Jun 17, 2024 Tourist Development Council

[Items 1 - 3 ]

[00:00:45]

>> COULD YOU JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE?

>> I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

>> CAN WE HAVE THE ROLL CALL PLEASE?

>> COMMISSIONER ARNOLD? MICHAEL GORDON? GAIL PHILLIPS ?

[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

>>

[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]

[6. PUBLIC COMMENT]

>> AYE. >> OPPOSED?

>> I NEED APPROVAL OF MINUTES , MAY 20TH, 2024.

>> SO MOVED. >> SECOND.

>> ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR ?

>> AYE . >> OPPOSED? OKAY. NOW WE ARE

READY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. >> I AM GOING TO ACTUALLY LEAD OFF THIS . I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A FAIR NUMBER OF FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY AND I CAN GUESS THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY COMMENTING. WE ARE GOING TO ASK, IF YOU ARE HERE, YOU NEED TO SPEAK TO THE STATE OF THE STATE BUDGET FOR ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS REPAIRED ITEM NUMBER NINE. IF YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE AGENDA YOU WILL SAY -- SEE THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER NINE, WE WERE NOT ASKING TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION ON THAT TODAY. HOWEVER, WE WILL CERTAINLY MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. SO, FOR NOT PUBLIC COMMENT OR, PUBLIC COMMENT NOT RELATED TO THE AGENDA ITEMS, WOULD BE FOR ANY OTHER THINGS.

>> BEFORE WE DO PUBLIC COMMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO READ THIS. AT THIS TIME , THE BOARD WILL HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS THAT ARE NOT ON THE REGULAR DINNER. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS WILL HAVE THEIR OWN PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. ANY PERSON WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD SHOULD COME TO THE PODIUM, STATE HIS OR HER NAME, AND THAT WILL COMPLY WITH THE BOARD 'S ROLE OF DECORUM.

COMMENT SHOULD BE ADJUST -- ADDRESSED TO THE BOARD AS A WHOLE, AND NOT A DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE BUT NO PERSON MAY ADDRESS THE BOARD WITH BOISTEROUS BEHAVIOR.

MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE SHOULD REACH STRAIN -- RESTRAINT FROM BOISTEROUS REACTIONS OF APPROVAL. IF THERE IS OVERHEAD MATERIAL, PRESENT THAT MATERIAL TO THE STAFF OR CLERK OF COURT, TO BE ENTERED INTO PUBLIC RECORD. THANK YOU.

>> HELLO, MY NAME IS SANDRA PARKES. I SERVED ON THE ST.

AUGUST BOARD 204 CECELIA COURT , ST. AUGUSTINE, 32086. FROM 1983 TO 1987. I SERVED ON THE ST. AUGUSTINE CITY COMMISSION AND, AT THAT TIME, A DECISION REGARDING TOURISM AND FUNDING,

[00:05:02]

WHEN I CAME ON THE BOARD IN 1983, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAD ENGAGED IN A STUDY, I BELIEVE IT WAS A CONSULTANT FIRM IN JACKSONVILLE , TO SEE WHETHER WE OUGHT TO TAKE AN HOUR MORE TIME AND THE ANSWER WAS, DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. SO, I REPORTED BACK TO THE CITY COMMISSION , THAT HAD BEEN THE DECISION OF THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD, THAT WE WOULD NOT PROCEED. BUT THE COMMISSIONER SPOKE UP AND SAID THAT HE DID NOT THINK THAT THE RIGHT COMMUNITY HAD EVER BEEN SOLD ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ACT. THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSTITUENCY THAT OPPOSED IT FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE, AT THE TIME THOUGHT IT MEANT THAT THE ACT WOULD MEAN THERE WOULD BE UGLY BILLBOARDS ON U.S. ONE TO BRING MORE PEOPLE DOWN FROM GEORGIA. NOT TO SERVE THE ARTS, AS THEY HOPED. SO , WE ORGANIZED A MEETING , AT THE MONSON HOTEL.

WE INVITED THE ARTS COMMUNITY AND I PUT A TRIANGLE UP THERE.

ARTS AND CULTURE, TOURISM, AND GOVERNMENT. AND THE TOPIC OF THE CONVERSATION FOR THE EVENING WAS, HOW ARE THEY INTERRELATED? AND THE ARTS COMMUNITY SAW THAT EVENING, IF YOU CATCH ONE, THE OTHERS BLEED. LATER, WELL, LATER IN THE SESSION, YOU ARE GOING TO BE HEARING ABOUT HOW STATE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN CUT AND THE ARTS COMMUNITY IS BLEEDING.

WHEN I MEET PEOPLE WHO PASSED THE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT ACT IN 1985, I WONDER IF THEY LOOK AT ME AND WONDER IF I WAS WORKING WITH THEM IN GOOD FAITH? AT THAT TIME, THE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT MONEY WAS , ABOUT ONE THIRD OF IT, WAS TO GO FOR

[7. UPDATES FROM TOURISM MARKETING RFP WORKING GROUP]

THANK YOU. >> ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT NOT

RELATED TO THE AGENDA? >> HAVING NONE, WE WILL MOVE ON. WE WILL HAVE UPDATES NOW FROM OUR TOURISM BOARD.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM GOING TO PREFACE MY JUMPING INTO MANY OF THESE AGENDA ITEMS WITH A STATEMENT. YOU ARE GOING TO NOTICE HONEY RED DINNER THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS TO COVER.

YOU ARE ALSO GOING TO NOTICE FOR THE REST OF THE AGENDA THAT THERE ARE NOT ANY ACTION-REQUIRED NOTES ON THE AGENDA. THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION BEING PRESENTED.

YOU ARE WELCOME TO TAKE ACTION . YOU ARE WELCOME TO TAKE A PAUSE AND TAKE IT UP AT A FUTURE MEETING, IN JULY. WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS IN JULY, MOST DEFINITELY, ACTUALLY PROBABLY ALL OF THEM, SEE ? THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION TO BE SHARED. THERE IS A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON. THERE IS NOTHING THAT IS FOR EMERGENT , NECESSARY ACTION TODAY. WITH THAT SAID, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, THIS IS OUR LOVELY GROUP OF FOUR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN REGULARLY MEETING SINCE THE FALL, AND THEY HAVE BEEN HELPING US NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS LIST OF TASKS. WE DID ADD NUMBER SIX , WHICH WAS TO SUGGEST AN ALTERNATIVE DAILY MANAGEMENT PLAN. THIS BOARD HAS COME THROUGH YOU BY PROXY , THROUGH ME, AND WE HAVE BEEN ADDRESSING ONE THROUGH FOUR, WITH A HAVE HAD SOME RFP , WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR HOW TO ENHANCE SOLICITATIONS. AND THEY HAVE TALKED ABOUT POTENTIAL

[00:10:10]

>> I AM ASSUMING THAT IT ALL GETS THROUGH PURCHASING AND IT GOES OUT . WHAT IS A REALISTIC TIMEFRAME THAT WE COULD HIRE A

COMPANY TO START ? >> PURCHASING HAS THE WHOLE TIMELINE LAID OUT , OF WHEN EACH OF THE STEPS WILL OCCUR. A LOT OF THESE STEPS HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF PLAY IN THEM, BUT WE ARE FEELING, AT THE MOMENT, PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE COULD HAVE IT ALL TAKEN CARE OF AND READY TO GO, BEFORE THE END OF

THE SCHOOL YEAR. >> MY CONCERN, AND I WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH THE GROP IS NOT THAT THE PROCESS IS NOT MOVING AROUND WELL, BUT, FROM EVERY INDICATION OF ANYONE I HAVE EVER SPOKEN TO, THIS IS A TOUGH YEAR. I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO WITH A REPRESENTATIVE FROM BOOKING.COM, WHO WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE DISAPPOINTED.

EVERYBODY, THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY, IS SEEING LOWER DEMAND FOR THIS SUMMER, IN FLORIDA. AND I THINK THAT PART OF THE SUCCESS FOR THIS CALENDAR YEAR, IS BECAUSE IT APPEARS WHAT IS HAPPENING, THE LOWER DEMAND PERIODS ARE GETTING WORSE AND THE HIGHER DEMAND PERIODS ARE GETTING BETTER. MY CONCERN IS, RIGHTS OF LIGHTS. NOT TRUSTING THAT IT WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF. BUT WE ARE USUALLY THOUGHT TO BE MORE PROACTIVE. HOW DO YOU DO A PROACTIVE CAMPAIGN, KNOWING THAT IS WHERE YOU WANT TO FISH AT? IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN AGENCY THAT CAN PERFORM WORK FOR US, THIS FALL, BECAUSE WE ARE WAITING FOR THE NEW COMPANY. I THINK WE ARE AT A LITTLE BIT OF A QUAGMIRE IN THE TIMING, TO LOSE AN OPPORTUNITY, TO REALLY MAXIMIZE THIS. AND SO, I WANT TO SEE IF THERE IS A SMART WAY THAT WE CAN APPROACH THIS COMMENT SO THAT WE HAVE A CHANCE TO EFFECTIVELY TALK ABOUT NIGHTS OF LIGHTS , DRIVING REVENUE FOR THE FALL. BECAUSE, WHEN I READ

[00:15:02]

DOWN , FOR THE LAST MONTH THAT WAS RECORDED. AND FOR US TO PICK THAT UP, TO KEEP THE BUDGET IN LINE, WE ARE NEED GOING TO BE PROACTIVE SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT. TROY,

MAYBE YOU KNOW SOMEBODY -- >> IF I CAN INTERJECT REALLY QUICK, SUSAN HAS SHARED A PRESENTATION FOR THEIR PROACTIVE PLAN. THEY ARE LOOKING TO START THAT A LITTLE MORE EARLY THAN THEY USUALLY DO. IT IS, AS PART OF THE MONTHLY REPORT, ONE OF OUR VERY LAST THINGS. SO, WE DO HAVE A RESPONSE FROM THE BCB THAT DOES ADDRESS THAT SPECIFICALLY, AS

PART OF TODAY. >> WELL , I AM WANTING TO MAKE SURE, WE HAVE A NEW COMPANY, WE ARE GOING TO POSSIBLY HIRE DIFFERENT MARKETING AGENCIES . HOW DOES THAT WORK? I AM TRYING TO MAKE THIS REALISTIC AND MAKE THE PROJECT WORK, AND NOT GET HUNG UP ON THE PROCESS AND MISS THE MARKET. THAT IS ALL.

INAUDIBLE ] >> THAT TRANSITIONAL PERIOD , THERE WILL BE A GAP OF THEM GETTING TO KNOW US IN SOME OF THOSE SITUATIONS, TOO. AND I KNOW THAT MOST OF OUR PROPERTIES ARE DOWNTOWN, SO WE GET IT LAST. WE ARE DOWN 8%, THAT USUALLY MEANS THAT THE OUTSIDE PROPERTIES ARE DOWN, IN DOUBLE DIGITS, MID DOUBLE DIGITS. SO, I AGREE WITH YOU 100%. WE CANNOT , WE CANNOT LET THAT GAP HAPPEN DURING THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME OF THE YEAR, FOR OUR VISITOR EXPERIENCE. SO, I DO AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID.

>> WE WILL HAVE A JULY MEETING AND AN AUGUST MEETING, AND I THINK WE DID NOT NECESSARILY HAVE A SEPTEMBER 1, BUT WE CERTAINLY CAN. WE CERTAINLY CAN MEET , EVERY MONTH, TO KIND OF KEEP AN EYE ON THAT TIMELINE, I CAN PROBABLY SCRUB WHAT I HAVE FROM PURCHASING, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT IS A LITTLE BIT CUMBERSOME, THEIR TIMELINE, I CAN PROBABLY CLEAR THAT UP AND SHARE THAT SO THAT I CAN GIVE EVERYBODY A SENSE OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO KEEP DISCUSSING IT. AND WE CAN PROBABLY PUT AN AGENDA ITEM THERE, FOR JULY. IF YOU WOULD LIKE. AND WE CAN KIND OF TAKE THAT DISCUSSION UP A LITTLE BIT

MORE EXTENSIVELY. >> ANY MORE QUESTIONS?

>> MADAM CHAIR? I HAVE A QUESTION . IN YOUR GROUP DISCUSSION. HOW DID THEY TALK ABOUT THE TRANSITION OF GOING FROM ONE TO THE OTHER ? HAS THAT BEEN DISCUSSED YET OR ARE WE FOCUSING COMPLETELY ON THE RFP? THAT WAS THE TASK INDISCERNIBLE - OVERLAPPING SPEAKERS ] --

>> I THINK IT WILL BE DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT MORE AS THEY DIVE A LITTLE BIT DEEPER AND THEY GET INTO THIS HAVE LOST CONTROL OF MY REMOTE. I SAW THE SCREEN BLIP AND NOW I HAVE NO CONNECTION. SOMEBODY COME SAVE ME. BUT, THIS IS THE LONG TERM, OR IT IS THE DAY-TO-DAY MANAGEMENT OF IT AND I THINK THAT REALLY PLAYS INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT. THAT IS THE LAST, THAT IS WHAT THEY FELT LIKE THEY NEEDED TO DO, I FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO GET TO SOME OF THOSE EARLIER THINGS FOR THE TIMELINE. TAKE THAT UP IN RFP, AND THEY FELT LIKE, IN THIS CASE, LIKE, THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT BEFORE THEY TALK ABOUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO MANAGE THAT, SO THEY DID TALK ABOUT THAT TASK NUMBER SIX, IN THE LAST WORKING GROUP MEETING. AND I THINK , BY OUR JULY MEETING. WE COULD PROBABLY HAVE MORE INSIGHT THAN WE CAN ACTUALLY ASK SOME OF THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS TO OFFER THEIR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS

ABOUT WHERE THINGS ARE GOING. >> I THINK EVERYTHING IS MOVING AS FAST AS IT CAN, BUT IT IS NOT BEING PROCESSED. WE CREATE THAT GAP. IT IS HARD TO GET PEOPLE BACK. THE TRANSITION IS

VERY CRUCIAL. SO, THANK YOU. >> I AGREE, TROY. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. TARA, THAT WOULD BE GREAT, IF WE COULD HAVE THE WORKING GROUP HERE TO DISCUSS SOME OF THAT. THAT IS THE NEXT CONCERN, THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CONTRACT.

>> YES, ABSOLUTELY. >> I THINK THAT TYPICALLY, WITH THESE TYPES OF CONTRACTS, WHEN THEY END, THE PLANNING , HOPEFULLY, BY THE END OF THE CONTRACT WILL CONTINUE SOMETIMES FOR MONTHS. FOR THE ADVERTISING AGENCIES, THIS

[00:20:03]

>> OKAY. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT, SAY WE ARE A FRUIT STAND, WE HAVE BEEN SELLING APPLES AND ALL OF A SUDDEN A NEW MARKETING GROUP SAYS, WE BETTER START SELLING ORANGES. THAT TRANSITION TAKES PLACE BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU ARE PUSHING AND WHAT YOU ARE MARKETING

SPEAKERS ] -- >> I'M NOT, I WILL NOT DEBATE THAT WITH YOU. IF I AM A NEW AGENCY, I WANT TO SEE SOMETHING BEFORE I START MARKETING THAT HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE DONE

THIS YEAR, LET THAT HAPPEN. >> YES, WELL , DEALING WITH HILTON, MARRIOTT, AND WHEN THEY SWITCHED CAMPAIGNS, IT CREATES A GAP. AND I DON'T WANT THAT GAP TO HIT US THE WAY IT DOES

[8. UPDATES FROM TDT FUNDING REQUEST CONSIDERATION WORKING GROUP]

CRUCIAL TIME FOR US. >> SO HOPEFULLY, WE CAN GET AN EXPLANATION THE NEXT TIME. YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING HAPPENS MONTHS IN ADVANCE, IT IS NOT LIKE IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN JULY, FOR

EXAMPLE. >> NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE TDT FUNDING REQUEST CONSIDERATION WORKING GROUP. SO, WE HAVE ANOTHER WORKING GROUP, WHICH IS MADE UP OF A NUMBER OF LOVELY PEOPLE , WHO HAPPENED TO BE, I THINK, ENTIRELY, IF NOT MOSTLY, SITTING HERE IN THIS ROOM. I WILL SAY, I SENT THIS LATE IN THE WEEK, TO YOU ALL SATURDAY MORNING, WE WORKED ON IT LATE LAST WEEK. FOR ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE, I WILL PUT A PILE OF THEM, YOU ARE WELCOME, I HAVE NOT VERY MANY. I DO HAVE SLIDES THAT CORRESPOND. BUT THERE IS

MORE DETAIL IN THESE PACKETS. >> I JUST WANT TO REITERATE , FOR THE NEXT MEETING, WE WANT TO HAVE MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP HERE.

MIGHT HAVE. >> ALL RIGHT. SO, THIS WORKING GROUP HAS MET A HANDFUL OF TIMES AS WELL. WHAT THIS GROUP IS LOOKING AT, THEY ARE LOOKING AT TWO THINGS, A PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING UNSOLICITED REQUESTS. AND THE OTHER IS LOOKING AT ANYWHERE, WHERE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INTENTIONALLY ESTABLISHING NEW OR ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROGRAMS, FORMERLY ANYTHING, BUT TOURISM EDUCATION, AND/OR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS . WHAT I HAVE HERE, THERE IS A COPY IN EACH OF YOUR FOLDERS, IT IS KIND OF A DRAFT PROCEDURE FOR ANY OF THOSE UNSOLICITED REQUESTS. WHEN CHRISTINA, FROM THE CULTURAL COUNCIL COMES UP, I BELIEVE LATER TODAY, SHE WILL DISCUSS THE IDEA FOR THE ART IN PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM, THIS GROUP CAN MEET AND WE CAN LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE ONGOING OR REOCCURRING PROGRAMS. WE HAVE A DOCUMENT TODAY THAT ADDRESSES BULLET NUMBER ONE, PROCEDURE FOR UNSOLICITED REQUESTS. SO, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS DOCUMENT, ESSENTIALLY, WHAT WE CAME UP WITH OUR THREE, WE WILL CALL THEM BUCKETS, TO HOW WE LOOK AT REQUESTS. THE FIRST BUCKET WOULD BE IF THE REQUEST IS ELIGIBLE FOR AN EXISTING FUNDING PROGRAM. THEN THE REQUEST IS NOT GOING TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING CONSIDERATION OUTSIDE OF THOSE PROGRAMS. SO, WHAT THIS MEANS IS, IF SOMEONE COMES TO US, AND THEY HAVE A REQUEST TO COME BEFORE THE ON -BOARD SPORTS TOURISM GRANTS PROGRAM, WE WOULD DIRECT THEM TO ONE OF THOSE TWO EXISTING PROGRAMS AND LET THEM KNOW THIS IS THE GRANTS FUNDING CYCLE. JUST IN TIME FOR THEM TO SUBMIT IN THE COMING WEEKS OR MONTHS, AN APOLOGY IF THEY MISSED IT, AND THEY CAN COME BACK. AS THE ANNUAL PROGRAMS EXPAND, WE DO PUT IN THE ARTS IN PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM, THE EXISTING FUNDING WOULD EXPAND TO INCLUDE THAT, SO IF WE PUT THE ARTS IN PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM REGULARLY IN PLACE, THEN WE WOULD HANDLE ALL ARTS IN PUBLIC PLACES REQUESTS, IN THAT SAME FAMILY, DIRECTLY FOR THIS PROGRAM, THE GROUP IS SUGGESTING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EXCEPTIONS, WHICH WOULD BE REVIEWED BY A GROUP OF SELECTED STAFF. AND THE SELECTED STAFF WOULD LOOK

[00:25:02]

PRESENTED? >> I HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT 2- B, IF WE DO THE MORATORIUM UPON REQUEST, DOES IT STILL GO THROUGH THE REGULAR -- WOULD IT STILL BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THE REGULAR BUDGETING PROCESS THROUGH A CIP? OR WE BASICALLY ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING, UNLESS THE BOARD DIRECT US?

