May 17, 2021 Tourist Development Council

[Items 1 - 3]

[00:00:23]

. >>> GOOD AFTERNOON. I THINK WE'RE READY TO GET STARTED. I'M GOING TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.

AND MR. BERENBERG, WOULD YOU LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE?

>> . >> THANK YOU OF WE'LL DO A RECALL CALL.

>> BERENBERG. >> HERE. >> BLEVINS.

>> HERE. >> FINNEGAN. >> HERE.

>> MICHAEL GORDON. >> HERE. >> DIANE MATARAZA.

[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

>> HERE. >> VICE MAYOR SAMORA. HE'S HERE.

[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

HE'S WALKING IN. VICE WHERE SIKES-KLINE. >> HERE.

>> WALDRON. >> HERE. >> MICHAEL WICKS.

>> HERE. >> VERY GOOD. THANK YOU.

[6. PUBLIC COMMENT]

>> AYE. >> THANK YOU. >> APPROVAL OF THE MEETING

MINUTES. ALL IN FAVOR. >> AYE.

>> VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. >> WILL OPEN UP FOR -- WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OF THE AGENDA ITEMS. ALL RIGHT.

ARE YOU GOING TO READ THAT? >> I AM GOING TO READ IT. THE STATEMENT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE READ -- HAS BEEN FILED. AT THIS TIME THE COUNCIL WILL HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS THAT ARE NOT ON THE REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS. THEY'LL HAVE THEIR OWN PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. ANY PERSON WISHING TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL SHOULD COME TO THE PODIUM AND STATE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS. THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.

SHALL APPLY TO THE FOLLOWINGS RULES. COMMENTS ADDRESSED TO THE COUNCIL HAS A WHOLE AND NOT ANY INDIVIDUAL MEMBER AND MAY NOT INCLUDE A DEMAND FROM ANKER IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM THE COUNCIL. THE SPEAKER MAY NOT DISRUPT THE MEETING — AND MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE SHOULD REFRAIN FROM DISRUPTIVE DEMONSTRATION OF APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF ANY COMMENTS. I ASK THAT ANY SPEAKER THAT PRESENTS MATERIAL PLEASE PROVIDE A COPY OF THAT MATERIAL TO THE STARK OF THE CLERK OF THE COURT TO BE ENTERED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD. THANK YOU.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS REGINA GILL PHILLIPS, THE DIRECTOR FOR THE LINCOLNVILLE MOTION CARRIES AND CULTURAL CENTER. 259.FLORIDA. I'M JUST HERE TO SPEAK IN GENERAL ABOUT THE CULTURAL COUNCIL AND THE NEED TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THIS COMMUNITY. WE RECENTLY, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC BECAME A PART OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS TRAIL AND VERY LITTLE HAS BEEN DONE TO PROMOTE THAT AS A PART OF THE CITY'S HERITAGE OR THE COUNTY'S HERITAGE BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE AND JUST IN GENERAL TO TALK ABOUT THAT. I WILL BE COMING BACK TO TALK ABOUT ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM LATER BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT THAT WE'RE KIND OF LIKE LONG RANGERS IN TERMS OF PROMOTING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND THE FACT THAT WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH OUR CITY MANAGER AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT HAS COME YOU IS THAT CULTURAL, ARE THE LACK THEREOF, OF HERITAGE CULTURE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN IS PART RECIDIVISM PROBLEM THEY HAVE WITH RETAINING QUALIFIED CITY EMPLOYEES. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE COUNTY. YOU MAY HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WHERE YOU RECRUIT PROFESSIONALS AND THEY DON'T WANT TO STAY HERE BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT FOR THEM TO DO ONCE THEY GET HERE. SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD FOR YOUR

[00:05:10]

CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.

>> B. J.COMMEND THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION AT THE JULY 20, 2020 MEETING TO EXTEND THE CITY OF SAGE AUGUST'S CONTRACT FOR THE VIC FOR ONE YEAR WITH REDUCED FUNDING OF 135,000 TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL DOLLARS. SINCE IT WAS CLOSED FOR COVID.

ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2020 THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGREED WITH THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL'S RECOMMENDATION. THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE'S BUDGET MEETING WAS HELD ON MAY 11, 2021. PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING FACTS WHICH I WILL READ INTO THE RECORD WHICH IS ON THE SCREEN. BASED ON CURRENT COLLECTION TRENDS AND INFORMATION THE FUN REVENUES ARE ANTICIPATED TO END THE YEAR APPROXIMATELY 465,000 DOLLARS ABOVE BUDGETED LEVELS DUE TO BETTER THAN ANTICIPATED PARKING GARAGE REVENUE.

THIS IS WELCOME NEWS CONSIDERING THE LOSS SUFFERED AS A RESULT OF THE SHUTDOWN.

THE DIC FUND EXPENDITURES ARE TRACKING SLIGHTLY HIGHER THIS YEAR DUE TO CAPITAL MAINTENANCE AND OUR PROJECTED TO EXCEED BUDGET BY $150,000 WHICH IS A PLANNED AND PRUDENT USE OF SINKING FUND. THE HIGHER REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES ARE EXPECTED TO ADD APPROXIMATELY $315,000 TO THE VIC FUND RESERVE BALANCE. WHENEVER YOU ALL ARE PASSING OUT

[7. TDT 5th CENT DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION 5th Cent Discussion]

THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. PUBLIC COMMENT? VERY GOOD. WE'LL MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION OF THE -- AND RECOMMENDATION, FIVE-CENT DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION. TERA?

>> GOOD AFTERNOON. ALL RIGHT. SO CONTINUE OUR DISCUSSION OF THE 5TH CENT TAX. I WOULD START OFF DISCUSSION TODAY WITH JUST A RECAP, A REMINDER AS TO WHY WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS AND IT IS BECAUSE AT THE MARCH 2 MEETING THE BOARD OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS GAVE DIRECTION TO CONSIDER TWO THINGS, LEVYING THE 5TH SENT OF TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX AND USE OF REVENUE FOR THE REVENUE GENERATED FROM LEVYING THAT PENNY. THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL DISCUSSED THIS AT TWO PRIOR MEETINGS, THE MARCH 15TH MEETING AND THE APRIL 19TH MEETING AND SO FAR THIS BODY HAS PROVIDED A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO LEVY THAT 5TH CENT AND SUGGESTED MODIFICATIONS TO THE PLAN.

THEY ALSO SUGGESTED AN INITIAL ALLOCATION OF THE 5TH CENT REVENUE FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THIS MEETING. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO HERE TODAY.

SO AS PART OF THE AGENDA PACKET EVERYONE WAS PROVIDED A RED LINE VERSION OF THE CURRENT TOURIST DEVELOPMENT PLAN, THE ORDINANCE AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF CHANGES IN THERE.

THE NEW LANGUAGE IS BOLDED AND THE UNDERLINED IN LANGUAGE WHICH IS BEING REMOVED IS ALSO BOLDED WITH A STRIKE THROUGH AND JUST A SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU'LL SEE WHEN YOU FLIP THROUGH THE PAGES OF THAT WILL ORDINANCE IS THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVE MODIFIED CATEGORY FIVE WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY TOURISM ASSETS TO CREATE A NEW CATEGORY WHICH WE'RE CALLING BEACH ASSETS THAT CONSOLIDATES BEACH EXPENDITURES HOUSED IN CATEGORY THREE AND FIVE.

WE HAVE CONSOLIDATED THOSE INTO ONE CATEGORY AND RENAMED THE KASSRY AND REDEFINED THAT CATEGORY. WE THEN SUBSEQUENTLY HAVE ALSO MODIFIED CATEGORY THREE WHICH HAS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE CALLED LEISURE AND RECREATION. WE'VE MODIFIED THE DEFINITION TO REMOVE THOSE BEACH AND BEACH-RELATED EXPENDITURES AND WE HAVE ALSO ADDED ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE TO CATEGORY THREE, DEFINITION TO CLARIFY EVEN THOUGH IT COULD BE USED, BUT TO CLARIFY THE FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR BOAT RAMPS AND PARK IMPROVEMENTS AND PROJECTS FOR THINGS LIKE THE PIER. AND THEN THE FINAL SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IS TO MODIFY CATEGORY FOUR'S DEFINITION AGAIN TO CLARIFY THAT THE CATEGORY CAN BE USED FOR EXPENDITURES FOR PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS AND MANAGEMENT. AGAIN, THIS IS IN KEEPING WITH THE PRIOR DEFINITION OF CATEGORY FOUR. WE WERE JUST PROVIDING ADDITIONAL CLARITY. SO WHEN WE MAKE THOSE CHANGES TO THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT PLAN,

[00:10:02]

TOURIST DEVELOPMENT PLAN. YOU CAN SEE CATEGORY THREE WE HAVE ADDED BOAT RAMPS, SAWING AUNT BEACH PIER AND PARK CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, FOUR, — CALLED PUBLIC FACILITIES AND THAT'S PULLED FROM THE STATUTE. CATEGORY 5P BEACH ASSETS, IT'S RENAMED, AND TRANSITIONED OVER FROM CATEGORY THREE, THE ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH RENOURISHMENT AND CLEANING AND BE TRACK PICKUP AND MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS. ALL RIGHT.

SO MOVING ON TO ALLOCATIONS. IN THE PREVIOUS MEETING DIRECTION FROM THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL WAS TWOFOLD. THE FIRST WAS TO RESTORE CATEGORIES ONE THROUGH FOUR TO 2019, TO PRE2019 REALLOCATIONS. AND THE SECOND PART WAS TO ADD THE ADDITIONAL REMAINING PERCENTAGES OF THE PENNY TO CATEGORY FOUR. SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE IN THIS TABLE IS KIND OF A SUMMARY OF WHAT WE DID. THE TOP ROW SHOWS WHAT EACH CATEGORY ALLOCATED TO THEM BEFORE '19 REALLOCATION, REALLOCATION, AND I'LL GIVE THE CAVEAT HERE THAT THERE'S AN ASTERISK BY CATEGORIES THREE AND FIVE AND THAT IS TO SHOW YOU THAT I ACTUALLY WENT AND MODIFIED THOSE TWO CATEGORIES GOING BACK THROUGH TIMES SO WE COULD COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES BECAUSE AS WE CONSOLIDATE THE PLAN, TRYING TO LOOK BACK THROUGH HISTORY AND GET A SENSE OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE GOT A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING SO I MODIFIED THOSE, SO CATEGORY THREE AND FIVE ARE REFLECTIVE OF ALL BEACH EXPENDITURES BEING IN CATEGORY FIVE AND SO IN PRE2019 REALLOCATIONS, WHAT YOU SAW WAS CATEGORY ONE, 1.8PS, THE EQUIVALENT OF 45 PERCENT, AND CATEGORY TWO HAD .6PS, EQUIVALENT OF 15 PERCENT, AND CATEGORY THREE, AGAIN, AS MODIFIED WITHOUT BEACH EXPENDITURES WAS SPENDING .2PS, ABOUT 5 PERCENT, AND CATEGORY FOUR WAS RECEIVING ONE FULL PENNY, 25 PERCENT OF THE FOUR CENTS AND CATEGORY FIVE, WHICH IS MODIFIED TO BE ONLY BEACH EXPENDITURES AND TECHNICALLY DIDN'T EXIST BEFORE '19 BUT AGAIN TO MAKE THIS COMPARISON EASY BEACHES WERE RECEIVING .4PS, ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL FOUR-PENNY ALLOCATION. IN '19 THE BOARD OF COMMON COMMISSIONERS MODIFIED THE PLAN. WE KEPT FOUR-PENNYS BUT CHANGED THINGS AROUND.

WHAT YOU SAW WAS THIS 1.5 PENNIES IN CATEGORY ONE, .5, TWO, .2, CATEGORY THREE.

.8, CATEGORY FOUR, FULL PEN THEY IN CATEGORY FIVE. AND THEN OUR LAST MEETING, THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, YOU ALL SUGGESTED AGAIN AS MENTIONED RESTORING THAT PRE'19, RESTORING THE TOP ROW SO YOU'LL SEE THERE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP ROW IN THE THIRD ROW DOWN THEY LOOK VERY SIMILAR. 1.8, 1.8 IN CATEGORY ONE. .6, .6, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT CATEGORY THREE WENT FROM POINT IF YOU, TO .3. AND THEN CATEGORY FOUR WENT FROM ONE PENNY, TO 1.3, AND CURRENT ALLOCATIONS -- CATEGORY FIVE IS FUNNY.

YOU HAVE TO JUMP DOWN TO CURRENT ALLOCATIONS. WE WEREN'T RESTORING PRE'19 BECAUSE THE BEACH DIDN'T EXTEND. THE TAKE-HOME OF THE LAST MEETING WAS FOR CATEGORY ONE WE SAID, .3 OF THAT PENNY SHOULD O INTO CATEGORY ONE. .1 OF THAT PENNY SHOULD GO INTO CATEGORY TWO. .1 SHOULD GO INTO CATEGORY THREE WHICH IS NONBEACH LEISURE AND RECREATION EXPENDITURES. .5 SHOULD GO INTO CATEGORY FOUR. THAT WAS TIED INTO SOME PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS, DISCUSSION THAT THERE WAS, AND THEN CATEGORY FIVE, THE BEACH ASSETS. IT DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY OF THAT PENNY.

THEN A NOTE AT THE BOTTOM IS THAT GOING FORWARD INTO FISCAL YEAR '22, OUR UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR THAT STARTS OCTOBER 1 WE ANTICIPATE THAT EACH FULL PENNY WILL GENERATE $3 MILLION IN TAX COLLECTIONS. SO I'M GOING TO PAUSE HERE FOR A SECOND.

DOES THIS TABLE MAKE SENSE TO EVERYBODY? DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS

ABOUT THE TABLE? >> TERA, COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.

[00:15:05]

ONES. >> LITTLE BIT OF BOTH. SO THIS IS JUST THE -- THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE DEFINITION OF EXPENSE TYPES THAT WE PAY FOR, SO FROM YEAR TO YEAR WE HAVE FUNDING FOR BOAT RAMPS BUT IT CHANGES. WE HAVE FUNDING FOR THE PIER BUT AGAIN IT CHANGES, EIGHT THEN PARK CAPITAL IMPROVE HEALTHY PROJECTS SO STUFF WE FUNDED IN THE PAST. THOSE PARTICULAR THREE ARE ALL CURRENTLY ALLOWABLE USES UNDER CATEGORY THREE. WE JUST ELABORATED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR OF THE INTENT OF THAT CATEGORY. FOR CATEGORY FOUR WE ADDED PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION LANGUAGE. AGAIN, IT SAYS PUBLIC FACILITIES WHEN YOU READ.

THAT'S AN ALLOWABLE EXPENDITURE TYPE FOR THAT CATEGORY BUT WE HAVEN'T, AT LEAST IN RECENT HISTORY, WE HAVEN'T PUT ANY MONEY TOWARDS THOSE, BUT WE COULD HAVE.

IT'S NOT A NEW USE TYPE. IT WAS JUST MODIFYING THAT DEFINITION TO CLARIFY.

FOR THE REMAINING ONES IN CATEGORY FIVE THOSE WERE ALL EXISTING EXPENDITURE PULLED OUT

OF THREE AND MOVED OVER INTO FIVE. >> THANK YOU.

>> STAY ON THAT SAME SLIDE IF YOU DON'T MIND. JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD PUT ALL THREE OF THE PIERS IN CATEGORY THREE. WE HAVE AND TO MAKE SURE IF WE HAVE AN EXPENDITURE OF CAPITAL EXPENSE IT ALLOWS US AND WE'RE NOT STRANGLE HOLD.

THE OCEAN PIER NEEDS WORK BUT THE PIER AT BALANNOA WILL NEED WORK AND SO IS SHANDS SO I WOULD

LIKE TO HAVE THAT IN THAT CATEGORY ALSO. >> WE CAN DO THAT.

>> DO IT WITH ALL PEACE. >> AS A REMINDER IT'S STILL AN ALLOWABLE USE UNDER CATEGORY THREE. WE WERE JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE CAPTURED SO WE CAN FURTHER ELABORATE THAT BUT IT'S TECHNICALLY INCLUDED AT THIS MOMENT.

>> TERA, COULD YOU COME FORWARD AGAIN NOW INTO THE LAST SLIDE THAT YOU SHOWED US.

THE ANTICIPATED $3 MILLION, WHEN WAS THAT FORECAST MADE? >> RECENTLY.

WE WERE LOOKING -- SO WE ORIGINALLY FORECASTED THAT PROBABLY EARLY MARCH BUT WE HAVE BEEN BACK AND REVISITING THAT SO WE FEEL LIKE THAT'S A PRETTY, PRETTY FAIR -- CERTAINLY AS EVERY MONTH GOES BY IT'S TRENDING BETTER AND BETTER BUT AS FAR AS THE COUNTY'S BUDGET

GOES WE'LL PROBABLY STICK WITH THAT 3 MILLION. >> HOW ABOUT THIS YEAR, THE

FORECAST FOR THIS YEAR? >> SO THIS YEAR'S FORECAST, WE ACTUALLY LOCKED THAT IN AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS SO WHEN WE'RE DOING THE BUDGET FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR WE PROJECT REVENUES, SO FOR THIS PAST YEAR WHAT WE DID WAS WE CREATED A FAIRLY CONSERVATIVE BUDGET BUT WE BUILT IN A RESERVE FOR EACH OF THE CATEGORIES AND WHAT SO WE'RE SEEING IS WE SHOULD, UNLESS SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, WE SHOULD EXCEED THE REVENUES THAT WE BUDGETED BUT WE WON'T EXCEED THE AMOUNT THAT WE LIKELY WON'T EXCEED THE AMOUNT WE PUT IN RESERVES.

>> THANK YOU. >> SO, TERA, I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF JUST GRAPHING THIS PARTICULAR PAGE. IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL TO ME AND IN THE INTEREST OF JUST HELPING PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE VISUAL LEARNERS LIKE I AM I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THIS.

>> YES. I DO HAVE SOME GRAPHS AS WILL. >> ALL RIGHT.

WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT ONE ON THE OVERHEAD, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANKS SO MUCH. SO THIS SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. WHAT IS SHOWN IN THE GRAPHS WE HAVE THE ALLOCATION OF FOUR CENTS, THE ALLOCATION OF FOUR CENTS, AND THEN FIVE CENTS AND TAKING THE NUMBERS OFF OF THE CHART THAT WAS JUST ON OUR SCREEN IT SHOWS THE TOTAL PERCENTAGE AND THE PORTIONS OF THE PENNY. IT WAS HELPFUL TO SEE WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE IN TERMS OF MARKETING, THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND ALL OF THAT.

>> OKAY. >> TERA, I HAVE A QUESTION. I HOPE I'M NOT OPENING A CAN OF

[00:20:08]

>> SO I BELIEVE -- ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT FOR PONTE VEDRA NORTH?

>> YES. MY UNDERSTANDING AND I HAVE A VERY HIGH LEVEL UNDERSTANDING OF THIS, MY UNDERSTANDING, THERE'S A COUPLE OF OPTIONS CONSIDERED BUT NOTHING HAS ACTUALLY BEEN I GUESS WE'RE AT A POINT IN THE PROCESS AT THIS POINT WHERE WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY NAILED DOWN THE PARAMETERS OF A SPECIFIC PROJECT. THEY'RE STILL WORKING TO GET TO THAT POINT BUT THAT ONE OF THE OPTIONS IS SOMEWHERE AROUND THE $20 MILLION MARK AND SO IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT $10 MILLION WORTH OF BOND FUNDING, LET'S SAY, YOU PROBABLY NEED THE EQUIVALENT OF

A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. >> OKAY. THANK YOU.

>> THAT'S A ROUGH BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PAY INTEREST FOR BONDING BUT IT WOULD BE, FOR EVERY TEN

SYMPTOMS, YOU GET ABOUT $1 MILLION. >> THANKS.

>> OKAY. >> TERA, JUST TO CLARIFY THAT, WE DO NOT HAVE A PROJECT ON --

[INDISCERNIBLE] . >> THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING. >> WE DON'T EVEN HAVE, THE STUDY THEY'RE GOING THROUGH NOW IS TO SEE IF IT'S EVEN FEASIBLE WHICH MAY TAKE I THINK OVER A YEAR TO

GET TO. >> THANK YOU, BOTH. >> SO I DO HAVE ADDITIONAL -- I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS -- WE'LL CIRCLE BACK AROUND TO THIS BUT TO MAKE SURE THERE WASN'T ANY BIG QUESTIONS ON THIS BECAUSE I THINK AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT FEW SLIDES THEY ALL

KIND OF RELATE TO THIS SLIDE HERE. >> TERA, I HAVE A QUESTION.

