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I AM GONNA CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER FOR THE MAY 1ST 2, 20 26 MELBOURNE DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UNITED OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER ITEM THREE IS ROLL CALL.
SHE'S GONNA BE RUNNING LATE THIS MORNING.
AND STEFAN HARTMAN IS EXCUSED.
SORRY, MY EYES WERE LEAVING ME FOR A MINUTE.
I WAS SKIPPING RIGHT TO FIVE AND I WAS THINKING, WHERE'S THE MINUTES?
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 3RD MEETING BECAUSE EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW.
AND DO WE HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE, MELBOURNE MAIN STREET, QUARTERLY UPDATE.
SORRY WE HAD TO BUMP YOU LAST TIME.
UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
UH, FOR THOSE THAT NOT KNOW ME, MY NAME IS AMI PROJO.
I'M ACTUALLY THE, UH, NEWEST, I GUESS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
I'VE BEEN HERE NOW FOR ALMOST, ALMOST THREE MONTHS.
UM, SO I WANT TO QUICKLY GIVE YOU, UM, I KNOW WE'RE FOCUSING ON WHAT IS, UH, THE, UH, SECOND QUARTERS FROM JANUARY TO THE END OF MARCH.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE FOCUSING ON THAT.
UM, SO MOST OF THE NUMBERS THAT YOU WILL SEE AND ANY INFORMATION WILL BE, AGAIN, FOCUSING ON THAT, ON THAT SPECIFIC QUARTER.
SO, UM, BUT IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, UH, ABOUT ANYTHING MORE CURRENT, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK.
UH, THIS IS JUST BASICALLY, UH, SORT OF LIKE A QUICK AGENDA.
WHAT, UH, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT TO YOU ABOUT, I THINK EVERYONE HAS ALREADY RECEIVED, UH, THE FINANCIALS, UM, ON OUR, UM, ON THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, IS THAT CORRECT, EVERYONE? SURE.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE THE FINANCIALS, UM, FOR THE ORGANIZATION FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND PLEASE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT AND I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE OR, OR, OR GO OVER WITH THEM, UM, UH, WITH YOU.
ACTUALLY, UM, THAT WAS THAT PART OF OUR PACKET LAST MEETING.
SO WE DID NOT GET THOSE, I DON'T THINK.
DID ANYBODY GET THOSE? I THINK IT'S THIS, UM, THEY WERE NOT IN YOUR PACKET FROM LAST TIME, BUT WE DID PUT A COUPLE OF SHEETS UP ON THE DICE FOR YOU GUYS.
SO IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE BUDGET REPORT AND THIS, UM, LITTLE REPORT THAT HE WROTE OUT.
ALSO, I CAN NEED YOU A COPY OF MINE IF YOU WANNA.
HOW MANY DO WE HAVE? I ONLY HAD THE ONE FROM LAST TIME.
I JUST SAVED, I BROUGHT ALL MY STUFF THIS TIME.
SO THAT WAS LAST FROM LAST WEEK.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY.
AND THEY WILL BE ON THE POWERPOINT AT THE END OF HIS SLIDE AS WELL.
AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS THEM IF YOU, IF YOU LIKE.
UM, SO AGAIN, JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF, UH, THE LAST, UM, UH, THE QUARTER OF JANUARY THROUGH MARCH OF THIS YEAR.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE, UH, BOARD OF DIRECTORS DID, UM, WAS ACTUALLY, UH, HAVE A BOARD RETREAT IN, IN, UH, MID-JANUARY WITH THE PURPOSE OF CREATING, UH, THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR.
I'LL REMIND YOU, I WAS NOT, OR MY STAFF WERE NOT AT THAT PARTICULAR, UH, RETREAT.
UM, BUT WE DID HAVE THE MINUTES FROM, UH, FROM THAT, UM, UH, THAT EVENT.
AND, UM, SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING, PUTTING TOGETHER A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT GOES ALONG WITH, UM, THE, THE PRIORITIES THAT THE BOARD HAD AT THAT MEETING.
AND THEN OF COURSE, ADDING, UM, THE BUDGET FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR BECAUSE OF THE TRANSITION, UH, FROM THE, UH, PREVIOUS, UH, DIRECTOR TO THE NEW DIRECTOR AND HAVING THE NEW STAFF.
THAT STEP HASN'T BEEN FINALIZED YET.
SO WE STILL WORKING ON FINALIZING, HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO ARE OUR BUDGET FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR.
AND THAT WOULD BE THEN ADDED TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THAT IS A DOCUMENT THAT THEN WE CAN PROVIDE TO YOU, UH, HOPEFULLY
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BY OUR NEXT MEETING.UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME TOO, WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE FOUR, UH, CHAIR MEMBERS FOR EACH ONE OF OUR COMMITTEES.
SO EACH, EACH ONE OF THOSE COMMITTEES NOW HAVE A CHAIR, NOW HAVE, UH, A, A MEETING TIME AND DATE, AND I CAN QUICKLY, UH, PROVIDE THAT TO YOU.
UM, OUR ORGANIZATION, UM, COMMITTEE CHAIR WILL BE CODY.
THEY WILL BE MEETING ON THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH.
OUR PROMOTION CHAIR WOULD BE, UH, MR. PAUL RA FROM HOTEL MELBY.
THEY WILL BE MEETING ON THE LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH.
AND, UH, OUR COMMITTEE, UH, ECONOMIC VITALITY COMMITTEE CHAIR WILL BE MR. JASON BOND FROM EDWARD JOHNS.
AND, UH, FINALLY OUR DESIGN, UH, COMMITTEE CHAIR WILL BE AARON TRUCKER.
UM, AND THEY ARE MEETING, UM, ON THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH.
SO EACH ONE OF THOSE COMMITTEES NOW HAVE A CHAIR AND OBVIOUSLY HAVE A DIRECTION AND A PURPOSE, UH, FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR AS WELL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, AS, AS I DO MY WEEKLY, UH, WALK STORES DOWNTOWN AND SPEAK WITH BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, ONE OF THE MAIN TOPICS HAVE BEEN, UH, FOOD TRAFFIC FOR THE BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND, UM, SO IN ORDER FOR US TO OBVIOUSLY BE ABLE TO BRING FOOD TRAFFIC DOWNTOWN, WE, WE NEED FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE A REASON TO COME DOWNTOWN.
SO, UM, BESIDES THE UNIQUE SHOPS AND STORES THAT WE HAVE IN THE RESTAURANT IS ALSO EVENTS, RIGHT? EVENTS IS WHAT'S GONNA HELP US, UH, ACCOMPLISH THAT.
SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH, UM, OUR BUSINESS OWNERS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, UM, WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST, WHAT HAS WORKED, WHAT HASN'T, AND THEN WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO, UH, IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO AGAIN ATTRACT, UM, UH, TRAFFIC OVER TO OUR, TO OUR, TO OUR DOWNTOWN.
SO, UM, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, UM, AND, AND TO GET A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF, OF, OF HOW THE ORGANIZATION WORKS AND HOW IT WORKS ALONG WITH THE CITY, UM, I HAD, UM, ASKED CINDY DIMER TO, UH, COORDINATE A MEETING WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, WHO IS ACTUALLY THE ENTITY THAT, UM, THAT KIND OF HELPS YOU GO THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND, AND, AND UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT IT TAKES AS FAR AS FEES AND, AND, AND, UM, AND THAT SORT OF THING, RIGHT? TO PUT AN EVENT TOGETHER.
SO WE MET WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO GET A PRETTY GOOD IDEA ABOUT THAT.
FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY POLICE OFFICERS WE WOULD NEED FOR A SPECIFIC EVENT.
OBVIOUSLY THAT DEPENDS ON THE SIDE.
UM, THERE'S THE, THE, THE BARRICADES AND THE FEES THAT GO ALONG WITH IT.
UM, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN EVENT THAT IS GONNA BE, UH, THERE'S GONNA BE ALCOHOL INVOLVED OR NOT.
UH, SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT IT IS NEEDED, UH, FOR SOME OF THESE EVENTS AND, AND, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE HOW WE CAN PERHAPS MINIMIZE SOME OF THE, UH, COST FOR SOME OF THESE EVENTS, OR PERHAPS HOW WE CAN, YOU KNOW, COLLABORATE IN A SENSE THAT IT'S A LITTLE MORE COST EFFECTIVE FOR US TO PUT EVENTS TOGETHER TO HELP THEM AGAIN, BRING, UM, UH, PEOPLE DOWNTOWN.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID, UM, WITHIN THAT, UM, PERIOD OF TIME AGAIN, UH, SECRET DIRECTORS BEING HAVING WEEKLY WALKS, UM, TO SPECIFICALLY TALK TO OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNERS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN DOING OUR QUARTERLY WALKS WITH THE CITY STAFF, UH, WHICH RECENTLY ONE OF THEM JUST TOOK PLACE.
UM, AND, UH, THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS MAKING SURE THAT OUR, OUR, OUR SIDEWALKS ARE SAFE.
UM, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR IFICATION PURPOSES, RECENTLY, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD A FREEZE AND WE HAVE A BUNCH OF DEAD PLANS.
UM, CITY ALREADY FORMULA THAT, UM, UH, ONLY WORKS IS ALREADY, UH, OR APART.
I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY ALREADY IN THE WORKS OF REPLACING THOSE DEAD, UH, PLANS AND TREES AND REPLACING THEM ALREADY.
SO, PART OF THAT QUARTERLY WALK WITH THE CITY STAFF, WE ARE ALSO DOING OUR SEMI-ANNUAL, UH, STAKEHOLDER MEETING.
UM, WE JUST LAST WEEK WE JUST HAD OUR, OUR FIRST WITH ME BEING ON BOARD AND OUR STAFF.
UM, SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, I CAN PROVIDE IT.
BUT THIS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ALSO WE ARE DOING, AND WE ARE DOING THAT SEMI-ANNUALLY.
OUR NEXT MEETING HOPEFULLY WILL BE, UH, AROUND SEPTEMBER SOMETIME.
I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT, UM, I THINK YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AS A, AS OUR ADVISORY BOARD IS, UH, IMPLEMENTING, UM, NEW CRM PROGRAM, UH, CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGEMENT, UM, MAIN STREET.
UH, OUR MAINSTREAM ORGANIZATION DID NOT HAVE ONE BEFORE.
UM, THEREFORE OUR DATABASE, UM, WAS LIMITED,
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IF YOU WILL.UH, THIS CRM PROGRAM IS GONNA ALLOW US NOW TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A, A A, A STRONG DATABASE ARE OUR MEMBERS AS THEY SIGN UP OR RENEW THEIR MEMBERSHIP, UM, THAT INFORMATION.
UH, THERE IS SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT WE ASK FROM THEM, ESPECIALLY CONTACT INFORMATION, UH, THAT WE CAN USE TO FOLLOW UP, SEND OUR NEWSLETTERS AND, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SAME THING WITH, UM, OUR EVENTS.
SO ANYTIME A VENDOR REGISTERS OR SOMEBODY PURCHASE A TICKET FOR ONE OF OUR EVENTS, THERE'S GONNA BE A FORM THAT THEY FILL OUT, SORT OF LIKE AN APPLICATION.
UH, THE INFORMATION THAT WE REQUIRE WILL BE THERE AND THAT WILL BE STORED ON THAT CRM PROGRAM.
UM, WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? AGAIN, IT PROVIDES A DATABASE OF BUSINESS OWNERS, VENDORS, UH, PARTICIPANTS THAT WE CAN EASILY, UH, PROVIDE TO YOU AS THE, UH, UM, TRA COMMITTEE OR EVEN THE, THE, THE CITY OF MELBOURNE.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WOULD ALLOW US, UM, A VERY IMPORTANT TOOL FOR COMMUNICATION PURPOSES.
SO IT IS A WAY FOR US TO NOW EASILY COMMUNICATE WITH OUR BUSINESS OWNERS AND OUR PROPERTY OWNERS AS NEEDED.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE, UM, RECENTLY, AND ACTUALLY SPEAKING OF THE CRM PROGRAM, UH, THAT WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IS ACTUALLY WHERE OUR, OUR MEMBERS WILL BE ABLE TO GO IN AND ACTUALLY EVEN NON-MEMBERS, ANY BUSINESS WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN BOUNDARIES CAN ACTUALLY GO INTO OUR WEBSITE.
THEY CAN ACTUALLY REGISTER THEIR BUSINESS.
THEY WILL CREATE THEIR OWN PROFILE.
IF YOU'RE NOT A MEMBER, IT'S A LITTLE LIMIT AS TO WHAT YOU CAN'T PUT UP THERE.
BUT AS A MEMBER, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO PUT YOUR LOGO, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO PUT OFFERS, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO PUT LINKS TO YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES.
UM, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU ACTUALLY CAN UPLOAD YOUR OWN EVENTS.
SO IF ANY OF OUR BUSINESSES HAVE A A, A SMALL EVENT OF THEIR OWN, THEY CAN ACTUALLY, UM, UPLOAD IT ON OUR PAGE AND IT WOULD THAT BE THEN RESIDE ON OUR WEBSITE FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE.
SO, SOME OF OUR UPCOMING EVENTS, UH, RECENTLY WE HAD OUR BOTANICAL FED AS, UM, UH, BACK IN APRIL 11TH.
UH, WE HAVE OUR POT OF PALOSA COMING UP ON MAY 9TH.
UM, OUR SIP SHOP ALREADY HAS THE DATE OF JUNE 18TH.
WE ALREADY HAVE BUSINESSES SIGNING UP.
UH, SIDEWALK SALE WILL BE, UH, ON JULY 11TH IF MY, MY SERVES ME WELL.
AND THEN SOME OF THE OTHER EVENTS WILL BE KIND OF TOWARDS THE FALL AND THE WINTER.
UH, MOST OF THESE EVENTS YOU ARE PROBABLY VERY FAMILIAR WITH.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE OTHER EVENTS THAT, UM, OUR, OUR, OUR TEAM AND I ARE ALREADY WORKING FOR PROBABLY, UM, THEY WOULD BE A FALL FEST.
UM, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TOWARDS, UM, A BEER FEST, UH, PERHAPS FOR FEBRUARY.
AND THERE'S OTHER EVENTS, UM, THAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT.
AND SOME OF THEM ARE MORE FAMILY ORIENTED, UM, IF YOU WILL.
AGAIN, AS WE BEEN DOING OUR WALKS IN DOWNTOWN AND SPEAKING WITH SOME OF OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, ONE OF THE OTHER MAJOR CONCERNS IS ACTUALLY THE VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE DOWNTOWN.
UM, WE, THROUGH MAIN STREET AMERICA, WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH AN APPLICATION THAT IS CALLED BOOM'S TRACKER, THAT STANDS FOR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ON MAIN STREET.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM AND THAT APPLICATION IS THAT WE CAN EASILY IDENTIFY OUR VACANCIES.
UM, WE PRETTY MUCH PUT UP THE ADDRESS OF THAT BUSINESS.
IT PROVIDES US WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACTUAL PROPERTY AND THEN EVENTUALLY, UH, THE PROPERTY OWNER.
THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS, IS, IS MAINLY FOR REPORTING PURPOSES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT NOW ALLOWS US AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND AND, AND, AND KNOW WHO THE BUS, THE PROPERTY OWNERS ARE FOR THOSE, UM, FOR THOSE BUILDINGS AND THOSE SPACES THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN REACH OUT AND GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING WHY SOME OF THESE SPACES HAVE BEEN EMPTY FOR SOME OF THEM FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, TRY TO GET AN IDEA OF WHERE THE, THE LISTING, UH, DOLLARS ARE MORE OR LESS.
UM, AND THEN HOPEFULLY, UH, BETWEEN US AND THE CITY, HOW CAN WE HELP BUILD THOSE VACANCIES? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY YET, HOW WE CAN HELP BRING BUSINESSES TO DOWNTOWN THAT ARE MORE RELEVANT TO WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE.
IN OTHER WORDS, TRYING TO BRING, UM, BUSINESSES THAT WILL BRING, HELP, BRING TRAFFIC DOWNTOWN.
AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, ONE OF OUR, UM, ONE OF OUR
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NEW STAFF MEMBERS, HER NAME IS MIRANDA STEVENS.SHE'S OUR EXECUTIVE AND, UM, MARKETING DIRECTOR.
UH, MIRANDA COMES WITH MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE ORLANDO WEEKLY, WHICH IN TURN WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR A LOT OF LARGE AND SMALLER EVENTS IN, UH, IN ORLANDO.
UM, MIRANDA HAS BEEN IN CHARGE OF SPEARHEADING SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT ALREADY HAVE TAKEN PLACE AND ALSO THE ONES THAT ARE COMING UP.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UH, GE IS ALSO IN CHARGE OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND OUR NEWSLETTERS.
AND, UM, UM, SLIDES THAT I HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS ACTUALLY, UM, IT'S, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY THE HOMEPAGE OF OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT HAS ROUGHLY A LITTLE BIT OVER 18,000 FOLLOWERS.
AND, UH, WE ACTUALLY PAID, UM, CLOSE TO 710 NEW FOLLOWERS, UH, SINCE THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.
UM, WE ALSO FROM FEBRUARY 1ST, AND THE REASON WE USE FEBRUARY HERE, 'CAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY, UH, THE MONTH THAT OUR TEAM STARTED WORKING, UM, IN OUR
AND, UH, SO WE HAVE ACTUALLY, UM, IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME, ACTUALLY TWO MONTHS, UM, WE CAN 473 NEW FILE.
UM, AGAIN, OUR NUMBER RIGHT NOW IS, STANDS AT 18,444.
UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY, UH, A SNAPSHOT OF OUR INSTAGRAM PAGE.
UM, WE HAVE NOW ROUGHLY A LITTLE BIT OVER 7,700, UM, FOLLOWERS.
WE GAINED 342 NEW FOLLOWERS SINCE, UM, SINCE THAT, SINCE FEBRUARY 1ST.
WHAT IS THAT IMPORTANT? THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE NUMBERS IS REALLY, UM, AND, AND, AND AGAIN, FOR, FOR TIME'S SAKE, I INPUT THE, UH, NUMBERS OF THE ACTUAL ENGAGEMENT THAT WE GET FROM OUR PEOPLE.
BUT, SO BASICALLY THESE, THESE NEW FOLLOWERS ARE COMMITTED AFTER WE STARTED OUR NEW CAMPAIGNS, FOCUSING IN THE MARKETING OF DOWNTOWN AND ITS BUSINESSES.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT MELBOURNE MAIN STREET.
EVERY SINGLE POST OUT THERE IS EITHER ABOUT A BUSINESS, ABOUT AN EVENT OR ONE OF OUR BUSINESSES EVENTS.
UM, WE'RE FOCUSING ON STORYTELLING, UM, AND, AND REASONS WHY TO COME AND SHOP, UM, AND, AND, AND VISIT DOWNTOWN.
UM, SO BECAUSE OF THOSE FOLLOWERS, OUR ENGAGEMENT HAS INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY, WHICH MEANS IS THAT NOW WE HAVE MORE EXPOSURE TO FOLKS OUT THERE, NOT ONLY OUR OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO, UH, VISITORS AND FOLKS OUTSIDE OF THE, UM, THE, UH, THE CITY BOUNDARIES AND EVEN THE COUNTY.
UM, SO AGAIN, PURPOSE OF THAT IS TO HELP BRING FOOD TRAFFIC TO, TO DOWNTOWN AND HAVE A MORE OF A PURPOSE ON OUR, ON OUR COMMUNICATION, UM, WITH FOLKS OUT THERE.
UM, THESE ARE THE NUMBERS, THE FINANCIALS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW IT AND, UM, TO GO OVER THEM OR IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU WANNA DISCUSS LATER.
I KNOW IT'S, UH, QUITE A FEW NUMBERS AND, UM, BUT BASICALLY WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE YOU WHAT IT IS, THE BUDGET, UH, FOR THE FISCAL OF OCTOBER 25TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER, UH, OF THIS YEAR.
AND THEN WHAT WAS THE FIRST QUARTER, UM, NUMBERS AND THEN WHAT THE, UH, SECOND QUARTER, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT WE ARE REPORTING ON FROM JANUARY TO MARCH OF 2020 SIXTH.
UM, THE FOURTH COLUMN THERE IS BASICALLY GIVING YOU A, A YEAR TO DATE, UH, NUMBER.
AND THEN THE VERY LAST COLUMN IS JUST BASICALLY THE PERCENTAGE OF CALIFORNIA FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE.
UM,
LAST YEAR WE DID DO A, UH, LIQUIDITY REVIEW FROM ME MAIN STREET THIS MONTH OF THE YEAR BECAUSE THEY WERE HAVING FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES AND WE WERE A LITTLE WORRIED THEY WEREN'T GONNA MAKE IT THROUGH THE SUMMER.
SO THIS, THIS REPORT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT AND I SEE, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE UP 50%, IT LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THAT IS, IS FROM THE EVENTS.
IS THAT, AND IS THAT BOTANICAL FEST AND THE FOOD AND WINE, OR DO YOU KNOW SPECIFICALLY? EXCUSE ME.
AND SO YOU LOOKING AT THE FIRST QUARTER, FOR INSTANCE, UM, OUR BUDGET ARE OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE UNDER THE INCOME, WE HAVE GRANTS, UH, MEMBERSHIP TESTING AND EVENTS.
SO TO YOUR POINT, UM, THE, UM, THE BUDGET IS BASICALLY ON EXPECTED INCOME AND REVENUE FROM THOSE, UH, FOR THOSE EVENTS.
UM, WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A MAJOR EVENT ON OUR, ON OUR, ACTUALLY, I'M SO SORRY.
WE DID HAVE, UM, UH, EVENTS TAKING PLACE ON THE FIRST, UH, QUARTER OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE HAVE THE, UH, THE HALLOWEEN EVENTS, WE HAVE THE HOLIDAY EVENTS, UM, BUT ONE OF THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE QUARTER
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AND THE OTHER IS THAT ON OUR SECOND QUARTER WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY MAJOR EVENTS TAKING PLACE.OSA WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE IN FEBRUARY AND IT WAS MOVED, UH, TO MAY, BUT, UM, BUT THAT IT WILL GIVE YOU A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THE REVENUE HAS COME AND WHAT HAS GONE FROM THOSE SUCCESS.
I THINK I WAS LOOKING AT THE COLUMNS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
SO THE SECOND, THE SECOND COLUMN, WAIT, SO THE FIRST COLUMN'S THE BUDGET, CORRECT.
AND THEN THE LAST COLUMN IS THE ACTUAL, SO YOU, UM, I SEE.
BUT LAST YEAR'S ACTUAL, I MEAN, YOU'RE STILL UP 70, I THINK 70,000, IS THAT CORRECT? I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, 'CAUSE I SEE A PERCENTAGE OF BUDGET OVER HERE, NOT LIKE ACTUAL YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASES, JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT WAS LAST YEAR.
SO ACTUALLY IT'S NOT REALLY PROVIDING YOU, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ADJUST, BUT THIS REPORT IS ACTUALLY NOT SO MUCH PROVIDING YOU ON, UM, COMPARING FROM, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2025 TO FISCAL YEAR 2026.
IT'S BASICALLY GIVING YOU NUMBERS AS FAR AS WHAT THE PROJECTED NUMBERS FOR THE BUDGET IS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR AND WHERE WE ARE ACTUALLY AT AS, AS OF NOW.
BUT THE ACTUAL IS THE ACTUAL AMOUNT.
SO THROUGH SIX MONTHS YOU'RE AT THROUGH SIX MONTHS, WHICH IS HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR, YOU'RE AT 50% OF YOUR REVENUE, CORRECT.
WHICH IS RIGHT ON TARGET, ASSUMING YOU HAD AN EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF REVENUE.
AND YOUR EXPENSES ARE SLIGHTLY LESS SO.
AND, AND, AND, AND THAT, UM, AND THAT HAS BEEN PURPOSELY, SO AS WE MOVE ALONG, AND WE ARE WORKING ON SOME OF OUR, MOST OF OUR EXPENSES GO ON, SO AS WE, FOR INSTANCE, FOR BOTANICAL TESTS, AS WE, AND KEEP IN MIND, UM, WHICH MENTIONED THIS TO OUR BOARD DIRECTORS YESTERDAY, KEEP IN MIND THAT WE TOOK OVER BOTANICAL FEST WITHOUT EVER ATTENDING IT, WITHOUT EVER PARTICIPATING IN IT IN ANY, IN ANY WAY, ANY OF OUR, OF OUR, UM, STAFF MEMBERS.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, ACTUALLY CUT EXPENSES SUBSTANTIALLY FOR, UM, FOR THIS PARTICULAR EVENT.
UM, THE REASON FOR THAT, AND AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT, NOT TO GO BACK TO OUR PIERCE EXPRESS, WHO MOST LIKELY HAD A LOT OF THIS WORK DONE ON THEIR OWN, UM, HAVING THE STAFF, WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, ASSUME A LOT OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THAT EVENT AND THEREFORE BE ABLE TO CUT A LOT OF THE EXPENSES OF HAVING SOMEONE LIKE MIRANDA, UH, ON BOARD.
AND, AND CASEY, WHO HAS BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL WITH A LOT OF THESE EVENTS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CUT EXPENSES, SAME THING WITH ALZA AND HOPEFULLY FROM THEIR ON FORWARD WITH A LOT OF THESE OTHER EVENTS.
SO WE HAVE FOUND WAYS TO CUT EXPENSES, BUT NOT ONLY ON EVENTS.
WE ARE ACTUALLY ALSO DOING THAT, UM, WITH SOME OF OUR OPERATIONAL EXPENSES.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA HAPPEN UNTIL, UH, MAY OR JUNE.
SO I PROBABLY WOULD LIKE TO WAIT TO OUR NEXT, UM, UH, PRESENTATION, QUARTER PRESENTATION TO GIVE YOU THE DETAILS.
BUT, UM, AS IT IS, WE PROBABLY WILL END UP CUTTING, UM, A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM OUR EXPENSES BEFORE THE YEAR, SO, OKAY.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, ONE MORE THING I WANT TO ADD REAL QUICK, AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE NUMBERS, AGAIN, WITH THOSE, UM, WEEKLY WALKS, UH, THAT WE'RE DOING AND, AND, AND SPEAKING WITH OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, OTHER CONCERN, UM, THAT THAT CAME UP WAS ACTUALLY COMMUNICATION.
UM, UM, APPARENTLY THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF ONE-TO-ONE COMMUNICATIONS OR, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATION IN GENERAL.
SO BESIDES THOSE WEEKLY WALKS THAT I'M DOING, UM, IS ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH OUR, OUR MERCHANTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS ONE-ON-ONE.
UH, WE ARE ALSO, UM, SENDING OUT, UM, MONTHLY NEWSLETTER THAT ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE UPDATES TO, UM, TO OUR BUSINESS OWNERS ABOUT CITY PROJECTS SUCH AS THE HOMES PARK, UH, STREETSCAPING, UH, US ONE, UH, PROJECT, BUT ALSO ABOUT, UM, UPCOMING EVENTS, OUR STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO THROUGH, UM, THROUGH THOSE MEANS, WE ARE ABLE NOW TO KEEP A CONSISTENT AND CLEAR COMMUNICATION WITH OUR BUSINESS OWNERS.
SO THEREFORE, YOU ARE ALWAYS INFORMED THAT EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING DOWNTOWN, MELBOURNE, MAIN STREET, CRA, AND ALSO, UM, UM, UH, CITY PROJECT.
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PART OF THE NEW CRM IS TO MAKE SURE, AND AGAIN, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I'M DOING IS AS I'M VISITING AND SPEAKING WITH EACH ONE OF THEM, I'M ALSO MAKING SURE THAT I'M GETTING CURRENT CONTACT INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN UPLOAD IT, UPLOAD IT TO OUR SYSTEM, AND THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE NOW THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE SEND OUT, UH, THEY ARE GETTING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, EITHER THROUGH EMAIL OR, UM, BY US GOING, UH, AND LISTENING THEM PERSONALLY.SO HOPEFULLY THAT THAT HELPS WITH THE COMMUNICATION, UH, CONCERN THAT, THAT THEY CAN HAVE.
SO, AND THAT'S, UH, PRETTY MUCH MY PRESENTATION.
UH, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTION, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE.
DOES ANYONE ELSE WANNA START? NO.
UM, THE BOTANICAL FEST WAS PHENOMENAL.
I MEAN, IT WAS REALLY A GREAT EVENT.
DO YOU HAVE NUMBERS ON THAT YET TO SEE IF YOU MADE A SUBSTANTIAL PROFIT? 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY MOSTLY FOR THE VENDORS.
ACTUALLY VENDORS AND SPONSORS, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO, UH, SPONSORS WERE A KEY PART, UM, OF HELPING US WITH THOSE EXPENSES.
AND I AM PLEASED TO SAY, AND ACTUALLY WE DON'T HAVE THE FINAL NUMBERS YET, BUT WE, WE WILL BE IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO WHERE WE ARE ROUGHLY ABOUT $25,000 IN PROFIT FROM THAT EVENT ON.
AND, UH, AS FAR AS THE SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENTS, UM, IT, THE STAKEHOLDERS MEETING, I NOTICED THERE WAS SOME, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S ALWAYS NEGATIVE COMMENTS, BUT ONE OF THEM WAS THAT THAT'S NOT VERY HELPFUL UNLESS YOU'RE EN ENGAGING THEM.
SO ARE, ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING AT THAT NEXT LEVEL? I NOTICED ON THE SLIDE THAT IT DID SHOW THAT THE ENGAGEMENT WAS DOWN, EVEN THOUGH THE FOLLOWERS ARE UP, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.
AND A LOT OF THAT, UM, AGAIN, IS, UH, IS, IS IS, IT GOES OVER PERIOD OF TIME, RIGHT? SO YOU WILL SEE THAT THE GRAPHIC WOULD GO UP AND DOWN.