>> I THINK IT WOULD BE THE LATTER. AS PART OF THE CIP PROGRAM FOR THE COUNTY, WE DO NOT JUST REALLY TAKE UP EXTERNAL FUNDING REQUESTS. THOSE ARE USUALLY HANDLED AS

[00:30:07]

PROGRAM EVALUATION. >> WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO DO SOME TYPE OF JUDGMENT. IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE AN RFP

SITUATION? >> I WOULD PREFER TO SEE THEM ANNUALLY INSTEAD OF JUST HITTING THE AGENDA. BECAUSE --

>> THEY WOULD BE ANNUAL WITH HITTING THE AGENDA, TOO, SO, EITHER WAY, IT TAKES OFF THE TABLE, JUST , WHENEVER SOMEBODY SO CHOOSES. SO IT DOES KIND OF WHITTLE IT DOWN TO A SINGLE --

>> BUT THE MONEY WILL NOT BE OVER UNTIL OCTOBER, IF THEY ARE IN THAT, MARCH THROUGH JUNE , THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME IN HERE AND ASK FOR A CHECK AND WALK OUT OF HERE WITH

A CHECK TOMORROW. >> WELL THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVER.

CONCEPT. >> I DO.

>> PEOPLE WOULD WALK IN HERE AND THEY EXPECTED TO WALK OUT WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. LET ME SEE IF THERE IS A SECTION HERE WHERE I CAN ANSWER THAT. ALL RIGHT. SO, I WILL READ TO YOU, LIQUID, PROBABLY NOT ALL OF IT, ELIGIBLE FOR SOME SESSIONS. THE PROJECT CAN BE PLACED ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE, MARCH THROUGH JUNE. THE TDC CAN CONSIDER THE REQUEST AND MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION FOR FUNDING AS PART OF THE ANNUAL BUDGETING PROCESS. ANY RECOMMENDATION FOR FUNDING FROM THE TDC WILL REQUIRE FINAL APPROVAL BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

TO BE CONSIDERED, BY THE TDC, THE PROJECT MUST, AND I READ THOSE CRITERIA EARLIER. THEN, IF THE PROJECT MEETS THE ABOVE CRITERIA, THE REQUESTER MUST PROVIDE A WRITTEN SUMMARY OF THE REPORT, MAXIMUM FIVE PAGES, TO THE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT STAFF, AT LEAST FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED TDC MEETING, AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE -- WELL, I READ THOSE EARLIER AS WELL. IF THOSE REQUESTS ARE DETERMINED TO HAVE COMPLIED WITH THE ABOVE CRITERIA, THEN THE REQUEST WILL BE PLACED ON THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING, MARCH THROUGH JUNE, FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE TDC.

THE REQUESTER WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING APPROPRIATELY-FORMATTED PRESENTATION MATERIALS AND PRESENTATIONS WILL BE LIMITED TO NO MORE THAN 20 MINUTES. SO THE IDEA IS, WE WOULD ROLL THEM INTO THE REGULAR BUDGETING PROCESS. AND, SO, THE TDC WOULD HEAR ANY KIND OF BEDDED REQUEST FOR FUNDING. YOU COULD PASS JUDGMENT ON IT , IF YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO ROLL UP INTO YOUR BUDGETARY RECOMMENDATION. IT WOULD GO AS PART OF THE TDC RECOMMENDATION, TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION.

>> I AM GOOD WITH THAT. I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO COME IN HERE GOING, THERE IS A GREAT PLAN, AND THEN THEY WOULD EXPECT A CHECK THAT HAS GOTTEN IN THERE THE NEXT WEEK, I AM GOOD WITH THAT AND IT KIND OF SLOWS DOWN THE PROCESS, TO WHERE WE DO NOT GET OURSELVES IN TOO MUCH TROUBLE.

>> WELL I THINK THAT MOST OF IT WAS CONCERN . MY BIG CONCERN WAS GOING AND HAVING SOMEONE COME UP AND PRESENT A PROJECT EACH MEETING, SO WE HAVE A MEETING IN MARCH. SOMEONE ASKS FOR $100,000, WE THINK IT IS A NICE PROJECT, AND THEN THE NEXT MEETING , UNTIL THEY WOULD BE NORMALLY APPROVED, I THINK THEY WERE BETTER OFF SAYING, LET'S LOOK AT EVERYTHING IN ITS ENTIRETY, VERSUS AD HOC. THAT IS A FAIR WAY.

>> YOU WOULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AS PART OF YOUR PROJECT, IF SOMEBODY CAME IN MARCH, BY JUNE, THEY MAY HAVE HEARD OTHER BETTER PROJECTS, THAT WOULD MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION AS PART OF THE BUDGET, YOU TAKE THEM ALL INTO CONSIDERATION AT THAT ONE TIME.

>> I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HEAR THE RECOMMENDATIONS ONLY ONE YEAR. AND THEN, EVERY YEAR, ON APRIL 10TH , IF WE WANT SOMETHING, WE HEAR IT THAT DAY.

>> YOU WANT TO KILL ONE MEETING, NOT FIVE. GOT IT.

>> I THINK IT IS A FAIRER PROCESS.

[00:35:02]

>> THAT IS MY QUESTION. BUT I THINK THAT IT WAS ANSWERED, SINCE THIS IS MY FIRST TIME BEING THROUGH A BUDGET CYCLE, WE DO BUDGET WERE ALLOCATED FOR ANY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. IF WE DON'T, THAT MIGHT BE THE SUGGESTION, TOO, TO SAY, WE ARE GOING TO DO $500,000 IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, THEN WE DO THAT, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A SET AMOUNT. I LIKE THE IDEA OF DOING IT ALL IN ONE MEETING. YOU OPENED A CAN OF WORMS WHERE , IF ONE PERSON OPENS UP A CAN OF WORMS, YOU WILL HAVE 10 PEOPLE COMING AFTERWARDS. AND ALSO, I THINK FOR THE STAFF'S TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT 14 TIMES -- DAYS PRIOR, NOT

SEVEN >> THE ANNUAL BUDGET, THE KIND OF WAY THAT YOU TEED THAT UP, MY OWN OPINION IS, IF THE DIRECTION AND THE DESIRE OF THE TDC IS TO BEGIN TO SET ASIDE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY IN ADVANCE , SO, SAY WE WANT TO PUT FORTH THE MASKS FISCAL YEAR, I BELIEVE THAT MAKES IT AN ANNUAL PROGRAM. SO, THAT WOULD KIND OF BE PICKING UP AS AN ANNUAL PROGRAM. THIS , SPECIFICALLY, 2-A, AND 2-B, THEY ARE FOR THE UNSOLICITED REQUEST. IN THIS APPROACH, WE ARE NOT PUTTING ASIDE A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FUNDING. WE CURRENTLY HAVE MONEY FOR CIP, BUT, THAT IS THROUGH PARKS AND RECREATION. SO WE DO NOT PROVIDE ANY OF THE FOLKS SITTING BEHIND ME WITH A CIP OPPORTUNITY.

FEW AT THE MOMENT. SO, THE ONE THAT YOU WILL HAVE HEARD, YOU HAVE HEARD IT. EVERYONE ELSE AS HEARD IT. YOU HAVE ANOTHER ONE, THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGE OF WHERE WOULD GO, IT WOULD BE, THE STATUTE FOR PROPOSAL WAS TO PUT IT OUTSIDE THE LINCOLN MUSEUM. THE CAPITAL BUDGET, THAT IS HOW THEY STRUGGLE WITH THAT INTERNALLY, BUT IF WE HAVE THAT ART IN PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM, THAT WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION FOR US. THE ONES THAT YOU HAVE NOT HEARD, BECAUSE WE PUT A PAUSE ON THE MALL, IS, WE HAVE HAD A REQUEST FOR THE FRIENDS OF ANASTASIA STATE PARK, FOR AN AMOUNT OF MONEY TO ASSIST WITH THE INSTALLATION OF A PLAYGROUND, SO THAT WILL BE A LETTER OF REQUESTS , WITH SIGNIFICANTLY MORE INFORMATION , THAT WE WOULD NOT PURSUE, BECAUSE WE HAD A PAUSE, THAT IS HIGH LEVEL, THE IDEA IS WE WOULD PROVIDE SOME ASSISTING FUNDING FOR LIMELIGHT THEATER, TO MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS, RENOVATIONS, AND REPAIRS TO THEIR PLUMBING SYSTEM. SO, THAT WOULD BE A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.

SO, THESE WOULD BE THINGS, WHERE, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED FUNDING, AND SO, KIND OF, WE CAN EITHER DEAL WITH THEM, AS THEY COME UP, AND WE HEAR THE IDEAS, AND WE WOULD KIND OF, TIEDEMANN.

SECTION OF TIME. OR, HEY, WE ARE NOT GOING TO CONSIDER THESE, WE ARE ULTIMATELY GOING TO PUT IN PLACE SOME SORT OF REGULAR, ANNUAL, RECRUITING PROGRAM. WE DO NOT KNOW THE DETAILS OF IT NOW, BUT THAT IS PART OF OUR INTENT SORRY, WE ARE JUST NOT PREPARED FOR THAT.

>> I GUESS MY QUESTION, I AM A NUMBERS GUY. I DO MY HOUSEHOLD BUDGET. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT I CAN SPEND FOR THE YEAR. I DO NOT LOOK TO JULY, AUGUST, MARCH, YOU KNOW, TAKE SEVEN VACATIONS, AND FUND THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IN MY MIND, I LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING, WE SHOULD STILL HAVE A CAP, WHETHER THAT CAP BE, WHATEVER IT IS, SO THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ALLOCATED DOLLARS THAT WILL GO TOWARD THOSE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT ALL. IN MY MIND, I LIKE TO HAVE A CAP TO KNOW WHERE WE STAND. IF SOMEONE COMES IN, AND WE FUND, WE FUND A PROJECT, WE CAP IT AT $500,000, THEN THAT IS IT FOR THE YEAR, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE RECORDING. THE NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE EXTRA FUNDING THAT WE WANT TO DO, AND REALLY DO THAT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, BUT I WANT TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY. BUT IN MY MIND, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I LIKE HAVING A BUDGETARY NUMBER OF WHAT WE CAN SPEND OR WHAT WE

SHOULD SPEND. >> SO, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION ON THAT, THAT PROBABLY TURNS MORE INTO AN ANNUAL PROGRAM. CERTAINLY, YOU ALL ARE WELCOME TO DISCUSS THAT AND FEEL A DIFFERENT WAY. WE ARE GOING TO WORK AGAIN. THE WORKING GROUP WILL BE MEETING AGAIN. I CAN NOTE THIS MOMENT IN THE VIDEO AND WE CAN GO BACK AND WATCH IT THE NEXT MEETING THINK. BUT I FEEL LIKE, IF WE ARE GOING TO START TO CARVE OUT AN AMOUNT OF MONEY , IN ADVANCE, EVEN IF WE ARE NOT

[00:40:04]

>> JUST FOR MY UNDERSTANDING, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION. WE CAN STOP OR START THAT PROGRAM ANYTIME WE WANT, CORRECT ? IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE AN ANNUAL, I AM THINKING, EVERY YEAR, MAYBE WE JUST SET IN NUMBER, MAYBE THE NEXT YEAR, WE SET NO NUMBER. AND THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR WE GO ON A

PAUSE. >> FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE TWO ANNUAL PROGRAMS , THE ARTS CULTURAL HERITAGE AND THE SPORTS TOURISM, THERE IS NOTHING THAT OBLIGATES US TO CONTINUE THAT UNTIL THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. WE ALWAYS HAVE AND PROBABLY ALWAYS WILL, FOR THE FEW SEEABLE -- FORESEEABLE FUTURE. BUT THERE IS NOTHING THAT BINDS US TO DO THAT. EVERY YEAR, WE LOOK AT THE TOO, WE PUT MORE MONEY IN IT, WE PUT LESS MONEY IN IT. WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, THERE WERE A LOT OF GATHERINGS NOT TAKING PLACE. WE DIALED BACK THE FUNDING FOR THOSE , SO, YEAH, WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO GIVE IT $1 MILLION, ZERO DOLLARS, OR TO

GET ANYTHING IN BETWEEN. >> MY COMMENT, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO THROW IT OUT THERE FOR THE BOARD, BECAUSE IS THE

ONLY TIME THAT WE CAN TALK. >> IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER COMMENT, GO AHEAD AND SPEAK A COMMENT, BACK TO THE STATUTE , ABOUT THE MUSEUM. THIS CAME UP LAST FALL, BOTH OF THOSE CAME TO US LAST FALL. IF THEY WERE TO COME TO YOU, LIKE THEY DID LAST SEPTEMBER, OR WHENEVER IT WAS, YOU WOULD ASK THEM, YOU ARE GOING TO BE, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL APRIL. AND, THEN SUBMIT THAT. SO, TECHNICALLY, AT THAT MEETING, THAT COULD BE A LONG MEETING, RIGHT? OKAY. BUT I THINK IT IS BETTER THAN BREAKING UP. THAT IS WHAT STAFF WOULD DO.

INDISCERNIBLE - OVERLAPPING SPEAKERS ]

>> IF WE KEEP A WINDOW, IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT WE NARROW IT DOWN TO ONE MONTH, BUT I WOULD WORK WITH THEM AND I WOULD SAY OKAY, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR REACHING OUT TO US.

THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD.

THESE TYPES OF REQUEST ARE PROVIDED EITHER ON THIS ONE DAY, OR DURING THIS WINDOW, I WILL CERTAINLY MAKE A NOTE FOR THIS MEETING THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE AGENDA, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT I NEED, IN ORDER FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO BE PLACED ON THEIR BID AND WE WOULD ACTUALLY SHARE, WE WOULD KIND OF TEASE OUT THIS PORTION OF THE DOCUMENT. AVIDLY ADD SOMETHING TO IT, TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE PALATABLE TO THE OUTSIDE USER, AND WE WOULD ACTUALLY SHARE THAT, AND WE WOULD KIND OF TRUST THAT THIS WAS THE PROCESS. OKAY, I AM GOING TO GO TO THREE. WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY DOING ANYTHING

TODAY. >> BUT I HAD ONE MORE QUESTION, IN FACT. WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE ANNUAL PROGRAM, IT WOULD PRETTY MUCH, IT WOULD BE THE SAME, AS CATEGORY 3, WITH CATEGORY 2, WITH WHAT THEY DO, WITH THE INDIVIDUAL, IF YOU WENT WITH THE ANNUAL PROGRAM? THAT SITUATION?

>> ONE OF THE TRICKY THINGS ABOUT THE ANNUAL PROGRAM, YOU HAVE TO DECIDE HOW YOU ARE GOING TO HANDLE IT, BECAUSE THE FUNDING IS SPLIT UP, ACROSS MULTIPLE CATEGORIES, THIS IS A PLATE ROUND THAT WOULD DEFINITELY FIT, THERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A STATUTE, AND IF YOU WANT TO DO AN ANNUAL PROGRAM, I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT AND WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, SO IF WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE CIP SPECIFICALLY IN THE ARTS AND CULTURAL REALM, WE CAN PUT THE MONEY IN THERE, IF WE WANT TO OPEN IT UP ACROSS DIFFERENT TYPES OF AREAS, WE COULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO HOLD X AMOUNT IN CATEGORY 2, CATEGORY 3, LIKE, THAT FITS.

THAT IS KIND OF UP FOR DISCUSSION, ON HOW WE WOULD ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THAT. IF WE WANT TO ROLL THAT INTO AN ANNUAL PROGRAM, THIS FUNDING GROUP, AND I KEEP THE PLANNING OVER HERE. BECAUSE MIKE IS A REPRESENTATIVE. OUR FUNNY GROUP WOULD GET BACK TOGETHER, AND WE WOULD KIND OF VET OUT WHAT THAT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE THAT BUT IT COULD GO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT

WAYS. >> THAT IS KIND OF THE WAY I ENVISION IT TAKING PLACE, THAT GROUP, IT KNOWS PRETTY MUCH, ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BOARD, THERE IS REPRESENTATION ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BOARD. WE COULD SAY OKAY, WE CAN DO THIS, WE CANNOT DO THIS, IT IS GOING TO BE REPRESENTED AND SO, JUST KIND OF THINKING, IS THAT, FROM YOUR PROFESSIONAL SIDE, IS THAT AN EASIER THING, BECAUSE THE OTHER ONE IS GETTING VERY CONFUSING, MISSING DEADLINES, DOING SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, FROM WHERE YOU ARE SITTING, BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS SITTING AT THE TOP, SEEING EVERYTHING FROM 30,000 FEET.

>> I CAN SEE THAT BOTH HAVE THEIR PROS AND CONS. THERE IS

[00:45:01]

>> I'M SORRY. MIKE. YOU WERE ON THIS BOARD, AND YOU GOT MORE OF THE PROCESS THAN ANY OTHERS HERE. WHAT IS YOUR SUMMARY.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS? >> I THINK WHERE WE ARE AT IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN TARA RECEIVES A FUNDING REQUEST, IF IT IS SOMETHING THAT GOES INTO THE EXISTING PROGRAM, IT JUST AUTOMATICALLY DID THIS. AND IT IS A CAPITAL REQUEST. WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT. ARE WE GOING TO LISTEN TO THOSE IN THAT WHERE WE BUDGET A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY , WE SAY THIS YEAR WE HAVE $1 MILLION WHERE WE WOULD SET UP A PROGRAM WHERE WE WILL SCORE THEM. TOURISM FUNDING REQUEST, THEY WOULD BE VETTED, AND THEY WOULD COME TO US, POST VETTING AND POST- SCORNING, KIND OF LIKE TOURISM, AND CULTURAL REQUEST , THAT IS WHERE I WOULD KIND OF GO. TO KEEP IT VERY SIMPLE, AND HAVE IT PROPERLY VETTED BEFORE ALL OF THAT. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, 2-A, 2- B, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE LIKE A MORATORIUM ON IT, SO, WE ARE NOT GOING TO HEAR ANYTHING, UNTIL WE CAN, ON THE CAPITAL SIDE, UNTIL WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW WE WANT TO SET UP THAT SYSTEM . UNTIL WE SET UP THE GRANT REQUEST.

>> I THINK THAT IS WHERE MY HEAD WAS GOING, TOO. AND I THINK THAT HE KIND OF NAILED THAT FOR ME. THANK YOU.

>> ANY OTHER COMMENTS? >> I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF KIND OF GETTING ALL OF IT ONE TIME, THEN REVIEWING IT, AND THEN SAYING, THIS IS NOT LIKE THE FIRST PERSON

>> YEAH, AND I DO THINK THAT IT'S WHERE THAT CONFUSION IS GOING TO COME IN. I AM LEANING TOWARD WHAT MIKE IS SAYING, MORATORIUM, GET IT SET UP . DO THE ANNUAL . I SEE THOSE FIVE PEOPLE LISTED, WHOEVER IS SITTING THERE IS GOING TO HAVE MORE EXPERTISE THEN WE WILL. AND ONE OF MY BIGGEST PROBLEMS, WHEN EVERYONE WAS COMING UP HERE, I DID NOT KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT IT, THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF, IF WE GO THROUGH THE ANNUAL PROGRAM, I KNOW THAT YOU WORKED VERY HARD ON THAT, I

APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS. >> WELL, WE ARE NOT DONE YET. I HAVE ONE MORE BUCKET THAT I AM GOING TO TALK ABOUT, SO, OUR THIRD BUCKET IS, IF THE REQUEST IS NOT ELIGIBLE AND IS NOT A CAPITAL PROJECT, THEN THE PROJECT PROGRAM MADE QUALIFIED TO BE PRESENTED AT A REGULARLY-SCHEDULED TDC MEETING IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED TO QUALIFY. THE PROJECT MUST BE ELIGIBLE FOR TDC FUNDING. NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR ANY OF THESE EXISTING TDC-FUNDED PROGRAMS , AND BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR THAT THE FUNDING IS BEING REQUESTED, PROVIDE A MINIMUM MATCH OF 50% OF THE OVERALL BUDGET. IN THIS CASE, ALLOWING VOLUNTEER HOURS , BEING CONSIDERED, ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS, FOR UP TO 50% OF THAT MATCH. AND THEN THE APPROPRIATE AND HAVE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT, AS DETERMINED BY THE TOURISM STAFF THAT WE ADDED THAT LAST ONE RIGHT AT THE VERY END. THERE WAS CONCERN FROM THE WORKING GROUP THAT SOME OF THE REQUEST THAT WERE GOING TO COME THROUGH WERE GOING TO BE VERY MINIMAL, VERY MINOR, THERE WAS SOME

[00:50:01]

THE REVIEWING STAFF WILL INCLUDE THE SAME FOLKS THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COUNTY TOURISM DEPARTMENT, AND WE WILL SEE THE PARKS AND RECREATION'S DEPARTMENT, AND THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. SO, THESE ITEMS WOULD COME BEFORE US, ONCE THEY HAD THE POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION, THEY WOULD BE PLACED ON THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED TDC MEETING. IF THE TDC ALSO CONSIDERED -- CONCURRED, IT WOULD ULTIMATELY BE PLACED ON THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA FOR FINAL APPROVAL. SO, THOSE ARE THE THREE BUCKETS THAT WE CAME UP WITH AS A WORKING GROUP, THIS IS OUR DRAFT. CERTAINLY, WE WILL MEET AGAIN. AND I KIND OF CAPTURED THE COMMENTS FROM TODAY. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE LEANING TOWARD BUCKET TWO, A MORATORIUM ON CAPITAL BUDGET REQUESTS. WE CAN HAVE THAT GROUP RECONVENE, AND TALK ABOUT IT IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT AN ANNUAL OR PERIODIC PROGRAM WOULD LOOK LIKE, AND COME UP WITH SOME CRITERIA THAT IS SIMILAR TO THE WAY THAT THIS IS FORMATTED. AND WE CAN BRING THAT TO YOU GUYS FOR CONSIDERATION. AND YOU CAN KIND OF LOOK AT THAT AS A COLLECTIVE BODY OF WORK BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION ON

THIS, IF YOU WOULD LIKE. >> AND THEN, FOR NUMBER FOUR , THE MUNICIPALITIES AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES REQUESTING FUNDING. ON THAT ONE, IS THAT ONGOING? HOW DOES THAT WORK?