I KNOW THE STATUTE PROVIDES FOR A 40 PERCENT NUMBER, I'LL READ YOU THE LANGUAGE.

TO BE SPENT TO THE PROMOTION AND ADVERTISEMENT OF TOURISM AS PROVIDED IN THIS SUBSECTION, SO

IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE'RE GOING TO GET TO 40 PERCENT. >> RIGHT.

>> I JUST -- I MISSED THE LAST MEETING AND I DID WATCH THE LAST MEETING, AND, REGINA, IF YOU CAN HELP ME, THE 40, 30, 30, ONLY APPLIED TO THE FIRST TWO CENTS, IS THE WAY THE HISTORY OF IT GOES. IF WE STUCK TO THE STATUTE, CATEGORY THREE SHOULD BE GETTING 30 PERCENT AND SO SHOULD CATEGORY TWO. SO THE FIRST TWO PENNIES IS THE

40, 30, 30. REGINA, IS THAT CORRECT? >> THAT'S CORRECT.

THE EFFORT PERCENT REPRESENTED IN THE ORDINANCE AND THE STATUTE, THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. THE ORDINANCE INITIALLY WHEN IT WAS ENACTED AND THAT WAS PART OF WHEN YOU'RE ESTABLISHING YOUR TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AT THE POINT YOU DO A REFERENDUM AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE GOING TO LEVY AND AGAIN REMEMBER THE STATUTES CHANGED OVER TIME AND SO THE 40, 30, 30 BREAKDOWN WAS RELATED AT THAT TIME WHEN THE ORDINANCE WAS ENACTED AND IT APPLIED TO THE FIRST TWO CENTS AND THE HISTORY, AND THIS IS A LITTLE MORE OF THE HISTORY, THAT WAS THE INITIAL LEVY, AND INITIALLY IT HAD THE SAME BREAKDOWN OF THE 40, 30, 30, AND THE NEXT ORDINANCE THAT CAME IN, AROUND '09, IS WHEN THE ALLOCATION OF THE FUNDING BEGAN

TO CHANGE. >> REGINA, I'M WONDERING, THIS PART OF THE STATUTE WAS JUST

RECENTLY PASSED, WAS IT NOT? >> THE 40 PERCENT THAT YOU'RE RELATING TO THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT WAS RECENTLY PASSED IS RELATED TO THE PUBLIC FACILITIES PORTION SO THERE'S SOME CERTAIN CRITERIA IN WHICH YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEW DRAFT, UNDERLINED, IF YOU IDENTIFY A PROJECT, THAT'S THE 40 PERCENT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS A REQUIREMENT.

[00:25:03]

WHEN WE GET TO THAT PORTION. >> SO I'M SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING YOU, IF WE GIVE MONEY TO PROJECTS, THEN WE'RE OBLIGATED TO -- TO INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, WE'RE OBLIGATED TO GET

NO LESS, RIGHT? >> ONE CLARIFICATION, THE THIRD CENT THAT CAME IN THAT WAS FOR MARKETING AND IT DIDN'T AFFECT -- I'M GOING BACK 35 YEARS HERE.

SO IT DIDN'T AFFECT CATEGORIES TWO AND THREE. THAT THIRD PENNY WAS FOR

CATEGORY ONE. >> TO CLARIFY, YOU TWO ARE HAVING TWO DIFFERENT

CONVERSATIONS. >> I UNDERSTAND. >> TROY IS TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORICAL BREAKDOWN OF HOW THE PROMOTION MONEY WAS SPENT FOR THE ALLOCATION OF THE FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD SET, AND WHAT MR. BERENBERG, IF I'M NOT CORRECT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MOVING FORWARD WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE AFRICAN-AMERICAN OR OTHER TYPES OF PROJECTS, WHAT

WILL BE REQUIRED IF YOU MOVE FORWARD. >> INVOKING THE 40 AT THAT

POINT. >> CORRECT. >> THE 40 PERCENT THOUGH ISN'T JUST CATEGORY ONE. SO 40 PERCENT IS PROMOTIONAL EXPENDITURES AND WE HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF EXPENDITURES ACROSS THE CATEGORY SO WE SHOULD EASILY MEET THE 40 PERCENT BECAUSE OR ORDINANCE DOESN'T NECESSARILY ALIGN DIRECTLY, I GUESS, IF YOU WILL, WITH THE STATUTES.

SO MANY OF THE EXPENDITURE IN CATEGORY TWO ARE CONSIDERED PROMOTIONAL EXPENDITURES AS

WELL. >> I DON'T THINK IT SAYS THAT IN THE STATUTE.

>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALLOCATION OF THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH PERCENT.

THE STATUTES PROVIDES FOR THE TOTAL COLLECTION, 40 PERCENT OF YOUR TOTAL COLLECTIONS NOT AN ALLOCATION, ALLOCATION, OF INDIVIDUAL PENNIES, AS WE'RE DISCUSSING HERE.

IT'S YOUR ENTIRE COLLECTION. IF YOU LOOKED AT OUR ENTIRE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL,

40 PERCENT MUST BE FOR MARKETING IF YOU'RE DOING-TYPE PROJECTS. >> OKAY.

I'M WITH YOU. >> TROY? >> I'M GOOD.

>> THANK YOU. >> TERRITORY. COULDN'T BE MORE. >> THAT'S RIGHT.

HOPEFULLY, AT LEAST TO MAKE WHAT WE'RE DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEAR, I DID COME UP WITH A COUPLE OF GRAPHS FOR EVERYONE. WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS THIS ATTEMPT TO PUT IN A DIFFERENT WAY WHAT WE JUST SAW IN THAT TABLE SO WHAT THIS SHOWS YOU IS THE ALLOCATION TO EACH CATEGORY OF THE PENNIES. SO WE HAVE THE PRE'19 REALLOCATION AMOUNT, IN BLUE, AND THEN AGAIN REMEMBERING THAT LAST TIME ONE OF THE MOTIONS FROM THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL WAS TO RESTORE THE ALLOCATIONS. YOU CAN SEE IN CATEGORY ONE THE BLUE WHICH IS 2019 AND THE GRAY. THE SAME IS TRUE FOR CATEGORY TWO.

WE KEPT CATEGORY FIVE THE SAME AND REALLY YOU SAW A SMALL INCREASE IN CATEGORY THREE, FROM THE BLUE TO THE GRAY, AND THE BIGGEST INCREASE IN CATEGORY FOUR FROM THE BLUE TO THE GRAY, AND THE ORANGE OF COURSE IS WHERE WE STAND IN REALITY HERE TODAY.

SAME INFORMATION, GRAPHED A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY. THIS IS THE PERCENT ALLOCATION.

SO LOOK AT THE TDP. WHEN YOU GO FROM FOUR-PENNYS TO FIVE, IT CHANGES THE PERCENTAGES BETWEEN THE TWO. I PUT THIS HERE ON A GRAPH SO IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGES OR INTERESTED YOU CAN SEE HERE. WHAT THIS DOES, WE DO SEE -- WE DID SEE HISTORICALLY A DURING IN CATEGORY ONE, THE PERCENTAGE OF THE PENNIES RECEIVED, AND GOING FORWARD TO THE GRAY THEY'LL SEE A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN PERCENTAGE EVEN THOUGH THEY'LL GO BACK TO THE 2191.8P MOUNT AND IT GOES FROM A TOTAL OF FOUR PENNIES TO HALVING A TOTAL OF FIVE PENNIES WHICH DEPRESSES THE PERCENTAGES. CATEGORY TWO, SAME THING, YOU SEE THAT IT WILL RECEIVE SLIGHTLY LESS WHEN THEY, OF A PERCENTAGE, WHEN THEY GET TO GRAY EVEN THOUGH THE PEN THEY IS RESTORED TO .6. FOR CATEGORY THREE, IT STAYED THE SAME, FROM PRE'19 TO THE

[00:30:03]

BIGGEST DECREASE IN PERCENTAGE. >> ALL RIGHT. AGAIN, SAME INFORMATION IN ANOTHER WAY. SO WHAT THIS LOOKS AT IS THIS LOOKS AT THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE ALLOCATIONS THAT WE HAVE IN THAT PRIOR TABLE SO IF YOU SWAPT FROM PENNIES TO DOLLARS, WHAT YOU SEE IS THAT PRE'19 REALLOCATION, CATEGORY ONE, 5.4 MILLION.

TWO, 1.8 MILLION. THREE, AGAIN, THE ADJUSTED CATEGORY THREE WITH KNOW BEACH EXPENDITURES RECEIVED ABOUT 600,000. CATEGORY FOUR, RECEIVING ABOUT 3 MILLION. CATEGORY FIVE, WHICH IS ADJUSTED AS WELL IS NOW ALL BEACH EXPENDITURES WAS ABOUT 1.2 MILLION WHICH TOTALED ABOUT 12 MILLION.

JUST AS A NOTE ACROSS THESE THREE ROWS I KEPT THE PENNY VALUATION THE SAME SO THAT AGAIN WE CAN COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES. FOR EACH ROW, I USED 3 MILLION. ONE PENNY WILL GENERATE $3 MILLION SO WE CAN GET A SENSE OF THE COMPARISON THROUGH TIME. IN THE CURRENT ALLOCATION, CATEGORY ONE, SLIGHTLY LESS THAN IT USED TO. IT ONLY RECEIVES ABOUT $5.4 MILLION. CATEGORY TWO, SAME THING, 1.8, TO 1.5.

THREE, HE SAME, 600,000. CATEGORY FOUR WENT DOWN FROM 3 MILLION TO 2.4.

FIVE, AGAIN, MODIFIED FOR BEACH ONLY WENT FROM 1.2, TO 3 MILLION WHEN THE PENNIES WERE REALLOCATED IN '19 AND THAT'S THE CURRENT MODEL WE OPERATE UNDER.

WITH THE SUGGESTED ALLOCATION THAT CAME FROM THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AT THE INDUSTRY OF THE LAST MEETING, GOING FORWARD WITH THE FIVE PENNIES, CATEGORY ONE, BACK UP TO ABOUT 1.8, EQUATING TO THE 5.4 MILLION. TWO, BACK TO THE .6 PENNIES WHICH BRINGS US BACK TO THE 1.8 HIM. THREE, UP BY .1P, BRINGING THEM FROM 600,000 TO 900,000, AND CATEGORY FOUR, AN INCREASE OF .5 PENNIES WHICH TAKES THAT CATEGORY FROM AN ANNUAL ALLOCATION OF 2.4 MILLION TO 3.9 MILLION AND THEN CATEGORY FIVE ALLOCATION WOULD STAY THE SAME AS ADJUSTED FOR THAT CONSOLIDATED BEACH EXPENDITURE AND STAY AT $3 MILLION. IN THE TOTAL LINE, THE JUMP FROM 12 MILLION TO 15 MILLION BECAUSE IT'S LEVYING THAT 5TH CENT. WE HAVE DONE WELL HISTORICALLY IN THIS COUNTY WITH TAX COLLECTION GROWTH. IT GROANS ABOUT 8 PERCENT A YEAR LOOKING BACK OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS. SO THIS WOULD BE GOING INTO FISCAL YEAR '22 PRESUMABLY AND WE'LL RECOVER FROM COVID AND THINGS WILL DO WELL AND IT WON'T BE AT 3 MILLION FOREVER.

HOPEFULLY IT GROWS AND DOESN'T SHRINK BUT THAT'S ALWAYS AN OPTION AS WELL.

>> I WAS ASKED BEFORE WE PICK UP THE DISCUSSION OF ALLOCATIONS JUST TO VISIT THE STRATEGIC PLAN. WE CAN MAKE SURE WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO THE BOARD OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ALIGNS WITH THE PLAN. IT WAS COMPLETED IN 2017 AND PROVIDED US WITH A VISION THAT SAID ST. JOHNS COUNTY IS THE PREMIER VACATION AND BUSINESS LEISURE DESIGNATION IN FLORIDA AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO BE.

THE RESULTS OF ACTIONS WAS TO GROW ANNUALLY BY 10 PERCENT. LIKE I SAID, LOOKING BACK OVER ABOUT THE LAST SIX YEARS IT'S BEEN ABOUT AN 8 PERCENT ANNUAL GROWTH WHICH IS GREAT.

WE'RE DOING MUCH BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA.

HOWEVER, WHY SETTLE FOR GREAT WHEN YOU CAN BE PHENOMENAL. WE WENT FOR TEN THEN.

THE STRATEGIC PLAN PUT US ON A MISSION WHICH IS TO STRENGTH AND GROW THE TOURISM SECTOR OF ST.

JOHNS COUNTY ECONOMIC BY CREATING AND MAINTAINING TESSA NATION AWARENESS THAT ATTRACTS VISITORS AND PROMOTING AND SUPPORTS DISTINCTIVE EXPERIENCES.

AND FACILITATING COUNTYWIDE TOURISM MANAGEMENT PLANNING. ALONG WITH THAT WE HAD A SET OF GOALS AND OUR GOALS ARE TO DIVERSIFY THE RANGE AND TYPE OF EXPERIENCES AVAILABLE TO VISITORS, MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF BRAND AWARENESS, PROMOTE AN EVER YOU A IMPROVING LEVEL OF VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND LEVERAGE TOURISM INVESTMENTS TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL ECONOMIC CONDITION OF THE COUNTY. I PUT TOGETHER A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR US TO CONSIDER AND I'LL GO THROUGH ALL THREE OF THEM EIGHT THEN I SUGGEST WE TAKE THEM UP ONE AT A TIME.

BUT THE FIRST ONE IS TO CONSIDER IF WE SHOULD SUGGEST ANY -- SHOULD WE ACCEPT THE SUGGESTED

[00:35:11]

SO THAT WAS WHAT WAS SUGGESTED IN THE PRIOR TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETINGS.

DO WE SELECT THOSE CHANGES OR MOVE FORWARD WITH MAKING A RECOMMENDATION FOR THOSE CHANGES TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. ASSUMING THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES, THE SECOND QUESTION IS DO WE WANT TO MAKE ANY ADDITIONAL CHANGES TO THE RECOMMENDED PLAN.

CERTAINLY EXPOUNDING UPON THE ADDITIONAL PIERS AND ADDING THOSE, THAT'S KIND OF A SCRIPT CHANGE. I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL CHANGE HERE. THIS WOULD BE MORE OF LIKE LARGE LEVEL CHANGE.

DO WE WANT TO ADD ANOTHER CATEGORY? DO WE WANT TO REORGANIZE THE CATEGORIES THAT WE HAVE BUT THINKING ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND DOES THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL HELP MEET OUR NEEDS. THE FINAL QUESTION IS HOW SHOULD WE ALLOCATE THE REVENUES FROM THAT 5TH CENT AND THIS IS THAT PRIOR TABLE, 5TH CENT, A COPY AND PASTE OF THE EARLIER TABLE YOU SAW BUT AGAIN THIS IS REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT WAS SUGGESTED LAST TIME. IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE BOTTOM ROW THERE IT SUMMARIZES THE IMPACT OF WHAT WE DID FOR ALLOCATING THE REVENUE FROM THAT 5TH CENT.

I'LL GO BACK TO THE FIRST QUESTION AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR PROVIDE ANY

INFORMATION IF NEED BE. >> JUST TO CLARIFY, EVERYTHING WE HAVE ON THIS MATCHES THE

STATE ALLOWABLE EXPENDITURES? >> YES. >> OKAY.

>> THIS SLIDE EARLIER WHERE -- EARLIER IN THE DECK, IS THIS THE SAME SLIDE?

>> IT IS. >> I THOUGHT I SAW IN CATEGORY ONE FOR DESTINATION MARKETING,

DID IT INCLUDE ALL OF THE MARKETING IN THE EARLIER SLIDE? >> THAT'S THE EARLIER VERSION.

>> NOPE. I WAS -- OKAY. THANK YOU.

>> SO WE DO HAVE -- BUT THAT TIES INTO I GUESS THE POINT THAT DANNEY WAS MAKING WAS THAT, AND THE STATUTE TALKS ABOUT THE 40 PERCENT CRITERIA FOR MEETING THAT PROMOTIONAL THRESH HOLD IN ORDER TO USE YOUR MONEY FOR OTHER THINGS. WE PAY FOR PROMOTIONAL EXPENDITURE OUT OF CATEGORIES ONE, TWO, THREE AND FOUR REALLY SO IT IS GETTING TO THAT 40 PERCENT, THAT'S NECESSARILY NOT AS SIMPLE AS LOOKING AT THE ALLOCATION TO ONE OF THE

CATEGORIES BECAUSE WE DO PAY FOR PROMOTIONS ACROSS CATEGORIES. >> OKAY.

THANK YOU. >> TERA, AS I READ THROUGH THE PROPOSED TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL WITH THE CHANGES, I CAME ACROSS, UNDER SPECIAL USES, THE AMPHITHEATER BOND.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS PAID OFF. HAS IT NOT BEEN PAID OFF? >> THE CONVENTION CENTER BOND WAS, BUT THE AMPHITHEATER BOND IS STILL COMING DUE FOR I THINK ANOTHER TEN YEARS OR SO.

>> IT'S THE CONVENTION CENTER I WAS THINKING OF. AND THAT IS PAID.

AND, AGAIN, DRILLING DOWN HERE A BIT AND UNDER THE STATE STATUTE WE'RE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR AN INDEPENDENT PROFESSIONAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL DEMONSTRATING THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. IS THERE ANY LIMITATIONS ON THAT BECAUSE AGAIN WE'RE GETTING INTO

STUDIES THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE FUNDED. >> SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE

PUBLIC FACILITIES LANGUAGE? >> YES. UNDER.

>> IT'S ON PAGE 2, AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE 2. >> YEAH.

>> THE BULLET IT BULLET E. PUBLIC FACILITIES, THIS IS LANGUAGE THAT WAS RECENTLY ADDED TO THE STATUTE BY THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE AND IT IS FOR PUBLIC FACILITIES PROJECTS, SO IT'S A

[00:40:04]

APPLICABLE AND PUT IT INTO OUR PLAN. >> SO WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO A STUDY EVERY TIME SOMEONE ASKS FOR THAT MONEY AND WE AGREE TO THAT MONEY SUBJECT TO A STUDY?

>> IF IT IS A PUBLIC FACILITIES PROJECT. >> THOSE THINGS LISTED WOULD BE

PUBLIC FACILITIES? >> RIGHT. >> THOSE ARE EXAMPLES, YEAH, IT'S NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST. THOSE ARE EXAMPLES THAT THE STATUTE PROVIDED FOR AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO KIND OF TRACK THIS THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE AND I CAN KIND OF GIVE YOU THE INTENT. THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY THAT IS COLLECTED FOR TOURIST DEVELOPMENT AND TOURIST PROMOTION AND TOURIST MARKETING ISN'T SIPHONED FROM THAT BUDGET AND USED TO SUPPLEMENT A GOVERNMENT'S TYPICAL BUDGET TO PROVIDE FOR ROADS AND SIDEWALKS AND PROJECTS. IT'S TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE OFFSETTING THE IMPACT OF TOURISM RATHER THAN SUPPLEMENTING YOUR BUDGET WHERE YOU PROVIDE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, WELFARE TYPE OF THINGS, SO YOU'LL SEE THAT IT'S PRETTY RIGOROUS.

IT'S PRETTY STRINGENT IF YOU'RE GOING TO FUND A PUBLIC FACILITIES PROJECT BUT THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IN FUNDING A PUBLIC FACILITIES PROBABLY IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE ADDRESSING A SPECIFIC NEED CAUSED BY THE IMPACT OF TOURISM RATHER THAN SUPPLEMENTING YOUR GENERAL REVENUE FUNDS TO PROVIDE FOR HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE SO IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE COMMENTS AS THE BILL WAS TRACKING THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF THOSE TYPES OF COMMENTS AND YOU'LL SEE KIND OF WHERE THE STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS WERE ADDED PARTICULARLY YOU TALKED ABOUT THE 40 PERCENT SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO FUND A PUBLIC FACILITIES PROJECT OUT OF YOUR TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL REVENUES, THERE'S THAT CAP WHERE IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S 40 PERCENT OF YOUR TOTAL COLLECTIONS ARE FOR PROMOTING MARKETING AND TOURISM AND YOUR ENTIRE BUDGET IS NOT BEING DIVERTED TO THESE TYPICAL

PUBLIC HEALTH SAFETY WELFARE CAPITAL-TYPE PROJECTS. >> WHAT I'M GETTING AT HERE,, REGINA, AND I THINK YOU KNOW, IF WE ACCEPT THIS LANGUAGE WHICH IS IN THE STATUTE, WE ARE ALSO ACCEPTING AN OBLIGATION TO DO STUDIES ON ALL OF THESE WITHOUT A SOURCE OF REVENUE ATTACHED AND IN ADDITION TO THAT THE STUDIES, WE DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE STUDIES WILL COST.