A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE TYPE OF MESSAGE THAT YOU'RE SENDING OUT THERE.
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE EVENTS, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT GRAPHIC GO UP, UM, FOR TWO REASONS, UH, FOR EVENT, UM, THERE ARE SOME, UM, MARKETING DOLLARS THAT WE PUT ASIDE TO PROMOTE THAT.
SO WE PAY FOR META ADS, FOR INSTANCE, RIGHT? UH, SO THERE'S GONNA BE A, A LARGER ENGAGEMENT, UM, ON THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
A LOT OF THAT ALSO, AND, AND AGAIN, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHOW THE NUMBERS, BUT ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA IS THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY TRACK WHERE EVERYBODY'S ACTUALLY ENGAGING FROM.
AND WE DO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN AND OUT OF THE COUNT, THE COUNTY ACTUALLY ENGAGING.
AND, AND IT'S VERY HARD FOR US TO TELL HOW MANY OF THOSE ACTUALLY CAME TO ANY OF THE EVENTS, BUT AT LEAST WE KNOW THAT WE GETTING THEM ENGAGED.
AND, AND, AND, AND I KNOW FOR A FACT LIVING IN ORLANDO FOR A LONG TIME THAT YES, MANY PEOPLE FROM ORLANDO WILL COME TO BREVARD COUNTY FOR, FOR SOME OF OUR, UH, BIGGER AND, AND, AND IN BETTER EVENT.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT TREND WILL CONTINUE.
SO YES, ENGAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT.
IT'S GONNA GO UP AND DOWN DEPENDING ON, ON THE TYPE OF, UM, OF POSTING, IF YOU WILL.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE NOTICING, HOWEVER, IS, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK, UM, WE ARE POSTING, UM, OUR BUSINESSES EVENTS.
SO ANY, ANYTHING THAT HELEN PLACES MAY HAVE OR, OR CREATIVE ACCENTS OR MAIN STREET POP OR WHOEVER IT IS, UM, UH, LET'S PLAN IT.
FOR INSTANCE, WE ARE POSTING THOSE EVERY WEEK TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK.
MOST OF THOSE EVENTS HAPPENS OVER THE WEEKEND.
UH, SO WE'RE POSTING THEM USUALLY ON THURSDAY OR FRIDAY SO THAT FOLKS KNOW, UM, WHAT IS GOING ON DOWNTOWN, AND THEY CAN COME AND, OKAY, THANK YOU.
YEAH, I KNOW I'M GETTING A LOT OF COMMUNICATION AND I WAS CURIOUS IF IT'S BECAUSE I'M A MEMBER OR IF, IF, LIKE HOW THAT OUTREACH IS WORKING.
I'VE, I'M GETTING MORE COMMUNICATION THAN I'VE EVER GOTTEN BEFORE.
I, I MEAN, I LOVE IT IS, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE ELSE IS GETTING ALL THE EMAIL BLASTS, SO, UM, HOPEFULLY IT DOESN'T BECOME TOO OVERWHELMING, BUT THE IDEA IS TO KEEP YOU GUYS INFORMED.
UH, BUT TO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WHEN IT'S, WHEN IT'S EMAIL, IT IS STRICTLY GOING TO OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, INCLUDING MEMBERS.
OKAY? SO, SO E EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A MEMBER, YOU'RE STILL GONNA GET THAT INFORMATION.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE WORK FOR ALL OUR BUSINESSES, WHETHER THEY'RE MEMBERS OR NOT.
UM, THE MAIN DIFFERENCE, AND I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR, THE MAIN DIFFERENCE, WHEN YOU BECOME A MEMBER, YOU MAY GET SOME ADDITIONAL BENEFITS, MAYBE SOME SOCIAL MEDIA POST.
UM, YOU MAY GET SOME MAYBE HIGHLIGHTS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS TOO, TO INCENTIVIZE THEM TO, TO BECOME A MEMBER.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE REALLY JUST, WE, WE WE'RE PROMOTING EVERYBODY, WHETHER YOU'RE A MEMBER AND YOU'RE GETTING THAT COMMUNICATION, WHETHER YOU'RE A MEMBER.
ANYTHING ELSE I TRIGGER? ANY THOUGHT BOMBS? NO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I APPRECIATE, HAVE A GREAT DAY.
[00:30:02]
OKAY.THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE MASTER REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FOR 2100 MELBOURNE COURT.
SO THIS IS THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE MASTER REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, UM, FOR 2100 MELBOURNE COURT, UH, PROJECTS, BETTER KNOWN AS, UH, VIEW APARTMENTS.
UM, SO THERE WAS A MEMO SENT OUT WITH THE PACKET, UH, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THE AMENDMENTS, UM, THAT WILL BE HAPPENING IN THE, FOR THE MASTER REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
UM, THIS COMES FROM THE DEFINITION SECTION FOR THE COMMENCEMENT DATE, COMPLETION DATE AND CONSTRUCTION PERIOD.
UH, THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY JUST TO MODIFY THE PROJECT TIMELINE, UH, THAT WAS LAID ON THE MASTER REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
UH, THE DEVELOPER NORTH AMERICA PROPERTIES HAD REACHED OUT TO US, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, DUE TO THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CONSTRAINTS, UM, OF THE MARKET, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MOVE ON THE PROJECT.
UM, THUS NOT BEING ABLE TO MEET THE DEADLINES THAT WAS SET FORTH IN THE ORIGINAL MASTER REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS IS TO, UH, AMEND IT.
SO THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THE PROJECT.
UM, THEY'RE, UH, EXPLORING DIFFERENT AVENUES ON HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, UH, WHETHER TO BRING IN A NEW DEVELOPER OR TO PARTNER WITH ANOTHER DEVELOPER, UM, ON THIS PROJECT, OR SHOULD THE MARKET CHANGE, UM, BE ABLE TO, UM, DO IT ON THEIR OWN.
UM, IN THE LAST BULLET ON THERE IS THE LAND DONATION PARCEL TO, SO TO EXPAND THE HOLMES PARK, UH, PROJECT THAT WAS, UH, AGREED IN THE MASTER, UH, REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, UH, RATHER THAN THE CITY RECEIVING THAT PARCEL AT THE END OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROJECT, THE DEVELOPER WILL BE, UM, DEEDING THAT TO THE CITY, UH, BASICALLY IMMEDIATELY.
UM, SO WE'LL BE RECEIVING THAT UPFRONT.
UM, AND SO STAFF'S BRINGING IT, UM, TODAY TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, SEEKING A RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE MASTER REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
ANY DISCUSSION? BURT, A QUESTION? UM, THE PLAN, AS I RECALL, WAS FOR THAT PARCEL LAND TO BE A STAGING AREA FOR CONSTRUCTION.
SO WILL THAT STILL BE THE CASE OR NO? NO.
YEAH, ALL THAT, ALL THAT LANGUAGE RE REGARDING THE, UH, LAND DONATION PARCEL'S BEEN, UM, STRUCK OUT.
SO THE CITY WILL, UM, RECEIVE IT AND OKAY.
SO THAT MEANS THERE'S NO MORE BARRIERS FOR PROCEEDING WITH THE WHOLE PLAN OF THE PARK, CORRECT? YEP.
AND THAT WAS THE DEVELOPER'S THOUGHT WITH, UM, DE IT TO THE CITY UP FRONT.
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A, UH, A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD AND EXCEPT THE FIRST AMENDMENT RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL IN MS. MR. CHAIRMAN, JUST SO I, I COULD, UM, NOTE THERE'S EIGHT OF YOU UP, UP THERE THIS MORNING.
AND JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT MR. MILLER IS YOUR ALTERNATE MEMBER, AND SO HE'S NOT VOTING, UM, THE SEVEN OF YOU ARE THE REGULAR MEMBERS THAT WILL BE VOTING.
SORRY, BRETT, I DID SEND AN EMAIL AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A MISTAKE BECAUSE I WAS 22 AND CHRIS JOINED 24.
NOT REALLY WORRIED ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M JUST POINTING THAT OUT, I THINK.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MOVE TO APPROVE.
WE MOVE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO COUNCIL.
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, SIERRA SECOND, AND EVERYBODY.
I DON'T THINK WE, OH, DID I
UM, OKAY, NOW ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.
UH, SO THIS IS TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION, UH, THAT WE HAD AT THE LAST MONTH'S MEETING REGARDING THE, UM, SORT OF PROJECTS AND BUDGET, UH, FOR THE CRA AS WE DID THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING OUT TO THE 2042 DATE.
AND SO WE WANTED TO, UH, COME BACK WITH THE, UM, CRA PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
UH, SO THIS COMES FROM THE PLAN AMENDMENT BACK IN 2025.
UM, SO BASICALLY EVERYTHING IN HERE IS WHAT IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE USE OF CRA DOLLARS, UH, REGARDING THE, YOU KNOW, REDEVELOPMENT, UM, OF THE DOWNTOWN CRA.
UM, SO STATUTORILY WE'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO USE CRA DOLLARS BASED ON THE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN OUR REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
UM, AND SO WE WANT TO PRESENT THAT THOSE PROJECTS THAT WERE DISCUSSED AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, ARE STILL ON THIS LIST.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE ELIGIBLE, UM, DON'T WANTED TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE CASE OF ANY OF OUR CURRENT CIP PROJECTS CHANGING, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, THESE ARE THE PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, UH, FUNDING CAN GO TO.
UM, AND THEN ALSO IF ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS WERE TO TAKE PLACE IN THE CRA THAT WOULD BRING IN EXTRA REVENUE, UH, THESE ARE THE PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS THAT WOULD BE, UM, ATTRIBUTED TO IT.
UM, AND SO IT SHOULD THE, UM, UM, SHOULD THE CRA BOARD WANT TO, UM, CHANGE ANYTHING, TAKE OFF PROGRAMS, PROJECTS, ADD NEW PROJECTS, PROGRAMS, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT FORMAL PROCESS OF DOING THE PLAN AMENDMENT.
[00:35:01]
FYI JUST TO SHOW WHAT PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS ARE CURRENTLY IDENTIFIED IN OUR REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.ANYONE, SO QUICKLY JUST DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE TWO, THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT.
SO THE, THE, THE LEFT IS OUR CRA PROGRAMS LIKE OUR FACADE IMPROVEMENT, UM, PARKING MANAGEMENT, COMMUNITY POLICING, OUR PUBLIC PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, LIKE THE VIEW THAT WE HAVE.
THOSE ARE MORE, THOSE STRUCTURED PROGRAMS ONGOING.
AND THEN THE CRA CAPITAL PROJECTS, IS THAT MORE THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE THINGS THAT YOU SEE? AND THE CI, THE ONES ON THE RIGHT WILL FALL INTO THAT BUDGET.
THOSE ARE THE C'S BUDGET PLANNING THAT WE DO FOR THE FIVE YEARS OUT.
WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THAT AGAIN AT, AT AS, AS WE LOOK TO ATTRIBUTE FUTURE FUNDING TO THESE PROJECTS THAT WE'LL BE ADDED TO THE CIP.
WAS THAT IT ON THAT ONE? OH, WOW.
WE JUST, COULD YOU SEND THIS TO US? SHOULD WE HAVE THIS, PLEASE? YEAH.
SO THIS IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE.
SO THE LAST, IF YOU GET TO, IT'S THE LAST ORDINANCE, UM, YOU'LL SEE, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, THE LEGAL ORDINANCE LANGUAGE, UH, AND AT THE END OF IT IS THAT THIS IS AN EXHIBIT, UM, TO THE ORDINANCE, UH, THAT HAS THE, UH, PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS.
SO IT'S AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT WE CAN ALSO SEND IT OUT TO THE COMMITTEE AT FOLLOWING THIS MEETING.
LET ME SEND YOU THAT, THAT AMENDMENT, THAT'S WHERE WE AMENDED THE PLAN LAST YEAR.
THIS IS THE, IS WHAT IS IN THE CRA PLAN CURRENTLY FOR PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. I HAVE ONE COMMENT.
WHAT I'M NOTICING IS MISSING ON HERE, IS ANY OF THE PHASE THREE IN THE SOUTH? NO, IT'S ON THE FIRST LINE SOUTH EXPANSION STREET SCAPING.
I'M ASSUMING THAT'S WHAT'S CURRENTLY, SO IF YOU READ THE DESCRIPTION, THE DESCRIPTION EXPLAINS OKAY.
PHASE, PHASE ONE AND TWO, AND THEN PHASE THREE.
THANK IT DOESN'T SAY THE PHASES IN THERE.
IT JUST SAYS THE, THE BOUNDARIES.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU HAD SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON LAST MONTH, RIGHT? WAS SOME OF THE, LIKE RIVERVIEW PARK AND MM-HMM
SO ALL OF IT'S, SO ALL OF THAT PROJECT, ALL THE PHASES THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS COMMITTEE AND THE CRA RECOMMENDED BACK IN THE DAY ARE ALL STILL IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, SMALL BUSINESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
AND THEN, UH, THANK YOU, UH, AND, UH, FURTHERING THE DISCUSSION FROM LAST MONTH'S MEETING ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
UH, STAFF IS WORKING ON THE, UM, ON THE BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM THAT WAS PRESENTED.
UM, THERE WAS A MEMO INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET, KIND OF LAYS OUT, UM, UH, WHAT COCOA'S PROGRAM IS, UH, THE DIFFERENCE WITH THE COCOA PROGRAM, UM, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO, UM, AND THEN ALSO THE CITY'S ATTORNEY OPINION RECOMMENDING THIS BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, UH, STATUTORILY ALLOWING, YOU KNOW, MORE SOMETHING FOR THIS PROGRAM RATHER THAN, UM, THE COCOA PROGRAM.
UM, AND SO AGAIN, JUST WE'RE, UM, STAFF'S WORKING ON THIS.
UM, THIS, THERE WAS DIRECTION FROM CITY COUNCIL, UH, AT THE MARCH 24TH MEETING TO BRING THIS TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
UM, SO WANTED TO PRESENT THE PROGRAM, UM, HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON ANY, YOU KNOW, FEEDBACK, COMMENTS, THINGS WE CAN DO TO THE PROGRAM THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND THEN COME BACK AT NEXT MONTH'S MEETING WITH THE MORE FORMAL, UM, PROGRAM GUIDELINES AND APPLICATION.
I'M GONNA OPEN THAT UP TO THE COMMITTEE.
DID EVERYONE HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE MEMO? AND I LOOKED AT IT KIND OF LATE LAST NIGHT.
SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY FEEDBACK? WOW, IT'S QUIET TODAY.
WELL, I KNOW I, YOU KNOW, I STILL KIND OF STAND THE SAME WAY, BUT AS LONG AS THE COMMITTEE'S MOVING IT FORWARD, I JUST DON'T REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF DOING THE INTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS AS THE PRIORITY.
SO DO YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM US TO NO, JUST ANY, UH, ANY FEEDBACK OR ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WITH THE PROGRAM? UM, NOT SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, FUNDING AMOUNTS, UM, AND WE'LL COME BACK NEXT MONTH WITH THAT FORMAL PROGRAM GUIDELINES AND APPLICATION.
