[Items 1 - 3]
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>> CHAIRMAN: EAT EH A LIKE TO CALL TODAY'S TDC MEETING TO ORDER. THE FIRST THING I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. DAN Y I -- DANNY, CAN YOU LEAD US?
IRVING KASS. >> HERE. >> DIANE MAT ARASA?
>> HERE. >> TOM MANNO? >> JACK PETER.
>> HERE. >> COMMISSIONER PSYCHES KLEIN. >> HERE.
>> AND COMMISSIONER WAILED WALDEN. >> I'M LOOKING FOR DISCUSSION OR
[Item 4]
APPROVAL FOR TODAY'S AGENDA? >> BOARD MEMBER: SO MOVED. >> CHAIRMAN: ALL IN FAVOR? AGENDA IS APPROVED. ALSO LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE MINUTES FROM THE
[Item 5]
OCTOBER 21ST MEETING. IF THEY SEEM IN ORDER, I'D LIKE AN APPROVAL -- A MOTION TO APPROVETHE MINUTES. >> BOARD MEMBER: SO MOVE. >> BOARD MEMBER: SECOND.
>> CHAIRMAN: ALL IN FAVOR >> AYE. >> CHAIRMAN: THIS IS WHERE I BELIEVE I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TURN OVER THE MEETING TO SOMEONE.
>> SO FIRST YOU GUYS HAVE TO VOTE ON THAT. >> CHAIRMAN: TO SEE IF IT CAN
TURN IT OVER? >> THAT'S RIGHT. [LAUGHTER]
>> BOARD MEMBER: AYE. >> IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY? >> NO. CLOSE
>> CHAIRMAN: WE'RE TAKING NOMINATIONS FOR -- WE DO CHAIR FIRST I ASSUME?
[Item 6]
>> YES. >> CHAIRMAN: WE'RE TAKING NOMINATIONS FOR THIS FISCAL
YEAR, THIS YEAR'S CHAIRMAN OF THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. >> BOARD MEMBER:.
>> I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE DANNY BARREN BERG THE CURRENT VICE CHAIR.
>> I HAVE A NOMINATION AND A SECOND. I BELIEVE IF WE DO THIS RIGHT WE VOTE ON THIS ONE VERSUS
CONSIDERING ANYONE ELSE? >> SEE IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS. TAKE ALL THE NOMINATIONS FOR THIS OFFICE FIRST THEN YOU DECLARE THE NOMINATIONS CLOSED WHEN THERE ARE NO MORE NOMINATIONS AND YOU VOTE ON THE NOMINATIONS IN THE ORDER THEY'RE NAMED. UNTIL YOU
HAVE A MAJORITY AND A CHAIR SELECTED. >> CHAIRMAN: OKAY.
DO I HEAR ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? HEARING NONE, WE'LL BE VOTING ON THE ONE NOMINATION,
DANNY. ALL IN FAVOR? >> AYE. >> CHAIRMAN: SOUNDS LIKE IT PASSED. OKAY. WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE SEATS? WE'RE NOW LOOKING FOR A VICE CHAIR. I'M
LOOKING FOR NAM NATIONS. >> I'D LIKE TO DOMINATE DIANE. >> BOARD MEMBER: I'M LOOKING FOR
A SECOND. >>. >> BOARD MEMBER: SECOND.
>> CHAIRMAN: I'M LOOKING NOW IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER CANDIDATES TO BE NOMINATED. HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR OF DIANE BEING VICE CHAIR? [AYE]
>> CHAIRMAN: CONGRATULATIONS. [APPLAUSE] THE FIRST OFFICIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS OF DANNY IS YOU HAVE UNTIL NEXT MEETING TO TAKE OVER [LAUGHTER] AS VICE CHAIR. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE, NOW THAT THAT IS COMPLETED, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO
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PUBLIC COMMENT OF ANYTHING THAT'S NOT ON TODAY'S AGENDA. WE DO NEED TO READ THATNOTIFICATION. DO YOU WANT DANNY TO READ IT? >> BOARD MEMBER: I WILL READ IT.
AT THIS TIME, THE BOARD WILL HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS THAT ARE NOT REGULARLY ON THE
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AGENDA. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS HAVE THEIR OWN PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. ANY PERSON WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD SHOULD COME TO THE PODIUM AND STATE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS. EACH PERSON WILL BE PROVIDED THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AND SHALL COMPLY WITH THE BOARD'S RULES OF DECORUM.COMMENTS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE BOARD AS A WHOLE AND NOT TO ANY INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONER AND MAY NOT INCLUDE A DEMAND FOR AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM THE BOARD. NO PERSON MAY ADDRESS THE BOARD WITH PERSONAL, IMPERTINENT OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS OR WITH BOISTEROUS BEHAVIOR. MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE SHOULD REFRAIN FROM ANY DISRUPTIVE DEMONSTRATION OF APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF ANY COMMENTS. FINALLY, I WOULD ASK ANY SPEAKER THAT PRESENTS ANY OVERHEAD MATERIAL PLEASE PRESENT THAT MATERIAL TO THE STAFF OF THE CLERK OF COURT TO BE ENTERED
INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD. THANK YOU. >> CHAIRMAN: MR. SAL AS, YOU ARE
UP. >> SPEAKER: 83 BRIDGE STREET, LINCOLNVILLE, ST. AUGUSTINE. I THINK YOU GOOD NEWS. AS WE HAD PLANNED THE ALLIANCE GROUP HAS FORMED. WE HAVE APPLIED FOR OUR 501(C)(3) AND WE'VE HIRED BEVARDI TO HELP US WRITE OUR BUSINESS MAN. WE LAST -- LAST SATURDAY WE HAD AN ALL-DAY, FIRST OF TWO ALL-DAY RETREATS TO DEVELOPMENT THE BUSINESS PLAN FOR THE EPICENTER OR WHATEVER WE'RE GOING TO CALL IT. AND THE SECOND ONE OF THOSE WILL BE HELD THIS COMING THURSDAY. WE EXPECT TO HAVE A DRAFT IN FEBRUARY AND FINALIZE THE BUSINESS PLAN IN MARCH AND WILL BE A CONTINUING DOCUMENT. I'M HAPPY I TO REPORT THAT WE HAD 20 PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN THIS ALL-DAY SESSION INCLUDING ONE CITY COMMISSIONER. SO, THINGS ARE MOVING ALONG VERY WELL. I JUST WANTED TO ASK THANK YOU FOR YOU SUPPORT. THANK YOU.
>> CHAIRMAN: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT NOT RELATED TO THE AGENDA?
HEARING NONE, AN UPDATE ON SING OUT LOUD, PLEASE. >> SPEAKER: GOOD AFTERNOON.
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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME TO PRESENT 2019 SING OUT LOUD RECAP. MY NAME IS DIANA. I AM THE PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER FOR THE CULTURAL EVENTS DIVISION WHICH HELPED TO PRODUCE THE SING OUT LOUD FESTIVAL. SO, ANNUAL SING OUT LOUD FESTIVAL IS AN EPIC MONTH LONG CELEBRATION OF LIVE ENTERTAINMENT FEATURING LOCAL AND REGIONAL PERFORMERS PAIRED WITH NATIONAL ACTS. LAST YEAR WAS OUR FOURTH YEAR SO WE'RE NOW GOING INTO OUR FIFTH YEAR AND THE FOURTH YEAR WAS ONE THAT JUST SET RECORDS AND JUST -- YOU WILL SEE THE MEDIA ATTENTION WE GOT FROM IT. IT WAS UNREAL THIS YEAR. BUT THIS IS JUST A SMATTERING OF ALL THE FOLKS THAT PARTICIPATED AND THE DIVERSITY IN THE ACTS AND THE TYPES OF PERFORMANCES THAT WE HAD. SO THAT'S JUST A COUPLE OF SNA SNAPSHOTS. SING OUT LOUD IN ITS FIFTH YEAR IS PRODUCED BY ST.JOHNS COUNTY CULTURAL EVENTS DECISION AND EVENT COUNCILS WITH SUPPORT FROM MANY LOCAL BUSINESS PARTNERS. SERVING AS AN ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR HISTORICALLY SLOW TIMES IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY, SING OUT LOUD BRINGS IN OVER 35,000 ATTENDEES FROM THROUGHOUT FLORIDA AND SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. FESTIVAL BOOSTS LOCAL ECONOMY AS FESTIVAL ATTENDEES STAYED AT HOTELS, EAT AT RESTAURANTS, PURCHASE GOODS AND TOUR THE AREA. IT ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO THE LIVELIHOOD OF LOCAL MUSICIANS AND VENUES AS EVERY ACT IS PAID FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE IN TEN DIFFERENT VENUES AROUND ST. JOHNS COUNTY ARE UTILIZED AS PERFORMANCE SPACES. A BRIEF RECAP. LAST YEAR IT WAS OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR WEEKENDS, SEPTEMBER 6TH-2010, EVERY FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY IN SEPTEMBER. 35 FESTIVAL ATTENDEES AND THEY WERE VISITING FROM MAJOR AREAS IN FLORIDA AS WELL AS OUTSIDE FLORIDA. WE HAD ATLANTA, SAVANNAH, CHARLESTON, REILLY AND MOBILE ALABAMA. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT? ONE OF THE EVENTS, CASEY MUSGRAVE, WAS A TICKETED EVENT AND THEY PURCHASED THROUGH TICKET MASTER SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT DATA FROM TICKET MASTER AS FAR AS WHERE THE PURCHASES CAME FROM.
WE ALSO HAVE A MOBILE APP AND WEBSITE STATISTICS TO BACK UP WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM.
TEN STAGES AROUND ST. AUGUSTINE SO WE HAD A TOTAL OF 335 ACTS PERFORM. 23 WERE NATIONAL
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HEADLINERS INCLUDING CASEY MUSGRAVE WHO JUST TOOK HOME A SLOUGH OF GRAMMYS LAST YEAR, THE BROKEN BONES, SCOMBRINEY LEWIS PLUS 312 LOCAL AND REGIONAL ACTS PRIMARILY BASED FROM FLORIDA.73 SHOWCASES, MEANING THOSE 312 ACTS WERE PUT TOGETHER IN SHOWCASES OF FIVE OR MORE PERFORMING AT SOMEWHERE LIKE LIMELIGHT THEATER OR DOG ROSE OR COLONIAL OAK. AND WE HAD PRE-FESTIVAL SHOWS WITH INTUITION ALE WORKS AT COLONIAL MUSIC PARK. SECOND ANNUAL INDUSTRY OUT LOUD ARTIST DEVELOPMENT AND BOOKING WORKSHOPS. WE HAD 11 NATIONAL MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS COME AND SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC FOR FREE ABOUT HOW TO BUILD THEIR MUSIC BUSINESS BASICALLY. HOW TO PROMOTE YOURSELF, HOW TO BOOK A SHOW, HOW TO GET YOUR MUSIC LICENSE. IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED. WE ALSO STREAMED IT LIVE ON FACEBOOK AND WE RECEIVED A TON OF FEEDBACK AS FAR AS HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS FOR BURGEONING MUSICIANS TO LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE THE INDUSTRY. IN ADDITION, WE HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF PARTNERING WITH 30B & B AND HOTEL PARTNERS. GRATEFUL APP TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS. THE ST. AUGUSTINE HISTORIC INNS, INDUSTRY SUITES, LA QUINTA, ALL WANTED TO PARTICIPATE. EVEN MORE EXCITEDLY THE ST. AUGUSTINE HISTORIC INNS DID THEIR OWN SING OUT LOUD ON THE OFF DAYS. SO, SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, AND HELPED TO BRING IN EVEN MORE PERFORMERS AND EVEN MORE PEOPLE COMING IN TO CELEBRATE OUR RICH ARTS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 20 LOCAL BUSINESS PARTNERS. THEY'RE ALL LISTED THERE. WE'RE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO PUT ON THIS FESTIVAL. IN ADDITION THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS RAISED FOR LOCAL CHARITIES. THE HEADLINING ACT, CASEY MUSGRAVE, A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS FROM TICKET SALES, THOSE FUNDS WENT TO THOSE THREE LOCAL CHARITIES. WE ALSO HAD RECORD BREAKING MEDIA ATTENTION. WE HAD A SURVEY DONE BY MELT WATER WHICH DOES P.R. INSIGHTS. AND WHAT STANDS OUT TO ME IS HOW BIG THIS FESTIVAL WAS THIS YEAR.
WE HAD 251 EDITORIAL MENTIONS WITH AN EXPOSURE UP TO 259 MILLION PEOPLE. THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 204% FROM 2018. THAT'S PUTTING OUR NAME ON THE MAP, OUR COUNTY ON THE MAP FOR PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE USED TO HEARING SO MUCH ABOUT HOW BEAUTIFUL OUR AREA IS AND THE HISTORY AND EVERYTHING THAT WE OFFER, BUT NOW WE'RE PUTTING IT IN THEIR HEADS THAT MUSIC IS A PLACE -- IS A REASON TO VISIT OUR AREA AS WELL. SO, IN ADDITION THE ADVERTISING VALUE EQUIVALENCY FOR AS MUCH MEDIA ATTENTION AS WE GOT WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO SPEND $2.4 MILLION.
LUCKILY, WE DIDN'T, BECAUSE THIS WAS SO NEWS WORTHY THAT PEOPLE PICKED IT UP AND SHARED IT ALL OVER THE PLACE. BUT THAT WAS A SPIKE OF 254% AS WELL. ARTICLES SHARED ABOUT SING OUT LOUD, 13,000 TIMES. ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THIS YEAR WAS HOW MUCH THE COMMUNITY RESPONDED AND HOW MUCH THEY GOT -- THEY WERE ENGAGED IN HELPING TO TALK ABOUT SING OUT LOUD TO INVITING FRIENDS FROM OUT OF TOWN TO PERFORMING TO SUPPORTING OTHER PERFORMERS. AND THIS IS JUST -- WE HAVE FOUR PAGES OF COMMUNITY RESPONSES TO THE SING OUT LOUD. SO, THIS IS JUST A HAND PICKING OF A COUPLE OF THEM. BUT YOU HAVE ANYBODY FROM A FESTIVAL ATTENDEE TO BUSINESS OWNERS FROM DOG ROSE AND SARBEZ AND WE HAVE ANOTHER QUOTE FROM TONE VENDOR TALKING ABOUT HOW INCREDIBLE OUR COMMUNITY IS AND HOW MUCH THIS HELPS THEIR BUSINESSES AND HOW MUCH IT HELPS PUT THE COUNTY ON THE MAP. AND THEN YOU HAVE PERFORMERS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW INCREDIBLY PROUD THEY ARE TO BE IN A COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS THE ARTS THE WAY THAT WE DO. SO, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE COPIES OF THIS BUT I WON'T BORE YOU WITH ME READING IT TO YOU, BUT HAPPY TO SHARE THIS IF YOU'D LIKE. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS -- YOU CAN READ FOR YOURSELF, BUT TONE VENDOR WAS SAYING IT WAS A DEFINITIVE UP TICK IN HIS WEEKEND SALES DURING WHAT IS TRADITIONALLY THE WORST MONTH OF THE YEAR FOR HIS BUSINESS. I THE LOVE BAY FRONT'S MAYOR, IF YOU CAN'T FIND A GENRE YOU LOVE YOU ARE NOT LOOKING. WE REPRESENT A DIVERSE FESTIVALS. I WAS REALLY PROUD OF THAT ONE. AND HE IS A VERY ACTIVE MUSICIAN AND DOES RECORDING HERE IN TOWN AND JUST SAYING HOW WONDERFUL IT WAS AND HOW IT'S BECOMING THE NEW SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IN THE SOUTHEAST.
I THINK YOU MIGHT RECALL THAT WAS ONE OF OUR EARLIERIST VISIONS TO HELP BUILD THAT COMMUNITY HERE IN OUR COUNTY. AND NEXT YEAR WE'RE IN THE PLANNING PHASES FOR THE FIFTH ANNUAL SING OUT LOUD FESTIVAL ALL THROUGHOUT SEPTEMBER AS WELL. SO, I AM OPEN FOR
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QUESTIONS. >> CHAIRMAN: YES, JACK? >> BOARD MEMBER: I THINK IT'S -- CON GRATH REGULATIONS FIRST OF ALL. I THINK IT IS A -- YOU KNOW IN FOUR YEARS YOU HAVE TAKEN IT A LONG WAY. THE QUESTION I HAVE, MR. SHCHAIRMANS HOW DO WE MAKE IT BIGGER? WHILE 35,000 IS GREAT, I'M WONDERING WHAT THE TRUE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SOMETHING LIKE IS RELATIVE TO HOW MUCH WE'VE BEEN FUNDING IT OVER THE YEARS? YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU -- I MEAN, I THINK IT'S GOING WELL AND YOU'VE GOT FOUR YEARS A TRACK RECORD BUT HOW DO YOU MAKE IT 350,000?
>> SPEAKER: ABSOLUTELY. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO RESPOND TO THAT? >> CHAIRMAN: I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO
RESPOND TO THAT FEV [LAUGHTER] >> SPEAKER: I AM NOT NECESSARILY PART OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE THAT IS GABE AND CARRIE SO THEY CAN SPEAK TO THE GROWTH OF IT.
I CAN SAY LAST YEAR WE ESTIMATED 25,000 ATTENDEES SO THIS YEAR WAS 10,000 MORE. I KNOW FOR THE FIFTH YEAR THEY'RE PLANNING THE SAME NUMBER OF HEADLINING ACTS. AND THAT'S OFTEN WHAT DRIVES PEOPLE TO COME IN FROM TOWN. AND THEN WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IS BUT RUSS THOSE HEADLINING ACTS WITH ADDITIONAL FREE SHOWS. ON MAYBE THE HEADLINER IS ON SUNDAY AND THEY COME IN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT OR SATURDAY AND SO THEY STAY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. HOW WE CONTINUE TO GROW THIS IS BY SUPPORT FROM COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND FROM THE COMMISSION TO SAY WE SEE THIS RAS AN INVESTMENT. IT TAKES A WHILE FOR FESTIVALS TO GROW. WE'VE HAD SOME HICCUPS IN THE PAST YEARS. WE'VE HAD SOME HURRICANES. BUT I THINK IF WE CONTINUE TO GAIN THE TRUST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY AND GET THESE BIG HEADLINERS, I THINK IT GROWS.