I'VE SAID BEFORE I THINK DOING STUDIES WITHOUT AN ASSOCIATED REVENUE SOURCE TO COVER THE COSTS, YOU KNOW, MICHAEL POINTED OUT BEFORE THAT THAT'S DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY COST BEFORE WE STUDY THEM BUT THAT'S A CONFUSION THAT I THINK WE'RE GETTING OURSELVES INTO HERE AND THE WAY OUT OF IT IS TO SAY WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THEM BUT I THINK THERE'S AN INTEREST OF DOING THEM. YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT THAT, ST. AUGUSTINE WAS SPEAKING ABOUT

THAT, BUT, AGAIN, MY HESITATION IS STUDIES WITHOUT AND SOURCES. >> I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND.

IT'S A VALID POINT. AGAIN, THE STATUTE, THE ADDITION TO DO THE STATUTE ARE NEW SO WE HAVEN'T SEEN A TEST CASE. YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE LANGUAGE WHERE IT DEFINES A CAPITAL PROJECT, FOR EXAMPLE, OR PUBLIC FACILITY AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT SPANS BEYOND THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF FIVE YEARS. HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO HAVE MY 40 PERCENT OF MY REVENUES DIVERTED? IS IT THAT FIVE-YEAR LIFESPAN OR IS IT SOME PERIOD OF TIME BEYOND THAT TIME, HOW AM I GOING TO HAVE TO DIVERT 40 PERCENT? AND THAT HASN'T BEEN ANSWERED.

IT'S A NEW CHANGE TO THE STATUTE. THERE'S NOT BEEN A TEST CASE FOR IT BUT HERE IN YOUR PLAN IT ALLOWS FOR THE PROJECT. IT MAKES IT PER MISS SIVE.

IT'S NOT AN OBLIGATION SO WHILE TE PLAN WILL ALLOW YOU TO DO A PUBLIC FACILITIES AND IT WILL GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO DO A PUBLIC FACILITIES PROJECT IT DOES NOT OBLIGATE YOU TO DO ANY SPECIFIC PROJECT AT THIS POINT. IT JUST IS SOMETHING THAT IS ALLOWED UNDER YOUR PLAN.

>> I HAD THE SAME HESITATION ABOUT THE 70 PERCENT FACTOR. IS THAT 70 IN THE FIRST YEAR OR 70 FOR FIVE? I'M DRAWN TO THE BEACH TREE NOURISHMENT MONEY THAT WE GAVE OUT, LIKE $2 MILLION, PAUL? AM I RIGHT? AND THAT HAD A TAIL ON THAT,

[00:45:07]

IT'S NOT CLEAR AND WE'RE ACCEPTING IT IF WE ACCEPT THIS. >> IF YOU ACCEPT THE CHANGE AS DRAFTED, AGAIN, IT MAKES UNDERTAKING ONE OF THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS PERMISSIBLE UNDER THE PLAN AS PROVIDED UNDER THE STATUTE. IT DOES NOT OBLIGATE YOU.

THIS WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM THE COUNCIL TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE TO PUT THIS TYPE OF LANGUAGE IN THE PLAN. SO, AGAIN, IT DOES MAKE IT PER MISS SIVE. IT DOES NOT OBLIGATE YOU TO -- ONCE YOU PASS THIS OR ONCE THIS GOES THROUGH IT DOES NOT OBLIGATE THE COUNSEL TO THEN PUT FORTH A PLAN OR PUT FORTH A PROJECT FOR A PUBLIC FACILITY BUT IT DOES ALLOW YOU THE ABILITY TO DO SO UNDER THE PLAN.

>> IF WE APPROVE THIS, THE BCC HAS TO ALSO REVIEW IT AND APPROVE IT.

>> OF COURSE. THIS IS GOING TO BE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COUNCIL TO THE OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. THE RECOMMENDATION CAN GO MULTIPLE NUMBER OF WAYS. YOU'VE SEEN THAT BEFORE. THE COUNCIL CAN, THEY CAN ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION IN FULL, ACCEPT IT IN PART AND REJECT IT IN PART OR JUST REJECT IT ENTIRELY SO THIS IS YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND AGAIN UNDER THE STATUTE HIS OBLIGATION OF THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL TO DO THE INITIAL REVIEW OF THIS PLAN, MAKE SUGGESTIONS TO THIS PLAN, CONDUCT A FACT FINDING AND THEN MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF THE COUNTY

COMMISSIONERS. >> THANK YOU. >> ONE COMMENT, TERA.

WITH THE AMPHITHEATER DEBT SERVICE, WHAT WAS THE CONVERSATION WHERE THAT COULD HAVE FALLEN UNDER CATEGORY TWO OR FOUR? HOW DID IT LAND IN CATEGORY FOUR? I'M OKAY WITH IT IN BOTH. I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND OUT THE RASH SCHNALL OF HOW IT -- RATIONALE OF HOW IT ENDED UP. CHECK CHECK.

>> IT'S BEEN IN CATEGORY FOUR FOR A LONG TIME. >> SINCE WE DID THE 4TH PENNY.

>> THAT'S RIGHT. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE INITIAL DISCUSSION WAS.

THE EDIT WAS RESTATING IT AND EXPANDING UPON IT AND KEEPING IT IN THE SAME LOCATION SO TECHNICALLY IT COULD GO IN CATEGORY TWO. I DO NOT KNOW WHY IT WAS

ORIGINALLY CHOSEN TO GO THERE. >> THE 4TH CENT WAS ATTACHED WHERE YOU WERE GETTING STRANGLE HOLD, TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AMPHITHEATER. JUST TO BE CLEAR, ALL WE'RE VOTING ON NOW IS JUST THE ALLOWABLE USES. THE OTHER STAFF, DANNEY, WOULD COME OUT IN A BUDGET-TYPE

SITUATION. >> YES. TROY, I UNDERSTAND THAT.

MY CONCERN IS, AGAIN, SIMPLY WHAT I KEEP REITERATING. IF WE CAN ATTACH A REVENUE HERE, A REVENUE SOURCE, I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR IT BUT I CAN'T VOTE FOR STUDIES THAT I DON'T KNOW.

>> THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING. THIS IS JUST ALLOWABLE USE. THEY'RE NOT SAYING THEY HAVE A STUDY NOW. THAT JUST ALLOWS YOU TO SPEND IT WHEN THAT STUDY COMES UP.

>> IT ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE ANOTHER STUDY WITHOUT A REVENUE SOURCE. >> MR. CHAIR, I DO WANT TO CLARIFY, AND YOU'VE KIND OF TOUCHED ON SOMETHING MR. BLEVINS BROUGHT OUT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PLAN YOU'LL SEE LIKE THERE'S AN ITEM, IT CAN FALL IN MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY.

THE WAY THE PLAN IS SET UP IS THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO DESIGNATE THIS FUNDING COMES FROM BUT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT ONE ACTIVITY, ONE PROJECT, ONE EVENT CAN STRADDLE MORE THAN ONE, COME FROM MULTIPLE CATEGORIES TO FUND THE PROJECT. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE PLAN, IT IS A FLUID PLAN. IT DOES ALLOW, AND, AGAIN, IT'S PER MISS SIVE.

IT ALLOWS FOR OTHER THAN THINGS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY STATED, YOU CAN SOMETIMES LOOK LIKE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROMOTIONS, AND TERA EXPLAINED, PROMOTION FALLS UNDER MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY.

IT FALLS IN MORE THAN ONE DEFINITION. NIGHTS OF LIGHT IS AN EVENT IS A COMBINATION OF FUNDING EVENTS AS WELL AS PROMOTIONS. ALTHOUGH IT'S FUNDED OUT OF CATEGORY FOUR, THERE'S THE ABILITY FOR PROMOTIONAL AND MARKETING MONEY TO BE DIVERTED FROM ANOTHER TO FUND THAT PROJECT OR EVENT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PLAN, KIND

[00:50:06]

WITHIN THE DEFINITION. >> THANK YOU. DIANE.

>> SO TOWARD THAT END BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THE LADY IN THE CIRCUS RIDINGTWO HORSES, THE CATEGORY HORSES, TRYING TO STAY WED TO WHAT IS ON THE SCREEN AND THEN THE OTHER FOOT ON THE OTHER HORSE WHICH IS THE ALLOCATIONS WHICH IS WILLY-NILLY. IT'S NOT WILLY-NILLY.

IT'S VERY THOUGHTFUL BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR I THINK TO -- IT COULD BE PERHAPS CLEARER.

SO TO THAT POINT I JUST HAVE ONE OTHER GRAPH THAT I'M HANDING OUT ONLY FOR THE PURPOSES OF FUTURE

THOUGHT. >> YOU'RE DOING YOUR HOMEWORK. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE GOT TO READ THAT ASHEVILLE PLAN BUT I KIND OF LOVED THE OVERARCHING AIMS AND WE HAVE THEM IN OUR PLAN, TOO, AND SO THE THOSE AIMS IN OUR PLAN ON THAT FIRST PAGE ARE MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF BRAND AWARENESS AND I PILED UP EVERYTHING THAT COMES UNDER THAT, DIVERSIFY THE RANGE AND TYPES OF EXPERIENCES AVAILABLE TO VISITORS AND I KIND OF PILED UP EVERYTHING UNDER THAT AND THEN IN THE NEXT IT WAS THE NOTION OF ADMINISTRATION AND SPECIAL USES, AND I TRIED TO KIND OF REALLOCATE WHAT THEY WERE AND THEN BEACHES. AGAIN, THIS MADE IT CLEARER TO ME AND I THINK IT WOULD MAKE IT MORE CLEAR TO EVERY ONE OF OUR OVERARCHING TOURISM, RESPONSIBLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND I THINK IT MEANS THESE BOXES AT THE TOP OF THAT U WE MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF BRAND AWARENESS AND DIVERSIFY AND BY THAT MAINTAINING A HIGH LEVEL OF BRAND AWARENESS, I WAS PAUSE THAT WE COORDINATE PROMOTION AND MESSAGING AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE ALL PROMOTION. IT MAKES SENSE WE'RE ALL SINGING FROM THE SAME HYMN WHEN IT COMES TO PROMOTING THIS, WHETHER IT'S CULTURAL OFFICE OR TERA, YOUR OFFICE AND SPECIAL EVENTS AND WHAT RICHARD IS DOING. WE'RE NOT LEANING REAL HARD.

IT'S JUST SOME COORDINATED PROMOTION MESSAGING, A BRAND STRATEGY.

THE SECOND GROUP UNDER THE ORANGE IS DIVERSIFYING THE RANGE AND TYPES OF EXPERIENCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO VISITORS AND I WOULD SAY IT'S COLLECTIVELY EMBRACING IDEAS ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES WE WANT TO OFFER TO VISITORS THAT WOULD ALSO BE VALUED BY RESIDENTS AND UNDER THAT I HAVE ARTS, CULTURE, HERITAGE, PLACES AND EXPERIENCES.

THE PLACES, THE OFFERINGS THERE, AND SO THE CULTURAL COUNCIL AND THE GRANTS, SING OUT LOUD, NIGHT OF LIGHTS, ALL OF THOSE EVENTS, AND REGINA, WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, GOING TO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. WOULDN'T IT BE NEATER IF WE COULD JUST KIND OF HAVE THE SEGMENTED CATEGORIES AND I WOULD INCLUDE THE RANGE AND TYPES OF EXPERIENCES AVAILABLE TO VISITORS, ALSO TO INCLUDE ALL THE GOOD THINGS, THE FISHING AND THE GOLF AND THE SPORTS, THAT WILL THAT WOULD KIND OF GO IN THAT CATEGORY. NEXT, ADMINISTRATIVE AND SPECIAL USES, MANAGEMENT OF ALL OF THIS. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE CONTRACTS THAT GOES OUT BUT TERA'S OFFICE REALLY OVERSEES AND AWARDS THOSE CONTRACTS. THEY'RE NOT INDEPENDENT OF WHAT TERA AND THAT OFFICE DOES AS THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. THE LAST CATEGORY, THE BEACHES WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT, MAINTAINING THEM, THE RENOURISHING AND THE PIER AND BEACH AND AMENITIES BUT IT'S KIND OF A PROPOSAL TO MAYBE MERGE OUR CATEGORIES WITH OUR PLAN SO THAT EVENTUALLY WE GET TO THE SECOND PAGE, A VERY COULD SAY TO OUR RESIDENTS, THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IS REALLY LOOKING CLOSELY AT RESPONSIBILITY TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND WE ARE IMAGINING WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN FIVE YEARS, WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN TEN YEARS WHERE WE HAVE GOOD BRAND AWARENESS AND PHENOMENAL VISITOR EXPERIENCES AND WE HAVE BEACHES AND OUR RESIDENTS WOULD LOVE THIS AS MUCH AS OUR TOURISM PARTNERS SO THAT'S THE KIND OF THINKING THAT I HOPE WE CAN MOVE TOWARDS. I HAVE ONE MORE MEETING LEFT IN THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND I JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS OUT THERE AS A BIGGER -- AND MAYBE IT WAS THE ASHEVILLE PLAN THAT HELPED ME THINK A LITTLE BIT MORE HOLISTICALLY, BUT THE ASHEVILLE PLAN, THERE'S A WONDERFUL LITTLE THING AND IT SAYS THAT THE TOURISM GOALS ALIGN WITH COMMUNITY GOALS AND SO WE MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE BOARD OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO SUPPORT DIRECTIONS WE'RE GOING AND ALIGNS WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING IN

[00:55:13]

CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE. >> DIANE, THANK YOU. DIANE, ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT THESE CATEGORIES SUPERSEDE THOSE THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY TALKING ABOUT?

>> THIS CAN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. IT'S A PROCESS THAT NEEDS TO EVOLVE AND IT'S UP TO THIS GROUP AND IT'S UP TO THE COMMUNITY HOW THEY WOULD WANT TO PROCEED. THIS IS ABOUT A STRATEGIC PLAN TOWARD A SHARED, EMBRACED VISION. YOU CAN GO HOWEVER FAST OR SLOW

YOU WANT TO GO, BUT WOULDN'T THAT BE SOMETHING. >> DIANE, THANK YOU.

TERA? >> SO I GUESS IF THERE'S A DESIRE OR INTEREST OF THIS BOARD TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, CIRCLING BACK TO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT THE MOMENT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT 5TH CENT, HOWEVER, THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, WHAT YOU ALL HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DO IS TO PERIODICALLY ASSESS OUR PLAN AND TO SUGGEST MODIFICATIONS AND UPDATES TO IT TO BEST MEET OUR NEEDS AS WE MOVE AND GROW AND CHANGE, AND SO CERTAINLY I WOULD THINK IF THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN MAKING SOME SHIFTS IN HOW WE VIEW THINGS THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING WE'RE NOT GOING TO BUTTON UP HERE TODAY BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT -- I GUESS THE MESSAGE HERE IS THAT WHATEVER YOU DO TODAY IT'S NOT ONE AND DONE, SO WE CAN COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS AND WE CAN BRAIN STORM AND WE CAN HAVE ACTIVITIES THAT HELP US SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE ORGANIZE THINGS AND WHAT IF WE DID IT DIFFERENTLY AND WHAT ARE OUR GOALS AND DOES THAT MAKE SENSE. WE CAN START LOOKING AT THAT STUFF AGAIN. WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.

>> IF TODAY, ARE WE VOTING ON THE PERCENTAGES? SO THIS OTHER GRAPH THAT I SHOWED, THE FIRST ONE, IF WE'RE VOTING ON PERCENTAGES I GUESS THE QUESTION I ASK MYSELF AND THE QUESTION THAT I WOULD ASK OF MY COLLEAGUES IS THE APPROPRIATION OF THAT FAR RIGHT COLUMN, IS THIS A DIRECTION WE'RE -- THAT WE WANT TO PROCEED IN? AND I'M LOOKING AT THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE WHICH IS 18 PERCENT AND I THINK OF VALDEZ TALKING ABOUT THE HERITAGE AND HISTORY OF ST. AUGUSTINE LAST MEETING. ARE WE COMFORTABLE WITH THESE

PERCENTAGES? >> THERE'S NOT A -- I THINK THAT WOULD BE DONE THROUGH A MOTION, CORRECT? AND WE WOULD HAVE TO -- I THINK WE'VE GOT TO GET TO PUBLIC

COMMENT AND THEN WE CAN -- INIT COMES TO THAT POINT. >> RIGHT.

SO BACK OVER TO THE PARKWAY, SO KIND OF LOOKING AT THIS IN TERMS OF THESE THREE QUESTIONS AGAIN.

QUESTION ONE, SHOULD THE SUGGESTED TOURIST DEVELOPMENT PLANS CHANGE.

I'LL ASSUME THE ANSWER IS YES BECAUSE THERE'S SUGGESTED CHANGES OUT OF YOU.

I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBOD SAID, WAIT. HOLD ON.

I DON'T LIKE THAT WILL. THERE'S CONCERNS ABOUT PUBLIC FACILITIES, SPECIFIC LANGUAGE, HOWEVER I'M JUST GOING TO SAY AS SLIDE ONE, QUESTION ONE HERE, THE ANSWER IS, YES, IF YOU ALL SO CHOOSE TO MOVE. THAT TAKES US TO QUESTION TWO. SHOULD THERE BE ADDITIONAL CHANGES RECOMMENDED TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THE ANSWER IS MAYBE. SO FOR THIS WE HAVE TWO WAYS.

THE FIRST, IF THEY'RE SMALL-SCALE CHANGES WE CAN ADD BULLETS TO HERE AND WE CAN MOVE THINGS AROUND AND IF THEY'RE LARGE-SCALE, I SUGGEST WE HAVE DISCUSSION TO BRAIN STORM WHAT THOSE ARE AND THEN THIS BOARD WOULD PROVIDE ME WITH SOME SORT OF FEEDBACK OR INPUT OR DIRECTION TO GO AND MOVE FORTH AND TO CREATE YOU GUYS A SUBSEQUENT SET OF DEFINITIONS OR A SUBSEQUENT PLAN OR MAYBE A FEW OPTIONS TO BRING THEM BACK FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

[01:00:01]

I THINK THOSE ARE YOUR OPTIONS, THE EXISTING PLAN CHANGES, YES OR NO. DO WE NEED ADDITIONAL PLAN CHANGES, YES OR NO. IF YES, ARE THEY SMALL CHANGES OR ARE THEY BIG CHANGES.

IN LIGHT OF WHAT WE THINK THAT IS, ARE WE COMFORTABLE MAKING AN ALLOCATION RECOMMENDATION TODAY

OR DO WE NEED ADDITIONAL TIME. >> -- [INDISCERNIBLE] . >> THIS ONE?

>> IT'S DIFFERENT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PERCENTAGES, PSYCHOLOGICALLY WHEN YOU TALK

ABOUT PERCENTAGES VERSUS ACTUAL DOLLARS. >> ARE WE GOING TO TAKE PUBLIC

COMMENT AND DO DISCUSSION? >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> TERA, ANYTHING ELSE?

>> I'M GOOD. >> ALL RIGHT. I THINK WE ARE READY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE DO HAVE ONE ON THE LINE FIRST I BELIEVE.

>> MY NAME IS KEVIN MCKLAIN, PO BOX 912, FLORIDA, AND I WOULD LIKE TO.COMMENTS ABOUT THIS. I WOULD LIKE FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO CONSIDER NOT APPROVING THIS BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S NOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH TOURIST DEVELOPMENT.

IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ARTS AND CULTURE AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO BE LONG-TIME SERVICING OF THESE PROJECTS. THOSE SHOULD BE IN CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, OR OTHER USE. BUT BEACH TREE NOURISHMENT AND FOR THEM TO SPEND MONEY AND ALLOCATE IT THE WAY THEY WANT TO, I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD CHOICE.

I THINK THAT THE RESOURCES COULD BE SPENT A LOT BETTER AND THE DIVERSITY OF THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE MUSEUM, DOWNTOWN, AND SOME OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CAN BE EXPOSED IN ITS TRUE FORM.

COMMISSIONERS, I STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO PLEASE TABLE THIS, -- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY NOR THE TOURISTS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOU HAVE A BLESSED DAY. >> THANK YOU.

>> . >> PUBLIC COMMENT? >> .