AND THEN THAT'S WHERE WE'LL BE SEEKING THE COMMITTEES, UH, NEXT MONTH RECOMMENDATION OR TWO OR SO, YES, NEXT MONTH OR TWO.
I WAS NOT PROMISED NEXT MONTH.
I DIDN'T HAVE TO REVIEW THIS, AND YEAH.
SO YOU SAY NEXT MONTH OR TWO OR TWO, IT'LL BE AVAILABLE FOR FORMAL COMMENT.
THEY'LL GIVE US SOME TIME TO LOOK AT IT, RIGHT.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK TODAY.
YOU KNOW, AS, AS ROBERT SAID, YOU KNOW, CONTENT WISE, YOU KNOW, UM, THE THOUGHT, DO WE BLEND IT IN WITH OUR CURRENT FACADE PROGRAM AND MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, AN OPTIONAL PROGRAM? UH, IT COULD BE A, A SEPARATE PROGRAM.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, WOULD OPERATE VERY SIMILARLY.
[00:40:02]
UM, THERE'LL BE DIFFERENT STEPS.UM, THE INTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS WON'T REQUIRE HARB APPROVAL AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT THE FACADE DOES BECAUSE THAT'S EXTERIOR.
ARE THERE CERTAIN THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT USED FOR AND NOT USED FOR IN A BUILDING? WE SORT OF GOT LISTED HERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT STAFF'S INITIAL IDEAS ARE.
YOU KNOW, THE INTENT IS REALLY IF YOU HAVE, WHETHER IT'S THAT NEW BUSINESS THAT IS LOOKING AT A TENANT SPACE, BUT THE TENANT SPACE NEEDS, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER BATHROOM OR A KITCHEN BUILD OUT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THAT WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE TRIGGER TO ACTUALLY GET THAT TENANT TO COMMIT AND BRING A BUSINESS DOWNTOWN.
UM, IT COULD ALSO APPLY, YOU KNOW, FOR AN EXISTING BUSINESS AND THAT EXISTING BUSINESS, MAYBE THEY, THEY WANT TO EXPAND IN THE TYPES OF USES IN THEIR BUSINESS, AND THAT TRIGGERS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, IMPROVEMENT THAT CREATES AN ADDITIONAL A DA COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENT.
SO TRYING TO PUT TOOLS THERE FOR BOTH NEW AND EXISTING BUSINESSES AND DO THAT IN A WAY THAT ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT STAY WITH THE BUILDINGS THAT WE CAN BE ASSURED MEETS THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO THAT, AGAIN, THAT'S SORT OF WHAT THAT WHOLE MEMO IS ABOUT.
JUST TRYING TO HELP THE COMMITTEE UNDERSTAND THE REASONS THAT WE ARE GOING IN THIS DIRECTION IS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS MEETS WHAT FLORIDA STATUTE SAYS CRAS ARE ALLOWED TO, TO UTILIZE THEIR FUNDING FOR.
UM, AND STAFF DOES TRULY FEEL LIKE IT'S IN, IN TALKING WITH MANY PEOPLE OVER TIME THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE USED.
UM, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, JUST IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, YEAR OR SO OF PEOPLE WANTING TO USE, YOU KNOW, NEEDING IMPROVEMENTS DONE, NOT HAVING THE FUNDING, OFTEN THE LANDLORD'S NOT WILLING TO DO THAT IMPROVEMENT, SO IT'S LEFT TO THE TENANT.
SO IF WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THE BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN, THIS PROGRAM SHOULD HELP TO DO THAT.
ONE, UM, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA ADD ANY MORE STAFF WORK, BUT I'M CURIOUS, IS THERE A WAY TO FIND OUT WHICH SPACES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP TO CODE IN THE FOOTPRINT AND WHICH ONES ARE STILL NEEDING TO BE BROUGHT UP? THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A MOVING TARGET, BECAUSE BROUGHT UP TO CODE IS VERY DEPENDENT ON THE TENANT, THE USE THAT'S IN THERE.
AND YOU KNOW, IT, YOU KNOW, THE WAY FLORIDA BUILDING CODE WORKS IF YOU, YOU COME IN AND YOU NEED TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, AN IMPROVEMENT OR A REPAIR THAT OFTEN CAN THEN TRIGGER OTHER FLORIDA BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS COMING INTO PLAY.
SO THERE, THERE WOULDN'T REALLY BE ANY WAY TO SAY, OH, 20 OF THE 30 BUILDINGS ARE UP TO CODE.
THAT'S WHY I KIND OF THINK LIKE THAT BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT THAT DEMAND IS REALLY THERE BEFORE.
AND I MEAN, HOW MUCH STAFF TIME WOULD BE INVOLVED IN GETTING THIS PROGRAM GOING? AND THEN WE FIND OUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, FACADE APPLICATIONS HAVE DROPPED OFF, BUT FACADES EASY.
YOU CAN DRIVE DOWN THE STREET AND YOU CAN KIND OF BE LIKE, YEAH, THAT BUILDING REALLY NEEDS HELP.
WHEREAS THIS IS INTERNAL, IT'S A LITTLE HARDER TO DISCERN, YOU KNOW, WHO'S GONNA NEED IT AND WHO ISN'T.
WELL, WHEN, WHEN WE'VE DONE THE FACADE PROGRAMS IN THE PAST AND ALL THE, THE CRAS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, UM, PARTICULARLY AS THIS PROGRAM ROLLED OUT, WE WOULD DEFINITELY DO SOME EDUCATION AND IN GETTING THAT WORD OUT TO THE BUSINESSES AND THE PROPERTY OWNERS, THAT THERE'S THIS NEW PROGRAM THAT'S AVAILABLE.
UM, WE'VE DONE THAT FROM TIME TO TIME WITH THE FACADE AND PROGRAM, UH, FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF ACTIVITY.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE TALKED ABOUT THIS PAST YEAR, MAYBE GETTING SOME MORE WORD OUT.
UM, WE FAIRLY CONSISTENTLY USE THAT FUNDING, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, TWO TO THREE PROJECTS, UM, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UM, THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION, YOU KNOW, DO WE LOOK AT MAYBE INCREASING THEN THE OVERALL BUDGET, UM, SO THAT WE CAN DO SOME INTERIOR, SOME, YOU KNOW, FACADE? DO WE LET IT JUST BE OPTIONAL? JUST SEE WHAT COMES TO US AND LEAVE THE MOST FLEXIBILITY TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT A, A NEW EXISTING BUSINESS WOULD NEED.
UM, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE, TO ME, THE BEST WAY TO MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, VERY OPEN, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BUSINESSES AND, AND PROPERTY OWNERS.
BUT THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I MEAN, THAT REQUIRES YOU GUYS HAVING IT ALREADY SET UP AND IN PLACE, WHICH IS A LOT OF EFFORT, RIGHT? WELL, WE'RE, I MEAN, THE, THE FORMAT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TODAY, IF YOU DO A FACADE IMPROVEMENT, UM, APPLICATION, YOU FIRST HAVE TO GO TO MELBOURNE MAIN STREET'S DESIGN COMMITTEE, THEN YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE HISTORIC AND ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD, THE CITY BOARD FOR APPROVAL OF THE EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS.
THEN THEY COME TO THE CRA ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THEN THEY GO TO CITY COUNCIL.
[00:45:01]
THE INTERIOR BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WOULD SKIP THOSE FIRST TWO STEPS, AND THEY WOULD COME RIGHT TO THE CRA ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THEN TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.SO IT ACTUALLY, WE CAN USE A LOT OF THE SAME STEPS OF THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, APPLICATION WISE, AGREEMENT WISE.
UM, BUT JUST WITHOUT THOSE FIRST TWO STARTING STEPS, JOANNE, UM, OKAY.
A SUMMARY CHART WOULD'VE BEEN REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL HERE.
UM, BUT I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THIS INTERIOR PROGRAM IS, UM, A 15,000 FORGIVABLE LOAN.
IT'S A GRANT, IT'S, IT'S MONEY.
YOU'RE JUST GIVING THAT THE COCO PROGRAM? NO.
THE ONE THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING HERE? NO, THAT THE, THE COCOA PROGRAM SET UP AS A FORGIVABLE LOAN.
UM, OURS IS SET UP AS A GRANT.
SO THE COCO PROGRAM THAT, THAT'S THE COCO SUMMARY.
THAT'S, LIKE I SAID, I, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO REALLY, YEAH, WE DIDN'T PROPOSE ANY NUMBERS PER SE WITH THE PROGRAM YET.
AS ROBERT SAID, WE WANTED TO GET ANY FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMITTEE TODAY.
AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK AND PUT THE PROGRAM TOGETHER, PUT THE GUIDELINES TOGETHER, THE REQUIREMENTS, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE WE'RE, WE DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND JUST USE IT FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME TYPE OF INTERIOR BEAUTIFICATION, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT YOU TO JUST COME IN AND GO, I WANT NEW FLOORS.
AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL PUT ALL OF THAT TOGETHER IN AN APPLICATION AND GUIDELINES, AND WE'LL COME BACK TO THE COMMITTEE WITH THAT.
SO THE FIRST THING THAT HITS ME IS JUST THE FORGIVABLE LOAN OR GRANT, WHAT MAKES FACADE IMPROVEMENT ATTRACTIVE, AT LEAST FOR, IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR THE CRA AND FOR THE BUSINESS OWNER.
YOU'RE GOING IN TOGETHER, IT'S A MATCHING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT JUST GIVING THAT, THAT WOULD BE ONE COMMENT.
THE OTHER ONE THAT I DIDN'T LIKE AT ALL WAS THEY CAN USE THE MONEY FOR RENT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S THE COCO PROGRAM.
SO I'M GIVING YOU FEEDBACK ON WHAT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD.
SO FOR ME, MATCHING IT'S A WIN-WIN.
WE WERE THINKING THAT AS WELL.
AND, UM, IT'S NOT JUST A, A FREE $20,000 OR WHATEVER.
AND I AM, I'M KIND OF LEANING IN THE DIRECTION OF, OF FACADE IMPROVEMENT.
UM, IT'S, IT'S A VISIBLE CITY IMPROVEMENT INTERIOR, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.
BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT BRINGING BUSINESSES IN THAT CAN IMPROVE THE BLIGHT TO FILL EMPTY SPACES AND BRING BUSINESSES THAT WE WANT.
SO WOULD THERE BE ANY CHOOSING ABILITY HERE? I MEAN, HOW THAT SEEMS LIKE A, FOR INSTANCE,
YOU HAVE BUSINESS A, THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A REALLY GOOD IDEA FOR DOWNTOWN, AND YOU HAVE BUSINESS B THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
AND BUSINESS A COMES IN BEFORE, AND THAT'S THE WAY FACADE IMPROVEMENT WORKS.
SO DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF, FOR INTERIOR, DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF LEVERAGE OF, UH, WE WOULD RATHER GO WITH OPTION B? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IN COCO THEY HAVE THESE GRANTS, THEY REVIEW THEM, THEY MAKE THEM GO THROUGH, UM, THE WE VENTURE VETTING.
AND THEN THE VETTING, AND TO ME, JUST FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE FOR THIS INTERIOR.
DOESN'T, IF WE CAN DO ANYTHING, THAT'S CERTAINLY, THAT'S CERTAINLY A GOOD THOUGHT.
AND WE CAN, YOU KNOW, TARGET, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES.
I KNOW THE COCO'S PROGRAM, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T BE A BAR, UM, AND RECEIVE THAT.
SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THE TYPE OF BUSINESSES THAT WE'D LIKE TO ATTRACT TO DOWNTOWN AND WRITE THAT INTO THE PROGRAM.
AND, AND WE WILL DEFINITELY WANNA TALK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ABOUT OUR, OUR FLEXIBILITY IN, IN DOING THAT AND MAKING A PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, FOR CERTAIN USES, BUT NOT AVAILABLE FOR OTHER USES.
SO YEAH, THAT'S, I, I, I THINK THAT'S A, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
IF, IF WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOUGHTS THE COMMITTEE MAY HAVE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THOSE, YOU KNOW, LINES WOULD BE, UM, ON THE, THE TYPES THAT MAYBE WOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE.
UM, I MEAN, I SHARE THOSE CONCERNS SIMPLY BECAUSE I KNOW, LIKE WHEN WE HAD THE STAFF, THE STAFF MEETING, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, A LOT OF TIMES IT'LL BE A CONVERSION FROM RETAIL TO RESTAURANT AND WELL, YOU KNOW, LIKE MOON RIVER'S GREAT, THAT'S A PERFECT FIT FOR DOWNTOWN.
GREAT EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WANTED.
BUT DO WE REALLY WANT TO INCENTIVIZE MORE BARS AND RESTAURANTS TO COME IN WHEN WE REALLY NEED RETAIL RIGHT NOW? YOU KNOW, SO HAVING A HEALTHY MIX IS PRETTY IMPORTANT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY CONCERN BECAUSE WE COULD END UP HAVING A LOT OF BARS THAT ARE GONNA COME AND APPLY FOR THIS AND HOW DO WE SAY NO, THAT'S ALL VERY
[00:50:01]
GOOD POINT.AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL LOOK INTO BEFORE WE COME BACK.
I, UH, I WOULD RECOMMEND KINDA ADOPTING THE MODEL THAT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR BREVARD USES ON THEIR GRANT REVIEW PROGRAM.
AND THEY HAVE A WHOLE LIKE, SCORING SHEET.
AND SO IT BECOMES LIKE VERY OBJECTIVE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S THINGS LIKE, OKAY, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY JOBS WILL IT BE BRINGING TO THE AREA? WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, KINDA LIKE THE PROJECTED, YOU KNOW, FOOT TRAFFIC OR REVENUE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, AND THEN THAT WAY WE'RE NOT GETTING INTO LIKE ANY INAPPROPRIATE SUBJECTIVE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, TYPE STUFF.
AND SO IT WOULD SEEM LIKE WE COULD HAVE LIKE A WINDOW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE DO IT BY QUARTER OR BY LIKE HALF A YEAR.
AND IT'S LIKE, OKAY, ALL THESE BUSINESSES THAT SAY APPLY IN THE FIRST QUARTER, ASSUMING THERE'S ENOUGH, THEN, YOU KNOW, COMMITTEE REVIEWS PURSUANT TO THE SUBJECTIVE CRITERIA.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE SCORE IT THAT WAY.
AND THAT'S JUST COMING UP WITH, WITH THE CRITERIA.
BUT, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, I, I KEEP GOING BACK TO, AND IF THERE'S NO WAY TO DO IT, THERE'S NO WAY TO DO IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE REASON I USED THE POS EXAMPLE WAS MOSTLY BECAUSE OF, UM, EXPANDING EMPLOYEE BASES AND THAT KEY INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH I DO.
I'D BE REALLY CURIOUS, I MEAN, DO WE HAVE A STATUTORY DEFINITION OF BLIGHT? BECAUSE SEE TO ME THAT DOES PLAY INTO, IT'S IN THE MEMO, THE VERY, IT'S THE ACTUAL DEFINITION OF BLIGHT'S IN THE MEMO.
