Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation President Nelson “Chris” Stokes poses by the start of the bobsled track at Mount Van Hoevenberg in October 2023. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

MALONE — Franklin County legislators at their organizational meeting Thursday heard information on a potential partnership with a famous bobsled team.

Phil Hans, director of the county’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism, said the North Country Sports Council presented the opportunity of hosting the Jamaican bobsled team.

“The Jamaican bobsled team, they are practicing at Mount Van Hoevenburg in Essex County, but they need a home,” Hans said. “The North Country Sports Council has reached out to us to see if there is any interest in hosting them in Franklin County, more specifically at Hotel Saranac.”

According to Hans, the cost of the partnership would be $135,000.

“That does include a minimum of 900-night room stays at Hotel Saranac,” he said. “Hotel Saranac has also given a hefty discount for the rooms because all of the rooms offered to the athletes would be in the suites. I believe the savings is about $100 per night for the athletes. It just shows that the Hotel Saranac has some skin in the game to help with this.”

After meeting in executive session for the discussion of a contractual matter the legislature decided to hear from the Tourism Advisory Committee prior to making a decision on the potential partnership.

“We are going to hold off until we get some recommendations and more information from our TAC,” Ed Lockwood, R-Malone, the board’s chair, said.

County Manager Donna J. Kissane said the county will also confer with the village of Saranac Lake and the town of Harrietstown prior to making a decision.

“To make sure they are supportive,” Kissane said.

Hans said when he first spoke with the sports council he said the county would need something beyond paying for rooms.

“It’s fantastic that the team is here, we would love them there, but what are we really getting for the $135,000,” Hans said, “In addition to the team staying here in Franklin County, Franklin County would be known, on the world stage, as the home of the Jamaican bobsled team. With that comes certain branding benefits.”

According to Hans, the county’s brand would be showcased on the team’s sleds and apparel for both training and competitions.

“There’s quite the brand equity involved with that,” Hans said.

Kissane asked if the county could decide what the brand the county puts out there.

“This is tourism money so this board can decide whatever it is we want to do, everything that we are talking about here will be worked out in a contract. This isn’t a blank check that says OK they can come up and we hope for the best,” Hans said. “To your point we can do whatever it is that we see fit that would be appropriate for branding purposes.”

Hans said the county could also earn the right to use some of the team’s branding for county marketing purposes.

“Obviously it would be subject to approval from the Jamaican Bobsled Foundation, to use their branding in some of our campaigns to some of the events that would take place that come along with this opportunity,” Hans said.

Additionally, Hans said there would be a set number of autograph sessions as part of the partnership.

“Bringing people into the county who would come to see the bobsled team, they would have autograph sessions and I would try to negotiate with North Country Sports Council and the Jamaican Bobsled Foundation to make sure those events are spread throughout the county,” he said, “To make sure we have something in Malone at our rec park if the timing is appropriate. This is a county program, while the home will be in Saranac Lake this is still a county program we are paying for so the expectation is there is county representation.”

According to Hans, in addition to autograph sessions there would also be community appearance that would be publicized and promoted by the Jamaican Bobsled Foundation.

“To that point all of their press releases would acknowledge whether it is Explore Adirondack Frontier or Franklin County would acknowledge this partnership,” Hans said.

Hans said there would be a parade for the athletes in Saranac Lake.

Andrea M. Dumas, R-Malone, asked how many people would be staying at the hotel as part of the bobsled team.

“There’s variation within teams it could be as high as 14 or 16 and as low as five, you bring in groups for your training group there will be fluctuations,” Matthew Dougherty, executive director of the North Country Sports Council, said.

Justus Martin, R-Moira, asked how the potential partnership would impact the county beyond the six months of the athletes stay.

“I think it would be our hopes that this would grow and not just be a one-time thing,” Hans said.

Kissane asked about having appearances or autograph sessions at different ski resorts in Franklin County, including Titus Mountain and Mount Pisgah.

Dumas asked what Essex County was putting in.

“They get free ice time so their sledding is free, which is a considerable cost,” Dougherty said.

Dumas asked if there were other groups putting in funding for this opportunity.

“At the moment that is a no because this opportunity came so quickly,” Hans said. “What I would envision happening in years after this we would go after Market New York grants.”

Dumas asked why one hotel was being used.