>> ONCE, AGAIN, I'M REGINA PHILLIPS, HERE ON BEHALF OF THE LINCOLN MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER. IN SUPPORT ACTUALLY OF THE ART, CULTURE AND HERITAGE PART OF THIS AND I PREPARED JUST A COUPLE OF REMARKS I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY IS ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND HAS ONE OF THE RICHEST AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE STORIES IN THE NATION. NO OTHER PLACE CAN BOTH 455 PLUS YEARS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESENCE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO ITS DEVELOPMENT, EVERY ASPECT OF

[01:05:17]

MANY ARE PART OF THE HERITAGE OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY. THERE'S A DOCUMENTARY THAT'S CALLED AMERICA'S UNTOLD STORY WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF SPANISH, AFRICANS, ITALIANS, GERMANS, IRISH, AND CONVERTED JEWS WHO INTEGRATED WITH THE INDIGENOUS TRIBES OF THIS AREA AND FORMED A BLENDED SOCIETY. THIS IS THE TRUE STORY OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY THAT NOT ONLY HAS ESCAPED THE TEXTBOOKS THAT OUR STUDENTS READ BUT IT'S MOSTLY IGNORED IN OUR LOCAL TOURISM HERITAGE AS WELL. I KNOW CHRISTINA IS DOING A LOT BUT WHEN WILL THERE BE A FOCUS ON MAKING THIS STORY INCLUSIVE AND DIVERSE AS IT WAS FROM THE BEGINNING? THE LINCOLN MUSEUM AND CULTURE CENTER TELLS PLEASE STORIES AND MUCH MORE BUT FALLS SHORT OF RECEIVING REAL PUBLIC SUPPORT TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE HISTORY. BEFORE TOO LONG THE COUNTY HAS IGNORED THE GLORIOUS AND DIVERSE PASS. THE TRUTH IS THAT MANY TOURISTS WANT TO HEAR THEIR EXPERIENCE. THEY WANT TO HEAR AND EXPERIENCE THE TOTALITY OF OUR HERITAGE WHEN THEY COME HERE. IT WAS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT HISTORY IS THE NUMBER TWO REASON PEOPLE COME FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO ST. JOHNS COUNTY, AND STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THEY'LL MAKE SPECIFIC PLANS TO INCLUDE A TOUR AND A PLANNED VISIT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PROMOTE THAT HISTORY AND CULTURE THAT ENHANCE THE LARGER TOURISM PICTURE IN ST. AUGUSTINE? I CAN TELL YOU ONE LITTLE THING THAT WE'VE DONE WHICH IS TO CREATE A WEBSITE OF HISTORY AND AN INITIATIVE THAT'S CALLED THE RESILIENCE AND WE HAVE NO FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT WHATSOEVER. THAT'S NOT A MUSEUM PROJECT BUT A COLLABORATION OF OVER TEN INSTITUTIONS IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE'VE GENERATED PROGRAMS THAT OUR HISTORICAL AND DIVERSE WITH ARTS, CULTURE AND USING LITTLE TO NO RESOURCES. HOW MUCH MORE INTEREST WILL WE IF THIS COUNTY PROMOTED AND SUPPORTED AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY LIKE IT DOES OTHER THINGS THAT ARE PURELY ENTERTAINMENT. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. >> B. J. KALAIDI.

CITY AND COUNTY. BEFORE THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE IS GIVEN 1.5 MILLION TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL DOLLARS FROM THE 5TH CENT CITY TAXPAYERS AND THIS COUNCIL SHOULD HAVE IN WRITING HOW THE PROPOSED BOND WILL BE USED WITH THE $1.5 MILLION.

THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL DOLLARS SHOULD NOT BE USED TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE. THIS MR. DANNEY, I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE, BUT YOUR QUESTIONS ARE GOOD. STUDY WITHOUT REVENUE IS NOT GOOD.

SINCE 2016 THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE HAS BEEN PAYING WITH TAX DOLLARS TO LEASE PROPERTY AT THE NORTH INTERSECTION OF U.S. 1 AND KING STREET KNOWN AS THE BROWDY PROPERTY.

THE CITY HAS BEEN PAYING CONSULTANTS TO DEVELOP MOBILITY TRANSPORTATION PLAN.

THEY ARE TO DEVELOP A MOBILITY FEE OVER THE YEARS TO PAY FOR IMPACT TO ROADS AND THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE HAS LED TO THE PRESENT SITUATION. LAND ACQUISITION, NORTHWEST INTERSECTION UNITED STATES 1 AND KING STREET IS ALSO PLANNED FOR MOVING THE ST. AUGUSTINE POLICE STATION. THERE'S A LETTER THAT WILL I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE SEEN OR THAT YOU'LL SEE. IT WAS DATED APRIL 6TH, 2021 TO THE BCC CHAIR.

IT DID NOT INCLUDE FACTS ABOUT A BOND WHICH WAS DISCUSSED AT A MEETING.

IT'S NOT FOR THE TOURIST PEOPLE COMING HERE OR EVEN PLANNING ON COMING HERE AND WHILE THE CITY UNDERSTANDS AND SUPPORTS THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT FOR ADVERTISING, WE FACE UNIQUE

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IT'S NOT ON THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE POWERS THAT BE HAVE FAILED TO PUT THE MOBILITY FEE IN LIKE YOU HAVE AN IMPACT FEE FOR THE COUNTY ROADS.

SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DO ABOUT THIS 5TH CENT AND ABOUT TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE. I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS COUNCIL IS ABOUT AND IT'S HARD WHENEVER THE LEGISLATURE TELLS YOU ONE THING AND THEN YOU ALL HAVE TO GRAPPLE WITH IT AND APPLY IT TO THIS AREA. THINK HARD ON THAT. I APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION AND MS. TERA AND THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL AND THE DRAFTS YOU BROUGHT AND THE PICTURES.

IT HELPS ME AS A TAXPAYER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE RESIDENTS

AND THE TOURISTS. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

>> HI. MY NAME IS TOM MITCHELL AND I LIVE IN ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH.

I'M HERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SAINT SIPPREEN EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN LINCOLNVILLE AND SOME COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE HERE. WE STARTED OUR RACIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE AS A BOOK CLUB BECAUSE WE REALIZED THAT SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR CHURCH HAD NO IDEA OF THE BLACK HISTORY EVEN OF THE CHURCH THAT WE'RE MEMBERS OF. THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT THE CHURCH WAS ONCE THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR WAS PART OF THE GREEN BOOK, HAD NO IDEA OF A LOT OF THE CULTURAL HISTORY, THE BLACK HISTORY, SO WE'RE HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT THE YOUNG LADY THAT PRECEDED US IN THE SUPPORT OF BLACK HISTORY INITIATIVE FOR THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S A WHOLE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WE CAN BRING INTO THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A HISPANIC COMMUNITY THAT COMES TO SEE THE HISTORY OF THE SPANISH IN ST. AUGUSTINE, BUT WE ALSO THINK WITH THE RIGHT MOVEMENT BY THIS COUNCIL BRING A WHOLE COMMITTEE, A WHOLE GROUP OF PEOPLE TO STUDY THE BLACK HISTORY FROM RAY CHARLES AT THE SCHOOL OF THE DEAF AND BLIND, THE LINCOLNVILLE MUSEUM, THE ACCORD MUSEUM, BUT THEY ARE OUTCROPPINGS THAT WE THINK CAN BE MADE TOGETHER.

I REMARKED WE HAVE A GHOST TOUR. WE RECOGNIZE THE HISTORY OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF ST. AUGUSTINE BUT WE'RE NOT DOING A GREAT JOB IN RECOGNIZING THE BLACK HISTORY OF ST. AUGUSTINE.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT AT OUR CHURCH, WE'RE PLANNING TO EMPHASIZE AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN OUR MISSION STATEMENT OF EDUCATING AND COMMUNITY INDICATING BLACK HISTORY AND THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH IN BLACK HISTORY IN ST. AUGUSTINE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. >> THANK YOU.

>> IS THERE MORE PUBLIC COMMENT? >> FOR THE RECORD I'M CHRISTINA PARISH STONE WITH THE ST. JOHNS CULTURAL COUNCIL. I WASN'T GOING TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT BUT THE COMMENTS WE'VE JUST HEARD INCLUDE SOME THINGS I FEEL WE NEED TO RESPOND TO.

FIRST OF ALL AS ALL OF YOU ON THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ARE AWARE WHO WERE HERE AND SAW OUR PRESENTATION ABOUT OUR NEW THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN LAST MONTH, ONE OF THE PILLARS OF THE CULTURAL COUNCIL'S MARKETING PLAN GOING FORWARD IS AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY. SO WE ARE ALREADY WORKING ON CREATING NEW MATERIALS.

WE'VE REACHED OUT TO FOLKS LIKE THE LINCOLNVILLE MUSEUM, ACCORD, AND THE RESILIENCE GROUP TO INVOLVE ALL GROUPS AND HELPING US MOVE FORWARD TO BETTER MARKET ALL OF THE WONDERFUL CULTURAL ASSETS WE HAVE HERE THAT RELATE TO BLACK HISTORY SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS AWARE INCLUDING THE FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT THE CULTURAL COUNCIL OR THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'RE IGNORING. I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE GRANT

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YOU'LL REMEMBER PERHAPS THE BUDGET THAT WE PREMATURELY PRESENTED LAST MONTH INCLUDED A VERY SMALL LINE ITEM TO DO HISTORIC PRESERVATION MATCHING GRANTS SO JUST $50,000, AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO THE COMMUNITY IF THOSE MATCHES WERE AVAILABLE SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'D LIKE FOR ALL OF YOU TO THINK ABOUT AS YOU'RE ADDRESSING THESE CATEGORIES AND THEN IN A FEW MONTHS WHEN YOU APPROVE THAT FINAL BUDGET.

THE FINAL THING I WANTED TO MENTION AND I'M HAPPY TO TALK TO ANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY AT ANY TIME ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS AND WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.

WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE THAT'S GOING TOWARDS DESTINATION MARKETING AND I DID WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE ARTS CULTURE AND HERITAGE INCLUDES FUNDING OTHER THAN THE CULTURAL COUNCIL SO A BIG PORTION OF THAT 1.5 MILLION YOU SEE THERE DOES NOT COME TO US BUT A VERY LARGE PART OF OUR PORTION IS SPENT ON MARKETING AND AS YOU ALL KNOW IT'S PART OF THE GRANT PROGRAM THAT THE GRANTEES ALSO HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON MARKETING. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. >> MR. CHAIRMAN?

MAY I SPEAK? >> VICE MAYOR. >> YES.

>> THANK YOU. I HAD A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS. I WANTED TO ADDRESS DANNEY'S CONCERNS ABOUT THE STUDIES. THIS IS A STATUTORY, MY UNDERSTANDING, AND CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG, THIS IS A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT BY THE STATE. SOMETIMES STRINGS ARE ATTACHED WHEN YOU'RE DOING SOMETIMES NEW GROUND-BREAKING THINGS. I THINK THAT'S THE STRINGS THEY WANTED TO ATTACH. I DO ALL AGREE WITH YOU THAT IT'S AN UNFUNDED MANDATE.

THOSE WERE NORMAL -- THOSE ARE STANDARD, I'M SORRY TO LAUGH ABOUT IT, BUT THAT IS THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE IN THEIR INFINITE WISDOM. HOWEVER, MY POINT WOULD BE THAT THERE'S NOTHING TO PREVENT US FROM BUILDING IN OUR BUDGET OF STUDY CATEGORY FOR FUTURE PUBLIC FACILITIES IN THE CASES THAT WE WOULD WANT TO BUILD OR CONSTRUCT OR OTHER LANGUAGE THAT WE HAVE IN THE ORDINANCE. IT'S A LONG LIST OF THINGS. THAT WOULD BE MY COMMENT ON YOUR OBJECTIONS TO THE ORDINANCE REWRITE THAT'S BEFORE US. TO ME THIS IS THE GUTS OF THE MATTER. THIS IS WHERE THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD AND THIS IS THE THING THAT WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO AND GET RIGHT AS WHAT WE SEND TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I THINK THAT STAFF DID EXACTLY WHAT WE ASKED THEM TO DO AND I APPRECIATE THOSE EFFORTS. I KNOW A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO TRYING TO CLARIFY FOR US BECAUSE CERTAINLY I HAD A LOT OF MOMENTS OF CONFUSION AT THE LAST MEETING BUT I THINK THAT YOU DID A GREAT JOB OF CLARIFYING WHAT IT IS. I THINK IT'S MY OPINION -- MY OPINION IS WE'RE BEING ASKED A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, SO MY ANSWER ARE YES, YES, YES, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S A GOOD FRAMEWORK TO START WITH. I THINK WE'VE KIND OF CLEANED UP THE CATEGORIES WHICH IS MORE THAN ANYONE COULD HOPE FOR. I THINK THE BCC WILL APPRECIATE THAT WILL WORK AND I THINK THAT

[01:20:04]

I'M JUSTING UP A LITTLE BIT AHEAD BUT TO YOUR QUESTION -- TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, AND I'M PREPARED TO MAKE A MOTION SO WE CAN BEGIN DEBATE. WHAT KIND OF MOTION ARE YOU LOOKING SPECIFICALLY FOR TO MOVE THIS ORDINANCE AND THIS FUNDING ALLOCATION TABLE TO THE BCC?

>> THE FIRST QUESTION IS: SHOULD SUGGESTED CHANGES THAT WE BROUGHT BEFORE YOU ALL BE

RECOMMENDED TODAY, SO YOUR FIRST MOTION PRESUMABLY. >> YOU WANT TO DO IT THAT WAY? I MOVE THAT WE PRESENT -- WE RECOMMEND THESE CHANGES AS PRESENTED TO THE BCC.

>> JUST TO CLARIFY, RECOMMEND THAT CHANGES TO THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT PLAN BE PRESENTED TO

THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. >> THAT'S MY MOTION.

>> I'LL SECOND THAT AND MOVE TO DISCUSSION. >> VICE CHAIR .

>> FIRST OF ALL, I REITERATE WHAT YOU SAID REGARDING THE WORK DONE BY COUNTY STAFF.

OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME COMPLEXITY IN EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED HERE NOW FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS BUT I THINK THAT TERA HAS DONE A GREAT JOB AND AND STAFF HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF MAKING IT UNDERSTANDABLE AND, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING THAT WE WERE ASKED WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER WE THOUGHT THAT THE 5TH CENT WAS NECESSARY AND WE'VE MADE I THINK IT WAS A UNANIMOUS DECISION TO SEND THAT TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THAT WE THOUGHT THE 5TH CENT WAS NECESSARY AND SO THEN IT COMES DOWN TO REDOING THE CATEGORIES AND I THINK THAT ALL OF THAT MAKES COMPLETE SENSE TO ME SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT AND THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE. I THINK IT SIMPLIFIES THINGS A LITTLE BIT AND MAKES IT UNDERSTANDABLE. AS WE MOVE FORWARD WE'LL HAVE MORE COMMENT ON THE QUESTIONS TWO AND THREE. BUT ON QUESTION NUMBER ONE I DEFINITELY THINK THE CHANGE THAT WERE MADE ARE APPROPRIATE AND ARE BENEFICIAL IN HELPING

SIMPLIFY IT AND MORE UNDERSTANDABLE. >> SO OF THESE CATEGORIES DO WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM EACH OF THE CATEGORIES? I SEE THE FIRST TWO.

I THINK WE HAVE THREE HERE ALSO. THEN FOUR. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO GIVE ME A HEAD NOD IF THEY'RE OKAY WITH THE WAY THESE ARE WRITTEN RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS ALLOWABLE USE.

>> CATEGORY ONE AND TWO HAVE REMAINED UNCHANGED. AS FAR AS I KNOW THE TWO STAKEHOLDER GROUPS HAVE BEEN AND CONTINUE TO BE OKAY WITH THAT DEFINITION.

CATEGORY THREE IS AN INTERNAL CATEGORY. THE COUNTY SPENDS THAT THROUGH COUNTY STAFF WITH THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT OR THROUGH THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT PROGRAM AND I HAVE TALKED TO PARKS AND REC STAFF AND THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT IT.

IT'S REALLY JUST SHIFTING, WHERE WE PULL THE FUNDS FROM, AND NOW CHANGING THE ALLOWABLE ALLOCATION. IT'S REALLY KIND OF MAYBE A CLEANING UP OF THE DECK, IF YOU

WILL, STRAIGHTENING OF THE DECK. >> CATEGORY TWO, BECAUSE I'M VOTING FOR YOU GUYS IS WHY I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO DO KNOW THEY'RE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO HANDLE IT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT STRANGLE HOLDING THEM TO SOMETHING THAT IS A LIMITATION. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. PAUL? >> I WAS GOING TO MENTION, TERA,

-- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- BEACH PIER OUT AND JUST PUT PIERS? >> WAIT.

YES, WE CAN DO THAT. >> WE'RE GETTING A FOURTH ONE. >> YES.

>> IT SOUNDS LIKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT WHICH I WOULD ACCEPT. WOULD GENERALLY SAY PIERS AND

THEN WE CAN CORRECT THAT IN THE ORDINANCE IF WE GET THAT FAR. >> PROBABLY IN THE NEXT FOUR

YEARS WE'LL HAVE A FOURTH ONE. >> THE MOTION ACCEPTED AND REQUESTED AMENDMENT.

SECOND? >> I WOULD SECOND IT. >> IT'S WRITTEN ALREADY TO ENSURE THOSE IN THERE, WASN'T IT? IT'S JUST NOT IN THE.

[01:25:05]

>> SO AS THE DEFINITION STANDS THE OFFICIAL DEFINITION STANDS TODAY IN THE APPROVED ORDINANCE YOU TECHNICALLY CAN PAY FOR ANY AND ALL OF THE PEACE AS LONG AS WE CAN SHOW THEY'RE TOURISM-RELATED AMENITIES, BUT THIS WAS A REQUEST THAT WE MADE THESE AMENITIES.

I'LL STRIKE ST. AUGUSTINE IN FRONT OF PIER AND ADD AN S TO PIERS.

IT MAKES IT GENERAL BUT STILL GIVES US THE CLARIFICATION. >> MR. CHAIR, FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE GROUP, WHAT YOU HAVE BEHIND THE PLAN WAS THE ORDINANCE.

THAT'S THE DRAFT ORDINANCE THAT'S GOING TO GO BEFORE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AS YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND YEAR GOING TO TAKE THE PLAN AND INCORPORATE IT THERE INTO THAT PARAGRAPH NUMBER 4B AND THIS WILL BE THE DRAFT OF THE ORDINANCE THAT WILL BE YOUR

RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. >> CAN I JUST MAKE ONE COMMENT ABOUT THE CORRECTION THAT WE MADE? CAN WE JUST SAY PUBLICLY OWNED PEACE SO PEOPLE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND THAT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE PRIVATELY OWNED PIERS.

SMALL POINT. >> YOU ARE RIGHT. BUT JUST TO CLARIFY.

THANK YOU. >> DANNEY? >> YES.

THE CATEGORY TWO HAS FOUR CATEGORIES WHICH ARE PRETTY SPECIFIC AND I'M REACTING TO THE COMMENTS WE'VE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC TODAY ABOUT BLACK HERITAGE AND BROWN HERITAGE TOO I'M SURE IS GOING TO BE INCLUDED IN THAT. I'M WONDERING IF WE WOULDN'T CONSIDER ADDING THAT AS A SEPARATE, ARTS CULTURE AND HERITAGE, AND I THINK WE'RE IN TIMES WHERE SOCIAL JUSTICE IS SUCH A DIFFICULT SUBJECT AND WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR COMMUNITY THAT THEY WANT THIS RECOGNITION AND THEY WANT THIS. I KNOW CHRISTINA HAS WORKED HARD ON THIS BUT I THINK LARGELY MUCH OF THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T FEEL THAT IT'S BEING DONE AND I THINK IT IS BEING DONE TO SOME EXTENT BUT I WOULD SUGGEST WE ADD THAT TO THAT.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT BUT I'M THINKING THAT. ALSO, IT SHOOT COME AS NO SURPRISE TO ANYONE HERE THAT I'M GOING TO BE OPPOSED TO PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION IN CATEGORY FOUR. I THINK THAT, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW, I'M UNINFORMED AS TO WHAT THE COST OF THIS CAN BE BUT I THINK IF WE'RE ADDING SOMETHING IN HERE THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ULTIMATE COSTS WILL BE SO LIKE I'VE SAID IN ALL THESE CASES WHERE WE'RE ASKING FOR STUDIES I WANT TO KNOW THERE'S A REVENUE SOURCE AND I WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST SO I'M GOING TO VOTE AGAINST THAT UNLESS WE CAN CHANGE THAT AND JUST PULL IT OUT AND SAY WE'LL DO MORE STUDIES ON IT. AGAIN, AS I THINK REGINA HAS SAID, WE CAN ADD IT AS A LATER DATE BUT IT'S JUST TOO -- I DON'T THINK IT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR US TO JUST TAKE ON AN OBLIGATION WHERE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MIND END UP TO BE. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. COMMENTS? I WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT.