BUT, UM, SO PARTICULARLY AS YOU GET TO, OH, THE CITY ATTORNEY ATTORNEY'S GUIDANCE, UM, DEFINE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT, SLUM AREA, BLIGHTED AREA, AND THEN CITATIONS OF ALL THE ALLOWED USES AND, UM, UTILIZING CRA FUNDING.
SO SEE, LIKE THAT DOESN'T FALL INTO FALLING LEASE RATES PER SQUARE FOOT OR ANYTHING.
I MEAN, THERE'S NO ROOM, UM, TO BE ABLE TO DO.
I JUST, I LIKE THE IDEA OF GIVING THE BUSINESSES THE HAND UP TO HELP WITH THE BLIGHT VERSUS NECESSARILY, AGAIN, REWARDING THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLIGENT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GONNA APPLY ANYWAYS, TO BE HONEST.
I THINK THEY'RE JUST GONNA LEAVE THEIR BUILDINGS AS IS.
I MEAN, IF THEY DID, THEN THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
BUT I JUST, A LOT OF THE, THE TIMES WE'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, SOME BUSINESSES LEAVING DOWNTOWN, IT'S BEEN BECAUSE THEY'VE WANTED TO DO X, Y, Z, BUT THE BUILDING SPACE THEY'RE IN COULDN'T ACCOMMODATE THAT.
AND THE LANDLORD WASN'T WILLING TO HELP WITH THOSE IMPROVEMENTS TO GET THEM THERE.
I, I'M NOT GONNA NAME NAMES OR ANYTHING, BUT I, I'VE HEARD THAT THAT CASE SEVERAL TIMES.
SO IL, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU ON THIS, BUT THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING, THERE ARE SO MANY CREATIVE WAYS, JOHN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, TO WORK WITH SOME OF THESE LANDLORDS, THEY CAN FACTOR THAT INTO, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO FINANCE THAT IN, TO BE ABLE TO IMPROVE THOSE.
I MAYBE THEY DON'T KNOW AND THEY NEED SOME EDUCATION AWARENESS.
THAT'S WHY WE REALLY, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A LANDLORD STAKEHOLDER MEETING TO GET VERSUS NECESSARILY DOING THIS.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S JUST MY INPUT ALONE.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON, ON THAT AS WELL, ENGAGING THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
YEAH, I MEAN, I KIND OF ECHO THAT SENTIMENT.
IT WOULD, IT WOULD JUST BE NICE TO SOMEHOW, IF WE GO THIS ROUTE, WHICH I'M FINE WITH GOING THIS ROUTE, LIKE A, A MATCHING GRIN AND IT MAKES SENSE, UM, FOR KEEPING CERTAIN BUSINESSES IN THE AREA.
BUT IF IT'S, IF WE COULD SOMEHOW GET SOME LEVEL OF COMMITMENT, AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE FINANCIAL, BUT JUST SOME LEVEL OF BUY-IN OR COMMITMENT FROM THE PROPERTY OWNER, EITHER TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE MAIN STREET IDEAL PROJECT, YOU KNOW, THE PILLARS OR AT THE VERY LEAST TO THAT TENANT, RIGHT? BECAUSE LAST THING YOU WANT IS, OH HEY, YOUR LEASE RENEWAL IS COMING UP IN A YEAR AND UH,
YOU'VE NOW GONE UP, YOU KNOW, $2 A SQUARE FOOT.
SO A LEASE COMMITMENT TERM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL DEFINITELY NEED, UH, YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL TO LOOK INTO THAT.
'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH ROOM WE HAVE TO KIND OF DICTATE CONTRACTS AND CURRENTLY JUST, SO MAYBE SOME OF YOU THAT ARE NEWER MEMBERS TOO.
THE, UM, FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, THE WAY IT'S SET UP, IT'S A REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM, SO THERE'S NO CRA DOLLARS THAT GO UNTIL THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED.
AND IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE AREA, IT'S A THREE TO ONE MATCHING GRANT.
SO, UM, A, A PROPERTY OWNER OR A BUSINESS OWNER WOULD NEED TO EXPEND $60,000 TO OBTAIN THE FULL 20,000.
SO THAT'S SORT OF HOW THE FACADE PROGRAM WORKS AND THAT, THAT SEEMS TO WORK WELL.
WE DON'T WANNA GIVE MONEY UPFRONT AND THEN HAVE THINGS NOT BE COMPLETED.
WE NEED TO KNOW THAT THE PROJECT'S DONE COMPLETED AND THEN THEY CAN BE,
[00:55:01]
YOU KNOW, AWARDED THAT, THAT MONEY, UM, ONCE THEY'VE COMPLETED WHAT THEY'VE INDICATED THEY ARE GONNA DO.AND THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW THAT MANY SMALL BUSINESSES, AND I HOPE THAT THEY DO, BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT THERE THEY HAVE, IF, IF IT WERE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SAME 20 AND THEY HAVE TO COME UP, DO THEY HAVE 40 TO EVEN COME UP, 60 TO COME UP WITH UPFRONT TO EVEN MAKE THIS HAPPEN? ARE WE KIND OF SETTING THEM UP TO FAIL BEFORE IT GETS OUT THE DOOR? WELL, IT'S 50 50 IN THE CERTAIN AREA, AREA IN THE SOUTH US ONE AREA.
SO I MEAN, WE, WE STARTED OUT AS 50 50.
WE ONLY WENT TO, TO THE TWO TO ONE MATCH.
AND THEN WE WERE GETTING, WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON A CERTAIN AREA.
SO I MEAN, SO IT COULD GO BACK TO TWO TO ONE, OR THE INTERIOR PROGRAM COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT PROPORTION.
UM, IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN LIKE, REVIEW THE FINANCIALS OF THE BUSINESS OBJECTIVELY AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE VIABLE BEFORE GIVING THEM MONEY TOO, LIKE, SO THAT THEY DON'T, WE DON'T PUT AN IMPROVEMENT IN SOMEWHERE AND YEAH.
THEN THEY FAIL SIX MONTHS LATER.
I'M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW, WHAT THE CRITERIA YEAH.
YOU KNOW, WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD, UM, WOULD NEED TO ASK FOR, LIKE IN THE TIF PROGRAM WE HAD LIKE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, THEY HAD TO GO AND GET REVIEWED BY THEM OR SOMETHING.
I'M LIKE IN, IN THE TIFF PROGRAM WE HAD, THEY HAD TO GET REVIEW.
SO IN OUR PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.
WE, WE'VE HAD TO HIRE AN OUTSIDE COMPANY, YOU KNOW, TO, TO REVIEW THE DEVELOPERS, YOU KNOW, BACKGROUND AND CAPABILITIES AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT, UM, THAT COSTS US A, A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY WHEN WE'RE DOING THAT.
UM, IS THERE ANY WAY TO USE USE LIKE AN OBJECTIVE THIRD PARTY, LIKE MELBOURNE MAIN STREET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? THAT'S ANOTHER LAYER THOUGH.
PART OF THIS IS WE WANNA MAKE THE PROGRAM ACCESSIBLE AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S EASY, UH, FOR THEM TO GET THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND BY ADDING, UM, YOU KNOW, EXTRA STEPS MIGHT DETER SOME PEOPLE OR SLOW DOWN, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.
AND SO BY BEING A REIMBURSABLE GRANT, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, INTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS ARE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WON'T, WE WON'T FUND THEM UNTIL AFTER THOSE INTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS ARE MADE.
UM, AND SO WHETHER OR NOT THE BUSINESS STAYS IN THOSE IMPROVEMENTS, STILL STAY WITH THE PROPERTY, UH, FOR THE NEXT BUSINESS TO, TO COME IN.
UH, BUT CERTAINLY WORTH THE DISCUSSION OF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THAT.
WELL WE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL LOOK INTO AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO HAVE ANY, ANY SORT OF MAYBE THIRD, THIRD PARTY REVIEW KIND OF THING OF, OF THAT.
I KNOW, I KNOW THAT I, THAT'S NOT IN MY SKILLSET.
UM, TO BE DOING BUSINESS REVIEWS.
I KNOW HOW COMFORTABLE ROBERT IS.
SO, UM, YEAH, I JUST, IT'S, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW COCO CAN DO IT AND WE CAN'T, TO ME, UM, GETTING THE THIRD PARTY TO BE, WE VENTURE SOMEHOW TO DO THAT.
UM, WANNA REMIND THE BOARD THAT THAT'S WHERE OUR DESIGN COMMITTEE IS ACTUALLY THERE FOR, UM, WE RECENTLY OPENED IT UP TO, UM, SOME OF OUR BUSINESS OWNERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT COMMITTEE.
BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THAT COMMITTEE, IT'S IT'S BOARD, THE DESIGN COMMITTEE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE AARON TROGER, UH, BEING THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THAT, UH, COMMITTEE WHO IS, UH, A DESIGNER AND, AND THERE'S ARCHITECTURES INVOLVED.
UM, I, I'D PROBABLY BE CAREFUL FOR EXPANDING TOO FAR AWAY FROM WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE WITHIN THE CRA, INCLUDING OUR MAINSTREAM ORGANIZATION.
UM, I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THE FAP PROGRAM AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, HAVING SOME EXPERIENCE RELATED WITH THAT.
I ALSO HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT WE ARE ACTUALLY INVESTING ON A PROPERTY THAT, UM, IT'S ONLY GONNA, UH, IMPROVE AND, AND, AND RAISE, UH, THE PROPERTY VALUE.
UM, HOW WE CAN GET OUR PROPERTY OWNERS ALSO COMMITTED TO KEEP THE RENT, UM, ACCESSIBLE TO OUR, OUR, OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE NEW ONES COMING IN.
SO IT COULD BE A, A, A COMMITMENT, A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
IF WE ARE GOING TO INVEST IN YOUR PROPERTY, WE ALSO NEED YOU TO, TO WORK WITH US AND KEEP THOSE RENTS ACCESSIBLE FOR, FOR BUSINESSES TO COME IN.
AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT TO MAKE SURE ALSO THAT, UM, OUR, OUR ORGANIZATION HAS AN OPPORTUNITY, AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW IS NOT, UM, IT'S PROBABLY NOT ON THE COASTS OF THE CITY, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, PLACES LIKE LAKE NONA IN ORLANDO, THEY VET VERY CAREFULLY THE TYPE OF BUSINESS THAT'S GONNA COME IN, IN DOWNTOWN, AND THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS.
[01:00:01]
AND THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESS THAT STAY OUT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT FIT WHAT LAKE NONA IS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN THEIR DISTRICT.I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE HERE AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE COMING INTO DOWNTOWN ARE BUSINESSES THAT ARE REALLY GONNA IMPROVE OUR WAY OF LIFE, ARE GONNA BRING FOOD TRAFFIC IN, AND WE'RE REALLY GONNA PROVIDE A SERVICE NOT ONLY TO OUR RESIDENTS, BUT VISITORS ALIKE.
SO I WOULD APPRECIATE IF, IF WE CAN, UH, BE PART OF THAT DISCUSSION BEFORE ANY DECISIONS ARE MADE.
AND LIKE NONA IS SPECIFICALLY A CRA AREA IN ORLANDO.
CRA IS IS PRETTY MUCH THE DEVELOPER.
AND THEY HAVE SOME, IT'S A GOOD, IT'S A VERA.
'CAUSE THAT'S, I MEAN, WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO, OBVIOUSLY.
AND LUCKILY WE HAVE ADAM HERE LISTENING INTENTLY, I'M SURE.
BUT I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO.
AND HAVING, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED WITH KIM A LOT ABOUT HAVING THE PROPER TENANT MIX AND WORKING ON THAT BECAUSE WE HAD A FEW, UM, REGULAR BUSINESSES THAT WERE COMING IN AND TAKING UP MAIN SPACE.
YOU KNOW, WHICH MAKES IT REALLY HARD TO GET A GOOD TENANT MIX IN, WHICH IS, I THINK ENDS UP BEING PART OF OUR CYCLE.
AND, AND I THINK BEING, BEING ON A MAIN STREET PROGRAM, I THINK THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY THERE BECAUSE IT IS JUST WITHIN THAT MAIN STREET BOUNDARY OR PERHAPS EVEN THE, THE CRA, UM, ON, ON THE, UH, ON THE FACADE PROGRAM.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO IT AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE, THE, THE COMMITTEE'S TIME FOR THAT.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE CAN HAVE ALONG WITH, WITH THE CITY, UH, TEAM AND, AND, UM, AND I CAN PROVIDE SOME OF THOSE IDEAS.
SO THE EXISTING FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AS IT NOW EXISTS, EITHER THE BUSINESS OWNER OR THE PROPERTY OWNER CAN BE AN APPLICANT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THE PERMISSION OF THE PROPERTY OWNER.
IF ITS THE BUSINESS OWNER APPLYING, IF OKAY, HE HAS TO GET THE PROPERTY OWNER'S APPROVAL, RIGHT.
SO THE, THE SCENARIO THAT WE'VE THROWN OUT HERE THAT THERE'S AN IMPROVEMENT TO THE PROPERTY AND THE BUSINESS OWNER, OR EXCUSE ME, THE PROPERTY OWNER IS THE BENEFICIARY, BENEFICIARY OF THAT IMPROVEMENT, UM, COULD POTENTIALLY RAISE THE RENT EVEN WITH A FACADE IMPROVEMENT, TECHNICALLY.
RIGHT? SO WHY, I GUESS, WHY ISN'T THE PROPERTY OWNER THE ENTITY THAT WOULD BE APPLYING FOR EITHER THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT OR THE INTERIOR WORK? AND THAT TAKES AWAY THIS FEAR OF RENT GOING UP BY NO INVESTMENT BY THE PROPERTY OWNER? THEY, THEY SHOULD, IF, IF A TENANT A BUSINESS NEEDS SOME IMPROVEMENT, INTERIORIZED, THEY SHOULD GO TO THE OWNER, AND THEN THE OWNERS SHOULD BE THE APPLICANT.
THE O REALLY, THAT SHOULD BE THE CASE.
THAT WOULD BE THE, THE PERFECT WORLD WAY IT WOULD HAPPEN, RIGHT.
THAT THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD HAPPEN.
BUT I THINK WHAT WE'RE HEARING IS THAT MAYBE THERE'S SOME UNWILLING PROPERTY OWNERS THAT THERE'S POTENTIAL BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO COME IN AND UTILIZE A SPACE, BUT THE PROPERTY OWNER IS LIKE, WELL, I'M NOT GONNA MAKE ANY IMPROVEMENTS THAT MIGHT BE NECESSARY.
AND WE, THAT'S A COMMON THEME OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING, EVEN WITH THIS INCENTIVE, WHICH, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE SOME VACANT BUILDINGS RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND THAT IS PART OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING IS THE CAUSE OF SOME OF THAT.
A LOT OF THEM DON'T WANNA TOUCH ANYTHING.
