Sec. 10-399. (Formerly Secs. 32-306 and 32-307). Visitor welcome centers.
Sec. 10-399. (Formerly Secs. 32-306 and 32-307). Visitor welcome centers. (a)
As used in this section: "Visitor welcome center" means the welcome centers, visitor
centers and tourist information centers located in West Willington, Greenwich, Danbury, Darien, North Stonington and Westbrook, which have been established to distribute information to persons traveling in the state for the purpose of influencing such
persons' level of satisfaction with the state and expenditures in the state and their planning for present and future trips to the state.
(b) The following measures shall be implemented to enhance the operation of visitor
welcome centers:
(1) Each center shall make available space for listing events and promoting attractions, by invitation to the Connecticut tourism industry, including tourism districts, chambers of commerce and any other tourism entities involved in Connecticut tourism promotion;
(2) The Commission on Culture and Tourism, established under section 10-392, in
consultation with the Department of Transportation, shall develop plans for (A) consistent signage for the visitor welcome centers, and (B) highway signage regulations for
privately operated centers;
(3) The Department of Transportation and the commission shall establish an "Adopt
A Visitor Welcome Center" program, under which local civic organizations may provide
maintenance, gardening, including wildflowers, and complimentary refreshments or
any other type of service at a visitor welcome center to enhance the operation of the
center;
(4) The commission shall place a full-time year-round supervisor and a part-time
assistant supervisor at the Danbury, Darien, North Stonington and West Willington
centers. The responsibilities of each supervisor shall include, but not be limited to: (A)
Maintaining a sufficient inventory of up-to-date brochures for dissemination to visitors,
(B) scheduling staff so as to assure coverage at all times, (C) training staff, (D) compiling
and maintaining statistics on center usage, (E) serving as liaison between the commission, the Department of Transportation, the tourism district in which the center is located
and businesses in such district, (F) maintaining quality tourism services, (G) rotating
displays, (H) evaluating staff, (I) problem-solving, and (J) computing travel reimbursements for volunteer staff;
(5) Subject to available funds, the commission shall place a seasonal full-time supervisor and a seasonal part-time assistant supervisor at the Greenwich and Westbrook
centers. The commission shall discontinue staffing at the Middletown, Plainfield and
Wallingford centers, and shall, in conjunction with the tourism industry, seek contract
workers to provide tourism services at the Westbrook center when not staffed by the
state;
(6) Subject to available funds, the commission, in conjunction with the tourism
industry, shall develop and implement initial staff training and conduct periodic training
of full-time and part-time supervisors.
(P.A. 94-155, S. 1, 2, 5; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 97-238, S. 7; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-1, S.
111; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 218, 219; P.A. 04-20, S. 7; 04-205, S. 5-7; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, S. 30.)
History: (Revisor's note: In 2005 Secs. 32-306 and 32-307 were combined editorially by the Revisors as Subsecs. (a)
and (b), respectively, of this section.)
Former Sec. 32-306:
P.A. 94-155 effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Economic
Development with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A.
03-6 deleted definition of "Office of Tourism" and made technical changes, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-20 made a
technical change, effective April 16, 2004; P.A. 04-205 deleted references to former visitor welcome centers at Middletown,
Southington, Wallingford, Windsor Locks, Plainfield and Bradley International Airport, effective June 3, 2004; Sec. 32-306 transferred to Sec. 10-399(a) in 2005.
Former Sec. 32-307:
P.A. 94-155 effective July 1, 1994; (Revisor's note: In 1997 a reference in Subdiv. (11) to "Tourism Fund" was replaced
editorially by the Revisors with "tourism account" for consistency with Sec. 32-303); P.A. 97-238 amended Subdiv. (6)
to delete a requirement that the Office of Tourism provide funding to the Department of Transportation for housekeeping
services at the Westbrook visitor welcome center; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-1 amended Subdiv. (11) to redirect revenue
under that subdivision to the General Fund, effective August 16, 2003; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 deleted former Subdivs.
(1), (2), (4), (6) and (12), redesignated existing Subdivs. (3), (5), (7) to (11), (13) and (14) as new Subdivs. (1) to (9),
substituted Connecticut Commission on Arts, Tourism, Culture, History and Film for Office of Tourism in Subdivs. (2)
to (6), and (9), amended Subdiv. (4) to change centers at which commission must place supervisors and assistant supervisors
and amended Subdiv. (7) to expand use of electronic information system and to designate General Fund instead of tourism
account as recipient of revenue generated from proposal process, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-205 deleted references
to former visitor welcome centers at Middletown, Southington, Wallingford and Windsor Locks in Subdiv. (5) and deleted
former Subdivs. (7) to (9) re electronic information system, lodging reservation services and dedicated highway radion
station, respectively, effective June 3, 2004, and, effective on that date, with May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, effective May 12,
2004, also replaced Connecticut Commission on Arts, Tourism, Culture, History and Film with Connecticut Commission
on Culture and Tourism; Sec. 32-307 transferred to Sec. 10-399(b) in 2005.