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EVERYONE.WELCOME TO THE AUGUST 7TH, 2026 MELBOURNE DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER, AND IF EVERYONE PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE.
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE OF THE UNITED STATES, STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
HAS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE MINUTES? AND COULD I HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE JULY 1ST? 2026 MINUTES? CAN WE DO ROLL CALL? OH, WE CAN.
THAT'S MY, HEY, IT'S MY SPOTLIGHT.
BEFORE WE VOTE, I HAVE A QUESTION AND, AND BRETT HAD BROUGHT THIS UP LAST TIME, BUT WASN'T BRETT AN ALTERNATE MEMBER BEFORE CHRIS? UM, LET'S DO ROLL CALL FIRST.
SORRY I WASN'T HERE, BUT NO, YEAH, IT'S MY BAD.
I CAN'T EXPLAIN AFTER NO PROBLEM.
I I WAS JUST TRYING TO BE THOROUGH.
I ACTUALLY, I HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.
SO WE'LL DO ROLL CALL FIRST AND THEN WE CAN GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
ARE YOU HERE, LISA? OH, I'M HERE.
WELL, THAT ACTUALLY BRINGS ME, I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND I, APOLOGIES.
I THOUGHT WE WERE VOTING ON THE MINUTES AND NOT ON ROLL
AND WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE I SKIPPED OUT OF ORDER AND, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING I WAS GONNA BRING UP.
'CAUSE OUR LAST MEETING WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT DISJOINTED.
I, I WAS NOT MYSELF, SO I APOLOGIZE.
BUT WE WERE DEFINITELY A LITTLE ALL OVER THE PLACE AND, UH, I DO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
BUT I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE STAFF PUT INTO OUR PACKET, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO DO IT, BUT I FIGURED DO IT RIGHT UP FRONT, UM, IS THE ROBERTS, UH, RULES OF ORDER.
AND, AND I WAS ALSO THINKING, YOU KNOW, JUST IN GENERAL TO KIND OF GO OVER THE COUNCIL MAKEUP AGAIN, BECAUSE OF WHAT DID HAPPEN WITH BRETT, WHICH BRETT, YOU KNOW, I'M ACTUALLY REALLY SORRY THAT THAT HAPPENED.
WE ALL SERVE AND, AND, AND EVERYONE SHOULD FEEL APPRECIATED AND ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
AND HONESTLY, THERE AREN'T A TON OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO VOTE FOR.
SO REALLY THE VOTING MEMBERS COME INTO PLAY MORE WHEN WE HAVE TO VOTE.
BUT I THINK IT IS HARD WHEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT GO TO COUNCIL AND COUNCIL ULTIMATELY HAS THE FINAL SAY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THE COMMITTEE DOES REALIZE THAT THAT CAN HAPPEN, YOU CAN BE SERVING AS AN ALTERNATE AND THEN SOMEONE WHO'S COME IN A COUPLE OF YEARS BEHIND YOU CAN GET VOTED IN SUDDENLY AT A COUNCIL MEETING.
WELL EXPLAIN MY PERSPECTIVE ON THAT.
IT'S, THEY SUBMITTED OUR, UH, 2024 RESUMES TO COUNCIL.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A, I'M NOT A CITY MELBOURNE RESIDENT.
UM, AND ON MY RESUME AT THE TIME, I WAS A TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER FOR TOWN OF INDIAN ATLANTIC.
AND THERE CAN BE THIS CONCERN ABOUT, IT'S A PROHIBITION STATEWIDE OF A, UM, DUAL OFFICE SITUATION WHERE YOU'RE SERVING, YOU KNOW, BUT THIS DOESN'T CONSTITUTE, UH, AN OFFICIAL ROLE BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY AN ADVISORY BOARD.
SO ANYWAYS, I JUST ASSUMED THAT, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL JUST PLAYING IT SAFE WAS LIKE, UH, HE'S NOT A, HE'S NOT A RESIDENT.
HE'S, UH, A TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE ATLANTIC.
WE'LL PLAY IT SAFE AND GO WITH CHRIS.
I WAS FRUSTRATED AT FIRST, BUT IT'S OKAY.
WELL, I, IT IS FRUSTRATING AND I WAS THINKING IT WAS GOOD JUST FOR EVERYBODY TO REALIZE HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS.
AND I KNOW I TALKED TO STAFF ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT, THAT WE KNOW WHEN OUR NAMES ARE GOING BEFORE COUNCIL BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THE OTHER, I KNOW COUNCIL HAS TOLD ME ONE-ON-ONE THAT IF YOU ARE THERE, IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.
I KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF STEFAN STEPPED IN, BUT I KNOW HE GOT APPOINTED TO TWO BOARDS IN ONE EVENING.
AND I THINK IT WAS MOSTLY BECAUSE HE ATTENDED.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY LOOK AT THAT, THEY LOOK AT ATTENDANCE AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD IF WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
'CAUSE I KNOW I DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHEN I'M COMING UP FOR RENEWAL EITHER.
I DON'T REALIZE UNTIL ALL OF A SUDDEN I'M LIKE, OH YEAH, IT'S FEBRUARY OF THAT YEAR,
SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF JUST GO OVER THAT REALLY QUICK SO THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD.
AND UM, SO RIGHT NOW OUR ALTERNATES ARE DEFINITELY STEFAN AND BRETT STILL MM-HMM
AND THEN THE OTHER THING WAS JUST, UM, IN GENERAL, IF YOU GUYS COULD TAKE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDERS.
AND ROBERT PUT LITTLE SUMMARY.
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OH, OKAY.DO YOU WANNA ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT THAT? OKAY.
I CAN GO THROUGH IT REAL QUICK.
UM, ESPECIALLY THE, I GUESS THE PAST COUPLE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD IN TRYING TO CLARIFY EXACTLY THE MOTIONS THAT WERE CAPTURED, UM, AND WHO VOTED ON IT, AND JUST ENSURING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SPEAKING OVER ONE ANOTHER, UM, DIALOGUE IS GOING THROUGH THE CHAIR.
UM, SO JUST REAL QUICK, JUST GO THROUGH IT, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, FOR US TO JUST, YOU KNOW, HELP OUT WITH THE MINUTES AND CAPTURING, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UM, YOUR ALL'S MOTIONS RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO MAKING A MOTION, OBTAIN RECOGNITION FROM THE CHAIR.
STATE YOUR MOTION, CLEARLY ANOTHER MEMBER SECONDS THE MOTION.
AND THAT'S WHERE DISCUSSION OCCURS BY THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, THEN A VOTE WOULD BE CALLED, AND THEN THE CHAIR RESTATES, THE MOTION ANNOUNCES THE RESULT.
SO DURING DISCUSSION SPEAK ONLY AFTER BEING RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIR AND THEN VOTING, ONCE THE VOTE IS ANNOUNCED, THE DECISION BECOMES OFFICIAL.
SO ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE VOTING CLARIFICATION IS NEEDED.
ANY QUESTIONS? AND THEN I KNOW I'LL DO A BETTER JOB THAT WE HAD A PUBLIC SPEAKER COME UP TO LAST MEETING AND IT WAS A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, CHRIS WAS IN THE BATHROOM.
IT WAS A GOOD TIME TO JUST LET HIM TALK, SO I DID.
BUT I'LL DO A BETTER JOB OF KEEPING EVERYBODY MORE ON TRACK AS WELL.
BUT IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, BASIC, OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NOW WE CAN DO A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
MO MINUTES ARE APPROVED AND WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER FIVE, THE MELBOURNE MAIN STREET QUARTERLY REPORT.
OKAY, WELCOME MORNING AGAIN, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
UM, JUST, UM, WANNA START WITH, UM, WITH THE FINANCIALS OF, UM, UH, MELBOURNE MAIN STREET, UH, FOR THE PAST QUARTER.
AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, APRIL THROUGH JUNE OF 2026.
AND, UH, THIS IS BASICALLY THE AGENDA, THE ITEMS TO DISCUSS TODAY.
UM, I KNOW THEY SEEM TO BE A LOT, BUT WE'LL GO THROUGH THEM QUICKLY.
AND, UM, AGAIN, WE WANNA START WITH, UM, WITH THE BUDGET.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT OR NOT.
UM, WE JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE WERE ANY QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO, UM, THAT PARTICULAR SLIDE.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE BUDGET? I DO, PLEASE.
UM, SO I WAS REVIEWING THE BUDGET AND I'M ON THE, UM, THE QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE.
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER CHART ON THAT? I DON'T WANNA STEP ON YOUR, I I DO NOT, NOT IN FRONT OF ME UNFORTUNATELY, BUT, UM, I'LL DO MY BEST TO ANSWER IT.
SO IM LOOKING, I'M LOOKING AT THE QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE, UH, SHEET, AND I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT, AND YOU HAVE YOUR BUDGET, YOU HAVE THE ACTUALS, AND THEN THE VARIANCE.
SO, UM, YOU WERE BUDGETING, IT'S VERY, MY EYES ARE GETTING VERY 31 K FOR GRANT AND 66 K WAS YOUR ACTUAL, CAN YOU TALK TO THAT? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE CITY OF MELBOURNE GRANT MONEY THAT COMES TO YOU, RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT.