AS FAR AS ECONOMIC IMPACT? BECAUSE SO MUCH OF IT WAS FREE, IT IS HARD TO GAUGE THAT. I DO KNOW -- I ASKED FOR A LOT OF IMPACT STATEMENTS FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND I CAN CERTAINLY SHARE THAT. I THINK THE MORE THAT WE CAN GET DATA PERHAPS THIS YEAR IF WE DID A SURVEY AND DETERMINED AN ECONOMIC IMPACT. WE DID HAVE AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY DONE WHEN WE HAD AN AMPHITHEATER SHOW. SO WE CAN SHARE THAT AND HOW IT TRICKLES DOWN. BUT AS FAR AS HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO GROW THIS? I THINK WE JUST ALL COME TOGETHER AND SAY HOW CAN WE
REALLY ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT FROM BUSINESS PARTNERS. >> CHAIRMAN: AND AS CHAIRMAN AT LEAST FOR ANOTHER HOUR OR TWO, I WOULD SUPPORT SPENDING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE BUDGET BOTH THIS YEAR, WHICH I THINK WE HAVE ADDED ADDITIONAL MONEYS FOR 2020, AND LOOK AT A SPENDING PATTERN OF GROWING IT. AND I LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED HERE HAS A LOT OF PARALLELS TO NIGHTS OF LIGHTS. IN 2010 I CLOSED HALF THE INN TO RETILE GUEST ROOMS. BECAUSE DECEMBER AND JANUARY AREN'T VERY BUSY. AND TODAY EVERYONE WOULD THINK THAT'S AN ABSURD THOUGHT. BUT TEN YEARS AGO, NIGHTS OF LIGHTS DID NOT REALLY HAVE THE ECONOMIC DRIVER. IT WAS ACTUALLY OUR SECOND WORST MONTH OF THE YEAR. ONLY THING THAT WAS LOWER IN BUSINESS LEVELS THAN DECEMBER WAS SEPTEMBER. AND NIGHTS OF LIGHTS HAS TURNED DECEMBER INTO -- FOR RESTAURANTS, PROBABLY THE BEST MONTH OF THE YEAR AND FOR LODGING IT'S PROBABLY IN THE TOP THREE OR FOUR. I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY, RICHARD, BUT IT'S PROBABLY UP THERE. AND THAT'S A DRAMATIC THING. I THINK IF WE LOOKED FROM A LONG-TERM PLANNING FOR SING OUT LOUD WE CAN DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE SEPTEMBER.
WE'RE NEVER GOING TO NOT HAVE IT IN THE HEART OF HURRICANE SEASON. THAT WE CAN'T CHANGE.
BUT WE CAN DRAMATICALLY CHANGE IT. SO, I THINK SPENDING CAPITAL AND CONTINUING TO GROW
THIS IS REALLY SMART BUSINESS. YES, DANNY? >> BOARD MEMBER: A QUESTION, I GUESS. I KNOW MOST OF THE MAJOR FESTIVALS THROUGHOUT FLORIDA, WHICH SIZE YOU ARE COMING TO, RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT. IT TURNS THEM -- ALSO I AM A MEMBER OF THE STATE'S COUNCIL AND WE FUND SOME OF THOSE AS WELL. SO, I GUESS I'M ASKING IF YOU HAVE -- I HEARD ALBERT MENTION THEY HAD BAVARDI WHO IS DOING FUNDRAISING FOR THEM NOW. I'M WONDERING IF SING OUT LOUD IS EXPLOREING THAT AVENUE AS WELL? BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE IMPACT OF WHAT
YOU ARE DOING IS PRETTY MUCH STATEWIDE NOW. >> SPEAKER: THANK YOU. MAY I
RESPOND? >> BOARD MEMBER: PLEASE. >> SPEAKER: I WOULD AGREE, I DO THINK IT'S STATEWIDE. THERE'S A QUOTE FROM TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. ONE SAID FROM ALL OF US FROM ORLANDO, THANK YOU TO SING OUT LOUD FOR PUTTING THIS ON. ANOTHER QUOTE THAT SAYS... MY
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FRIEND AND I VISITED ST. AUGUSTINE FOR OUR VERY FIRST TIME. I DO THINK IT ABSOLUTELY IS MAKING AN IMPACT STATEWIDE. IN A NATIONAL PUBLICATION, POLL STAR, WE RAD AN AD TO SAY THANK YOU, AND IT GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION. IT'S DEFINITELY -- YOU CAN FEEL THE RIPPLES, CERTAINLY. I DO THINK THAT IT WILL TAKE A LOT MORE TO WORK TO EXPAND THIS. I BELIEVE CARRIE AND GABE WORKED ON SOME GRANTS IN THE PAST YEARS. I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO EXPLORING MORE OF THAT ABSOLUTELY. IT WAS ALWAYS KIND OF TOUGH BECAUSE THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GAIN THE TRUST THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IT AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A FIRE FESTIVAL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THIRD YEAR GET HIT BY A HURRICANE. THEN FOURTH YEAR YOU'VE PROBABLY GOT THIS MOMENTUM. SO, I AM EXCITED THAT YOU ALL ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND CAN SEE ITS POTENTIAL. AND I DO THINK IT TAKES A BIT TO REALLY GROW IT. BUT YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, HANG OUT FESTIVAL IN ALABAMA. I THINK IT'S IN ITS TENTH YEAR NOW. AND THAT CITY IS DEFINED BY THAT.AND CERTAINLY ST. JOHNS COUNTY IS DEFINED BY MUCH MORE THAN JUST ONE THING BUT WE CAN HELP TO BUT RUST A DIFFICULT TIME FOR BUSINESSES. COLONIAL OAK GENERAL MANAGER TOLD ME WHAT SING OUT LOUD MEANS FOR US IS I DON'T HAVE TO CUT MY STAFF IN HALF IN SEPTEMBER. TO SEE THAT IMPACT DIRECT, THAT MUCH OF A DIRECT IMPACT IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHY WE'RE DOING IT. THAT AND ALL THESE ARTISTS GETTING TO KNOW WHAT THEY CAN OFFER. BUT CERTAINLY TO YOUR
POINT, I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO INVESTIGATE THAT MORE. >> BOARD MEMBER: THANK YOU.
>> CHAIRMAN: YES? >> SPEAKER: THANK YOU. I DID ATTEND FESTIVAL ST. AUGUSTINE HEAVILY AS A VENUE TO CONVEY THESE SHOWS. AND WE APPRECIATE THAT BUSINESS AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN WHATEVER WE CAN AND THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE TO HELP. I BELIEVE THAT ALL GREAT CITIES HAVE A MUSICAL SIGNATURE OF THEIR OWN. AND I APPRECIATE YOU WORKING HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A MUSICAL SIGNATURE THAT IS POSITIVE AND AT THE STATEWIDE LEVEL AT LEAST. HOPEFULLY, EVENTUALLY TO THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
>> SPEAKER: WE HOPE SO TOO. >> BOARD MEMBER: THANK YOU. IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO GET US
GOING IN THAT DIRECTION. SO THANK YOU. >> SPEAKER: THANK YOU.
>> CHAIRMAN: I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. >> BOARD MEMBER: YOU MENTIONED THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. HOW IN DEPTH HAVE YOU ALL GOTTEN INTO THEIR BUSINESS MODEL?
>> SPEAKER: ABSOLUTELY. AGAIN, NOT NECESSARILY PART OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE. I WOULD ASSUME THE PLANNING COMMITTEE HAS DELVED INTO THAT. SOME OF US HAVE ATTENDED IT OR PLAYED IT AS MUSICIANS. SO IT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO DELVE INTO MUCH MORE. WE'VE DONE SOME RECONNAISSANCE WITH OTHER FESTIVALS TO SEE HOW THEIR MODELS WORK BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS SEEKING TO IMPROVE AND MAKE IT AS EFFICIENT AND PLEASANT AND EXPERIENTIAL AS POSSIBLE. SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS SOMETHING TO LOOK AT AS FAR AS HOW DID THEY GROW IT. I KNOW IT'S GOTTEN TO BE, YOU KNOW, SUCH AN ECONOMIC DRIVER. IT'S CHANGED THE FACE OF AUSTIN, TEXAS. YOU KNOW, FOR THE ARTS THAT'S A GREAT THING, SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT AGREE. BUT TO ANSWER YOUR DIRECT QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE ANYTHING ON MY DESK THAT SAYS SPECIFICALLY THIS IS WHAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST DOES. I KNOW THEIR MODEL. I KNOW WHAT THEY DO. BUT I HAVE NEVER GONE AND MET
WITH THEM. >> BOARD MEMBER: WELL, HAVING LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR A BUNCH OF YEARS AND BEEN INVOLVED WITH THAT PROCESS, IT WAS VERY MUCH LIKE I THINK JACK WAS TALKING ABOUT. IT STARTED OUT AS A SMALL IN THE BARS. MUCH LIKE WE'RE DOING. AND, AGAIN, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DOING DEEPER DIVE INTO THEIR MODEL. BUT I DO RECALL THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT OCCURRED THAT MADE IT REALLY EXPLODE. AND THAT WAS MAJOR ART ARTISTS. AND I'M SURE ALL THESE FOLKS ARE GOOD MUSICIANS, BUT IT WAS REALLY A MATTER OF THE SUPPORT OF MUSICIANS THAT WERE REALLY WELL-KNOWN NOT ONLY IN THE SOUTH OR IN A STATE. AND THE OTHER WAS THE BOOKING AGENTS. SO IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE YOU ARE WIRED INTO HOW THAT IS PART OF WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT IS, BUT ALL I'M SAYING IS THOSE
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ARE THE TWO VITAL PIECES. WHEN WE HAD FIVE MAJOR ARTISTS GET THEIR BEST FRIENDS AND THEIR BOOKING AGENTS. SO, THEN TO THE CHAIR'S POINT, IT'S GOING TO TAKE MONEY. BECAUSE, IF YOU ARE GOING TO GET STARS, IT WILL TAKE THAT. SO, TO JACK'S POINT TO HAVE IT -- YOU KNOW I LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY AND I GET IT. I UNDERSTAND IT. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST THAT GOES FROM 100,000 IN ONE YEAR TO 1.2 MILLION THE NEXT YEAR, THAT'S AN EXPLOSION. AND IT REALLY HAPPENED BECAUSE OF, FROM WHAT I RECALL ANYWAY, THOSE TWO MODELS. SO, I GUESS THAT WASN'T A QUESTION IT WAS MORE MY EXPERIENCE WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. TWO THINGS: ARTISTS,BOOKING AGENTS AND THEN MONEY. >> SPEAKER: YES. THOSE ALL DEFINITELY --
>> BOARD MEMBER: BUT, WITH ALL THAT SAID CONGRATULATIONS. >> SPEAKER: I THINK THAT YOU WILL BE -- I AM LOOPED IN ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT I THINK THAT THE FIFTH ANNUAL WILL MEET THOSE EXPECTATIONS OF HAVING, YOU KNOW, CASEY MUSGRAVES IS CERTAINLY A RECOGNIZABLE NAME.
YOU KNOW, EVEN TO SOMEONE WHO IS NO THE A GENERAL MUSIC FAN. THAT'S WHAT HELP PUT US ON THE MAP ON THIS ONE. I KNOW THE PLANNING TEAM IS TO LOOKING TO REPLICATE THAT A NUMBER OF TIMES DURING THIS FESTIVAL. SO, IT IS NOT JUST A ONE-HIT WONDER. IT IS MULTIPLE BIG NAMES THIS YEAR.
BUT ABSOLUTELY TO YOUR END, IT TAKES MONEY. IT TAKES INVESTMENT. AND WE HAVE PHENOMENAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH BOOKING AGENTS BECAUSE WHEN THEY COME THROUGH THE AMPHITHEATER AND THE CONCERT HALL WE WANT TO SHOW THEM THE COUNTY AND HOW WONDERFUL OUR FACILITIES ARE AND THAT TRANSLATES TO SAYING HEY COME PLAY THIS FESTIVAL. WE KNOW YOU ARE NOT ON TOUR BUT WE'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU AND COME PLAY THIS FESTIVAL. ABSOLUTELY. I THINK YOU WILL BE VERY
PLEASANTLY SURPRISED. >> BOARD MEMBER: GREAT. I JUST THOUGHT OF A THIRD PIECE. WAS THE EDUCATIONAL -- MUSIC EDUCATION IN THAT PARTICULAR STATE THROUGH -- BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT RESIDED IN AUSTIN. SO, THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE STATE INVOLVED. SO, TO ALMOST CHAIR, HIS COMMENTS ON GETTING THE STATE INVOLVED. BUT IT WAS MUSIC EDUCATION AND GETTING THOSE VOLUNTEERS REALLY PARENTS AND CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS WHO PLAY. SO THOSE ARE THREE. LOTS OF GOOD LUCK AND CONGRATULATIONS.
>> SPEAKER: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> CHAIRMAN: YES DIANA? >> BOARD MEMBER: QUICK COMMENT ECHOING EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE HEARD AND I ATTENDED AND THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT AND TALKED TO THE LOCAL MEW DECISIONS. GOOD VIBE ON ALL ACCOUNTS. BUT MAYBE LOOKING AT THE FOLKS DOING THE SOUND DIPLOMACY STUDY FOR US, THOSE GUYS FROM NEW ORLEANS CAN BE HELPFUL. LOOKING AT SPA LETO. SCALING IT FOR THE COMMUNITY SO THE LOCALS ARE AS HAPPY IS THE VISITORSING CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. SO, SCALE, TIMING, EVEN LOOKING AT FALL/SPRING. BUT I WILL PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF THINGS AND MAYBE SOME FOLKS -- YOU MIGHT CONTACT IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
WHO COULD BE HELPFUL TO YOU. >> SPEAKER: ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SOUND DIPLOMACY HELPED US WITH ARTIST DEVELOPMENT IN 2019 AND WERE ABLE TO HELP BRING IN THOSE 11 NATIONAL INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS. SO WE BELIEVE EDUCATION IS A GOOD COMPONENT TO HELP EMPOWER PEOPLE TO LEARN HOW TO WORK THE INDUSTRY BUT ALSO FOR THOSE CONNECTIONS SOUND DIPLOMACY IS BASED IN BERLIN AND LONDON AND ALL OVER THE WORLD. SO, WE'RE VERY PROUD FOR THAT STUDY THAT THEY'RE DOING AND THAT IT IS FUNDED BY YOU ALL. WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL AND WE LOVE OUR
COLLEAGUES AT SOUND DIPLOMACY. VERY MUCH. >> AND THEY WERE IN TOWN TWO,
THREE MONTHS AGO >> BOARD MEMBER: NOVEMBER, YEAH. >> BOARD MEMBER: AND THEY WERE -- I SPOKE WITH THEM ABOUT PART OF GROWING 2020 AND BEYOND. AND THEY WERE WORKING CLOSELY WITH GABE ON THAT. BUT I MET A GROUP OF ABOUT HALF A DOZEN INDIVIDUALS MOSTLY FROM AUSTIN.
>> SPEAKER: YES. >> BOARD MEMBER: SO I THINK WE'RE ALL REALLY HAPPY. WE WANT TO SPEND A LOT MORE MONEY AND WE WANT TO MAKE IT REALLY BIG REALLY FAST. IT'S SORT OF LIKE
BEING IN THE CORPORATE WORLD. MAKE MORE MONEY FASTER. >> SPEAKER: WE'RE GOING DO OUR
VERY BEST. >> BOARD MEMBER: AND HE DOESN'T TALK LIKE THIS OFTEN
[LAUGHTER] >> SPEAKER: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
[00:30:02]
>> CHAIRMAN: YOU ARE WELCOME. I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM.
[Item 9]
>> BOARD MEMBER: YOU MIGHT HAVE JUMPED THE GUN. >> CHAIRMAN: NOW YOU CAN GO.
>> SPEAKER: GOOD AFTERNOON. CRIBBED WHY I WITH ST. JOHNS PARKS AND RECREATION. THE ONE SPORTS MARKETING GRANT APPLICATION IS THE PICKLEBALL IN THE ANCIENT CITY. THEY DID COME A FEW MONTHS AGO FOR THEIR FIRST TOURNAMENT WAS THE FLORIDA-GEORGIA TOURNAMENT.
THEY PUT THEY WERE EXPECTING 300 TEAMS AND THEY EXCEEDED THAT AND HAD ALMOST 350. THEY HAD A GREAT TURNOUT. GREAT RESPONSE FOR IT. AND THEY PUT AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OVER 277,000.
THAT GRANT WAS FOR 6,000. THEN THIS APPLICATION YOU HAVE TODAY, THE RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD IS RECOMMENDING $8,000. THEY ARE PACKAGING THIS EVENT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE STAY A LITTLE LONGER. THEY'RE HOLDING CLINICS BEFORE THEIR TOURNAMENT THEN THEIR TOURNAMENT, AGAIN, THE 28TH THROUGH MARCH 1ST. THEN IN PALATKA THEY'RE HOSTING A TOURNAMENT ON THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND. SO, THEY'RE TRYING TO PACKAGE IT IN TO A LONGER STAY IN ST. AUGUSTINE BETWEEN THE TWO TOURNAMENTS THEN HEAD TO PALATKA FOR THEIR TOURNAMENT. SO, I CAN
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY. >> CHAIRMAN: YES DANNY?
>> BOARD MEMBER: HOW MANY COURTS ARE THERE FOR THE PICKLEBALL HERE?
>> SPEAKER: THEY HOSTED AT TRUDY PARK AND IT'S ABOUT 20 COURTS. WE CONVERT THE TENNIS COURTS WE HAVE THERE TO PROVIDE MORE PICKLEBALL COURTS. THEY'RE ALSO RESIR SURFACING THE COURTS AND I BELIEVE THEY'RE TAKING FIVE OR SIX DEDICATED PICKLEBALL COURTS OUT THERE.
>> BOARD MEMBER: QUESTION ABOUT -- LET ME WAIT ON THAT. THANK YOU.
>> CHAIRMAN: OTHER QUESTIONS RELATED -- YES? >> BOARD MEMBER: WITH THE PAST TOURNAMENT, HOW DID YOU MARKET THAT AND WHERE DID THE ATTENDEES COME FROM?
>> SPEAKER: THEY MARKETED IT LARGELY THROUGH FACEBOOK AND THE PICKLEBALL GROUPS AND FORUMS THEY HAVE. THEY NETWORK A LOT THROUGH THOSE GROUPS. THEY ALSO PUT THE REGISTRATION ON A PICKLEBALL WEBSITE FOR ALL TOURNAMENTS. SO, PEOPLE CAN SEARCH AND SEE THROUGH THERE.