>> SORRY, I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT NUMBER FOUR, I DID NOT EVEN MAKE A SLIDE FOR IT. MY APOLOGIES. THANK YOU. SO, THIS WOULD BE, THERE IS JUST A PROGRAM, BECAUSE WE DID FEEL THAT THERE NEEDED TO BE SOME SORT OF AN OUTLINING STRUCTURE FOR THESE REQUESTS AND WE DID HERE, IN A PRIOR MEETING, THE DESIRE, FROM THE TDC BOARD MEMBERS TO HAVE A SEPARATE PATH FORWARD ON THAT. SO, IN THIS CASE, THAT REQUESTING ENTITY WOULD NEED TO GET THEIR PACKET TO STAFF, AT LEAST SEVEN DAYS IN ADVANCE. AND THAT CAME FROM THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AND GET IT UPDATED WITH THE AGENDA PACKET, AND THAT IT WOULD NEED TO INCLUDE, PRETTY HIGH-LEVEL INFORMATION, A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT, A DETAILED BUDGET, TOTAL AMOUNT OF FUNDING BEING REQUESTED, AND A PROJECT TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION. AND THEN, MUCH LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, THE REQUESTING BODY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING ALL OF THEIR PRESENTATION MATERIALS. WE ASK THAT PRESENTATIONS BE LIMITED TO 10 MINUTES AND ANY POSITIVE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD REQUIRE FINAL APPROVAL FROM THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. AND WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING , THAT

[00:55:01]

BUCKET NUMBER THREE. >> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE 14 DAYS,

AHEAD, INSTEAD OF SEVEN. >> THE ONLY THING THAT I SEE, I CAN SEE MANY REASONS TO NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY. BEING ABLE TO -- EVERY MEETING IF NEED BE, APPROVE THE AGENDA ITEMS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT. THAT IS THE FIRST AND SECOND PROCESS.

WHAT WE ARE GOING TO END UP DOING IS USING UNEXPECTED FUNDING, TAKEN OUT OF THE BUCKET OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE GOING TO, QUOTE , APPLY FOR IT IN APRIL. I CAN SEE BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN. BUT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THAT WE DO NOT DEVELOP A PLAN THAT HAS NO CREDIBILITY, BECAUSE IT HAS NO MONEY. AND ALL OF THESE OTHER THINGS THAT CAME FORWARD, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE APPROVED IT. THAT IS MY ONLY COMPLAINT.

>> I WOULD THINK THAT THE OTHER GROUPS COULD SEE THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT FALL UNDER ANOTHER CATEGORY, IF IT IS JUST A MUNICIPALITY THING AN EMERGENCY KIND OF SITUATION.

>> I THINK THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, I KNOW AT COMMISSION MEETINGS, ABOUT FUNDING THE FIREWORKS, BECAUSE THAT NUMBER HAS GONE UP EXPONENTIALLY, WE HAVE NOT RAISED HOURS TO PAY FOR, WE HAVE BEEN GETTING LESSER, OR SOMETIMES EVEN OUT-OF-POCKET. SO, MY THOUGHT IS, FOR SOMETHING ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, MAYBE A CHANCE TO INCREASE, I THINK THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE'S MAYBE IN THE SAME BOAT , AND MAYBE ON THE REOCCURRING THINGS THAT WE KNOW THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN, MAYBE WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO BUMP THAT NUMBER UP, BECAUSE THAT IS A BIG DRAW IN THE TOURISM WORLD AND I THINK, TO YOUR CREDIT , CHAIR, I THINK, YOU KNOW, A BOARDWALK GETS WASHED OUT IN A NOR'EASTER, MAYBE THAT COMES UNDER THE EMERGENCY-TYPE

FUNDING SITUATION. >> I THINK THAT IS A BUDGET ISSUE, IF WE THINK THAT THE FIREWORKS NEED TO BE 75,000 AND 50,000, WE ADDRESS THAT IN THE BUDGET, I DO NOT SEE THAT AS A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUT I SEE THAT AS A BAD BUDGET.

>> SO, THIS IS, THIS -- LET'S GO BACK TO THE START OF THE DOCUMENT BUT THIS IS A DRAFT PROCEDURE FOR UNSOLICITED TAX FUNDING REQUESTS. SO, I THINK , MAYBE , THEREIN, THAT MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF WHERE THE TWO LINES DO NOT CONNECT. I THINK WHEN WE ARE DOING A REGULAR BUDGET, EITHER I REACH OUT TO THE CITIES AND I ASKED THEM, HEY, DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE, OR THEY REACH OUT TO ME AND SAY, WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOING TO START BUDGETING AT SOME POINT. WE HAVE SOME REQUESTS. THINGS LIKE THE FIREWORKS, WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN A FEW MINUTES. BUT I THINK SOME OF THOSE THINGS GET PICKED UP ANYWAY, I THINK THIS PROBABLY WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD EXTEND TO THE BOARDWALK COLLAPSED , AND WE NEED EMERGENCY FUNDING. AND , SO, I THINK THAT WOULD APPLY HERE , TO NUMBER FOUR, SOMETHING THAT WE DID NOT ANTICIPATE. WE DID NOT ANTICIPATE THE COLLAPSE OF A BOARDWALK, ONE OF THE SHUTTLES FOR THESE EVENTS, TOTALLY CRAPPING OUT, AND NOT BEING DEEMED TO BE THIS COUPLE, AS OPPOSED TO THE COST OF FIREWORKS GOING UP, I THINK SOME OF THOSE THINGS FIT HERE . AND I THINK THAT SOME OF THEM

FIT OUTSIDE OF THE DOCUMENT. >> ANY FURTHER COMMENT ?

>> THIS GROUP WILL MEET AGAIN AND WE WILL PUT THIS BACK ON THE AGENDA GET AGAIN . AND I WILL MODIFY THIS A LITTLE BIT, BASED ON SOME OF THE STRAIGHTFORWARD DIRECTION, LIKE CHANGING SEVEN DAYS TO 14 DAYS, AND THEN WE WILL MEET WITH THE WORKING GROUP. AND WE WILL COME BACK WITH AN UPDATE, OF ALL

[01:00:01]

THINGS, AT A FUTURE MEETING. >> I THINK THERE WAS A REQUEST TO HAVE SOME MEMBERS -- I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A COUPLE HERE ALREADY. THE WORKING GROUP. THE CITIZENS , FROM THE WORKING

GROUP, TO BE HERE. >> SO, THE WORKING GROUP CONSISTS OF MICHAEL WICKS, CHRISTINA PEARSON, SUSAN PHILLIPS, TEDDY MEYER, THE RANKING ATTENDANT, OUR PARKS DIRECTOR. WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE , LAUREN HALSEY.

AND DENA , MYSELF, WE ARE ALL THERE. SO, ACTUALLY, EVERYONE IS IN THE ROOM. IN A GIVEN TIME THAT YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR THEM, THEY ARE ALL PRESENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LAUREN , NOT WHO IS HERE, BUT SHE CAN BE. SHE IS WATCHING ON TV. THEY ARE HERE TODAY, IF YOU WANT, THEY WILL BE HERE NEXT TIME. WE CAN CERTAINLY --, WOULD YOU LIKE SOMEBODY TO COME TO THE

PODIUM AND PRESENT AN UPDATE? >> I WANT THEM HERE READY AND WILLING TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS . YOU KNOW, THEY NEED OBVIOUSLY BE PREPARED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

>> WE WILL DEFINITELY DO THAT BUT THE OTHER WORKING GROUP, THEY ARE NOT HERE. AND EVERYONE HERE , THEY HAVE HEARD THAT ADVISEMENT, THEY WILL BE PREPARED, THEY WILL BE READY

NEXT TIME. >> THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING ACTIONABLE ON THEIR, I THINK IT WAS TO KIND OF THROW IT OUT

[9. DISCUSSION OF FY25 TOURISM BUDGET]

IT'S BEEN A GOOD JOB. THANK YOU.

>> NEXT ITEM IS THE TOURISM BUDGET ALL RIGHT, SO WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME ON THIS HIGH LEVEL DEBT I WENT AHEAD. I PRESENTED IT HERE FOR CONSISTENCY AND ANYONE WHO DID NOT SEE IT LAST TIME. THAT IS WHAT WE BUDGET HERE, IN THIS SECTION OF THE BUDGET THIS IS REVENUE THAT IS GOVERNED BY BOTH THE FLORIDA STATUTE AND THE COUNTY ORDINANCE. THE COUNTY IS CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE TO LEVY FIVE CENTS AND THE REVENUE MUST BE USED FOR QUALIFYING TOURISM EXPENSES . OUR PLAN, OUR ORDINANCE, IT ESTABLISHES FIVE CATEGORIES OF USE, AND IT DESIGNATES HOW THE REVENUE FROM THOSE PENNIES ARE GOING TO BE SPLIT ACROSS THESE CATEGORIES. SO YOU CAN SEE CATEGORY 1, 1.6 PENNIES WORTH OF REVENUE, CATEGORY 2, 0.6, CATEGORY 3, 0.6, CATEGORY 4 RECEIVES 0.8, AND CATEGORY 5 RECEIVES 1.4.

SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS CHANGED SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, WE RECEIVED THE REVENUE FROM THE MONTH OF APRIL, AND THAT IS WHAT WE ALLUDED TO EARLIER, THE REVENUE IS DOWN FOR THE MONTH, THAT IS OUR FIRST DOWN MONTH SINCE AUGUST, AND WHAT IT DOES, IT BUMPED OUR PROJECTED -- IT BUMPED OUR PER-PENNY GROWTH FOR THE YEAR. YOU CAN SEE THAT ON THE VERY BOTTOM, GREEN, LEFT HAND, RIGHT HAND CORNER. IS THAT, IT TOOK US DOWN TO ABOUT 1.8% PROJECTED GROWTH FOR THE YEAR, WE WERE PREVIOUSLY TRENDING A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO 5%. SO, WHAT THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET HAS ASKED THAT WE DO, THEY HAVE ASKED THAT WE MODIFY OUR FISCAL YEAR, OUR PROJECTED REVENUE, TO TRY TO BRING IT MORE IN LINE WITH WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE TRENDING FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND ANTICIPATED GROWTH.

THE LAST TIME THAT I TALKED ABOUT THIS, WE WERE PROJECTING 4%, 4% GROWTH, 4% GROWTH FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. THE PRESENTATION TODAY, THE BUDGET, THE WORKSHEETS, HAVE BEEN MODIFIED TO REFLECT A 2% PROJECTED REVENUE GROWTH, FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, AND 2% REVENUE FOR THE ADDITIONAL 2%, AND THIS BRINGS THE PROJECTED REVENUE FOR FISCAL YEAR '25 TO $4.1 MILLION. AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE ALLOCATED ACROSS THE CATEGORIES OUTLINED BEFORE YOU HERE. SO, WITH THAT, I AM GOING TO GO AHEAD AND I'M GOING TO JUMP THROUGH WHAT THE BUDGET LOOKS LIKE FOR EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES. CATEGORY 1, DESTINATION MARKING. THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET, AS IT STANDS NOW, IS TO HAVE THE CORE SERVICES CONTRACT, WITH A FUNDING LEVEL, $3,254,000. THIS IS A $240,000 INCREASE OVER THE

[01:05:09]

AND AN ALLOCATION, THAT IS FUNDED AT $1 MILLION, WHICH IS $210,000 ABOVE THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, JUST AS A REMINDER, THAT IS THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHO MANAGES THE DAILY OPERATION OF THE PINE REGIONAL CONCERT HALL, WE HAVE THE ADMIN COST, WHICH ARE 5288, THOSE ARE NOT PROJECTED TO TO CHANGE, I WILL NOTE, I SENT OUT SHEETS AS PART OF THE AGENDA PACKETS, THE NUMBERS THAT YOU CAN SEE IN GRAY, THE 5% OF EXPENSES AND RESERVES AND THE REMAINING FUNDS WILL CHANGE A LITTLE BIT, IT WILL BE WEIGHED IN , THREAT THOUGH SHEETS AND WE ADJUSTED THOSE TWO NUMBERS ACCORDINGLY. SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT MONTHS AGO, AS A BODY, WAS HAVING A RESERVE, LIKE HAVING A DESIGNATED RESERVE. AND EACH ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES, THAT WAS A RESERVE FOR THE SAKE OF HAVING A RESERVE. IT WAS MONEY THAT WE WERE GOING TO PUT IN THERE, IN CASE WE DID NOT, BASICALLY, FOR A RAINY DAY. IN CASE OUR PROJECTIONS WERE TOO HIGH AND WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER THE EXPENSES, WE WOULD HAVE THIS RESERVE. OMB CAME AND SPOKE ABOUT HOW THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT IMPACTED THIS RESERVE, THERE WERE ESSENTIALLY SOME THINGS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, THE STATE LEVEL, YOU HAVE A MINIMUM OF 2% AND A MAXIMUM OF 10%, THE TDC DID NOT EVER PICK A NUMBER, FOR THE BUDGET, WE JUST WENT WITH 5%. 5% OF EXPENSES , IN A RESERVE. AND ESSENTIALLY, THAT IS THE RAINY DAY FUND. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY INTENT FOR THAT MONEY, IT IS JUST BITTER IN CASE WE NEED IT. THEREFORE, THE REMAINING FUNDS, THAT IS THE MONEY THAT WOULD BE IN RESERVE, THAT WOULD BE USABLE, IF YOU WILL. NOW, YOU WILL NOTE , IN THIS BUDGET, AND ACROSS ALL OF THE CATEGORIES, FOR THE MOST PART, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FIVE, YOU HAVE THE PROJECTED REVENUE IN ONE COLUMN. AND FOR THIS ONE, THE PROJECTED REVENUE IS $7,721,296. AND THAT OUR PROJECTED EXPENSES ARE A GOOD BIT HIGHER THAN THAT AT $8,556,388. SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAD TALKED TO THE GROUP ABOUT PREVIOUSLY WAS BEING MINDFUL, OR I WAS TRYING TO BE MINDFUL, WHEN I WAS PUTTING TOGETHER THE DRAFT BUDGET FOR CONSIDERATION, TO NOT SEND DOWN THE REMAINING FUNDS, SO THAT WE DO NOT INCUR, ANY PERCEIVED BUDGET CUT , FOR FISCAL YEAR '26, BECAUSE WE WERE SPENDING AT A LEVEL ELEVATED ABOVE OUR NEW REVENUE COMING IN. AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO READJUST OUR EXPENSES TO GET BACK IN LINE WITH THE REVENUE REMAINING. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? DOES ANYTHING I SAY NOT MAKE SENSE, THAT I CAN CLARIFY FOR PEOPLE ?

>> I NEED TO ASK ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATION COST.

I AM ASSUMING A PERCENTAGE OF THAT, IS FOR YOUR ADMIN, FOR THE BUDGET, OR IS ALL OF THAT FOR THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION WE THE BREAKDOWN OF THAT? CATEGORY 4 IS YOURS.

>> IT IS NOT. >> THAT IS WHERE I WANT TO MAKE

CLARIFICATION. >> THAT IS THE PROCESSING OF PAYCHECKS AND THOSE TYPES OF EXPENSES.

>> THAT IS COMMON IN ALL COUNTIES.

>> I WANTED TO CLARIFY, IF I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAD

A CHANCE TO GET THAT RIGHT. >> THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL OF OUR EXPENSES FOR ACTUAL TOURISM, CAPTURING CATEGORY FOUR. CATEGORY TWO, ARTS AND HERITAGE BUDGET, THIS IS THE SAME FORMAT, THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE FIRST COLUMN WITH NUMBERS, THAT IS THE PROJECTED REVENUE. WE ARE PROJECTING THAT WE ARE BRINGING IN $2,895,486 . AND THEN WE HAVE THE FY '25 REQUESTED. WE ARE REQUESTING , THAT THE CORE SERVICES CONTRACT

[01:10:03]

AND THE REQUESTS HERE ARE FOR A VARIETY OF THINGS AT THE TOP, THAT I'LL GO INTO SALARY. WE DO PROVIDE SOME FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SOME OF THE PARK STAFF , WHO HELPED TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE HERE. THAT PICKS UP YOUR FIRST , PROBABLY LIKE EIGHT OR SO LINES. WE HAVE IN DIRECT ADMIN COSTS IN THIS ONE AS WELL COMING IN AT $19,646, THE SPORTS MARKETING GRANTS PROGRAM, AT $300,000. THAT IS WHAT IT WAS FUNDED AT A 2024 AS WELL, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF LITTLE ITEMS, MEDICATIONS INSURANCE, VEHICLES , AND THERE IS SOME MONEY FOR THE ARTIFICIAL REEF MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, ONE OF THE THIGS WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO WITH THE MATERIAL THAT WE DEPLOYED FOR ARTIFICIAL REEFS, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS REQUIRES US TO ANNUALLY GO OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT MAKE SURE THAT IT IS NOT SHIFTING AROUND, MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT ILLEGALLY DUMPING THINGS ON IT LIKE TIRES. SO, THAT IS THAT PROGRAM, THERE ARE SOME OTHER MONIES FOR ATHLETIC FIELD MAINTENANCE, $250,000, WHAT WE ASK IS MAINTENANCE , $250,000. THERE IS A LITTLE MONEY FOR ADVERTISING, AND THEN AGAIN, YOU ARE BACK TO KIND OF SOME OF THE SUPPORTING EXPENSES, SUPPLIES, OFFERING SUPPLIES, GAS, OIL, OTHER EQUIPMENT. THERE IS SOME TRAINING MONEY IN HERE FOR TRAINING SOME OF THE STAFF, WHO WORKED ON SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS. IMPROVEMENTS OTHER THAN BUILDINGS. SO, THAT IS OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FUNDING. GIVE ME JUST A SECOND AND I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHAT IS IN THERE. SO, IN THIS LINE , THE MAIN EXPENSE IS FOR THE CALHOUN PARKS . THERE IS A SERIES OF BALL FIELDS OUT THERE, WE ARE ALLOCATING $2 MILLION, TO EXPAND THE FACILITY. AND THERE IS ALSO $195,000 IN HERE TO A PARK DESIGN. AND, WE'VE GOT 100,000 DOLLARS IDENTIFIED FOR THE REEF DEPLOYMENTS. AND SO THAT IS IN OUR IMPROVEMENTS AND THERE IS MONEY FOR EQUIPMENT. THIS IS FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF BALL FIELDS. SO WE HAVE GOT IN FIELD LASER LEVELERS, THINGS LIKE THAT, IT IS ALL BALL FIELD

[01:15:02]

AND THAT 5% KIND OF RAINY DAY RESERVE, IT IS $148,035 AND THERE IS A CONTINGENCY IN THIS CATEGORY OF $1,750,000. THIS CONTINGENCY IS BEING HELD ONTO FOR THE PAYMENT OF DEBT SERVICE. FOR SOME OF THE OTHER PARKS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW, SO, I DO NOT HAVE ALL OF THE DETAILS . WE CAN GET A LITTLE BIT MORE, ONE OF THE THINGS IN THERE, FOR ONE OF OUR REGIONAL PARKS, WE ARE LOOKING AT CREATING A SMALL TOURNAMENT STADIUM, MOST NOTABLY FOR SOCCER TOURNAMENTS, THAT IS IN LINE WITH THE SPORTS TOURISM DEVELOPMENT STUDY THAT WE HAD DONE. BY JOHNSON CONSULTING , A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. AND , SO THIS PROJECTED OR REQUESTED BUDGET PRETTY MUCH UTILIZES ALL OF THE DOLLARS, THERE ARE ABOUT EIGHT REMAINING FUNDS IN THIS.