WHY WERE YOU WERE, WHY WAS THAT WAS SO OFF? 'CAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE AND IT WAS MUCH HIGHER, WHICH MADE YOUR OVERALL NUMBERS LOOK GREAT.
SO CAN YOU TALK TO THAT? YES, YES.
AND AND REALLY REMEMBER WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A SPECIFIC QUARTER.
SO WE WERE AIMING FOR RECEIVING THE ONE CHECK, UM, ON THAT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT BECAUSE OF, OF DELAYS, WE ACTUALLY, UH, WITHIN THAT QUARTER END UP RECEIVING TWO CHECKS.
WE GOT MORE MONEY THAN, THAN NORMALLY.
SO EVERY QUARTER AFTER MY REPORT TO YOU GUYS, UH, AN INVOICE IS SENT TO THE CITY.
UM, LAST QUARTER IT WAS DELAYED A LITTLE BIT.
SO WE END UP GETTING TWO CHECKS FROM THE CITY WITHIN ONE QUARTER.
SO WE WERE BUDGETING FOR ONE, WE END UP GETTING TWO, BUT IT'S REALLY BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET ONE WITHIN LAST QUARTERS TIMEFRAME, IF YOU WILL.
BUT MY CONCERN IS THAT YOU NOW HAD THE TWO CHECKS AND YOU KNOW WHAT THE OVERALL ANNUAL GRANT MONEY IS, CORRECT.
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SPENDING MORE THAN YOUR, UM, YOUR BUDGET CAN ALLOW, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE PLANNING FOR ONE CHECK, YOU GOT TWO AND YOU REALLY SPENT ENOUGH TO COVER THE TWO, ARE YOU GONNA BE IN TROUBLE NEXT QUARTER? NO, WE SHOULD NOT BE.UM, KEEP IN MIND THAT SOMETIME THAT SPENDING IS RELATED TO EVENT TAKING PLACE, UH, WITHIN THAT PARTICULAR QUARTER.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT APRIL, UH, MAY AND JUNE, SOME OF THESE EVENTS WERE ALREADY SCHEDULED AND SOME OF THE SERVICES, IF YOU WILL, WERE ALREADY ESTABLISHED PRIOR TO OUR ARRIVAL.
UH, SO UNFORTUNATELY WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF ROOM TO WIGGLE AS FAR AS CUTTING EXPENSES.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY YOU WILL SEE, UM, ESPECIALLY IN APRIL WHEN WE HAVE OUR BOTANICAL FEST.
THAT'S, UH, THAT'S AN EVENT THAT ACTUALLY TAKEN A LOT OF EXPENSES, ALTHOUGH IT DOES WELL, UM, AS FAR AS REVENUE IS CONCERNED, BUT IT DOES ALSO HAVE A LOT OF EXPENSES.
YOUR, YOUR GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE IS, WAS VERY HIGH BASED UPON WHAT YOU WERE BUDGETING.
RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHERE THOSE, THOSE EXPENSES COME FROM.
THIS IS MOSTLY PRINTING SERVICES, ADVERTISING SERVICES FOR THOSE EVENTS.
SO WE'RE JUST HOPING THE NEXT QUARTER IT'S GONNA BE OKAY.
I'M JUST CONCERNED IT SHOULD NO, AND, AND, AND, AND I'M GLAD FOR THE CONCERN, BUT WE ARE VERY AWARE OF IT AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, OKAY.
UM, I WOULD PROBABLY SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ON CUTTING EXPENSES ON, ON THE NEXT ISSUE.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
SO SPEAKING OF, UM, CODE AND EXPENSES ACTION, AND BEFORE I I GET TO THAT, I JUST WANT TO MAKE YOU AWARE THAT, UM, EVERY YEAR WE HAVE TO RENEW OUR SOLICITATIONS OF CONTRIBUTIONS APPLICATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
SO THAT WAS, UM, ALREADY SUBMITTED AND RENEWED.
UM, AND ALSO OUR NINE 90 TAX FORMS, UM, WERE ALREADY SUBMITTED ALSO, UH, TO THE IRS.
THE REASON WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THAT NOW IN JULY AND NOT PREVIOUSLY, IS BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY WE HAD A CHANGE OF ACCOUNTANTS.
OUR PREVIOUS ACCOUNTANT, UNFORTUNATELY, DID NOT SUBMIT ANY OF THIS DOCUMENTATION ON TIME.
UM, SO WE HAD TO FILE EXTENSIONS.