>> BOARD MEMBER: ANY IDEA WHERE THEY CAME FROM? >> SPEAKER: A LOT FROM GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOME ALABAMA. BUT I CAN GET YOU THE FULL LIST FOR YOU F.
>> BOARD MEMBER: THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. >> BOARD MEMBER: HOW MUCH WAS
ACTUALLY ASKED FOR FROM THE ORGANIZATION? >> SPEAKER: FOR THIS GRANT IT
WAS $10,086. >> CHAIRMAN: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WE'RE LOOKING FOR IF WE THINK IT NEEDS TO BE APPROVED, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A MOTION.
>> BOARD MEMBER: I'LL SO MOVE. >> BOARD MEMBER: I'LL SECOND. >> CHAIRMAN: ALL IN FAVOR OF THE
$8,000 MOTION? AYE. IT'S PASSED. >> BOARD MEMBER: CAN I ASK ANOTHER QUESTION NOW? THE BUDGET THAT WE GIVE YOU FOR THE YEAR, HOW MUCH IS THAT AMOUNT?
>> SPEAKER: I BELIEVE THIS YEAR IT'S 155,000 OR $158,000. >> AND YOU REGULAR OPERATE
WITHIN THAT BUDGET? >> SPEAKER: YES, SIR. >> BOARD MEMBER: IS THERE A FACILITY THAT WE -- I SPOKE ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST. DO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EACH INDIVIDUAL ONE AS LONG AS THEY'RE FUNCTIONING WITHIN THEIR BUDGET? I SEE THAT WE'RE ASKED TO APPROVE THESE PIECEMEAL, BUT, I MEAN, WE EMPLOY THESE PEOPLE. THEY'RE EXPERTS AT IT. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN COMMISSION. I THINK IT IS A COMMISSION OR COUNCIL. COULDN'T WE KIND OF
STREAMLINE THIS FOR THEM A BIT? >> SPEAKER: THE WAY IT'S DEFINED IT COMES TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE SPECIFICS OF THE APPLICATION. STAFF DOES THE INITIAL REVIEW, PRESENTS IT TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION. THEY DO THE FACT FINDING AND IT'S BROUGHT TO YOU TO AWARD. THAT'S A POWER THAT IS DELEGATED FROM THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. YOU OVERSEE CERTAIN FUNDS AND YOU DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY FIT INTO THE CATEGORIZATIONS OF THE PLAN. YOU CAN CERTAINLY REQUEST A CHANGE IN YOUR RULES AND BYLAWS TO ALLOW A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT, FOR EXAMPLE, TO BE REVIEWED BY STAFF OR DELEGATE ASK THE BOARD TO DELEGATE THE AUTHORITY TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION. BUT BECAUSE IT AS TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COMPONENT, IN ADDITION TO THAT IT COMES TO YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF
ADMINISTERING THOSE FUNDS. >> BOARD MEMBER: THANK YOU. I WONDER IF YOUR ORGANIZATION,
[00:35:03]
BOTH STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS, COULD EXAMINE THAT AND COME TO US MAYBE WORKING WITH ARE EH REGINA. IT JUST SEEMS TO ME LIKE WE'RE MAYBE STIFLING WHAT YOU DO BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS LONG PROCESS WHEN I'M SURE WE WOULD ALL BE HAPPY TO SEE IT STREAMLINED.>> SPEAKER: OKAY. WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT. >> BOARD MEMBER: THANK YOU.
>> CHAIRMAN: THANK YOU. >> BOARD MEMBER: MR. CHAIR, MY ONLY COMMENT TO THAT IS IF YOU GO DOWN THAT PATH, NOT THAT I AM AGAINST IT, I JUST THINK THAT OPENS UP A WHOLE AUTHORITY MATRIX CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THE MONEYS ARE SPENT GENERALLY WITHIN THESE DEPARTMENTS. AND I'M NOT SURE WE WANT TO DO THAT. THAT COULD BE A RABBIT HOLE THAT WE NEVER GET OUT OF.
>> BOARD MEMBER: THAT'S GOOD ADVICE. BUT I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THEM WHAT THEY THINK
>> CHAIRMAN: AND I BELIEVE IT WOULD MORE COME FROM TARA THAN FROM PARKS AND RECREATION IF WE WERE GOING TO MODIFY ANY OF THE TDC RULES. BUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT TAKES, I THINK JACK HAS A VERY VALID POINT. BECAUSE ONCE HE SAID THAT, I CAN THINK OF ABOUT HALF A DOZEN SCENARIOS THAT PROBABLY WON'T GO WELL POTENTIALLY. AND FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME WE'D TAKE DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE A LOT OF SENSE. IT MAY BE MORE LOOKING AT HOW WE STREAMLINE THIS PROCESS TO GET PEOPLE TO REQUEST EARLIER AND MAYBE ONCE A QUARTER WE'RE REVIEWING EVERYTHING INSTEAD OF EVERY MEETING. BECAUSE I'M SURE THESE PEOPLE ALREADY WANT TO KNOW THEY'RE HAVE THE MONEY SINCE THEIR EVENT'S IN THREE WEEKS OR FOUR WEEKS. THAT SEEMS TO ME A LARGER PROBLEM. BECAUSE IF WE'RE APPROVING MARKETING DOLLARS I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE THAN THREE WEEKS BEFORE THAT I HAD THE FUNDS. SO, MAYBE WE'RE GETTING READY TO TALK ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT GRANT -- THE CULTURAL GRANTS, MAYBE WE LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW AND A LITTLE BIT LONGER THING AND DO IT QUARTERLY SO THAT THE END USERS HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO KNOW THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE MONEY. I AM ASSUMING THAT THEY HAVE MADE THE ASSUMPTION ONCE THEY ASKED AND IT WAS APPROVED
THEY WERE GOING TO GET FUNDED. >> SPEAKER: I MEAN, THEY WOULD HOPE SO.
>> CHAIRMAN: THEY WOULD HOPE SO. AND IT BECOMES ANOTHE ISSUE IF WE DON'T APPROVE IT THAT THERE IS A HOLE IN THE BUCKET. BECAUSE I SUSPECT THEY'RE EITHER INSUFFICIENT AT MARKETING BY STARTING TO SPEND THE DOLLARS NEXT WEEK OR THEY'RE -- IF WE SAID NO, THERE WAS GOING TO BE
ANOTHER PROBLEM ON THE OTHER SIDE. >> BOARD MEMBER: I RELATE TO COMMISSIONER WALDREN. I THINK WE SPOKE A COUPLE MEETINGS BACK WHERE WE INCREASED THE AMOUNT THAT WAS RECOMMENDED FOR A CERTAIN -- IT WAS A WATER EVENT AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT -- SO, YOU KNOW, MY CONCERN, I'M GLAD WE DID THAT. AND I WAS THINKING MAYBE WE OUGHT TO DO IT WITH PICKLEBALL BECAUSE IT'S BECOMING SO GREAT IN THE NATION. BUT DOING THAT THROES THEIR PLANNING OF AS WELL. SO I THINK IT'S TIME THAT MAYBE YOU AND TARA LOOK AT THIS WHOLE THING AND COME BACK AND SAY COULD WE DO A BETTER JOB FOR YOU AND COULD YOU DO A BETTER JOB FOR THESE
ORGANIZATIONS. >> SPEAKER: SURE. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU.
>> BOARD MEMBER: IT IS REIMBURSED. SO THEY HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY UP FRONT. ONE THING I WILL SAY PARKS AND REC, I SAT ON THAT BOARD JUST AS AN ADVISOR BUT THEY DO A GREAT JOB VETERANING THESE EVENTS. THEY ASK A LOT OF HARD QUESTIONS TO PEOPLE THAT COME. IT'S REFRESHING ME BEING ON THE MONEY SIDE OF IT BEING REAL FRUGAL AND THEY DO ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS I APPRECIATE. BUT THERE COULD BE A WAY, YOU KNOW, IF WE TCMI -- KNEW A LITTLE FARTHER UP FRONT.
I THINK THAT'S WHY IN THAT MEETING I DID MAKE A COMMENT THAT SOMETIMES SOME OF THE ADVERTISING SHOULD BE DONE BY PROFESSIONALS. IF WE KNOW THE EVENTS ARE COMING IT COULD BE PART OF OUR OVERALL AD PLAN SAYING IF YOU ARE HERE THIS TIME OF YEAR FLORIDA/GEORGIA GAME COME DOWN AND WE'RE ADVERTISING OUR HOTELS THERE IS GOING TO BE A PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT THAT YOU COULD COME AND PARTICIPATE IN. WHICH MAY BRING MORE PEOPLE TO IT. SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK AT TOO. THAT WE MAY REVAMP OUR ENTIRE ADVISING PLAN TO ADVERTISE THESE EVENTS CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR. JUST LIKE SING OUT LOUD. YOU LOOK AT OUR TDC NUMBERS, OUR COLLECTIONS ARE DOWN 23% FROM 18 TO 19 BUT WE HAD A STORM EVENT IN '18 NOT '19. SO WHAT CAUSED THAT
[00:40:03]
DECLINE, YOU KNOW. >> WE HAD A STORM EVENT IN '19 THERE WAS -- ACTUALLY--
>> IT WAS DORIAN BUT IT WAS EARLIER. >> BOARD MEMBER: FOR EXAMPLE, I
HAD -- I WAS CLOSED FOR FIVE DAYS IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR. >> BOARD MEMBER: YEAH, I MEAN, AND THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF WE HAVE TO LOOK AT FOR THESE GROUPS. BUT SOMETIMES I THINK OUR MONEY FOR ADVERTISING WOULD BE SPENT BETTER BY PROFESSIONALS THAN EACH INDIVIDUAL.
>> BOARD MEMBER: EXACTLY. >> BOARD MEMBER: I DIDN'T MEAN TO KEEP YOU UP THERE.
>> SPEAKER: THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. >> CHAIRMAN: TARA, IT'S NOW YOUR
[Item 10]
TURN. >> SPEAKER: I'M JUST VERY ENTHUSIASTIC. I CAN'T HELP MYSELF. ALL RIGHT. SO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS THE ARTS, CULTURAL, HERITAGE GRANT GUIDELINES FOR 2021. IF YOU HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK THROUGH, YOU WILL SEE THERE WAS A GOOD BIT OF REDLINING. HOWEVER, WE HAD A NEW SET OF EYES ON THE GUIDELINES THIS YEAR AND A LOT OF THE CHANGES WERE JUST TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE READABLE TO IMPROVE THE CLARITY OF THE DOCUMENT AND TO JUST ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONFUSION THAT COMES YEAR AFTER YEAR WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO READ THE GRANT GUIDELINES AND WANT TO KNOW IF IT'S INTERPRETED THIS WAY OR THAT WAY. THERE WERE REALLY ONLY TWO SIGNIFICANT OR SUBST SUBSTANTIVE I SHOULD SAY CHANGES THIS YEAR TO THE GRANT GUIDELINES. THE FIRST ONE IS A PROPOSAL TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE FUNDING FOR EACH APPLICATION AND THE OVERALL AWARD FOR THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE GRANTS. SO, CURRENTLY OR IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, FY20'S GRANT GUIDELINES, THE LIMITATIONS ARE 10,000 PER APPLICANT AND 30,000 PER CATEGORY. AND THAT CATEGORY LIMITATION IS PER ORGANIZATION. SO, IF AN ORGANIZATION COMES IN AND WANTS TO SUBMIT GRANT APPLICATIONS TO THOSE CATEGORY, THEY CAN SUBMIT AS MANY AS THEY WANT. HOWEVER, EACH GRANT APPLICATION COULDN'T EXCEED USING THE NUMBERS ON THE BOARD THE $20,000 PER APPLICATION AND IN TOTAL EACH ORGANIZATION COULDN'T BE AWARDED MORE THAN $40,000 OUT OF THAT GRANT CATEGORY. SO THAT'S REALLY THE FIRST THING FOR CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL. AND THE SECOND IS THAT THERE WAS A SUGGESTION OR REQUEST TO REDUCE THE MINIMUM PROGRAM REQUIREMENT FOR EACH FUNDED EVENT FROM SIX HOURS TO FIVE HOURS. THAT WAS REALLY -- AND THAT WAS ACROSS THE BOARD WE DID THAT FOR ALL CATEGORIES AND THAT WAS JUST KIND OF LOOKING AT EVEN SOME OF THESE LARGER ONE-DAY EVENTS. IF YOU WERE LOOKING AT A LARGE MUSIC EVENT LIKE A ACTUAL CONCERT OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT, SIX HOURS MAY BE A LITTLE BIT OF A STRETCH FOR SOME OF THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS. LIKE I SAID, OTHER THAN THAT, EVERYTHING WAS PRETTY MUCH REDLINED. THIS IS ACTUALLY MY ONLY SLIDE FOR THIS.
>> CHAIRMAN: THERE WAS ONE CONCEPTUAL ITEM. AND IT MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN CHANGED IN THE DETAILS. BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT LAST YEAR I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN WHEN ANDY WAS PRESENTING. AND THAT IS THAT WE HAD YEARS BACK DECIDED THAT THE FUNDING WAS -- AND QUOTE/UNQUOTE EXTRA POINTS OR STUFF WERE GIVEN BASED ON THE TIME OF THE YEAR. AND I LEARNED LAST YEAR THAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY GET A HIGHER THAN 100 POINTS. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS A GROUP THAT GOT 100 BUT THEY WERE IN THE MONTH THAT WE DIDN'T NEED IT. AND THEY COULD HAVE THEORETICALLY GOTTEN 110%.
THAT'S COUNTER PRODUCTIVE TO WHAT THE CONCEPT WAS. THE CONCEPT WAS 100 WAS THE MAXIMUM.
AND IF YOU PUT AN EVENT IN A MONTH WE DON'T NEED IT, YOU SHOULDN'T GET MAXIMUM FUNDING BECAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE A PENALTY. YOU SHOULDN'T BE REWARDED IF YOU PUT -- SHOULD BE REWARDED IF YOU PUT IT IN MONTHS WHERE WE NEED IT. SO, THAT WAS A FUNDAMENTAL SURPRISE AND SOMETHING THAT I KNOW I SPENT PROBABLY TWO HOURS OVER FOUR OR FIVE MEETINGS DISCUSSING AND I WAS REALLY SURPRISED TO FIND THAT IT WAS NO YOU CAN STILL GET 100% PERFECT SCORE IF YOU HAD IT IN THE WRONG MONTH AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S RIGHT. AND THAT'S
PHILOSOPHICALLY A BIG DEAL WITH ME. >> SPEAKER: SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DISCUSSED THIS YEAR, STAFF LOOKING AT THIS, WAS THE WAY THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY SET-UP. AND THIS TIES INTO WHAT I THINK YOU ARE GETTING TOWARDS, IR IRVING. WE DON'T ACTUALLY DOUGH FINE THIS MONTH BY MONTHS. WHAT WE DO IS DEFINE PEAK PERIODS.
THE WAY WE HAVE THOSE DEFINED AT THE MOMENT ARE THANKSGIVING DAY, FOUR-DAY WEEKEND, CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR'S WEEK, DAYTONA SPEED WEEK, DAYTONA 500, BIKE WEEK, THE PLAYER'S CHAMPIONSHIP, MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AND FOURTH OF JULY. SO WE DON'T ACTUALLY, I GUESS, DISCOUNT ANY MONTHS. WE'RE
[00:45:10]
DISCOUNTING MORE SELECTIVE PERIODS OF EACH MONTH. >> CHAIRMAN: ALL I KNOW IS WE HAD AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WHO WAS OVER ONE OF THOSE DATES. THEY RECEIVED 100 RATING BY HAVING IT ON ONE OF THOSE DATES. WHICH, BECAUSE THE -- HOW IT WAS SET UP IN THE GRANT PROGRAM LAST YEAR IS YOU GOT 10% BONUS IF YOU DIDN'T DO IT OVER ONE OF THOSE DATES. OR A TEN-POINT BONUS.
>> SPEAKER: I WILL LOOK AT OUR SCORING MATRIX. >> CHAIRMAN: I REMEMBER THIS
VERY, VERY WELL. >> SPEAKER: I'M SURE YOU DO. I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT AT THE
MOMENT. I AM NOT -- I DON'T RECALL THAT. >> CHAIRMAN: ALL I'M SAYING IS WE NEED TO MODIFY IT. IF YOU PICK SOMETHING ON A DATE THAT WE HAVE CHOSEN IS A PREMIUM PERIOD,
YOU SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET 100% FUNDING. >> SPEAKER: I AGREE.
>> CHAIRMAN: THAT IS BACKWARDS TO ME. >> SPEAKER: SO THESE ON OUR GUIDELINES AND WE HAVE MADE AN ATTEMPT TO GET OUR SCORING MATRICES FOR THE FUNDING PANEL TO ALIGN WITH THIS. LIKE I SAID, WE DO HAVE A NEW SET OF EYES, THE CULTURAL COUNCIL HAS HIRED A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. SHE HELPED US GO OVER THESE GUIDELINES, CHRISTINA, AND HAD A LOT OF GOOD VALUABLE INPUT. WE'LL GET WITH HER AND LOOK AT THAT AND I'LL MAKE A NOTE TO LOOK FOR THAT. THETAS NOT OUTLINED IN THE GUIDELINES. WE'LL SHORE THAT UP.
>> CHAIRMAN: I ASKED THE QUESTION AND I WAS SURPRISED AT THE ANSWER.
>> SPEAKER: I'M GOING TO VERIFY THAT ANSWER IS TRUE AND CORRECT. >> CHAIRMAN: THAT I CAN'T
ANSWER. I CAN ONLY TELL YOU WHAT I WAS TOLD. >> SPEAKER: I DON'T RECALL THAT
IN THE SCORING MATRIX BUT I'LL CHECK AND WE'LL FIX IT IF IT IS. >> BOARD MEMBER: I THINK THE AMENDMENTS IN THE LANGUAGE ARE GOOD BUT I HAVE A QUESTION THAT LEANS ON WHAT COMMISSIONER WALDREN JUST SPOKE ABOUT. I'M LOOKING AT THE CRITERIA, THE EVALUATION CRITERIA. THE LAST THREE NEW BULLETS. I KNOW THIS IS NOT NEW LANGUAGE. BUT THE EXPECTATION OF THESE GROUPS TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE MARKETING EXPERTISE AND METHODOLOGY TO PUT TOGETHER PLANS THAT ARE VERY STRONG. OUR ARTS GROUPS ARE VERY STRONG IN THE CREATION OF CULTURAL EVENTS. AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE IS A WAY FOR US WITH OUR MARKETING AND ADVERTISING TO HELP THESE GROUPS DEVELOP THE MARKETING PLANS SO THAT THEY -- SO THAT IS -- WE JUST GIVE THEM SOME ASSISTANCE.
