation, mobility and arts projects without replacing existing funding. Measure R is restricted to trails, parks and recreation facilities managed by the Town, while Measure U covers mobility and arts and culture.

The board unanimously sent all $25,000 of available Measure R funds to the Community Recreation Center for sport court flooring and netting upgrades. 

This renovated vision for the space allows for a concrete area “to increase visitation from our hockey community” to play roller hockey, an improved volleyball court and half-court for basketball and skate ramps, Parks & Recreation Director Stu Brown said.

As for Measure R dollars, $10,000 will fund the education and outreach needed to get people to actually use the new three self-serve clean, drain, dry and dispose units aimed at stopping the spread of aquatic invasive species, particularly the infamous and imminent golden mussels. MLR acquired the three stations through a $75,000 grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.

And then there is the branding.

The board approved the allocation of $7,500 in Measure R dollars to fund a redesign of the Measure U and Measure R logos, with the goal of creating a more polished and recognizable identity for the programs. 

“The more these two tax measures come into play, the more recognizable these logos are,” MLR Executive Director Kim Anaclerio. “And they’ll be put on things like the CRC and the MACC, I think it’s time for a refresh to really solidify what they are.”

Boardmember Brent Truax suggested the funding cost might be lowered through the use of Artificial Intelligence.

“I just want to make sure we’re using the money correctly,” he said.

Boardmember Darlene Pascua didn’t like that idea.

“I will say, AI helps with the idea, but it doesn’t produce the files professionals use to print and whatnot,” she said.

Truax said he thought it does now, and Pascua said she was pretty sure it didn’t.

“I’m not opposed to keeping humans in the loop,” Anaclerio chirped in.

Mammoth Art Walk

The final proposed item, which would have allocated $7,500 in Measure U funds for the inaugural “Mammoth Art Walk,” was pulled from the agenda after what Anaclerio described as “last minute questions.” She said the request could return at a future meeting.

But with or without public funding, the event is moving forward.

Following the loss of Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza, Mammoth Lakes Recreation is launching the “Mammoth Art Walk,” a new art festival in The Village at Mammoth aimed at filling the void left by the longtime summer staple.

“Wouldn’t it be a shame to have a year where there’s nothing left on that weekend that’s animated?”  MLR Board Treasurer Heather Schaubmayer said.

Anaclerio said the organization intends to move ahead regardless of whether the tax dollars materialize.

“We’re doing this,” she said.

She said the goal is to capture some of the visitation and foot traffic once driven by Bluesapalooza while shifting activity toward the Village.

“In the past, the Village couldn’t do anything because all the energy was down the road,” Schaubmayer said. “Now, the energy is being brought to this location, not just this year, but for the future.”

Despite the emphasis on the Village, Anaclerio said the Village itself would not contribute funding this year.

“There will be money coming from the Village to this event next year,” Schaubmayer said.