>> KAREN, I AM GLAD YOU QUALIFIED THE CONTINGENCY , REFERRING TO THAT. BECAUSE THAT LOOKS REALLY REALLY BAD ON A BUDGET. IT DOES LOOK LIKE YOU ARE HIDING MONEY. AND JESSE AND I KNOW THAT IS NOT THE INTENT. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO CLARIFY , WHEN PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR MONEY, THEY ARE LOOKING AT 1.75 NUMBER IN CONTINGENCY, USUALLY THE CONTINGENCY IS ASSOCIATED WITH AN OVERFLOW OF A PROJECT WHICH IS USUALLY LESS THAN 5% OF A PROJECT. THAT IS A BIG NUMBER. SO I THINK, I THINK, IN FUTURE DOCUMENTS? YOUR EXPLANATION WAS GREAT , AND IT NEEDS TO HAVE , YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIAL BOND PAYMENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS IDENTIFIED. BUT LOOKING AT IT AS A CONTINGENCY, THAT IS A RED FLAG WAVING AT

ME. >> THAT IS THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE LINE IN THE COUNTY BUDGET. BUT I CAN DO A DROP FOR IT, TO BETTER CLARIFY, FOR FUTURE DOCUMENTS.

>> YES. FOR A PROJECT MANAGER, A CONTINGENCY IS THAT LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA, THAT IS ABOUT 5% OF WHAT A PROJECT BUDGET WOULD BE. SO, MY EYE WENT RIGHT TO IT, YOUR EXPLANATION IS PERFECT. AND I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT I THINK A DOCUMENT, WHEN YOU LEAVE IT ON THE TABLE, IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE READ ALONE. AND I THINK THAT IS GOING TO CAUSE YOU MORE HEARTACHE IF YOU LEAVE IT LISTED THAT WAY. SO.

>> MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE 5% FIGURE? THE FIGURE TO PUT IN RESERVES?

>> JESSE CAME AND PRESENTED, I BELIEVE BACK IN NOVEMBER, HE PRESENTED STATE CRITERIA AND COUNTY JURY, ONE IS A MINIMUM OF TWO, MAXIMUM OF 10%. THE TDC, WE DID NOT REALLY GET IT DOWN TO A SPECIFIC NUMBER. HISTORICALLY, WE GO BACK TO BEFORE I STARTED, WE HAVE HELD ONTO A 5% RESERVE, AT TDT, AS WELL AS DIFFERENT FUND NUMBERING. WE KIND OF DEFAULTED BACK TO THAT 5%. BUT, CERTAINLY, THE TDC CAN RECOMMEND TO INCREASE OR DECREASE THAT. I WILL SAY, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT, I THINK, EVEN WITHOUT IT, THE REVENUES SEEM TO BE BOUNCING AROUND A LITTLE BIT, WE COULD PROBABLY PUT A RAINY DAY RESERVE IN THERE. WE PUT IT AT 5%, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IT USED TO BE.

>> FALLING IN THE MIDDLE, THAT WOULD REALLY BE IN THAT 6% NUMBER. SO , I THINK THAT THE BOARD HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT

THAT. >> ANY OTHER COMMENTS?

>> CATEGORY FOR ? IT IS EVEN SMALLER. SO, CATEGORY 4. I AM

[01:20:03]

SPECIAL EVENTS, THE FIREWORKS, A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY FOR ADVERTISING, SOFTWARE, OPERATING SUPPLY TASKS. THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE LARGELY KIND OF REGULARLY RECURRING EXPENSES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, DOWN HERE, UNDER PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS, WE DO HAVE AN ALLOCATION FOR TDC, THIS SUPPORTS THE ANNUAL EVENT, AND TICKETS FOR TOURISM SUPPORT, AND OUR ST. JOHNS COUNTY CULTURAL EVENTS ALLOCATION FOR THIS CATEGORY, $1,391,361. AND THEN THERE IS ALSO A TRANSFER TO FUNDS, THIS IS FOR THE AMPHITHEATER SERVICE. AND THAT IS THE TOTAL EXPENSE FOR THIS CATEGORY, REQUESTED TO BE 4,477,000 AND WE HAVE THAT MANY DAY 5% RESERVE, FOR 194,000 AND SOME CHANGE, AND THE REMAINING FUNDS. IN THIS CATEGORY $566,038. LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, CATEGORY 5, BEACH ASSETS. AS A REMINDER TO EVERYBODY. WE HAVE HAD CATEGORY 5 FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. HOWEVER, WHEN WE LAST MODIFIED THE ORDINANCE, WE CHANGED CATEGORY 3 AND CATEGORY

[01:25:01]

>> MADAM CHAIR? >> YES.

>> IN CATEGORY 3, YOU SAID THAT YOU HAVE $195,000 DIVINE PER PIER . IN MY OPINION, THAT IS A BEACH ASSET. I AM WONDERING WHY , WAS IT CHOSEN OUT OF THIS ONE AND NOT THAT ONE, WHICH IS A

HEALTHIER, HEALTHIER BUDGET. >> OUR ORDINANCE LANGUAGE CALLS FOR A CATEGORY THREE, WHEN IT WAS PUT IN PLACE , WHEN THAT LANGUAGE IS BEING MODIFIED, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, KIND OF LEISURE AND RECREATION, VERSUS BEACH, THERE WAS SOME LANGUAGE THAT WAS PUT INTO HERE SPECIFICALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE NOTED A PLACE FOR BOAT RAMPS AND PEER FACILITIES, AND THE THOUGHT AT THE TIME WAS MY OPINION OF WHAT IT WAS AT THE TIME, WAS GOING TO BE SO INTENSE WITH ALL OF THE PROJECTS COMING ON BOARD, THAT THE PEER -- PIER WAS NOT GOING TO GET DUE CONSIDERATION IN THAT CATEGORY, BUT IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS, IF YOU GO AND LOOK AT THAT ORDINANCE, IF YOU LOOK AT LEISURE AND RECOMMENDATIONS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT IT SAYS, PART CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, RELATED TO BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, SO THAT IS WHY.

>> OKAY, MY RECOLLECTION WAS, WE WERE LEAVING IT FLEXIBLE , FOR BOTH OF THOSE CATEGORIES . BUT IT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THREE. IT IS THE BIGGEST BEACH WALK OVER THAT WE HAVE.

>> IS MORE OF A WATER WALKOVER. >> I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE BEEN THERE. THERE IS NO WATER UNDER THAT TIER. BUT, I THINK I AGREE WITH YOU AND I UNDERSTAND. WE THOUGHT WE WERE REALLY GOING TO BE IN A STRUGGLE, HAVING THE BEACH RE- NOURISHMENT. WE DID NOT SEE THE STATE COMING UP AND MAKING US HEALTHY IN THAT CATEGORY, IF IT WAS NOT FOR THAT, THIS CATEGORY WOULD NOT HAVE THOSE NUMBERS IN IT. I WAS WONDERING, WHAT FLEXIBILITY WE HAVE IN THE PIER , BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO BE REDONE AT SOME POINT, THAT IS WHY WE ARE DOING THE REDESIGN ON IT.

IF WE TIE OURSELVES UP, IS IT COMING OUT OF CATEGORY 3, WHEN

[01:30:08]

>> THAT IS ONE TO TAKE ON WHEN WE GET TO THAT BRIDGE AND WE ARE READY TO CROSS IT. I ACTUALLY TALKED TO OUR BUDGET FOLKS ABOUT WHERE THE PROJECT GOES THIS YEAR, THEY SAID, PUT IT IN CATEGORY 5. IF BY THAT YOU MEAN, CATEGORY 3, IF WE ARE ABLE TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE LOOKING AT A SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER CAPITAL PROJECT, I THINK WE CAN CERTAINL SIT DOWN AND WORK WITH LEGAL AND GET THEIR INPUT ON IT. AND CERTAINLY, THE ORDINANCE IS THE COUNTY'S DOCUMENT. THE COUNTY HAS THE ABILITY TO MODIFY IT. IF IT IS THE RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE THE MODIFICATION, YOU CAN MAKE THAT MODIFICATION AND THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CAN

RECONSIDER IT. >> YEAH, $195,000 , THAT IS A LOT OF EQUIPMENT TO PARKS AND RECREATION OVER THERE.

>> I MUST SAY, WE ARE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB WITH PARKS AND

RECREATION. >> I AM VERY ENVIOUS, I CAN

TELL YOU. >> TO THAT POINT, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT, FOR THE PIER REPLACEMENT?

>> I DO NOT KNOW. WE WILL FIND OUT, I WILL FOLLOW UP AND I WILL LET YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW.

>> I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS. MAYBE WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT AMENDING THE ORDINANCE, CONSIDERING WHAT FINANCES LOOKS LIKE , IN THE INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES. THE STATE, AS YOU SAID, HAS STEPPED UP. WE COULD USE THAT, FOR THE

PIER. >> I WILL SEND OUT THE EMAIL TO EVERYBODY, I APOLOGIZE, THAT WAS OUTSIDE OF MY WHEELHOUSE, I SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT WHAT I DO HAVE IS ONE MORE SLIDE. SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT, GIVING YOU A HEADS UP FOR THE FUTURE, OF LIKE OUR BUDGET, AND THINGS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT LIMITING, ESPECIALLY IN THE FACE OF ONGOING INFLATION, IS THAT WE DO HAVE THESE CAPS FOR SOME SPECIFIC PROGRAMS, NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, AND INFORMATION AT THE VISITOR CENTER. THE TDC RESPONDED AND I WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE SOME DIRECTION NOW, THERE WAS A VARIETY OF FEELINGS ABOUT IT, WHAT WE LOOKED AT WAS POSSIBLY HAVING A SUSPENSION OF THOSE LIMITS FOR FISCAL YEAR '25. BUT, IN LEGAL REVIEW, AFTER THAT, WE FOUND OUT THAT IS AN OPTION FOR MANY ORDINANCES. BUT NOT FOR THE TOURIST OPTION, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SUSPEND THOSE. BASED ON THE CURRENT REQUESTS, WE DO HAVE A BUDGET THAT ACCOMMODATES ALL OF THE EXISTING REQUEST AND THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT ANYBODY WHO MANAGES ONE OF THESE PROGRAMS WOULD NOT LIKE ADDITIONAL FUNDING IF IT WAS PRESENTED TO THEMSELVES . BUT IF WE DO WANT TO GO DOWN THAT ROUTE, WE DO HAVE, IT IS NOT AN EMERGENCY FOR TODAY, WE WOULD JUST NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, BEFORE THEY MAKE THE BUDGET APPROVAL AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER. AS LONG AS WE COULD GET A RECOMMENDATION, DECISION, OR THOUGHTS, AT THE JULY KNITTING, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET IT ON THE BCC MEETING FOR APPROVAL. IT IS A FOLLOW-UP TO LAST TIME.

WE DO HAVE THESE LIMITS, THEY ARE BECOMING A LITTLE BIT OPPRESSIVE. AND WE HAVE A MAXIMUM AMOUNT, OVER THE BUDGET, THE BUDGET DOES NOT EXCEED THESE LIMITS.

>> OKAY. WHAT YOU ARE READING THERE, SO, IT CAN BE DONE , THROUGH THE ORDINANCE MODIFICATION FROM THE BOARD.

OKAY, SO, WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BUT THE BOARD CAN DO THAT, AND WE CAN MAKE THE REQUEST FOR THE BOARD.

>> RIGHT, YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE REQUEST RECOMMENDATION TO

PUT IT ON THE BCC AGENDA. >> THAT IS A SUPER MAJORITY

VOTE. >> ANY CHANGE TO THE ORDINANCE.

>> I MEAN, I AM COMFORTABLE MAKING THE MOTION NOW BECAUSE THIS BUDGET IS COMING UP ON US VERY QUICKLY. AND ALL THREE OF THOSE, ALL THREE OF THOSE ARE EXTREMELY UNDERFUNDED IN MY OPINION. DO I NEED TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THE BOARD TO LOOK AT

THIS? >> QUICK DISCUSSION FIRST.

>> YES, FOR NUMBERS. >> ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DO WITH THE ORDINANCE, BESIDES THESE THREE ITEMS, BECAUSE IF WE PRESENT THESE THREE ITEMS TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION, THEN WE PROBABLY CANNOT PRESENT ANYTHING ELSE FOR A WHILE. IT WOULD NOT LOOK GOOD, IN MY

[01:35:04]

>> WOULD THAT BE IN THE SAME CATEGORY?

>> IF WE ARE CHANGING THE ORDINANCE, WE HAVE TO DISCUSS EVERYTHING. I DON'T THINK YOU CAN PIECE MAIL -- PIECEMEAL IT.

>> SO, NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE SOME LIMITS. THEY ARE , WE ARE KIND OF IN THAT PLACE, WE HAVE A BUDGET WHERE WE CAN ACCOMMODATE EVERYBODY'S CURRENT FUNDING LEVELS , AND STILL CONTINUE GOING FORWARD. AS A NOTE , I REACHED OUT TO THE CITY, AS PART OF THE BUDGET, AND THE VISITOR INFORMATION EXPIRES AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WE ARE ABLE TO INCREASE THEM UP TO THAT 5 , AND SO, IN A FUTURE MEETING, I WILL BRING YOU A PROPOSAL I SUPPOSE. OR AGENDA ITEM THAT KIND OF ADDRESSES THAT, AND YOU CAN KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. SO, WE ARE GIVING A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY, UNDER THIS BUDGET, THE PROPOSED BUDGET, AND THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, THESE ARE NOT NECESSARILY EMERGENCIES , BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE MONEY, MOST NOTABLY, FOR FIREWORKS. THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP. SO, THAT IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER, WE DID HEAR THAT MAYBE THERE WERE SOME ADDITIONAL CHANGES THAT WENT INTO THE ORDINANCE, AND WE DO NOT NECESSARILY NEED THE RECOMMENDATION TODAY, WE CAN KIND OF HAVE A LITTLE DISCUSSION. WE CAN TAKE IT BACK UP IN JULY. WE DO HAVE SOME TIME IF WE WANT TO MAKE CHANGES AT THIS LEVEL OR REMOVE THEM, SO THAT WE CAN GET ADDITIONAL FIREWORKS, OR INFORMATION CENTERS FOR FISCAL YEAR '25. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DECIDE THAT, THERE IS A LOT OF TIME. AND, I THINK, BASED ON THE DISCUSSION THAT I HEARD FROM THE TDC LAST TIME, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KIND OF POINTED OUT AT THE END, AND SOME OF THE PUBLIC, THAT I KNOW WE ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE ORDINANCE DOES ALLOW US TO DO, AS IT STANDS TODAY. IT DOES ALLOW US TO TAKE SOME OF THOSE RESERVE FUNDING DOLLARS. AND IT PROBABLY DOES NOT MATTER BECAUSE WHAT IT ALLOWS US TO DO IS TAKE RESERVE FUNDING OF UNSPENT , PRIOR-YEAR DOLLARS. IN THIS CASE, WE ARE BRINGING IN $1.7 MILLION IN NEW MONEY. IT KIND OF IS IN A DIFFERENT CATEGORY OR DIFFERENT BUCKET . THAT REMAINING FUNDING IN THE RESERVES, TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW, IS THAT ABOUT $4.3 MILLION, ROUGHLY. IT IS ELIGIBLE TO BE MOVED OUT OF CATEGORY 5 FUNDS INTO A DIFFERENT CATEGORY. NOW, THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, IT WOULD CAUSE HARDSHIPS FOR FUTURE PROJECTS KIND OF IN THE PIPELINE. THE KIND OF THERE IS PROBABLY SOMETHING TO THE TUNE OF $1 MILLION OR SO GOOD THAT, IT COULD MOVE TO ONE OF THE OTHER CATEGORIES WITHOUT A HARDSHIP TO THIS CATEGORY, IF WE WANTED TO DO THAT. WE DON'T WANT TO PUT LANGUAGE SPECIFICALLY IN THE ORDINANCE THAT AUTOMATICALLY, I GUESS , KIND OF SOME OF THE DISCUSSION LAST TIME WAS HAVING A CAP ON THE AMOUNT OF RESERVES THAT CATEGORY 5 WAS ALLOWED TO CARRY. ARE HAVING SOME AUTOMATIC, LIKE, REDISTRIBUTION PERCENTAGES PUT IN PLACE. WE DO NOT NEED THAT TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION REALLY IN ANY OF THE CATEGORIES, BUT CATEGORIES ONE THROUGH FOUR ARE SPENDING MORE THAN THEY ARE TAKING IN. IT IS A LITTLE MORE TRICKY. BUT THAT IS AN OPTION ON THE TABLE IF THAT CAN BE RECOMMENDED FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. DOES THAT

MAKE SENSE? >> BASICALLY, YOU SAID THERE IS

[01:40:03]

>> THERE IS ABOUT 100. >> I THINK, I THINK, BECAUSE I KIND OF LOOKED INTO THIS, BECAUSE I DO FEEL THERE ARE TWO PIECES TO THE CHANGING OF THE ORDINANCE, THERE ARE THE LIMITS, AND THERE SEEMS TO BE AN SENSE OF URGENCY FOR THAT, THAT IS A PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, EASY MODIFICATION. THESE LIMITS, PROBABLY, I MEAN, WE ARE ASSUMING, I AM ASSUMING THAT IT IS. THESE LIMITS HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, THEY HAVE BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 2011. WE HAVE AT A LOT OF GROWTH IN INFLATION, REMOVING THEM, CHANGING THEIR VALUES, IT IS A PRETTY EASY THING TO EXPLAIN. WE WANT TO GO THE ROUTE OF MAKING ORDINANCE CHANGES THAT ARE BIG ORDINANCE CHANGES, LIKE, WE WANT TO START PUTTING IN PLACE REQUIREMENTS, LIMITATIONS , FOR RESERVES, OR ANYTHING ELSE. THE ALLOCATION OF PENNIES ACROSS THESE CATEGORIES, CERTAINLY THAT IS A MUCH MORE DIVISIVE TOPIC. AND PEOPLE FEEL MUCH MORE DIVERSE ACROSS THE TOPIC. SOME PEOPLE FEEL VERY STRONGLY IN FAVOR, SOME FEEL VERY STRONGLY OPPOSED. AND SO, I THINK YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORDINANCE CHANGES. AGAIN, SOME ARE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD, SOME ARE PROBABLY LESS. I THINK THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU THAT FLEXIBILITY FOR MAYBE, POSSIBLY MAKING AN ORDINANCE CHANGE FOR THE LIMITS AND MAKING THE RECOMMENDATION FOR SOME OF THE CATEGORY RESERVE FUNDS , WHICH WE HAVE SEEN IN THE DISCUSSIONS FOR ORDINANCE CHANGES. I THINK THAT MAYBE WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THE URGENT THINGS AND GIVE YOU SOMETHING ELSE TO WORK WITH FOR NOW.

>> JUST A REQUEST. AND I AM PUTTING IT UP FOR THE CLERK OF THE COURTS, BUT COULD YOU SEND THAT ORDINANCE TO ALL OF US SO THAT WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

>> I SENT IT OUT AFTER LAST MONTH'S MEETING. DOES EVERYONE

HAVE TO HAVE IT RESENT? YES? >> IT WAS THE WEEK AFTER THE LAST MEETING I THINK.

>> WE HAD A DISCUSSION WOULD YOU PLEASE REMIND US AGAIN WHY THE LIMITS WERE PUT IN, BECAUSE THEY KIND OF -- IT LOOKS LIKE THE ONLY THING -- SPEAKERS ] I HAD BEEN REFERRED .