>> SPEAKER: SO HISTORICALLY WE HAVE OFFERED THAT ASSISTANCE. IN THE LAST, I BELIEVE, TWO YEARS, THE CULTURAL COUNCIL HAS DONE A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS PROVIDING A VARIETY OF, I GUESS, AREAS OF
POTENTIAL ASSISTANCE IN THE MARKETING PLAN AS ONE OF THEM. >> BOARD MEMBER: I KNOW THAT.
BUT I'M EVEN SUGGESTING IN TERMS OF GATHERING THE DATA. IF THERE WAS A WAY TO AGRAN DIES THAT, ECONOMIES OF SCALE, HIRE A CONTRACTOR TO WORK WITH THESE GROUPS TO ACTUALLY COLLECT THE DATA WE'RE EXPECTING OF THEM SO IT IS UNIFORM AND PUTS LESS PRESSURE ON THE GROUPS, I THINK THERE ARE OTHER CRITERIA THAT WE CAN USE TO DETERMINE THE FUNDING AMOUNTS FOR THESE PROJECTS, BUT PROVIDE THEM WITH MORE ASSISTANCE ON MEASURING THE IMPACTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? >> BOARD MEMBER: YES. AND THAT WAS -- WHAT I INTERRUPTED YOU ABOUT. I SEE THAT THERE IS A POOL THIS YEAR IN VISITOR EXPERIENCE WHERE THE AWARD CAN BE JUST TURNED OVER TO THE CULTURAL COUNCIL AND THEY WILL MARKET IT FOR YOU. WHICH I THINK IN SOME CASES, ESPECIALLY THE SMALLER GROUPS THAT CAN'T POSSIBLY BUILD THE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN. SOS THAT IN VISITOR'S EXPERIENCE. BUT MY QUESTION WAS: WHY IS IT ONLY IN VISITOR'S EXPERIENCE? CAN'T WE HAVE THAT IN ALL THREE CATEGORIES SO WE CAN BETTER FUND THE POOL THAT THE COUNCIL IS GOING TO MANAGE? I APPRECIATE THAT IT GOT IN THIS YEAR. I THINK IT MAY HAVE BEEN IN IN THE PAST. BUT I NOTICED IT AGAIN THIS TIME. BUT JUST IN THAT ONE
CATEGORY. >> SPEAKER: WELL SO IT WOULD PROBABLY APPLY TO -- OR POTENTIALLY APPLY TO TWO OF THE THREE CATEGORIES. THE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT GRANT ISN'T NECESSARILY TARGETED TOWARDS MARKETING SO THAT MAY NOT APPLY TO THAT GRANT CATEGORY.
HOWEVER, THE HISTORIC RATIONALE HAS BEEN THAT THE GROUPS THAT ARE APPLYING FOR THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE GRANT ARE USUALLY SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS. THEY'RE USUALLY LARGELY VOLUNTEER
[00:50:05]
DRIVEN. AND THEY CERTAINLY WOULD NOT HAVE -- NOT CERTAINLY. THEY WOULD BE MORE INCLINED TO NOT HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE SKILLS OR THE RESOURCES IN ORDER TO PUT TOGETHER A MARKETING PLAN, EXECUTE THAT MARKETING PLAN. I AM THINKING BACK OVER MULTIPLE YEARS AND I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT CAME OUT OF DISCUSSIONS WITH THE TDC OR WITH THE ANDY WIT BUT KIND OF THE CON WAS THAT WE, THE COLLECTIVE WE STAFF, WE WOULD ACCOMMODATE THE SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP THEM HAVE A BETTER PRODUCT BUT THAT AT SOME POINT THIS GRANT WAS INTENDED TO REWARD WELL ESTABLISHED AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAD THE WHEREWITHAL TO GROW AND KIND OF TAKE THEIR EVENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL. IN THAT IF THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO PUT FORTH A COMPELLING MARKETING PLAN TO GET GRANT FUNDING THEY PROBABLY WEREN'T A GROUP WE WANTED TO AWARD GRANTING TO. SO, THERE WAS KIND OF THAT DIVIDING LINE OF A LOT OF OUR VISITOR EXPERIENCE REWARDS ARE TO RE-ENACTORS WHO ARE STRICTLY VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS. A LOT OF TIMES YOU SEE MORE ORGANIZEDBUSINESSES OR NONPROFITS THAT APPLY FOR THAT. >> BOARD MEMBER: TARA N GOING WITH WHAT COMMISSIONER WALDREN SAID, AREN'T WE BETTER OFF POOLING. IT SEEMS LIKE TO ME THAT THAT THE MORE WE CAN THROW INTO THE POOL, THE MORE WE HAVE TO ADVERTISE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AND THE MORE WE USE THE EXPERTISE -- I KNOW BOTH MRS. STONE AND THE CVB HAVE, YOU KNOW, WONDERFUL ADVERTISING ORGANIZATIONS THAT GET PAID A LOT OF MONEY. SO, ADDING THIS TO IT I THINK WOULD GIVE US EVEN MORE IMPACT. I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE NATURE OF WHO APPLIES FOR WHICH GRANT IN THE PAST. BUT NOW I'M SEEING THAT EVERYBODY IS SAVVY TO THE FACT THAT IF YOU APPLY TO GRANT CATEGORY ONE AND THREE YOU GOT A BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING MORE FUNDING.
>> SPEAKER: YES. SO THE BEAUTY OF REVIEWING THE GRANT GUIDELINES OVER YEARS THAT WE CAN GO DIFFERENT DEIRECTIONS AN CHANGE OUR MIND. IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO,
I'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN. >> BOARD MEMBER: WELL I LIKE TO EXPLORE IT. I THINK THOSE POOLS CAN BE A WONDERFUL TOOL FOR BOTH THE GRANT RECIPIENT AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY. I JUST -- I LIKE
THE IDEA OF WHAT WE'VE GOT BUT I THINK WE CAN MAYBE EXTEND IT. >> BOARD MEMBER: WOULD IT BE AN
OPTIONAL? IF THEY SO CHOSE. >> BOARD MEMBER: IT IS NOW OPTIONAL. BUT IT WOULD BE
OPTIONAL IN EVERY CATEGORY. >> BOARD MEMBER: THERE IS ALSO AN ARGUMENT TO MAKE IF PEOPLE NEED HELP LIKE THIS, MAYBE WE'RE AWARDING THE MONEY TO THE WRONG PEOPLE AND MAYBE WE SHOULD DO A NATIONAL SEARCH. BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IS TO DRIVE REVENUE TO THE MARKETPLACE. IF WE NEED TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO MARKET THAT MAY JUST BE A CONCERN THAT
THEY'RE NOT KNOWING HOW TO DRIVE REVENUE. >> BOARD MEMBER: I WOULD JUST ARGUE THERE ARE CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHERE THERE IS CONSOLIDATED MARKETING AND THEIR PHENOMENAL ARTS GROUPS. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF BACKHOUSE SUPPORT THAT'S CONSOLIDATED EFFORT TAKING A LITTLE BIT OF THE -- IT'S JUST A BETTER USE OF RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE IS WHAT
I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT. >> BOARD MEMBER: LET ME DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD. AND I SAID THIS TO THEM IN THE BEGINNING WHEN I WAS ON THE ACH PANEL I WAS KIND OF OPPOSED TO THEM SAYING HOW ARE THEY GETTING HEADS ON BIDS. IT'S TOO SMALL. BUT I CAME TO KNOW THEY ARE ACTUALLY THE FABRIC OF WHAT WE'RE SELLING HERE. AND THEY'RE SMALL.
THEY'RE LITTLE TEENY ORGANIZATIONS THAT REENACTMENT. THEY CAN'T COMPETE WITH SOME OF TESE -- WELL, SING OUT LOUD. SO, I THINK THAT IF THEY COULD USE THE POOL, RELIEVING THEM FROM ALL THE DIFFICULTY OF PUTTING AN AD PLAN TOGETHER, IT WOULD BE GREAT.
>> BOARD MEMBER: I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT. I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT GROUP AND WE IN THE CITY HAVE WORKED VERY HARD WITH THEM TO DO THEIR PROMOTIONS. THEY DO IT VERY EFFECTIVELY USE OUR RESOURCES TO GET THE WORD OUT. SO, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S -- ARE THEY YOU ARE FINDING THEM AS AN EXAMPLE OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT NEEDS MARKETING EXPERTISE BUT THEY'VE
BEEN QUITE SUCCESSFUL AT DOING IT. >> BOARD MEMBER: WELL, NANCY, MAYBE I PICKED THE WRONG EXAMPLE. BUT THEY'RE SMALL ORGANIZATION. AND I THINK THAT,
[00:55:03]
YOU KNOW, EVEN FILLING OUT THE GRANT FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS, THE GRANT APPLICATION IS DIFFICULT. AND I THINK -- I'VE SAID MAYBE WE NEED TO RETHINK THAT. BUT WHEN I WAS ON THE PANEL I NOTICED THIS. THERE WAS QUITE OFTEN A DEVIATION IN SCORING FROM 50 TO 100. MANY TIMES THERE WAS THAT KIND OF DEVIATION AMONGST THE GROUP, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER FIELDS, ACADEMIC FIELD, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THEY HAVE THAT KIND OF DEVIATION THEY START TO QUESTION THE APPLICATION AND EVALUATION METHOD. AND I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT, TOO. NOW I THINK IRVING'S POINT ABOUT SMALL ORGANIZATIONS MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T BE SUPPORTING THEM, BUT MY POINTIS, YOU KNOW -- >> CHAIRMAN: I DIDN'T SAY SMALL ORGANIZATIONS. I WAS -- THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SMALL GROUPS WHO ARE DOING THE REENACTING AND SOMEONE WHO IS PUTTING ON A $60,000 EVENT. WHICH, IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY TO THE GRANT APPLICATIONS, COBS DENTALLY SINCE $60,000 IS THE MAXIMUM, EVERYONE'S NOW ASKING FOR $60,000. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ASKING FOR $60,000, IF THEY'RE ASKING FOR THAT LEVEL OF MONEY, I EXPECT THAT THEY ARE COMPETENT ENOUGH TO BE PROFESSIONALS INSTEAD OF JUST PLAYING THE GAME AND ASKING FOR TWICE AS MUCH AS THEY REALLY NEED TO GET $30,000 BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE AN INCOMPLETE APPLICATION. AND IF YOU ARE ASKING FOR $60,000 YOU ARE A BIG PLAYER. THAT'S WHERE IN THE GRANT PROGRAM I HAVE ISSUES. THE PERSON WHO IS DOING THE BRITISH KNIGHT WALK OR THINGS LIKE THAT, WE SHOULD BE HELPING THEM. THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT CATEGORY. BUT IT'S WHEN SOMEONE COMES AND TAKES THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THEN SAYS WELL I'M NOT COMPETENT ENOUGH TO DO IT THEN WE
SHOULDN'T GIVE THEM $60,000 IF THEY'RE NOT COMPETENT. >> BOARD MEMBER: I AGREE IF THEY ALL WOULD FALL INTO A CATEGORY THAT IS NOT THE $60,000 CATEGORY. BUT I FOUND THAT ESPECIALLY EVENTS, THEY WERE APPLYING IN THAT CATEGORY TOO. SO, I MEAN --
>> CHAIRMAN: THEY'RE ALL ASKING FOR THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF MONEY. >> BOARD MEMBER: WELL NOT ALL
BUT -- >> CHAIRMAN: MOST OF THEM DO. >> BOARD MEMBER: YOU ARE RIGHT.
>> CHAIRMAN: BECAUSE THEY'RE PLAYING THE GAME. >> BOARD MEMBER: YOU'RE RIGHT.
>> CHAIRMAN: AND I'M JUST TRYING TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. I UNDERSTAND FROM A MARKETING STANDPOINT THERE'S EXPERTISE IN HAVING SOMEONE LIKE RICHARD'S TEAM DO THAT. BUT THERE'S ALSO A LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY. IF SOMEONE WANTS TO COME TO THE TABLE AND SAY I'M AN A-LEVEL PLAYER AND I AM A PROFESSIONAL PUTTING ON AN EVENT LIKE THAT THEY SHOULD BE PROFESSIONAL. IF THEY'RE NOT A PROFESSIONAL COMPANY DOING IT, THEY SHOULDN'T BE ASKING TO ARE THAT AND WE SHOULD BE COY GOING OUT. BECAUSE OUT IN THE MARKETPLACE OF THE WORLD, THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF $60,000 ORGANIZATIONS -- COMPANIES THAT COULD COME IN HERE AND GIVE US HOME RUN EVENTS. SO, IF WE'RE DOING THIS TO DRIVE REVENUE AND DRIVE OCCUPANCY OF THE MARKETPLACE, THEN WE NEED TO GO TO THE MARKETPLACE AND GET STRONG PEOPLE. IF WE'RE DOING IT AS A CHARITABLE EVENT, TO BE NICE TO PEOPLE, THEN WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WHOLE THING OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. I AM HUGE BELIEVE BELIEVER IN THE GROUPS 5, 10, $15,000 WE SHOULD HELP THEM WITH ALL OF THAT. BUT AT $60,000 IT'S JUST LIKE I I HIRED AN EXECUTIVE THAT I WAS PAYING A LARGE SALARY TOO, I'M NOT GOING TO TREAT THEM THE SAME AS A JUNIOR PERSON. I AM GOING TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE AS I EXPECT YOU TO BE AN A LEVEL PLAYER AND DON'T BRING ME C LEVEL STUFF. IT'S JUST NOT WORTH THE MONEY. SO THAT'S JUST MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION. AND PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF US. SO, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HOLDING THEM TO ACCOUNT.
THAT'S ALL. YES? >> BOARD MEMBER: I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE PEAK PERIODS.
AND IT'S PRETTY MUCH SPELLED OUT FROM THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS, PLAYERS AND ALL THAT. BUT ARE THERE EVER ANY OTHER TIMES THAT ARE FORECASTED AS BEING VERY BUSY IN THE COUNTY WHERE WE WOULD FORECAST DIFFERENT TIMES OUTSIDE OF THESE DATES? FROM HISTORY LOOKING BACK AT
[01:00:02]
OCCUPANCIES. >> SPEAKER: SO YOU HAVE OVERALL COUNTY TREND. FOR EXAMPLE, WE KNOW SPRING BREAK FALLS IN THE MONTH OF MARCH. SO, MATCH MARCH IS USUALLY A PRETTY GOOD MONTH FOR US. THESE PEAK PERIODS WERE ACTUALLY DEVELOPED BEFORE I TOOK THIS POSITION AND WE HAVEN'T TAKEN UP THIS DISCUSSION VERY POINTEDLY SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE. HOWEVER MY TAKE AWAY FROM THE DISCUSSIONS IN THE PAST IS CERTAINLY THERE ARE WEEKENDS THAT WE CAN PIN.. BUT AS FAR AS LOOKING AT A WHOLE MONTH, OUR CERTAINLY BECOMES SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAT THE WHOLE MONTH IS GOING TO BE OFF THE TABLE AS FAR AS IT'S IN THE BAG, WE'VE GOT THIS. WE CAN LOOK AT PEAK
PERIODS. >> BOARD MEMBER: AND I DON'T THINK IT'S ALWAYS A MONTH.
SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, IT'S TWO WEEKS. AND, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S DESIGNATED THE RIGHT WAY WITH SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY BEING SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT THAN THE WEEKEND. BUT I THINK THERE MIGHT BE HISTORY THERE FOR THE COUNTY TO SAY THESE ARE OUR TIMES. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A MONTH, IT COULD BE TWO WEEKS, IT COULD BE ONE, THAT OUTSIDE OF THESE DATES THAT WE
MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT AS WELL MOVING FORWARD. >> SPEAKER: SO WHAT I CAN DO IS I CAN GET WITH RICHARD GOLDMAN WITH THE VCB AND WE CAN LOOK AT OUR SRT DATA AND SOME OTHER DATA SOURCES AND SEE IF THERE'S A TREND. I CAN SAY I FEEL LIKE JUST KEEPING AN EYE ON IT THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PINPOINT ONE OR TWO WEEKENDS BUT THERE'S ENOUGH PROBABLY VOLATILITY IT MIGHT BE HARD TO PICK SOMETHING THAT IS NOT A CALENDARIZED CELEBRATION. BUT WE CAN LOOK AT
THAT AND COME BACK AND DISCUSS THAT. >> BOARD MEMBER: THANK YOU.
>> BOARD MEMBER: ONE FINAL COMMENT ON THIS. I WISH ALSO THAT WE COULD LOOK AT THE REGULATIONS FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES IN FLORIDA THAT ARE AWARDING TOURIST DEVELOPMENT GRANTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE GREAT EXAMPLES THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO EMULATE HERE JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT OURS ARE AS STRONG AS THEY CAN BE. AND I WOULD START WITH ORANGE COUNTY AND THE KINDS OF THINGS THEY'RE SUPPORTING WITH TDC. THERE ARE GROUPS IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT ARE PART OF THE FABRIC THAT ARE GOING TO BE SMALL FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS AND I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE -- I THINK WE SHOULD WORK ON MORE WAYS TO INCLUDE WHAT WE HAVE. I STILL THINK WE CAN DO EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS LIKE SING OUT LOUD. I JUST WISH WE COULD
BE MORE INTRAGATIVE IN HOW THE TDC FUNDS ARE UTILIZED. >> BOARD MEMBER: IS ORANGE COUNTY A GRANTS PROGRAM DO YOU KNOW OR IS THAT THEIR FUNDING OVERALL FOR THE WHOLE PROGRAM?
>> BOARD MEMBER: TDC PROGRAM IN ORANGE COUNTY. IT SUPPORTS THE LOCAL CULTURALS. MAYBE PALM
BEACH ALSO. I'M HAPPY TO HELP. >> SPEAKER: OKAY. >> BOARD MEMBER: IN PALM BEACH THERE'S ACTUALLY -- AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW THIS, BUT WHEN THE CULTURAL COUNCIL WAS DEVELOPED, THE DIRECTOR OF THE PALM BEACH TDC -- I MEAN, CULTURAL COUNCIL WROTE THE PLAN.
