[Call to Order] [00:00:07] >>> I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING OF THE KOUR TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL TO ORDER, SEPTEMBER 4, 2024. MY NAME'S MIKE CELLA, AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PRESENTATIONS AND ITEMS OF BUSINESS TO CORRESPOND WITH OUR AGENDA, WHICH TOTALS, I BELIEVE, 14 ITEMS. IF WE COULD, WE'LL GET STARTED BY EACH OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL INTRODUCING THEMSELVES. WE'LL START DOWN THIS WAY. >> I'M NEIL PORTER WITH ACCOMMODATIONS. >> KIMBERLY EVANS, HOSPITALITY. >> DAVID DIAZ, CITIZEN. >> AND BRIAN KNIGHT, CITIZEN. >> VERY GOOD. ALSO IN THE HOUSE WE'VE GOT KIMBERLY MORGAN, OUR DIRECTOR OF TOURISM AND FILM AND KIM, IF YOU WOULD INTRODUCE YOUR CREW. >> ABSOLUTELY. WE'VE GOT STEPHANIE LAMB, WHO IS OUR PROGRAM MANAGER, CHER MALTA, OUR MARKETING MANAGER, AND SAMANTHA, OUR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER. >> ALSO HAVE OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY, COURTNEY GRIMM HERE. AND KRISTINE IS TAKING COPIOUS [Public Comments] NOTES FOR THE CLERK'S OFFICE. WE THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND WE THANK EVERYBODY FOR JOINING US TO. NOW THAT WE'VE GOT THE MEETING CALLED TO ORDER, WE DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS TO START THE MEETING. ANYBODY THAT'S INTERESTED IN ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL CAN DO SO. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES IN YOUR PRESENTATION AND IT'S MORE OF A PRESENTATION ON YOUR PART IN TERMS OF YOUR COMMENT THAN A BACK AND FORTH, BUT IF WE CAN EASILY ANSWER THE QUESTION, WE WILL TRY TO DO THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. I DO HAVE TWO CARDS, IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS A CARD THAT THEY'D LIKE TO TURN IN OR SPEAK TO THE COUNCIL, YOU'RE FREE TO DO SO. AND WE'LL JUST HAVE YOU COME DOWN AND TALK FIRST AND FILL OUT YOUR CARD AND HAND THAT IN AFTERWARDS. IN THE ORDER OF THE WAY WE'RE SITTING, I'LL GO WITH BARBARA, FIRST TO COMMENT. BARBARA, HOW ARE YOU TODAY? >> GOOD, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. I'M HERE IN A GENERAL WAY. A YEAR AGO, APPROXIMATELY, CLAY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PASSED A NEW LAW. THE LAW OUTLAWED ALL SMOKING, VAPING, ABSORBING, SWALLOWING NICOTINE IN OUR COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION AREAS. THIS -- THE COUNTY PASSED A SECOND-DEGREE MISDEMEANOR, IF YOU'VE NOT HEARD OF THIS, WHICH IS PUNISHABLE BY A $500 FINE, 60 DAYS IN JAIL. VERY SERIOUS. LATER, THE TOWN OF ORANGE PARK TOOK THIS UP AND THEY ALSO PASSED ONE BUT THEY ADDED SOME CRITERIA THAT A POLICE OFFICER COULD GIVE A PERSON A CITATION WITH SOME FINES. I HAVE NOT HEARD THAT CLAY COUNTY BOARD HAS MODIFIED THEIRS. THIS IS VERY EXTREME, AND I THINK ANYONE AND EVERYONE IN HERE, THEIR LOVED ONES OR THEMSELVES, IF THEY TRIED TO QUIT SMOKING AND FAILED, IT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY NEED. AND TO ME, AS YOU'RE ADVERTISING, I THINK IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE PERSON READING YOUR ADVERTISING -- NOW, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE WITHIN YOUR ADVERTISING FOR ALL OF YOUR TOURIST THINGS, WE ARE A NONSMOKING PARK, WE ARE A NONSMOKING THIS, BUT FOR HOPING FOR SOMEONE FROM OUT OF STATE TO SAY, THIS IS REALLY COOL, LOOK AT THOSE GIRL SCOUT CABINS. WE CAN VISIT OUR OLD FRIENDS HERE. THEY COME IN WITH A NICOTINE HABIT. I'M SORRY, I THINK Y'ALL WOULD BE ASHAMED IF THEY GOT IN TROUBLE FOR IT. BECAUSE IF THEY COULD HAVE STOPPED IT, THEY WOULD HAVE. WHEN THEY SEE ABSORBING, THAT WOULD BE A NICOTINE PATCH. IT EVEN INCLUDES NICORETTE GUM. THIS IS WAY TOO EXTREME. IT WAS THEIR RIGHT, THE STATE OF FLORIDA PASSED THIS A COUPLE YEARS AGO THAT YOU COULD DO THIS FOR YOUR PARKS AND YOUR BEACHES, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT PROHIBITION -- I'M HOPING THEY REPEAL IT. PERHAPS THIS COUNCIL WOULD GIVE THEM ENOUGH TO REPEAL THAT LAW. DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HAVE BEEN ARRESTED SO FAR, BUT FOR YOU TO -- I DON'T THINK MANY PEOPLE IN CLAY COUNTY ITSELF EVEN KNOW THAT, MUCH LESS IF YOU'RE ADVERTISING TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO COME HERE TO DO THINGS. THEY SHOULD KNOW IT. SO I'M HOPING WITH YOUR CONSCIENCE, YOU CAN THINK ABOUT THIS, PUT IT IN FINE PRINT, WARNING, NO SMOKING ALLOWED IN THIS PARK, NO SMOKING ALLOWED ON THE GUN RANGE, NO SMOKING ALLOWED GOING WALKING ON THE BARTRAM TRAIL. SIT THE PARKS AND RECREATION THAT ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SMOKE, PERIOD, NO EXCEPTIONS, EXCEPT FOR UNFILTERED CIGARS, WHICH IS [00:05:01] KIND OF UNEXPLAINABLE, BUT THEN AGAIN, WE HAVE A BIG CIGAR INDUSTRY HERE. SO I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE THIS TO MIND AND EITHER ADVERTISE, HEY, WHERE CAN YOU GO TO A NONSMOKING PARK, YOU CAN IN CLAY COUNTY, BUT DON'T BRING YOUR FRIENDS WHO MIGHT TRY TO SNEAK A CIGARETTE. I WILL BE DONE. HOPE YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS OR AT LEAST INCLUDE IT IN YOUR LITERATURE. >> THANK YOU, BARBARA. OUR NEXT COMMENT IS FROM DAVE REESE, DAVE, HOW ARE YOU TODAY? >> I'M WELL, I'M WELL. AND REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL FOR ALLOWING ME A BRIEF COUPLE MINUTES TO JUST REALLY THANK THIS COUNCIL AND THE COUNCILS THAT PRECEDED YOU OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. AND YOU KNOW, THE LEADERSHIP OF YOU, COMMISSIONER CELLA, THROUGHOUT THIS BUILDING PROCESS FROM KIMBERLY TO NOW THE TEAM. WE JUST GOT BACK FROM THE GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE ON TOURISM IN TAMPA, AND IT'S SO COOL TO SEE THIS TEAM AND THIS COUNTY, YOU KNOW, SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH THE OTHER COUNTIES COMPETING IN JUST INNOVATIVE. NOW THEY'VE GOT PEOPLE COMING TO THEM ASKING THEM ON HOW TO PAVE THE ROAD. AND JUST REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU SUPPORTING THEIR PASSION AND THE GROWTH, AND IT SHOWS. AND ALSO APPRECIATE YOU SUPPORTING, YOU KNOW, THE REGIONAL GOLF EFFORT. AND SO, I'VE GOT A TOKEN OF THAT APPRECIATION. IT'S KIMBERLY'S LOGO. IN APPRECIATION OF STEADFAST SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP IN THE PROMOTION OF CLAY COUNTY TOURISM AND NORTHEAST FLORIDA REGIONAL GOLF TOURISM. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> VERY NICE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DAVID. YEAH, WE CAN -- WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A PICTURE. >> THANK YOU, SIR. >> YAY. >> WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DAVID. WE APPRECIATE THAT. I REMEMBER GOING BACK TO THE END OF NOVEMBER OF 2016, I THINK IS WHEN I CHAIRED THE FIRST TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETING, AND IT WAS A LONELY MEETING. WASN'T A LOT OF US THERE. SO WE HAVE CERTAINLY GROWN IN NOT ONLY SIZE OF PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE EFFORT BUT THE EFFORT ITSELF HAS GENERATED, YOU KNOW, MANY DOLLARS IN TERMS OF TAXES AND JUST OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEND TO ATTRACT MORE TOURISTS TO THE COUNTY. AND I THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE OFFICIAL RESULTS IS TO HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED IN THE TOURISM BUSINESS IN CLAY COUNTY. IF IT WAS -- YOU KNOW, IF THEY WERE ALL UNDER THE SAME ROOF, IT WOULD BE ONE OF THE TOP FIVE EMPLOYERS IN THE COUNTY. AND THE MONEYS THAT WE SAVE FOR TAXPAYERS, ABOUT $300 A YEAR, BECAUSE THOSE ARE OFFSET BY EXPENDITURES MADE BY TOURISTS WHO ARE HERE DURING THEIR STAY. IT'S BEEN A PLEASANT RIDE, CERTAINLY ONE I'VE ENJOYED MAKING. AND WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM GOING TO MOVE IT FORWARD. AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET A NEW CHAIRMAN IN THAT IS GOING TO BE EQUALLY AS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT TOURISM AS I'VE BEEN. SO THANKS AGAIN, APPRECIATE IT. >> AND ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WE NEED TO GET IN AT THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT, SEEING NONE, WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT, BRING IT BACK [1.  Advance Travel & Tourism Marketing Update (L English)] TO THE BOARD. WE HAVE A QUORUM TODAY, AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THINGS WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON. SO WE'LL GET [00:10:07] STARTED WITH OUR PHOTOGRAPHER AND OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM ADVANCE TRAVEL AND TOURISM WHO'S GOING TO BE HELPING US OUT TODAY. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR PINCH-HITTING. >> SURE, NO PROBLEM. AND ACTUALLY, I AM PINCH-HITTING AGAIN, ADRIAN GLA1S NORMALLY HERE. AFTER THE LAST MEETING WENT TO THE HOSPITAL AND HAD HER BABY. . I AM PINCH-HITTING FOR HER RIGHT NOW. >> EXCELLENT. >> YEAH. HERE WE GO. SO WHAT WE'LL BE REVIEWING IS THE JUNE AND JULY REPORT, SO IN JULY WE STARTED LIKE BASICALLY OUR SECOND YEAR OF THE CAMPAIGN, BUT THIS WILL BE THE JUNE AND JULY. I'M REAL EXCITED TO GET TO RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE DOING SO GOOD, BUT LET'S RECAP THIS ONE. IN JUNE AND JULY FOR BOTH OF OUR CAMPAIGN, WE HAD 2.9 THE MILLION IMPRESSIONS DELIVERED. THAT WAS DRIVING MORE THAN 32,000 VISITORS TO EXPLORECLAY.COM. 405 DAYS OF THE ADS BEING SEEN BY YOUR TARGET MARKETS. SOCIAL CAMPAIGNS REACHED 181,000 POTENTIAL TRAVELERS ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM. THE SOCIAL CAMPAIGNS ACHIEVED MORE THAN 17,000 CLICKS, AND THE SOCIAL TARGET AUDIENCES ENGAGED WITH OVER -- THE ADS OVER 7,000 TIMES. SO ARE THE CAMPAIGNS THAT WE PUT TOGETHER FOR YOU GUYS ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT HALF OF THE WEBSITE TRAFFIC AT 60%, AND THEN THESE USERS DIRECTLY DROVE OVER 27,000 PAGE VIEWS WHEN THEY'RE ON THE WEBSITE. AND THEN THEY PERFORM 78,000 EVENT ACTIONS ON EXPLORECLAY.COM, AND THEN THE ENGAGEMENT RATE OF THESE USERS INCREASED 5%. THE AVERAGE ENGAGEMENT TIME INCREASED 25% FROM THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE TWO CAMPAIGNS. THE FIRST ONE IS THE GENERAL LEISURE CAMPAIGN. SO THIS IS THE ONE WHERE WE'RE GOING OUT TO OTHER MARKETS AND TELLING THEM ABOUT CLAY COUNTY. FIRST IS THE TARGETED DISPLAY RESULTS. SO IN THIS CAMPAIGN IN THE TWO MONTHS OF JUNE AND JULY WE DID 1 .5 MILLION IMPRESSIONS SERVED WITH 12,637 CLICKS, WHICH GAVE A CLICK THROUGH RATE OF 0.83. JUST TO GIVE YOU PERSPECTIVE, A BENCHMARK ON THAT IS ABOUT IN THE 0.5, 0.4, SO YOU CAN TELL IT'S WELL ABOVE THE BENCHMARK FOR THE INDUSTRY. TOTAL EXPOSURE TIME WAS -- PAID SOCIAL RESULTS. SO THE PAID SOCIAL -- THESE ARE THE ADS THAT ARE JUST -- THAT ARE DISPLAYED TO PEOPLE IN THE TARGET MARKET THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA. IMPRESSIONS, 257,000. THE REACH OF 127,819. SO CLICKS, 11,421. POST REACTIONS. SO THESE ARE THE COOL THINGS. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE RESPONDING TO THE ADS. TOTALLED 372. THEN WE HAD THOSE POSTS SHARED PLUS SOME OF THE POSTS SAVED OF 61. SPOTIFY. WE DID 156,000 IMPRESSIONS DELIVERED WITH A REACH OF 229,000. THE CLICKS ON THAT WERE 49. COMPLETIONS OF THE LISTENING TO THE AD ON SPOTIFY WAS 154,000 WITH A COMPLETION RATE OF 98%. YOUTUBE. YOUTUBE WE HAD 188,000 IMPRESSIONS DELIVERED FOR CLICKS OF 147, THE COMPLETED VIEWS WAS 109,000 WITH A COMPLETION RATE OF 58,000. OTT, OUR CTV, THESE VIDEOS WERE DELIVERED 312,000 IMPRESSIONS, COMPLETED VIEWS WAS 307 WITH A COMPLETION RATE OF 98%. AND THEN THE PAID SEARCH RESULT, THE IMPRESSIONS -- THIS IS LIKE THE -- WHEN YOU GO AND GOOGLE, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THAT, 13,918 IMPRESSIONS SERVED WITH CLICKS OF 2,047 BACK TO THE WEBSITE WITH A CLICK THROUGH RATE OF 14.71. THE NEW USERS IS 97%, ENGAGEMENT RATE WAS 64%. SOME OF THE TOP KEY WORDS WERE PARKS IN CLAY COUNTY, FLORIDA, THINGS TO DO IN CLAY COUNTY, FLORIDA, EVENTS IN CLAY COUNTY, FLORIDA, OR CLAY COUNTY, FLORIDA EVENTS. THE SECOND CAMPAIGN WAS THE LOCAL CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS CALLED HEY NEIGHBOR. DID I CLICK IT? YEAH. ONE MORE. I WENT DOWN INSTEAD OF UP. WE DID A GEOFENCING CAMPAIGN, AND SO THERE WAS 141,000 IMPRESSIONS DELIVERED WITH CLICKS OF 1,425 FOR A CLICK THROUGH RATE OF 1.01. NEW [00:15:09] USERS 100%. THIS DELIVERED 436 DEVICES WERE TRACKED BACK TO CLAY COUNTY, SO IN OTHER WORDS PEOPLE WERE DELIVERED THIS AD AND THEN THEY CAME AND THEIR DEVICES WERE TRACKED BACK IN THERE. PAID SOCIAL ADS. SO KIMBERLY AND CHER, THE TEAM HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB OF MANAGING THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND WE HAD 158,000 IMPRESSIONS DELIVER, A REACH OF 53,000. SO CLICKS WERE 6,000. POST ENGAGEMENTS, THIS IS REALLY THE COOL PART, 2,386. THEN WE HAD PEOPLE THAT SHARED IT, SAVED IT, AND THEN ALSO REACTED OF 356. THOSE ARE REALLY HAPPY PEOPLE. YOUTUBE RESULTS, WE HAD 102,000 IMPRESSIONS DELIVERED. 