YEAH, NO, I KNOW, I KNOW SOME PARTICULAR, YEAH, IT'S SUPER TYPICAL THAT THEY JUST PROVIDE A SHELL AND THEN WHOEVER COMES IN IS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THE IMPROVEMENTS.
'CAUSE IT'S PART OF THEIR BUSINESS.
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BUILD IT OUT AND THEN HOPE SOMEONE WILL COME, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU JUST PROVIDE THEM A SHELL AND THEN THEY DECIDE WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS THEY WANNA RUN AND DO THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
LIKE, EVEN, EVEN AS SIMPLE AS HVAC UPGRADES, IF IT'S A RESTAURANT, IT NEEDS A LOT MORE.
RIGHT? AS LONG AS, AS LONG AS THE LEASE PAYMENT REFLECTED THE FACT THAT YOU'RE GIVING HIM A SHELL.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT, RIGHT? YEAH.
THAT THERE'S THIS BIG INVESTMENT ON THE PART OF THE BUSINESS OWNER AND THE, AND THE, AND THE, UM, MONIES FROM THE CITY AND THE GRANT, AND THEN THE OWNER, THE PROPERTY OWNER IS THE BENEFICIARY OF THAT AND EITHER INCREASES RENT OR DECIDES, YOU KNOW, YOUR LEASE IS UP, I NEED SOMEBODY ELSE IN HERE THAT'S CAN PAY ME MORE.
I JUST THINK THAT, UH, THAT, THAT SH CLEAN, UH, WHATEVER.
I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THAT IN SOME CASES IT'S NOT GONNA WORK.
AND I THINK THE CONCERNS THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS, THE STAFF HAS THOSE SAME CONCERNS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TRY TO, TO FIND A WAY TO ADDRESS THAT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, A A
[01:05:01]
PROPERTY OWNER JUST GAINING THAT IMPROVEMENT AND THEN PUSHING, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS OUT, YOU KNOW, A YEAR LATER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.THAT THOSE, THOSE ARE ALL REALLY GOOD POINTS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
IF I COULD, UH, MARCUS, GOOD MORNING.
UH, I WAS WAITING UNTIL WE GOT TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, SO A LOT OF GOOD DISCUSSION ON THIS.
AND I JUST WANT TO SORT OF REMIND, AND I THANK THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY FOR, FOR BEING THERE.
I REALLY FEEL LIKE WE'RE, THIS IS GREAT.
THIS IS GOOD THAT WE SORT OF ADDED AND EXPAND IT, BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE SORT OF STILL MISSING A LITTLE BIT OF THE BOAT OF HOW WE GOING INVITE NEW BUSINESSES TO COME INTO THE AREA BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM WILL HELP A LOT OF THE BUSINESS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE.
UH, AND, AND, AND EVEN ON THE INCENTIVE SIDE.
BUT THE THING THAT I LIKE ABOUT THE COCOA PROGRAM, AND JOAN, YOU JUST ASKED THAT QUESTION, WHY IS IT THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO IT? MAYBE WE CAN'T DO THE EXACT SAME THING, BUT WE HAVE TO THINK OF A WAY TO INVITE NEW BUSINESSES.
'CAUSE I'M THINKING ABOUT THE SOUTH EXPANSION AREA, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO THINK OF NOT JUST SAYING, HEY, WE WANT YOU TO IMPROVE, UH, WHERE WHAT YOU HAVE NOW, BUT HOW DO WE HAVE SORT OF THE CULTURE TO INVITE NEW BUSINESSES? AND THE THING THAT I LIKED ABOUT THE USING THE WE VENTURE IS BECAUSE IT IS ABOUT THE BUSINESS OWNER AND STARTING THE BUSINESS AND HELPING THEM TO DEVELOP THEMSELVES AND GROW THEIR, START THEIR BUSINESS, GROW THEIR BUSINESS, AND THEN MAINTAIN THEIR BUSINESS.
I THINK, UH, BUT HAVING THIS ALSO WILL BE, WILL BE A GOOD THING.
'CAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, THAT WILL BE IN ADDITION TO.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, MAYBE WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT SOME TIME TO HAVE ANOTHER FEW MEETINGS TO REALLY SORT OF FLESH OUT.
BUT WHAT IS IT THAT THEY ARE DOING WITHIN THE LEGAL LIMITS WITHIN THE CITY OF COCOA? AND I LOOK, AND WE LOOK AT THE, AND I KNOW OF THE NUMBER OF NEW BUSINESSES THAT ARE, AS A MATTER FACT, THEY'RE ABOUT TO GET A NEW CIGAR.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF NEW BUSINESSES, UH, IN THAT AREA.
AND WE, AND WE ARE TOO ALI, UH, AND OTHER THINGS.
BUT IF WE, IF WE HAD A PROGRAM LIKE THIS AND IT WAS INVITING TO NEW BUSINESS OWNER, WE INVITE YOU TO COME START YOUR BUSINESS AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS HERE, THAT WOULD BE THE, THE THOUGHT.
ROBERT, WERE THERE THINGS WHEN YOU DID THE RESEARCH THAT YOU FOUND THAT WE COULD DO THAT THEY'RE DOING? SO THE, THE, THE STATUTORY ISSUE WAS THE SPENDING OF CRA DOLLARS.
AND SO, UM, IF WE WANT TO HAVE THAT EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT, THERE ARE THESE NONPROFITS, SVEC, WE VENTURE, THEY ALL HAVE FREE, UM, TRAINING, BUSINESS MENTORSHIP, REVIEW BUSINESS PLANS.
WE CAN INCLUDE THAT IN THE PROGRAM FOR ANYTHING THAT'S FREE WITH THE COCOA PROGRAMS. THEY EXPEND $2,500 OF THAT FIRST FORGIVABLE LOAN FOR THEIR SERVICES.
SO WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT, BUT WE CAN'T PUT DOLLARS BEHIND, YOU KNOW, PAYING FOR THEM TO GO THROUGH THE TRAINING.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THE COMMITTEE UNDERSTANDS AND, AND WHAT IS IN THE MEMO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DIAMOND SQUARE CRA, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT COCOA VILLAGE AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S UNDERSTANDING THAT COMPONENT.
THAT IS WHERE COCOA'S PROGRAMS ARE USING CRA DOLLARS, NOT COCOA VILLAGE.
THOSE ARE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS DON'T HAVE THE SAME RESTRICTIONS.
SO THE COCOA PROGRAM DOES NOT USE CRA DOLLARS.
SO WE, WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE WE'RE TALKING THE SAME TERMINOLOGY HERE.
SO COCOA VILLAGE, THEIR DOWNTOWN COCOA DOES NOT USE CRA DOLLARS FOR THIS PROGRAM.
THE ONLY CRA IN COCO THAT DOES IS THE DIAMOND SQUARE CRA, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT TO THE WEST OF THE DOWNTOWN COCOA VILLAGE AREA.
SO WHAT'S IN THIS MEMO IS ABOUT, AND THAT'S VERY CLEARLY WRITTEN IN THERE, DIAMOND SQUARE, CRA, NOT COCOA VILLAGE, CRA, I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS.
WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, IT'S STILL A CRA, THE DIAMOND AND THEY'RE STILL USING THE FUNDS, THE CRA FUNDS.
I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT, THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE USED THE FUNDS AND, AND WHERE THEY'RE LO LOCATED, ALSO HOW THEY'VE USE THIS.
BUT MR. SMITH HAD HAD MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE CIGAR COMPANY, THE THINGS THAT THOSE ARE HAPPENING IN THE COCO VILLAGE AREA.
WE DETAILED IN THE, IN THE MEMO TO YOU ALL ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE DIAMOND SQUARE CRA, WHERE THEY'RE USING CRA DOLLARS.
SO THEY ARE USING CRA DOLLARS TO THE FIRST 2,500 TO GO TO WE VENTURE.
AND WE HAVE ASKED, YOU KNOW, STATUTORILY HOW THEY'RE ACCOMPLISHING THAT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY DIRECTION MM-HMM
AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE DONE THE DEEPER DIVE.
WE'VE HAD THE CITY ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE IN YOUR MEMO TO SAY, WE DON'T SEE WITH STATUTE LANGUAGE AND ALLOWANCES FOR CRA EXPENDITURES, THAT THAT TYPE OF PROGRAM IS AN ELIGIBLE CRA EXPENDITURE.
[01:10:01]
WOULD THERE BE ANY DIFFERENCE LOOKING AT FACADE WHERE THE BUSINESS OWNER OR PROPERTY OWNER, BUSINESS OWNER IN THIS CASE WOULD PAY THE $2,500 UPFRONT AND IT WOULD BE AN ELIGIBLE REIMBURSEMENT? WOULD THAT BE ALLOWABLE? BECAUSE I MEAN, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GETTING AN EDUCATION AND PUTTING A NEW SIGN UP? RIGHT? IT'S STILL IMPROVING THE BUSINESS.IS THAT A POSSIBILITY? UM, WELL, UM, MY THOUGHT IS THERE'S SBDC, WE'VE, EVEN, WE VENTURE THEY HAVE FREE BUSINESS COACHING FREE SERVICES.
BUT, BUT THIS PARTICULAR SERVICE THAT CATHERINE DISCUSSED WAS VERY POINTED AND, AND HELPFUL.
SO AGAIN, I HAVE TO POSE THE QUESTION OF IF, IF, IF WE COULD PAY 50% OF A SIGN, CAN WE PAY 50% OF A EDUCATIONAL CLASS? AND THAT'S WHAT'S STAT'S POSITION IS THAT WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT MEETS THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A MENTORSHIP TYPE PROGRAM.
I WOULD, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE THE CONCERN IS.
SO, REWIND, BECAUSE COUNCIL DIRECTED US TO KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, AND IF I'M GOING BACKWARDS, IT WAS SO THAT CRA COULD BE A TEST PROGRAM AND THEN HOPEFULLY IT WOULD EXPAND TO THE CITY.
SO MAYBE WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS JUST SAY, THIS CAN'T BE A TEST PROGRAM AS PRESENTED.
MAYBE IT NEEDS TO GO BACK TO COUNCIL FOR THE CITY TO FIND A TEST PROGRAM WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
THIS IS GREAT PROGRESS, EVEN THIS DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW.
SO THIS IS GREAT PROGRESS AS TO WHAT WE CAN OFFER IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S GOING ON NOW.
UH, AND GREAT QUESTIONS THERE.
SO, AND BUT EVEN BE, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT FROM BUSINESS ON THE STANDPOINT, IT'S NOT JUST THE FACILITY THAT THEY NEED THOUGH, RIGHT? SO EVEN IF IT'S NOT THE EDUCATION COMPONENT, WHAT ELSE DOES THAT BUSINESS OWNER FEEL LIKE THAT? SO THAT'S STILL ANOTHER PART OF DISCUSSION THAT NEEDS TO BE HAD.
BECAUSE IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE FACILITY THAT THEY, AND, AND I KNOW MR. CONLEY'S AVAILABLE IF, IF THE COMMITTEE WANTS TO HEAR ANY OF THAT, THAT FURTHER, BUT I DO WANNA GET BACK TO, TO SORT OF SPECIFIC TO WHAT WE THINK DOWNTOWN NEEDS.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ME, I'M ADAM CONLEY, CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, AS PER THE MEMO, UH, OUR OFFICE HAD RECEIVED, UH, INQUIRIES BOTH FROM STAFF AND, AND, UH, BIND THROUGH THE, UH, ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THIS QUESTION.
I'LL, I'LL TRY AND CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT.
SOME OF, 'CAUSE I, I'VE HEARD SOME LANGUAGE THAT'S BEEN VERY KIND OF BINARY.
NO, AND I, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT IMPRESSION THAT IT, THAT IT'S A, I'M SAYING THAT COCOA IS WRONG, THAT YOU CAN'T DO WHAT COCO'S DOING, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA BE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A GRAY AREA AND JUST SAY AS, AS OUTLINED IN THE MEMO, CRA ACT AND THE EXPENDITURES THAT ARE ALLOWABLE ARE SORT OF SET FORTH IN THE ACT IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROVISIONS WITHIN, WITHIN THE STATUTES.
AND SO WITHIN THAT, YOU GET SORT OF A SPECTRUM OF THINGS THAT ARE VERY CLEARLY AND EXPRESSLY ALLOWED.
AND THEN AS YOU STRAY AWAY FROM THAT, THINGS THAT ARE NOT AS CLEAR GRAY OR AREA THINGS WHERE YOU'RE GETTING MORE AGGRESSIVE OR MORE SPECULATIVE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW.
AND, AND THAT'S WHERE I WOULD SAY THE BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN, UH, SUGGESTED HERE AND PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED AS AN EXPANSION OF A FACADE PROGRAM OR IS A PARALLEL PROGRAM, I THINK IS FAR CLEARER AND EASIER TO JUSTIFY AND DEFEND AS ELIGIBLE EXPENDITURES OF CRA FUNDS WITHIN, WITHIN A PLAN AND A PROGRAM, RIGHT? UH, FROM THE DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN ELIMINATING SLUM AND BLIGHT TO LANGUAGE IN THE STATUTE, THAT VERY CLEARLY SAYS THAT YOU CAN EXPEND FUNDS FOR A VOLUNTARY REHABILITATION PROGRAM FOR BUILDINGS IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THE LIKEWISE, RIGHT? THAT'S A VERY CLEAR CONNECT THE DOTS.
AND ANYONE WHO CAME IN, WHETHER JAC ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, ANYBODY ELSE SAY, HOW IS THE MELBOURNE DOWNTOWN CRA SPENDING ITS FUNDS STAFF IN MY OFFICE IS GONNA BE ABLE TO SAY, HERE'S HOW WE'RE CONNECTING THE DOTS.
HERE'S HOW WE'RE SAYING THIS IS NOW ELIGIBLE EXPENDITURE.
AS YOU START MOVING AWAY FROM THAT AND GETTING INTO OTHER PROGRAMS, BUSINESS MENTORSHIP, BUSINESS PROMOTION, SO ON AND SO FORTH, IN MY OPINION, IT'S MORE DIFFICULT TO, TO CONNECT THOSE DOTS.
AND IT'S, I'M, I HAVE LESS SORT OF AMMUNITION TO POINT TO IN THE STATUTE TO SAY, HERE'S, HERE'S WHERE THEY'RE ELIGIBLE TO DO THIS.
HERE'S HOW IT'S DIRECTLY TIED TO SLUM AND BLIGHT.
SO I, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE'S ALREADY AUTHORITIES OUT THERE OR OPINIONS SAYING WHAT, WHAT COCO'S DOING, WHAT DIAMOND SPRING, SYRIA IS DOING IS WRONG OR
[01:15:01]
ILLEGAL.IT'S JUST FROM A RISK PERSPECTIVE, AND A, IN AS MY JOB OF PROVIDING GUIDANCE TO COUNSEL AND IN ITS CAPACITY AS A CRA ON HOW TO SPEND CRA FUNDS AND HOW TO STAY LEGALLY COMPLIANT WITH THE STATUTE, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE COCOA PROGRAM WITH BUSINESS MENTORSHIP, WITH PAYING FOR RENT SUBSIDIES, SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS, IT'S HARDER TO JUSTIFY.