SO A LOT OF THE ORIGINAL GRANT PROGRAM THAT GOT MODIFIED, I'D SAY THIS IS THE 15TH YEAR IN A
WE'VE HAD GRANT PROGRAM DISCUSSIONS OF TRYING TO MODIFY. >> BOARD MEMBER: SORRY I JUST
FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT IT. >> BOARD MEMBER: BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF WHAT -- AND I JUST
BLANKED ON HER NAME. IT WAS ON THE TIP OF -- >> BOARD MEMBER: RINA BLADES.
>> BOARD MEMBER: YEAH. THERE WAS A HUGE CHANGEOVER OF WHAT WE DID WHEN RINA WAS INVOLVED.
>> BOARD MEMBER: PHIL MCDANIEL WROTE THAT. >> CHAIRMAN: TARA, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE AUDIT OF THE PAID INVOICES THAT COME IN FROM THE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.
THESE ARE REIMBURSEMENT GRANTS I THINK ALL OF THEM. >> SPEAKER: THAT'S CORRECT.
>> CHAIRMAN: ARE WE ACTUALLY DOING AN AUDIT OR IS IT A -- YOU KNOW WHAT GOES ON IN THE AUDIT?
DO WE CHECK PAYMENTS? >> SPEAKER: THEY SUBMIT US A GRANT REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST PACKET SO WE'VE GOT ESTABLISHED FORMS THEY COMPLETE AND FILL OUT. THEN THEY SUBMIT WITH THEIR PACKET THEY SUBMIT TO US THEIR DATA THAT THEY'VE COLLECTED FOR VISITATION AND WHERE THEY THINK THAT THEIR VISITORS WERE COMING FROM. THEN THEY SUBMIT ALSO THINGS LIKE THEIR INVOICES FOR THE SERVICES THEY'RE LOOKING TO GET REIMBURSED AS WELL AS PROOF OF
PAYMENTS. >> CHAIRMAN: DO WE AUDIT THOSE? DO WE CHECK ON THEM?
>> SPEAKER: WELL A PROOF OF PAYMENT WOULD BE LIKE A CASH CHECK FROM A BANK. SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T CHECK BUT IF WE'VE GOT THAT LEVEL OF FRAUD GOING ON, THE PROBLEM IS A
LITTLE BIGGER THAN US. >> BOARD MEMBER: IS THERE ANY PREFERENCE TO OUR LOCAL VENDORS AND SUPPLIERS OVER OTHER AREAS OR IS IT JUST, YOU KNOW, CATCH A SCAN.
>> SPEAKER: ANY PREFERENCE? NO. I THINK A LOT OF OUR LOCAL GROUPS TEND TO USE LOCAL
[01:05:03]
BUSINESSES FOR THEIR SERVICES. I THINK THEY HAVE A PERSONAL PREFERENCE IN A LOT OF CASES BUTTHE GRANT DOESN'T GIVE ANY PREFERENCE FOR THAT. >> BOARD MEMBER: OKAY.
>> BOARD MEMBER: MR. CHAIR, I JUST HAVE -- WE'VE HAD SEVERAL DIFFERENT DISCUSSIONS ON
DIFFERENT ITEMS. >> CHAIRMAN: YES WE HAVE. >> BOARD MEMBER: SO HOW DO WE GET BACK TO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT GETTING A RESULT? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DIRECT,
WE'RE ASKING? YOU HAD SOME -- >> CHAIRMAN: I BELIEVE WE WERE GIVING FEEDBACK TO TARA TO
INCORPORATE INTO THIS. >> SPEAKER: SO I HAVE A LOT OF I AM GOING TO LOOK INTO IT AND GET BACK TO YOU IS WHAT I WROTE DOWN A LOT OF. SO, I GUESS KIND OF PULLING INTO WHAT I THINK MR. MANNO IS ASKING. WE HAVE THE GUIDELINES THAT ARE MARKED UP. CERTAINLY IF THERE ARE ANY POINTED CHANGES WE CAN MAKE THOSE AND INCLUDE THOSE AND MOVE THEM TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. THE ONLY KIND OF DIRECT POINTED CHANGE THAT I HEARD WAS FROM POTENTIALLY FROM DANNY ABOUT EXPANDING THE OPTION FOR TURNING OVER MARKETING TO THE CULTURAL COUNCIL. BUT I DRNT REALLY HEAR CONSENSUS ON THAT. SO, EVERYTHING ELSE I WAS GOING TO LOOK AT PEAK DATES.
I'M GOING LOOK AT ORANGE COUNTY. I CAN LOOK BACK THROUGH MY NOTES BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT I HEARD ANYTHING ELSE THAT WAS A DIRECTION TO MAKE A CHANGE IN THE GUIDELINES AT THE MOMENT.
>> BOARD MEMBER: THEN COMMISSIONER WAILED REMEMBER HAD -- WALDREN HAD A COUPLE OF
ITEMS. >> BOARD MEMBER: ON PAGE 2. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. WHEN YOU HAVE EVENTS WHICH REQUIRE PURCHASE OF AN ADMISSION TICKET FROM A THIRD PARTY WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. DOES THAT KIND OF CONTRADICTIVE TO THE SING OUT LOUD FESTIVAL THAT HAD A TICKET
MASTER TICKETS THAT NEEDED TO BE PURCHASED? >> SPEAKER: SO, SING OUT LOUD
DOESN'T ACTUALLY GET FUNDING THROUGH THE GRANTS PROGRAM. >> BOARD MEMBER: I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND OTHER EVENTS FINANCIAL IF THEY GET BIG ENOUGH TO WHERE YOU NEED A TICKET FROM TICKET MASTER I WOULDN'T WANT THEM TO NOT BE ELIGIBLE.
>> SPEAKER: YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT BULLET .4 IN THE SECOND CIRCLE? WHAT THIS IS ADDRESSING AND WE TRIED TO CLAIRE MY THIS LATE -- CLARIFY THIS A LITTLE BIT. AND I AM GOING TO USE THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH BUM I'M NOT INTENDING TO PICK ON THE FOUNTAIN OF GROWTH. IF WE HAD AN ORGANIZATION WHO WAS GOING TO RENT THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH AND THE FOUNTAIN YOUTH SAID YOU HAVE TO PAY ADMISSION TO GET INTO THIS EVENT. THAT'S THE INTENT THERE.
>> BOARD MEMBER: MAYBE CLEAR THAT UP. >> SPEAKER: SO WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME FIGURING OUT HOW TO CLEAR THAT UP. BUT WE'RE TRYING. BUT THAT'S THE INTENT.
IT IS A LITTLE CONFUSING. >> BOARD MEMBER: I APOLOGIZE BECAUSE EVERYTHING I READ MIGHT
BE INTERPRETED TEN YEARS FROM NOW. >> SPEAKER: THAT'S FINE. THAT'S WHY WE ADDED A COUPLE OF LITTLE WORDS THERE. BUT WE ARE DEFINITELY OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS AND MAYBE WE CAN KICK IT OVER TO REGINA AND SEE IF SHE CAN HELP US CLARIFY THAT.
>> BOARD MEMBER: MR. CHAIR, FROM THE OFFICE OF REDUNDANCY, IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIFIC DIRECTION THAT WE NEEDED TO GIVE? BECAUSE THERE WERE SEVERAL IDEAS ON MARKETING. MARKETING AS
A BUNDLE OF MARKETING FOR CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS. >> CHAIRMAN: IF THERE ARE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD WHO WANTED TARA TO LOOK INTO THINGS, BECAUSE WHAT SHE IS GOING TO DO IS TAKE THIS AWAY AND REPRESENT IT. WE'RE NOT MAKING A FINAL DECISION.
>> BOARD MEMBER: BUT SHE HAS SPECIFICS TO GO BACK TO. SO, TARA, CAN YOU TELL US WHO THOSE
ANTIFOGS ON SO I CAN PUT MY HEAD ON PILLOW TONIGHT. >> SPEAKER: IF YOU GUYS ARE COMFORTABLE I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD MAKE A FINAL DECISION ON THIS AND IT CAN BE WITH CHANGES AS SPECIFIED. THAT WOULD BE FINE. IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH IT, THAT'S ALL RIGHT. IT JUST PUTS US IN MORE OF A TIME CRUNCH BUT WE CAN STILL MAKE IT WORK.
>> BOARD MEMBER: I THINK DIANE AND DANNY JUST NEED TO CLARIFY WHERE THEY WANT TO GIVE ADDITIONAL MARKETING HELP -- IS IT TO EVERY SINGLE GRANT THAT'S IN THERE OR IS IT TO CERTAIN PORTIONS OF THAT PROGRAM AND MORE SPECIFIC AND THEN SHE CAN INCORPORATE THAT?
>> BOARD MEMBER: MARKETING DATA COLLECTION. >> SPEAKER: SO I GUESS MY
ONLY -- >> CHAIRMAN: I HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT. IF WE JUST BLANKETLY SAY THAT, DOES THAT NOW TURN THE RESPONSIBILITY BACK OVER TO THE TDC FOR WHEN PEOPLE DO NOT -- CAN'T PROVE THEY DEVELOPED ANYTHING BECAUSE WE SAID WE'LL HELP DO THAT? AND DANNY IS NOW GOING TO HAVE TO STAND OUT AT EVERY EVENT TO COUNT THE TICKETS? WE NEED TO BE VERY
[01:10:02]
CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE AGREE TO DO AND DON'T DO. BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN HOLDING THE GROUPS ACCOUNTABLE TO MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE PERFORMING. AND MARKETING AND DATA COLLECTION MEANS NOW I'M GOING TO STAND THERE WITH A CLIPBOARD TO FIGURE IT OUT. SO WE HAVE TO JUST BE CAREFUL HOW WE WORD THAT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF TRYING TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO DO THAT. BUT INSTEAD WE RELIEVE THEM FROM THE ACCOUNTABILITY.>> BOARD MEMBER: WELL THE ACH HAS MARKETING WORKSHOPS CORRECT? IS THAT PART OF WHAT THEY DO? THEY HAVE WORKSHOPS AND THEY TELL PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, OR SHOW THEM HOW THEY CAN GO OUT TO
MARKET AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS. >> SPEAKER: YES THE CULTURAL COUNCIL PUTS ON THE WORKSHOPS.
SO, I THINK THE QUESTION WAS DO WE WANT TO EXTEND THE -- WE'VE BEEN CALLING IT THE POOL, BUT I'M GOING CALL IT THE OPT OUT BECAUSE THAT MAKES MORE SENSE TO ME. ARE WE GOING TO EXTEND THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPT UTE OF DEVELOPING OUR OWN MARKETING PLAN TO THE ANNUAL AND SPECIAL
EVENTS GRANTS? I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE DECIDING POINTS. >> BOARD MEMBER: FOR ALL THREE
CATEGORIES. >> SPEAKER: YOU CAN EXTEND IT TO ALL THREE I DON'T KNOW THAT IT APPLIES TO RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT BUT WE CAN PUT THE LANGUAGE IN THERE. I'M NOT SURE THAT IT HAS
AN IMPACT THERE. >> BOARD MEMBER: ONE THING, I THINK I BROUGHT THIS UP IN THE PAST, MAY NOT HAVE. REGINA. FLORIDA HAS APPROVED THE SOCIAL PURPOSE CORPORATION ACT IN TEN YEARS AGO OR EIGHT YEARS AGO. AND I SEE THAT WE STILL IN ONE CATEGORY -- I THINK IT'S CATEGORY 3 -- REQUIRE A NONPROFIT STATUS ON THE PART OF THE APPLICANT. CAN WE EXPEND THAT ALSO TO THE SOCIAL PURPOSE CORPORATION WHICH IS ENACTED IN FLORIDA? IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A TECHNICAL THING BUT I THINK THERE IS A REASON WHY WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE CORPORATIONS ABLE IN THAT GRANT CATEGORY TOO. SO, REGINA MAYBE YOU CAN HELP US WITH THAT. IT'S HIGHLY TECHNICAL LEGAL BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH LOOKING AT. AND SINCE THE STATE HAS APPROVED IT I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT I CAREFULLY. WE'RE DOWN TO JUST THAT ONE CATEGORY NOW REQUIRING A NONPROFIT STATUS. SO, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN'T INCLUDE SOCIAL PURPOSE CORPORATIONS IN THERE.
ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO KNOW WHAT A SOCIAL PURPOSE CORPORATION IS, ASK REGINA
[LAUGHTER] >> CHAIRMAN: SO WE'RE BACK TO THE ONE THING. ARE WE PROVIDING MARKETING HELP TO ALL 50 GROUPS THAT APPLY? OR ARE WE PROVIDING MARKETING HELP TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED MARKETING HELP AND WHO WE SHOULD EXPECT WOULD NEED IT VERSUS EVERYBODY IN THERE? BECAUSE WE TOOK THE TIME OVER THE YEARS TO BREAK EVERYTHING INTO FOUR CATEGORIES AND THEN WE DROPPED IT DOWN TO THREE CATEGORIES BECAUSE WE THOUGHT EACH CATEGORY HAD A DIFFERENT NEED. AND WE'VE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO GETTING THESE CATEGORIES. NOW WE'RE SORT OF THROWING CART BLANCHE TO EVERYONE ON ALL THREE CATEGORIES TO TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY AWAY FROM THEM. THERE HAVE BEEN WORKSHOPS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS TEACHING EVERYONE HOW TO FILL OUT THE GRANT APPLICATIONS, HOW TO DO A LOT OF THESE THINGS. WE HAVE BEEN DOING THE EDUCATION.
SO, WHAT ARE WE REALLY TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? WHO NEEDS THE HELP? BECAUSE IF WE DO A BLANKET THING WE'RE GOING BE BACK HERE NEXT YEAR SAYING THAT SOME PEOPLE TOOK ADVANTAGE. THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ASKED FOR $60,000 BUT IF YOU PUT TRUTH SERUM IN THEM THEY ONLY NEEDED $40,000 BUT THEY KNEW THEY WERE ONLY GOING TO GET 40 SO THEY ASKED FOR 60. THERE'S NOT A PERSONS WHO FILLED OUT AN APPLICATION WHO DOESN'T NOW PLAY THAT GAME. SO THAT SAME PERSON F WE TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY AWAY FROM THEM, OF HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE, THEY'RE GOING TO LET SOMEONE ELSE DO IT. AND THEY'RE GOING TO USE -- SO DO WE REALLY WANT TO DO THAT? IF WE DO, WHAT CATEGORIES DO WE WANT TO DO THAT WITH? IT'S FINE WITH ME EITHER WAY. WE'LL COME BACK AND SIT A YEAR FROM NOW AND WE'LL REHASH WHAT WORKED AND DIDN'T WORK JUST LIKE THE LAST 15 YEARS. BUT REMEMBER BEING NICE FEELS GOOD NOW BUT THERE IS A LOT OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. SO, LET'S THINK THOSE THROUGH. AND IF WE THINK THOSE ARE STRONG, PLEASE GIVE DIRECTION TO TARA
AND SHE CAN INCORPORATE IT INTO THE FINAL DOCUMENT. >> BOARD MEMBER: MY QUESTION WOULD BE, WHEN WE'RE EVALUATING DURING THAT PROCESS IS THERE A WAY TO DETERMINE THOSE QUESTIONS WITHOUT TAKING THE RESPONSIBILITY AWAY FROM THEM? SO,, DURING THE EVALUATION SAYS,
[01:15:07]
IF THEY SHOW OR TELL US HOW YOU KNOW WHAT THEIR MARKETING ARM IS OR WHO IS THEIR MARKETING ASSIST AND WE CAN EVALUATE THAT AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, WE STILL HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, THEY'RE STILL IN CHARGE. AND IF WE HAVE ANY ADD ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH THEM OR MIGHT RECOMMEND SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE THE EVALUATION PROCESS, IS THAT POSSIBLE? AT THIS STAGE TODAY TO MOVE FORWARD FOR LESSONS LEARNED.>> CHAIRMAN: I THINK, FROM -- DANNY, YOU PROBABLY CAN ANSWER THIS BETTER SINCE YOU'VE BEEN ON THOSE BOARDS. THE QUESTION REALLY BECOMES: ARE WE EXPOSED FOR NOT BEING ANALYTICALLY FAIR? BY DOING THAT. BECAUSE WE'RE NOW MODIFYING THE GUIDELINES AND WE LIKE THIS PERSON OR NOT THAT.
THAT'S MY ONLY QUESTION. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN PEOPLE START QUESTIONING THE PROCESS WHERE YOU GAVE IT TO XYZ BUT DIDN'T GIVE IT TO US. SO, TARA AND REGINA THINK THAT'S FINE I'M FINE WITH THAT. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T GET BACK WITH OH THEY WERE SO UNFAIR THEY GAVE
IT TO X, Y, Z BUT DIDN'T GIVE IT TO ME. >> BOARD MEMBER: MAYBE THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT TARA COULD CONSIDER. >> SPEAKER: WE LOOK AT THE MARKETING PLANS OF ALL THE APPLICANTS. IT'S PART OF WHAT THEY'RE SCORED ON. UNLESS THE CHECK THEY BOX THAT SAYS THE CULTURAL COUNCIL WILL DO THE MARKETING ON THEIR BEHALF. THE GRANTS FUNDING PANEL DOES SCORE ON THAT. SO THAT IS -- I THINK WE'RE ALREADY ADDRESSING THAT.