64 CLICKS WITH THE COMPLETION RATE OF 60,000, WHICH IS A 59% COMPLETION RATE. AND OTT, 60,79 2, COMPLETED VIEWS OF 59,000. COMPLETION RATE OF 98%. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CAMPAIGN TRAFFIC, THE TOP SOURCES COMING BACK TO THE WEBSITE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER ONE, IT'S THE ADVANCED -- THOSE ARE THE DISPLAY ADS THAT WE PLACE FOR YOU. NUMBER TWO IS GOOGLE ORGANIC. SO HAVING GOOGLE ORGANIC IS REALLY GOOD TO HAVE IT CLOSE TO THE TOP. THAT MEANS OUR CAMPAIGN IS WORKING BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SEARCH FOR YOUR ON THEIR OWN. AND THEN FACEBOOK PAID AND GOOGLE, THE CLICK PER COST IS GOOD. WE UPDATED AND TWEAKED THE WEBSITE, AND THAT LAUNCHED THE BEGINNING OF MAY. SO WE WERE ABLE TO SEE IN JUNE AND JULY SOME OF THOSE YEAR OVER YEAR WHERE THE WEBSITE PERFORMANCE HAS INCREASED. PAGE VIEWS HAVE INCREASED 14%. SO THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL 683 -- 6,836 PAGES VIEWED. PAGE SCROLLS INCREASED 29%. THIS IS AN ADDITIOAL 2,360 CONSUMING OVER 90% OF THE PAGE. SO PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THE WEBSITE, AND THEY'RE STAYING LONGER. AND THEY'RE ENGAGING ON MORE THINGS. THE AVERAGE ENGAGEMENT TIME PER SESSION INCREASED 28%, AND THE TOTAL ENGAGED SESSIONS INCREASED 19%. SO THANK YOU, GUYS, SO MUCH, AND JUST WAIT UNTIL NEXT MONTH. THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY. >> DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? RYAN? >> I MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS, WHAT WAS THE TARGET MARKET FOR ALL THESE ADS? . >> THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT TARGET MARKETS. THE FIRST CAMPAIGN, THE JOURNAL CAMPAIGN S THE ONE WE'RE GOING TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF CLAY COUNTY. THOSE MARKETS ARE GOING TO BE UP TO ATLANTA. WE'VE GOT SOME OVER TO JACKSONVILLE, TALLAHASSEE, SO WE'RE GOING TO REACH THOSE MARKETS SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE IN, RIGHT, OVER TO THE COAST. AND THEN THE HAY NEIGHBOR IS THE SECOND CAMPAIGN, AND THAT'S JUST KIND OF EDUCATING THE LOCAL AND KIND OF REACHING OUT TO EVERYBODY TO LET YOU KNOW, HEY, WE'RE PART OF A NEIGHBORHOOD HERE TO HELP BUILD THAT PRIDE IN CLAY COUNTY. >> AND ALSO, IF I CAN ADD TO THIS -- >> SURE. >> -- LAURA. WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE AGENCY. THEY HAVE PROVIDED US WITH META PERSONAS AS WELL AS PLACER A.I. DOES SOME EXPIRON MOSAIC PERSONAS AND WHAT THEY DO IS REALLY GET -- DRILL DOWN INTO THE CONSUMER BEHAVIOR, THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF A CERTAIN -- >> LIKE A TARGET GROUP. >> -- A CERTAIN TARGET AUDIENCE. >> SO IT'S NOT JUST, OH, LET'S TARGET TALLAHASSEE, WE'RE TARGETING SPECIFIC PERSONAS WITHIN THE MARKET. >> IT'S LIKE LOOKING AT PEOPLE AND SAYING WHICH PEOPLE ARE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE THOSE INTERESTS. PARTICULARLY LIKE MILITARY WITH THE TRAILS, THE OUTDOOR, AND ALL THOSE THINGS. WE'RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE THOSE INTERESTS IN THOSE AREAS AND DRIVE THEM DOWN HERE. YEAH. >> ANYBODY ELSE, QUESTIONS? >> I'LL MAKE A COMMENT. >> SURE. >> VERY GOOD. IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF EXPOSURE. PEOPLE ARE LEARNING ABOUT CLAY COUNTY. MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE TO KIMBERLY. HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING? IF WE DOUBLED THAT MONEY, COULD WE EXPOSE OURSELVES EVEN MORE? BUT GREAT JOB. >> THE GOOD NEWS IS KIMBERLY AND TEAM, WE'VE HAD A ONE-YEAR PLAN TO GET THIS STARTED. AND WE'VE JUST NOW STARTED ENGAGING INTO THE SECOND PART OF THIS, SECOND PHASE, AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF FUN THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING. SO I'M REAL EXCITED TO -- IT'LL BE OCTOBER, I GUESS, THE NEXT MEETING WHERE WE CAN SHOW THE RESULTS OF SOME OF THAT. SO YEP, GOOD STUFF. >> AND WE ARE WORKING ON SOME COOL STUFF FOR LATER. [2.  Airstream Ventures Sports Tourism Update (A. Verlander)] >> VERY GOOD, THANK YOU, LAURA. ALL RIGHT. IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTION, WE'LL MOVE ON TO NUMBER TWO, AIRSTREAM VENTURES SPORTS TOURISM. ALAN VERLANDER WILL JOIN US. [00:20:02] >> HELLO, ALAN VERLANDER WITH AIRSTREAM VENTURES. HERE WE GO. WRONG WAY. SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE. WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT JUST THE CONVENTIONS THAT WE GO TO REPRESENTING CLAY COUNTY. SO WE WENT TO THE FLORIDA SPORTS FOUNDATION MEETINGS. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE. WE'LL BE GOING NEXT MONTH -- IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE WHEN WE SAY NEXT MONTH THAT'S OCTOBER -- BUT NEXT MONTH I'LL BE GOING TO THE CONFERENCE IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA. LANE WILL GO TO THE CONFERENCE IN WICHITA, KANSAS. BOTH OF THOSE CONFERENCES IT'S REALLY LESS NUMBERS, NOT QUANTITY, MORE QUALITY IS A BETTER WAY TO PUT IT. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF BUSINESS OUT OF THESE. THE FLAG FOOTBALL EVENT THAT WE'RE HOSTING HERE NEXT MONTH, LANE BUILT THE RELATIONSHIP FROM THE SPORTS CONFERENCE, SO IT'S A REALLY GOOD CONFERENCE. THE CONFERENCE IN HUNTSVILLE IS THE OLYMPIC CEOS FROM THE OLYMPIC GOVERNING BODIES. WE GOT AN INVITATION THIS YEAR, SO I'LL GO THERE. WE'LL ESPLIT DUTIES. SO GETTING A LOT OF EXPOSURE TO THOSE PEOPLE AND TO THOSE EVENTS. SO WE WILL BE THERE REPRESENTING CLAY COUNTY NEXT MONTH. WRONG WAY. DOWN. OKAY, SO JUST AS WE ALWAYS DO KIND OF THE EVENT REPORT AND THE EVENT REPORT CARD. SO JUST THE TOP ONES ARE THE EVENTS THAT WE HAD. WE ALWAYS TRACK IT THROUGH OUR CONTRACT YEAR. SO YOU CAN SEE THE ONES THAT WE'VE HAD SO FAR. WE'VE GOT THE -- COMING UP THIS MONTH, WE'VE GOT THE HURRICANE JUNIOR GOLF TOUR AND THEN THIS WEEKEND WE HAVE THE CLAY COUNTY CROSS COUNTRY EVENT AT SEA MARK RANCH THIS YEAR. SO WE WERE AT -- WE WERE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS LAST YEAR, AND IT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD THING BECAUSE THIS EVENT IS GROWING VERY QUICKLY. AND SO SEAMARK RANCH CAN HOST THE PARKING. THEY THE HANDLE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. THEY HAVE THEIR MUD RUN OUT THERE ANNUALLY, SO IT'S MADE FOR THIS. OUR SIGN-UPS ARE TRACKING FURTHER THAN -- MORE THAN WE HAD LAST YEAR. COMMISSIONER CELLA, YOU WERE OUT THERE, YOU SAW IT. THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE AT THE RANCH. IT IS STAGGERED BETWEEN BOYS, GIRL, HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL, SO THE TRAFFIC PLANS WE HAVE FIGURED OUT. WE'VE WORKED WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THEY'VE BEEN WONDERFUL. FIRE AND RESCUE, EVERYBODY'S BEEN GREAT. SO IT SHOULD BE ANOTHER SUPER EVENT. WE HAVE TEAMS COMING IN FROM ALL OVER. SO IF ANYBODY NEEDS VOLUNTEER HOURS, WE'LL BE THERE BEGINNING AT 5:30 A.M. SO YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE COFFEE WAITING FOR YOU. BUT NO, IT'LL BE A GREAT EVENT. WE SHOULD BE DONE BY ABOUT NOON. AND THEY'LL BE RUNNING ALL THROUGH THE RANCH. WE'VE GOT A GREAT COURSE BUILT FOR THEM. PARKING SHOULD BE GOOD. WE HAVE A LOT OF VENDORS COMING. SO IT SHOULD BE A GREAT DAY. HOPEFULLY THE WEATHER WILL COOPERATE THIS WEEKEND. THEN NEXT MONTH IS A BUSY MONTH. WE HAVE THE RUGBY, WHICH Y'ALL HAVE HEARD FROM, AND THE PRESENTATION. AND THEN UFFL, WHICH IS FLAG FOOTBALL, IS GOING TO BE A GREAT EVENT AT THE NEW SPORTS COMPLEX SO THAT SHOULD BE A LOT OF FUN. NRSA IN DECEMBER, THE MINOR LEAGUE GOLF TOUR. YOU'RE HEARING THAT GRANT PROPOSAL TODAY. I TALKED TO SCOTT TURNER , HE'S REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BRINGING BACK THE -- HE HAS RELEASED IT TO HIS PLAYERS, AND THEY WERE EXCITED TO SEE THAT IT WAS COMING BACK TO THE COURSE. AND THEN WE'VE ALREADY -- UFFL HAS ALREADY SAID WE'RE COMING BACK IN OCTOBER. AND SO THE ONES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, U.S. ULTIMATE, WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH THEM. AMERICAN CORN HOLE LEAGUE, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. WE WOULD HAVE HAD THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IF THE FACILITY AT THE FAIRGROUNDS HAD BEEN READY IN TIME. SO INSTEAD WE'LL GO BACK TO A REGIONAL EVENT AND THEN HOPES IN '26 WE'LL LURE THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP HERE. WE ARE WORKING ON SOME LACROSSE EVENTS. AGAIN, WITH THE SPORTS COMPLEX BY NATURE, THEY'RE LARGE EVENTS. WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT SOME THINGS AT THE SPORTS COMPLEX BEFORE WE CAN DO THAT. SO ANYWAY, WE ARE -- WE STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEM ALL THE TIME. NEXT MONTH WE WILL BE FINDING OUT ABOUT THE NCAA GOLF REGIONAL THAT WE DID FOR DIVISION TWO AND DIVISION THREE. I HAVE A CALL AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, AND THEY'RE GOING TO KIND OF GIVE US AN UNDER THE CURTAIN WIZARD OF OZ KIND OF HERE'S WHAT' GOING ON. THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT. AND THEN WE'LL EITHER [00:25:03] GET A YAY OR NAY. SO THAT, AS YOU WOULD IMAGINE, THEY'RE VERY ROBOTIC AND THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT. WE'LL BE ON THAT CALL. WE ARE WAITING ON PRO WATER CROSS. WE TOOK A YEAR OFF FROM PRO WATER CROSS, BUT WE ARE TALKING TO THEM AGAIN ABOUT TRYING TO BOOK THE EVENT. WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF DATES IN KEYSTONE HEIGHTS AT LAKE GENEVA. WE'RE TRYING TO GET A.J. TO GIVE US HIS DATES AS SOON AS HE CAN. THEY ARE WORKING ON THEIR SCHEDULE FOR '25, AND PART OF THAT IS THE TV SCHEDULE THAT COMES WITH THAT. SO -- AND THEN, OBVIOUSLY, THE USA CYCLING BID CHAMPIONSHIP. IRONICALLY, THEY STILL HAVE NOT FOUND A SITE YET. AND SO THEY CALLED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND SAID, CAN WE TRY TO MAKE A RUN AT CLAY COUNTY AGAIN? SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT DIFFERENT ROUTES AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. OBVIOUSLY, THE MILITARY BASE WORKS OUT GREAT, BUT MAYBE THERE'S SOME OTHER SOLUTIONS. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE EVERYBODY WE ARE TALKING TO. AND THEN WHEN WE GO TO THESE -- I SKIPPED ONE, OZARK FISHING. WE ARE WORKING ON OZARK FISHING. THEY ARE A BIG FISHING ORGANIZATION. THEY WOULD LIKE TO COME TO NORTH FLORIDA. SO WE ARE TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PARTS WITHIN CLAY COUNTY THAT THEY WOULD FISH. THEY'RE BIG INTO CRAPPIE FISHING. SO THAT IS THEIR BIG THING. SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY BOATS THEY WOULD NEED, HOW MANY RAMPS WE COULD DO IT IN. BUT WE'LL GET THAT EVENT BOOKED, I'M HOPING, BY THE END OF THE YEAR. RIGHT? AND THEN USA ARCHERY, WE DID RECEIVE A GREAT RFP FOR THAT. LANE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. SPIKE BALL. SPRING BREAK LACROSSE, WE ARE STILL HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE LIST. I DON'T NEED TO READ THEM. YOU CAN SEE THOSE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF TRACTION AS COMMISSIONER CELLA WAS TALKING ABOUT, I LOOKED BACK FOUR YEARS AGO, AND I THINK JOEL WAS STANDING UP HERE AND WE HAD THREE OR FOUR EVENTS WE WERE HOPE EKING TO GET. NOW YOU SEE THE MYRIAD OF STUFF WE'RE IN. IT'S BEEN GREAT TEAM WORK OF EVERYBODY PULLING TOGETHER. I THINK THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE COUNTY SPECIAL, WHEN ANYBODY NEEDS SOMETHING -- LIKE WITH THIS CROSS COUNTRY EVENT THIS WEEKEND -- EVERYONE'S BEEN SO HELPFUL. IT'S GOING TO PROVE TO BE A GREAT EVENT. SO ANYWAY, THAT'S KIND OF THE LIST WHERE WE ARE. AND THEN AS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRANSPARENT WITH ALL OF THE STUFF, HERE'S OUR REPORT CARD THUS FAR. YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT SIX EVENTS. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAD TO CANCEL A COUPLE EVENTS. THESE ARE WHERE WE ARE ROOM NIGHTSWISE AND THEN TOURISM IMPACT. YOU'LL SEE THAT NUMBER, THE NEXT REPORT GO UP BASED UPON SOME EVENTS WE'LL HAVE HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH. SO THAT IS OUR REPORT. JUST TRYING TO KEEP IT MOVING. >> QUESTIONS FOR ALAN AT THIS TIME? WHAT IS THE U.S. ULTIMATE? >> ULTIMATE FRISBEE. >> OH, OKAY. I THINK WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPACE FOR THEM THIS TIME AROUND. >> WE DEFINITELY DO, SO IT -- THAT'S A GREAT THING ABOUT THIS. THERE'S A NUMBER -- AS WE TALKED ABOUT LAST MEETING, WE'VE CHANGED OUR PERSPECTIVES ON CERTAIN TYPES OF EVENTS TO BE ABLE TO BRING THERE. AND SO I THINK THIS IS A -- THAT'S A GOOD ONE ALONG WITH A LOT OF [3.  Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program Briefing (M. Covey)] THESE OVERS TOO. >> OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE? NO? VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT, ALAN. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. MOVING RIGHT ALONG, THIS IS NUMBER THREE, FLORIDA RECREATION DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BRIEFING FROM MEGAN COVEY. SHE IS OUR GRANTS DIRECTOR. AND MEGAN IS HERE TO FILL US IN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT FRDAP IS ALL ABOUT HERE. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. AS COMMISSIONER CELLA MENTIONED, I'M HERE TO BRIEF THE FRDAP APPLICATION. THIS IS ON THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S SEPTEMBER 10TH AGENDA FOR APPROVAL. PENDING THEIR APPROVAL, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE THE FULL APPLICATION ON THIS, AS WELL AS SCHEDULING A PUBLIC COMMENT MEETING AND PUTTING TOGETHER A SURVEY TO GAUGE LOCAL SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT. THERE'S NO SPECIFIC ASK OF THE TDC TODAY, BUT BRIEFING THE APPLICATION TO THE TDC DOES HELP US EARN POINTS IN THE STATE'S GRANT REVIEW PROCESS. SO WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR TIME. CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? THANK YOU. SO WE REFER TO THIS PROGRAM AS FRDAP. IT IS THROUGH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, BUT [00:30:01] IT'S A COMPETITIVE STATE-FUNDED GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR THE CREATION AND IMPROVEMENTS OF OUTDOOR PARKS. WE'RE ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT UP TO TWO APPLICATIONS PER CYCLE. SO THAT IS OUR INTENT. WE'VE IDENTIFIED TWO POTENTIAL PROJECTS, ONE FOR IMPROVEMENTS AT DOCTORS LAKE AND THE OTHER FOR IMPROVEMENTS AT MOODY PARK. SO THAT IS WHAT WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AFTERNOON. THANK YOU. JUST SOME DETAILS. APPLICATIONS ARE DUE SEPTEMBER 30TH TO FDEP. THERE IS A FUNDING RANKING PROCESS THAT TAKES PLACE AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND THEN ALL THOSE PROJECTS ARE SUBMITTED TO THE STATE FOR FUNDING CONSIDERATION. WE ARE APPLYING NOW FOR FY '26 FUNDING. SO PLANNING AHEAD IN THAT RESPECT. PROJECT TIMELINE, IF AWARDED, WE WOULD HAVE UP TO THREE YEARS TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT ELEMENTS. AND AGAIN, REQUESTING THE MAXIMUM $200,000 AMOUNT FOR EACH PROJECT. DOCTORS LAKE PARK DESIGN IS ALREADY IN PROGRESS. ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUT THE FRDAP PROGRAM IS WE CAN SUBMIT EXPENSES RETROACTIVELY FOR REIMBURSMENT. IN THIS CASE THE GRANT APPLICATION WOULD NOT DELAY THE PROJECT FROM MOVING FORWARD WITH FUNDS THAT ARE BUDGETED. AT A HIGH LEVEL, THESE ARE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED FOR DOCTORS LAKE PARK. IT INCLUDES ELEMENTS LIKE A FISHING PIER RENOVATION, KAYAK AND CANOE LAUNCH, REPLACING THE BULK HEAD, MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARKING LOT, MAKING THE PARK MORE ADA ACCESSIBLE WITH SIDEWALKS AND ADDING NEW AMENITIES LIKE PICNIC TABLE, GRILL, BENCHES, LANDSCAPING, ET CETERA. THE OVERALL -- OR THE OVERALL PROJECT'S BUDGET IS QUITE LARGE. IT'S ABOUT $1.2 MILLION RIGHT NOW, SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE GRANT APPLICATION WOULD JUST BE A PORTION OF, THAT BUT PRESENTING THE PROJECT AS A WHOLE, AGAIN, HELPS GIVE THE STATE AN IDEA OF THE OVERALL BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY. SOME MORE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PARK. AND THEN, YES, LOOKING AT THE PARKING LOT AND ADA IMPROVEMENTS THERE. MOODY AVENUE PARK IS THE SECOND LOCATION THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT AND IN THIS LOCATION THE SCOPE SPECIFICALLY INCLUDES REPLACING THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM AND REPLACING THE CURRENT MULTIUSE PLAYGROUND UNIT THAT'S THERE. SO THAT WOULD BE AN UPGRADE, AN AMENITY. AND THEN ALSO REPLACING THE RUBBER SURFACING SURROUNDING THE PLAYGROUND, WHICH HELPS MAKE THE PARK MORE ACCESSIBLE. THAT IS IT. I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS. AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S NO SPECIFIC ASK, BUT PENDING APPROVAL NEXT WEEK WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PUBLISHING AN AD NOTICE IN CLAY TODAY LETTING THE PUBLIC NOW HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PROGRAM, AND AGAIN, IF APPROVAL IS GRANTED, WE WOULD MAKE A COMMUNITY SURVEY AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE SO THE COMMUNITY CAN HAVE SOME INPUT IN THE PROCESS TOO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> AND MEGAN, IF YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE AWARDED ONE GRANT, DOES THAT TAKE YOU OUT OF THE RUNNING FOR THE SECOND GRANT? >> NO. WE COULD BE AWARDED BOTH NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AND IN LAST CYCLE WE WERE AWARDED FUNDING FOR THE MOCCASINS BOARDWALK AS WELL. WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE IN THE RECENT PAST. >> GREAT, VERY GOOD. ANY QUESTIONS FOR MEGAN ON THAT? >> HOW ARE THOSE PARKS CHOSEN, OUT OF CURIOSITY. >> THESE WERE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PARKS AND RECK DEPARTMENT. THERE IS FUNDING CURRENTLY, SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR STATE ASSISTANCE TO HELP MOVE THEM FORWARD TO COMPLETION. [4.  Tourism Team Update (K. Morgan)] >> VERY GOOD, ANYBODY ELSE? THANKS, MEGAN. >> THANK YOU. >> BEST OF LUCK. ALL RIGHT. SO WE MOVE AHEAD TO NUMBER FOUR. THIS IS FROM KIMBERLY, AND SHE'S GOT A TEAM UPDATE FOR US. ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE CREW. >> YES, SO WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED WITH JUST GIVING YOU ALL AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT. AND I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO THE TEAM. THEY'RE GOING TO -- YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THEM MOST OF THE TIME. GO AHEAD, SAMANTHA. >> HI, I'M SAMANTHA, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER ON THE TOURISM STAFF, AND MY BIG PROJECT HAS BEEN THE EXPLORE CLAY APP. WE'VE PRESENTED ON THIS BEFORE, BUT JUST TO RECAP, THE EXPLORE CLAY APP IS A MOBILE VERSION OF OUR WEBSITE. IT HAS EVERYTHING FROM EVENTS TO RESTAURANTS, PLACES TO STAY, AND THE SPECIAL FEATURE IS THE TOURIST SECTION. SO WE STARTED TO DEVELOPMENT PASSPORTS AND ITINERARIES THAT GUIDE VISITORS TO AN EVEN GREATER VACATION [00:35:03] WHEN THEY'RE VISITING CLAY COUNTY. SOME OF THE CURRENT TOURS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN ARE CAFFEINATED AND CLAY, OUR COFFEE HOUSE TRAIL. JUST RECENTLY WE LAUNCHED OUR GREEN COVE SPRINGS HISTORY TOUR, SO THAT HAS HISTORIC LOCATIONS AROUND GREEN COVE SPRINGS, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO DO THAT FOR MIDDLEBURG AND KEYSTONE HEIGHTS, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE MANY, MANY MORE TOURIST PLANS, SO JUST STAY TUNED. >> VERY GOOD. AND YEAH, WE CERTAINLY ARE POPPING UP COFFEE PLACES IN CLAY COUNTY. THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. >> MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY. >> WE ARE WELL CAFFEINATED. AND IT MAKES FOR SOME GREAT MEETING PLACES TOO. LET'S FACE IT, GIVES YOU PLACES AWAY FROM THE OFFICE. >> GOOD EVENING. SO HAPPY 904 DAY. AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TELL YOU IN A COUPLE MINUTES. BUT FIRST WE'LL DO OUR ANALYTICS FOR FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM. SO HERE, OUR REACH FOR BOTH INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK. YOU CAN SEE IT'S DOWN. THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT. OUR -- WE SCALED BACK ON OUR BUDGET IN JUNE AND MAY WHEN OUR WEBSITE WAS UPDATED, SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE OUR -- WE HAD OUR WEBSITE UP TO DATE AND PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD. SO WE SCALED BACK, BUT THE GOOD NEWS WITH THAT IS OUR ORGANIC REACH FOR BOTH FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM IS UP. SO THAT MEANS OUR CONTENT BEING PUT ON FACEBOOK, ON INSTAGRAM IS RESONATING WELL WITH OUR AUDIENCE. SO GOOD NEWS THERE. OH, OKAY. PERFECT. OKAY. OUR INDUSTRY NEWSLETTER. I'M EXCITED TO TELL YOU GUYS THAT THIS INDUSTRY NEWSLETTER JUST LAUNCHED IN AUGUST. WE SENT OUR FIRST NEWSLETTER LAST MONTH, AND OUR AUDIENCE FOR THIS NEWSLETTER IS ALL OF OUR TOURISM-RELATED INDUSTRY BUSINESSES IN CLAY COUNTY. THE PURPOSE OF THE NEWSLETTER IS TO STAY UP TO DATE AND TO REMIND OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES ABOUT THE SPECIAL TOOLS THAT WE HAVE IN THEIR TOOLBOX THAT CAN PUSH THEIR MARKETING INITIATIVES. SO THAT'S A SCREENSHOT OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE. AND WE HAVE -- THERE WE GO -- OUR CONSUMER NEWSLETTER. SO OUR INDUSTRY NEWSLETTER IS REALLY GOING TO BE IMPORTANT PUSHING THIS NEWSLETTER BECAUSE LOCAL CLAY COUNTY BUSINESSES, WE'RE COLLECTING THOSE STORIES TO TELL TO PUSH OUT TO OUR CONSUMERS AND OUR LOCALS. THIS HAS NOT BEEN PUSHED OUT YET. WE WANT A FEW MORE UPDATES TO OUR WEBSITE BEFORE WE BEGIN PUSHING THIS OUT, BUT IT IS COMING SOON. THIS AUDIENCE FOR OUR CONSUMER NEWSLETTER IS GOING TO BE VISITORS INTERESTED IN CLAY COUNTY AND OUR LOCALS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 10,000 -- OR NEARLY 10,000 SUBSCRIBERS TO THE TOURISM-RELATED TOPICS. THESE SUBSCRIBERS CAME FROM PAST MARKETING INITIATIVES THROUGH VISIT FLORIDA AND UNDISCOVERED FLORIDA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS NEWSLETTER IS GOING TO BE GIVING THE VISITORS AND LOCALS UPDATES ON EVENTS, BLOG ITINERARIES IN CLAY COUNTY, AND CURRENT TOOLS THAT VISITORS CAN USE WHEN THEY'RE IN OUR AREA. AND OUR MARKETING CAMPAIGNS, LIKE I SAID, TODAY IS 904 DAY. THIS HAS BEEN INITIATIVE SINCE 2021, AND IT'S ACTUALLY OUR FIRST TIME PARTICIPATING IN 904 DAY. THE PURPOSE OF 904 DAY IS TO ENCOURAGE VISITORS TO SHOP, DINE, AND EXPLORE THE AREA CODE 904. AND OF COURSE, CLAY COUNTY BEING A PART OF THE 904 AREA, WE ARE WANTING TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT. SO WE CURATED PROMOTIONS FROM OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES. AN EXAMPLE IS ONE OF OUR LOCAL CLAY COUNTY COFFEE SHOPS DID A $9.04 COOKIES. SO THAT WAS -- IT'S A REALLY FUN, COOL THING THAT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES COULD BE A PART OF. WE ACTUALLY CURATED PROMOTIONS AND LAUNCHED A LANDING PAGE DEDICATED TO THIS INITIATIVE THAT FEATURES LOCAL CLAY COUNTY ITINERARIES AND ALL OF THOSE PROMOTIONS FROM OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES. ANOTHER THING THAT WE DID WITH THAT IS PUSH OUT THESE PROMOTIONS AND THE LANDING PAGE THROUGH OUR NEWSLETTER, A PAID BOOSTED POST, AND SHARED REELS AND STORIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA. FROM OUR MILITARY PROMOTION CAMPAIGN, THIS IS UPCOMING, THIS IS GOING TO BE IN [00:40:05] PARTNERSHIP WITH FLORIDA'S FIRST COAST GULF AND VISIT FLORIDA. THIS CAMPAIGN IS GOING TO BE MARKETED TO ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY AND VETERANS, AGE 30 TO 65. THE CAMPAIGN WILL RUN FROM OCTOBER TO JANUARY '25 WITH 3 MILLION PAID IMPRESSIONS IN THE AREAS OF VIRGINIA, NEW YORK, COLORADO, CALIFORNIA, MIAMI, AND ATLANTA. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF CREATING A LANDING PAGE VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONE WE DID FOR 904 DAY AND CURATING PROMOTIONS FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT GIVE VETERANS DISCOUNTS AND ACTIVE DUTY PROMOTIONS FOR CLAY COUNTY BUSINESSES. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? >> THANKS. >> QUESTIONS? . >> YEAH, DO Y'ALL HAVE QUESTIONS REAL EQUICK ON THE MARKETING EFFORT? >> I HAVE A COUPLE. WHAT ARE THE FREQUENCY OF THE NEWSLETTERS, DID YOU SAY THAT? >> OH, SO BOTH, CURRENTLY THE INDUSTRY NEWSLETTER WILL BE MONTHLY. >> OKAY. >> AND THEN THE CONSUMER NEWSLETTER WILL BE MONTHLY AS WELL. >> AWESOME. >> YEAH. >> AND THEN THE TOURISTS -- I THINK THAT'S AWESOME YOU HAVE THEM. I'M LOOKING AT THEM, I WANT TO DO THEM. DO THEY GET ANYTHING AT THE END? AND DO THEY HAVE -- DO THEY GET A DISCOUNT LIKE CAFFEINATED? DO THEY GET -- LIKE SOME BREWERY TOURS THEY GET A, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE? AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS DO WE HAVE ANY WAY TO MEASURE WHO'S DOING THOSE TOURS, ARE WE GETTING THAT? OKAY, AWESOME. >> YES. SO CURRENTLY OUR CELEBRATE HISTORY IN CLAY TOUR IS GAMEFIED. SO ONCE YOU HIT 15 OUT OF 25 STOPS, YOU CAN CLAIM A PRIZE AND HEAD TO -- HIT THE HISTORICAL ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT AND CLAIM A SPECIAL PRIZE. >> OH, THAT IS COOL. AND WE ARE HAVING -- WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COFFEE SHOPS AND OTHER TRAIL -- IT'S REALLY -- YOU KNOW, WE THOUGHT, OKAY, MAYBE YOU KNOW, AFTER FIVE VISITS AT THE -- ON THE COFFEE TRAIL, YOU GET A FREE CUP OF COFFEE OR WHATEVER. THERE ARE SOME NUANCES THAT -- BECAUSE THEN IT'S ALWAYS THE FIFTH ONE ON THE LIST THAT'S GIVING AWAY THE FREE CUP OF COFFEE. SO WE'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE GAMEFY IT AND HOW WE DO THINGS. WE ARE BRAINSTORMING SOME THINGS WHERE WE EALMOST BRAND EACH TOUR SO THAT WE CAN DO STICKERS, WE CAN DO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS THAT COINCIDE WITH WHAT YOU EXPERIENCE WITH THE -- WITH THE TOUR EXPERIENCE. >> AWESOME. THAT'S A LOT OF WORK. AT LEAST YOU GOT IT UP. TOOK A LOT TO GET THERE. >> IT IS. AND WE DO GET A WEEKLY REPORT. WE CAN ADD THAT TO NEXT MEETING'S REPORT, THE APP ACTIVITY. >> OH, THAT'D BE COOL. THANK YOU. >> GOT A LITTLE JITTERY AFTER HAVING 15 CUPS OF COFFEE IN AN AFTERNOON. >> I KNOW, YEAH. >> JUST TO COLLECT A COUPON. >> THE NEXT SLIDE REALLY IS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY'S STRATEGIC PLAN. SO WE DO PLAY A ROLE IN THAT. WE HAVE OUR OWN TOURISM STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT THIS IS HOW WE PLUG INTO THE COUNTY'S EFFORT. THE ACTIVATED OR OCCURRED EVENT, THAT'S ACTUALLY FIVE. THERE WAS A -- I DIDN'T UPDATE THIS. THERE'S FIVE AND THEN BOOKED FOR THE FUTURE STILL REMAINS AT 6:00. SO WE'VE BOOKED SOME SINCE THE LAST MEETING. SO WE'RE ON -- I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WILL REACH OUR GOAL OF 20, BUT WE WILL -- WE WILL MAKE A -- I MEAN, WE'LL COME CLOSE. >> YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE. >> EXACTLY. >> THAT'S AN EFFORT THAT WE IDENTIFIED THAT COULD HELP US, BUT NOW WE FINALLY HAVE IT IN, YOU KNOW, IN PROGRESS. >> AND THAT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE REPEAT EVENTS THAT WE CONTINUE TO SERVE. SO THIS IS ALL NEW BUSINESS. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO -- I MEAN, WITH AIRSTREAM VENTURE'S HELP AND JUST HAVING INQUIRIES WITH -- I MEAN, WE HAD A FAMILY REUNION REACH OUT TO US. THEY WERE EXCITED ABOUT BEING HERE AND NEEDED SOME ASSISTANCE. THOSE -- AND A FAITH-BASED CONFERENCE. THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT ARE COMMUNITY GENERATED THAT WE GET TO STEP IN AND HELP SERVE. SO THOSE ARE ALWAYS GOOD WINS TOO. AND I CAME UP WITH IT, I HAVEN'T TOLD THE TEAM THIS YET, CAME UP WITH AN IDEA FOR WORKING WITH [00:45:03] OUR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS FOR REUNIONS. SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON A NEW IDEA FOR HELPING THEM NOT GO TO JACKSONVILLE BUT STAY HERE. >> THIS FOLLOWS UP ON KIM'S QUESTION BEFORE. DO ALL THESE FOLKS GET SOME KIND OF A BLOW BACK KIND OF COUPON OR SOME KIND OF INFORMATION ABOUT COMING BACK ON THEIR OWN? >> SO WITH THE GROUPS THAT WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO DOWNLOAD THE APP. AND WITH THAT WE CAN PUSH SOME INFORMATION OUT TO THEM. BECAUSE IT DOES LEAD THEM TO THE WEBSITE. IT LEADS THEM TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA. IT ENCOURAGES ALL OF THAT ENGAGEMENT. >> GREAT. >> BUT TAX COLLECTIONS. SO THIS IS THE UPDATED INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE FROM THE TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, I'M GOING TO SAY THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE'RE FLAT. YEAR OVER YEAR. IT'S BEEN HARD THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS FROM THE ACCOMMODATION STANDPOINT, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS IS THAT -- AND I DON'T KNOW -- I'M -- STATEWIDE MOST OF THE STATE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS FOR A YEAR. WE JUST STARTED TO EXPERIENCE THIS WITHIN, I WOULD SAY, THE LAST THREE TO FOUR MONTHS, STARTING TO SEE THE DECLINE. SO WHAT OUR RESEARCH FIRMS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO, AND INDUSTRY EXPERTS, SPECIFICALLY FROM LAST WEEK AT THE GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE ON TOURISM, THEY'RE ALL SAYING THIS IS THE NORMALIZATION. WE HAD SUCH A DEMAND FROM COVID THAT IT ACTUALLY INFLATED OUR RATE AND OUR OCCUPANCY SO MUCH THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT NORMAL WAS ANYMORE. AND SO NOW WE'RE STARTING WITH EVERYONE GETTING BACK TO A NORMAL WAY OF LIFE WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THOSE RATES AND THAT OCCUPANCY LEVEL ACTUALLY NORMALIZE. SO THIS IS -- WE'RE GETTING INTO THAT NEW NORMAL, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROJECT GROWTH FROM THERE. I WELCOME ANY PERSPECTIVE FROM THE HOTELIERS ON THE DAIS. >> I WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE -- A COUPLE WEEKS AGO -- THE STAR CONFERENCE IN NASHVILLE, WHICH IS THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF THIS FOR THE NATION. AND IT'S TRUE, IT'S EVERYBODY. IT'S ACROSS THE BOARD THE ONLY HOTELS THAT ARE STILL DOING WELL ARE THE HIGH END, FULL-SERVICE HOTELS ARE STILL SHOWING GROWTH. BESIDES THAT, WHAT WE HAVE IN THE COUNTY IS, YOU KNOW, SELECT SERVICE, LIMITED SERVICE. AND SO THAT'S WHAT IT SHOWS, I THINK THAT CLAY COUNTY HAS DONE WELL IN THIS MARKET. IT'S STARTIG TO FEEL IT, OF COURSE, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE. I THINK IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO FLATTEN, AND WE JUST HAVE TO HANG IN THERE WITH THE ECONOMY. BUT THAT IS TRUE. >> AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE -- THANK YOU, KIM -- WE DO GIVE YOU THE STAR DATA THAT GIVES A COMPARISON OF COUNTIES. NOW, OUR SAMPLE SET IS THE LOWEST. WE HAVE EIGHT PROPERTIES IN OUR SAMPLE SET FOR CLAY. ALL THE OTHER COUNTIES HAVE MORE PROPERTIES IN THEIR SAMPLES. BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT WE ARE DEFINITELY TAKING -- FEELING IT MONTH OVER MONTH. YEAR OVER YEAR IS A LITTLE BETTER, BUT NO ONE'S IMMUNE TO THE DECREASE IN BUSINESS. SO THE GOOD THING IS, AND KIM TO YOUR POINT, WE ARE AT AN ADVANTAGE BECAUSE WE ARE A BUDGET-FRIENDLY DESTINATION. AND SO WE WILL APPEAL TO A BROADER MARKET THAN THE LUXURY MARKET THAT IS STILL STRONG SIMPLY BECAUSE THEIR MARKET HAS DISPOSABLE INCOME. AND SO WE WILL -- WE'RE PITCHING IDEAS OF STAYCATIONS AND THAT'S WHERE THIS LOCAL CAMPAIGN COMES INTO PLAY AND REALLY, HOPEFULLY, WILL BENEFIT THE LOCAL MARKET JUST TO DRIVE BUSINESS. NOT ONLY DURING THE WEEK BUT WEEKENDS TOO. >> MAYBE OUR HOTELIERS CAN HELP US AGAIN WITH THIS QUESTION, BUT IS IT THOUGHT THAT AS WE FLATTEN OUT SALES THAT WE'RE [00:50:04] FLATTENING THAT OUT ABOVE AND BEYOND WHERE IT WAS PRE-COVID? BEFORE EVERYBODY HAD THIS MONEY THAT THEY WERE OUT SPENDING, AND SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE WERE AT Y AND WE WENT TO X, AND NOW WE'RE COMING BACK DOWN, ARE WE GOING TO GET TO Y, OR ARE WE GOING TO STOP SOMEWHERE BEFORE THAT? >> IT'S JUST LIKE PRE-COVID. IT'S LINING UP TO BE JUST EXACTLY PRE-COVID. >> SO WE HAD A SURGE -- >> MM-HMM. >> -- AND WE'RE GETTING BACK TO NORMALIZATION SORT OF -- I DON'T LIKE THAT WORD, BUT BACK TO PRE-COVID LEVELS. >> THE ONLY THING THAT'S CHANGED IS THE TRAVEL PATTERN. THEY'RE SAYING -- THE BUSINESS TRAVEL PATTERN. BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESS TRAVELERS THAT COME IN. IT'S MORE, IT'S A LOT. AND THEY'RE LIKE THURSDAY'S THE NEW WEDNESDAY, AND THAT THEY THINK HAS TO DO WITH -- THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT. A LOT OF PEOPLE WORK FROM HOME NOW. SO AFTER COVID THEY SAW THEY COULD LIVE LIKE THAT. TRAVEL IS DIFFERENT FOR BUSINESS. AND MEETINGS. SO YOU KNOW, IF Y'ALL HAVE BIGGER SPACE, IT'S ABOUT MEETINGS, A LOT OF MEETINGS, SMALLER MEETINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING IN HOTEL ROOMS AND STUFF. I MEAN, IN THE LITTLE MEETING SPACES THAT WE HAVE. SO YEAH, IT'S -- THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING. I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL KNOW ANYTHING. >> I WOULD AGREE WITH KIM. YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WE DID VERY WELL. HAD SOME GOOD ADR GROWTH. YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYBODY WAS HOPING THAT WOULD BE THE NEW NORM. BUT I THINK WE ARE STEPPING BACK A LITTLE BIT, AND THE RATES ARE COMING BACK DOWN. YOU KNOW, I'LL BE SETTING OCCUPANCY ALSO. THE PROBLEM IS EXPENSES ARE NOT COMING BACK DOWN. WAGES HAVE GONE UP, THEY'RE STILL GOING UP. WE'VE GOT INCREASED BILLS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. WE'LL HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO ADJUST WITHIN OUR OWN HOTELS, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK THE MARKET'S GOING TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND THEN WE'LL GET BACK TO THAT 3% TO 5% GROWTH A YEAR. BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO GET BACK TO WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR. >> AND JUST TO ADD ON TO THAT, I THINK WE'RE LUCKY JUST FOR OUR DESTINATION WITH THE MILITARY. CERTAINLY, THAT SUSTAINS US. WE SEE BUSINESS TRAVEL DECREASING. MILITARY'S GREAT, THOUGH, WE FIND THAT THERE COULD BE SOME CANCELLATIONS THAN THAT. BUT OUR DESTINATION WITH OUR MILITARY, IT'S HELPFUL. JUST THE RATE AT $107, REALLY WITH THE INCREASE IN EXPENSES, SOMETIMES IT'S VERY HARD TO MANAGE YOUR LABOR IN YOUR BUDGET, SO. >> EXPLAIN FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE IN THAT THE TOURISM BUSINESS OR THE HOTEL BUSINESS, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MILITARY, THEY'RE USING A PRENEGOTIATED RATE. THAT IS NOT NEAR THE RETAIL RATE. >> THAT'S CORRECT, THAT'S CORRECT. >> AND I THINK TOO, THIS JUST REFLECTS HOTELS. THIS DOES NOT REFLECT VACATION RENTALS. AND I DON'T KNOW IF NEIL WANTS TO SHARE WHAT HE'S SEEING ON THE VACATION RENTAL SIDE, BUT I THINK THEY'RE EXPERIENCNG SIMILAR JUST MARKET REFLECTIONS. >> I WOULD TELL YOU THAT WE'VE HAD TO LOWER OUR RATES IN ORDER TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, KEEP THEM OCCUPIED. >> AND PROVIDE THAT INCENTIVE TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL. ARE YOU SEEING A SHORTENING OF TIMEFRAMES AS WELL, OR IS IT ONCE THEY'RE HERE THEY'RE OKAY -- >> ONCE THEY'RE HERE, THEY'RE FINE. JUST GOT TO GO A LITTLE LOWER TO BRING THEM IN. >> JUST GOT TO GET THEM HERE TO START WITH, RIGHT? OKAY. >> I'VE GOT ONE LOOKING RIGHT NOW THAT'S 112 DAYS, SO. >> IT'S A NICE VACATION. I DON'T THINK I'LL EVER SEE IT IN MY LIFETIME, BUT IT'S A NICE VACATION. ALL RIGHT, KIM, WHAT ELSE YOU GOT FOR US? >> THAT CONCLUDES OUR DEPARTMENT REPORT, BUT WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A -- JUST A SNAPSHOT OF SOME THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT MORE. WE'VE GOT GRANTS. WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S COMING UP ON THE AGENDA. >> GREAT. ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON? VERY GOOD, THANKS [5.  Tourist Development Council Meeting Minutes July 17, 2024] FOR THAT REPORT. WE MOVE ON TO OUR APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE MEETING OF JULY 17TH. SOMEBODY'S COMFORTABLE MAKING A MOTION TO ACCEPT OR IF THERE'S CHANGES. >> A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS IS. >> THANK YOU, BRIAN. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? [6.  Event Marketing Grant Update (S. Lamb)] >> NEIL SECONDS, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? MOTION CARRIES 6-0. WE MOVE TO OUR BUDGET AND OUR BUDGET SECTION WITH NUMBER SIX BEING OUR EVENT MARKETING GRANT UPDATE. ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THE UPDATE ON THE GRANTS. >> YOU'RE IN LUCK. SO WE ARE [00:55:05] CLOSING OUT '23/'24 FISCAL YEAR. SINCE THIS WAS PRINTED, I RECEIVED THREE DIFFERENT REIMBURSEMENT DOCUMENTS, SO THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT SKEWED. BUT WE'RE LOOKING GOOD AS FAR AS HAVING SOME RESERVE MONEY TO PUT BACK. SO WITH THE THREE NEW REIMBURSEMENTS THAT ARE OUT, OUR TOTAL VARIANCE INSTEAD OF THE 61 TO 70, IT'S NOW -- I'M SORRY, $52,118. SO THE TOTAL '23/'24, IF EVERYTHING GOES AS PLANNED, WILL BE $232,40, SO THAT'LL GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF SPEND MONEY TO PUT BACK FOR NEXT YEAR, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE YOU SEE ALL THE STUFF WE HAVE COMING UP WHICH IS REALLY GOOD. AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT AT THE '24/'25 THERE ARE THE TWO GRANTS YOU'LL SEE TONIGHT. THE TOWN OF ORANGE PARK, THE SECOND ANNUAL FALL FESTIVAL, AND THE 2025 CLAY COUNTY OPEN. THEY'RE BOTH REQUESTING GRANTS FOR TONIGHT. BUT THAT WILL ALL GO TOWARD THE '24/'25 YEAR. ANY QUESTIONS? >> NO, I DON'T THINK SO. >> I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY -- IF I DID MY MATH CORRECTLY, IT'S NOT MY STRONG SUIT, BUT IF I DID THE MATH CORRECTLY, THAT LEAVES YOU WITH $67,598 AS YOUR BALANCE FROM THE $300,000 MINUS THE $232,402 THAT WERE GIVEN IN GRANTS. AND MY, I GUESS, REQUEST IS DO YOU ALL WANT THAT CARRIED FORWARD? I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THIS APPROPRIATELY. >> ARE WE STILL GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE -- I MEAN, GROUPS POPPING UP THIS YEAR ASKING FOR FUND SOMETHING. >> SO IT WON'T BE THIS YEAR. IT WILL GO TO NEXT YEAR'S LINE ITEM SO THAT THERE'S SOME CUSHION THERE IF AN OPPORTUNITY ARISES THAT THEY MAY -- LIKE IF WE BOOK USA -- AND WE BUDGETED $200,000 FOR NEXT YEAR. THIS JUST GIVES YOU THAT LITTLE CUSHION IF A HUGE OPPORTUNITY ARISES. >> AGAIN, TO KEEP IT THERE WAS INTENDED FOR THAT. IF WE CAN HOLD THAT IN ADVANCE AND BE ABLE TO UTILIZE IT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE, YOU KNOW, FLATTENING OF RATES, IT MEANS MAYBE REVENUES AREN'T AS STRONG AS LAST YEAR. WE CERTAINLY COULD STAND TO HAVE CUSHION WITH THAT, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT COMES UP. I KNOW WITH ARCHERY, IT COSTS MORE TO GET THOSE PEOPLE TO HOLD THE TARGETS. BUT ANYBODY ELSE THOUGHTS ON THAT? >> I AGREE. >> THAT MAKES SENSE. >> THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. >> CAN I MAKE A PLAY FOR AUSTRALIAN BREAK DANCING? >> OH GOD. SO CRAZY. >> WE'LL HAVE YOU DEMONSTRATE FOR US. ALL RIGHT. SO LET'S [7.  2025 Clay County Open TDC Grant Request (K. Morgan/S. Lamb)] MOVE AHEAD THEN. AS LONG AS NOBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ON THE MARKETING GRANTS AND THE REIMBURSEMENTS AND STUFF, WE CAN MOVE AHEAD, AND OUR FIRST ITEM WILL BE FOR THE 2025 CLAY COUNTY OPEN TAKING PLACE FEBRUARY 5TH THROUGH THE 7TH AT THE EAGLE HARBOR GOLF CLUB. AND WE'VE HAD THIS BEFORE, ALAN, DID YOU WANT TO JUST COME UP AND RECAP FOR US. OR LANE. >> YES, SO THE LAST YEAR WAS OUR FIRST YEAR HERE. IT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS. AND THEY DO EVENTS ALL OVER THE STATE. SO JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS KIND OF THE PECKING ORDER OF GOLF -- YOU'RE HERE -- OKAY, I WAS JUST MAKING SURE. SO OBVIOUSLY YOU GOT THE PGA TOUR, AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO THROW LIV OUT THERE, THE LIV TOUR. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TO CORN FAIRY TOUR, AND THEN YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER TOURS. MINOR LEAGUE GOLF TOUR BEING ONE OF THOSE. AND SO AT THE END OF THE YEAR, CERTAIN GOLFERS FROM THE MINOR LEAGUE GOLF TOUR GET STATUS ON THE CORN FAIRY AND THEN HOPEFULLY GO UP TO THE PGA TOUR. SO LAST YEAR THEY -- IT WAS A GREAT EVENT AT EAGLE HARBOR. EXCITED [01:00:02] ABOUT COMING BACK. LIKE ANYTHING ELSE TO ATTRACT GOLFERS AND THE RIGHT GOLFERS -- AND SCOTT IS VERY KEEN WITH TOURISM, SO HE WANTS TO ATTRACT GOLFERS FROM ALL AROUND THE STATE, NOT JUST AROUND THE AREA. BECAUSE AS YOU WOULD IMAGINE, IT'S A BIG GOLFING AREA, A LOT OF PROS LIVE HERE. SO ABOUT 70% OF THE GOLFERS LAST YEAR WERE FROM OUT OF STATE AND WERE STAYING SOMEWHERE. YOU HAVE TO THROW A BIGGER PRIZE TO GET THEM TO TRAVEL. AND SO THAT'S WHY HE'S ASKING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY THIS YEAR FOR THAT VERY REASON. AND IT'S MOSTLY ALL TOWARDS THE PURSE. IT GOES BACK A LITTLE TO REIMBURSE HIS EXPENSES, BUT IT'S MOSTLY FOR THE GOLFERS TO ATTRACT THEM HERE. >> AND LAST YEAR'S TOURNAMENT WENT INTO A SUDDEN DEATH. I MEAN, THEY PLAYED FOUR EXTRA HOLES. LIKE IT WAS CRAZY. >> PLAYOFF. AND WE DID HAVE TWO PGA TOUR GOLFERS THAT ACTUALLY PLAYED HERE AND THEN PLAYED TOUR EVENTS, PGA TOUR EVENTS. SO YOU GET SOME REALLY GOOD GOLFERS HERE. AND I THINK WE DID -- I WANT TO POINT OUT WE HAVE MOVED THE TOURNAMENT UP TWO WEEKS VERSUS LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF LAST YEAR'S TOURNAMENT. THERE WAS A PGA TOUR EVENT THAT WEEKEND AND THERE WAS A QUALIFYING. AND SO SOME OF THE REALLY GOOD GOLFERS -- NOT THAT THESE GUYS AREN'T GOOD -- THAT COULD QUALIFY OR HOPED TO QUALIFY FOR THE PGA TOUR, THEY WENT TO PLAY IN THAT TO QUALIFY INSTEAD OF COMING HERE. WE'RE NOW MOVING THAT UP. WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT ISSUE, WHICH IS ANOTHER REASON TO ASK FOR MORE MONEY, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO ATTRACT SOME MORE GOLFERS FROM ALL AROUND. THAT WAS THE REASON FOR MOVING IT UP A COUPLE WEEKS. >> ANY QUESTIONS FOR ALAN AT THIS POINT? >> THE ONLY QUESTION -- OH, I'M SORRY. >> GO AHEAD. >> THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE, THIS -- THE PROJECTED LOCAL ATTENDEES. IS THAT CORRECT? ONLY 20 PEOPLE THAT WE PROJECT? AND IF THAT NUMBER IS CORRECT, WHAT DO WE DO TO GET MORE LOCAL PEOPLE INVOLVED TO REALLY CREATE SOME EXCITEMENT. >> SO THAT IS LIKE GOLFERS. IN SOME WAYS WE EDON'T WANT THE LOCAL GOLFERS PLAYING IN THIS, WE WANT THE OUT-OF-TOWN GOLFERS STAYING IN THE HOTELS FOR FIVE DAYS. SO I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM ON THAT, ABSOLUTELY. WE WANT TO GET MORE PEOPLE OUT TO WATCH THE TOURNAMENT BUT WHAT THAT IS TALKING ABOUT IS THE PROJECTED PLAYERS -- WHEN SCOTT IS PUTTING THAT TOGETHER HE SEES ATTENDEES AS PARTICIPANTS INSTEAD OF ATTENDEES. >> I THINK DAVID YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE GOING OUT TO WATCH. >> YES. >> WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW PRO GOLF IS IN CLAY COUNTY. COME WATCH THE PGA -- THERE'S GOING TO BE PGA TOUR PROS IN THIS TOURNAMENT. WE DO WANT TO DO A GOOD JOB OF MARKETING THAT, YOU'RE RIGHT. >> WE ALSO HAVE SOME RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE PRIOR TO LAST YEAR'S TOURNAMENT AT THE GOLF CLUB AND IN FLEMING ISLAND IN GENERAL THAT WILL HELP US SPREAD THE WORD AND THEN WORD OF MOUTH IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS AT LEAST IN THAT -- IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT GOES. CHER HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, SO I THINK THAT'S GOING TO INFLUENCE THAT LOCAL AUDIENCE TOO. AND WITH OUR LOCAL CAMPAIGN, I DON'T EVEN -- I DON'T THINK IT EVEN STARTED YET LAST YEAR. I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO DEFINITELY INFLUENCE THAT LOCAL SPECTATOR. >> SO WE COORDINATE THE LOCAL CAMPAIGN TO COORDINATE MAYBE AROUND GOLF AS WE APPROACH THAT PARTICULAR EVENT. >> RIGHT. >> IN ADDITION TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA. >> IF THE ATTENDEES ARE ONLY THE PARTICIPANTS, AREN'T THEY UNDERESTIMATING HOTEL IMPACT? >> HE IS. HE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A NOVICE IN FILLING THIS OUT. SO THE PLAYERS COME IN FOR FOUR DAYS. SO YOU LOOK AT THAT. I MEAN, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE -- HAVE TO PUT MY -- >> YOU'RE GOING TO DRAW PEOPLE IN. >> WE HAD 132 ROOM NIGHTS LAST YEAR. AND THAT WAS THIRD BEHIND THE FAIR AND ONE OTHER EVENT, CHILI KICK-OFF. >> I'M SAYING IF THE PARTICIPANTS ARE HERE FIVE DAYS, THAT'S THE 132. >> RIGHT. >> THERE'S GOING TO BE PEOPLE COMING FROM OTHER AREAS TO SEE THIS. >> CORRECT. I THINK HE'S JUST -- HE DIDN'T WANT TO OVERSHOOT AND IT COME BACK NOT AS STRONG. SO I THINK HE WAS JUST TRYING TO MATCH KIND OF WHAT HE DID LAST YEAR. >> KIM, HOW DID WE COME UP WITH THAT NUMBER? THEY SUBMITTED THAT, BUT WERE WE TRACKING THAT THROUGH THEIR MEMBERSHIP? >> YES, SO AT THE END OF THE GRANTS, STEPHANIE WORKS VERY HARD AT GOING THROUGH THE [01:05:02] POST-EVENT REPORT THAT THE PLANNERS SUBMIT, AND ONE OF THE COMPONENTS OF THAT POST REPORT IS TO TURN IN ANY TRACKABLE ROOM NIGHTS, EITHER WITH VACATION RENTALS OR HOTEL VERIFICATIONS. >> AND WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR WAS WE HAD A MEMBER OF AIRSTREAM VENTURE STAFF, WHEN THEY COME AND REGISTER FOR THE EVENT, WE ASK THEM WHERE ARE YOU FROM, WHERE ARE YOU STAYING. AND THEY GAVE US, HERE'S WHERE I'M STAYING. SO WE MARKED ALL THAT AND CREATED A SPREADSHEET AROUND THAT AS WELL. BECAUSE THAT'S THE BEST TIME TO GET THEM. >> SO IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE, THOUGH, THAT THEY WERE TRAVELING WITH OTHER PEOPLE THAT MAY HAVE RENTED HOTEL ROOMS THAT WEREN'T PICKED UP IN THAT SOLICITATION OF INFORMATION. >> CORRECT. YEAH, THEY'RE COMING WITH -- I THINK SCOTT IS VERY HONED IN ON JUST THE GOLFER PART. I MEAN, THEY'RE COMING WITH COACHES. THEY'RE COMING WITH SWING COACHES. THEY'RE COMING WITH FAMILY, PARENTS, AND ALL THAT. AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO NATURALLY PROBABLY STAY WHERE THE PLAYER IS STAYING, BUT HE'S NOT TRACKING THAT ON THIS >> RIGHT. I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO TRACK UNLESS YOU REALLY GET INTO INTRUSIVE KIND OF QUESTIONING AS THEY'RE SIGNING UP FOR THE TOURNAMENT. >> IT IS. YOU CAN SEE A PLAYER FROM MIAMI AND HIS PARENTS ARE HERE FOLLOWING, WALKING 18 HOLES, THEY'RE STAYING SOMEWHERE FOR THREE DAYS. WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT IS. WE KNOW WHERE THE GOLFER IS STAYING. >> RIGHT. THIS IS A PROCEDURAL QUESTION, I GUESS, CAN THE GRANT MONEY BE USED FOR THE PURSE IN THIS CASE? >> YEAH. >> YEAH? >> IT CAN'T BE USED FOR A PURSE. IT CAN BE USED FOR ANY EXPENSES -- SO LIKE RENTING THE GOLF COURSE. IT CAN BE USED FOR ANY TROPHIES. IT CAN BE USED, YOU KNOW, LIKE COMMEMORATIVE THINGS, NOT CASH. >> SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WE'RE GIVING THEM MONEYS TOWARDS EXPENSES. THE FACT THAT WE'RE RELIEVING HIM OF SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING PAID OFF BY THE GRANT, THEN THAT GIVES HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT HE WANTS TO DO WITH THE PURSE. >> THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. THANKS, ALAN, BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. ANYBODY WANT TO LEAD OFF THE CONVERSATION? >> I'M SORRY I MISSED IT, DID WE SAY WHAT WE GAVE HIM LAST YEAR? >> $12,000? >> $12,000. >> SAID HE'S LOOKING FOR, WHAT? $2,000 MORE. >> AND THE STAFF-RECOMMENDED GRANT IS $5,600. >> I REMEMBER IT WAS LOW LAST YEAR AS WELL. >> YEAH, I WAS GOING TO ASK THAT. WAS THIS ONE OF THE ONES THAT THEY SCORED LOW LAST YEAR AND WE WERE KIND OF GIVEN THE ULTIMATUM IF WE DON'T DO IT THEY GO AWAY? >> I BELIEVE THIS WAS ONE OF THEM. THIS WAS ON THE OLDER GRANT SCORING SHEET, NOT THE NEW ONES THAT WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME. SO IF IT WERE TO GO ON THE NEW ONES, IT WOULD BE A LOT CLOSER TO THEIR ASK. >> THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW, YEAH. >> YEAH . >> I THINK IT'S CERTAINLY WORTHWHILE. I THINK WE DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT WE HAD IN TERMS OF THE KIND OF EVENT AND HOW TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE TO TURN OUT OR AT LEAST BE AWARE OF THE EVENTS TO TURN OUT. I THINK THE FLEMING ISLAND AREA IS RICH IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT PLAY GOLF AND LIKE TO WATCH GOLF. IT SORT OF REMINDS ME OF THE U.S. CYCLING WHERE WE DID THE CRITERION AND PEOPLE TURNED OUT ON AN EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. WE COULD HAVE DOUBLED OR TRIPLED THE AUDIENCE IF WE KNEW. BEING NEW AT IT, WE HADN'T FIGURED THAT OUT IN TERMS OF HOW TO ATTRACT PEOPLE, BUT CERTAINLY WITH 132 ROOM NIGHTS AND MAYBE MORE THIS YEAR BASED JUST ON THE GOLFERS THEMSELVES, NEVER MIND THE OTHER FOLKS ACCOMPANYING THE GOLFERS, I THINK IT'S WORTH THE SLIGHT INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR. >> I WOULD AGREE. BASED ON THE -- WHAT'S MENTIONED BY THE NEW SHEET EBEING CLOSER TO THE NUMBER, AND IT FEELS LIKE THEY'RE UNDERESTIMATING THE NUMBER OF ROOMS, I WOULD MOTION TO APPROVE THE ASK AS IS, THE $17,250, SORRY, $14,000. >> $14,000. >> RIGHT, RIGHT. >> GOING UP. >> DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE, I SORT OF LIKE BRIAN'S MATH. >> INFLATION. >> ANYBODY ELSE WITH EITHER A MOTION OR A DISCUSSION POINT? ? >> I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO GO [01:10:04] AHEAD AND APPROVE THE $14,000. >> ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION BY BRIAN, SECONDED BY NEIL, ANY OTHER FURTHER DISCUSSION? MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS THEIR THOUGHTS IN. ALL RIGHT, NO FURTHER DISCUSSION LOOKING LIKE IT'S COMING FORWARD. LET'S CALL THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. >> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES, 6-0. AND SO WE'LL BE OUT THERE ON THE TEASE AGAIN AT EAGLE HARBOR. >> CEREMONIAL FIRST SHOT, RIGHT? >> THIS YEAR LET'S WORK IT OUT SO THERE'S IF THERE'S EXTRA HOLES WE GET EXTRA GREENS FEES [8.  