>> I ONLY HEARD IT LAST TIME. >> SO, WE HAD A SHIFT IN THE DYNAMICS OF THE PROGRAM BETWEEN 2020 , THERE WERE SOME CHANGES TO THE WAY THAT THE CATEGORIES WERE SET UP AND THERE WAS SOME CONCERN THAT THE FUNDING FOR CERTAIN PROGRAMS WAS GOING TO BECOME EXORBITANT UNDER THIS NEW STRUCTURE. SO, TO KIND OF SAFEGUARD PROGRAMS FROM EATING UP TOO MUCH OF THE FUNNY, LIMITS WERE SET IN PLACE FOR EACH OF THOSE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. OBVIOUSLY, IN THE LAST 15 YEARS OR SO, TOURISM IN ST. JOHN'S COUNTY HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY. AND WE HAVE REWORKED THE PROGRAM A NUMBER OF TIMES. NOW THESE LIMITS FEEL LOW. AND WHEN I THINK BACK WHEN THEY WERE PUT IN PLACE, THEY FELT FAIR TO HIGH. AND THAT IS ALWAYS ONE OF THE CAUTIONS ABOUT WHEN YOU ARE PUTTING NEW LANGUAGE IN ORDINANCES, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE CAPTURING THE INTENT OF TODAY AND TOMORROW, WITHOUT OVERLY RESTRICTING YOURSELF, SOME NUMBER OF YEARS

DOWN THE ROAD. >> THE NUMBERS WERE EXTREMELY LOW FOR THAT TIME PERIOD. WE ARE NOW 14 YEARS AWAY FROM THAT. AND THEY ARE DEFINITELY OUTDATED. I DON'T THINK THAT THE INTENT WAS TO STAY AT THAT MOMENT FOR THAT LONG. AND SO, THERE WAS A CHANGE IN HOW THAT WAS BEING SHIFTED .

>> AT THE TIME, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS A BIG NUMBER.

>> MADAM CHAIR ? >> GO AHEAD.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO FIND A WAY NOT TO HAVE A NUMBER , IF POSSIBLE . WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS IN ANOTHER DISCUSSION NEXT MONTH, I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION ON THAT.

AND HOPEFULLY, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING UP TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IF WE DECIDED TO MAKE THAT

[01:45:01]

RECOMMENDATION. >> AND I AGREE , AS WELL. I HAVE EMAILED MAX, JUST A MINUTE AGO, ASKING, CAN YOU GET ME THE NUMBERS BY THE END OF THE MONTH SO THAT WAY I CAN KIND OF GET WITH THAT NUMBER WOULD LOOK LIKE. BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE COST IS GOING TO BE MORE THAN WHAT PEOPLE EXPECTED

>> QUESTION, DOES IT NEED TO BE IN THE ORDINANCE AT ALL? BECAUSE, THERE ARE PROBABLY 1000 ITEMS IN THE BUDGET THAT ARE NOT IN ANY OF THE ORDINANCES. WHY THESE THREE ITEMS? I KNOW THAT WE DID IT TO MAKE IT NO LONGER PARTIALLY IN CATEGORY 2 OR PARTIALLY IN CATEGORY 3. BUT IF WE ARE LOOKING AT IT AS AN OVERALL BUDGET, THESE THREE ITEMS, WHY DO THEY NEED TO BE IN AN ORDINANCE, BUT THINGS LIKE RUNNING AN AD DO NOT. JUST -- I AM HAVING A LOGIC ISSUE.

INDISCERNIBLE - OVERLAPPING SPEAKERS ]

>> IF I CAN GO TO THE HISTORYSPEAKERS ] I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A NUMBER. I THINK THAT THE BUDGET CAN HANDLE ITSELF. IT WAS VERY NEW, AND HOW THAT WAS BEING MANAGED AT THE ADMINISTRATION. IN SOME OF THE SITUATIONS, WE DID NOT WANT A GROUP BEING CUT OUT, WE DID NOT WANT TO GROUP GETTING OUT OF CONTROL IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. IN MY OPINION , BEING PART OF IT THE FIRST TIME, AT THIS POINT, IT IS OBSOLETE.

>> THE DOLLARS DO NOT NEED TO BE LISTED. KIND OF THE WAY THAT THEY ARE LISTED, YOU LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE, WHEN YOU HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU WILL REALLY SEE, HOW THAT IS USED.

IT IS EXAMPLES. IT SAYS SPECIAL EVENTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTRACTING TOURISTS TO THE COUNTY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, WE LIST THOSE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS TO KIND OF GIVE A DEFINITION FOR SPECIAL USES. AND THAT IS UNDERNEATH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF USE.

LIKE, IF YOU GO AND LOOK AT LEISURE AND RECREATION, THE ONE THAT I WAS READING FROM A FEW MINUTES AGO, IT DOES SPECIFICALLY CITE DIFFERENT PROJECTS. THE BOAT RAMPS, THESE PROJECTS, THEY ARE LISTED TO GIVE THE ORDINANCE DEFINITION CLARITY. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THINGS OF KNIGHTS OF LIGHTS, HOLIDAY FIREWORKS, BUT AS THE LANGUAGE IS WRITTEN NOW, YOU COULD CONTINUE TO DO THAT, AND DELETE THE DOLLAR VALUE, YOU COULD DELETE THE LANGUAGE IN ITS ENTIRETY . BUT THEN IT LEAVES SPECIAL EVENTS MAYBE A LITTLE BIT LESS DEFINED THAN PERHAPS WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE. AND LIKE WE SPELL OUT , UNDER THE ORDINANCE, VISITOR USES, VISITOR INFORMATION CENTERS . I THINK, IT IS A REFERENCE TO ALL OF THOSE THINGS, THAT MIGHT MAKE THE ORDINANCE A LITTLE OVERLOADED. WE COULD CERTAINLY PUT DOWN VALUES FOR ALL OF THEM.

>> DO WE NEED A MOTION TO CHANGE THAT ?

>> ONE QUICK QUESTION. MADAM CHAIR , IF I MAY , CAN WE CHANGE THE ORDINANCE, ALL THREE OF THOSE ARE GOVERNMENTAL. THEY ARE ALMOST GOVERNMENTAL. RIGHT? NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, I THINK PLAYERS , THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS NOT. IS THERE A WAY TO CHANGE THE SUBSECTION OF THAT ORDINANCE FOR IT TO READ

DIFFERENTLY? >> I THINK MY MOTION WOULD BE FOR THE REQUEST FOR THE REMOVAL OF LIMITS ON THE ORDINANCE FROM 2011. LEAVE IT GENERIC IS THE WAY I WOULD PUT THE MOTION.

>> WHAT ABOUT FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ?

>> THAT WOULD BASICALLY

>> WHEN THOSE LIMITS WERE IN, THEY WERE NOT MAXED OUT. I THINK THAT THE CITY, ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, THEY WERE GETTING LESS THEN 10. SO, IT HAS GROWN TO THAT LEVEL. I

THINK IT IS OBSOLETE. >> TO SPEAK TO THAT QUESTION.

THESE ARE PUT IN CATEGORY 4 , I THINK, ORIGINALLY. BECAUSE THERE WAS THOUGHT THAT THESE PROGRAMS, WE DID NOT WANT THESE

[01:50:07]

SEPARATION FOR THOSE TWO. >>

>> MS. FERGUSON, IS THERE ANY OPTION WE HAVE BEFORE US? ANY SORT OF SPECIAL ALLOCATION WE COULD DO, IN ADDITION TO PUTTING THAT ON THE AGENDA, AND HAVING A DISCUSSION, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO LEGALLY , IT FEELS LIKE THIS IS REALLY, REALLY LOW. IF I CAN GET THOSE NUMBERS, JUST TO KNOW HOW FAR OFF WE ARE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

>> THE BUDGET IS IN A DRAFT FUND. AND WE HAVE CHANGED IT CONTINUOUSLY SINCE, I DON'T KNOW , AUGUST. CERTAINLY, AT THIS POINT, WHAT THE TDC COULD DO IS MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO REMOVE LIMITS, TO MODIFY LIMITS, AND THEN STAFF COULD WORK WITH THE CITIES TO GET THEIR UPDATED FIGURES. AND THEN, WE COULD GIVE AN UPDATE AT A FUTURE MEETING.

>> BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT EVEN GET THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION UNTIL NEXT MONTH. BUT YOU COULD ALWAYS GIVE AN UPDATED RECOMMENDATION TO THE BCC, OR WE COULD CAPTURE THAT AS PART OF THE OMB , ONGOING CHANGES TO THE BUDGET AND JUST NOTE THAT TO THE BCC IN THE FUTURE. I THINK THERE ARE A COUPLE OF

WAYS TO DO THAT. >> MADAM CHAIR? I HOPE THAT TARA WILL HAVE THE NUMBERS FOR YOU BY THE END OF THE MONTH.

AND ALSO, WE JUST MENTIONED TO THE MAYOR, MAYBE WE GET THAT PIO DIRECTOR IN THEIR TO WORK TOGETHER ON BULK BUYING IT IF THEY DO IT TOGETHER, IT MAY DECREASE A LITTLE BIT OF THE FUNDING AS WELL. WE WILL LOOK AT THAT OPTION AS WELL. IF THE

MAYOR IS AMENABLE TO THAT. >>

>> OKAY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TODAY , YOU ARE WELCOME TO DO SO. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION IN JULY, YOU ARE WELCOME TO DO SO. JULY LEAVES US ENOUGH ROOM TO GET IT ON THE BCC AGENDA IN A TIMELY FASHION, BEFORE THEY TAKE UP THE BUDGET. AND SO, EITHER IS FINE.

>> MADAM CHAIR I HAVE ONE QUESTION. BY REMOVING THE ORDINANCE, DOES THAT WRITTEN DOLLARS AND ALL IN THE FUTURE?

>> LIKE, AS A MINIMUM? >> I MEAN , RIGHT NOW THEY ARE

SAYING THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY. >> IS IS UP TO. WE STILL COULD GIVE THEM ZERO , BUT IT IS A CAP , IT IS A CEILING , IT IS

NOT A FLOOR. >> THE INTENT OF THIS, WHEN THEY WERE PULLING THIS OUT, THEY WERE NOT IN COMPETITION.

AT THAT POINT , IT WAS ALL UNDER ONE. IT WAS BEFORE WE REALLY HAD THE CULTURAL DEPARTMENT, THEY WERE JUST GETTING THEIR FEET UNDERNEATH THEM. NOW THEY ARE RUNNING AT FULL SPEED. THAT IS WHY SOME OF THE PROTECTIONS AND SEPARATIONS TOOK PLACE. THAT IS WHY I AM SAYING IT IS OBSOLETE, AND THE

[01:55:01]

>> DISCUSSION

SECOND. >> YOU NEED TO OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, BEFORE YOU VOTE. AND SO , I BELIEVE THIS WILL BE GIVING EVERYONE BEHIND US THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP AND SHARE. WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS.

>> CORRECT. >> FOR CLARIFICATION, IS THAT

ON ANY PART OF THE BUDGET? >> THAT IS MY CLARIFICATION FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS SHOWN UP TODAY. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A FAIR NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GIVE A COMMENT ON THE BUDGET FOR THE CULTURAL AND HERITAGE . THIS WOULD BE THE TIME FOR EVERYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THAT TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM. AND WE WILL GIVE THREE MINUTES TO EVERYONE.

>> JULY AGENDA AS WELL. AND IT IS IN JULY THAT WE WOULD MAKE THE

RECOMMENDATION. >> I WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE WE WERE GOING TO VOTE ON.

>> AFTER THIS, WE HAVE OUR PROMOTIONAL PLANTS FROM THE CULTURAL COUNCIL, THE IDEA IS, YOU GET INSIGHTS AND THE PROMOTIONAL PLAN, MOST NOTABLY CATEGORY 1, CATEGORY 2, AND THAT IS WHERE WE FUND THE CAPITAL CONTRACTS OUT OF, YOU ARE WELCOMED /ENCOURAGED TO GIVE ANY OPINIONS , IF YOU DID GIVE ANY INPUT, THE COUNCIL WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW THE CHANGES WERE MADE, OR WHAT WAS ACCOMMODATED, AND THEN YOU GET TO RECONSIDER THE BUDGET AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON IT.

OKAY. SO, WITH THAT. PUBLIC COMMENT.

>> YES. >> WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK

ON THIS ISSUE? >> YEAH. YEAH.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON, I AM SHERRY, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR LIMELIGHT DATA. I APPRECIATE, TARA, YOU MENTIONING OUR PLUMBING PROBLEMS, EVERY THEATER PRODUCER DREAMS OF RUNNING A THEATER, UNTIL THEY ARE STANDING WITH A PLUNGER IN FRONT OF AN OVERFLOWING TOILET. THAT IS A VERY REAL ISSUE . AND WE WOULD LOVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT CAPITAL FUNDS , THEY ARE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD REALLY BE REQUESTING IN THE NEXT YEAR.

AND STATE FUNDS, NOT GETTING THOSE FUNDS, ARE GOING TO BE AN ISSUE FOR US, IF THEY ARE RETRACTED. JUST WANTING TO LET YOU ALL KNOW, OUR BUDGET RUNS AROUND $775,000 FOR THE YEAR.

AND WE RECEIVED A THIRD OF OUR MONEY FROM TICKET SALES, THIRD FROM SPONSORSHIPS , AND A THIRD FROM GRANTS. AND EVERY DOLLAR DOES COUNT. WE RECEIVED A VERY GENEROUS GIFT THIS YEAR, $100,000. THAT WENT TO PAY FOR A ROOF AND ELECTRIC PANELS. IF WE DID NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THOSE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, WE COULD'VE OFFER BIGGER SALARIES TO THE EVER-CHANGING REVOLVING DOOR OF STAFF ,■ BECAUSE THAT IS DUE TO LOW OFFERINGS FOR ARTS.

WE WOULD BE ABLE TO UPGRADE OUR TECHNOLOGY, WHICH IS EVER-CHANGING, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE. NOT TO SOUND LIKE I AM COMPLAINING, BUT THE ARTS ARE SOMETHING THAT DO NOT ALWAYS GET THE ATTENTION THAT WE NEED. SO, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF JUST THE DOLLARS THAT DO SEEM TO BE A SURPLUS COMING OUR WAY. IF YOU DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIND A WAY TO SPREAD THE WEALTH. THE LIMELIGHT , THEY ARE THE ONLY

[02:00:08]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON , I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSE IN ST. AUGUSTINE. WE ARE A 227-YEAR-OLD MUSEUM AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY MUCH BLESSED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS WITH THE AWARD OF GRANTS FROM THE AWARD OF GRANTS AND THE ST. JOHNS COUNTY CULTURAL COUNCIL. I WISH I HAD LONGER BUT I CAN TELL YOU FOR A FACT, IN THOSE THREE YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TRANSFORM THE MUSEUM FROM ONE SINGLE TOUR PER DAY TO A FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS, COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, SPECIALTY TOURS, REENACTMENTS AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PUBLICIZE OUR MUSEUM ACTIVITIES IN WAYS THAT WE HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO BEFORE, WE HAVE HAD ADS AND UNIVERSAL , USA TODAY, PRESERVATION MAGAZINE, WITH THE NATIONAL TRUST OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION. WE HAVE JUST BEGUN A PARTNERSHIP WITH GO LATINO, A SPANISH-SPEAKING MAGAZINE, WE HAVE DONE AN NPR RADIO CAMPAIGN, THIS HAS MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT WE ARE DOING. OUR ATTENDANCE HAS GONE UP FROM PRE- COVID 5000, THIS YEAR, 10,300 PEOPLE HAVE WALKED THROUGH OUR DOORS. WE HAVE EVEN MORE INTERESTING DATA IN THAT RESPECT. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO PUBLICIZE THAT WE HAVE AN ARTISAN MARKET ON FIRST FRIDAYS. SINCE NOVEMBER, WE HAVE HAD BETWEEN 550 UP TO 920 VISITORS ON ONE NIGHT FOR THAT ARTIST SINCE FAIR. WE HAVE GREETED THEM AT THE GATE, WE HAVE LEARNED, ON THE AVERAGE, WE HAVE HAD FIVE TO SEVEN FOREIGN COUNTRIES REPRESENTED, ANYWHERE FROM 15 TO 35 STATES , AND FROM 15 TO 35 CITIES IN FLORIDA THAT HAVE COME AS VISITORS. THAT MEANS THEY ARE VISITING ST. AUGUSTINE, NOT JUST US. WE CANNOT DO THIS WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE MARKETING GRANT THAT WE WERE SO PRIVILEGED TO GET AND WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ORGANIZATION. I AM ONE OF MANY, AS YOU KNOW, THAT ARE AWARDED THE CULTURAL ARTS AND CULTURAL GRANTS AND SO, I AM RESPECTFULLY AND STRONGLY URGING THAT YOU CONSIDER THE IMMENSE IMPACT THAT THE STATE GRANT GOD'S WILL HAVE ON US THIS YEAR. WE HAVE AN AMAZING CALENDAR PREPARED WITH ALL KINDS OF EXCITING EVENTS, PARTNERING WITH OUR STREET, TO BRING THE STREET BACK. WE HOPE YOU'LL CONSIDER FINDING SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO COVER THAT LOSS FOR US. THANK YOU.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON, I AM ALBERT SILAS, 83 BRIDGE STREET, ST.

AUGUSTINE. I AM PRESIDENT OF ROMANO. CULTURE BENEFITS THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE CITIZENS. ST. JOHNS COUNTY IS BLESSED WITH THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN OF TOURISM, ST.

AUGUSTINE. ST. AUGUSTINE IS A UNIQUE GEM OF CULTURE, IT IS THE NATION'S OLDEST CITY, THE TOP 10 MOST ROMANTIC SMALL TOWNS IN THE U.S. THAT IS CULTURE. FIRST FREETOWN OF

[02:05:06]

AUGUSTINE. THE VOTING CITIZENS OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY ADOPTED THE DDT , WHEN THEY WERE EVENTUALLY PERSUADED , THAT IT WOULD BENEFIT THEIR CULTURE. FLORIDA STATUTE 125.104 IS THE STRATEGY THAT THE VOTERS ELECTED TO GET THERE. REGARDING THE MONZA , WE ARE LOSING BECAUSE IT RAINED ON THE CELTIC FESTIVAL . NORMALLY WE MAKE $10,000 TO $30,000, THAT PAYS FOR THE ST.

PATRICK'S DAY PARADE. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE IT RAINS, WE ARE REALLY HURTING EARL READY -- ALREADY THIS YEAR. THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT MIGHT RAIN AGAIN COULD BANKRUPT US. WE REALLY NEED HELP. ALL OF THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE

SIMILAR STORIES. THANK YOU. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MICHAEL WHITE'S AND I AM THE CEO OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, THE CEO OF BLACK IMMUNITY SERVICES , AND THE COFOUNDER OF THE LATIN AMERICAN FESTIVAL. NOW OBVIOUSLY, I SECOND EVERYTHING THAT ALBERT JUST SAID, IN AN EVER-GROWING COUNTY, GROWING IN DIVERSITY, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS, ALL OF THE SPECIAL EVENTS ARE SUPER IMPORTANT, TO BE ABLE TO BRING EVERYBODY THIS CULTURE AND HIGHLIGHT THE BEST OF IT FOR ANYBODY IN A GIVEN WEEKEND.