KIND OF SPEAKING TO THE CAUTION. THE CAUTION IS, IF YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF GROUPS WHO ARE -- MORE SO WHEN TALKING ABOUT BIG SPEND GROUPS. IF YOU ARE SPENDING A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY PEOPLE FEEL LESS INCENSED ABOUT A WRONGDOING. BUT IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY SPENDING A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THEY'VE GIVEN 15 PERCENT OF THEIR GRANTS TO THE CULTURAL COUNCIL TO DO THE MARKETING FOR THEM AND YOU HAVE SOMEBODY AWARDED A $60,000 GRANT, THEY ARE NOW FORFEITING $30,000 OF THEIR GRANT AWARD INTO THIS ADVERTISING POOL. ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT DOES FALL ON STAFF IF WE DO THAT FOR ALL OF THESE GRANTS IS THAT PRESUMABLY WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO TRACK AND SHOW THAT WE SPENT $30,000 ON ADVERTISING OR $15,000 OR WHATEVER IT WAS THEY WERE AWARDED FOR MARKETING THEIR EVENT. BECAUSE WHAT MAY HAPPEN IS IF YOU DO HAVE AN EVENT THAT SUDDENLY DOESN'T GET GOOD VISITATION ONE YEAR OR MAYBE IT IS A NEW EVENT OR LONG STANDING EVENT, THAT DOES OPEN US UP TO BEAR THE OWN US OF WHAT -- ONUS OF WE DIDN'T DO THE MARKETING WELL. MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE ADVERTISED IN MAGAZINE A OR B. SO THAT IS SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. BUT WE CAN DO THAT. I MEAN, ANYTHING -- WE CAN TRACK THAT AND DO WHATEVER IS, YOU
KNOW, THE GOOD INTENTIONS HERE WE'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN. >> BOARD MEMBER: MAYBE WE'D BENEFIT IF YOU CAME BACK WITH YOUR OPINION ON THAT OF STONE AND THAT OF RICHARD GOLDMAN.
AND I SEE THAT THERE'S MORE TO THIS THAN -- MAYBE WE DON'T EVEN WANT IT IN ANY OF OUR CATEGORIES. WE'RE GOING THERE NOW. BUT I THINK THAT WE'D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS. WE'D LIKE TO KNOW THE THINKING OF OUR COMBINED EXPERTS ON IT.
>> BOARD MEMBER: WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE AND IT'S ALREADY AVAILABLE. IT MAY NOT BE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AS MUCH. THE CULTURAL COUNCIL WILL HELP PEOPLE WITH MARKETING. IT'S AVAILABLE ALREADY. IT MAY JUST NEED TO BE MODIFIED TO HELP A LITTLE BIT MORE. IT CAN BE LOOKED AT. BUT EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HAS BEEN TRIED AND THROWN OUT AND ADDED AND THROWN OUT AND REGINA CAN TELL YOU, OR JACK, IT'S BEEN A BIG CIRCLE ON THINGS THAT COME AND GO EVERY YEAR. BUT THERE ARE SO MANY UNATTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF EVERYTHING. I'M OPEN TO TRYING ANYTHING. BUT I JUST WANT TO WARN EVERYONE THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, BE COGNIZANT THERE ARE UNATTENDED
CONSEQUENCES. >> BOARD MEMBER: THAT'S GOOD ADVICE. AND I THINK TARA MAYBE WE NEED YOUR GOOD ADVICE AND THAT OF OUR EXPERTS ON THIS. I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO ONE HAS EVER TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THIS. SO, MAYBE WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVER OCCURRED AND MAY NEVER OCCUR IN THE FUTURE. I DON'T THINK
[01:20:03]
OF ANYONE. >> SPEAKER: THE GRANT GUIDELINES ARE A COLLECTIVE RECOMMENDATION OF STAFF TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THIS BODY'S RECOMMENDATIONS. KIND OF AN EVOLUTION OVER THE YEARS. I THINK THAT WE DON'T USUALLY INCLUDE THE VYB STAFF. THIS IS A PROGRAM MANAGED UNDER THE CULTURAL COUNCIL. SO, MYSELF AND DENA SIT DOWN WITH NOW CHRISTINA BUT PREVIOUSLY ANDY AND KATHY AS WELL AND WE TALK ABOUT THIS AND WE DID TALK ABOUT EXTENDING THE MARKETING OPT OUT PROGRAM OR OPT IN PROGRAM TO THAT NEXT GRANT CATEGORY. AND THERE ARE PROS AND CONS. AND IT'S JUST WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO. SO, I GUESS WHAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD TO YOU HERE TODAY IN THESE GRANT GUIDELINES IS STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS YOU ARE WELCOME TO CHANGE THEM. BUT AS FAR AS GOING BACK AND DISCUSSING THEM I THINK WE'D BRING YOU BACK WHAT YOU HAVE TODAY MINUS LOOKING AT THE PIG SEASONS AND MORE STUFF CLOSELY. BUT THIS IS WHERE I THINK WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH FOR NOW BEING THAT WE DO HAVE A NEW SET OF EYES ON THE SYSTEM. CHRISTINA HAS A LOT OF BIGGER IDEASES. AND WE TALKED ABOUT MAYBE DOING MORE RESEARCH AND BUILDING OFF THAT AND MAYBE COMING BACK WITH GIVING HER A CHANCE TO SEE A YEAR OF THE GRANT PROGRAM AND COMING BACK WITH SOMETHING THAT IS MORE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES FOR NEXT YEAR. BUT I THINK NOW THESE WOULD BE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
>> BOARD MEMBER: ALSO JUST TO YOUR POINT ON PERIODS. THE SEVEN NOTED HERE, AT LEAST I'LL SPEAK TO THE HOTEL WORLD. THERE ARE PROBABLY OVER 30 EVENTS. THEY MAY NOT BE PERIODS OF TIME.
THEY MAY BE NO LONGER THAN A WEEKEND. IT COULD BE A WEEK. AND IT MIGHT BE WORTH WHILE TO ADD SOME OF THOSE. BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE,S THERE TWO BIKE WEEKS. THERE'S THE FLORIDA-GEORGIA GAME. THERE'S -- I HAVE 33 IN FRONT OF ME THAT AT LEAST OUR HTEL COMPANY LOOKS AT. FROM A THAT KIND OF EVENT PATTERN. SO, THEN AS HOTELS WE GO OUT AND DO THAT. SO, AGAIN, IF YOU WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT ADDITIONAL NOT ONLY PERIODS BUT JUST AN EXAMPLE TWO BIKE WEEKS. THEN THERE'S THE COKE ZERO, THE ROLEX THEN THE 500. SO, THERE'S THREE SEPARATE EVENTS IN THREE DIFFERENT MONTHS THAT GO OVER WEEKENDS THAT MIGHT BE WORTH INVESTIGATING. AND THEN I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.
WHAT IS THE DATA BEHIND THE CHANGES TO GO FROM 10 TO 20 AND 30 TO 40 AND REDUCING THE HOURS?
IS IT DATA DRIVEN? >> SPEAKER: IT'S LOOKING AT THE TRENDS. SO WE DIALLED -- THIS BRINGS BACK IN MORE OF A COUPLE YEARS AGO. WE BROUGHT DOWN, WHEN WE STREAMLINED THE OVERALL CATEGORIES WE SENT FROM SEVEN CATEGORIES TO FOUR AND NOW WE'RE DOWN TO THREE. ONE OF EH THEFRNGS WE DID ALONG THE WAY WAS TO PULL THE VISIT EXPERIENCE GRANT DOWN FROM 20,000 PER APPLICATION TO 10 AND LOOKING AT HOW IT IMPACTED OUR APPLICANTS IN THE WAY THAT SOME ORGANIZATIONS STARTED TO DIVIDING THEIR APPLICATIONS FOR THEIR EVENTS AND SUBMITTING THEM IN. IT JUST SEEMED THAT THIS GAVE US A MORE SUPPORTIVE AND MORE PROACTIVE GRANT AS OPPOSED TO THE 10,000. 10,000 MIGHT BE A LITTLE TOO LOW TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL SUPPORT TO THESE
ORGANIZATIONS. >> BOARD MEMBER: OKAY. THANK YOU.
>> CHAIRMAN: OTHER FEEDBACK TO PROVIDE TARA? >> BOARD MEMBER: IS THERE A
REASON WHY YOU WOULD LIKE THIS PASSED TODAY? >> SPEAKER: JUST TIMELINE FOR GIVING EVERYBODY THE OPPORTUNITY -- WE BACK OUT FROM BOARD OF COMMISSIONER MEETINGS I BELIEVE IT'S FIVE WEEKS. SO, JUST GIVING US THE TIME TO RUN IT THROUGH THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ULTIMATE APPROVING BODY. HAVE TIME TO POST IT AND GIVE EVERYBODY A HEAD'S UP OF THE GUIDELINES. WE CAN DO IT AT THE MARCH MEETING BUT IT MAKES IT A
LITTLE TIGHTER. >> BOARD MEMBER: IF WE PASS IT TODAY CAN YOU NAVIGATE THESE
CONCERNS WE HAVE AND BRING THAT PART BACK? >> SPEAKER: I CAN. THE ONLY
THING THAT CAUSES ME CONCERN IS THE PEAK PERIODS. >> CHAIRMAN: I THINK THERE'S A WAY TO ADDRESS THAT. AND THAT IS THAT THERE'S AN ANNUAL PERIOD ADDENDUM. AND THAT EACH JANUARY
[01:25:06]
YOU SET THE CALENDAR. BECAUSE EASTER, FOR EXAMPLE, CHANGES EVERY YEAR WHEN IT IS. BUT EASTER IS A PEAK PERIOD. THE DAYTONA 500 IS DIFFERENT WEEKENDS EACH YEAR. IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE THIRD WEEK. SOMETIMES IT'S THE FOURTH WEEK. THE PRESIDENT'S WEEKEND, NEXT YEAR IS AGAIN OVER VALENTINE'S DAY. THE FOLLOWING YEAR IT IS A WEEK LATER WHICH IS AND VALENTINE'S OVER PRESIDENT'S WEEKEND IS A HIGH DEMAND PERIOD WHICH IS NOT EVEN IN HERE. SO, MAYBE WECOULD DO SOME SORT OF ADDENDUM THAT WAY. >> SPEAKER: WELL, SO I'M NOT COCERNED ABOUT HOW TO REPRESENT IT. I'M CONCERNED WITH CONSENSUS OVER WHAT THAT MIGHT
BE. I CAN PUT TOGETHER A LIST. >> BOARD MEMBER: WELL COULD IT BE APPROVED THAT SOMETHING'S PRESENTED FOR THE JANUARY MEETING AND IT IS APPROVED EVERY YEAR?
>> SPEAKER: YES. IT ABSOLUTELY CAN BE. >> CHAIRMAN: COULD BE SOMETHING
OF THAT MECHANISM. WOULD THAT MAKE SENSE? >> BOARD MEMBER: I THINK IT --
FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, FOR THE YEAREND? >> CHAIRMAN: WELL THE YEAREND I
THINK WE CAN ASK -- >> BOARD MEMBER: FOR EXAMPLE, WE SHOULD DO JULY FOR THE NEXT YEAR. BECAUSE THOSE -- THE PLANNING FOR THOSE EVENTS -- FOR EXAMPLE, 2021 WE STARTED LOOKING
AT IT IN JULY. >> CHAIRMAN: YEAH. WHAT WE'RE APPROVING RIGHT NOW IS ANYTHING FROM OCTOBER 1ST ON. BECAUSE WE'RE ON THE 2021 PLAN. SO, NOTHING ON THIS GRANT APPROVAL THAT WE'RE DOING TODAY WOULD HAPPEN BEFORE OCTOBER 1ST. IS THAT CORRECT?
>> SPEAKER: YES. >> BOARD MEMBER: THAT ADDENDUM COULD COME TO THE BOARD.
>> SPEAKER: THAT'S WHAT I AM ABOUT TO JUMP IN TO. SO HOW ABOUT THIS. HOW MANY MOVING FORWARD. I THINK I CAN ADEQUATELY CAPTURE EVERYBODY'S CHANGE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PEAK PERIODS. PEAK PERIODS MAKES ME A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE IF. BUT I CAN CAPTURE EVERYTHING ELSE PRETTY EASILY AND SEE IF I CAN GET YOU GUYS TO APPROVE THE GUIDELINES WITH THOSE CHANGES FOR MOVING THIS FORWARD TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. THEN WHAT I WILL BRING IN MARCH IS THE 'DEN DUMB FOR PEAK PERIODS. I'M GOING TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION SO THAT IT REFLECTSES THERE GOING TO BE AN ADD ADDENDUM. IN MARCH THE TDC CAN TAKE THAT UP. THAT WILL GIVE ME TIME TO SLIP THAT POSSIBLY IN A RED FOLDER TO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS TO ADD TO THE GUIDELINES. SO THAT KEEPS US ON OUR TIMELINE WHERE WE'RE NOT SUPER TIGHT BUT THAT LETS ME BRING BACK THE ONLY POINT OF CONCERN THAT I HAVE FOR KIND OF
THE DIRECTION I'VE HEARD HERE TODAY. >> CHAIRMAN: AND, DIANE, YOU
STILL HAVE SOME CONCERNS? >> BOARD MEMBER: I'M GOOD. I WAS SAYING THE TRUTH IS [INAUDIBLE].
>> SPEAKER: I THINK WE'LL DEFINITELY DO THAT. I WILL JUST KIND OF, KIND OF TIEING INTO THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT CHRISTINA HAS JOINED OUR TEAM. SHE BRINGS A NEW AND DIFFERENT
SKILL SET TO WHAT WE'VE HAD INT >> BOARD MEMBER: SHE IS OUR WORTHSMITH NOW. THAT ATTORNEY
BACKGROUND IS HELPING US. >> SPEAKER: YEAH. BUT BEYOND THAT SHE'S GOT LOTS OF SKILLS AN
EXPERIENCE THAT WOULD HELP US TAILOR OUR PROGRAMS. >> BOARD MEMBER:
MICROPHONE]. >> CHAIRMAN: OKAY. GOOD. DO WE NEED TO VOTE?
>> SPEAKER: YES PLEASE. BUT WE WILL NEED PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE YOU VOTE.
>> CHAIRMAN: ALL RIGHTY. PUBLIC XHENT IS NOW OPEN IF ANYONE HAS ANY COMMENTS ON THIS SUBJECT.
SEEING NONE, PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED. WE'RE NOW LOOKING FOR A MOTION.
>> BOARD MEMBER: I MOVE THAT WE PASS THIS ON TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN THE FORM THAT
TARA JUST SUGGESTED. >> BOARD MEMBER: I'LL SECOND. >> CHAIRMAN: ALL IN FAVOR? ITEM IS ADD RATTYIVE UPDATES. I HAVE A COUPLE OF GENERAL THINGS. SEVERAL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS
[Item 11]
HAVE CONTACTED ME ASKING ABOUT VEIT CULTURAL -- PONTE VEDRA CULTURAL CENTER RELOCATION.THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF ARTICLES RUN IN THE NEWS MEDIA TALKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL CHANGE. SO, I WANTED TO CATCH EVERYBODY UP TO SPEED TODAY. THE PONTE VEDRA CULTURE CENTER EXISTING FACILITY THAT OPERATES OVER THERE NEAR THE EL'S PIZZA. AND THEY HAVE A GROWING VERY
[01:30:07]
SUCCESSFUL ARTS AND CULTURAL PROGRAM THAT IS BOTH AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE RESIDING WITHIN THE COUNTY AND ALSO TO INDIVIDUALS RESIDING OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY. THEY'RE INTERESTED IN EXPANDING THEIR PROGRAMMING AND IN DOING SO EXPANDING THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT THEY OCCUPY. THEY'VE DETERMINED THAT THE EXISTING PIECE OF PROPERTY THEY ARE ON IS NOT AN OPTION FOR EXPANDING THE EXISTING BUILDING SO THEY NEED TO MOVE ELSEWHERE. THEY HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE COUNTY ASKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR RELOCATING TO THE PROPERTY THAT THE PONTE VEDRA CONCERT HALL IS ON. THERE'S SOME OPEN LAND OUT THERE. THEY HAVE PRESENTED I'M GOING TO SAY BUILDING PLANS BUT IT'S LIKE A CONCEPT. AND THAT CONCEPT DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY SPACE THAT WOULD BE COMPETING SPACE FOR THE PONTE VEDRA CONCERT HALL. SO THEY DON'T HAVE SPACE THAT WOULD HOST EVENTS TO WHAT WE TYPICALLY HAVE AT THE CONCERT HALL. THERE'S NOT ANY DISCUSSION FROM THE CULTURAL CENTER ABOUT IMPROVING OR ENHANCING THE CONCERT HALL. THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE FACT THEY WILL BE NEXT TO THE CONCERT HALL BUT THEY'RE NOT LOOKING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ADJACENT BUILDING. AND, THEREFORE, ANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE THAT HAVE BEEN STATED IN THE C. H. JOHNSON STUDY SHOULD NOT BE IMPACTED BY THE POTENTIAL RELOCATION OR EXPANSION OF THE PONTE VEDRA CULTURAL CENTER. A LOT OF QUESTIONS I RECEIVED IS DOES THIS NEGATE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THAT STUDY AND THE ANSWER IS NO. THIS IS AN ITEM STILL BEING DISCUSSED JUST KIND OF INTERNALLY BY STAFF. WE DO EXPECT IT WILL BE AN ITEM BROUGHT TO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AT SOME POINT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. SO NOT TOO MUCH INFORMATION TO SHARE BUT AT LEAST WE'RE WE CAN ALL HAVE THE SAME INFORMATION.>> BOARD MEMBER: HAVE THEY ABANDONED THE OAK BRIDGE LOCATION?
>> SPEAKER: I DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE THE DETAILS OF WHAT ALL THEIR CONSIDERING. I JUST KNOW THEY'VE REACHED OUT AS US AS BEING A POSSIBLE RELOCATION OPTION. I'M NOT SURE.
>> BOARD MEMBER: WHO DID THEY REACH OUT TO? >> SPEAKER: I'M GOING TO SAY
COMMISSIONER BLOCKER, I BELIEVE IS WHO THEY REACHED OUT TO. >> BOARD MEMBER: THAT'S WHAT I
SAW IN THE PAPER. >> SPEAKER: I'M NOT SURE WHO THEY INITIALLY REACHED OUT TO
BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS COMMISSIONER BLOCKER. >> BOARD MEMBER: CAN YOU REFRESH OUR MEMORIES ABOUT THE C. H. JOHNSON STUDY. SPECIFICALLY HOW IT -- SPOOEBLG TO THE C. H.
JOHNSON STUDY GAVE US THREE OPTIONS. ONE OF THE OPTIONS WAS TO LOOK AT PONTE VEDRA CULTURAL CENTER. THE OPTIONS WERE PONTE VEDRA CULTURAL CENTER, DOWNTOWN ST. AUGUSTINE TO DO ONE OR BOTH IN TANDEM. FOR THE CONCERT HALL THEY SAID WE'RE NOT ADEQUATELY UTILIZING ALL THE SPACE THERE. WHICH WE KNEW BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A SECOND FLOOR THAT IS BASICALLY BOARDED OFF.