“Why aren’t we spreading it out for other entities to reap the benefits of Franklin County tourism dollars? We take those funds and put them towards programs that are going to put heads in beds but we are taking funds at putting it towards a team. Who are they bringing in? I think that was our new plan this year, what is the event bringing to the county, how many heads are going to be put in beds and what revenue is it going to generate?” Dumas asked. “The parade will be a local parade, their meet and greets will be at local communities, who is going to come here to watch them train? Are we going to have to people come here to stay in motels, hotels and Airbnbs to watch them train?”

Hans said it could be difficult to spread a small number of athletes between multiple hotels.

“From a logistics standpoint if we are talking six to twelve athletes I think it would be difficult to spread them out to different hotels at the moment but I do think that with some negations we could try to have maybe a night or two, not making it their home, but having a night or two in a different part of the county,” Hans said. “Maybe there’s an event at say Titus Mountain that we would leverage and have them there for that and stay overnight up here for a night. I don’t know these are all things we would need to negotiate.”

Lindy Ellis, D-Saranac Lake, said there is potential to bring people into the county to watch the bobsled team.

“While we are investing this into the team’s heads in beds it will bring in other tourists that will multiply the heads in beds,” Ellis said.

Dumas said it was a large ask.

“It’s a big ask for the first year, the first event, it’s a large ask out of our tourism dollars,” Dumas said. “I just want to make sure if we are going to put it into one event we have some backup support from another entity besides just Franklin County paying the bill for one hotel.”

Dumas asked if the county could offer a smaller stipend.

“I know it is one year and we don’t know but is there another ask?” Dumas said.

Hans said due to the tight turnaround this year there wasn’t an opportunity to get additional funding.

“I think that is why the understanding would be, in subsequent years that we would go after Market New York, something through I Love New York, in addition to our matching funds,” Hans said. “That there would have to be more of a sponsoring partnership from other entities as well.”

Hans said the team’s six month stay would start in the next couple of weeks, if the partnership is approved.

“Their training would be in Essex County but their home while they are training would be here in Franklin County,” Hans said.

Dougherty said the North Country Sports Council works to bring sporting events to the area.

“We are big into any sporting event we can bring to the North Country,” Dougherty said. “Tupper lake, Saranac Lake, Malone has world class venues that are not getting as much use as they could be.”

Dougherty described the partnership as a unique opportunity for Franklin County.

“In bobsled, Germany is one of the top teams but everyone recognizes the Jamaican bobsled team, everyone is a fan,” Dougherty said. “Bringing them to different communities is a unique opportunity we don’t get up here often. They are a diverse group of athletes with a unique perspective on the world.”

Jamaica’s bobsled team first competed in the Olympics in 1988 at the winter games in Calgary.

At the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City a two-man team, Winston Watts, the pilot, and Lascelles Brown, the brakeman, set an Olympic record for the push-start segment of the two-man race at 4.78 seconds.

“They are a fan favorite by far they have a different atmosphere and a different vibe than other teams,” Dougherty said.

The team’s 1988 Olympics debut was the subject of the fictionalized 1993 Disney movie “Cool Runnings.” The movie’s 30th anniversary was celebrated with a screening at the Lake Placid Film Festival last year.

Nelson “Chris” Stokes — president of the Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation and the brakeman whose Olympic debut was fictionalized in “Cool Runnings” — told the Adirondack Daily Enterprise this past October during a visit to Lake Placid that he wants to make Lake Placid the home for Jamaican bobsled. He said Lake Placid was always its second track and hopes to grow Jamaican bobsledding in the village.

“There is a warmth and culture here that is very close to Jamaica,” Stokes said. “Sort of a laid back, welcome to our community and a welcome to our home kind of feel that is not everywhere in the United States. It’s not everywhere in the World, but that’s very much here. So we feel at home here, we have been greeted by nothing but kindness and graciousness here. We believe that we can give this area an added degree of international exposure.”

He believes its something that is and can be leveraged by the Lake Placid community, the international bobsled fraternity and the state Olympic Regional Development Authority, which manages Lake Placid’s Olympic winter sports venues.

“In our view, with us being here, everybody should be better off,” Stokes said. “ORDA should be better off, Jamaica bobsled should be better off, the sport of bobsled should be better off. The opportunities are right in front of us, it’s just how do we sit down and say how can we organize that and understand each other and create a win-win situation.”

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Enterprise Sports Editor Parker O’Brien contributed reporting.