TERA, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. IN CATEGORY FIVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IT USED TO TOURISM ASSETS WHICH MEANT ALMOST ANYTHING COULD GO IN THERE AND THE WAY THIS WAS BROKEN UP THINGS ARE PUT INTO PLACE AND WE SORT OF KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE SPENT OUT OF THOSE AREAS INCLUDING STUFF WAS TAKEN OUT OF FIVE AND PUT IN OTHER PLACES OR ASSUMING THAT AND I LIKE THE WAY IT READS AND I APPRECIATE THAT. DANNEY, TO YOUR COMMENTS, I AGREE WITH YOU. I JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT GOES BECAUSE THE STATUTE ISN'T WRITTEN LIKE THIS. IT'S WRITTEN -- IT DOESN'T LIST CULTURAL COUNCIL, ARTS, AMPHITHEATER, SING OUT LOUD. IT'S MUCH MORE GENERAL. WE HAVE TO GET AN OPINION ON HOW

THAT WOULD BE AND WHAT IT WOULD SAY. >> IT READS, JUST BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WAS READING HERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK THAT IN, BUT THE CATEGORY TWO

[01:30:01]

THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE THAT WOULD PRECLUDE ANY TELLING OF OUR HISTORY, ANY PIECE OF THAT.

I DON'T HAVE THAT HERE TO READ TO YOU BUT I CAN KEEP BRAIN STORMING HERE.

>> DID YOU WANT TO COMMENT? >> I'M WONDERING IF IT MIGHT NOT BE MORE APPROPRIATE TO MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT SUPPORT FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE AND DIVERSITY WHEN YOU ARE REVIEWING THE MARKETING PLAN AND WHEN YOU ARE APPROVING THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE GRANTS AND CREATING THE GRANT GUIDELINES. I THINK WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD GENERAL STATEMENT UNDER CATEGORY TWO, ARTS, CULTURE HERITAGE GRANTS, ALL ENCOMPASSING AND IF WE WANT TO THE SHOW OUR SUPPORT FOR A CERTAIN SUBCATEGORY PERHAPS IT'S MORE APPROPRIATE AS PART OF THE APPROVAL OF THE MARKETING PLAN AND IN CONNECTION WITH THE GRANTS PROGRAM.

JUST A THOUGHT. >> THANK YOU. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF CONCERNED CITIZENS. I WONDER WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE.

WOULD THAT BE SATISFY THAT AND ? >> I THINK WHAT THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IS SEEING SOMETHING WHERE THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD. IF I HAD TO GUESS THEY PROBABLY DON'T FEEL VERY WARM ABOUT CLARIFYING ANYTHING IN THE DEFINITION IF IT DOESN'T RESULT IN ACTUAL RESULTS SO I THINK IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COLLECTIVE WE, WHOEVER THAT IS, TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL STAFF, CULTURAL COUNCIL PUTS EFFORT AS A PRIORITY I THINK

THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO THEM BUT CERTAINLY. >> ARE WE HEARING THAT? THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A PRIORITY? I THINK THE COMMUNITY WANTS THE MESSAGE FROM US ON THIS. THEY'RE HERE. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE BROUGHT IT UP. ARE WE HEARING THIS IS GOING TO BE A PRIORITY?

>> I THINK WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT DIRECTION FROM THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.

CERTAINLY TO GIVE A QUICK NOD TO CHRISTINA'S EFFORTS SHE'S WORKING ON A DIVERSE RANGE OF PROMOTIONAL EVENTS AND REACHING OUT TO A VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS SO I COULD JUST ANECDOTALLY SPEAK OF HER EFFORTS AND SAY YES IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING SHE'S WORKING ON.

IS IT WILL A STATED PRIORITY INTO NEXT YEAR, I'M NOT SEEING IT STATED AS SUCH ANYWHERE, KIND OF WHAT TO SHE SAID, IF WE GET DIRECTION FROM THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL WE CAN PROBABLY STATE IT WHEN WE BRING BACK THINGS FOR CONSIDERATION AT THE UPCOMING MEETINGS.

BUT I THINK WHAT -- WHAT I'M HEARING IS PURSUING DIVERSE ARTS CULTURE HERITAGE OPPORTUNITIES IS A PRIORITY FOR US AND CERTAINLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE AND HISTORY IS SOMETHING THAT AT LEAST WE ACKNOWLEDGE AS SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE WORKING TOWARDS BECAUSE IT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF OUR HISTORY BUT I'VE NOT -- I GUESS I'VE NOT SEEN A SPECIFIC ALLOCATION FOR

IT. >> I'M HEARING YOU, TEAR A BUT I THINK WHAT I'M ALSO HEARING IS THEY DON'T FEEL THAT IT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST. MAYBE I'M WRONG.

NOW IS THE TIME TO TELL ME I'M WRONG. >> MR. CHAIR, SO I FEEL VERY SIMILAR TO DANNEY AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS SINCE WE'RE DEALING WITH THINGS SORT OF AT A HIGH LEVEL OF POLICY AT THIS POINT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE COULD ADD THIS DISCUSSION AS AN AGENDA ITEM AT A FUTURE MEETING BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE RESILIENCY GROUP AND I DO FEEL LIKE AFTER LOOKING AT THE ASHEVILLE PLAN I FEEL LIKE THIS IS TIME THAT WE BRING THIS IN TO OUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE AND THAT ARTICULATE THIS.

BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE HARD TO DO RIGHT NOW SINCE WE'RE AT THIS -- WE'RE DEALING WITH THESE

[01:35:10]

>> THANK YOU. >> I HAVE A LITTLE SUGGESTION. WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS WE'RE TRYING TO CLEAR THE WAY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN THROUGH THE STATE STATUTE ALLOWING MONIES FOR MUSEUMS TO GO INTO PLACE. IF WE ADD IN MUSEUMS UNDER THAT CATEGORY TWO SCENARIO IT CLEARS THE PATH FOR THOSE DOLLARS AND IT'S AN EASIER SUGGESTION BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TRYING TO CLEAR THE PATH. WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET INTO THE DETAILS OF WHERE THE DOLLARS GO AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO BE SUPPORTED FROM THAT STAFF BUT MY SUGGESTION IS IF WE ADD IN MUSEUMS UNDER CATEGORY TWO, IT CLEARS THE PATH FOR WHAT DANNY, WHAT YOUR INITIAL GOAL IS TRYING TO DO, TO MAKE IT AN EASIER WAY TO GET TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE WITH THE LINCOLNVILLE MUSEUM.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT IS CORRECT. I'M JUST STRUCK BY WE HAVE NOT HEARD THIS BEFORE EVER BEFORE IN MY TOTAL EXPERIENCE AND WE'RE HEARING IT TODAY AND SO I THINK

THIS IS THE TIME TO TAKE SOME KIND OF ACTION. >> AND THERE'S THE ACCORD AND LINCOLNVILLE MUSEUM, SO I THINK IF WE DO IT AS MUSEUMS, IT COVERS, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GET SPECIFIC, AND WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO, ENCOMPASSES AND CLEARS THE ROAD.

WOULD THAT BE ACCEPTABLE FROM YOU GUYS? >> IF I COULD MAKE A SUGGESTION.

>> YES. >> AND I BELIEVE THE -- KIND OF TAGGING ON TO THE VICE MAYOR'S COMMENTS, THE PURPOSE OF THE PLAN IS TO FACILITATE, TO MAKE SURE THE PROJECTS CAN HAPPEN.

MUSEUMS, OTHER THINGS THAT ARE PER MISS SIVE IN THE STATUTE, SO IF WE CAN ADD -- IF YOU LOOK AT THE DEFINITION WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT PROVIDING FOR CULTURAL HISTORICAL LITERALLY FINE AND NONFINE ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT, FESTIVALS, PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES AND IF YOU'LL LOW ME I CAN PUT IN FACILITIES AND THAT WILL ENCOMPASS MUSEUMS AND PROBABLY OTHER FACILITIES THAT YOU'RE NOT CONTEMPLATING RIGHT NOW BUT WOULD MAKE THAT MORE EXPANSIVES, AND IT DOES FALL IN LINE WITH THE STATUTE. SO JUST LIKE WE TALK ABOUT PARKS AND REC TIME OF FACILITIES HERE

WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT ARTS AND CULTURE TYPES OF FACILITIES. >> THANK YOU, REGINA.

>> I THINK THAT'S A BETTER SUGGESTION, PUTTING IT INTO THE ORDINANCE.

BECAUSE THE QUESTION NOW IS ARE THESE THE CHANGES THAT SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED.

ARE THESE THE SUGGESTED CHANGES TO BE RECOMMENDED AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS ADDITIONAL CHANGES SO THAT WOULD BE -- THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT MOTION. SO THAT'S ON THE NEXT MOTION

WHERE WE CAN ADDRESS THAT THERE. >> I WAS JUST GOING TO CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT ON PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION. DANNY, IF THAT'S IN THERE IT DOESN'T MEAN IT WOULD BE FUNDED.

WE WOULD HAVE TO AGREE ON WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY AND OF COURSE IT WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A STUDY AT THAT TIME BUT IT'S NOT RUN OUT AND DO STUDIES, WISHFUL THINKING.

WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A WAY TO FUND IT OR BOND IT OR WHATEVER THE CITY OR COUNTY WANTED TO DO.

I UNDERSTAND YOUR ANGST ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOU AND I HAVE BOTH SAID MANY TIMES ABOUT WE DO A LOT OF STUDIES AND NEVER PUT THEM INTO ACTION AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE FINE THERE IN MY OPINION.

I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. >> THANK YOU.

>> MR. CHAIR, IF I COULD, MR. BERENBERG, IN ADDITION TO THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE STUDIES, EVEN IF A STUDY WERE APPROVED YOU STILL HAVE SOME OTHER REQUIREMENTS EVEN BEFORE YOU GET TO A STUDY BECAUSE IF YOU'LL LOOK AT PHOTOGRAPH NUMBER ONE THERE HAS TO BE A -- PARAGRAPH NUMBER ONE, THERE HAS TO BE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TAX REVENUE GENERATED IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR SO EVEN IF YOU WERE GEARED UP AND HAD A PROJECT BUT YOU DID NOT MEET THAT REQUIREMENT YOU'RE

[01:40:03]

FORWARD WITH ONE OF THESE PROJECTS. >> THOSE WOULD BE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT THE STUDY WOULD VERIFY, I ASSUME, AND CAN ANYBODY HERE TELL ME WHAT A STUDY WOULD COST? I THINK MAYBE THE CONFUSION IS BETWEEN IN THE PAST IT SEEMS AND AGAIN I'M SORT OF NEW TO THIS BUT THE WAY I UNDERSTAND THE HESITATION WITH STUDIES IS THAT FROM MY EXPOSURE TO THE STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE THEY WERE DONE PREEMPTIVELY BEFORE THINGS WERE ACTUALLY DONE SO WHAT ROLE DOES SPORTS TOURISM PLAY IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY.

WE DO A STUDY BEFORE WE EVEN CONSIDER A SPECIFIC PROJECT. THIS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THAT. THIS IS WE'VE DECIDED WE WANT TO BUILD A PARKING GARAGE IN ST.

AUGUSTINE BEACH, AND BEFORE WE CAN DO THIS WE HAVE TO CHECK THE BOXES AND A FINAL STUDY WOULD SHOW IT WILL BENEFIT TOURISM AND THEN THE STATE WOULD APPROVE THAT BECAUSE OF THE INDEPENDENT STUDY. THE STUDY WOULD HAVE AFTER ALL OF THESE THINGS HAPPENED.

IN THE PAST WE HAVE STUDIED MUSIC AND THE IMPACT ON TOURISM AND SPORTS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS WHERE WE SPENT MONEY BEFORE WE ACTUALLY HAD A PROJECT READY.

THIS WOULD BE WE'VE APPROVED A PROJECT AND AS THE CRITERIA FOR GETTING IT THROUGH ALL OF THESE BOXES HAVE TO BE CHECKED AND THE FINAL BOX BEING THE STUDY BEING DONE.

>> I ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. IT'S HELPFUL.

I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF CHECK WE'RE GOING TO WRITE? DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT

THIS KIND OF STUDY COSTS? >> NOBODY KNOWS THE COST. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TYPE OF

PROJECT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING. >> THAT'S WHY I DON'T WANT TO DO IT.

>> THIS IS BY STATUTE. THIS IS THE STATE SAYING YOU HAVE TO DO THIS.

>> EXACTLY. WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THESE PROJECTS.

WE DON'T HAVE TO DO TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. THIS IS NEW.

THIS CAME OUT A YEAR AGO. THEY'RE SAYING, YOU CAN DO IT IF YOU WANT TO, AND I'M SAYING I WANT TO BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TELL ME HOW IT COST. AND BEFORE YOU CAN START ON THIS YOU NEED TO DO A STUDY AND THE STUDY IS X NUMBER OF DOLLARS. HOW MUCH IS X NUMBR OF DOLLARS

AND WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING TO COME FROM. >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STATUTE THIS IS AGAIN THE LEGISLATURE, IT'S VERY NEW, AND IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS TYPE OF LEGISLATION WENT THROUGH. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT PASSED.

AND IT'S AN ALLOWABLE USE OF TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX REVENUE ALONG WITH OTHERS, SO IT'S PER MISS SIVE. AGAIN, IT'S NOT DIRECTIVE. IT ALLOWS JUST LIKE THE PLAN, IT ALLOWS YOU, IF YOU SO WERE INCLINED TO CONSIDER ONE OF THE PROJECTS, THEIR PLAN DOES NOW ALLOW FOR THAT IF YOU INCORPORATE THE CHANGE. I THINK I'M CLEAR, MR. BERENBERG, YOU ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF THE CHANGE. I GET IT.

>> -- [INDISCERNIBLE] . >> CORRECT. CORRECT.

RIGHT. I GOT YOU. >> WHERE ARE WE?

>> YOU HAVE THE MOTION ON THE TABLE TO ACCEPT THE CHANGES AS PROPOSED AND INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE ORDINANCE FOR PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD AND NOW IT'S TIME TO VOTE.

>> LET ME ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THAT. IT SAYS, ON QUESTION NUMBER ONE,

WE MOVE QUESTION NUMBER TWO INTO NUMBER ONE, AS WELL? >> NO.

NO. REGINA, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ACCEPTED THE OTHER CHANGE THAT NANCY MADE. I KNOW YOU ACCEPTED THE ONE THAT PAUL MADE.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAN ON IT. >> CALL THE QUESTION, PLEASE.

[01:45:18]

>>

>> BLEVINS. >> YES. >> FINNEGAN.

>> YES. >> GORDON. >> YES.

>> MATARAZA. >> YES. >> VICE MAYOR?

>> YES. >> VICE MAYOR SIKES-KLINE. >> YES.

>> COMMISSIONER WALDRON. >> YES. >> MICHAEL WICKS.

>> YES. (. >> THAT PASSES.

>> I'LL MAKE A MOTION ON THE SECOND QUESTION WHICH IS, YES, THE -- WAIT.

I'M SORRY. THAT AT THIS TIME THE CHANGE TO BE MADE ARE ADEQUATE AND SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED TO THE -- THAT THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. SO THAT MOTION SUMMED UP IS THE CHANGES WE JUST MADE ARE WHAT WE WANT TO SEND, THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE NEW CHANGES NOW.

I DO BELIEVE THERE WAS A SUGGESTION THAT WE MAKE ANOTHER CHANGE SO I'M PREPARED FOR THAT

DISCUSSION. >> AND, MAYOR, IF I COULD TAG ONTO YOUR COMMENT, IF YOU TAKE 3 LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE AS WELL IF YOU HAVE ANY PROPOSED CHANGE TO THE ORDINANCE ITSELF I'LL BE TAKING YOUR DIRECTION. I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR DRAFTING THAT ORDINANCE AND GETTING IT TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SO IN ADDITION TO TAKING A LOOK AT THE PLAN, THE ORDINANCE IS ALSO GOING TO BE PRESENTED AND THAT IS IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES THAT YOU PROPOSED TO THE ORDINANCE ITSELF I'M AVAILABLE AND SEEKING THE COUNCIL'S DIRECTION THERE.

>> MAY I CLARIFY? ARE YOU SAYING THAT RIGHT NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO MAKE THE

CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE AND COMBINED WITH THIS QUESTION. >> THAT'S CORRECT.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO WITHDRAW MY MOTION BECAUSE I DO HAVE SOME SUGGESTED CHANGES ON THE

ORDINANCE. >> CERTAINLY FOR DISCUSSION. BECAUSE THE PLAN IS JUST GOING TO BE CUT AND PASTED INTO THE ORDINANCE ITSELF AND THE ENTIRE THING IS GOING TO GO TO THE

BOARD AS A PACKAGE. >> SO HERE'S THE ONES THAT I HAVE SO FAR THAT WOULD BE CHANGED IN THE DRAFT ORDINANCE, ITEM NO. A2, HEARTS AND CULTURE AND HERITAGE, IT'S BEEN SUGGESTED WE ADD THE WORD, "FACILITIES" INTO THAT. AND I WOULD SUGGEST ADDING THAT AND THE SECOND CHANGE THAT I HAVE IS IN ITEM NO. A3 UNDER LEISURE AND REC THAT YOU REMOVE THE WORDS AND THE ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH PIER BUT INSTEAD SUBSTITUTE MUNICIPALLY -- WHAT DID WE SAY BEFORE? PUBLICLY OWNED PIERS. PUBLICLY OWNED PIERS.

WHATEVER LANGUAGE YOU USED BEFORE, TERA, ON IT. AND THEN THAT'S MY CHANGES.

ALSO I HAD QUESTIONS ON CATEGORY FIVE ON ITEM NO. 5 UNDER BEACH ASSETS, SO ON THAT ONE, I'M WONDERING, BECAUSE WHAT IT SAYS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 125.0104, FLORIDA STATUTES PROVIDES FOR BEACH PARK FACILITIES OR BEACH CHANNEL HE I WARY OR LAGOON IMPROVEMENT, MAINTENANCE. IT SHOULD BE RELATED, TO THE PHYSICAL PRESERVATION OF THE BEACH, SHORELINE CHANNEL, OR I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF WE BROKE THOSE UP BECAUSE THE LAST PART OF IT MAKES IT -- NARROWS EVERYTHING DOWN SO MUCH.

[01:50:08]

>> NANCY, JUST FROM EXPERIENCE, IT'S AN ALLOWABLE -- IT'S ALREADY SITTING THERE AND WE'VE USED IT SEVERAL TIMES IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY, A CRESCENT BEACH ESTUARY THAT WE USED MONEY AND

WE'RE DOING FOR WHAT WE DID AT THE BOAT RAMP AT VALLANO. >> I THINK YOU MISUNDERSTAND.

I'M NOT OBJECTING TO THE SUBSTANCE OF IT. I'M OBJECTING TO THE WAY IT'S WRIT WERE. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT CLEAR FOR DUMMIES LIKE ME.

I THINK WHEN YOU WRITE ORDINANCES MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY, WHEN YOU WRITE THEM, THEY SHOULD BE EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY EVERYONE, LAYMEN INCLUDED. IT'S NOT SUBSTANTIVE.EVEL.- I DON'T DISAGREE WITH ANYTHING THAT'S WRITTEN HERE -- [CROSSTALK] --

>> GIVING CONTEXT TO THE HISTORY -- IT'S BROAD ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE INTENT.

I WOULD ALSO ADD THE WORD ,"" PROVIDE FOR BEACH PARK FACILITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS" AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT SUBSTANTIVELY CHANGES THINGS BUT MAKES IT CLEAR.

YOU HAVE THAT LANGUAGE -- WHAT YOU HAD WAS -- WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LAST DESCRIPTION, CATEGORY FIVE, BEACH ACCESS, WE USE WORDS LIKE -- WE USE THE WORD "MAINTENANCE" KIND OF REDUNDANT, BUT BEACH, RESTROOMS, CLEANING, THAT'S MAINTENANCE. I DON'T THINK SEE THAT IN THIS ITEM NO. FIVE. DOES IT NEED TO BE IN THERE? WOULDN'T WE WANT IT TO BE IN

THERE? >> ESSENTIALLY A LANGUAGE GRAB OUT OF STATUTE.

SO WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME IS THIS IS STRICTLY 100 PERCENT STATUTORY LANGUAGE AND THAT YOU

HAVEN'T MODIFIED IT AT ALL? >> NO. THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU SEE DEALING WITH CHANNELS, ESTUARIES. IF YOU BELIEVE IT'S NOT AS INCLUSIVE, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO STRIKE THE, "OR" FROM THE PROVISION AND LEAVE THE

REMAINDER IN FACT. IT DOES PROVIDE FOR MAINTENANCE. >> IT DOES SAY MAINTENANCE.