IN THE PAST , WE HAVE HAD RAIN ISSUES, PRE-COVID WEATHER INSURANCE AND CANCELLATION INSURANCE WAS $3000 FOR THE DAY, NOW IT IS $35,000 FOR THE DAY. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE WEATHER INSURANCE, EVERY SINGLE YEAR, WE ARE THREATENED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF NEVER DOING IT AGAIN. RIGHT NOW, IN TERMS OF LATIN AMERICAN EVENTS, WE ARE COMPETING WITH ORLANDO. WE ARE DRAWING, IN SOME CASES BETTER THAN SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT ARE THE FESTIVALS THEMSELVES. THE FESTIVAL ITSELF IS GETTING ATTENTION. MORE SO THAN SOME OF THEM THERE. BUT WE ARE AT RISK OF NOT BEING ABLE TO DO IT AGAIN. IT IS PULLING BACK WHAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, 2024, THAT WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE EVER BROKE EVEN. ANY DOLLARS THAT CAME FROM THAT, CAME OUT OF MINE AND MY WIFE'S POCKET FROM THE YEARS THAT WE LOST IN PAST, JUST TO KEEP THIS GOING. BUT WE WILL HAVE $40,000 LESS, BASED ON THE GRANTS, AND POSSIBLY EVEN MORE, DUE TO, YOU KNOW, DOWNSTREAM, ISSUES, WHERE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE GOT GRANTS FROM, MAY NOT BE GETTING THE FUNDING THAT THEY NEED . SO, WE ARE CONSTANTLY BALANCING AND CREATING HIGH QUALITY EVENT FOR SOCIETY AND FOR DIVERSITY, BUT THEN ALSO NOT BEING ABLE TO INCREASE THE PRICES THAT WE NEED TO, BECAUSE WE WANT ACCESS FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT. THERE IS NO PURPOSE IN A CULTURAL EVENT IF PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD TO GO TO IT, IF YOU ARE NOT AFFECTING AND IMPACTING YOUTH AT THAT LEVEL, WHAT DOES IT EVEN MATTER? SO, YOU KNOW, ALLOCATING MORE FUNDING WOULD BE CRITICAL FOR US , FOR US TO

[02:10:04]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> HELLO, I AM JESSICA, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WE HAVE BENEFITED FROM GRANTS IN THE PAST, I HAVE A WHOLE LIST AND I WILL NOT GIVE THAT TO YOU GUYS, BUT I HAVE A WHOLE LIST OF WHAT THE GRANT WAS SUPPOSED TO COVER THIS YEAR THESE ARE VALUABLE PROGRAMS THAT ALLOW ARTISTS TO SHARE, LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, THAT ALLOW VISITORS TO HAVE AN AWE-INSPIRING EXPERIENCE AND ALLOW DEAF OR BLIND PEOPLE TO SEE A BIRDS NEST OR SOMETHING, AND I AM FORTUNATE , THIS IS A 100-YEAR-OLD ORGANIZATION THAT I AM PART OF, AND I GET TO SEE THE WORK OF OVER 400 ARTISTS EVERY DAY, I GET TO SEE THEIR STORIES, AND I AM TRANSPORTED TO A PLACE WHERE ANY SELF-INTEREST THAT I HAVE TOTALLY GOES AWAY AND I COULD TOTALLY EXPRESS WHAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING AND FEELING. MOST OF WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR LIFE TODAY WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE VISUAL ARTS. BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO GROW.

AND THEY ARE THE RECORD KEEPERS. YOU KNOW, THEY ARE THE ADVANCERS OF SOCIETY. I THINK IT IS UNFORTUNATE WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH THE STATE. AND I HOPE THAT THE COUNTY KNOWS , WE TRULY DO FEEL THE SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY IN THE COUNTY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL ALL CONSIDER CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE ARTS BECAUSE IT IS VITAL TO THIS COMMUNITY. THANK

YOU. >> HELLO. MY NAME IS NOW HUNT AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE ST. AUGUSTINE MUSIC FESTIVAL. WE WILL BE DOING THE 17 SEASON HERE IN ST. AUGUSTINE. IT HAS BEEN PREDOMINANTLY AT THE CATHEDRAL, RIGHT ON THE PLAZA.

OUR CONCERTS ARE OFFERED FREE TO THE PUBLIC, SIX CONCERTS, OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKENDS, FRIDAYS , SATURDAYS, SUNDAY NIGHTS STARTING AT 5:30. WE ALSO STARTED, ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO, DOING CONCERTS FOR JUNETEENTH. THIS YEAR, WE HAVE MARK ROBERTS COMING UP FRIDAY NIGHT, THAT WILL BE A DIFFERENT ONE, THANKS TO THE CULTURAL COUNCIL, THEY WERE A COSPONSOR, IT WILL BE AT THE AUDITORIUM ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. WE WILL LOSE PROBABLY AROUND $20,000 BECAUSE OF THE CUTS IN THE STATE GRANTS. IF WE HAD $100,000 EVERY YEAR, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO A MUCH BIGGER PRODUCTION THAN WE DO. WE LOST MONEY, WE LOST AUDIENCE, WITH COVID AND WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD BACK UP.

BUT OUR MUSICIANS ALONE, FOR SIX CONCERTS, UNDERGOING THE COST IS $55,000 , TO OFFER CONCERTS FREE TO THE PUBLIC. WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED US, WITH THEIR MONEY, WE HAVE HAD GRANTS THAT SUPPORTED US, WE HAVE HAD GRANTS NO LONGER COMING IN, OR THAT HAVE BEEN REDUCED, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE AS MUCH FUNNY, BUT DEFINITELY NOT GETTING THE STATE MONEY WHICH WE EXPECTED AT LEAST ABOUT $20,000, THAT WOULD CUT VERY VERY DEEPLY IN OUR BUDGET, WE DO NOT WANT TO OFFER FEWER CONCERTS. WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE, EVERY SINGLE DAY, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT COME WITH THE FAMILIES. THERE ARE TOURISTS THAT COME. THE INFORMATION GOES OUT TO A LOT OF THE HOTELS IN THE GENERAL AREA AS WELL. WE ARE ADVERTISING NATIONALLY FOR THE CHAMBER CONCERTS SO THAT PEOPLE AROUND THE UNITED STATES WILL BE GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT OUR CONCERTS. AND WE HOPE THAT, IF , YOU KNOW, SINCE THE STATE MONEY IS COMING IN, IF THE COUNTY, AT ANY LEVEL WOULD BE WILLING TO SUPPORT US WITH ANY OF OUR CONCERTS, WE WOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL. WE DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO START CHARGING FOR

[02:15:04]

YOU. >> THANK YOU.

>> MY NAME IS KURT TUCKER, I AM THE GENERAL AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR BASED IN ST. AUGUSTINE, JUST IN CASE THERE IS ANY AMBIGUITY ABOUT WHY A LOT OF US ARE HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY, THE STATE LEGISLATURE PASSED ITS BUDGET FOR THE COMING YEAR, IT WAS SENT TO THE DESK OF THE GOVERNOR, HE EXERCISED HIS VETO POWER TO ELIMINATE A NUMBER OF THINGS, INCLUDING GRANTS TO ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE STATE THAT HAD BEEN VETTED THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE PROCESS. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THAT IS THE PERSON THAT HAS EVER BEEN HAPPENED. LAST YEAR, FIRST COAST RECEIVED $36,000. YOU ARE THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. YOU MIGHT BE SITTING HERE THINKING, WELL, WE ARE A TOURIST ORGANIZATION AND WE WERE TO HAVE A GRANT PROGRAM FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, WHY ARE WE ALL COMING TO YOU? THERE IS ANOTHER BIG PICTURE THAT HAS BEEN KIND OF REFERRED TO BEFORE, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYONE IS AWARE. THE ARTS CULTURAL AND HERITAGE GRANT IS THE LOCAL PUBLIC FUNDING SOURCE. THE MUNICIPALITIES DO NOT FUND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS DIRECTLY. THEY DO SO FOR THIS PROGRAM. IT IS NOT EXACTLY THE SAME LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS FUNDED THROUGH THE ACH PROGRAM. BUT THEY ARE VERY SIMILAR. SO, THEY ARE VERY SIMILAR, INDEED. IF IT IS AT ALL POSSIBLE FOR THIS BODY TO RECOMMEND INCREASED FUNDING FOR ARTS TO HELP MAKE UP FOR SOME OF THE LOSS THAT WE WILL NOT BE RECEIVING FROM THE STATE THIS YEAR, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE HERE TO ASK YOU TO DO. I HEARD REFERENCES TO RESERVE FUNDS EARLIER. I THINK THAT RESERVE FUNDS ARE A GOOD IDEA. THE ONLY REASON I AM NOT HERE SAYING THAT FIRST COAST PRODUCTIONS IS NOT GOING TO BE CANCELING THE PRODUCTIONS NEXT YEAR BUT FOR THE MOMENT, AT LEAST, WE ARE PLANNING TO GO FORWARD WITH OUR FULL SEASON. THIS MIGHT BE , RATHER THAN PUTTING MONEY IN A RAINY DAY FUND, I DO THINK THE GOVERNOR IS MAKING IT RAIN I DON'T MEAN THAT IN THE WAY IT IS NORMAL USE, IT IS RAINING ON US, MORE SO THAN FOR US, LET ME JUST GIVE YOU A VERY QUICK BACKGROUND AND 10 YEARS AGO, WE WERE A LOCAL, VERY LOCAL ORGANIZATION WITH A BUDGET OF $50,000. THIS PAST SEASON, WE JUST CONCLUDED WITH A BUDGET OF $300,000, SO WE HAVE INCREASED 600%. AT $50,000, WE COBBLE TOGETHER A MAINSTAGE REDUCTION IN A COUPLE OF CONCERTS. THIS YEAR, WE ARE NOW DOING TWO FULL -SCALE PRODUCTIONS AND A NUMBER OF OTHER PROGRAMS. I MENTION THE MAIN SAME -- MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS, IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE TO COME TO US. WE HAD PAID FOR ROOM NIGHTS, VIRTUALLY ALL OF THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH FULL PRODUCTIONS WITH SIGNIFICANT FUNDING CUTBACKS, IT BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO DO THE FULL REDUCTIONS. I AM OUT OF TIME. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND WE LOOK FORWARD

TO YOUR SUPPORT. >> ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? SO , MY SENTIMENT IS WITH YOU.

NONPROFIT CULTURAL ORGANIZATION AND THE BUDGET WAS WIPED OUT.

AT LEAST THE GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT. SO, I DEFINITELY FEEL WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM. I GUESS THE ONLY AREA THAT WE HAVE IN THIS BUDGET, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, MAYBE BEING ABLE , I DON'T KNOW , ALLOCATE OR REALLOCATE SOMETHING FROM SURPLUS TO SUPPLEMENT . IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A BLANKET THING, BUT PEOPLE WHO WERE ALREADY APPROVED , SO IT IS NOT OPENING UP A NEW LEVEL OF APPLICATION. CHRISTINA IS GOING TO COME UP, WITH PART OF HER PROMOTIONAL PLAN FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AND I AM SURE SHE WILL COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS TO COMPLICATED ON

[02:20:05]

AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE JUST FINISH THAT UP.

>> MADAM? MADAM CHAIR ? CHAIR? INAUDIBLE ] IT SHOULD BE PART OF OUR CONSIDERATION. WE NEED TO GET ONTO THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION ABOUT THE

GOVERNOR'S VETO. >> THE ITEM AT HAND , THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY CONSIDERING , IS THE LIMITS IN THE ORDINANCE AND PUTTING IN FOR A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO GIVE CONSIDERATION TO -- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU MEAN REMOVING OR ADJUSTING THAT PAPER OVER

THERE. >> REMOVING THE CAP. I STILL THINK THEY NEED TO FALL IN CATEGORY FOUR. I THINK THAT WAS PART OF THE PROTECTION IN THERE, BUT I AM JUST TALKING ABOUT REMOVING THE CAP , AND LETTING IT GET HANDLED THROUGH

THE BUDGET PROCESS. >> THE GOOD NEWS IS, WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU GUYS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TODAY. YOU CAN CERTAINLY SIT ON IT, THINK ABOUT IT, IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT YOU FEEL YOU NEED FROM STAFF, PLEASE LET US KNOW, AND WE WILL COME PREPARED IN JULY, TO SHARE

THAT WITH YOU. >> SO, WE HAVE THE MOTION AND THE SECOND. THAT IS THE WAY YOU UNDERSTOOD IT?

>> DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THAT ?

>> YES. >> THERE WAS SOME OTHER DISCUSSION, DID WE WANT TO JUST DO ONE THING, WHICH IS THIS CATEGORY 4, OR DO WE WANT TO RAISE SOMETHING MORE FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSION, IN TERMS OF REALLOCATING SOME OF THE FUNDS FROM ANOTHER CATEGORY? I THINK THOSE WERE THE TWO THINGS , THE

TWO QUESTIONS, AM I RIGHT? >> YEAH. WELL, ONE OF THE

[02:25:03]

>> THAT IS NOT PART OF THIS >> IT WAS PART OF THE ORDINANCE. IN THAT SAME LANGUAGE OF DOING THE ORDINANCE, WE DID THE ROLLOVERS. DIDN'T GO BACK INTO SUBCATEGORIES. ISN'T THAT PART --

>> NO, THAT WAS AN ORDINANCE BACK , BACK IN 2011. THIS WAS 2021, THIS ORDINANCE , I THINK THAT PULLED OUT THE 40 , 30,

30, YOU KNOW? >> ARE YOU SPEAKING OF THE

REALLOCATION? >> THAT REALLOCATION CAME OUT, I BELIEVE, IN THIS ORDINANCE. AND , FOR THE DISCUSSION OF THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE THERE . I THINK THAT NEEDS TO COME BACK IN, I DID SOME QUICK MATH ON IT, THAT IS $680,000 INTO CATEGORY 1, CATEGORY TWO, CATEGORY FIVE , 10, INTO CATEGORY 3 . SO. YOU KNOW? I DO NOT THINK THAT WE CAN PUT IT INTO THIS MOTION. BUT I DO THINK THAT IS ANOTHER THING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT. GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL REALLOCATION, THE ONE THAT CHARLES WAS TALKING ABOUT,

40-30-30. >> I AM THINKING, IF WE ARE GOING TO PRESENT TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE. I THINK THAT THE ALLOCATION, IT IS ALL PART OF THE ORDINANCE. SO, I AM NOT SURE THAT YOU CAN DO IT PIECEMEAL. YOU BRING SOME NOW, YOU BRING IN SOME A YEAR FROM NOW, OR WHATEVER, MAYBE I AM MISSING THE POINT HERE.

>> IT IS AN ADDENDUM TO THE ORDINANCE , WHAT I AM REQUESTING, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE ORDINANCE AS A WHOLE. YOU KNOW, I AGREE, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE AS A WHOLE, BUT FOR US TO MEET THE BUDGET FOR 2025? TO TAKE CARE OF OUR MUNICIPALITIES, OUR VISIT -- VISITORS INFORMATION CENTER, I THINK THIS IS MORE THE MEDIA. WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT, AS A

WHOLE. >>

>> AND, YOU KNOW, I WILL GIVE THIS TO THE BOARD. WHAT IS YOUR

FEELING? >> THAT WAS WHAT I KIND OF HAD INTENDED. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING IT , AS SOON AS POSSIBLE . I DO NEED TO MOVE THOSE NUMBERS, MOVING FORWARD.

>> ALL WE ARE DOING IS, WE ARE REMOVING THE CAP, IT WILL ALLOW THE BOARD TO MAKE IT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE, THAT IS WHAT MY

MOTION IS. >> YOU WANT THE MOTION LIMITING

IT? >> MY MOTION IS TO REMOVE THE CAP IN THESE CATEGORIES, AND I THINK THERE IS ONE MORE IN THERE, THE TDC. I'M SORRY, NOT THE TDC. THE PPC . SORRY. THE PLAYERS. I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN THERE, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THE CAPS NEED TO BE THERE ANYMORE. I THINK THAT THE BUDGET CAN TAKE CARE OF IT. AND IT INCLUDES THAT, ALONG

WITH THE OTHER. >> SO, I AM GOING TO NOTE , FOR THE MAYOR, SHE DID ASK TO CALL THE QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO STICK WITHOUT? CALL THE QUESTION ?

>> I CAN WITHDRAW MY CALL TO QUESTION.

INDISCERNIBLE - OVERLAPPING SPEAKERS ] BUT IT IS IN ORDER TO GIVE TIME TO TROY , IF HE WISHES, TO AMEND HIS MOTION, TO INCLUDE THE PLAYERS ' CHEVY TOO.

>> I BELIEVE THAT MY MOTION WAS TO REMOVE ALL OF THE CAPS WHICH , IT IS JUST NOT LISTED ON HERE.

>> THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING. >> IT WAS IMPLIED , BUT IT IS NOT ON THE LIST SO I UNDERSTAND THAT.

>> CHAIR? >> YES.

>> CALL FOR A VOTE. >> CALL FOR A VOTE?

>> ARE WE READY ? UNLESS YOU HAVE ANOTHER COMMENT? OKAY. SO.

CAN YOU RESTATE THE MOTION ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW?

>> THE MOTION IS TO REMOVE THE CAPS FROM ORDINANCE 20, 21, 43

[02:30:07]

20-21-43. >> I WILL SECOND THAT AGAIN.

>> SECONDED. >> ALL IN FAVOR?

>> AYE. >> OKAY. SO, NOW, DO WE NEED ANOTHER MOTION TO DISCUSS? OR ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE NEED TO WAIT UNTIL WE AMEND THE ORDINANCE ALTOGETHER?

>> WHAT I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST IS THAT YOU TAKE A PAUSE ON THIS, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION OF THE PROMOTIONAL PLANS, THAT WILL HELP YOU MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE BUDGET IN JULY. IN JULY, WE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE BACK UP THE DISCUSSION, AND I THINK, THAT, LIKELY, THERE IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME DISCUSSION. ANSWER PUBLIC INPUT, FOR ANYTHING THAT INVOLVES MONEY BETWEEN CATEGORIES. YOU CAN EITHER TAKE THAT UP AS PART OF THE NEXT BUDGETARY DISCUSSION, OR YOU CAN HAVE A SEPARATE STANDALONE AGENDA ITEM, WHERE YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO DESIGNATE SOMETIME, JUST TO DISCUSS THAT TOPIC. THAT CAN BE JULY, THAT COULD BE AUGUST, THAT COULD BE NEXT JANUARY, IF YOU WANTED IT TO BE, SO I THINK THAT IS LESS, IMMEDIATELY TIED TO THE BUDGET.

>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THIS SOONER THAN LATER. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS COMPLETED, BEFORE WE GET TO NOVEMBER. I MEAN, COMPLETED BEFORE THE BOARD. SO, THAT WOULD MAKE THE PROCESS NEED TO MOVE PRETTY QUICKLY.

>> I WOULD PREFER IT TO HAVE ITS OWN ITEM NEXT MONTH. IF WE CAN HAVE THAT REPORT. THESE PEOPLE TOOK TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY, AND I WANT TO GIVE THEM AN ANSWER AS SOON AS THEY CAN.

>> FOR THE JULY MEETING, IT IS SOMETHING THAT SAYS , SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF, ORDINANCE MODIFICATION CONSIDERATION , OR

SOMETHING LIKE THAT. >> TARA? FOR CLARIFICATION . I THOUGHT THAT YOU SAID THE BUDGET DEPARTMENT SAID THAT 1.5 COULD BE ALLOCATED FOR THE CURRENT ORDINANCE?

>> I DON'T THINK THAT IS WHAT IRVING IS TALKING ABOUT. IRVING IS TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING DIFFERENT. IRVING IS TALKING ABOUT EITHER BOTH REALLOCATING PENNIES ON THE FRONT END, OR PUTTING IT BACK IN PLACE SOME OF THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY HAD FOR THE DEFAULT LOCATION OF RESERVED FUNDS.

>> I WAS ON A DIFFERENT PAGE . I THOUGHT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT

THE 1.7. >> I WAS MORE ON THE 40-30-30.

I THINK, OVERWHELMINGLY , PEOPLE WERE DISTRAUGHT . THE RULES , YOU KNOW , THE OVERWHELMING SENSE TO PUT IT BACK. THAT IT MIGHT NEED TO BE MODIFIED, THERE MIGHT BE A BETTER ROLE, BUT THE CONCEPT , I THINK EVERYONE FELT REALLY STRONGLY THAT IT SHOULD ROLLOVER.

>> I WAS KIND OF ON THAT PAGE. BUT I WAS ALREADY REALLOCATING THE MONEY, WITHOUT HAVING TOUCHED THE ORDINANCE TO ONE, TWO, THREE , WITH A 40-30-30, SO THAT IS WHERE I WAS OUT WITH AT 1.7. SO, I APOLOGIZE, I JUMPED AHEAD.

>> THEY ARE ACTUALLY TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. WHEN I HAD THIS ON THE SLIDE, THE LANGUAGE, THE ORDINANCE, AS IT STANDS TODAY ALLOWS FOR THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO APPROVE, AS PART OF THE REGULAR ANNUAL BUDGET, REMOVING SOME OF THE FUNDS IN RESERVES, BETWEEN THE CATEGORIES. AND

[02:35:07]

IF YOU WANT TO PUT IN SOME SORT OF NEW , OR REINSTATE SOME SORT OF LANGUAGE THAT IS TECHNICALLY NEW LANGUAGE, INTO THE ORDINANCE, THAT REQUIRES A MODIFICATION. BUT THE ORDINANCE DOES ALLOW US TO HAVE SOME LEEWAY AS IT STANDS NOW.