Town of Orange Park Fall Festival TDC Grant Request (K. Morgan/S. Lamb)] OR SOMETHING. ALL RIGHT, NUMBER EIGHT ON OUR AGENDA IS THE TOWN OF ORANGE PARK FALL FESTIVAL. WHAT IS THAT? UP TO, WHAT, 41 OR 42 YEARS NOW? >> YES, 42 I THINK. YEAH, THIS IS FOR OCTOBER. ONE OF THE -- THIS ACTUALLY CAME UP DURING -- AND STEPHANIE, I'LL LET YOU TELL THEM ABOUT THE SCORING -- BUT THE REASON THAT THIS IS ON THE AGENDA, WE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS FAIR FOR THEM TO ADJUST TO THE NEW GRANT REQUIREMENTS THAT WILL BE GOING TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL ON THE LAST MEETING OF SEPTEMBER IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. SO WE WILL BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE TOWN OF ORANGE PARK AND THE FAIR ASSOCIATION, WHICH ARE OUR TWO SIGNATURE EVENTS, ABOUT SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES INSTEAD OF GRANT OPPORTUNITIES. SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU KNEW THAT AND THAT'S KIND OF THE RATIONALE WHY YOU SEE THIS BEFORE YOU TODAY. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE GRANT APPLICATION. >> SO THIS FALL FESTIVAL WILL BE OCCURRING OCTOBER 19TH AND 20TH AT THE TOWN HALL AT THE ORANGE PARK TOWN HALL PARK. THE PROJECTED NUMBER OF ATTENDEES IS 45,000. SLIGHT INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS. LOCAL ATTENDEES, THEY'RE LOOKING AT ALMOST 30,000. AND THEN THE OUT-OF-TOWN ATTENDEES, ALMOST 16,000. SO PRETTY GOOD NUMBERS THERE. PROJECTED NUMBER OF ROOM NIGHTS IS 30. AND THEN THE DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT OF 1,811,250, THEY ARE REQUESTING $15,000. THEY WERE GRANTED LAST YEAR -- >> I THINK IT WAS $15,000 LAST YEAR AS WELL. >> YES, THEY RECEIVED $15,000 LAST YEAR. >> JEEZE, MY VOICE IS GOING AWAY. >> STAFF RECOMMENDATION AT 85%. WE'RE RECOMMENDING $12,750. >> WELL, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE EVENTS THAT WE KNOW IS MORE OF A DAYTIME KIND OF EVENT. PEOPLE COME TO TOWN SPECIFICALLY FOR THE EVENT, WHETHER IT'S SATURDAY OR SUNDAY, AND MAYBE I RISK THE WRATH OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD HERE, MY HOTELIERS AND ACCOMMODATIONS, BUT YOU KNOW, WE MAKE SURE THAT THE ROOM NIGHTS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT IN MOST INSTANCES, BUT IN THIS CASE, IT ALSO BEHOOVES US TO HAVE AN EVENT WHICH PUTS ECONOMIC INVESTMENT INTO THE COMMUNITY. IN THIS CASE, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A $1.8 MILLION, I THINK, IN TERMS OF IMPACT, ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY. SO ALTHOUGH THE ROOM NIGHTS ARE IMPORTANT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE OR AN EVENT THAT DRAWS AS MANY PEOPLE. I MEAN, WE DRAW FOUR, ALMOST FIVE TIMES THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN ORANGE PARK ON A POSTAGE STAMP-SIZED LOT NEXT TO THE TOWN HALL. AND THEY DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF DRAWING THEM IN AND KEEPING PEOPLE INTERESTED YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER 42 YEARS THEY SORT OF GOT THE THING DOWN. SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING I'LL SAY IS THAT, YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE CALCULATE WHAT THE BED USES WILL BE . IT DOES MORE THAN PUT PEOPLE IN HOTELS AND IMPACTS THE FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY SPEND. >> I AGREE THAT IT'S FAIR THAT WE GIVE THEM -- WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT CONVERSATION, IT'S NOT RIGHT. I THINK THAT'S FAIR. AND SO IF WE APPLY THAT NEW IDEA AND IF THIS GETS APPROVED, THEN IT'LL BE MUCH EASIER FOR US TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING VERSUS ALL. AND IT GIVES THEM TIME TO GO OUT AND GET PRIVATE -- YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT THEY'VE ALWAYS DONE, SO THIS IS WHAT THEY KNOW. SO YOU KNOW, [01:15:01] I THINK IT'S FAIR -- YOU'RE RIGHT, IF WE GO BASED ON THE 30 ROOMS, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE BASED ON WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO BE FAIR. THEY DON'T KNOW. AND SO, YOU KNOW, UNTIL WE IMPLEMENT AND EDUCATE THEM AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION I THINK WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT. >> THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IS THIS IS ALSO THE SAME WEEKEND AS THE NAS JACKS AIR SHOW. AND SO IT ALSO KIND OF GIVES THE OPTION OF PACKAGING. THOSE THAT WANT TO ATTEND THE AIR SHOW DURING THE EARLIER PART OF THE DAY AND STAY LATER, HAVE A FALL FESTIVAL KIND OF EXPERIENCE, I KNOW THAT THE HOURS OF THE FALL FESTIVAL, YOU KNOW, IT ENDS AT 5:00, BUT THERE ARE DEFINITELY THINGS WITHIN, YOU KNOW -- IT'S AN INVITATION TO EXPERIENCE MORE AND STAY LONGER. TO EXPERIENCE THE AIR SHOW AND TO EXPERIENCE BOTH EVENTS. AND THE OTHER EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT WEEKEND AS WELL. BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE ONLY THING -- THOSE ARE NOT THE ONLY TWO EVENTS THAT WEEKEND. >> I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER CELLA, IT'S A GOOD EVENT FOR THE COMMUNITY, SO I WOULD SUGGEST WE GO WITH THE FULL AMOUNT. >> AS KIM HAS MENTIONED, WE'RE GOING TO BE MOVING IN THAT OTHER DIRECTION AFTER THIS PARTICULAR ONE. SO WE'LL BE APPROACHING IT AS MORE OF A SPONSORSHIP AND THE VALUE OF THAT SPONSORSHIP AS OPPOSED TO FIGURING OUT WHO'S HERE AND WHO'S NOT HERE BASED ON LOOSEY-GOOSEY KIND OF INFORMATION AS TO KIND OF -- BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT REALLY TRACKING IT OUTSIDE OF VENDORS, I WOULD IMAGINE. THEY'VE GOT 45,000, 50,000 PEOPLE GOING THROUGH THERE, I DON'T SEE CARDS BEING HANDED OUT THAT SAY OR ASK, ARE YOU STAYING AT A HOTEL, YOU KNOW. SO IT'S HARD TO TELL WHAT THAT IS. >> ALL RIGHT, ANYONE ELSE? >> SINCE WE'RE DISCUSSING, AGAIN, THE 30 ROOM NIGHTS, WE HAVE 45,000 PEOPLE ATTENDING, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY OR WAY THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND TRY TO PROMOTE CLAY COUNTY AS A DESTINATION AND TRY TO GET AT LEAST ONE GROUP IF WE'RE HAVING THAT MANY PEOPLE, SOMEONE HAS TO BE SOME TYPE OF ASSOCIATION WITH THE GROUP THAT WE CAN USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SELL OUR DESTINATION, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE LOCALS, TO BRING THE BUSINESS HOME INSTEAD OF TRAVELING ELSEWHERE. >> ESPECIALLY THE AIR SHOW THAT WEEKEND ALSO YOU CAN PROBABLY TIE THEM TOGETHER AND MAKE A WEEKEND, A REGIONAL WEEKEND. >> AGAIN, IT MIGHT BE FOR OUR LOCAL KIND OF CAMPAIGN OR, YOU KNOW, TIE THAT INTO THAT SO WE HAVE A FULL BLAST ON TRYING TO CREATE THAT KIND OF EMPHASIS AS FAR AS --. >> I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA. I THINK A SENIOR TOUR STOP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH A COUPLE OF BUSES, BUNCH OF BUSES. >> THE FESTIVAL IS CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THE QUINTESSENTIAL FALL FESTIVAL IN TERMS OF THE VENDORS AND THE LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT AND THE FOOD VENDORS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS. AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF STANDS OUT FOR YOUR OCTOBER FEST WITHOUT THE BEER, IF YOU WILL. AND SO, YEAH, I THINK IT'D BE WORTH IT TO TRY TO ADVERTISE THAT OURSELVES, PROMOTE THAT IN A BIGGER CIRCLE THAN JUST CLAY COUNTY. >> YEAH, I WILL ADD THAT TO, LIKE A BRING IT HOME CAMPAIGN CONCEPT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL REUNION IDEA THAT WE -- THAT I JUST -- THAT I TALKED THROUGH WITH SOMEONE. SO WE'LL BE -- WE'LL BE TALKING WITH OUR FRIENDS IN ADVANCE ABOUT HOW WE PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER FOR THAT. AND MAKE IT A PROMOTION THAT WE CAN DO. >> AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND CONTINUE TO DEVELOP, I THINK THAT'S AN IDEA THAT TIME HAS COME IN TERMS OF TRYING TO CREATE THAT, YOU KNOW, LET'S PAINT THE PICTURE FOR THEM. A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER WHEN THEY LOOK AT THAT THING. SO YOU KNOW, WE CAN PAINT THE PICTURE OF A BUS TOUR OR THAT KIND OF THING, YOU KNOW, MAKE THAT SUGGESTION AND TRY TO GET THAT OUT TO AS MANY PEOPLE EARLY AS POSSIBLE SO THEY CAN GET THERE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. AND REMEMBER, THE AIR SHOW ONLY HAPPENS AT NSA JACKS STARTING THIS YEAR. SO IT'LL ONLY BE EVERY TWO YEARS IN THIS AREA. THEY WON'T GO BACK TO THE BEACHES AT THIS POINT. SO THERE'S LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE THE BLUE ANGELS AND THE REST OF THE AIR SHOWS. [01:20:02] >> WITH THAT SAID, I'LL SECOND THE MOTION. >> OKAY. A MOTION BY SEVEN AND A SECOND BY DAVID, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE? >> AYE. >> MOTION CARRIES 6-0. A ROUSING CLAP OF THUNDER IN THE BOARDROOM TO GO ALONG WITH [9.  Budget Review (K. Morgan)] THAT. ALL RIGHT, SO THAT FINISHES UP OUR TWO GRANTS TODAY. KIM ALLUDED TO A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE BUDGET. AND SHE'S GOT MORE AT THIS TIME. >> BEFORE YOU YOU HAVE THE CURRENT BUDGET YEAR REPORT. THIS IS JUST THE OVERALL BUDGET WHERE WE'RE AT. WE HAVEN'T SPENT EVERYTHING YET. WE'RE GETTING CLOSE, BUT EVERYTHING'S ON TARGET FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. AND LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE CARRIED FORWARD. WE PLAN TO CARRY FORWARD THE GRANTS, THE BALANCES AND THE GRANTS LINE, AND ANYTHING THAT IS AFFILIATED WITH THIS SPORTS COMPLEX. AND A FEW ITEMS FOR OUR OFFICE MOVE BECAUSE WE'RE STILL WAITING ON SOME LAST-MINUTE TOUCH-UPS FOR THE VISITOR CENTER AND SOME LETTERING ON THE OUTSIDE, EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING, AND PROJECTS ON THE EXTERIOR. SO THOSE DOLLARS WILL BE CARRIED FORWARD. I DO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I DO HAVE A DRAFT BUDGET FOR THE '24/'25 YEAR THAT I'M GOING TO PASS OUT TO YOU ALL. IT GIVES YOU THE COMPARISON THAT REALLY IS -- IT GIVES YOU THE COMPARISON OF THE ORIGINAL BUDGET FOR '23/'24, THE AMENDED '23/'24 BUDGET, AND THEN THE FISCAL YEAR '24/'25 PROPOSED. SO THIS -- ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT WE WILL BE MAKING IS GOING FORWARD ON THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SIDE. WE DID CUT THAT ORIGINALLY QUITE DRASTICALLY, BUT WE ARE GOING TO ADD A FEW PROJECTS THAT RELATE TO RESEARCH AND SOME MORE QUALIFIED DATA THAT WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND THE CUSTOMER SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE AS WELL AS SOME OCCUPANCY INFORMATION FOR THE OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS. SO WE WILL BE PUTTING THAT BACK IN THE BUDGET. THERE'S NO REAL SURPRISES OR SIGNIFICANT CHANGES. THE ONE ITEM THAT IS ON HERE, WE HAVE REQUESTED A VEHICLE AND A TRAILER, A MOBILE TRAILER. IDEALLY WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A MOBILE VISITOR CENTER. THAT IS THE ONE EXPENSE THAT'S PROBABLY FLEXIBLE. IF WE ARE CUTTING ANYTHING, THAT'S GOING TO BE IT. BUT IT KIND OF GIVES YOU A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT -- WHERE THE DOLLARS ARE GOING AND WHAT THEY'RE FOR. WE ARE CARRYING FORWARD THE $645,000 FOR THE FAIRGROUNDS PROJECT BECAUSE THAT WILL BE MOVING FORWARD. THAT IS MONEY THAT HAS BEEN CARRIED FORWARD FOR QUITE SOME TIME. AND SO THAT'S NOT A -- WHEN YOU -- SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS BUDGET AND YOU'LL SEE -- YOU'LL SEE DOWN HERE, I TOOK OUT THE $645,000 SO THAT YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE REALLY SPENDING WITHIN OUR MEANS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO BE SURE OF IS THAT THE BUDGET IS SUSTAINABLE. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A DOWNTURN, WE DON'T WANT TO SPEND -- WE DON'T WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE WE'RE SPENDING $2 MILLION. SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES ARE CARRIED FORWARD FOR PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE BUDGET FOR A LONG TIME, THAT DON'T IMPACT THE ANNUAL COLLECTIONS. HOPEFULLY THAT MAKES SENSE. >> I MIGHT BE MISSING SOMETHING HERE, I LOOK AT THE TOTAL OPERATING EXPENDITURE. IT'S SHOWING $1 MILLION MORE THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. IS THAT A -- >> THAT IS A TYPO, YEAH, THAT'S WRONG. >> I COULDN'T GET THE MATH TO ADD UP. [01:25:01] >> I WISH WE HAD THAT MUCH REVENUE COMING IN, BUT THAT'S NOT -- >> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. >> YEAH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS CHALLENGING, WE HAVEN'T INPUTTED IN -- IT'S JUST COMBINING WORKSHEETS AND IT WAS NOT -- XCEL WAS NOT MY FRIEND. >> AND THE THOUGHT ABOUT THE MOBILE VISITOR CENTER, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE THAT FOR THE FALL FEST. >> RIGHT. >> CERTAINLY TO HAVE THAT AT THE SPORTS COMPLEX WHERE WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF PEOPLE. >> YEAH. OUR CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW IS STAFFING. SO ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT -- BECAUSE WE DID COME WITH MORE POSITIONS TO BE STAFFED. THE OTHER THING THAT WE ARE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THIS FISCAL -- OR FOR THE '24/'25 YEAR IS SIMPLY THAT WE DON'T KNOW LEGISLATIVELY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE, THE TDT. AND WE KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE CHANGES, WE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW SIGNIFICANTLY THAT WILL IMPACT OUR BUDGET FROM YEAR TO YEAR. SO WE'RE BEING CONSERVATIVE. >> YEAH, THE BIG COUNTIES THAT HAVE ESPECIALLY THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES THAT HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEYS THAT THEY GENERATE BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY ARE, ALWAYS ARE LOOKING TO USE THAT MONEY TO DO OTHER THINGS OTHER THAN TOURISM, ALTHOUGH THEY CLAIM, YOU KNOW, IT'S TOURISM. IT COULD BE, I GUESS, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, MOST OF THE OTHER -- THE REST OF THE STATE IS NOT IN TUNE WITH THAT. THEY WANT TO USE THE MONEY EXACTLY HOW IT'S BEEN COLLECTED, INTENDED TO BE USED. SO THAT'S A FIGHT THAT WE'VE HAD EVERY YEAR FOR -- IT'S MY EIGHTH YEAR, IT'S GOING TO BE THE EIGHTH FIGHT OVER WHERE THOSE DOLLARS GO, BECAUSE IT'S A BUNCH OF STATE LEGISLATORS WHO HAVE A BIG POT OF MONEY IN FRONT OF THEM AND THINK MAYBE THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, SOLVE SOME WOES OF SOME OF THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTIES AROUND THE STATE BY LETTING THOSE MONEYS GO FOR ROAD REPAVING OR, YOU KNOW, DRAINAGE OR BUILDING A PARKING GARAGE. I THINK ONE OF THE COUNTIES IS USING MONEYS TO BUILD AN APARTMENT BUILDING FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT WORK IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY BECAUSE THEY ARE USUALLY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM ARE SEASONAL, SOME OF THEM DON'T MAKE AS MUCH AS REQUIRES TO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY THEY WORK IN. SO THEY USE IT FOR THAT, WHICH I CAN ALMOST SEE THAT. BUT YOU KNOW, THERE IS A BIG FIGHT EVERY YEAR. AND SO THAT'S WHY KIM ALLUDES TO IT BUT CAN'T COME UP WITH A SPECIFIC BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN TOGETHER YET. THEY'LL START PROBABLY SOME TIME THIS MONTH START COMMITTEE MEETINGS, YEAH. >> MAYBE JUST HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE BIG DISCREPANCIES OR NOT DISCREPANCIES BUT BIG CHANGES. LIKE INDIRECT COST CHARGES FROM $108,000 TO ZERO? >> SO YES, SO THAT WAS A CONVERSATION -- THAT'S A GREAT POINT. THE COUNTY BUDGETARILY LIKES TO ACCOUNT FOR THE SERVICES THAT ARE INTERNAL. SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT'S I.T. SERVICES, LEGAL SERVICES, PROCUREMENT, BUDGET, YOU KNOW, THE SERVICES -- THE DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY THAT SERVE OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS. >> GOT YA. >> WE WOULD -- SO IF YOU LOOK AT IT THIS WAY, IF WE WERE A STANDALONE ORGANIZATION, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AN I.T. TEAM. WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A LEGAL TEAM. WE'D HAVE -- >> SO IT'S -- >> THAT'S THE ESTIMATE. WHAT WE PRACTICED LAST YEAR'S -- IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET WAS QUANTIFYING THAT. THEY AREN'T NECESSARILY -- THEY DECIDED NOT TO NECESSARILY CHARGE EACH DEPARTMENT THAT EXPENSE BUT TO JUST BE AWARE OF THAT GOING FORWARD. >> SO WHY IS IT GOING TO BE A ZERO? >> BECAUSE THEY AREN'T ACTUALLY GOING TO CHARGE US. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN ACTUAL EXPENSE. IT WAS MORE OF AN AWARENESS EXERCISE LAST YEAR. >> OKAY. >> ONCE WE ALL WENT THROUGH THAT EXERCISE, WE WENT, OH, THAT'S A LOT. LIE THOSE DEPARTMENTS DO A LOT FOR US. AND IN FIGURING -- IN LOOKING AT THE BUDGET HOLE, THEY DECIDED TO REWORK THE BUDGET SO THAT THOSE AREN'T NECESSARILY A DIRECT, LIKE AN INDIRECT COST, THERE'S MORE DIRECT EXPENSES THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET. >> BUILDING, SAME THING? >> BUILDINGS, WE -- BUILDINGS [01:30:01] WAS AN ACTUAL EXPENSE FOR OUR OFFICE MOVE. >> $92,750 GOING TO ZERO. >> WE'RE DONE WITH OUR OFFICE MOVE, SO IT WILL BE THE CARRY FORWARD THAT COMES WITH US FOR THE PROJECTS THAT REMAIN. >> M&E CAPITALIZATION GOING UP $100,000. >> SO THAT IS WITH THE SPORTS COMPLEX. THAT EXPENSE. >> AND THEN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT REDUCTION OF $200,000. >> SO THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT -- SO WE HAVE SOME PROJECTS THAT ARE IN -- THAT WERE IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT THAT GOT -- IT'S $70,000 REMAINS FOR THE MONUMENT SIGNS, AND THEN WE HAVE A $50,000 PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT BUDGET. THAT'S HOW THAT $120,000 GETS THERE. THE $320,000 ACTUALLY INCORPORATED THE -- THE MONUMENT SIGNS WERE DONE THIS FISCAL YEAR, SO THEY WERE -- SO IT WAS -- THAT'S A CARRY FORWARD EXPENSE. SO THAT'S WHY THE NUMBER WAS A LITTLE LARGER. I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT -- WHAT ELSE WAS IN OUR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT BUDGET. I THINK WE ACTUALLY HAD MORE IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE SOME GRANTS TO GREEN COVE SPRINGS FOR THE DOLPHIN AND THE PRINTING FOR THE OTHER -- THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS. >> VERY GOOD. ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? [10.  TDC Event Marketing Grant Subcommittee Report (S. Kelley)] ALL RIGHT. SO LET'S LEAVE THE BUDGET AND HEAD TO TDC SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT . STEVEN KELLEY NOT HERE TODAY, IS SOMEBODY GOING TO TAKE THAT OR GOING TO HOLD OFF? >> YEAH, ME TOO. >> ALL RIGHT. SO WE DIDN'T HAVE A SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING THIS GO AROUND. WE'RE STILL KIND OF TACKLING THE NEW GUIDELINES. SO WE KIND OF HAVE A TIMELINE FOR YOU. SO IT'S GOING TO GO BEFORE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. WE'RE HOPING TO GET IT ON THE 27TH OF SEPTEMBER. IF NOT, IT'LL GO ON OCTOBER 8TH'S MEETING. WE TOUCHED ON THIS EARLIER, THE TWO SIGNATURE EVENTS. WE'RE IN TALKS WITH THEM ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO A SPONSORSHIP INSTEAD OF GRANTS. BUT WE DID -- YOU ALL JUST RECOMMENDED THE -- FALL FESTIVAL, SO THAT'S ONE OF THEM. THE OTHER ONE BEING THE CLAY COUNTY FAIR. SO THE NEW GUIDELINES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE INFORMATION OUT ONLINE. IF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DOESN'T CHANGE IT, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE THAT OUT OCTOBER 10TH. AND THAT WILL ALSO GO OUT TO EVENT ORGANIZERS AND PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW. THAT WAY THEY KIND OF GET A FEELING OF WHAT IS IN STORE FOR THEM. AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A TDC WORKSHOP -- I'M SORRY A GRANT WORKSHOP THAT'S ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GRANTS. THEY'LL HAVE TO ATTEND, WHETHER IN PERSON OR ONLINE. WE'RE GOING THE HAVE THAT EITHER THE 24TH OR THE 25TH. AND WE'RE GOING TO RECORD THAT SESSION. THAT WILL BE THE ONE THAT WILL BE ONLINE THEY CAN ATTEND. AND THEN WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE THE NEW GUIDELINES IMPLEMENTED FOR EVENTS HAPPENING JANUARY 1, 2025. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. >> NO, THANK YOU. LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING [11.  Bartram Trail Society Update] ELSE ON THE REPORT? OKAY, THANK YOU. LET'S MOVE AHEAD TO OUR BARTRAM TRAIL SOCIETY UPDATE. >> THIS CAME TO YOU ALL AS A NEW PROJECT. WE, THE TOURISM TEAM, HAS BEEN WORKING WITH PARKS AND RECREATION, PLANNING, THE HISTORIC COMMISSION, ARCHIVES, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO ESTABLISH CLAY COUNTY'S PORTION OF THE BARTRAM, THERAIL. THE BARTRAM T RAIL IS MAIMED FOR WILLIAM BARTRAM WHO EXPLORED THE ENTIRE EASTERN SEABOARD AND JOURNALED QUITE EXTENSIVELY ABOUT THE FLORAL AND FAUNA HERE IN NOT ONLY FLORIDA BUT THE EASTERN SEABOARD. FLORIDA DOES HAVE THE [01:35:04] MOST PROMINENT RECORDINGS IN HIS JOURNAL, AND WE, CLAY COUNTY, IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE SEVERAL SITES NOTED SPECIFICALLY. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAP THEM AND SO WE HAVE ABOUT EIGHT DIFFERENT SITES IN CLAY COUNTY THAT WE WILL DIRECT PEOPLE TO TO ACCESS THE AREAS THAT WILLIAM BARTRAM ACTUALLY TOURED AND WROTE ABOUT. THE BARTRAM TRAIL SOCIETY OF FLORIDA HAS APPROACHED US AND HAVE A BRAND ESTABLISHED. IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO PUTNAM COUNTY, YOU'VE SEEN THE WILLIAM BARTRAM TRAIL. THEY HAVE A GREAT BROCHURE THAT HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF HIS ACTUAL DRAWINGS. THEY HAVE A WEBSITE THAT'S ALREADY ESTABLISHED, AND THEN THEY HAVE KIOSKS IN THE ACTUAL LOCATIONS. SOME ARE DOUBLE SIDED. SOME ARE, YOU KNOW, HELP WITH THE STORY TELLING OF THE WILLIAM BARTRAM STORY. SO WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IS, OKAY, WE'VE GOT OUR EIGHT LOW ECATIONS, AND I'M LIKE, NOW WHAT? AND THEY TOLD US, OH, WELL YOU'VE GOT TO PAY FOR YOUR BROCHURE AND THE DESIGN OF IT. AND YOU'VE GOT TO PAY -- I'M LIKE, SO WHO'S PAYING FOR IT? AND THEY WERE LIKE, WELL, SOMEBODY FROM CLAY COUNTY. AND SO WE BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE AND SO THIS IS WHY WE'RE BEFORE YOU TODAY TO -- THIS IS A GREAT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. THIS PUTS US ON THE MAP WITH THESE ALREADY ESTABLISHED DESTINATIONS BEING IN VOLUSIA COUNTY AS WELL AS PUTNAM COUNTY OF THE BARTRAM TRAIL. OTHER COUNTIES ARE ESTABLISHING THEIRS AS WELL. SO THIS KIND OF HELPS SOLIDIFY THE BARTRAM TRAIL AND CONNECTS ALL THESE TRAILS TOGETHER FOR THE BARTRAM TRAIL SOCIETY OF FLORIDA. BECAUSE HE TRAVELED ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD, THIS ALSO OPENS THE DOOR FOR US TO BECOME A NATIONAL RECREATIONAL TRAIL AND CONNECT WITH OTHER AREAS ALONG THAT EASTERN SEABOARD SO THAT WE CAN TELL THE ENTIRE STORY OF WILLIAM BARTRAM'S JOURNAL AND THE THINGS THAT HE FOUND WHEN HE WAS EXPLORING. SO WE HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY SOME COSTS, SOME ESTIMATES. SOME SIGNAGE, BROCHURE DEVELOPMENT, SOME CREATIVE THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE BRANDING OF THE ALREADY EXISTING PRODUCT. IT COMES TO A TOTAL OF NO MORE THAN $43,000. BUT THAT WILL SET US UP FOR SEVERAL YEARS. SO WE'RE REQUESTING THAT YOU ALL SUPPLY THAT FUNDING THROUGH PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AS A PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT GRANT TO HAVE THIS INITIATIVE GO FORWARD. >> MAY I ASK AND WHY IS THIS A TOURISM VERSUS A PARKS? >> SO, NUMBER ONE, I THINK THAT THIS IS A -- WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, THE MAJORITY OF THE LOCATIONS THAT WE ARE -- THAT WE HAVE ALONG THE TRAIL ARE NOT ONLY CLAY COUNTY PARKS, THEY ARE ALSO SAINT JOHN'S RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT LOCATIONS. THEY ARE A PRIVATE RESTAURANT. SO THERE'S A MUNICIPAL PARK ALSO INVOLVED IN THIS. SO IT WAS BIGGER THAN JUST CLAY COUNTY PARKS. >> GREAT IDEA. I DO THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA. >> ARE ALL THE SPOTS ACCESSIBLE? >> YES. >> AND IS THIS REQUEST OUT OF THIS FISCAL YEAR OR NEXT FISCAL YEAR? >> THAT IS UP FOR YOUR DECISION. YOU CAN EITHER CARRY FORWARD THE BALANCE OF WHAT'S LEFT, AND WE CAN USE THAT TO LEAVE SOME MONEY. SINCE WE ONLY HAD $50,000 BUDGETED FOR NEXT YEAR IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, THAT'S AT YOUR DISCRETION AND YOUR DIRECTION FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD. >> SO PUTNAM HAS EXCITE VOLUSIA HAS IT, AND DUVAL IS DOING IT. >> DUVAL AND SAINT JOHNS. AND NASSAU. >> HOW SOON DO THEY -- ALL THIS PRODUCT BE OUT? I MEAN, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE? >> SO WE HAVE A LOT OF THE CONTENT. WE'VE ALREADY -- IN TALKING WITH THEM, WE'VE [01:40:05] ALREADY DECIDED WHAT OUR FEATURE VISUAL WILL BE ON THE BROCHURE. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF US GETTING THAT CONTENT TO THEM. WE'VE GOT SOME MAPPING ISSUES THAT WE'VE GOT TO OVERCOME. BUT THAT SHOULDN'T BE TOO HARD. SO FROM A TIMELINE PERSPECTIVE, I'D SAY SPRING OF NEXT YEAR. COMPLETION. >> SO WE'VE ALREADY -- THERE'S TEMPLATES ALREADY UP THERE FOR US BASED ON THESE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED. SO I MEAN, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US PUT A CAP ON HOW MUCH WE ACTUALLY END UP SPENDING, SO IF IT GOES OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING IT OUT OF OTHER LINE ITEMS, IF YOU WILL, FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING, SINCE THIS IS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. WE'VE GOT $50,000 IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT THAT WE CAN PUT A CAP ON IT. CERTAINLY, WHETHER IT'S THE $43,500 THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING OR $50,000 OR WHATEVER IN BETWEEN SO THAT IT DOESN'T GO OVER, NOT TO EXCEED A SPECIFIC AMOUNT AND CAN WE BRING IT BACK TO US IF, IN FACT, FOR WHATEVER REASON IT GOES OVER THAT AMOUNT, SO. ANYBODY HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT OR? >> THE ONLY THING I WANT TO ADD, I LEARNED ABOUT THIS BARTRAM TRAIL JUST RECENTLY. AND IF ANYONE HASN'T GONE, IT'S A GREAT SMALL TOWN WHERE I ENVISION WHILE IF THEY'RE GETTING THIS AMOUNT OF VISITORS COMING THROUGH HOW GREAT WOULD IT BE FOR GREEN COVE SPRINGS. SO WHEN I SAW THIS ON THE AGENDA TODAY, I FELT LIKE IT WAS SMART. IT CAME AT THE RIGHT TIME. BUT I TOTALLY THINK THIS WOULD BE A GREAT THING FOR CLAY COUNTY AND FOR -- TO PROMOTE TO VISITORS AND LOCALS AS WELL. SO LOOKS GREAT. >> SO NOW THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE WORKING TOGETHER. THE COUNTIES, WILL THERE BE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL Y'ALL TO PROMOTE TOGETHER SOMEHOW? THAT WILL CREATE PEOPLE MOVING UP THE LINE, TOURISM, BEDS, AND CONCEPTS. SO IS THERE A THOUGHT? THEY'RE LEADING THIS AND SAYING, YOU'VE GOT TO PAY TO BE PART OF IT. SO WE WANT TO BE PART OF IT, BUT HOW ARE WE ALL GOING TO WORK TOGETHER? IS THERE A PLAN FOR THAT? >> YES. NOT ONLY FROM THE BARTRAM SOCIETY OF FLORIDA, BUT THIS IS ALSO ONE OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WAS PITCHED TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE THROUGH OUR AFFILIATION WITH THE NORTHEAST FLORIDA REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THEIR ECOTOURISM INITIATIVE THAT IS A REGIONWIDE INITIATIVE THAT IS REALLY LOOKING TO NOT ONLY CONNECT TRAILS BOTH WATERWAYS AND LAND BUT ALSO BRAND THE REGION COLLECTIVELY. NOT LOSING -- I MEAN, EACH DESTINATION WILL MAINTAIN THEIR INDIVIDUAL BRAND, BUT AS A REGION, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS IN COMMON THAT WE ALL HAVE AS DESTINATIONS THAT WE NEED TO LEVERAGE THAT STRENGTH. AND WE ARE ACTUALLY -- THIS IS PART OF THAT DESCRIPTION. >> YEAH, I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGER PIECE OF THIS WHOLE PIE, REALLY, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH THOSE GUYS. YOU'VE GOT BETTER MARKETING. YOU KNOW YOU'VE GOT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A BIG DEAL, AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS NOW ARE PART OF THAT. AND THEN IT GIVES THEM SOMETHING TO WORK ON TOO AND Y'ALL TO -- SO TO ME, YOU KNOW, I HATE THAT 43 -- WE ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVE TO COME UP WITH THIS MONEY, THAT'S THE PART, BUT HOW EASY WILL THAT BE IN RETURN, PROBABLY. IT'LL PAY OFF I THINK, WITH THAT OPPORTUNITY NATIONALLY. >> MUCH LIKE WE DO WITH THE FIRST COAST OF GOLF, THERE'S A REGION THAT'S INVOLVED NOW THAT'S BIGGER THAN JUST US PROMOTING THAT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW ALL OF THAT GETS PROMOTED -- YOU KNOW, AND I DIDN'T KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT THE BARTRAM OR THE BARTRAM TRAIL. THE LAST TIME I WAS ON THE BARTRAM TRAIL, IT WAS FLEMING ISLAND LOSING IN A STATE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME TO THE BARTRAM TRAIL BEARS, THAT SHOWS YOU WHERE MY HEAD WAS AT. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW THE HISTORY OF WHERE WE LIVE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE KIDS. THEY GET A SENSE OF WHAT WENT ON BEFORE THERE WAS TV AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF. SO -- >> AND ALSO, SIR, IN CHECKING THE BUDGET, THERE'S $35,000 REMAINING IN THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT BUDGET THIS YEAR THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE TO CARRY FORWARD. IF YOU SO CHOOSE. [01:45:05] >> DO YOU SEE ANY OTHER PRODUCT -- I MEAN, FROM THIS TIMELINE TO THE NEXT TIME WE MEET, DO YOU SEE ANYBODY -- DO YOU HAVE -- YEAH. I ASKED THE RIGHT QUESTION, HUH? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A DECISION WE COULD MAKE, BUT DO WE FEEL LIKE THERE'S MORE COMING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS ON FOR THIS YEAR. >> POTENTIALLY. >> YES, OKAY. >> NO, NOT THIS FISCAL YEAR. >> OKAY. >> BUT NEXT. >> SO ESSENTIALLY YOU'RE SAYING WE'RE CARRYING FORWARD $35,000, WE'RE BUDGETING ANOTHER $50,000, SO WE END UP WITH $85,000 TOTAL. I GO BACK TO MY POINT TO WE PUT A LIMIT ON THE $43,500. AND THAT LEAVES US WITH ALMOST $43,500 OR MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE. WE'LL MAKE THAT DETERMINATION IF AND WHEN IT HAPPENS, SO. >> I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO CARRY OVER $35,000 INTO NEXT YEAR AND APPROPRIATE THE $45,000 FOR THIS SPECIAL PROJECT. >> OKAY, HAVE A SECOND ON THAT? >> SECOND. >> I GOT A LITTLE NERVOUS WHEN YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING THE MAKE A MOTION, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT BREAK DANCING. BUT I APPRECIATE THE MOTION AND THE SECOND. AND ANY OTHER FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE. >> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES, 6-0. >> AND TO CLARIFY, IT WAS $45,000. >> $45,000. >> PERFECT. >> THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS [12.  Legislative Update (K. Morgan)] TO US. ALL RIGHT, SO WE -- ANY OTHER THINGS ON BARTRAM? ALL RIGHT, WE'LL MOVE AHEAD TO NUMBER 12, LEGISLATIVE UPDATE. AND AGAIN, KIMBERLY WILL TAKE THAT AND GIVE US A PREVIEW. >> THANK YOU, SIR. WE ARE JUST PREPARING FOR SESSION, WHICH IS LATER THIS YEAR. WE ARE -- I KNOW THE INDUSTRY IS PREPARING FOR FLORIDA TOURISM DAY. WE HAVE CLAY DAY WE'RE PREPARING FOR, AND WE'VE ALREADY STARTED OUR MEETING, OUR LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TDT ISSUE IS UNDERSTOOD ON HOW MUCH THAT DEFINITELY IMPACTS US AND MORE IMPORTANTLY IT IMPACTS LOCAL BUSINESSES. BECAUSE WITHOUT THE DEDICATED FUNDING FOR WHAT YOU ALL OVERSEE, BUSINESSES CAN LOSE MONEY BECAUSE WE AREN'T MARKETING THEM. IF WE DON'T HAVE THIS DEDICATED FUNDING. >> AND WORD OUT OF TALLAHASSEE IS THAT AS THE FOLKS GET TOGETHER THIS YEAR, THEY'LL BE LOOKING AHEAD TO POSSIBLY AS MUCH AS A $6 BILLION HOLE IN THE BUDGET IN FOUR OR FIVE YEARS BASED ON WHAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO AND WHAT THEY THINK THE REVENUES WILL BE BECAUSE REVENUES ARE FLATTENING EVEN FOR THE STATE AS THEY ARE FOR HOTELS AND OTHER BUSINESSES. SO THEY'RE ALSO SEEING THAT RETRENCHMENT, IF YOU WILL, IN TERMS OF PEOPLE SPENDING AND GENERATING SALES TAX. SO THAT CAUSES THAT TO HAPPEN. SO IT SHOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE TRY TO PUT THEIR HANDS IN THE TOURISM POT TO TAKE THAT MONEY AND USE OTHER PLACES. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON [13.  Review Meeting Schedule (K. Morgan)] LEGISLATIVE? OKAY. SO WE'LL MOVE AHEAD TO REVIEWING OUR MEETING SCHEDULE. OUR NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING IS NOVEMBER 6TH. AND THEN DID YOU HAVE DATES FOR THE OTHER DATES? >> I DON'T HAVE DATES FOR JANUARY, BUT TRADITIONALLY WE DO HAVE A JANUARY MEETING. AND WE CAN DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AT JANUARY -- THAT SECOND WEEK OF JANUARY WHICH WOULD BE JANUARY 8TH. >> THAT LOOK GOOD FOR EVERYBODY? >> SOUNDS GOOD. >> SOUNDS GREAT. >> AND THEN WHEN WILL WE LOOK AT THE OTHER DATES? WHEN WE GET TO NOVEMBER? >> AT THAT JANUARY MEETING, I THINK WE'LL SET UP A SCHEDULE. IF WE CAN JUST GET THE JANUARY MEETING SET, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. >> YEAH. >> GIVES US SOME RECOVERY DAYS. >> YOU'LL ALSO HAVE A NEW CHAIR AT THAT POINT, SO THAT'LL MAKE A DETERMINATION AS TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY THINK AND WHERE THEY THINK THEY WANT TO GO, SO. [14.  Upcoming Events Update (S. Lamb)] ALL RIGHT. UNDER OLD BUSINESS, UPCOMING EVENTS, GOT PLENTY OF THEM. >> YES, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE EXPANDING. WE MADE IT TO TWO PAGES, FRONT AND BACK. MIGHT ONLY BE ONE ON THAT SECOND PAGE, BUT WE'RE THERE, ON TWO [01:50:01] PAGES. IGNORE THAT TYPO ON THE FIRST EVENT. WE ARE NOT TRAVELING BACK IN THE FUTURE. IT ACTUALLY STARTED AUGUST 16TH. ANNIE GET YOUR GUN AUGUST 16TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 8TH. THERE'S SOME GREAT EVENTS ON THERE. LOCAL, THE -- LOCAL SPORTS. LOCAL TO US SPORTS. RUGBY ON THERE. THE BALLOON AND GLOW LASER SHOW, THAT'S ANOTHER BIG ONE COMING UP. THAT'S GOING TO BE A NICE CROWD BRINGER IN. AND THEN THE FALL FESTIVAL IS ALSO ON THERE ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER SPOOKY SEASON STUFF. AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE BACK PAGE, THERE ALSO IS THE QR CODE THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE EVENTS CALENDAR ON THE EXPLORE CLAY WEBSITE. PLEASE WITH ANYBODY OR THE EVENTS. ANY QUESTIONS? >> NO QUESTIONS. SORT OF A COMMENT. I NOTICED THAT WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF REACTION TO THE BLOOM SHOW COMING UP IN -- WHEN IS THAT, OCTOBER OF THIS COMING YEAR? >> AND THEY BOOKED HOTEL ROOMS. >> AND THEY BOOKED HOTEL ROOMS. IS IT TOO LATE TO SEE IF WE CAN GENERATE SOME KIND OF ADDITIONAL INTEREST IN THAT FOR HOTEL STAYS? . >> SO WE ARE ACTUALLY -- >> BECAUSE IF THEY'RE BLOOM GLOWING, THEY'LL BE HERE LATER IN THE DAY. >> EXACTLY. >> MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET HOME. >> SO YEAH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS MEET WITH MORE OF THE HOTEL DIRECTORS OF SALES TO ENCOURAGE THAT. THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO SELL THE TICKET TO THE EVENT, THEY JUST NEED TO UTILIZE THE EVENT IN THEIR MARKETING SO THAT THEY CAN INCLUDE THAT IN THEIR SPECIAL OFFERS OR SPECIAL DEALS. SO WE ARE WORKING WITH HOTELS ON MAKING THAT HAPPEN. AND THEN WE PROMOTE THE DEAL, THE HOTEL DEAL, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE EVENT. >> DO WE HAVE AN IDEA, HAVE WE REACHED OUT TO THE PROMOTEER TO SEE WHAT KIND OF TICKET SALES THAT HAVE AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT THAT NIGHT IN TERMS OF THE CROWD? >> I HAVEN'T TALKED WITH THEM IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS TO FIND OUT WHERE TICKET SALES ARE. I DO KNOW THAT THEY ARE EXPECTING IT TO SELL OUT. SO IT'S -- I MEAN, WE'VE HAD SO MUCH -- SO MANY REQUESTS OF IS THIS FOR REAL, IS THIS FAKE, YOU KNOW. SO WE KNOW THAT THE DEMAND WILL BE THERE. AND I ALSO THINK THAT THERE WILL -- GENERALLY WHAT WE'VE SEEN JUST FROM A CONSUMER BEHAVIOR PATTERN IS LAST-MINUTE BOOKINGS. AND SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AND HOPEFULLY THAT THIS EVENT ORGANIZER COMES BACK. >> YEAH. >> SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON. BUT WE WILL DEFINITELY GIVE YOU GUYS AN UPDATE ON WHERE TICKET SALES ARE WITH THAT. THE BALLOON GLOW ON OCTOBER 25TH AND 26TH. >> >> THEY'VE NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE. THIS IS BRAND NEW. >> HOW MANY BLOOMS DO THEY EXPECT? >> THAT I DON'T -- I KNOW THAT THERE'S A VENDOR FAIR. BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO CONNECT THEM WITH LOCAL VENDORS. THEY'RE USING LOCAL FOOD TRUCKS. AND I WANT TO SAY -- I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MANY BALLOONS HE'S GOING TO HAVE. >> I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN TO ONE OF THESE EVENTS IN BATON ROUGE, AND IT'S HUGE. I MEAN, IT REALLY DOES HAVE A CROWD. >> AND WE DO HAVE SOME MEDIA THAT WILL -- WE WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE SOME PREVIEWS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. SO WE ARE WORKING ON THAT. >> YEAH, MOST OF THE CALLS THAT CAME IN, I RECALL, WHEN WAS IT, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO? WHEN WE HAD THE DEMOLITION DERBY ADVERTISED, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY THERE WAS ONE. IT WASN'T HERE. IT WAS IN CLAY COUNTY -- >> SOUTH DAKOTA. >> SOUTH DAKOTA. BUT IT GAVE US THE IDEA IF WE COULD FIND SOMEBODY TO RUN A DEMOLITION DERBY FOR US, IT WOULD BE A SELLOUT, I THINK, SO. SO AT FIRST WE THOUGHT IT WAS A FRAUD, AND YOU KNOW, ALL THESE -- >> -- TRY TO GET THEM HERE. >> ALL THOSE PEOPLE WERE GOING TO SHOW UP AT THE FAIRGROUNDS. WE WERE AFRAID OF THAT. >> WE'LL TAKE THE ROOM NIGHTS. >> THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, THEY HAVE TO BE THERE AT NIGHT. IT'S GOT TO BE DARK TO MAKE THEM GLOW, SO THEY'VE GOT TO STAY SOMEWHERE ON THEIR WAY HOME. VERY GOOD. ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? IF NOT, WE'LL ADJOURN, BUT WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN HERE ON NOVEMBER 6 * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.