OUR NEW ACCOUNTANT FINALLY WAS ABLE TO SUBMIT EVERYTHING, AND NOW WE ARE, WE ARE GOOD FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
JUST WANTED TO BRING YOU AWARE OF THAT.
UM, SO, UH, TO YOUR CONCERN, KNOWING, AND, AND AGAIN, WHEN WE CAME IN, I THINK I HAD TO MAKE A QUICK EXPLANATION.
WHEN WE CAME IN, THERE WAS ALREADY SO MANY THINGS THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN SAID IN MOTION THAT WE JUST HAD TO PRETTY MUCH JUST FINALIZE AND, AND JUST GO THROUGH IT.
UM, A LOT OF THAT HA AGAIN, WAS THE EVENTS AND, UM, THERE WERE ALREADY CONTRACTS IN PLACE, IF YOU WILL, FOR THOSE EVENTS.
UM, SO UNFORTUNATELY WE COULDN'T DO MUCH ABOUT, UM, CODING DOWN ON EXPENSES.
HOWEVER, UM, NOT ONLY ON THE EVENT SIZE, BUT OVERALL WE STARTED KIND OF OVERHAULING, UM, AND LOOK AT ACTUALLY OUR EXPENSES AND, AND SOME OF THE AGREEMENTS AND CONTRACTS THAT WERE ALREADY IN PLACE SINCE WE ARRIVED.
ONE OF THEM WAS ACTUALLY AN ACCOUNTING FIRM THAT, UH, MELBOURNE MAIN STREET HAD HIRED, AND THAT, UM, CONSUMED $1,300 A MONTH, UH, FROM OUR BUDGET, EXCUSE ME.
WE ALSO HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH AN IT COMPANY BASICALLY PROVIDES OUR COMPUTERS AND, AND, AND DOES THE MAINTENANCE TO, TO THE NETWORK.
UM, AND, UM, AND WE HAD OTHER AGREEMENTS WITH PRINTING SERVICES AND ADVERTISING SERVICES.
WELL, UM, WE STARTED CUTTING ON THOSE, BRINGING JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING IN HOUSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AD CAMPAIGNS ARE NOW HANDLING HOUSE, SO IT'S MOST OF OUR GRAPHIC DESIGN AND MOST OF OUR PRINTING SERVICES, EVERYTHING IS NOW HANDLED, UM, IN-HOUSE EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN THINGS SUCH AS LARGE FLYERS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE EQUIPMENT TO PRINT.
UM, AND, UM, IT'S PRETTY MUCH ABOUT IT.
EVERYTHING ELSE WITH, AND, AND SOME OF THE GRAPHIC DESIGN THAT ARE, UH, MARKETING EVENT DIRECTORS, UH, ALTHOUGH SHE DOES A GREAT JOB WITH, UH, GRAPHIC DESIGN, THE CERTAIN THINGS THAT, UH, SHE'D RATHER NOT DO, AND THEN WE DO HAVE TO CONTRACT OUT.
WELL, THAT'S BEEN VERY LIMITED.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, UM, ONCE THE, UH, AGREEMENT, WHICH IT WOULD HAPPEN IN OCTOBER OF THE ACCOUNTING FIRM WILL BE FINISHED, WE'LL BE SAVING $1,300 A MONTH ONCE WE FINISH, UM, THE AGREEMENT WITH THE IT COMPANY THAT WOULD PROVIDE US ROUGHLY ABOUT $3,600 IN ANNUAL SAVINGS, UM, BRINGING IN THE GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PRINTING SERVICES AND SO ON, AND THE SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING, THAT WOULD PROBABLY SAVE US ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OVER $8,000 ANNUALLY.
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UM, WE ACTUALLY RECENTLY LEASED A SMALL COMMERCIAL PRINTER.IT ACTUALLY COVERS THE INK, EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE HAVE TO JUST PROVIDE THE PAPER.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY GONNA HELP US, UM, CUT DOWN ON THOSE PRINTING AND SERVICES.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, WHAT THE PRINTING AND SERVICES ARE IS BASICALLY THOSE FLYERS THAT WE ACTUALLY PRINT OUT FOR OUR BUSINESS OWNERS WHEN EVENTS ARE TAKING PLACE.
UH, SOMETIMES WE DO PRINT OUT FLYERS FOR THEM THEMSELVES WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR OWN EVENTS.
UM, AND THEN WHEN WE HAVE OUR MAJOR EVENTS, WE ALSO, UM, HAVE TO PRINT OUT FLYERS AMONG OTHER THINGS.
SO BRINGING THAT IN-HOUSE IS REALLY GONNA HELP US GET A LOT OF MONEY ACTUALLY EVEN STARTING, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT QUARTER.