YOU'RE RIGHT. BUT I WASN'T SURE WHAT THAT WAS ATTACHED TO.

WAS THAT ATTACHED TO BEACH PARK FACILITIES? WAS IT ATTACHED TO BEACHES? WAS IT ATTACHED TO CHANNELS? WHAT WAS IT ATTACHED TO BECAUSE OF THAT, "OR," SO I LOVE THAT SUGGESTION. THANK YOU. THAT ALMOST TOTALLY FIXES THAT FOR ME. THANK YOU. I WOULD SAY THAT WOULD BE MY

THIRD SUGGESTED CHANGE AND I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER WINGS. >> IF I MAY.

I WANT TO PIGGYBACK. I LIKE THOSE CHANGES. ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED THAT WAS NOT MENTIONED WAS ACCESS, PUBLIC BEACH ACCESS AND IMPROVING THAT SO I'M NOT SURE IF WE CAN SQUEEZE THAT INTO THAT FIRST SENTENCE AS WELL, PARK FACILITIES, PUBLIC ACCESS, BEACH, CHANNEL, ESTUARY OR LAGOON IMPROVEMENT. YOU'VE GOT BEACH.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BEACH ACCESS, IF YOU WANT TO. TO ME THAT'S MAYBE SEPARATE.

>> COULD BE INCLUDED. IT WILL FALL WITHIN THE CATEGORY AND IT'S A PER MISS SIVE USE.

>> AND IT NEEDS TO BE IN THERE. >> SORRY? >> IT NEEDS TO BE.

WHEN WE HAVE A WASH-OUT, YOU NEED MONEY TO PREPARE IT. >> USING THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT

[01:55:02]

HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IMPROVING THE ACCESS POINTS. >> AGREED.

>> MR. CHAIR, IF I DON'T HEAR ANY MORE SUGGESTIONS I WOULD LIKE TO PUT THAT INTO A MOTION, THE THREE ITEMS THAT I JUST PRESENTED AND THIS AND THAT THOSE BE THE CHANGES THAT WE

RECOMMEND TO THE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN. >> DO YOU MIND IF I HELP DRAFT

THE MOTION? >> THANK YOU. >> SECOND.

>> A SECOND. >> WOULD YOU MIND IF I HELP CRAFT THE MOTION?

>> LE HER CLEAN IT UP. >> PLEASE. >> IT WOULD BE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND FOR CONSIDERATION TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THE DRAFT MOTION PROVIDED IN YOUR PACKET WITH THE TOUR I AM DEVELOPMENT PLAN WITH THE CHANGES DISCUSSED -- TOURIST

DEVELOPMENT PLAN WITH THE CHANGES DISCUSSED. >> THANK YOU.

YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH. >> SECOND.

>> DISCUSSION? COMMENTS? >> MICHAEL, MR. CHAIRMAN, A POINT OF CLARIFICATION. AT WHAT POINT DO WE DEAL WITH SCHEDULE B?

PERCENT OF ANNUAL REVENUE? >> THAT'S NEXT. THAT'S QUESTION THREE.

>> GOT IT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.

>> A VOTE? DO WE NEED PUBLIC COMMENT? >> YES.

PUBLIC COMMENT. >> THANK YOU. WE DO HAVE ONE CALL WAITING.

GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE CALL. >> I THINK THAT'S DONE OVER THERE.

>> WE'RE GOING TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THE PHONE. THANK YOU FOR CALLING.

GO AHEAD AND STATE YOUR NAME AND SHARE WITH US YOUR THREE-MINUTE COMMENT, PLEASE.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON. ED SLAVEN, ST. AUGUSTINE,.COM. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING PUBLIC COMMENT AND THE COUNTY STAFF. -- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- I TOTALLY AGREE WITH REGINA AND THE OTHER SPEAKER. WE NEED TO HAVE TOURISM IN ST.

JOHNS COUNTY REFLECT DIVERSITY. WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE -- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- AND WE NEED TO SUPPORT A NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM HERE AND BIGGER THAN THE LINCOLNVILLE AND ST.

AUGUSTINE -- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- SEA SHORE. I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING SINCE '05 IN WHICH PEOPLE -- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- CINDY STEVENSON AND OTHER STATE LEGISLATURE HAVE BLOCKED SUPPORT FOR. WE WOULD TAKE 140,000 ACRES OF CURRENT STATE-OWNED LANDS, THE WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT LANDS, STATE PARKS, STATE FOREST, PUT IT ALL TOGETHER AND YOU'VE GOT A NATIONAL PARK AND SEA SHORE BIGGER THAN CAPE COD NATIONAL SEA SHORE, 140,000 ACRES IN TWO COUNTIES, AND WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT WHICH WOULD HELP TO BRING THE TOURISTS THAT WE LOVE AND KNOW, THE PEOPLE WHO SPEND TWICE AS MUCH AND TWICE AS LONG, -- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- ENVIRONMENTAL TOUR. WE HAVE A DISCRIMINATION PROBLEM IN ST. JOHNS AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL WILL SUPPORT -- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- COUNTY COMMISSION AND THEY DID NOT EVEN SUPPORT THIS YEAR, ST. JOHNS COUNTY COMMISSION, EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION AND THEY REFUSED -- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- TO SAY ANYTHING AT ALL TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT GAY PRIDE RESOLUTION ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF STONE WALL.

THE REALLY SAD THING IS THAT -- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- MARCH 8, THE ST. JOHNS COUNTY COMMISSION ASKING FOR A RESOLUTION AND THE SHERIFF -- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- FIGURATIVELY BLOCKED THAT AND DID NOT EVEN LET -- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- COMMISSIONERS VOTE ON IT.

LAST YEAR -- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- COUNTY COMMISSION VOTED ON THAT BUT I'M THINKING, THE TOURIST COMMUNITY IN ST. JOHNS SUPPORTS DIVERSITY. WE LOVE DIVERSITY IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY AND WHY IN THE HECK WOULD YOUR COUNTY COMMISSION ACT IN A BIG GETTED MANNER WITH --

[02:00:02]

[INDISCERNIBLE] . >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT? THANK YOU.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. WE'VE HAD PUBLIC COMMENT.

WE'RE READY FOR A ROLL CALL. >> DANNEY BERENBERG. >> NO.

>> TROY BLEVINS. >> YES. >> JOE FINNEGAN.

>> YES. >> MICHAEL. >> YES.

>> DIANE MATARAZA. >> YES. >> VICE MAYOR SAMORA.

>> YES. >> VICE MAYOR SIKES-KLINE. >> YES.

>> COMMISSIONER PAUL WALDRON. >> YES. >> MICHAEL WICKS.

>> YES. >> MOTION PASSES. SO ON TO QUESTION NUMBER THREE.

>> ONE COMMENT. I STILL FEEL LIKE IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO PUT IT WILL ON THE AGENDA TO TALK ABOUT THESE DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION ISSUES FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION SO

I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION. >> THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR.

WE'LL DO THAT. >> SO THE THIRD QUESTION IS WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AT THIS POINT TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO LEVY THAT 5TH CENT AND THEN WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL TO MAKE SOME REVISIONS, MORE ADMINISTRATIVE-TYPE OF TO THE PLAN WHICH CONSOLIDATE BEACH EXPENDITURES INTO CATEGORY FIVE AND ADD SOME CLARIFYING USE TYPES TO OUR DEFINITIONS OF CATEGORIES THREE AND FOUR AND FIVE. SO NOW WHAT WE HAVE LEFT TO CONSIDER IS THE ACTUAL ALLOCATION OF THE REVENUE FROM THE 5TH CENT TO THE MODIFIED FIVE CATEGORIES THAT WE HAVE WHICH ARE THE SAME THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HERE FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS, JUST AS A REMINDER THE PRIMARY MODIFICATIONS ARE CATEGORY THREE AND NOW INCLUDES NO BEACH EXPENDITURES AND CATEGORY FIVE IS ONLY BEACH EXPENDITURES AND THE INCLUSIONS THAT WE JUST ADDED THROUGH YOUR PREVIOUS MOTION FOR CATEGORIES THREE,

FOUR AND FIVE. >> SO IN THE LAST MEETING THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL TO RESTORE CATEGORIES ONE THROUGH FIVE AND JUST AS A REMINDER WHEN WE REALLOCATED PENNIES, WHAT WE REALLOCATED WAS A TOTAL OF .7 CENTS, SO THAT GETS REDISTRIBUTED BACK ACROSS THOSE FIRST FOUR CATEGORIES, AGAIN, WITH THE MODIFIED CATEGORY THREE RECEIVING ONLY .1 PENNIES, AND THEN THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL .3 PENNIES BECAUSE ONE MINUS .7 LEAVES YOU .3 AND WE PUT THAT .3 INTO CATEGORY FOUR WHICH BROUGHT YOUR CATEGORY FOUR UP TO A TOTAL OF 1.3 PENNIES. SO AGAIN IF YOU LOOK AT THIS CHART AT THE VERY BOTTOM ROW THIS SHOWS YOU WHAT THE PREVIOUS SUGGESTED ALLOCATION FROM THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL EFFECTIVELY DID. IT PUT .3 OF THAT ONE PENNY IN CATEGORY ONE, .1, TWO.

SO EITHER WE CAN HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AS REPRESENTED OR YOU ALL ARE

WELCOME TO HAVE SOME ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTIONS. >> TERA, I HAVE ONE QUESTION.

CATEGORY FIVE, IF THAT MONEY IS NOT SPENT HOW ARE WE REALLOCATING THE CARRY FORWARD OR DOES IT STAY WITHIN THE CATEGORY? HAS THAT CONVERSATION HAPPENED?

[02:05:03]

CATEGORIES. >> GIVE ME JUST A SECOND AND LET ME FIND YOU THAT LANGUAGE IN

HERE. >> WOULD YOU EXPAND ON THAT? THE CATEGORY THREE? THE WAY I'M SEEING THE ALLOCATION IT GOES FROM 600,000 TO 900,000.

>> I'M OKAY WITH THOSE NUMBERS. WHAT I'M SAYING IS CATEGORY FIVE, THAT BEACH TREE NOURISHMENT MIGHT NOT BE READY UNTIL '24. ARE WE JUST SAVING MONEY AND IT STAYS IN CATEGORY FIVE, AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY YEAR YOU HAVE TO REBUDGET SO HOW DOES THAT CARRYFORWARDS MANAGED? REALLOCATED TO OTHER CATEGORIES OR HOW DOES THAT MONEY EXIST.

THE CARRY FORWARD IS MY QUESTION. >> ON PAGE 4 OF THE PLAN AT THE TOP, TOWARDS THE TOP THERE'S A TABLE AND JUST BELOW THAT IS LETTER C, CALLED RESIDUAL FUNDS, AND THOSE ARE AT THE END OF THE CATEGORY AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR.

THE BALANCE ARE ANY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT REVENUES REMAINING AFTER EXPENDITURES FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES OR PROJECTS LISTED IN SECTION 2A AND 2B OF THIS PLAN, WHICH IS THE DEFINITIONS, MAY BE ALLOCATED AT THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD FOR ANY USE CONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISION OF SECTION 125.01044 STATUTE. WHAT THAT MEANS IS ANY MONEY THAT IS IN ANY OF THESE CATEGORIES AT THE END OF THE YEAR WOULD REMAIN IN THOSE CATEGORIES UNLESS THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CHOOSES TO TAKE ACTION TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH IT.

>> AND THAT'S MY CONCERN IS THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN, IT COULD BE TAKEN AT ANY POINT.

THE BUDGET OFFICE MIGHT SAY, HEY, WE HAVE THIS OVER HERE THAT WE NEED TO PAY FOR INSTEAD OF THIS AND IT TAKES MONEY OUT OF CATEGORY THREE OR IT TAKES MONEY OUT OF CATEGORY TWO AND I'M JUST TRYING TO PROTECT THOSE MONIES OF WHERE THEY NEED TO STAY. I'VE HAD IT HAPPEN TO ME BEFORE SO THAT'S WHY I'M GUARDED AGAINST THIS TYPE OF SITUATION IS HOW THAT MONEY'S PROTECTED BUT BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAS THE RIGHT TO DO WHAT THEY WANT WITH THE MONEY BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF PROVISION PROTECTING THAT THE MONEY STAYS WITHIN THE

CATEGORIES THERE. >> IF YOU DROP DOWN TO PARAGRAPH D, SUBPARAGRAPH 2, THERE'S A PROVISION FOR FUND RETENSION FOR EACH CATEGORY BUT IT IS SUBJECT TO THE BOARD BEING ABLE TO EXERCISE ITS OPTION UNDER THAT PARAGRAPH C. THE BOARD DOES HAVE THE AUTHORITY AND AT ITS DISCRETION CAN REMOVE THE FUNDING RESIDUAL AND REDISTRIBUTE IT.

SO PARAGRAPH D 2 IS YOUR GENERAL AND IT'S SUBJECT TO THAT PARAGRAPH C.

>> MY SHEET DOESN'T HAVE A D 2. >> THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR. I THINK I MIGHT HAVE JUST.

>> RIGHT THERE. >> OKAY. THANK YOU.

>> I CAN READ THE RECORD. [READING]. >> OH WHOEVER REMOVES IT IS

GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT IN PUBLIC. >> RIGHT.

>> IT DOESN'T GET SWEPT AWAY. >> -- [INDISCERNIBLE] -- IT'S A PART TAKEN OUT EVERY YEAR AND --

[CROSSTALK] -- >> IT'S A FIVE-YEAR SAVINGS, AND THAT'S WHERE I WANT TO MAKE SURE

IT'S NOT ABLE TO BE GATHERED UP. >> RIGHT. >> I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT

YOU'RE SAYING, IS IT SUBJECT TO STAFF-LEVEL APPROVAL. >> I'M COMFORTABLE IF IT'S HAPPENING AT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WHERE IT'S IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY BUT IF IT GETS SWEPT AWAY IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AND WE HAVE A GREAT BUDGET.

>> CORRECT. >> I'M NOT INSULTING THEM IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM BUT I WANT TO

[02:10:02]

WITH IT. >> REQUIRES BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ACTION.

>> THANK YOU. >> I'M PREPARED TO MAKE A MOTION, MR. CHAIRMAN.

TELL ME IF I NEED TO CLEAN THIS UP. THIS IS THE CHART HERE, THE RECOMMENDED REVENUE FROM THE 5TH CENT ALLOCATION THAT WE RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY

COMMISSIONERS. >> SO THE MOTION, AND I'LL TRY TO RESTATE IT.

THE MOTION IS TO WITH THE LEVEE OF THE 5TH CENT APPROVE THE ALLOCATION PRESENTED, AS

DRAFTED, FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION. >> YES.

>> I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT I THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD FRAMEWORK AND WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON IT AND OF COURSE THEY'RE FREE TO MAKE CHANGES AS THEY SEE FIT WHEN IT GETS THERE BUT I THINK THAT THE ORIGINAL INTENTION WAS THAT WE DIDN'T JUST SEND, YES, ADD ANOTHER PENNY. WE HAD AN OBLIGATION AND RESPONSIBILITY TO SAY, YES, PLEASE ADD ANOTHER PENNY BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW WE VIEW THE MOST NEED, MOST NEEDED DISTRIBUTION. THESE ARE THE AREAS OF THE MOST NEEDED.

THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> I'LL SECOND.

>> WE HAVE A SECOND. >> DISCUSSION? >> PUBLIC COMMENT?

OR NO. >> WE WILL. >> YES.

>> DIANE? >> I WOULD INVITE MY COLLEAGUES AT THE TABLE TO RELOOK AT THIS CHART AND TO LOOK AT THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN AND GIVEN IF WE -- WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MARKETING -- LOOK AT THE SECOND PAGE. THAT MIGHT MAKE IT EVEN EASIER. THIS ONE.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE, I'M LOOKING AT THE ORANGE AND THE YELLOW COMPARED TO THE OTHER AREAS AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE SPENDING WITH THOSE TWO COMBINED 20 PERCENT OF OUR TOTAL COLLECTIONS ON THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE WITH MARKETING AND THE BEACHES AND ADMINISTRATIVE AND THE SPECIAL SERVICES GETTING THE BALANCE. AND I'M A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS AND I'M WONDERING IF WE NIGHT DO BETTER WITH THE ALLOCATION, SOMETHING ON THE ORDER OF ONE POINT -- I'M LOOKING AT THE GRAPH ON THE BOTTOM.

SOMETHING LIKE 1.81.31.9, WHICH DISTRIBUTES ASSETS WHICH DISTRIBUTES THE INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING IN THE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT FROM MARKETING TO VISITOR EXPERIENCE TO

INFRASTRUCTURE. >> PARDON ME, DIANE. CAN YOU REPEAT THE NUMBERS,

PLEASE. >> 1.8 -- ACTUALLY I'M LOOKING -- IF I CAN LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGES. 40 PERCENT IN THE TOP GREEN BOX WHICH WOULD BE FOR PROMOTION BUT ALL INCLUSIVE PROMOTION. 15 PERCENT TO CULTURE, 7 PERCENT TO LEISURE AND RECREATION, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE DISCUSSION WE'VE JUST HAD, WE'VE PILED ESPECIALLY WITH THE DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION AND OUR DESIRE TO BE STRONGER THERE, TO PUT MONEY BEHIND THAT NOT JUST WORDS. 40 PERCENT, 15 PERCENT, 7 PERCENT, 20 PERCENT,

18 PERCENT. >> QUESTION. I NEED SOME CLARIFICATION AGAIN AS TO THE NUMBERS AND THEN WHAT THAT MEANS. A LITTLE EXPLANATION OF WHAT THAT MEANS IN TERMS OF RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THOSE AREAS, SO THE PERCENTAGE IS CHANGING, AND WHAT RESPONSIBILITIES WOULD BE CHANGED?

>> ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE CURRENTLY IS FUNDING MARKETING AND PROMOTION LIKE $250,000, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, SO THERE'S THAT AND ANOTHER 20,000 GOING TO SOME KIND OF A CALENDAR, SO THE ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE INCLUDES PROMOTIONAL EXPENSES.

WHICH IS EVEN LESS MONEY GOING TOWARD VISITOR EXPERIENCES WHICH WE'VE HEARD FROM THE CULTURAL

[02:15:03]

>> THE ARGUE COULD BE IS ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THEY CAN PARK AT THE BEACH AND GET BEACH ACCESS AND IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THAT THEN MAYBE WE WOULD BE A LESS DESIRABLE THING.

I CAN SEE IT BOTH WAYS. >> UNIQUE ASSETS IN THIS COUNTY THAT NO OTHER PLACE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAS. IT'S THAT WE'RE THE OLDEST CITY SO WHAT ARE WE PUTTING TOWARD THAT? THERE'S GOLF AND THERE ARE BEACHES UP AND DOWN THE COAST BUT WHAT DISTINGUISHES US ARE OUR AMENITIES, OUR HISTORIC SITES AND WHAT HAPPENS AT THOSE

SITES. >> JOE? >> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

I TEND TO AGREE. I THINK MIKE AND I ARE ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH HERE, VISITOR EXPERIENCE, EVEN IF YOU USE THE TERM UNIQUE VISITOR EXPERIENCE, WHAT GENERATES THE TAX DOLLARS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO COME FOR THE BEACHES. THEY COME FOR THE BEACHES.

A LOT OF PEOPLE COME FOR THE BEACHES AND SOMETHING ELSE BUT THAT'S A BIG CHUNK TO EXCLUDE FROM VISITOR EXPERIENCE, IF YOU JUST PUT THE YELLOW AND THE IRONS TOGETHER AND SAY THOSE ARE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE DOLLARS AND THE REST ISN'T AND I DO THINK THAT THE BEACHES ARE VALUABLE AND I ALSO THINK IN THE ADMINISTRATION AND SPECIAL CATEGORY, TERA COULD TELL ME IF I'M INCORRECT, BUT THERE'S FIREWORKS AND THERE'S OTHER THINGS IN THERE THAT BRING VISITORS. IT'S A VISITOR EXPERIENCE. IT'S NOT UNIQUE.

YOU GO TO SAVANNAH FOR FIREWORKS IF YOU WANT BUT IT'S NOT UNIQUE BUT IT DOES BRING PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THE POT WHO STAY IN PUBLIC LODGING AND PAY THE BED TAX.

I THINK THIS IS A GREAT CONVERSATION. WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE STARTED EARLIER ON THIS BUT THIS IS A GREAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE IT'S COMING BACK A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT TERA TALKED ABOUT BEFORE AND YOU TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, OPENING UP A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHERE SHOULD SOME OF THE SERVICES BE. SHOULD THERE BE A CENTRAL MARKETING ENTITY FOR THIS DESTINATION AND NOT FARM IT OUT, NOT SHARE IT WITH OTHER AREAS. WOULD THAT BE MORE EFFICIENT AND FINANCIALLY AND FROM A WORK STANDPOINT? THAT'S SORT OF WHAT I THINK YOU

WERE. >> WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT MONTHS AGO.