AND SO I, THE, MY, MY GUIDANCE TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND MY GUIDANCE TO COUNCIL WILL BE, PLEASE BE CAREFUL BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IN MY OPINION, HARDER TO DEFEND AND MORE SUBJECT TO CHALLENGE IF, IF WE MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION AND START SPENDING CRA FUNDS FOR THOSE PURPOSES.
WHEREAS IT'S FAR EASIER TO DEFEND AND FAR MORE CLEARLY A EXPRESSLY AND ALLOWABLE COMPONENT OF CRA TRUST FUND EXPENDITURE FOR THIS PROPOSED, UH, BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND INTERIOR IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
SO I HOPE, I HOPE THAT GIVES SOME CLARITY AS TO RIGHT.
I I'M NOT SAYING NO, I'M JUST SAYING IT'S, IT'S HARDER TO JUSTIFY.
SO JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND, AND THEN, YEAH, SORRY, IT'S NOT ILLEGAL.
I CAN'T, I CAN'T MAKE THAT THAT CLAIM.
IT'S, IT'S A AND AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, FROM THE HISTORY OF THE COCOA PROGRAM, THE OTHER THINGS, THE MATERIALS THAT THEY HAVE IN HOW THEIR PLAN GOT AMENDED, THE ORDINANCES, THE STAFF MEMBERS AND OTHER THINGS DON'T REALLY GO THROUGH THAT ANALYSIS TO SAY HOW THEY'RE SAYING THEY THINK THEY COMPLY WITH THE ACT.
AND SO I, IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR STAFF AND US TO SAY HOW THEY MADE THAT JUSTIFICATION, BUT IN OUR REVIEW OF IT, I I'M SAYING I THINK WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, I HAVE, I WILL, I WILL WITH A, AS BEST I CAN DEFEND WHATEVER COUNSEL ENDS UP DOING, BUT IN TERMS OF TRYING TO DRAFT A PROPOSED ORDINANCE AND DRAFT A PROPOSED MEMO TO SAY, HERE'S HOW WE'RE SAYING THIS NEW PROGRAM COMPLIES WITH CRA ACT AND HOW WE'RE ALLOWED TO SPEND THESE FUNDS, IT'S, THERE ARE HARDER HURDLES TO GET OVER TO SAY THAT, THAT THAT PROGRAM HAS, HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN ADOPTED AND OPERATES FOR DIAMOND SPRING, CRA HITS ALL OF THESE REQUIREMENTS.
I HAVEN'T REVIEWED THEIR PLAN.
MY GUESS IF YOU JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD IS IT'S IN HOW THE DIFFERENT PLANS ARE DRAFTED.
AND I'M ASSUMING IF THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO SUPPORT THEIR POSITION FOR THIS MORE LIBERAL APPROACH IS THAT THEY HAVE A BUNCH OF, YOU KNOW, PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF FACT, RIGHT? LIKE THEIR POLICY FINDINGS OF WHY, YOU KNOW, OH, THIS SUPPORTS BLIGHT AND DA DA DA THIS WAY, AND WE'RE LOOKING, AND I DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S, AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE MATERIALS THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FIND.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAD THAT, THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE A WAY, THE BEST WAY FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEIR I I I, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE AND THAT'S WHAT WE, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR, BUT IT, WE, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FIND IT.
BUT, BUT THAT'S HOW, THAT'S HOW WE WOULD APPROACH IT, RIGHT? WE WOULD, WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE FINDINGS AND POINT TO THINGS IN THE STATUTE TO SAY, CONNECT THE LANGUAGE.
THIS IS ALL ABOUT CONNECTING THE DOTS.
AND THEN ALSO JUST UNDERSTAND, I, HE WAS KIND OF SAYING HE CAN'T SAY SOMETHING LIKE, KNOW THAT THERE'S REALLY NO SUCH THING AS THE LAW BEARS ARGUMENTS AND THERE'S BIAS PERCEPTION, AND THOSE TWO THINGS COME TOGETHER AND YOU GET RULINGS.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU CAN'T GIVE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER.
I MEAN, IT'S THE TRUTH THOUGH.
AND I WOULD JUST REMIND THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE BEEN ON THE COMMITTEE FOR A WHILE, AND THOSE THAT YOU ARE NEW, THIS CRA HAS BEEN AUDITED, I BELIEVE, FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES.
SO I'LL JUST PUT THAT OUT THERE AS WELL, WHICH IS WHY YOU HAVE CAUTIOUSNESS, UM, FROM STAFF NOT BEING AN ATTORNEY.
IS THERE AN AUDIT COMMITTEE WE CAN JUST BLACK, WHITE, PRESENT THIS TO AND SAY, HEY, ATTORNEY GENERAL, I DON'T KNOW,
IN FACT, I, I CITED TO ONE IN, IN THE MEMO FROM EITHER 2010 OR 2014 AT THE TIME, IT WAS ABOUT, UH, A CRA THAT WAS, UH, USING FUNDS FOR, UH, PROMOTIONAL ITEMS, RIGHT? PARADES, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS.
AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE WAS VERY CAUTIOUS AND SAID, WE DON'T REALLY SEE HOW THIS IS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE CRA.
AND A LOT OF CRAS, UM, THIS ONE INCLUDED, UM, PIVOTED AND, AND CHANGED SOME OF THEIR PROCESSES AND EXPENDITURES BASED ON THAT, UM, CRA, UH, ADVISORY OPINION FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD REQUIRE, UM, COUNSEL DIRECTION, UH, TO ME TO, TO DO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE,
[01:20:01]
UM, REQUIRES A COUNSEL DIRECTION FOR THAT TYPE OF ADVISORY OPINION.SO IF THERE WAS, IF THERE WAS STILL A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS PROMOTION, BUSINESS MENTORSHIP, OTHER THINGS, IT, IT, IT'S AN OPTION.
IT'S ALSO A PROCESS THAT USUALLY TAKES ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
UM, SO IT'S NOT ONE THAT, THAT WOULD OCCUR IN ANY FAST TIMEFRAME.
UM, SO THAT'S ANOTHER CONSIDERATION THAT AS WELL, THANK YOU.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, SIMPLY BECAUSE THEN WE WOULD HAVE SOMETHING THAT SAYS BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD ON THIS.
WELL, THERE'S TWO THINGS TO THAT.
ONE, IN ORDER TO DO IT APPROPRIATELY, WE WOULD NEED TO FIRST AMEND OUR PLAN SO THAT WE GET ALL THE FINDINGS AND SUCH IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DEFEND IT, RIGHT? NO, YOU, I, WELL, THIS IS WHERE IT GETS TOUGH, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU'D BASICALLY BE USING CITY OF COCO'S AS THE MODEL AND BE ASKING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS WHAT THEY'RE, IS WHAT THEY'RE DOING ALLOWABLE, RIGHT.
AND THEN YOU END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU'RE SORT OF THROWING THEM UNDER THE BUS
WE HAD A, WE HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH, UH, PARKING ENFORCEMENT, RIGHT? WE HAD, YOU KNOW, WE HAD AN ISSUE WHERE WE HAD AN ORIGINAL PLAN OF USING THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR FOR, UH, PARKING ENFORCEMENT IN LOOKING AT THE LAW, DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE CONCERNS WITH DELEGATING THAT TO A THIRD PARTY, UM, DESPITE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES DOING IT THAT WAY.
THERE WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THOSE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WERE DOING ILLEGALLY SUBMITTED.
I'VE, I GOT COUNSEL DIRECTION TO SUBMIT A, UM, ADVISORY OPINION, A REQUEST TO, UH, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE ON, ON THAT TOPIC, HAVE NOT GOTTEN A RESPONSE BACK.
BUT I'M, I'M EFFECTIVELY ASK, I'M EFFECTIVELY ASKING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, HOW ARE THOSE OTHER PEOPLE DOING IT? SO YOU'VE DONE IT BEFORE AND YOU'RE STILL WAITING FOR AN ANSWER.
THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD INFORMATION.
IT'S BEEN ALMOST SIX MONTHS, RIGHT? SO WE SHOULD BE CLOSE.
NO, IT, IT'S ONLY BEEN A FEW MONTHS NOW.
I, I PROBABLY AM NOT EXPECTING AN ANSWER BACK ON THAT FOR SEVERAL MORE MONTHS.
IF, IF AT ALL THEY, SOMETIMES THEY JUST RESPECTFULLY REJECT THE REQUEST.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER 'EM.
BUT THAT'S PART OF THE POINT IS THAT IT'S JUST THAT AN ADVISORY OPINION.
IT'S NOT BINDING PRISON OR ANYTHING.
SO YOU CAN STILL, IF SOMEBODY SUES, YOU BE FOUND TO HAVE VIOLATED THE STATUTE AND HELD LIABLE.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE A SHIELD ALL OF A SUDDEN.
IT'S JUST PERSUASIVE AUTHORITY.
I APOLOGIZE, I'VE ONLY GOT ABOUT FIVE MORE MINUTES, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
SO I WAS JUST GOING TO SORT OF TURN THE CONVERSATION TO, I THINK AT, AT LEAST THE PERSPECTIVE THAT STAFF HAS ABOUT DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE.
SO LET'S THINK ABOUT THIS IN THE, THE CONTEXT OF THE CRA THAT WE'RE WORKING IN.
THERE ARE BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO COME TO DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE.
I KNOW LISA AND JOHN, YOU GUYS ARE IN THE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS.
I, I HEAR THROUGH OTHERS, THERE'S ACTIVITY BUSINESSES THAT ARE, HAVE MAYBE BEEN IN ANOTHER LOCATION AND WANNA MOVE DOWNTOWN, NEW BUSINESS IDEAS.
SO THERE'S NOT A LACK OF BUSINESSES TRYING TO, TO COME DOWNTOWN.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S OUR PROBLEM.
I, I THINK THE PROBLEM COMES INTO BEING ABLE TO FIND THE RIGHT SPACE, FIND THE NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS IN THAT TENANT SPACE FOR THE BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE COMING DOWNTOWN AND, AND GETTING OVER THAT HURDLE AS OPPOSED TO FINDING, MAYBE, I DON'T WANNA SAY QUALIFIED, BUT GOOD BUSINESS MODELS THAT, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES THAT HAVE GOOD MODELS THAT WANNA START.
SO I JUST WANT THE COMMITTEE TO THINK ABOUT OUR SPECIFIC SCENARIO THAT WE HAVE IN DOWNTOWN.
YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT'S LIMITING BUSINESSES FROM, YOU KNOW, COMING INTO THE PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
I JUST THROW THAT OUT THERE FOR, FOR THOUGHTS.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA LIKE MY ANSWER,
NO, I MEAN, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THERE'S SO MUCH RED, AND THIS IS NATIONAL.
IT'S NOT JUST MELBOURNE, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH RED TAPE NOW.
I MEAN, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT IF THEY WANT TO INCORPORATE PARKING AND A DEVELOPMENT, THAT PARKING'S A REAL DETERRENT TO DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW STILL.
AND THE COST TO GET THROUGH ENGINEERING AND BUILDING IS SO MUCH HIGHER THAN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THEY PROBABLY SIT DOWN IF THEY MAKE THEIR INITIAL CALLS AND THERE'S SO MUCH THAT THEY HAVE TO DO.
AND I KNOW AGAIN, WE CAN'T CHANGE FLOOR TO BUILDING CODE, BUT I KEEP COMING BACK TO HOWEVER WE CAN DO IT TO MAKE IT EASIER ON THESE BUSINESSES, BECAUSE I HEAR THESE STORIES EVERY DAY THAT THE TIMELINE TO GET THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I MEAN, YOU THINK IF IT TAKES EIGHT MONTHS FOR A BUSINESS TO GET OPEN, THAT'S TIME AND MONEY TOO.
THEY'RE PAYING RENT, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HAVING TO SPEND MONEY ON AN ENGINEER.
IT'S, IT'S A LOT MORE THAN JUST, HEY, I NEED A BATHROOM.
WELL, AND THINK ABOUT IT IN THE REALMS OF THIS PROGRAM, I MEAN, WE ARE TALKING
[01:25:01]
ABOUT INTERIOR KIND OF IMPROVEMENTS, NOT WHOLE SITE DEVELOPMENTS, RIGHT? IT IS MORE FOCUSED, BUT EVEN THE INTERIOR ON YEAH.UM, AND I, I MEAN LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO FRESH MARKET? NOW THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE GOING IN THERE.
I'M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
IS THAT A PROBLEM WHERE THEY HAD TO DO UPGRADES? WELL, THAT'S ACTUALLY PROBABLY, THAT'S THE ONE AT NEW HAVEN AND 1 92.
IT'S PROBABLY A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE.
UM, IF I RECALL ROBERT, IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS WITH, UM, THE OWNER, THEIR WHOLE BACK WAS THE INABILITY TO AFFORD TO PUT IN A HOOD IN PROPER KITCHEN TO DO THAT EXPANSION.
SO THERE, THERE'S ONE OF THE EXAMPLES THAT WE'VE THAT'S OF EXPENSIVE.
IT IS, BUT I MEAN, HE PROBABLY PAID RENT FOR A YEAR BEFORE.
WELL, YEAH, HE WAS RUNNING HIS CATERING BUSINESS.
I MEAN, HE WAS A FUNCTIONING BUSINESS.
IT JUST WASN'T AN OPEN, HE WANTED TO OPEN, YOU KNOW, AS A RESTAURANT, BUT HE DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THOSE IMPROVEMENTS TO GET THERE.
HE SAID THAT BASICALLY THAT'S THE REASON THAT HE HAD TO RELOCATE, BECAUSE THAT'S A REQUIREMENT PER CODE, RIGHT? RIGHT.
YOU CAN'T RUN A RESTAURANT WITHOUT HAVING CERTAIN EQUIPMENT.
I FEEL LIKE UNLESS YOU'RE AN ESTABLISHED BUSINESS AND YOU'RE A TENANT LOOKING AND YOU'RE A NEW BUSINESS, IT'S LIKE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THESE COSTS UNTIL MM-HMM
SOMEBODY EXPLAINS 'EM TO YOU AND THEY'RE LIKE, YOU WOULD NEVER EXPECT ANY OF THIS STUFF.
OH, I NEED TO PUT FIRE SUPPRESSION IN.
LIKE, I THOUGHT I COULD JUST FRONT THIS FACE.
IT IS JUST THEY'RE, THEY DON'T KNOW.
I'M FLIGHT TO CATCH, SO, OKAY.
HOW DO, HOW DO WE WANNA SUMMARIZE THIS? UM, I, I MEAN, I, I WOULD, LET ME SEE WHAT THE THOUGHTS OF THE COMMITTEE ARE.
I'M THINKING THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN AND SHOOT IT BACK TO COUNCIL A LITTLE BIT.
AND I MEAN, SEE WHAT YOU GUYS COME UP WITH FOR OTHER IDEAS.
HOPEFULLY WE'VE GIVEN YOU SOME GOOD DIRECTION, BUT CAN I DEFINITELY, GO AHEAD, JERRY.