>> I MIXED THE TWO TOGETHER. THEY ARE SEPARATE. I AM SORRY

ABOUT THAT. >> OKAY. SO, IN JULY, DO WE WANT AN ORDINANCE MODIFICATION ITEM? OR DO WE WANT TO HOLD OFF

ON THAT? >> IRVING, I THINK THAT WAS

TOWARD YOU. >> YOU MADE A COMMENT THAT PRECEDED THE PRESENTATION , IT MIGHT MAKE IT CLEARER. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, IF WE CAN DO THIS WITHOUT AN ORDINANCE CHANGE. I CAN SEE A COMMISSIONER SHAKING HER HEAD.

>> MY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BUDGET OF OFFICE AND MANAGEMENT, THAT WAS TO THE TUNE OF A DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT I DO NOT KNOW. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE RECOMMENDED TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, THERE IS A THRESHOLD IN THIS CATEGORY, BECAUSE THE COUNTY DOES HAVE A PLAN FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF THAT $6 MILLION BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS. BUT MY SENSE IS, WE COULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, THE TDC COULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE ABOUT 1 MILLION DOLLARS AND THEY WOULD NOT STAND UP AND TELL US THAT WAS A HORRIBLE IDEA, BECAUSE THE TDC HAS THAT NOW , YOU HAVE THAT ABILITY TO RECOMMEND, YOU KNOW, ALL $6 MILLION OF IT, BUT I DO GET SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE IS A PAINTBRUSH HOLD RIGHT THERE.

>> OKAY. SO, IF WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT, WITH COMMUNAL, IF YOU HAD ADVICE ON HOW TO DO THAT, I THINK THAT IS THE ROUTE TO GO.

>> IT IS JUST A RECOMMENDATION, YOU DO NOT HAVE THE MEETING SPECIAL. JUST A MOTION, A SECOND, AND A VOTE AND IT WOULD JUST BE PART OF, YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET. AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DID VERY SIMILARLY LAST HER, THERE WAS AN INCREASE OF A MUCH SMALLER DOLLAR AMOUNT, FROM THE GREAT TO BRENT LINE, WHEN YOU MADE THAT RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU SAID, WE WANTED TO BUMP IT UP BY X NUMBER OF DOLLARS SO THAT WE CAN MEET THE FULL FUNDING VERY SIMILAR TO THAT. I CAN CERTAINLY PRESENT FOR YOU GUYS SOME NUMBER OF OPTIONS NEXT TIME THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT. BUT THE PROCESS ITSELF, IT IS PRETTY IN LINE WITH WHAT YOU GUYS USUALLY DO. MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO SPEED UP MANAGER, A QUESTION. SO, BEFORE I WANT TO GO TO THAT DISCUSSION, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING WITH CHRISTINA, THAT, WHAT I DON'T KNOW. IT IS, YOU KNOW? FROM READING THE NEWS, AROUND THE STATE OF FLORIDA, A LOT OF COUNTIES DO KNOW WHAT THEIR LOSS WAS, DUE TO THE $32 MILLION BUDGET VETO OF THE GOVERNOR. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS. I HEAR SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS TALKING ABOUT THEIR NUMBERS. BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO ST. JOHNS COUNTY, WHAT WERE THE LOSSES, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD STARTING PLACE. TO ASK. YOU DON'T, WHERE WAS THAT NEGATIVE IMPACT.

WHERE WERE WE BEING ASKED TO MAKE UP? THEN WE GO THERE, I AM VERY AMENABLE TO THE IDEA OF MAKING THE RECOMMENDATION , YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, TO BE APPROPRIATE THOSE CATEGORIES.

AT THE BUDGET. THE TIME OF THE BUDGET. SO THAT WOULD BE WHEN WE HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. BUT I AM VERY INTERESTED , YOU KNOW, IN JUST MORE INFORMATION. WHAT HAS BEEN THE NEGATIVE IMPACT.

IN OUR ORGANIZATION. AND IF IT IS POSSIBLE, EVEN THE NATURE

[02:40:03]

>> FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA , DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WE GET A GENERAL GRANT, THAT IS A BIG PART OF OUR BUDGET. SO, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE PART OF, YOU KNOW THE GENERAL STAFF, SOME PROGRAMS. AND CONTINUE TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE DO, YOU KNOW, HEARING FROM ORGANIZATIONS WHO MAY GO BANKRUPT . THEY ARE RELYING ON THOSE FUNDS, WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS, JUST LIKE WE DO, THE TDC. AND THE LEGISLATURE HAS APPROVED IT. AND THE GOVERNOR VETOED IT. I

[10. PROMOTIONAL PRESENTATION FROM THE CULTURAL COUNCIL]

IT IS A LOT. IT HAS BEEN HURTING A LOT. SO, CHRISTINE WILL TOUCH UPON THAT, IN PART OF THE PROMOTIONAL PLAN. WE HAVE GOT KIND OF THE DIRECTION FOR TODAY. AND WE HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY FOR THE MEETING NEXT MONTH. WE WILL MOVE TO AGENDA

ITEM NUMBER 10. >>

>> KIERA IS PULLING UP THE PROMOTION. IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF THE PAIN THAT ST. JOHNS COUNTY IS GOING TO FEEL. I APOLOGIZE. SOME OF THE COMMENTS YOU PROBABLY WERE HEARING AND HAVING A HARD TIME PUTTING THEM IN THE CONTEXT LAST THURSDAY, WE LEARNED THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD VETOED 100% OF THE ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE FUNDING FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA. 100%. NOT ONE SINGLE PROGRAM HAS BEEN FUNDED. I THINK WE ARE THE ONLY STATE IN THE COUNTRY WHO EFFECTIVELY HAS NO STATE ARTS COUNCIL BECAUSE THERE IS NO MONEY. AND IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY, A LOT OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS , THEY HAD GRANTS VETTED . WE HAD ALMOST $2 MILLION WORTH OF FUNDING THAT OUR ORGANIZATIONS WERE ELIGIBLE FOR, BY THE TIME THE LEGISLATURE FINISHED, IT WAS DOWN TO ABOUT $1 MILLION THAT OUR ORGANIZATIONS WERE EXPECTING TO RECEIVE. THOSE FUNDS ARE LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBLE THAN OUR TDC FUNDS .

THEY ARE NOT STRICTLY RELATED TO TOURISM. IN OUR CASE, THE LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT APPLY FOR STATE FUNDING IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT PLAN TO APPLY FOR THE TDC FUNDING. I AM FAMILIAR WITH THEIR PROGRAMS. MOST ARE TOURISM RELATED. FIRST COAST OPERA, THE FIRST COAST CULTURAL CENTER, THE LIMELIGHT THEATER, ROMANZA, THE LIGHTNER MUSEUM, THE ST. AUGUSTINE LIGHTHOUSE, THE SOCIETY OF COLONIAL DAMES, THE ST. AUGUSTINE BALLET, THE ST.

AUGUSTINE ARTS ASSOCIATION, THE FRIENDS OF LINCOLNVILLE, THE LINCOLNVILLE MUSEUM, LATIN COMMUNITY SERVICES, THE GAMBLE ROGERS FOLK FESTIVAL, THE COMMUNITY CENTER , THE HERITAGE FESTIVAL, AND THE ACCORD HERITAGE RIGHTS ORGANIZATION.

THE BUDGET ALREADY INCLUDES A RECOMMENDED INCREASED IN THE BUDGET FOR OUR YEAR NEXT YEAR. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL HELP. BUT MANY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS RELY ON THAT STATE FUNDING. AND MANY OF THEM WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE PRESENTING THE WONDERFUL PROGRAMMING THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING. THEY ARE JUST RECOVERING FROM COVID.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DATA, AND WE HAVE HEARD SOME OF IT TODAY, WE HAVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE WORKED SO HARD, THEY HAVE DOUBLED OR TRIPLED ATTENDANCE TO THEIR EVENT. THIS IS GOING TO SEND US IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. I SAY THIS EVERY TIME I COME UP. I WILL SHOW IT TO YOU IN THE PROMOTION PLAN.

OUR VISITORS ARE COMING HERE FOR THE BEAUTIFUL BEACHES BUT THEY ARE ALSO COMING HERE TO VISIT THE MUSEUMS AND ATTEND OUR MUSICAL PERFORMANCES. YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT THE ST.

AUGUSTINE MUSIC FESTIVAL, THE LARGEST TREE CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD AND WE HAVE MANY OF THOSE HIGH-SPENDING VISITORS WHO COME TO THAT EVERY YEAR, WE ARE LUCKY THEY ARE DOING TWO WEEKENDS AND ONE MIDWEEK EVENT, WITHOUT THE FUNNY, THEY MIGHT DROP BACK TO WHEN WE CAN. THINK ABOUT HOW MANY VISITORS WE WOULD LOSE BECAUSE OF THAT. SO I HOPE, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE UP AND BE

[02:45:02]

THEY ARE HAVING THE SAME KIND OF PAIN . BUT I WOULD SURE LIKE TO SEE OUR ADJOURN STEP UP FOR US. AND NOW I WILL GET INTO THE PROMOTION PLAN, PROMOTIONS PLAN LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, WITH OUR NEW CONTRACT, OUR CONTRACT HAS SHIFTED TO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, AND PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR ALL OF THE CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. SOME OF THE ONES THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT. SO, WE HAVE GIVEN YOU THE COPIES IN ADVANCE. I WILL TRY TO MAKE THIS QUICK , IT HAS BEEN A LONG MEETING, I AM GOING TO FLIP THROUGH AND PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMMENTARY ON WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET. SO, WE HAVE NOT CHANGED OBJECTIVES OR GOALS, WE ARE LOOKING AT USING EXISTING CULTURAL ASSETS, TO PROMOTE ST. JOHNS COUNTY AS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN EXPERIENCE FIVE CENTURIES OF CULTURAL ASSETS WITH THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF FIRST AND ONLY IN THE UNITED STATES, BEAUTIFUL BEACHES, AND FRIENDLY FLORIDA HOSPITALITY'S, WE ARE WORKING WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS, WE ARE WORKING TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN VISITORS , AND INCREASE TOURISM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY , AND ESTABLISH IT AS A CULTURAL DESTINATION IN THE USA. I THINK THAT WORKING WITH THE BCB , WE HAVE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS, WE ARE NOW HAVING A HIGHER NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL VISITORS THAN WHAT WE WERE SAYING A FEW YEARS AGO. I THINK THAT IS A RESULT OF THE CHANGES IN OUR STRATEGY AND THE CHANGES THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THE VCB STRATEGIES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, WE ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON INCREASING THE YEAR-ROUND TOURISM, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE OUR SOFT SPOTS FOR THE YEAR, INCREASING TOURISM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. I AM NOT GOING TO GO OVER ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, YOU CAN SKIM OVER THOSE, YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF RECOGNITION FOR THE CULTURAL ASSETS, AND YOU WILL SEE SOME OF THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, USING OUR BUDGET. AND ALSO SOME GRANTS THAT WE HAVE APPLIED FOR AND USED, TO CREATE TOURISM PRODUCTS AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE THINGS WITH THE CULINARY GUIDE THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED, WE WILL HAVE SOME NEW PROGRAMS COMING UP IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. SO, THE CONTRACT CHANGES, AS I MENTIONED, THERE HAS REALLY BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A SHIFT, TOWARDS US USING SOME OF THE LESS OVERALL MARKETING, AND THE VCB, THEY ARE SEGMENTING THEIR MARKET BUT I DO NOT WANT TO STEAL ANY OF SUSAN 'S THUNDER.

SHE WILL TALK A LOT MORE ABOUT HOW THEY ARE APPROACHING THINGS. WE ARE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THESE ORGANIZATIONS, BUT NOT TO THE POINT WHERE THE CULTURAL COUNCIL IS DESIGNING A SEPARATE OVERALL DESTINATION MARKETING STRATEGY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WILL BE DOING THIS NEXT YEAR IS AN OVERALL CULTURAL PLAN FOR ST. JOHNS COUNTY AND YOU WILL SEE THAT IN OUR BUDGET THAT WILL LOOK AT MORE WAYS THAT WE CAN GET THOSE VISITORS , THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SIDE, IT WILL CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE THE PHYSICAL AND ONLINE PUBLICATIONS CREATED. AND WE JUST COMPLETED A CONTRACT WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS GOING TO BE CREATING THE SIGNAGE FOR THE NEW BLACK CULTURAL HERITAGE TRAIL, THAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED NEXT YEAR. WE PLAN TO WORK WITH A CONSULTANT TO CREATE A PUBLIC ART MASTER PLAN FOR THE SAME COUNTY THAT WILL HELP GUIDE US IN THESE DECISIONS, WHEN WE GET

[02:50:01]

FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, WE WILL CO-PRESENT THE GAMBLE ROGERS FOLK FESTIVAL, THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME THAT WE PROVIDE DIRECT FUNDING FOR THAT, FOR THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY.

WE BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE BUILT UP ENOUGH TO KEEP THAT FESTIVAL OUT AT THE FAIRGROUNDS GROWING AND AGAIN, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DISTRIBUTE AND UPDATE THE VARIOUS CULTURAL GUIDES. THE OTHER PROJECT IS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SISTER CITIES RELATIONSHIP, AND ALL OF THE CELEBRATIONS AROUND THAT BUT IT WILL NOT BE A ONE-OFF EVENT, THAT IS SOMETHING WE PLAN TO CONTINUE. WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE CITY THIS MORNING, ABOUT CONTINUING THIS MONTH IVAN LONG HERITAGE EVENT, FOCUSED AROUND THE OLDEST PLATTED STRAIGHT IN AMERICA THAT WILL RUN FOR THE ENTIRE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING TOURISM SEASONS, AND I THINK WE HAVE, THE OLDEST SPANISH-SETTLED COMMUNITY IN NORTH AMERICA. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY INCREASE TOURISM AROUND THAT TOPIC THAT WE WILL BE WORKING ON THAT AS WELL. MARKETING IS STILL A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO. REMEMBER, IF WE CAN CREATE THE GRANTS POOL, 25% OF THE RENT POOL IS GOING TO GO TO OUT OF ERIC OF MARKETING. AND OUR ORGANIZATIONS HAVE COME SO FAR IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. PAYSON WENT WITH IT, THEY ARE ADVERTISING AT A NATIONAL LEVEL TO ATTRACT THOSE VISITORS , 25% OF THE GRANT MONEY IS GOING TOWARDS THAT. THEY ARE SPENDING A LOT MORE ON MARKETING, SOME OF IT IS CLOSER TO HOME, SOME OF THEM DO SPEND MORE THAN 25% ON OUT OF AREA. ANOTHER PART OF THE BUDGET IS THAT WE ARE MATCHING THAT 25% SPEND. IF THEY DO A $10,000 RADIO CAMPAIGN, THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHEAST, WE GIVE THEM ANOTHER $10,000 TO MAKE IT A $20,000 CAMPAIGN. SO, THERE IS ACTUALLY QUITE A BIT OF MARKETING DOLLARS STILL IN CATEGORY TWO AND IT IS BEING VERY WELL SPENT. I AM NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU ALL OF THE DETAILS OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN, WE HAVE GROWN, AND THE NUMBERS HAVE GROWN. WE HAVE GROWN FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS FROM ABOUT $10,000-$100,000. THEY ARE VERY ENGAGED. THAT IS BEEN A GOOD INVESTMENT. WE HAVE A BIG INSTAGRAM PRESENCE AS WELL. AND YOU CAN SKIM THROUGH THIS AND SEE HOW WE ARE UTILIZING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE ARTS AND CULTURE HERITAGE IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY TO THOSE CULTURAL TRAVELERS. WE ALSO WORK WITH THE PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY, WITH OFFICES IN CHICAGO AND IN FLORIDA. AND WE HAVE SOME PARTICULAR EXPERTISE IN CULINARY. THEY DO A LOT WITH OTHER EVENTS, IN THE CULINARY GUIDE THAT WE PUT OUT LAST YEAR, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH A FOUNDATION, MICHELIN, AND PROMOTING LOCAL CHEFS . AND I AM HAPPY TO SAY, NEXT TUESDAY, BARRY FROM LOTUS WILL BE COOKING AT THE SPIRIT HOUSE IN NEW YORK, IT HAS BEEN WIDELY PUBLICIZED AND I AM PRETTY EXCITED, BECAUSE I GET TO GO AND BE WITH HIM ON TUESDAY. WE WILL COME BACK AND LET YOU KNOW HOW THAT GOES. THAT IS KIND OF THE FIRST STEP TO GETTING A CHEF TO GET THAT RECOGNITION.

THE SPIRIT AWARDS ARE THE HIGHEST HONORS THAT A CHEF CAN GET. THEY HAD THE ANNUAL AWARDS IN CHICAGO. IT IS COMPARED TO THE ACADEMY AWARDS, BUT FOR THE COOKING INDUSTRY. HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE A ST. AUGUSTINE CHEF RECOGNIZED WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR

[02:55:02]

$1.4 MILLION. >> THAT IS CORRECT.

>> OKAY, THANK YOU. >> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD TODAY WAS FROM SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAME FORWARD AND TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY THEY WERE GOING TO NOT BE RECEIVING, BECAUSE OF THE GOVERNOR VETOING THE GRANTS PROGRAM, AT OUR NEXT MEETING, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO PROVIDE US WITH A DETAILED LIST OF THE IMPACT ON ST. JOHNS COUNTY ? THE EXACT NUMBERS OF WHAT THAT REALLY LOOKS LIKE?

>> I HAVE THOSE NUMBERS WITH ME TODAY. WHAT I CAN DO, IF IT IS HELPFUL, IS PUT IT IN A FORMAT THAT THEY CONSENT TO STAFF, AND WE CAN DISTRIBUTE IT SO THAT YOU CAN SEE HOW ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED.

>> THE MEETING NEXT MONTH, TO ME, IS GOING TO BE VERY EXCITING, BECAUSE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE SOMETHING THAT IS VERY DISAPPOINTING FOR A LOT OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND TURN IT INTO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS GROUP TO STEP UP. AND, YOU KNOW? SEND A MESSAGE THAT WE VALUE ARTS IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY. AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK, WE HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO , YOU KNOW, STEP UP, AND REALLY MAKE A STATEMENT. SO I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE

MEETING NEXT MONTH, FOR SURE. >> THANK YOU. SPINNING DO YOU

HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS? >> YOUR MICROPHONE WAS ON MUTE.

THERE WILL BE A REAL CROP OF POTATO SALAD.

>> IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE DISHES. EVERYONE THERE IS GOING TO BE WOWED BY WHAT HE BRINGS TO THE TABLE. THANK YOU FOR

[11. PROMOTIONAL PRESENTATION FROM THE VCB]

>> GOOD AFTERNOON , I AM SUSAN PHILLIPS , WITH THE VCB. I GUESS I AM HERE TO BRING IT HOME, CLOSE IT OUT, I WILL TALK SUPERFAST. I TALK FAST ANYWAY. I WILL CUT OUT SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT I WAS GOING TO ALREADY MAKE. TARA, ARE YOU GOING TO DRIVE THIS FOR ME OR DO I? OKAY, PERFECT. I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT A FEW THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, A YEAR AGO WHEN I WAS HERE IN FRONT OF YOU, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SAID WAS, ST. JOHNS COUNTY IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, IT IS A GREAT TOWN TO LIVE IN AND WORK IN, THAT STATEMENT WAS TRUE LAST YEAR AND IT IS TRUE TODAY. AFTER LISTENING TO EVERYONE TODAY. WE LIVE IN SUCH A WONDERFUL DESTINATION. BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES AND A LOT OF WORK TO DO. I AM GOING

[03:00:03]

YOU DO HAVE THE PUBLICATION IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT I AM GOING TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS FOR YOU. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON IN THE NEXT YEAR, THE DESTINATION BRANDING. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE MESSAGING, WHICH WILL HIGHLIGHT THE DIVERSE, VIBRANT, TIMELESS EXPERIENCES ON THE FLORIDA HISTORIC COAST. WILL HAVE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, TARGETING MIDWEEK. WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT MIDWEEK, EXTEND OUR VISITOR STAYS, INCREASE WHERE APPROPRIATE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE FOCUS ON RIGHT NOW AGAIN, IS WEEKEND VISITATION, WHICH STILL NEEDS STRENGTHENING. WILL HAVE AN ENHANCED DIGITAL TECHNOLOGICAL PRESENCE, AND WE ARE ALSO GOING TO HAVE A CULTURAL HERITAGE PROMOTION TO CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE THE BLACK AND HISPANIC HERITAGE OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY.