>> SOME OF THIS HERE. >> I THINK THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE IS MUCH BROADER THAN

THE YELLOW AND ORANGE. >> I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO TERA BECAUSE, TERA, YOUR BREAKDOWN, YOU COULD HAVE MADE THE PERCENTAGES IN A BETTER LIGHT AND YOU GAVE US AN HONEST ANSWER, LIKE IF YOU WANTED TO MAKE ARTS AND CULTURE YOU COULD HAVE MOVED AMPHITHEATER AND DEBT SERVICE TO NUMBER TWO AND CHANGED THAT. YOU COULD HAVE CHANGED FIVE TO

[02:20:01]

AMPHITHEATER IS DOING AN AMAZING JOB. >> THERE WAS ALSO YACHT ROCK

REVIEW. >> SATURDAY NIGHT TOO. ALL THREE MUSIC EVENTS THAT WERE PHENOMENAL THAT CAME FROM I BELIEVETHE AMPHITHEATER DOES A GREAT JOB WITH THEIR MARKETING AND ALSO MARKETS OUR CITY. I KNOW OUR HOTELS WERE FILLED WITH CONCERTGOERS.

>> I WAS GOING TO PUT TEDDY OR DOUG ON THE SPOT. COULD YOU TELL EVERYBODY HOW MUCH THE BEACH PASSES HAS GONE IT LAST MONTH COMPARED TO LAST YEAR AND THEN -- I KNOW YOU ALL THAT FIGURE? IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, THAT'S FINE.

IT WAS UP FROM LAST MOTHER'S DAY FROM COVID BUT THE AMOUNT WAS ALMOST 30 -- I THINK IT WAS WELL OVER 35, $36,000 IN BEACH PASSES SOLD JUST THE PAST WEEK. WE HAD TO HAVE THE PARKS AND REC MEETINGS LAST MONTH AND IT'S KIND OF AN EQUAL THING. I DO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, FOR ME TO GO BACK TO A PLACE, MY EXPERIENCE HAS GOT TO BE GOOD. I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THE OTHER DAY I LEFT WORK AT 3:00 P.M. ON A SATURDAY TO GO TO THE ISLAND AND I ACCIDENTALLY DROVE THROUGH TOWN AND IT TOOK ME 45 MINUTES TO GET SOMEWHERE THAT USUALLY TAKES ME 20.

THAT IS NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE. IF YOU GO WHEN YOU'RE IN GRIDLOCK IT'S NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE. I LOOK AT IT'S A FINE BALANCE OF HOW MUCH YOU ADVERTISE SOMETHING AS BUSY AS CAN BE. HOW MUCH DO YOU PUT TOWARDS ENHANCING THE PRODUCT.

THAT'S ONE THING WE DID A STUDY ON THE FAIRGROUNDS. WE'RE STILL WAITING ON THAT.

TO TRY TO GET SOME OF OUR TOURISM OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY AND THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE COUNTY AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT BUT, YOU KNOW, I LIKE WHAT STAFF CAME UP WITH. I THINK IT'S A VIABLE THING. I DO AGREE THAT IN THE FUTURE WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT CENTRALIZING ADVERTISING, THE GRANT APPLICATIONS, WHY WE TAKE MONEY TO GIVE TO A COMPANY THAT ADVERTISES, AND WHETHER THEY ARE PROFESSIONALS OR NOT WE DON'T KNOW. SO WHY WOULDN'T WE HAVE THE PROFESSIONALS ADVERTISE THEIR EVENT AS PART OF THEIR CONTRACT WITH US. THAT'S THE WAY I LOOK AT THAT IT'S A FINE LINE. I CAN SEE IT. THE ONLY DOWNSIDE IS SETTING A PERCENTAGES, DO YOU EVER CAP IT. IF WE HAVE EIGHT, 10 PERCENT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ARE WE GOING TO SPEND EIGHT TO 10 PERCENT YEARLY ON ADVERTISING OR WILL WE TAKE THAT IN OTHER SECTIONS. MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS CAN TELL YOU THAT THE MAJORITY OF MY EMAILS ARE NOT ABOUT, HEY, ADVERTISE MORE. PLEASE BRING MORE PEOPLE TO ST.

AUGUSTINE AND ST. JOHNS COUNTY. IT'S THERE FOR JOBS. DON'T GET ME WRONG.

THAT'S GREAT. BUT THE AVERAGE PEOPLE ARE NOT EMAILING ME SAY,, HEY, BRING MORE PEOPLE. I CAN TELL YOU I DON'T GET ANY LIKE THAT.

IT'S ALWAYS THE OTHER LONG, HOW LONG IT'S TAKING THEM TO GET SOMEWHERE.

>> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. ONE COMMENT ABOUT THE NORTH PART OF THE COUNTY.

IT'S ABOUT GOLF BUT IT'S PRIMARILY BEACH AND PEOPLE COME TO THE RESORTS AND THE HOTELS UP THERE AND THEY DO VISIT. THEY CERTAINLY VISIT ST. AUGUSTINE AND OTHER PLACES BUT

IT'S BEACH-DRIVEN AND IT'S THAT TYPE OF EXPERIENCE AS WELL. >> I JUST WAS GOING TO SAY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR AVERAGE DAILY RATE, IT'S WAY HIGHER ON BOTH BEACHES, AND YOU GET TO THE OUTSIDE TOWARDS 95, IT'S CHEAPER. PEOPLE ARE COMING TO STAY AND

PAY THAT PREMIUM TO BE ON THE BEACHES. >> DO YOU HAVE THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE INCOME? IT'S THE SLIDE THAT SHOWED THE REVENUES THAT WE RECEIVED BY

[02:25:04]

ZIP CODE. >> IT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR BOOK. I CAN PUT IT UP ON THE SCREEN.

UNDER REPORTS TAB. >> I'LL SAVE THIS COMMENT FOR LATER BUT CAN WE GET A BIGGER

PHONE. >> I LEFT MY BY BIFOCALS. >> REMEMBER THE GRAPH THAT WE HAD. I'D ACTUALLY GRAPHED THE REVENUES AND ST. AUGUSTINE

BROUGHT IN MORE. >> THE 3208 ZIP CODE IS LARGER. IT GOES OUT PAST THE INTERSTATE.

YOU HIT EVERY ONE OF THE AIRBNBS AND SHORT TERM RENTALS BUT IT DID COLLECT MORE.

YOU ARE RIGHT. >> I DID THE ANALYSIS BY ZIP CODE AND IT SHOWED ST.

AUGUSTINE WAS THE HIGHEST YIELD. >> IT'S A LITTLE BIGGER AREA FOR ZIP CODE BUT DEFINITELY BIGGER.

>> THAT'S CORRECT. 32080 -- 32080 IS THE ISLAND. 32084 IS A LARGE SWATH?

>> THE CITY IS 32084. >> THE REASON I KNOW THAT IS BECAUSE I READ THE COVID MAPS EVERY DAY. IT GOES ALSO BY ZIP CODE WHICH BRINGS A POINT.

I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATUTE IS. WHY DO WE COLLECT BY ZIP CODE? WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF IN THE DARK SO TO SPEAK WITH THE -- THAT WE DO ALL OUR NUMBERS BY ZIP CODE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T REALLY GIVE US -- IT'S TOO BROAD.

I'VE ALWAYS FELT LIKE 32084 IS JUST TOO BROAD TO REALLY REFLECT WHAT THE ACTUAL REVENUES ARE IN

ST. AUGUSTINE. >> THE TAX COLLECTORS OFFICE, I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE'S OTHER OPTIONS. I CAN CHECK WITH THEM. I GUESS WOULD YOU HAVE A

SUGGESTION OF ANOTHER WAY TO TRACK IT THAN ZIP CODE? >> I DON'T BUT I'LL THINK ABOUT

IT AND GET BACK TO YOU. >> OKAY. >> ANY MORE COMMENTS?

>> I WANTED TO -- IS THERE A WAY WE CAN GET THE DISTRIBUTION BY CATEGORY IN DOLLARS?

CAN WE GET THAT SLIDE UP? >> YES. WHAT I WAS GOING TO COMMENT ON, OVER THE PAST THREE MEETINGS WE HAD COMMENTARY FROM ALL DIFFERENT SORTS OF FOLKS COMING IN HERE SAYING WE NEED THIS AND THAT AND IT WAS DISTRIBUTED PRETTY BROADLY ACROSS EVERY CATEGORY SO I KIND OF THOUGHT, WELL, WHY NOT TAKE THE 5TH CENT AND MAYBE NOT DISCONTRIBUTE

IT EQUALLY BUT MAKE SURE EACH CATEGORY IS GETTING SOMETHING. >> CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE

POWERPOINT? >> RESTORING CATEGORY ONE AND $300,000 I BELIEVE -- SORRY.

1.5, THE CHANGE IN THE BUDGET. $900,000 WAS THE CATEGORY. TWO, $300,00.

THREE, $300,000. FOUR IS GETTING THE BULK OF IT AT 1.5 MILLION, AND YET THE BEACHES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NOT GOING TO SEE ANY KIND OF AN INCREASE.

I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST SHIFTING A TENTH OR TWO FROM CATEGORY FOUR TO CATEGORY FIVE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE ADDITIONAL FUNDS GOING TOWARDS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BIGGEST ASSET.

>> MAYBE TERA CAN COMMENT ON THAT BUT I THINK THAT THE BEACH, IF YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT WAS AT 1.2 AND THEN WITH THE RENOURISHMENT WENT TO THREE, SO YOU COULD SEE THAT IT HAS GOTTEN A $1.8 MILLION INCREASE, SO THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT INCREASING IT, TO ME, I CAN KIND OF BUY INTO THAT BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS EXCESSIVE INCREASE RELATIVE TO THE OTHERS SO IF YOU CAN SEE IN THE PRIOR CATEGORY ONE, ACTUALLY DECREASED FROM 5.4, TO 4.5.

CATEGORY TWO DECREASED BY 300,000. CATEGORY THREE STAYED THE SAME.

CATEGORY FOUR, YOU KNOW, DECREASED BY 600,000. IT'S LOGICAL TO ME ON A PERCENTAGE BASIS IF YOU LOOK ON THE SLIDE, THIS IS ONE WHERE THE RAW NUMBERS DON'T QUITE MAYBE

[02:30:07]

THREE. >> DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT WAS REALLOCATED WHEN THAT WAS DONE,

TERA? TO CATEGORY FIVE AT THAT POINT? >> CATEGORY FIVE WAS BRAND NEW

JUST TWO YEARS AGO, CORRECT? >> RIGHT. CORRECT.

HERE'S THE TABLE. HERE'S THE DIFFERENT VERSION. TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION AT HAND IS REMEMBER GOING BACKWARDS WHAT I DID WAS I MODIFIED THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE HERE IN CATEGORY THREE AND FIVE TO TEASE OUT BEACH RENOURISHMENT, SO TECHNICALLY IN MY TOP ROW OF PRE'19 REALLOCATION THERE WAS NO CATEGORY FIVE BUT THAT WE COULD SEE BEFORE THE '19 ALLOCATION, WHAT WE WERE DOING IS GIVING .4 PENNIES TO BEACH EXPENDITURES AND THEN AS PART OF THAT '19

ALLOCATION WE INCREASED IT BY .6 CENTS FROM .4, TO 1.0. >> THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD IT, AND THE WAY WE GOT SPORT BASICALLY IT'S MAKING THE OTHER -- WE GOT SUPPORT IS MAKING THE OTHER CATEGORIES WHOLE FROM '19. HOW MUCH YEAR TO DATE OF THAT 3 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT OR IS

THAT JUST SAVING FOR A RAINY DAY? >> THE 3 MILLION IS ALLOCATED IN ITS ENTIRETY. WHAT I DID WAS I TOOK, WHEN I WAS TEASING THE SUPPORT BECAUSE WE, THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, DIDN'T CLARIFY THIS LAST TIME.

WHAT I DID WAS I ACTUALLY TOOK THE ALLOCATED FUNDS FOR BEACH EXPENDITURES AND I ROLLED THOSE INTO CATEGORY FIVE. WHEN YOU ALL WERE DISCUSSING THE RESTORATION TO PRE2019 WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS CATEGORY THREE, TO THE BOTTOM, PICKED UP A .1. I LEFT IT IN CATEGORY THREE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE WERE DISCUSSING IT. WHAT'S IN CATEGORY FIVE, THE

$3 MILLION, ONE PENNY IS ALLOCATED. >> IS IT SPENT OR DEDICATED?

I HEARD EARLIER WE DON'T HAVE A PROJECT. >> THAT $3 MILLION IS, QUOTE/UNQUOTE, SPENT. SOME IS FOR RESTROOM CLEANINGS AND TRASH PICKUP AND THINGS THAT

WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE YEARS -- [CROSSTALK] -- >> PART OF THE CONTRACT OUT OF

THREE. >> THAT'S RIGHT. BUT IT'S STUFF THAT IS ALLOCATED TOWARDS A CURRENT ONGOING PROJECT SO THERE'S NONE LIKE IN HOLDING I GUESS.

>> OKAY. THE OTHER PART OF THAT, TERA, IN CATEGORY FOUR, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND SPECIAL USES, WHICH IS RECEIVING THE LARGEST OF THE INCREASES, IT'S NOT LIMITED TO NOT BEING SPENT, LIKE THERE'S A PARKING PROJECT AT THE BEACH OR NEAR THE BEACH TO HELP.

SOME OF THAT CATEGORY FOUR MONEY COULD BE USED TO IMPROVE THE BEACH EXPERIENCE EVEN THOUGH

IT'S NOT SENT ON BEEN REIN OTHER WORDS RICH MEANT. >> A SELECTIVE YES.

WITH THE MODDED INDICATION OF THE EXISTING CATEGORY FIVE, TOURISM ASSETS, BUT IF IT'S BEACH ONLY, CATEGORY FOUR IS THE MOST FLEXIBLE CATEGORY AND IT'S ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES, SPECIAL USES AND SPECIAL EVENTS AND IT DOES OUTLINE THE -- THE PLAN OUTLINES THE BULLET POINTS OF ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES, AND MORE, BUT IT HAS LANGUAGE THAT SAYS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SO IT IS YOUR MOST FLEXIBLE CATEGORY. IN I PROJECT HAS TO BE TOURISM-RELATED AND JUSTIFIED. BUT CATEGORY FOUR IS THE MOST FLEXIBLE.

>> . >> MICHAEL, ONE MORE QUESTION. IF THE COUNTY COMMISSION DOES NOT APPROVE THE 5TH CENT, THEN ARE THESE PERCENTAGES AND THESE CHANGES, ARE THEY GOING TO GO --

WILL THEY BE MOVED ON? >> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. WE CAN CERTAINLY CLARIFY BECAUSE I THINK THE PRESUMPTION IS THAT AT THE CHANGES TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN WILL BE PURSUED IF THE 5TH CENT IS LEVIED BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS

[02:35:01]

>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. THEY'RE SEPARATE, RIGHT? -- [INDISCERNIBLE] .

>> THE WAY IT'S TEED UP, IF IT'S LEVIES, SO IF WE WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WE WOULD

PROBABLY WANT TO CLARIFY THAT. >> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS?

>> WE NEED PUBLIC COMMENT, I BELIEVE. ANYBODY ON THE PHONE? PUBLIC COMMENT? THIS IS ABOUT THE -- THERE'S A MOTION.

A SECOND. WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT. IT'S DONE.

[8. GOVERNMENT SUNSHINE LAW OVERVIEW Government Sunshine Law Overview]

ANOTHER ROLL CALL. >> DANNEY BERENBERG. >> NO.

>> TROY BLEVINS. >> YES. >> JOE FINNEGAN.

>> YES. >> MICHAEL GORDON. >> YES.

>> MATARAZA. >> NO. >> VICE MAYOR SAMORA.

>> YES. >> VICE MAYOR SIKES-KLINE. >> YES.

>> PAUL WALDRON. >> YES. >> MICHAEL WICKS.

>> MOTION PASSES. NO. 7 ON THE AGENDA IS COMPLETE AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO NO. 8.

REGINA, SUNSHINE LAW OVERVIEW. I CAN'T READ THE CLOCK IN THE BACK.

IT'S 4:08 NOW. >> SO IN THE INTEREST OF BEING ABBREVIATED HERE, PRESENTATION HERE IN YOUR PACKET, AND I'M GUESSING THAT YOU ALL HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE PRESENTATION SO I'M NOT GOING TO BELABOR IT BY GOING SLIDE BY SLIDE FOR YOU.

I'LL GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW AND AGAIN OUR OFFICE IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS TO FILL IN THE GAP. WHAT YOU HAVE IS AN OVERVIEW OF OPEN GOVERNMENT WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE SUNSHINE LAW, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PROVISION AS WELL AS PUBLIC RECORDS.

BY NOW I THINK WE ALL KNOW BUT I THINK IT ALWAYS GOES REPEATING, THE SUNSHINE LAW PROVIDES RIGHT OF ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT PROCEEDINGS AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS UNLESS THERE'S A STATUTORY EXCEPTION AND SOME IT APPLIES TO ANY GATHERING WITH TWO OR MORE MEMBERS OF THE SAME BODY, DISCUSSING SOMETHING THAT WILL FULFILL -- COME TO YOU FOR A BOARD DECISION. THE SCOPE OF THE SUNSHINE LAW APPLIES TO OUR ELECTED BODIES AS WELL AS OUR APPOINTED BODIES AND IT COVERS CONVERSATIONS AND YOU'LL NOTICE IF YOU REVIEWED THE STATUTE THE WORD MEETINGS IS NOT DEFINED SO PEOPLE TYPICALLY THINK WHEN WE ALL GATHER HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM THAT YOU SHOULD BE MINDFUL THAT MEETINGS INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL CONVERSATIONS, YOUR TEXT MESSAGING, YOUR SOCIAL MEETINGS, WHEN TWO OR MORE ARE DISCUSS BOARD MEETINGS YOU COULD POSSIBLY HAVE A SUNSHINE LAW VIOLATION. SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT IS BECOMING VERY BIG AS MORE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND THE AGENCIES ESTABLISH FACEBOOK SITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA SITES, INSTAGRAM SITES WHICH ALLOW NO COMMENT. YOU HAVE TO BE VERY MINDFUL THAT YOU DON'T START MAKING COMMENTS ON POSTS THAT YOU SEE THAT TWO OF YOU GET ENGAGED IN A CONVERSATION ON A MATTER THAT MAY COME BEFORE YOUR COUNCIL SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR.

WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF JURISDICTIONS THAT HAVE ESTABLISHED THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE AND THEY HADN'T CONTEMPLATED A DISCUSSION COULD BREAK OUT ON A FACEBOOK POST, SOMETHING THAT SEEMS LIGHT AND BOUNCY HAPPENING, AN EVENT, A ROAD PROJECT, AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT A COUPLE OF PEOPLE HAVE STARTED COMMENTING, COMMISSIONERS OF THE SAME BOARD, MEMBERS OF THE SAME BOARD STARTED COMMENTING AND YOU HAVE A POTENTIAL SUNSHINE LAW VIOLATION SO JUST BE MINDFUL OF YOUR CONVERSATIONS AND MEETINGS MANAGER BEYOND THE MEETINGS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THIS AUDITORIUM.

TYPICALLY THE SUNSHINE LAW APPLIES TO PUBLIC MEETINGS OF ELECTED OFFICIALS.

I DIDN'T TYPICALLY APPLY TO STAFF BUT THAT COULD HAPPEN AS WELL SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN TASKED WITH DECISION-MAKING, WEIGHING OPTIONS THAT WILL COME BEFORE YOU, THAT DECISION-MAKING PROCESS IS WHAT THE SUNSHINE LAW GETS TOWARDS SO THOSE MEETINGS AS WELL CAN BE CAPTURED UP IN THE SUNSHINE LAW. THERE'S THREE BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE SUNSHINE LAW, THE

[02:40:01]

BOARD MEETINGS, WE CAN DRAFT REASONABLE RULES FOR DECORUM AND NONDISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR, SECTION 286.0114 DOES ALLOW FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND THIS PROVISION IS RELATIVELY NEW TO THE SUNSHINE LAW, WHERE BEFORE THE BOARD TAKES OFFICIAL ACTION ON A PROPOSITION THE PUBLIC IS AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND VOICE ITS OPINION AND AGAIN THE BOARD CAN ESTABLISH RULES OF DECORUM HOWEVER THAT IS A REQUIREMENT. THAT'S A STATUTORY RIGHT GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC TO OPEN ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT AND TO PARTICIPATE IN DECISION-MAKING PROCEDURES SO YOU'VE SEEN US BE VERY MINDFUL OF PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE WE TAKE VOTES ON MATTERS THAT YOU CONSIDER THAT OFFICIAL ACTION WE DO GIVE THE PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY AND THAT IS A STATUTELY RIGHT FOR THE PUBLIC. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU VIOLATE THE SUNSHINE LAW, DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE, BUT IF THE EVENT IN ANOTHER JURISDICTION, CIVIL ACTION CAN TAKE PLACE AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES AND POSSIBLE REMOVAL OR SUSPENSION FROM OFFICE.