THE IMPROVEMENTS HERE, YOU'RE SAYING FOR THE RENT ARE COMING IN ATTENDANCE, HOW ABOUT THE LANDLORD? I MEAN, THE PEOPLE OWN THE BUILDING.
CAN THEY APPLY FOR THESE COMPANIES? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE PREFERRED METHOD.
IT, I THINK IT'S CLEANER THAT WAY.
UM, BUT IT WOULD BE WITH THE INTENT OF KNOWING A BUSINESS IS TRYING TO LEASE THIS SPACE.
THEY NEED X, Y, Z, YOU KNOW, INSTALLED, IMPROVED, TO MAKE THAT SPACE VIABLE, THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE THAT CONNECTION.
I JUST SPENT A LOT OF MONEY
SO BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, SO IF THE BUILDING'S EMPTY AND, AND THE OWNER APPLIES FOR THE, THE IMPROVEMENTS, THEY HAVE TO ALSO, UM, UH, DEMONSTRATE THAT THERE IS A BUSINESS THAT'S TRYING TO OCCUPY THAT SPACE.
I, I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE PROGRAM.
WE NEED TO DEVELOP WHAT THE PARAMETERS ARE.
AND SO IF WE GO BACK TO THE IDEA OF WE'RE TRYING TO BRING BUSINESSES INTO DOWNTOWN, YOU'RE GONNA WANNA HAVE SOME CONNECTION THERE THAT IT'S NOT JUST A PROPERTY OWNER APPLYING TO, TO, YOU KNOW, DO SOME UPGRADES.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE LIKE THAT NEXT STEP CONNECTION.
YOU, YOU GUYS TELL US WHAT, YEAH, I THINK A, A GOOD EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, IF A PROPERTY OWNER WANTS TO GO AHEAD AND PUT A FOG IN, BUT THEN A RETAIL COMES IN AND TEARS IT ALL OUT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA USE IT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO COMMIT OURSELVES TO, TO THAT.
SO MAYBE THE THOUGHT OF HAVING A BUSINESS TIED TO IT, EVEN LIKE BATHROOMS, LIKE YOU PUT IN ONE BATHROOM FOR RETAIL, BUT YOU NEED MORE FOR RESTAURANT, RIGHT? MM-HMM
I THINK WE NEED STILL A LITTLE MORE FINE TUNING, BUT NOT TOO MUCH IN CASE WE DON'T MOVE FORWARD.
IS THAT SOME GOOD DIRECTION OR? NO, YOUR IDEAS ARE GOOD.
COUNCIL'S ASKED US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROGRAM, BRING IT BACK TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, FLUSH SOME OF THIS OUT.
UM, WE'LL TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME AND SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME MAYBE WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO TRY TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BUSINESS PLAN AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, A VIABLE BUSINESS.
TRY TO LOOK AT WHETHER THERE'S A WAY TO MAYBE SAY THERE ARE SOME NON-ELIGIBLE, YOU KNOW, TYPE IMPROVEMENTS OR USES AND THINGS.
I, I THINK THAT I'M THINKING OF THIS MORE BROADLY TOO.
I MEAN, WE, WE DEFINITELY WANNA HAVE SOME GUARDRAILS ON, ON THAT.
UM, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE INPUT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAVE GIVEN US BACK, IT PROBABLY ISN'T LIKELY, YOU KNOW, JUNE THAT WE'D BE READY, PROBABLY MORE LIKE MAYBE JULY AND, UM, WE'LL COME BACK AND HAVE A MORE DETAILED, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE RULES ARE BASICALLY OF THE PROGRAM.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A JULY MEETING PROBABLY, UNLESS WE PUSH IT BACK A WEEK.
[01:30:01]
THIRD.UM, WOULD YOU GUYS LIKE US TO FIND A DATE IN JULY INSTEAD OF IN JULY? UM, YEAH, WE'VE HAD LONG MEETINGS.
I HATE TO SKIP ONE, BUT IT'S UP TO GO WITH THE COMMITTEES.
I MEAN, IF WE DID IT ON THE 10TH, WE STILL HAVE FOUR WEEKS IN BETWEEN BEFORE THE NEXT ONE.
'CAUSE THERE'S A, A FIFTH FRIDAY IN, UM, JULY.
WOULD THAT WORK WITH THE CITY? THAT SHOULD WORK.
AND WE'LL JUST HAVE TO VERIFY THAT COUNCIL CHAMBER IS AVAILABLE.
AND WE CAN GO AHEAD AND, AND LOOK TO MOVE THAT.
CAN I MOVE ON TO ITEM NINE? MM-HMM
UH, THE ONLY THING, UH, WE HAD IS WE'RE, UH, BEEN ASKING OUR OTHER BOARDS, UM, IF, UH, IF YOU ALL PREFER JUST THE ELECTRONIC VERSION, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING DISCUSSIONS RATHER THAN THE, THE MAIL PACKET, YOU KNOW, SAVE ON POSTAGE AND PAPER.
BUT, UM, IF YOU STILL LIKE THE MAIL PACKET, WE CAN CERTAINLY STILL SEND IT AS WELL.
BUT IF EVERYONE'S ALL RIGHT WITH JUST THE EMAIL, WE GO AHEAD.
I MEAN, I'M OKAY WITH EMAIL EXCEPT THAT WHAT WE GOT IN THE MAIL WAS MORE THAN THE EMAIL.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT THE MEMOS WERE ATTACHED.
THAT WILL BE, WE'LL BE, ALL OF IT WILL BE IN THE, IN THE EMAIL.
WE'LL EMAIL THE WHOLE PACKAGE.
IT, IT, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
YEAH, I MEAN, I, I, YEAH, I'D PREFER THAT.
I HATE SEEING A DOLLAR OR WHATEVER ON THE POSTAGE THING.
I KNOW THAT'S, YEAH, WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT COSTS, SO.
UM, AND CAN I ALSO REQUEST THAT I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING ON PRESENTATIONS UP TO THE LAST MINUTE, EVEN WHEN IT'S LAST MINUTE.
IF YOU CAN JUST SEND THAT AS WELL, A SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES WHERE I GET BACK AND I'M LIKE, OH, BUT I, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT WAS PRESENTED.
AND INSTEAD OF US TAKING THE STEP AND SAYING, CAN YOU PLEASE, CAN YOU JUST ALWAYS SEND US THE PRESENTATION ELECTRONIC? WOULD YOU LIKE, WOULD IT BE EASIER TO HAVE A HARD COPY HERE AT THE MEETING SO YOU GUYS CAN TAKE NOTES ON IT? BECAUSE IT'S HERE PAPER.
LIKE AFTER I'M ALWAYS REQUESTING COPY.
YOU KNOW, I WANNA LOOK AT MELBOURNE MAIN STREETS.
I WANNA LOOK AT IT LATER AND KIND OF REVIEW IT.
I MEAN WE TYPICALLY ARE FINISHING THAT POWERPOINT UP.
LIKE I GET THAT THE DAY BEFORE, BUT, OR JUST AFTER THE MEETING.
NO, I THINK, I THINK JOANNE'S ASKING BEFORE THE MEETING.
NO, I'M NOT ASKED BECAUSE I REALIZE HOW THAT COULD BE VERY LAST MINUTE.
IF IT IS THE EVENING AND YOU CAN PUSH IT OUT OR THE NEXT MORNING AFTER THE MEETING, IT IS FINE BECAUSE I USE THAT AS SUPPORTING DATA.
'CAUSE I'M THINKING ABOUT THINGS AND WANT TO GO BACK AND REFER AND THEN I GOTTA REMEMBER TO EMAIL YOU ALL.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST DO THAT AUTOMATICALLY, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
BUT DO YOU MEAN ALSO AFTER LIKE GETTING A COPY OF THIS ONE AFTER OR NO AFTER IS FINE.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS THE PRESENTATION THEY'RE WORKING ON TYPICALLY UP TILL NINE O'CLOCK OR WHATEVER TIME AT NIGHT.
IF YOU CAN PUSH GO, THEN IT'S FINE.
OR IN THE MORNING AFTER THE MEETING, JUST PUSH GO.
EITHER WAY IS FINE WITH ME AND I DON'T NEED A HARD COPY PERSONALLY AT THIS.
IS EVERYBODY OKAY THEN WITH A EMAILED COPY OF THE PACKAGE? MM-HMM
WITH A PRESENTATION FOLLOWING.
THAT'S IT FOR ADDIT ADDITIONAL BUSINESS.
ITEM NUMBER 10, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
I HAVE SOME STUFF THERE FOR YOU GUYS.
GIVE YOU GUYS, UM, GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK A LITTLE BIT.
UH, I PROMISE NOT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME.
UM, FIRST I WANNA SAY ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING FOR DOWNTOWN CRI, A LOT LIKE WE VENTURE THE COMPANY THAT I'M ABOUT TO TELL YOU ABOUT DOES SOME OF THE SAME STUFF, BUT WE OFFER IT FOR FREE.
WE'RE A NONPROFIT COMPANY AND WE CAN DO BUSINESS ADVISORY, SMALL BUSINESS, UH, UM, UNDERSTANDING, HELPING BUSINESSES UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY ARE TO SCALE, TO BUILD ALL OF THOSE THINGS IS PART OF WHAT WE DO.
SO THE COMPANY IS CALLED BLACK BRILLIANCE ON THE ROOFTOP, AND I APOLOGIZE.
UM, I DO HAVE A COMPANY, I HAVE TWO COMPANIES HERE, NOT IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
I'M OVER OFF OF BABCOCK AND AVENUE B.
UH, THAT'S WHERE I OPERATE OUT OF THAT IS OUR BRICK AND MORTAR.
UM, BUT I DO WORK WITH A MULTITUDE OF BUSINESSES HERE IN THE CITY AND IN DOWNTOWN.
UM, SPECIFICALLY, UH, BLACK BRANDS ON THE ROOFTOP IS A NON-PROFIT THAT WAS FOUNDED TO HELP BLACK AND MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES EITHER GET STARTED OR SCALE THEIR BUSINESSES.
WHAT IT'S MEANT TO DO IS TO BRING IN DIFFERENT, UM, COMMUNITY AREA BUSINESSES THAT CAN, MAY NEED A LITTLE BIT OF HELP, MAY NEED JUST KIND OF A REVIEW OF THEIR BUSINESS, MIGHT NEED TO HELP GET UP.
WE OFFER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
WE OFFER IT CERTIFICATION TRAINING.
UM, THERE IS A LOT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER TO FREE TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY HERE IN MELBOURNE, PALM BAY, BREVARD COUNTY AS A WHOLE.
[01:35:01]
UM, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE DO HAVE COMING UP THAT IS GOING TO BE IN YOUR DOWNTOWN AREA THAT IS CONCERNING FOR YOU GUYS IS OUR BIG, UH, SEPTEMBER EVENT CALLED BLACK BRILLIANCE ON THE ROOFTOP.WE RENT OUT THE WHOLE LANDING ROOFTOP FOR, UH, RIGHT HERE, UH, AT MELBY.
AND WE HAVE A CULTURAL EVENT THAT IS BUILT AROUND, AGAIN, BLACK AND MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS OWNERS WHO WANT TO SHOWCASE THEIR BUSINESSES AS A VENDOR, SHOWCASE THEIR BUSINESS AS A SPONSOR.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE DIFFERENT ARTISTS COME IN, MUSICIANS.
UM, WE HAVE LIVE PAINTINGS, WE HAVE CULTURAL AWARENESS.
THIS, UH, YOUR THEME IS TIMELESS EXCELLENCE.
AND THE POINT BEHIND THAT IS TO TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE, UH, WEALTH BUILDING IN THE MINORITY COMMUNITY AND HOW THOSE THINGS HAPPENED FROM BLACK WALL STREET ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL NOW.
UM, AND A PORTION OF THESE PROCEEDS ARE ALSO GOING TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA FOR THE CONCERNED, UH, CITIZENS COMMITTEE THAT IS BUILDING THE CRANE CREEK FOUNDER'S MONUMENT.
UH, SO WE'LL TAKE A PORTION OF THOSE PROCEEDS THAT WILL GO TO THERE, UH, AND DONATE FOR THEM.
UM, SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING FOR YOU GUYS TO KNOW ABOUT THAT IS HERE, IS AVAILABLE FOR YOU GUYS, UM, AS HELP IN THE LOCAL AREA.
UM, FOR EMIL, FOR MY OTHER COMPANY, I DO HAVE A IT COMPANY CALLED THIRD STAR RESOURCE AND CONSULTING GROUP.
WE DO CRMS AND WE DO A LOT OF THOSE OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
SO IF YOU NEED HELP IN THOSE AREAS, I'M HAPPY JUST TO OFFER SERVICES, NOT LIKE PREPAID OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AGAIN, I WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS BUSINESS BECAUSE THERE ARE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE, UM, A LOT OF THESE DISPARITIES IN MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES ARE GETTING PUSHED TO THE SIDE.
UH, AND I DON'T WANT THEM TO, I PERSONALLY AM IN THE MINORITY COMMUNITY.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THESE BUSINESSES HAVE THE HELP THAT THEY NEED, THAT THEY'RE NOT GETTING.
UM, I BROUGHT MY GRANT WRITER WITH ME TODAY.
UM, SHE IS ON MY TEAM INSIDE OF MY, SHE'S ONE OF MY BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL, UH, AS FAR AS BLACK BRILLIANCE IS CONCERNED, BUT SHE HELPS BUSINESSES FIND THE FUNDING THAT THEY NEED SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY COME TO YOU GUYS FOR ADDITIONAL HELP OR ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, FINANCING NEEDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THIS IS PART OF WHAT WE HELP THOSE BUSINESSES, UH, IDENTIFY AND GET, UH, EITHER THROUGH, UH, SPECIFIC GRANTS FROM MAJOR CORPORATIONS OR FEDERALLY FUNDED OPPORTUNITIES AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT WE LET THEM KNOW ABOUT AND TRY TO HELP THEM APPLY FOR THOSE AS WELL.
SO I JUST WANTED YOU GUYS TO KNOW THAT THIS IS HAPPENING.
I WOULD LOVE YOUR SUPPORT, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR THE EVENT TO PLEASE, YOU KNOW, TELL SMALL BUSINESSES THAT YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT IT, SEE IF WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED.
IF THEY'RE SPONSORS OR VENDORS THAT YOU GUYS KNOW MIGHT WANT TO BE INVOLVED, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THEM.
UM, YOU HAVE MY CONTACT INFORMATION AND IF YOU NEED ANYTHING, I AM HERE.
I'M TRYING TO GET MORE INVOLVED WITH THE CITY AND WHAT THE CITY IS DOING.
I'M WORKING WITH COUNCIL WITH SMITH AS WELL, UM, ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
I'M ALSO WITH THE SPACE COAST, BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND SEVERAL OTHER CHAMBERS IN THE AREA, UM, TO TRY AND HELP OUT TOO.
SO JUST WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT I WAS HERE AND INTRODUCE MYSELF.
ANYONE ELSE FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY, I'LL MOVE TO ADJOURN.