WE WILL FOCUS ON UNIQUE EXPERIENCES. WHAT I MEAN ABOUT THAT, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE WITH OUR CAPTIVATING MUSIC TOURS AND EVENTS, WE CAN ONLY GROW THAT, WE CAN ONLY WORK TO PROMOTE THE SING OUT LOUD FESTIVAL, THE JAZZ AND BLUES SERIOUS AND THE MANY SOUNDS OF MUSIC ON HISTORIC COAST. WE WILL BE DEVELOPING PROGRAMS FOR OFF THE BEATEN PATH TOURISM, CERTAINLY, THESE VISITORS LOVE TO COME TO THE BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC DISTRICT. BUT WE HAVE OTHER EXPERIENCES FOR THEM TO ENJOY, AND SOME OF THOSE WILL INCLUDE SOUTH ST. JOHNS COUNTY, HASTINGS BEACH, AND THE RIVER REGION. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON . WE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD A STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, AND SUPPORT THIS, AND SUPPORTING LISTENING SESSIONS.

OF COURSE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK ALL OF YOU WILL CELEBRATE. ONE OF OUR MOST SIGNIFICANT, AND I AM NOT LOOKING AT PHILLIPS RIGHT NOW, BUT ONE OF THE MOST HISTORY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES, WILL BE ONE OF OUR BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONER CHAIRS, SARAH ARNOLD, TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT, EMBRACE, AND PROMOTE THE FIRST BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM, RIGHT HERE IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY. THIS IS A HUGE AND TRANSFORMATIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, REGION, STATE, WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE AND GRATEFUL TO BE PART OF THIS STORY OF HEALING THAT WILL POSITION ST. JOHNS COUNTY AND ST. AUGUSTINE, FOR THE LONG-STANDING LEGACY , TO COMMEMORATE OVER 400 YEARS OF BLACK HISTORY. WITH ALL OF THIS, WE HAVE COMMITTED TO ELEVATING THE VISIBILITY AND APPEAL OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY AND ENSURE THAT IT IS A MUST-VISIT DESTINATION FOR TRAVELERS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE. I AM GOING TO TALK YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. SOME OF THIS YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD BUT WE NEED TO KEEP THIS IN MIND AS WE MOVE INTO FISCAL YEAR 2025. WE HAVE BEEN IN A STATE OF RESET FOR NORMALIZATION THAT STARTED IN LATE APRIL OF LAST YEAR AND HAS CONTINUED, FOLLOWING SOME DOUBLE -DIGIT GROWTH. WE ALSO KNOW THAT FLORIDA HAS NOT BEEN TOP OF MIND FOR THE VISITORS, AND INSTEAD, THEY TRAVEL TO EUROPE, THEY TRAVEL TO OTHER DESTINATIONS. BUT WITH THE POST IVAN COVID REOPENING, FLORIDA HAS BEEN THE BEEN THERE, DONE THAT DESTINATION. RESEARCH IS SHOWING THAT FOLKS ARE EXCITED TO TRAVEL BUT WE HAVE A VERY COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE AND WE HAVE A LOT OF ECONOMIC INSTABILITY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT GAS PRICES, AIRFARE, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, INFLATION -WISE, TRAVELERS ARE LOOKING FOR THINGS, INCLUDING THE WE DO NOT WANT TO HEAR, DISCOUNTS, FREE THINGS, OR THEY WANT NEARLY FREE THINGS TO DO.

THEY ARE BEING VERY SELECTIVE ABOUT HOW THEY SPEND MONEY AND ACTIVITIES IN RETAIL SHOPPING, THEY WILL KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THEIR FINANCES, MUCH OF US ARE DOING SO RIGHT NOW. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE RESEARCH, ONE OF THE INTERESTING TRENDS THAT I FOUND, THAT I THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY, IS A NEW TREND OF THE SLOW TRAVEL MOVEMENT. AND THIS IS ABOUT APPRECIATING THINGS ON A DEEPER AND MORE MEANINGFUL LEVEL. WITH AN EMPHASIS ON CULTURAL PRESENTATION, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THAT TODAY, ECO-FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATIONS, AND WELLNESS EXPERIENCE TOURISM, AND I AM HERE TO SAY, ST. JOHNS COUNTY IS WELL POSITIONED FOR THIS WHICH WILL LEVERAGE AND PROMOTE. NOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR LEISURE TRAVEL, CERTAINLY THAT IS THE BULK OF

[03:05:01]

OKAY. I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR MARKETING AND ADVERTISING. IT WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THESE THREE ELEMENTS, THE FIRST IS PROMOTING OUR DESTINATIONS, PROMOTING OURSELVES AS A PREMIER, MUST IVAN SEE DESTINATION, SHOWCASING OUR LOCALE TO ENTICE VISITORS TO STAY LONGER. YOU HAVE HEARD US SAY, THE SLOGAN IS, YOU CAN STAY ONE MORE DAY. WE WILL TARGET A CERTAIN LEVEL OF TRAVELERS TO INDULGE IN OUR HISTORIC AND AUTHENTI OFFERINGS. I WILL NOT GO INTO THIS, THIS TALKS ABOUT THE TARGET AUDIENCE YOU HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE, UNTIL WE HAVE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH DONE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE YOUNGER PURSUERS. AND WE ALSO HAVE SECONDARY AND NICHE CONSIDERATIONS. THE BUSINESS- TO-BUSINESS , AND WE HAVE OUR NICHE, ESPECIALLY MARKETS, THAT INCLUDES BRIDAL TOURISM, CULINARY TRAVEL, HERITAGE GRAVEL, LGBTQ TRAVEL, LUXURY TRAVEL, AND , FINALLY, MUSIC TOURISM. OUR MEDIA STRATEGIES AND TACTICS, UNTIL THERE IS A NEW ADVERTISING AGENCY IN PLACE, WE WILL CONTINUE LIKE THIS. AND, OF COURSE, THE SAME LEVEL OF AUDIENCES. AND NOW, I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME SPECIFICS. THESE ARE THE SPECIFIC GOALS FOR WHAT THE VCB TEAM WILL BE ACCOMPLISHING THIS COMING YEAR. WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR SALES TEAM, THEY WILL BE ATTENDING OVER 50 CONFERENCES AND TRADESHOWS THROUGHOUT THE U.S. THIS WILL BE WITH A FOCUS ON UPSCALE, MIDWEEK GROUPS, AND MORE OF OUR SALES RESOURCE FOCUS WILL BE ON PLANNERS OUTSIDE OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, THAT IS FOR THE HIGHER-SPENDING, LONGER IVAN STAYING GROUPS. BLESS YOU. AND WE HAVE INCREASED DPM YEAR-OVER-YEAR BY 4% TO 14%, THOSE ARE VERY STRONG STRETCH GOAL. COLLECTIVELY, THE VCB SALES TEAM WILL GENERATE OVER 157,000 IN FISCAL YEAR '25. WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, OUR COMMUNICATIONS INCLUDE MEDIA RELATIONS FOR BOTH ENGLISH , HISPANIC, SOCIAL MEDIA FOR BOTH ENGLISH AND HISPANIC, OUR CREATIVE DESIGN TEAM. OUR GOAL FOR THE TEAM WILL BE TO GENERATE $17 BILLION, THAT IS WITH A B, IN EARNED MEDIA, THIS YEAR, WE WILL CLOSE OUT AT $15 BILLION, THIS INCLUDES TRAVEL, LEISURE, USA TODAY, SMITHSONIAN, AND MANY OTHER PUBLICATIONS. THEY WILL BE HOSTING OVER 75 TARGETED JOURNALISTS. WE WILL GROW OUR FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS TO OVER 550,000, INSTAGRAM TO NEARLY 85,000. LINKEDIN, B2 B CHALLENGE , AND WE WILL CONDUCT 22 FACEBOOK LIVE SESSIONS, WE WILL INCREASE OUR HISPANIC PR MEDIA IMPRESSIONS TO 200 MILLION. CURRENTLY WE ARE AT 150 MILLION. AND THE KPMG HAS INCREASED , YEAR-OVER-YEAR, ANYWHERE FROM 5% TO 25%. MORE STRETCH GOALS, BECAUSE WE WANT TO DELIVER. FOUR OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, THE SPANISH AND ENGLISH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, WE WILL HAVE THEMED PROMOTIONS THAT WILL GENERATE $1.5 MILLION IN MEDIA VALUE. ALSO, WHAT WE DO, YEAR-OVER-YEAR, IS WE WILL SECURE AT LEAST ONE NATIONAL, IN-MARKET FILM OPPORTUNITY, TV, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, PETER GREENBERG , THE TRAVEL DETECTIVE, SAMANTHA BROWN, THE

[03:10:06]

PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS HAD MENTIONED A BUDGET FOR ADVERTISING. I PUT THAT ON HERE AS WELL, KNOWING THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS. SOME WILL BE PRELIMINARY, WHEN WE HAVE FINAL NUMBERS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO GO IN AND MAKE CHANGES TO THIS. I AM HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY

HAVE. >> ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS WE ASK? THAT CONCLUDES AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 11, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 12, SUSAN ASKED IF SHE COULD GIVE AN UPDATE FOR --

>> IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE, I HAVE A HASTINGS VIDEO THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SHOW YOU ALL. I PROMISE YOU IT IS NOT BORING, IT IS REALLY COOL. WE CAN DO THAT AFTER THIS DISCUSSION

ABOUT NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. >> OKAY.

>> THANK YOU. I DID NOT SEE IT IN THERE, TARA. I DID NOT SEE IT IN THERE. OKAY. OH, OKAY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WITH YOU ALL TODAY. THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY. WE FEEL THAT THERE IS DEFINITELY AN URGE TO GET AHEAD IN OUR ADVERTISING FOR NIGHTS OF LIFE. TYPICALLY, WE START ADVERTISING IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER BUT GIVEN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT, GIVEN THE CURRENT LOWER LEVELS OF DEMAND, WE PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU ALL , WITH THE ANTICIPATION THAT MAYBE YOU WOULD ALLOW US TO GO AHEAD AND START ADVERTISING WITH OUR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS CAMPAIGN. WE DO KNOW THAT THE WEBSITE ENGINE STARTS RECEIVING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC FOR NIGHTS OF LIGHTS, TIMING WISE, STARTING IN JULY, BUT NOT THAT AS A BAD THING. I WANT TO GO THROUGH A COUPLE OF NUMBERS WITH YOU. IN THE CONCENTRATION OF THIS CAMPAIGN, IT WOULD BE IN THE KEY FLORIDA AND SOUTHWEST U.S. SERIES. AND WE ARE LOOKING AT ATLANTA, CHARLESTON, CHARLOTTE, FORT MEYERS, GAINESVILLE, MIAMI , FORT LAUDERDALE, ORLANDO, RALEIGH, DURHAM, ST.

PETERSBURG, TAMPA, WEST PALM BEACH. PREDOMINANTLY, THIS IS A DIGITAL CAMPAIGN, WE HAVE PROGRAMMATIC DISPLAYS. THAT WOULD BE TWO FLIGHTS OF COVERAGE, STARTING JULY 22ND,

[03:15:05]

OUR TOTAL SPEND WOULD BE $446,075. AND TO GIVE YOU THE NUMBER OF IMPRESSIONS THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE FROM THIS CAMPAIGN. AND OF COURSE, THE CONTENT OF WHAT WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING AT. WE ARE LOOKING AT A TOTAL. LET ME GET TO THE RIGHT PAGE. WE ARE LOOKING AT A TOTAL OF 41 MILLION IMPRESSIONS FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. SO, WITH YOUR APPROVAL, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO START GETTING THIS SET UP, SO THAT WE COULD START ADVERTISING AT THE END OF JULY.

>>

YOU DON'T KNOW? >> THIS WOULD COME FROM FISCAL YEAR 2025. I DON'T KNOW. TARA COULD GIVE US GUIDANCE. I DON'T KNOW HOW, THIS WOULD NOT COME FROM THE ADVERTISING BUDGET , TYPICALLY IT WOULD BE FOR THE NEXT YEAR. WE WOULD NEED TO GET APPROVAL, THE KIND OF FRONTLOAD THAT. AND I DO NOT KNOW HOW THAT IS DONE. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO START, BUT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO START THE CAMPAIGN

IN JULY. >> THAT IS IN KEEPING WITH THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAD EARLIER IN TRANSITIONING.

>> MY QUESTION WOULD BE, IS THIS ? WE HAD A REQUEST, WE HAD A REQUEST TO INCREASE BUDGET, $675,000. THAT WAS A $3.4 MILLION NUMBER. IS THIS, IS THIS REQUEST TODAY, WHICH IS $446,000 ? ARE THE TWO AT ALL CONNECTED OR IN CONFLICT WITH

ONE ANOTHER, OR COMPETING? >> I DON'T THINK SO. SO, I BELIEVE, WHAT I AM UNDERSTANDING FROM THE PRESENTATION, SHE IS LOOKING FOR US TO GIVE US SOME ADVANCED APPROVAL, THAT WE WOULD LIKE HER TO JUMP ON, WITH THIS NIGHTS OF LIGHTS MARKETING PLAN. AND THAT, THAT, THAT APPROVAL, OR, THAT CONSENT , THAT TIES US UP, FOR THE 446, OUT OF CATEGORY ONE. THE OTHER FUNDING DEALS WITH CATEGORY 2 AND CATEGORY 5. SO, THEY ARE SEPARATE.

>> SO, THIS IS A TIMELINE QUESTION? SORT OF JUST, MOVING IT UP? WILL SHE BE SPENDING , WILL THIS MONEY BE SPENT IN THE

FISCAL YEAR 2025 ? >> YOU WOULD HAVE TO START NOW.

IT IS GOING TO BE SPENT IN 2024. AND CONTINUING.

>> YOU ARE NOT SPENDING BEFORE OCTOBER 1ST, RIGHT?

>> TYPICALLY, WE WAIT UNTIL THE FISCAL YEAR , TO ADVERTISE IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER, THIS YEAR, WE ARE TRYING TO GET THAT DOWN. I THINK, WHAT WE CAN DO, IF THE TPC FEELS LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING YOU LIKE, YOU CAN EITHER TAKE A VOTE ON IT, I WILL WORK WITH SUSAN, WITH THE VCB, AND WE WILL SEE WHAT THAT IS LIKE, ON ACTUAL PURCHASING .

>> I THINK IT IS ALSO PART OF, SINCE NEXT YEAR , WE DO NOT

[03:20:03]

>> WHAT WE ARE BEING ASKED IS, WE HAVE NOT APPROVED THE 2025 BUDGET. WE ARE BEING ASKED TO ALLOW THAT FOR THAT BUDGET, EARLY . WITHOUT APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET. BASICALLY? WHICH I AM OKAY WITH. PROCEDURALLY, IS THAT OKAY?

>> WE WILL HAVE TO WORK THROUGH AND CONSULT WITH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT OFFICES IN THE COUNTY. BUT STILL , I THINK FOR PURPOSES OF THE DISCUSSION, SUSAN , ON BEHALF OF THE VCB, IS MAKING A PITCH TO START SOMETHING EARLY. IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE IN FAVOR OF, WE CAN GIVE HER A CONSENTING VOTE. AND WE CAN ASSIST IN MAKING THAT HAPPEN,

IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. >> DID YOU MEAN TO SAY INDISCERNIBLE - OVERLAPPING SPEAKERS ] --

>> WE WERE LISTENING. >> I WAS ON THE SAME PAGE. WE

HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE. >> MADAM CHAIR? WE HAVE ALL OF A SUDDEN BEEN THROWN A LOT OF STUFF AT US TODAY. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT KIND OF CAME OUT OF LEFT FIELD. WHICH IS GREAT.

I KNOW IT IS PROBABLY WARRANTED , NECESSARY, AND ALL OF THAT STUFF NEXT MONTH, WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF BUDGET STUFF, IN ADDITION TO THIS MONTH TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF BUDGET STUFF. SO, MY PREFERENCE, JUST TO THROW IT OUT THERE, WOULD BE THAT WE NOT VOTE ON THIS TODAY. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE A CROWD OF VOTERS, AND MAYBE WE DEAL WITH THIS NEXT MONTH, ALONG WITH A LOT OF OTHER BUDGETARY THINGS. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE BUDGET ON THE BRAIN NEXT MONTH. IT SEEMS LOGICAL THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT MONTH. I WANTED TO SHARE MY OPINION.

>> SOME OF HER DATES MAY PREDATE OUR NEXT MEETING. SO, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO IT RETROACTIVELY. IF WE WAITED.

>> WE WERE LOOKING AT JULY 22ND FOR A START DATE. THIS IS GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. THEY NICE THING IS, IT A MATTER OF GETTING THE ANIMATION DONE, DELIVERED, AND TRAFFICKED . BUT, IT WILL BE TIED.

>> I WILL SAY, WE CANNOT SPEND FISCAL YEAR '25 MONEY BEFORE OCTOBER 1ST . WE CAN LOOK AT HOW TO APPROVE, OR GO AHEAD AND BE OKAY WITH SPENDING THE MONEY INTO FISCAL YEAR '25. THIS RUNS WELL INTO THESE DATES, WELL INTO DECEMBER. BUT I DO NOT THINK THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING BEFORE OCTOBER 1 , OUT OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 FUNDS. THAT IS , IF YOU ARE APPROVAL -- APPROVING THE SENTIMENT, THAT IS OKAY, THEN WILL I FOLLOW-UP ON WHAT DOES THAT MEAN .

>> CAN WE MAYBE GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE SLIDES ? THERE WAS ONE , RIGHT ? WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE 446,000 WOULD BE THAT 722 , MAYBE WE WOULD BREAK THIS INTO PIECES. I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING FOR A $446,000 EXPENDITURE, LIKE RIGHT AWAY LIKE THAT, BUT I COULD BE TALKING TO THE 72 TO 919, I JUST DON'T KNOW, HOW THAT BREAKS OUT.

>> I DON'T WANT TO MAKE ANYTHING UP, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME. WE WOULD BE COMFORTABLE IF YOU SPENT 40%, WE CAN MAKE THAT CHANGE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT

THOSE DIFFERENT FLIGHTS. >> THEN WE WOULD NOT RUN INTO

[03:25:02]

>> THEM EXTRA TO DO IT, BUT I AGREED. IT'S HARD TO APPROVE SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN BUDGETED. JUST TO GET THE KNIGHTS. THEY ARE LOSING MONEY IN APRIL. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO CATCH UP FOR THE TOURISM INDUSTRY DOWNTOWN.

>> LET'S PAUSE THIS DISCUSSION. THE NEXT MEETING WE WILL WE ADDRESS THIS. WE WILL COME BACK ON THE SECOND PART OF THAT. THEY CAME IN LAST MINUTE. THEY DID NOT GET THROUGH ALL OF

THESE THINGS. >> PART OF THE CHALLENGE WITH THIS, OF SPENDING THE MONEY IS THE ACTION ITEM.

>> THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES FOR THIS. WE WILL CIRCLE BACK

TO JULY. >> I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING MORE HOW MUCH MORE WERE LOOKING TO GET OUT OF THIS WHAT CAPACITY WERE AT. IF I HAVE A FOOTBALL DECISION -- I'M SELLING 99,000 TICKETS.

WHAT ARE WE REACHING? IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL FOR REVENUE.

>> WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST YEAR? THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE EVERYTHING AND PEOPLE WERE DISAPPOINTED IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY WITH WHAT THEY EXPECTED. THE SAME THING -- THEY WILL START TAKING IT FOR GRANTED. THEY PROBABLY PEAKED OUT TWO YEARS AGO. SO -- JANUARY WAS REALLY SLOW. THERE WERE SOME OTHER ISSUES. I DON'T HAVE EVERYBODY'S NUMBER. IN DECEMBER YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO REALLY WELL.

WE WERE FINE.

IT'S TAKEN FOR GRANTED IN.

AT THE NEXT MEETING. LET'S SEE IF WHAT WE CAN PUT TOGETHER FOR

[14. NEXT MEETING DATE]

[03:30:01]

>> ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS?

>> I'M SORRY? >> A NUMBER

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.