THEY RECOMMENDED THAT WE LOOK AT BETTER UTILIZING THAT SPACE WITH SEATING. AND THEN ALSO DOING SOME EXPANSION OF THAT PROPERTY OR OF THAT BUILDING. EXPANDING IT OUT AND CREATING A MORE FORMAL OR MORE ACCOMMODATING, I GUESS, FOYER SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN TO AND HAVE A BETTER CONCESSION SPACE TO BETTER UTILIZE THAT BUILDING THROUGH ADDITIONAL SEATING AND IMPROVED
BUILDING ENTRANCE. >> CHAIRMAN: THANK YOU. NO ACTION IS ASKED FOR HERE.
>> SPEAKER: NO. THIS IS JUST AN UPDATE TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW. I'VE GOTTEN SEVERAL PHONE CALLS SO I FIGURED INSTEAD OF JUST TELLING SOME BOARD MEMBERS AND NOT OTHERS I WOULD.
>> BOARD MEMBER: I'VE GOTTEN SEVERAL PHONE CALLS ABOUT THE PIANO AT THE CONCERT HALL. THAT IT IS SUCH A POOR PIANO THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO PLAY ON IT THAT COME THERE. SO, I DON'T KNOW WHO WE TALK TO ABOUT IMPROVING THAT PIANO BUT I'VE GOTTEN TWO OR THREE CALLS ABOUT
IT ALREADY. THAT MUST BE A PRETTY BAD PIANO. >> SPEAKER: I'LL LOOK INTO IT.
I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE PIANO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON. SO, ST. JOHNS COUNTY WAS FOUNDED IN JULY 21, 1821. WHICH MEANS NOT THIS JULY BUT NEXT JULY WILL BE THE BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF OUR COUNTY. THIS WAS AN ITEM THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AT THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING THIS PAST ONE LAST WEEK. AND THE DISCUSSION KIND OF TURNED TO DO THE TDC HAVE IDEAS ABOUT WHAT WE MIGHT DO TO CELEBRATE. SO, THIS IS PART OF THE EMAIL YOU WERE
[01:35:01]
SENT JUST GIVING YOU A HEAD'S UP ON THIS. YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE ANY IDEAS TODAY.YOU ARE WELCOME TO EMAIL ME ANYTHING THAT COMES TO MIND IN THE FUTURE.
>> BOARD MEMBER: WHAT IS THE DATE? >> SPEAKER: JULY 21, 1821.
>> BOARD MEMBER: IT'S RIGHT THERE. >> SPEAKER: YES IT IS. I GOT
ALL THE INFORMATION COVERED. >> BOARD MEMBER: WHEN IS JULY? [LAUGHTER]
>> SPEAKER: SHORTLY AFTER JUNE [LAUGHTER] SO A LOT OF STATES, SO WE ARE ONE OF THE TWO OLDEST COUNTIES. WHEN FLORIDA WAS FOUNDEDED THERE WAS TWO COUNTIES. ST. JOHNS AND ESCAMBIA. SO, WE'RE ONE OF TWO WHO CELEBRATES OUR FIRST. WE'RE THE FIRST OF THE FLORIDA COUNTIES TO TURN 200. THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE TURNED 200 AS FAR AS COUNTIES GO BEFORE US. BUT THERE'S A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN FIND ONLINE IF YOU LOOK UP BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION. ALABAMA TURNED 200 IN 2019 AND THEY HAD A WHOLE LIST OF THINGS THEY DID. AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT AT A FUTURE MEETING IF YOU WANT. LIKE I SAID, IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT JUST RECENTLY CAME UP. SO, IF ANYBODY HAS A BURNING IDEA I'D
LIKE TO HEAR IT. >> BOARD MEMBER: 200 MAJOR EVENTS OF 2121.
>> BOARD MEMBER: MR. GOLDMAN HAS TO COME BACK TO US WITH OUR MARKETING PLAN FOR THIS
[LAUGHTER] >> SPEAKER: OKAY. >> BOARD MEMBER: I'M VERY PLEASED TO HEAR THIS IS ON THE AGENDA AND YOU ARE BEING ASKED BECAUSE I KNOW THAT --
>> BOARD MEMBER: EXCUSE ME. I'M SORRY. A SUGGESTION. GAINESVILLE, ALACHUA COUNTY JUST HAD ITS 150TH AND MAYBE TO TALK WITH THEM ABOUT THEIR TIMELINE AND SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS COULD SAVE YOU TIME. PIGGYBACK ON THEIR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS. RUSSELL AT LING.
>> SPEAKER: OKAY. >> CHAIRMAN: YES, NANCY? >> BOARD MEMBER: SORRY, WHIP
WASN'T RECOGNIZED BEFORE. I APOLOGIZE. >> CHAIRMAN: THAT'S OKAY.
>> BOARD MEMBER: YES THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE SUBJECT UP. I'M EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT IT. I KNOW THAT OUR MAYOR IS WORKING ON IT. AND THAT WE PLAN EVENTS AND WE CERTAINLY WOULD LOVE TO JOIN WITH ST. JOHNS COUNTY IN COMMEMORATING THIS. I'M SURE YOU WILL BE HEARING MORE FROM US
IN THE FUTURE. >> SPEAKER: VERY GOOD. >> CHAIRMAN:
>> BOARD MEMBER: IRV I WOULD GO BACK TO THE POST MORTEM OF THE 450TH AND SEE WHAT DIDN'T WORK
FIRST [LAUGHTER] >> CHAIRMAN: YES. THAT'S FAIR.
OK OKAY. BUT THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEMING OF 2021.
IT'S SOMETHING TO KNOCK AROUND AND TALK ABOUT. WE'RE GOING TO DO A GO FUND ME PAGE
[LAUGHTER] >> SPEAKER: JUST LOOKING AT WHAT SOME OTHER ENTITIES DID WHO HAVE CELEBRATED BIG MILESTONES. A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL DO A TEMPORARY LOGO THEY USE FOR THAT YEAR. SO THAT'S KIND OF THAT THEMING. THERE ARE CERTAINLY DIFFERENT SIGNATURE EVENTS. A LOT OF ENTITIES HAVE KIND OF COMPILED EXISTING ARTIFACTS THEY HAVE AND PUT OUT A DISPLAY SOMEWHERE USUALLY IN THE LOCAL LIBRARIES. THERE'S THINGS THAT RANGE FROM, YOU KNOW, THEY DO SOME PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS WITH STUDENTS, LOCAL STUDENTS, SOME OUTDOOR SCULPTURES. IT JUST RUNS THE GAMUT. SO WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A PLAN. LIKE I SAID, IT'S SOMETHING THAT JUST RECENTLY CAME UP AND SO I THOUGHT I WOULD THROW IT OUT HERE IN CASE ANYBODY WAS -- BUT I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH ALACHUA PCOUNTY AND CERTAINLY GO BACK AD I WAS NOT HERE FOR THE 450TH BUT I'M SURE WE HAVE NOTES WE CAN LOOK AT. I KNOW IT'S HERE I JUST WASN'T HERE.
>> BOARD MEMBER: FLAGLER COLLEGE, THEY REGULARLY APPLY FOR GRANTS FROM THE ACH. WE SHOULD TALK TO THEM TOO ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, THAT ACADEMIC PART OF IT I THINK WOULD BE THE HISTORY OF IT, THEY'RE VERY GOOD AT THAT. AND THEY HAVE QUITE A FACULTY OF HISTORIANS.
>> SPEAKER: THEY'RE DEFINITELY ONE OF OUR RESORTS WE'LL WORK WITH.
>> CHAIRMAN: ONE OF THE OVERRIDING THINGS AND WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT BUT ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT SAYING WE'RE 200 YEARS OLD AND HOW WONDERFUL IT IS, IT GOES COMPLETELY AGAINST WHAT WE JUST TOLD THE WHOLE WORLD. THAT WE'RE 500 YEARS OLD IN 450. SO IT COMES A CROSS A LITTLE CONFUSING IN THE MARKETPLACE. SO WE HAVE TO BE A LITTLE CAREFUL [LAUGHTER] SO ID SHOULD BE LIKE A SPA TYPE OF THING? A FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH SPA? [LAUGHTER] OKAY. I THINK WE WILL CONSIDER
IT. WE'RE MOVING ON. >> SPEAKER: SEND ME SOME IDEAS. THE LAST THING IS THE NEXT
[01:40:07]
QUARTER NOT THE LAST THING, THE NEXT THING IS THE NEXT QUARTERLY REPORT. THE SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT FOR THE VISIT PROFILE STUDY WHICH IS BEING COMPLETED. THIS QUARTER IS FOR THE JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER TIME PERIOD FOR 2019. AND YOU DO HAVE THE COMPLETE REPORT IN YOUR BINDERS.IT IS 70-PLUS PAGES SO I DID NOT INCLUDE THAT. I DID GO AND PULL OUT THE SAME PAGES THAT I PULLED OUT LAST TIME JUST TO KIND OF GIVE US A REFERENCE OF WHAT WE SAW THIS MONTH OR THIS QUARTER COMPARED TO LAST QUARTER. I CAN SAY HERE FOR OUR ORIGIN OF VISITORS THIS DOESN'T LOOK SHOCKINGLY DIFFERENT. WE'RE STILL SEEING A GOOD NUMBER OF OUR VISITORS ARE FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THE POINT OF NOTE ON THIS PAGE IS THE U.K. SHOWED UP. PREVIOUSLY WE WERE SEEING A NOTABLE LEVEL OF VISITATION FROM CANADA AT FOUR PERCENT. BUT DURING THIS QUARTER WE SAW THAT THE VISITATION FROM THE U.K. WAS UP ENOUGH THAT THEY WERE WORTH A MENTION. THE 57 PERCENT OF VISITORS CAME FROM FOUR STATES. WHAT WE SAW IN THIS QUARTER WHICH WAS THE END OF SUMMER AND GOING INTO FALL WAS THAT THE NUMBER OF STATES THAT ARE ORIGINATING DESTINATIONS SHRANK.
SO, PREVIOUSLY IT WAS SEVEN OR EIGHT. SO WE PULL FROM FEWER STATES AS WE GET LATER INTO THE YEAR. THEN AGAIN LOOKING AT THIS. THE ACTUAL ORIGINATING U.S. MARKETS. FOR THIS QUARTER OUR ORIGINATING MARKETS ARE ALL FLORIDA MARKETS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ATLANTA. THEN WE'VE GOT THE BREAKDOWN OF OUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF VISITORS. WE HAVE DAY TRIP VISITORS. HERE THEY SKEWED YOUNGER IN THIS QUARTER. A GOOD BIT MORE TRAVELED WITH CHILDREN WHICH ISN'T VERY SURPRISING AS WE WERE PICKING UP THE SUMMERTIME MONTHS WHEN SCHOOL WAS OUT. SO THE SAME THING HERE FOR OUR VACATION VISITOR WHICH IS DEFINED AS ONE TO FIVE NIGHTS. THEY SKEWED YOUNGER DURING THIS QUARTER AND MORE WERE TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN. ON OUR LONG TERM VISITORS, INDIVIDUALS WHO STAYED SIX NIGHTS OR MORE, WE SAW SIGNIFICANT JUMP IN THOSE WHO TRAVELED WITH CHILDREN. UP TO 45%. THEN TOP ACTIVITIES DURING THE VISIT. THESE ALL LOOK RELATIVELY THE SAME WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OUTDOOR RECREATION WAS UP DURING THESE MONTHS.
VISITOR ACCOMMODATIONS. WE STILL HAVE 35% OF OUR FOLKS STAYING IN HOTELS, MOTELS OR RESORTS. AND ABOUT 23% ARE REPORTED AS DAY TRIPPERS. THESE PERCENTAGES WERE RELATIVELY IN LINE WITH THE PREVIOUS QUARTER. AND SEVEN TO TEN VISITORS REPORT THEY STAYED IN ST. AUGUSTINE.
THAT IS THE SAME AS WE SAW IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS REPORT AS WELL. I PROBABLY SAID IT LAST TIME AND I AM GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN. ON THIS ONE I ALWAYS GIVE THE CAUTION THAT ST. AUGUSTINE IS OUR BIG NAME RECOGNITION. SO, IF YOU ARE STAYING IN ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH YOU PROBABLY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THAT DIVIDING LINE OF GEOGRAPHICAL REFERENCE WHEN TAKING OUR SURVEYS. TOP THINGS TO SEE AND DO. THIS AGAIN LOOKS PRETTY SIMILAR. ALTHOUGH GREAT FOOD REPLACED GREAT WEATHER WHICH WE SHOULDN'T BE OVERLY SURPRISED WITH AS JULY AND AUGUST ARE REALLY HOT AND SEPTEMBER IS USUALLY RAINY AND HAS STORMS. SO, TURNS OUT FOOD BUMPED WEATHER IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE STUDY. THEN IF YOU WERE TALKING TO A FRIEND, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE OUR AREA. AGAIN THESE LOOK VERY SIMILAR. WE'RE DESCRIBED AS BEING HISTORICAL, HAVING GREAT BEACHES, BEING A GREAT PLACE TO VACATION AND OVERALL A BEAUTIFUL SCENIC PLACE. THERE YOU GO. LIKE I SAID, FULL FINDINGS ARE HERE IN OUR BINDERS AND FOR EVERYBODY SITTING BEHIND ME WHO DOES NOT HAVE A BINDER THE FULL FINDINGS ARE IN THE ONLINE
PACKET FOR THIS MEETING. >> BOARD MEMBER: I READ CAREFULLY THE OBJECTIONS TO THE
COMMUNITY AND I NOTED THAT THE CHIEF OBJECTION WAS PARKING. >> SPEAKER: YES. THERE'S ALWAYS PARKING, BATHROOM AND TRANSIT INDIVIDUALS ARE -- TRANSIENT INDIVIDUALS ARE THREE THINGS THAT COME UP PRETTY REGULARLY. OKAY. NEXT ITEM IS OUR MONTHLY REPORTS. WE HAVE ALL THE
[Item 12]
MONTHLY REPORTS INCLUDED IN THE BACK OF YOUR BINDER FOR OUR REFERENCE. AND RICHARD IS GOING[01:45:01]
TO COME UP AND SHARE SOME INFORMATION WITH YOU. >> BOARD MEMBER: GOOD PICTURE OF
YOU IN DAYTONA. SOCIAL MEDIA IS EVERYWHERE. >> BOARD MEMBER: IT IS. SO, YOU
HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. I'LL TUCK IN MY SHIRT BETTER NEXT TIME. >> SPEAKER: THANKS VERY MUCH.
MOST OF YOU RECALL THAT WHEN WE LAST LEFT EACH OTHER'S PRESENCE WE WERE BUSY APOLOGIZING FOR THE IMPACTS OF DORIAN ON THE REPORTS THAT CAME OUT IN OCTOBER. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THERE'S BEEN WHAT APPEARS TO BE A FULL RECOVERY FROM OUR LODGING PROPERTIES, FROM OUR ATTRACTIONS, PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY'S TURNED THE CORNER. SO REAL PLEASED ABOUT THAT. YOU SEE THERE THE NOVEMBER LODGING DATA IS UP IN MANY CASES DOUBLE-DIGITS. DECEMBER WE DID GET AFTER SUBMITTING THESE REPORTS WE DID GET THE DECEMBER TRAVEL AND IT REMAINS POSITIVE SO WE'RE PLEASED ABOUT THAT FOR SMITH TRAVEL. THE AIRBNB FIGURES ARE OFF LARGELY DRIVEN BY THE ASTRONOMICAL GROWTH FOR VACATION PLANNING OR VACATION UNITS. UP 53% IN DECEMBER. SO, IN THE HOTEL WORLD WE USED TO SAY THEY'RE EATING THEIR YOUNG. THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. THE GROWTH OF VACATION UNITS IS INCREASING SO MUCH SO THAT THEY'RE FEEDING ON THE POTENTIAL OCCUPANCY. WE'LL ENDEAVOR TO CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, RAISE DEMAND AND KEEP THOSE UNITS FULL OR MORE FULL BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THEY'RE NO LONGER SUPPRESSING THE GROWTH OF OUR TRADITIONAL MEDIA -- OUR TRADITIONAL LODGING. SO THAT'S VERY POSITIVE TO SEE. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DECEMBER PERFORMANCE FOR OUR VISITOR INFORMATION CENTERS, IT'S ALL BEEN VERY POSITIVE GROWTH YEAR OVER YEAR. SO THAT WAS SOMETHING -- A GOOD INDICATOR FOR FOOT TRAFFIC AND THAT TYPICALLY IS POSITIVE. THE SALES TEAM, BECAUSE IT WAS DECEMBER REPORTS, UNDERPERFORMED RELATIVE TO OUR GOAL. BUT THEY DID RETAIN ABOUT A TWO PERCENT POSITIVE GROWTH IN TERMS OF LEAD ROOM NIGHTS YEAR OVER YEAR. SO, WE'RE PLEASED THAT THEY'RE HEADED THE WAY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DOES HAPPEN OVER THE HOLIDAYS IS THEIR ABILITY TO REPORT IS SUPPRESS ADD LITTLE BIT BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAYS AND BECAUSE THEY HAVE BUSY SHOW SCHEDULES. SO THEY TYPICALLY WILL CATCH UP IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY. SO WE EXPECT TO SEE THAT AS WELL. ON A PUBLICITY SIDE, WE DID HAVE FEWER LEADS GENERATED BY OUR TEAM. SO, YOU SEE THAT 14% TO GOAL REDUCTION.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE IMPRESSIONS OR THE IMPRESSION VALUE OF THOSE STORIES IS ACTUALLY UP BY 42% YEAR-TO-DATE. SO, AT THE END OF THE DAY IT'S NOT THE NUMBER OF STORIES AS MUCH AS THE SIZE OF THE AUDIENCES FOR THE STORIES THAT DO GET PUBLISHED. SO WE WERE PLEASED WITH THAT. CONTINUED VERY STRONG GROWTH IN SOCIAL MEDIA. SO, THE TEAM IS DOING A GREAT JOB THERE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ENDEAVOR TO ASK EVERYBODY IS TO GET A LOOK AT OUR NEW WEBSITE. THE TEAM IS DOING A GREAT JOB OF GETTING MORE USER GENERATED IMAGERY UP THERE. THE FOLKS WHO COME AND VISIT OUR DESTINATION ARE POSTING MORE IMAGES OF THE DESTINATION. AND WE'RE GETTING THOSE CURATED AND OUT ON TO OUR WEBSITE. THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT HAD PROVIDED A GREAT DEAL OF CREDIBILITY FOR OUR WEBSITE. SPA WE'RE PLEASEDS THAT HAPPENING. THANKS TO OUR INTERNS FROM THE GREAT FLAGLER COLLEGE AND THEIR EFFORTS UNDER OUR TEAM'S SUPERVISION. WE LAUNCHED THE NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN IN NOVEMBER AND WE'RE PLEASED TO SAY THAT WE THINK IT'S GOT GOOD TRACTION. IT ATE PEELS TO A GOOD NUMBER OF FOLKS.