CHAPTER 119, AND I THINK YOU'VE BECOME FAMILIAR WITH PUBLIC RECORDS.

PUBLIC RECORDS, THE LAW GUARANTEES A RIGHT, THE PUBLIC A RIGHT TO ACCESS PUBLIC INFORMATION. WHAT IS A PUBLIC RECORD? PRACTICALLY ANYTHING.

IT INCLUDES DOCUMENTS, PAPERS, LETTERS, MAPS, BOOKS, TAPE THE, PHOTOGRAPHS, FILMS, SOUND RECORDING, DATA PROCESSING SOFTWARE AND ANY MATERIAL REGARDLESS OF ITS PHYSICAL FORM, ITS CHARACTERISTICS OR MEANS OF TRANSMISSION. THINGS PEOPLE DON'T TYPICALLY TALK ABOUT, PUBLIC RECORDS, AN EMAIL, AN EMAIL THAT DEALS WITH YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE COUNTY IS A PUBLIC RECORD. IF YOU LOOK AT THE SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH BULLET POINTS THERE, ANYTHING THAT'S MADE OR RECEIVED PURSUANT TO A ORDINANCE OR LAW IN IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSACTION OF YOUR OFFICIAL BUSINESS, IT'S BY ANY PUBLIC AGENCIES WHICH IS USED TO PERPETUATE, COMMUNICATE OR FORMALIZED KNOWLEDGE. MY EMAIL TO THE CHAIR NOTIFYING HIM OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS IN A MEETING, THAT'S A PUBLIC RECORD.

MY TEXT MESSAGE REGARDING THE DISTRIBUTION OF TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX REVENUES, THAT IS A PUBLIC RECORD. MY FACEBOOK POST REGARDING THE THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE AND THE DIRECTION I GOT FROM THE COMMISSION, THAT IS A PUBLIC RECORD.

YOU HAVE TO BE MINDFUL. I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE THINK ABOUT THE TRADITIONAL THINGS, THE THINGS WE PUT OUR HANDS ON, THE PAPER, SOME OF THE PAPERS THAT CROSS OUR DESK, CONTRACTS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT BE MINDFUL OF YOUR COMMUNICATION, YOUR MESSAGES THAT YOU LEAVE, ELECTRONIC MESSAGES AND SOCIAL MEDIA SEEMS TO BE THE PIT FALL WHEN IT COMES TO OPEN RECORDS.

IF YOU HAVE AN OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE, EVEN YOUR UNOFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE, BE MINDFUL.

IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT I'M USING MY OWN PERSONAL CELL PHONE TO TEXT MESSAGES.

IF I'M USING MY OWN PERSONAL CELL PHONE TO TEXT MESSAGES DEALING WITH WHAT I DO HERE FOR ST. JOHNS COUNTY THEY'RE PUBLIC RECORDS AND SUBJECT TO DISCLOSURE, PUBLIC DISCLOSURE.

MANY TIMES WE THINK ABOUT THE MEDIA, WHERE WE ARE, IF I'M ONLINE OR ON MY OWN PERSONAL COMPUTER, COULD IT POSSIBLY BE A PUBLIC RECORD. THAT IS NOT TRUE.

YOU NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE INFORMATION AND HOW YOU STORE IT AND WHERE YOU STORE IT AND HOW YOU GENERATE IT, WHO YOU SHARE IT WITH, AND YOU NEED TO BE MINDFUL THAT WHEN YOU TYPE THIS EMAIL YOU'RE NOT TYPING THIS EMAIL TO MR. BLEVINS, IT'S ME AND HIM AND EVERY CITIZEN OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA. BE MINDFUL THAT THESE COMMUNICATIONS ARE PUBLIC RECORD UNLESS IT IS EXEMPT. IF THE INFORMATION IS EXEMPT THE STATUTE PROVIDES THAT THAT EXCEPTION HAS TO BE -- EXEMPTION HAS TO BE READ VERY NARROW. THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW IS TO PUT SUNSHINE ON IT, TO MAKE IT OPEN. SO IF THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER IT'S EXEMPT, IT SEEMS,

[02:45:06]

SOME OF THE THINGS, I'M JUST GOING TO SKIP OVER HERE. YOU CAN READ ABOUT FEES AND RETENTION. THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY APPLY TO YOU BUT JUST BE AWARE OF THOSE. THE INFORMATION IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET AND, AGAIN, VIOLATIONS FOR NOT COMPLYING WITH THE SUNSHINE LAW, NOT COMPLYING WITH THE PUBLIC RECORDS LAW, ABSOLUTELY. CRIMINAL PENALTIES, CIVIL ACTION AND ATTORNEY'S FEES.

I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE AT MY OFFICE. IF YOU HAVE A PUBLIC RECORDS QUESTION OR SUNSHINE LAW QUESTION, FROM TIME TO TIME I GET THOSE BUT OUR OFFICE IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST WITH THAT. IF YOU RECEIVER A PUBLIC RECORD REQUESTS AND YOU'RE NOT QUITE SURE, WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS OR HANDLE IT OR HOW DO WE PROCESS THIS, GIVE ME A CALL AND WE'LL WALK YOU THROUGH PRODUCING FOR THE PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST AND WE'LL NOTATE IT AND HELP YOU PROCESS THAT SO OUR OFFICE IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTION NOW AS WELL. >> THANK YOU, REGINA.

QUESTIONS FOR REGINA? >> I HAVE ONE. REGINA, I DO A PODCAST AND IF I HAVE A GUEST COME IN AND THEY SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT, IS THAT MY RESPONSIBILITY OR IS IT JUST

WHAT I SAY? >> IT'S NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. IT'S THE PUBLIC AGENCY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DEAL WITH PUBLIC RECORDS. IF YOU HAVE A COMMISSIONER AS A GUEST ON YOUR PODCAST AND ANOTHER COMMISSIONER CALLS IN AND THEY START TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING, THEN IT'S FORESEEABLE GOING TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD OR BEFORE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR DISCUSSION, FOR A DECISION, YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE PUBLIC, YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE SUNSHINE LAW VIOLATION BECAUSE YOU HAVE A GATHERING OF TWO OR MORE PEOPLE, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE NOT PHYSICALLY PRESENT, YOU HAVE THAT GATHERING AND THEY'RE HAVING THAT INFORMATION AND THEY'RE DISCUSSING SOMETHING THAT WILL FORESEEABLE COME BEFORE THEM SO

THE TWO. >> I COULDN'T HAVE ANYBODY HERE AS MY GUEST TO TALK ABOUT ON THE

PODCAST. >> IF YOU PUBLICLY NOTICE THAT MEETING AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION BY THE PUBLIC. BUT I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TO MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD APPEAR IN THE SAME PLACE WITHOUT IT BEING PUBLICLY NOTICED AND COMPLY WITH ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SUNSHINE LAW BECAUSE YOU RUN THE RISK OF RUNNING AFOUL.

[9. SPORTS TOURISM UPDATE]

I TRY TO MAKE MYSELF AS AVAILABLE AS POSSIBLE SO ANY TIME YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS AND DEFINITELY CALL ME BEFORE YOU ACT IF THERE'S A QUESTION.

>> DIANE, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? >> NO.

THANK YOU. ANY TIMEOUT I REACHED OUT TO REGINA IT'S LIKE HOURS AND I

HEAR BACK FROM HER, NEVER EVEN 24 HOURS SO THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, REGINA. >> YES. >> SPORTS TOURIST UPDATE, TERA?

>> I WANTED TO GIVE EVERYONE A QUICK UPDATE ON OUR EFFORTS FOR SPORTS TOURISM DEVELOPMENT.

IT WAS DISCUSSED BY THIS BOARD BACK IN FEBRUARY AND WE TALKED ABOUT MOVING FORWARD WITH A TEAM COMPRISED OF COUNTY STAFF FROM THE PARKS AND REC AND THE CULTURAL DEPARTMENT.

WE'VE PUT THAT TOGETHER AND WE'VE MET THREE TIMES. SOME THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING IS IDENTIFYING USAGE PATTERNS BETWEEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPORTS AND THE SEASONAL PATTERNS TOO TO IDENTIFY LULLS OR OPPORTUNITIES OF WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GO AND PLUG IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF EVENTS OR ADDITIONAL USAGE OF THE TYPES OF EVENTS THAT ARE IN THE FIELD AT THAT TIME. WE'RE WORKING ON ASSESSING THE FACILITIES TO IDENTIFY IMPROVEMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND USE AND THIS IS A VARIETY OF THINGS.

IT COULD BE HOW ARE WE UTILIZING SOME OF THE AREAS OF THE FACILITY THAT AREN'T APPROPRIATELY OR MOST EFFECTIVELY BEING USED AT THIS TIME.

WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE FIELDS WE HAVEN'T SEEN IF WE ADD SOME TYPE OF AMENITY, A DIDN'T OVERLAY OF STRIPING OR ADDITIONAL SEATING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, CAN WE EXPAND THE USE OF THAT FACILITY. ASSESSING OUR OTHER NONTRADITIONAL COUNTY SPORTS PROGRAMS OF PROGRAMS SUCH AS FISHING PROGRAMS, FISHING AND BOATING OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE IF WE HAVE INTERESTED GROUPS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT FACILITIES AND DIFFERENT VENUES

[02:50:02]

WE'VE MET A COUPLE OF TIMES. AT THE MOMENT ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FUNDING THIS YEAR, IN FISCAL YEAR '21 BECAUSE OF THE REDUCED REVENUES FROM COVID COLLECTIONS, SO WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DOLLARS TO WORK WITH BUT WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATIONS WITH SOME GROUPS. WE'RE PLANNING TO HAVE MONEY AVAILABLE AS PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR '22 BUDGET FOR THE SPORTS TOURISM DEVELOPMENT GRANT. STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING ON UPDATING THAT DEVELOPMENT GRANT, THE PROGRAM OVERALL, AND AT THE MOMENT WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT WE'VE HAVE AT LEAST 18 APPLICATIONS FOR THE PROGRAM NEXT YEAR.

THAT TOTAL, $265,500, AND THAT'S FOR A VARIETY OF EVENTS INCLUDING THINGS LIKE SOCCER AND BASEBALL AND GOLF AND PICKLEBALL, FISHING AND BOATING EVENTS.

JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW. LIKE I SAID, WE'LL KEEP MEETING AND WE'LL KEEP BRINGING YOU GUYS

UPDATES AND SOME POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS IN THE COMING MONTHS. >> .

>> THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FOR TERA? >> MR. CHAIRMAN, I RECOLLECT THAT THIS WAS GOING TO ALSO EXAMINE WHETHER WE WOULD HAVE A SPORTS COMMISSION AND I THOUGHT THAT WE ASKED TROY AND JACK PETERS TO BE INVITED. HAS THAT HAPPENED?

I DON'T SEE ANY DISCUSSION OF THE COMMISSION HERE. >> SO THE ORIGINAL REQUEST FROM THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL WAS TO COME AND BRING AN UPDATE OF WHERE WE WERE ON SPORTS COMMISSION AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS THAT THERE WAS A FAIR AMOUNT OF PRELIMINARY WORK FOR STAFF TO DO AND TO COORDINATE IN ORDER TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE COULD EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENT A SPORTS COMMISSION. WE'RE NOT REALLY -- THIS TEAM ISN'T REALLY DISCUSSING WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD HAVE A SPORTS COMMISSION.

IT'S REALLY KIND OF DOING SOME OF THAT INITIAL LEGWORK TO SET THE FOUNDATION SO THAT IF WE, THE COUNTY, WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SPORTS COMMISSION SIX OR 12 MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD WE HAVE SOME OF THAT FOUNDATIONAL DATA PUT TOGETHER THAT WE COULD -- LIKE USE PAT 10TH INNINGS. IF WE WERE TO BRING IN A SPORTS COMMISSION NOW THEY WOULD TURN TO STAFF AND SAY WHAT INFORMATION DO YOU HAVE FOR ME AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS GROUP IS DOING. IT'S KIND OF A PRECURSOR TO A SPORTS COMMISSION AS OPPOSED TO

SOMEBODY DEBATING THE MERITS OF A SPORTS COMMISSION. >> WE HAVE NOTHING FOR THE BOARD

OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AT THIS POINT ON THE COMMISSION? >> NO.

WE'RE NOT WORKING ON A RECOMMENDATION I GUESS TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR COMMISSION AT THIS TIME. THE OTHER PART OF THAT, WITH INCLUDING PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHEN STAFF MET AND AS WE GOT TO PLACES WHERE WE WERE LOOKING FOR EXPANDED INPUT ON OPPORTUNITIES OR HOW TO PURSUE SOME OF THESE IDENTIFIED OPPORTUNITIES AFTERNOON WE FINISHEDDED ASSESSING ALL OF OUR FACILITIES THEN WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS OR THE PUBLIC MEETINGS AND INCLUDE KEY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COMMUNITY SUCH AS MR. BLEVINS, JACK PETER AND MEMBERS OF THE FLAGLER COLLEGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO WE WERE GOING TO HAVE AN INTERNAL STAFF GROUP THAT MET AND LOOKED AT OUR RESOURCES AND GOT TOGETHER POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES AND THEN HAVE OUR EXTERNAL PUBLIC USER GROUP MEETINGS WHERE WE GET INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY AND BRING THAT TO THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND IF YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS BASED ON WHAT STAFF BROUGHT YOU YOU CAN DO SO. IT'S KIND OF THE SETUP.

>> ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION. HAVE WE HEARD ANYTHING FROM AN ORGANIZATION BY THE NAME OF

SPORTS I HAVE SPORTS ITCH? >> THAT'S THE FACILITY NEAR

DURBIN. >> YES. >> WE DROVE BY IT THE OTHER DAY

AND. >> DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.

>> I DO NOT. I'LL WORK WITH SOME OF OUR STAFF AND SEE IF I KNOW.

THEY HAVE NOT REACHED OUT TO ME DIRECTLY. >> IS IT ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF

THE ROAD? >> YEAH. IT'S ON THE.

>> IT'S IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY. >> IT'S A HUGE FACILITY AND THEY HAVE ONE IN DUVAL.

>> IT'S PHENOMENAL. >> THEY HAVEN'T BEEN AROUND TO TALK TO US.

[10. MONTHLY REPORTS PROVIDED IN PACKETS Reports Packet]

>> IF THEY HAVE, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THEY HAVEN'T, BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF THEM COMING OUT TO US.

[11. MEMBER COMMENTS]

>> THANK YOU. >> IT IS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF RACETRACK.

>> THANK YOU. >> I DID THE SAME THING, DROVE BY.

>> LOOKED IT UP. IT'S PHENOMENAL. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR TERA?

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. RICHARD? >> NO.

>> . >> I'M NOT GOING TO SEE YOU TODAY.

THE REPORTS ARE IN THE PACKETS. ANY OTHER MEMBER COMMENTS TODAY? >> JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS.

[02:55:10]

INCLUDES FURTHER UP THE BEACH, SO IT MIXES IT UP. >> I'LL LOOK INTO WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES DO AND I'LL REACH OUT TO DENNIS HOLLINGSWORTH. WE CAN EXPLORE OTHER

OPPORTUNITIES. >> THANK YOU. I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

THE OTHER THING, I WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE CITY'S MOBILITY PLAN.

WE HAVE BEEN WORKING, THE SPEAKER WAS CORRECT, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON A MOBILITY PLAN, AS MANY OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE DOESN'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION CONCURRENCY.

WE DON'T HAVE THE POPULATION. WE HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN ABLE TO SPECIFICALLY COLLECT TRANSPORTATION TAXES OR DOLLARS FOR THE PURPOSE OF RELIEVING CONGESTION BY USING THAT STATUTE. WHAT WE HAVE DONE AND A LOT OF OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE IS CREATE MOBILITY PLANS WHICH PROVIDE FOR A WAY TO COLLECT A FEE OR A TAX SO TO SPEAK ON NEW DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT THAT CREATES ADDITIONAL IMPACTS TO ROADWAYS, SO WE BEGAN THAT PROCESS AND IT'S KIND OF A LONG PROCESS BECAUSE IT'S OBVIOUSLY A BIG INSTRUMENT.

IT'S A PLAN. YES, IT'S A PLAN BUT IT WILL BE A PLAN THAT HELPS US GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO ADDRESS OUR TRANSPORTATION NEEDS. I'M QUITE SURE IT WILL WON'T BE ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO DO ALL OF IT BUT IT WILL BE SOMETHING SO I JUST WANTED TO UPDATE YOU ON

THAT. THANK YOU. >> WHILE WE'RE ON THAT SUBJECT, I KNOW THAT WILL THIS ISN'T ON THE PURVIEW OF THIS PARTICULAR GROUP BUT AS IT RELATES TO TOURISM AND THE CHALLENGES THAT IT PRESENTS TO US IN TERMS OF MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION, AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF REVENUE, THE LAST TIME I CHECKED IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING ST. JOHNS DOES NOT COLLECT THE NICKEL ON THE GAS TAX.

IS THAT STILL THE CASE? DO WE KNOW THAT? WE DON'T.

SO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO COLLECT IT AND WE JUST DON'T. >> I DON'T THINK IT'S A NICKEL.

I THINK THERE'S MAYBE ONE OR TWO MORE PENNIES WE COULD ADD TO IT. WE COLLECT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF BED TAX. WE'RE NOT AS HIGH AS WE COULD BE.

>> RIGHT. WE HAVE A GASOLINE. >> I'M SORRY.

GAS TAX. >> I THINK IT'S FIVE CENTS THOUGH -- [CROSSTALK] --

>> NOT FIVE, I DON'T THINK. >> I'M NOT SURE THE AMOUNT THAT'S STILL AVAILABLE TO THE COUNTY. WE CAN GET THE INFORMATION AND PROVIDE THAT TO YOU.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT. >> I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FULL, UP TO.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT. IT'S A THING AS WE'RE LOOKING TO THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND QUALITY OF LIFE BOTH FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS AND GUESTS, IF WE'RE LEAVING THOSE TYPES OF DOLLARS ON THE TABLE IT WOULD HELP. BUT WE COULD MAKE IT KNOWN IF THOSE DOLLARS WERE ABLE AND WE WEREN'T PURSUING THOSE DOLLARS THAT THIS BOARD WOULD RECOMMEND THE COUNTY COMMISSION CAN CONSIDER PURSUING THOSE DOLLARS FOR THE BENEFIT OF TOURISM AND MOBILITY.

>> MAY I RESPOND? >> YES. >> THANK YOU.

THE GAS TAX HAS BEEN DISCUSSED MANY TIMES AND IT'S UP TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THEY HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO IMPOSE NEW TAXES SO TO SPEAK. I WILL SAY THAT I DO KNOW THAT THE DUVAL COUNTY AND THE JACKSONVILLE MAYOR HAVE -- I BELIEVE THE SUGGESTION WAS LAST WEEK, THE SUGGESTION WAS DOUBLING THE GAS TAX AND JACKSONVILLE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MUCH DISCUSSION ABOUT AS WE MOVE INTO MORE FUEL EFFICIENT VEHICLES AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES, THE DEFICIT IS GOING TO BE AN EXTREME IMPACT AS WE GO FURTHER AND FURTHER SO COMMUNITIES

[03:00:06]

SUGGESTION THEY'LL DOUBLE THEIRS. >> THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? >> I HAVE ONE COMMENT. JUST A QUESTION.

WHEN WE VOTE, DANNY ALWAYS HAS TO VOTE FIRST. >> ALPHABETICAL.

>> CAN'T WE REVERSE IT. THE FIRST FIVE VOTES ARE THE MOST THEY ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO. IT'S A LOT OF PRESSURE ON DANNY AND THEN I'M SECOND.

>> -- [INDISCERNIBLE] . >> I'LL DISAGREE WITH YOU. I DON'T THINK HE FEELS ANY

PRESSURE WHATSOEVER. >> I WAS JUST WONDERING IF WE SHOULD SWITCH THAT YOU EVERY

ONCE IN A WHILE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> INTERESTING QUESTION, TROY.

THANK YOU. >> ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU.

[12. NEXT MEETING DATE – June 21, 2021]