Mineral Wells tourism continues to rise, chamber report shows
May 10—MINERAL WELLS — Tourism continues to rise in the Wellness Capital of Texas, a report approved Tuesday by the city council showed.
The council also on Tuesday paved the way for Airport Manager Haley Cuevas to seek bids for leasing a 19,200-square-foot hangar.
Bids on the hangar, which is in the process of being brought up to fire codes, will be accepted through June 3. Huevas, responding to a question from Mayor Regan Johnson, said interested parties know about the work to be done.
Cuevas on Tuesday also won the council's blessing to work with another tenant, Hallowed Sky, that is building a hangar on the airport's west side.
"We have a lot of development out there," she said.
The Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce's 2023 tourism report, which was approved with other items on the grouped consent agenda, showed visits to the Visit Mineral Wells Facebook page climbing substantially.
Those click-visits had gone from 2,657 in November 2018 to 9,290 this past February, the report showed.
The report also showed 5,600 requests for newly placed brochures at travel centers around the state. The chamber also had shipped 50 tourism information packets in a new offering.
Tourism Director Rose Jordan later added that moving into the old Poston's hardware building downtown has dramatically boosted in-person tourist visits.
"The move to the Poston's Dry Goods building has proven to be a game-changer, resulting in an astonishing 2,000% increase in visitation," Jordan told the Weatherford Democrat. "At the former location, we might see 20 people come through in a month for travel information (aside from others for chamber-related activities). Now, we see over 400 people most months."
The move from a drab brick headquarters on Hubbard Street also aligned the chamber more with the goal of capitalizing on Crazy Town's unique past, Jordan said.
"The revamped visitor center now stands as a beacon of our city's rich history and cultural heritage," she said. "And last year, the visitor center won Best Visitor Center, in a small market, in the state of Texas."
Tuesday's regular meeting began with librarian Kathy Spencer praising volunteer supporters.
Those included brother and sister Daniel Holland and Michelle Mills, who recently donated more than 500 books on military and historical topics.
Spencer also thanked Cathy Bohanna for a donation helping the summer reading program.
The free kids storybook sessions will be at noon on Fridays in June and July.
Spencer also announced the Summer Block Party will begin at 4 p.m. on June 7 and take place both in the parking lot and inside the Boyce-Ditto Public Library, at 2300 SE MLK Jr. St.
For more information on those or other library programs, call 940-328-7880.
Tuesday's open comments period was taken by Ward 4 Councilman Doyle Light, who was recalled from office during the previous Saturday election.
Light was one of three council members subject to recall after residents upset over water rates gathered petitions.
It is plausible Light was the only recall target to fall because the higher water bills hit his low-income ward harder than others.
"It's been a great honor and a privilege to serve with you," Light told the council, urging members to stay the course that led to higher rates to support a $200 million loan for a new water source lake. "Not only don't stop, but don't let up. There's still a lot to do."
