(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) Within available appropriations, 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 Department of Economic and Community Development, 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. Signage for visitor welcome centers shall indicate the hours during which the visitor welcome centers are open; (3) The Department of Transportation and the Department of Economic and Community Development 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 Department of Economic and Community Development 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 department, 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 Department of Economic and Community Development shall place a seasonal full-time supervisor and a seasonal part-time assistant supervisor at the Greenwich and Westbrook centers. The department 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 Department of Economic and Community Development, in conjunction with the tourism industry, shall develop and implement initial staff training and conduct periodic training of full-time and part-time supervisors; (7) Subject to available funds, the restroom facilities located at each visitor welcome center shall be open twenty-four hours a day.