AND IT TAKES THE MESSAGING UP MARKET FROM WHERE IT'S BEEN IN THE PAST. WE'RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE ANYBODY BEHIND BUT THE EFFORTS HAVE BEEN TO RAISE THE RELATIVE AFFLUENCE OF OUR
[01:50:03]
VISITORS SO THAT IN THE LONG TERM WE CAN BE A MORE SUSTAINED DESTINATION. NOT MORE, JUST BETTER AND BETTER SPENDING. WHEN IT COMES TO PROMOTIONS AND SOME OF YOU IN PONTE VEDRA AREA, NORTH COUNTY AREA, WILL HAVE SEEN AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF ATTENTION HAS BEEN PAID TO THAT AREA. WE HOSTED A LUXURY PROMOTION ON FACEBOOK. IT GOT A LOT OF TRACTION. AND THAT WAS EARLIER IN THIS MONTH. WE ARE ALSO PUBLISHING A NUMBER OF OTHER STORIES SUPPORTING PONTE VEDRA. SO, JANUARY'S KIND OF BEEN PONTE VEDRA LUXURY MONTH THAT WE LAUNCHED. WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON PROGRAMS, FISHING PROGRAMS WITH THE FLORIDA WILD LIFE AND FISH -- FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION BOTH ON SALTWATER AND FRESH WATER FISHING. SO, WE'VE GOT PROGRAMS GOING THERE. AND WE'VE GOT SOME NEW TELEVISION SHOWS THAT WILL BE AIRING.LET'S TAKE IT OUTSIDE, A FISHING SHOW, WILL AIR ON FOX SPORTS IN FEBRUARY. SO, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT. SO, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON. I'VE ONLY TOUCHED ON A FEW OF THEM BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ADDRESS THEM.
>> CHAIRMAN: ANY QUESTIONS FOR RICHARD? AS ALWAYS, GOOD JOB. THANKS.
>> SPEAKER: I LOOK FORWARD TO MARCH WHEN WE CAN SHOW YOU SOME GREAT PICTURES AND SOME OF THAT
NEW ADVERTISING. >> CHAIRMAN: I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY THE MARKET WAS
GOING TO HIT 100% IN MARCH. >> SPEAKER: YEAH [LAUGHTER]
>> CHAIRMAN: THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO? >> SPEAKER: OUR MEETING IS GOING TO FOLLOW THE PLAYER'S CHAMPIONSHIP WHICH I KNOW IS ANOTHER HOME RUN.
>> CHAIRMAN: PERFECT. IS TIGER GOING TO WIN? I NEED GET MY BETS IN.
>> SPEAKER: WE'LL SEE. >> CHAIRMAN: OKAY. CHRISTINA? >> SPEAKER: GOOD AFTERNOON. I MET MANY OF YOU AT YOUR LAST MEETING BEFORE I ACTUALLY STARTED WORKING AT THE CULTURAL COUNCIL SO I WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY HELLO TO THOSE OF YOU I DIDN'T MEET. I'M CHRISTINA PERRY-STONE THE BRAND-NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. I STARTED IN DECEMBER. I'VE ONLY BEEN LEADING THE ORGANIZATION FOR A COUPLE WEEKS NOW. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR ATTENTION TO THE GRANT GUIDELINES. YOU SAW A LOT OF STRIKE THROUGHS. I DID MAKE A LOT OF CHANGES TO THE LANGUAGE. TARA WAS A WONDERFUL HELP AS WAS DENA IN GIVING ME GUIDANCE ON HOW FAR I SHOULD GO.
AS SHE SAID I DO HAVE BIG DREAMS FOR THE PROGRAM BUT SHE WISELY SUGGESTED THAT WE TAKE BABY STEPS NOW AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT OVER THE NEXT YEAR WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS TO TALK ABOUT IDEAS I HAVE FOR IMPROVING THE GRANT PROGRAM OVERALL. YOU ALL NOTICED A NUMBER OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT. THE DEFINITION, HOW WE DEFINE PEAK IS SOMETHING THAT TARA AND I TALKED AT LENGTH ABOUT. AND I THINK THAT NEEDS MORE WORK. MR. WALDREN JUST LIKE YOU I STRUGGLED WITH WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO BUY ANOTHER TICKET TO A THIRD PARTY VENUE. AND I THINK MY LAST COMMENT WAS, WE NEED TO CLARIFY THIS FURTHER SO WE'LL WORK ON THAT. I FEEL STRONGLY AS MS. MATARAZA DOES THAT SOME OF OUR SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS DO NEED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE ESPECIALLY WITH DATA COLLECTION. SOME OF OUR BIGGER ORGANIZATIONS NEED HELP WITH DATA COLLECTION.
SO, WE'LL BE WORK ON ALL NEED THINGS. YOU HAVE A BRIEF REPORT FROM US. I WAS NOT GUIDING OUR MARKETING EFFORTS IN THE FINAL QUARTER SO I DID PROVIDE YOU WITH A SUMMARY OF THE EFFORTS OF OUR AGENCIES THAT IN YOUR PACKET. WE WILL BE MAKING SOME CHANGES. I'VE ASKED THEM TO START CLINTING ADDITIONAL DATA ON OUR RESULTS. BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO CAREFULLY ANALYZE WHAT WE'RE SPENDING MONEY ON AND IF WE'RE ACTUALLY ACHIEVING WHAT WE HOPED TO WITH THE ADVERTISING WE'RE DOING NOW. SO, YOU WILL SE MORE OF THAT IN FUTURE PACKETS. BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I'LL KEEP THINGS BRIEF TODAY. I PROMISE
I'LL BE MORE VERBOSE AT FUTURE MEETINGS. >> BOARD MEMBER: I NOTICED IN I THINK IT WAS MAYBE SUNDAY'S "NEW YORK TIMES" OR MAYBE IT WAS THE WEEK BEFORE A LONG ARTICLE ABOUT THE COLLECTION OF DATA. WHICH I THINK WE FREQUENTLY TALK ABOUT HERE, YOU KNOW, OUR PROGRAM IS WORKING, ARE THE GRANTS ACTUALLY ACHIEVING A MATRIX THAT WE CAN COUNT ON. I DON'T KNOW, TARA, DID YOU SEE THAT ARTICLE? YOU DID? I WONDER IF WE COULD RECOVER THAT AND SEND IT OUT TO ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS. BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE'S NOW A TECHNOLOGY THAT WE CAN REALLY TRACK EVERYTHING IN TERMS OF DO PEOPLE ATTEND EVENTS, DO PEOPLE -- WHICH HOTELS GO TO, WHERE DO THEY COME FROM. ALL THAT DATA IS NOW CURRENTLY
[01:55:10]
ELECTRIC TRONCALLY AVAILABLE. I WONDER IF WE CAN RECOVER THAT ARTICLE AND CIRCULATE IT TO US AND READ IT. IT IS A LONG THING. AND MAYBE WE COULD LOOK INTO THAT AS MORE PROOF OF WHERE OUR MONEY'S GOING AND WHERE OUR VISITORS ARE COMING FROM AND WHERE THEY'RE STAYING. THOSE SECRETS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAD TO ASK THE HOTELS YOU KNOW WHO CAME, HOW MUCH, THAT'S OVER.THAT'S JUST GONE YESTERDAY. AND SO I WONDER IF YOU COULD GET THAT TO US AND WE'LL DISCUSS IT AGAIN. DIANE HAS ASKED MANY TIMES CAN WE HAVE A WORKSHOP TO STUDY THIS KIND OF STUFF. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, BUT WE'LL EXPLORE IT AND MAYBE WE CAN GET A WORKSHOP GOING WITH YOU AND WITH MR. GOLDMAN AND TARA AND WE CAN START LOOKING AT THIS STUFF. THIS IS THE FUTURE.
>> SPEAKER: IT IS. THERE'S SO MUCH DATA AVAILABLE. I THINK THE MOST CHALLENGING THING IS DECIDING WHICH DATA TO FOCUS ON. REGARDING WORKSHOPS AND THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE RECEIVING GRANTS THROUGH TDC FUNDS, WE DO PLAN TO HOST SOME PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS FOR THOSE ARTIST AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS LOCALLY WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE NONPROFIT CENTER OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA TO GIVE THEM MORE SKILLS ON HOW TO COLLECT DATA, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEIR VISITORS ARE COMING FROM AT THEIR EVENTS, WHERE THEY'RE STAYING. YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY ACHIEVING THE RESULTS THEY TELL US THEY'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE WHEN THEY WRITE THOSE GRANT
APPLICATIONS. >> BOARD MEMBER: GOOD POINT. >> CHAIRMAN: ANY OTHER COMMENTS,
QUESTIONS? CHRISTINA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> SPEAKER: THANK YOU.
>> CHAIRMAN: THAT LOOKS LIKE EVERYTHING WE HAVE. MEMBERS COMMENTS?
[Items 13 & 15]
>> BOARD MEMBER: AT YOUR DESK ALL OF US HAVE TWO DOCUMENTS THAT I LEFT FOR YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S PROPER TO DO THAT. BUT ONE IS THE BROCHURE OR THE CATALOG OF THE ART WORK THAT ALL OF YOU SEE OUT IN THE LOBBY. KURT MARSH'S PHOTOGRAPHS. I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE A CAREFUL LOOK AT THEM WHEN YOU GO TODAY. KURT MARSHENS WE HUNG THIS DISPLAY AS ANOTHER NATIONAL AWARD IS ON THE COVER OF PHOTOSHOP MAGAZINE. SO, WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE HIS ART AND IT IS CONTROVERSIAL BUT NOT SO CONTROVERSIAL THAT THEY WOULDN'T LET IT BE ON FOR WHICH WE THANK THE STAFF. AND I DO THINK THIS IS A MOMENT TO THANK THE STAFF. TOM -- HELP ME HERE, TARA. TOM STALLINGS, YES, AND AMANDA SULLIVAN AND MIKE RYAN ALL MAKE THIS POSSIBLE FOR THESE GREAT ART TREASURES TO BE SEEN IN OUR ROT ROTUNDA. SO, PLEASE BE AWARE OF THAT AND LOOK AT IT AND WE THINK IT IS A WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HAPPENING. IT WAS ART IN PUBLIC PLACES THAT IS REALLY REACHING OUT. THIS BUILDING IS AN EXPENSIVE BUILDING AS WE ALL KNOW. AND IT IS ANOTHER USE HERE OF THIS WONDERFUL SPACE. SO WE THANK THE STAFF FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE. IT IS A LOT OF WORK FOR THEM AND WE'RE, AGAIN, LUCKY TO HAVE KURT'S WORK UP NOW. SECOND DOCUMENT YOU HAVE IS THE PROGRAM FROM ST. AUGUSTINE TONIGHT WHICH IS JORGE RIVERA. IT'S DONE AT THE CORIZON CINEMA. I SEE MANY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT HAVE ATTENDED.
IT'S FREE. IT IS A WONDERFUL THING. TALKING ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND THE GREAT ARTISTS WE HAVE AND WHAT IS SO EXCITING TO ME AND I THINK BEARS THIS MESSAGE TO YOU IS THIS IS GOING OUT WORLDWIDE. IT IS NOW STREAMED ACROSS THE GLOBAL. AND WE HEAR BACK FROM PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD OF I NEVER REALIZED YOU HAD THIS IN ST. AUGUSTINE. SO IT'S A ONE-OF-A-KIND UNIQUE PROGRAM. PLEASE COME TO IT. ANYBODY THAT NEEDS A BROCHURE ON IT IT'S AT
THE CORIZON THEATER. THANK YOU. >> CHAIRMAN: GREAT. NANCY? >> BOARD MEMBER: I HAVE TWO ITEMS. ONE IS I WILL BE MOVING TO SEATTLE IN MARCH WITH OUR POLICE CHIEF AND OUR CITY MANAGER TO THE RESPONSIBLE HOSPITALITY INSTITUTE ANNUAL SUMMIT WHERE WE'LL BE MEETING WITH NIGHT LIFE MANAGERS ACROSS THE WORLD. IT IS AN INITIATIVE THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON WITH
[02:00:01]
STAFF. AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT CREATING A BEST VERSION OF OUR SELF IN THE EVENINGS. SO, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ME SPEAK ON THIS. I'VE SPOKEN TO MANY GROUPS BUT WE CONSIDER OURSELVES TO HAVE THREE ECONOMIES IN THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE. WE HAVE A DAYTIME ECONOMY. WE HAVE AN EVENING ECONOMY. AND WE HAVE A LATE NIGHT ECONOMY. AND WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR LATE NIGHT ECONOMY IS SAFE AND ITS -- IT ALSO FLOURISHES. I WANTED TO UPDATE YOU THAT THERE. ALSO I BROUGHT WITH ME A REPORT FROM OUR MOBILITY DEPARTMENT ON THE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS SHUTTLE PARK N RIDE SHUTTLE. AND WE HAVE SOME NUMBERS FOR YOU. AND THIS IS FOR THE PERIOD 11 DAYS BETWEEN SATURDAY THE 21RD AND DECEMBER -- SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD AND SUNDAY -- I'M SORRY. IT'S MORE THAN 11 DAYS. IT'S DURING THE WEEKENDS STARTING STARTING SATURDAY NOVEMBER 23RD AND SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29TH. AND THOSE ARE WEEKEND DAYS THAT WE'RE TRACKING SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS. WE HAD ADDED THREE DAYS OF SHUTTLES AND SAW INCREASED RIDERSHIP ON ALL OF THE DAYS EXCEPT FOR ONE RAINY DAY. AND WE WENT FROM -- WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 14,961 PASSENGERS. WE HAD A TOTAL OF 4,987 VEHICLES FOR A PERCENTAGE INCREASE OVER THE YEAR 2018 OF 64%. SO, WE'RE VERY PLEASED THAT IT'S WORKING, THAT PEOPLE ARE USING IT. WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE AND THANK THE COUNTY FOR ALLOWING US TO USE THE PARKING FACILITIES HERE AS A STAGING GROUND FOR PEOPLE COMING IN FROM THE NORTH. SO, I JUSTWANTED TO UPDATE YOU ON THAT. THANK YOU. >> CHAIRMAN: THAT'S GREAT NEWS.
THAT'S NOT AN EASY SUBJECT AT ALL. EITHER ONE OF THEM. THANK YOU. JACK?
>> BOARD MEMBER: I JUST HAVE ONE THING. I JUST WANT TO THROW IT OUT THERE AS DANNY STEPS INTO YOUR SHOE IS WANT TO PUT THE SPORTS COMMISSION IDEA BACK ON THE TABLE AND GET THAT CONVERSATION FLOATED AGAIN. AS I'VE BEEN SAYING OVER THE YEARS, THERE ARE 28 SPORTS COMMISSIONS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND WE'RE NOT ON THE LIST. THERE ARE 48 AMATEUR SPORTS THAT ARE RECOGNIZED BY THE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, AND THERE CONTINUE TO BE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MISSED IN THIS COUNTY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPORTS COMMISSION, EVEN A DISCUSSION OF IT. SO, DANNY,
PUT IT ON THE LIST. >> BOARD MEMBER: I GOT IT. >> BOARD MEMBER: I SUPPORT THAT
100%. >> BOARD MEMBER: ME TOO. >> BOARD MEMBER: THE ONLY QUESTION I HAD FOR TINA THE MINUTES THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING AT A BOARD LEVEL. IS THERE ANY WAY TO HAVE THE MINUTES PREPARED AND TO THIS BOARD FOR APPROVAL BY EMAIL OR AHEAD OF TIME? WE'RE GETTING COMPLAINTS OUR MINUTES FOR OUR ACCESSORY BOARDS ARE NOT GETTING
OUT QUICKLY. WE DON'T -- TODAY WE VOTED ON OCTOBER'S MINUTES. >> COMMISSIONER WAILED REMEMBER LET ME -- WALDREN LET ME GET WITH MICHAEL RYAN HIS GROUP WORKING ON GETTING THOSE PUBLISHED. LET ME CONSULT AND SEE HOW THEY'RE DOING THAT PROGRAM AND I'LL REPORT BACK AT
THE NEXT MEETING. >> BOARD MEMBER: OKAY. >> CHAIRMAN: DANNY IS AVAILABLE
ANY TIME TO SIGN THE MINUTES NOW [LAUGHTER] >> BOARD MEMBER: I KNOW THEY
HAVE TO BE APPROVED BUT IT COULD BE A DRAFT. >> CORRECT. I THINK DRAFT MINUTES ARE POSTED LET ME WORK WITH THEM AND I'LL REPORT BACK TO YOU.
>> BOARD MEMBER: JUST AN UPDATE IN MARCH ALSO I'LL BE ATTENDING A SEMINAR ON BRIEFS AND THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT FOR AREAS. ARTIFICIAL WREATHS. MAYBE WE COULD DO MORE.
>> CHAIRMAN: BACK, LET'S SEE JACK AND I REMEMBER THIS. WE HAD LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO ABOUT DOING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE WREATHS IF WE COULD REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE
ECONOMIC IMPACT WAS. >> BOARD MEMBER: I'LL TRY TO BRING BACK A REPORT OF ON THAT.
>> CHAIRMAN: WE WERE HIGHLY SUPPORTIVE OF IT. I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE CHAIRMAN FOR THE LAST FOUR OUT OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS. IT'S BEEN A LOT OF FUN BUT I'M THRILLED TO HAND IT OVER. I THINK WE'VE DONE AN AWESOME JOB OVER THE YEARS.
WHERE THE COUNTY IS TODAY VERSUS TEN YEARS AGO OR 15 YEARS AGO WHEN WE ALL STARTED WORKING CLOSELY ON THIS COMMITTEE, IT'S AMAZING WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON NOW AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING
[02:05:04]
ABOUT. AND THE GROWTH IS JUST TREMENDOUS. SO, THANK YOU, EVERYONE. AND, DANNY, IT'S ALL YOURS. MEETING