SO, BUT I THINK MOST OF THE IMPACT WE'LL BE SEEING STARTING NEXT YEAR.
UM, SO LER BANNER ALSO MOVED, UH, ALONG THE AGENDA.
SO, UH, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, MAIN STREET, UH, MAIN STREET AMERICA HAS TO DO AN ASSESSMENT FOR EVERY MAIN STREET IN THE STATE.
UM, OURS WAS, WAS SUBMITTED, UM, AND, UM, WE WERE ACTUALLY, UM, WERE ONCE AGAIN ACCREDITED BY MAIN STREET AMERICA AS AN ACCREDITED MAIN STREET ORGANIZATION, UM, IN THAT SENSE.
ALSO, FLORIDA MAIN STREET ANNUAL CONFERENCE JUST TOOK PLACE A COUPLE, UH, COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO OVER AT COCOA VILLAGE, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT, UM, OUR BOARD DIRECTOR, UH, BOARD MEMBER, DON HEMINGWAY, WAS ACTUALLY SELECTED AS THE BOARD MEMBER OF THE YEAR, UM, OUT OF SO MANY, UH, NOMINEES SUBMITTED FOR THE, UM, UM, STATEWIDE.
SO, UH, DON HEMINGWAY WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE RECIPIENTS OF THAT AWARD.
I ALSO WANTED TO ANNOUNCE THAT, UM, WE HAVE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT ON THANK YOU, ROBERT.
I DID SUDDENLY, AND THERE'S THE ACCREDITATIONS AND GO.
AND, UM, THAT WAS ACTUALLY A PICTURE FROM THE AWARDS THAT ANNOUNCED ON HEMINGWAY.
AND, UM, SO OUR COMMITTEES, UM, ONE OF MY MAIN GOALS WHEN WE CAME IN WAS TO HAVE THEM OPERATING AGAIN.
WE SELECTED, UH, BRAND NEW CHAIRS FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE FOUR COMMITTEES.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT MOST OF THOSE COMMITTEES ARE NOW WORKING AT PRACTICALLY, UM, UH, FULL CAPACITY.
WE HAVE A MIX OF RESIDENTS, BUSINESS AND PROPERTY OWNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS IN THOSE, UM, IN THOSE COMMITTEES.
SO, UM, UM, AND, AND ALTHOUGH THAT STARTED RECENTLY, WE ALREADY SEEN, UM, HOW WELL, UM, THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER AND THE INPUT THAT THEY'RE GONNA BRING INTO WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS IS REALLY GONNA GONNA HELP A LOT.
OUR VISION FOR DOWNTOWN
THAT INCLUDES THE TWO DIFFERENT LEVELS THAT WE HAVE, UH, FOR MEMBERS, WHICH IS BASIC AND ELITE.
AND ALSO, UM, OUR CORPORATE PARTNER MEMBERSHIP.
UM, YOU WILL SEE THAT IN JUNE, UM, WE LOWERED FROM ABOUT 52 TO 45, AND THAT WAS A COMBINATION OF THINGS.
UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF, UM, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, LIVING DOWNTOWN, HOWEVER, UM, WE HAVE, UH, TWO THAT WERE ALREADY REPLACED.
THEY JUST HAVEN'T BECOME MEMBERS YET.
UM, AND WE UNFORTUNATELY HAVE TWO, UH, BUSINESSES THAT CLOSED DOWN.
SO THAT'S WHAT, UH, BRING THAT TOTAL DOWN.
HOWEVER, I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT ALREADY IN JULY, WE HAVE THREE, UH, NEW MEMBERS AND POTENTIALLY A FOURTH ONE COMING IN.
JOAN, I HAVE A QUESTION WITH RESPECT TO MEMBERSHIP.
BACK ON THE BUDGET, YOU HAD PLANNED 10,000 FOR MEMBERSHIP AND GOT 5,000 ACTUAL, SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE PLANNING FOR APPROXIMATELY 90 MEMBERS, IS THAT, LET ME FIND THAT PAGE FOR PLEASE.
AND, UM, SO AGAIN, THIS IS, REMEMBER WE'RE WORKING ON PROJECTED BUDGET, RIGHT? SO THIS IS WHAT WE WERE PROJECTING TO HAVE.
UM, SO MEMBERSHIP, UNFORTUNATELY, WE CAME, WE CAME, CAME LOW ON ON THAT, ON THAT, UM, ON THAT PROJECTION, UM, FOR THIS QUARTER.
SO NOT TOO CONCERNED ABOUT IT.
I THINK THE EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE PUT FORTH IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS ARE PAYING OFF AND WE ARE SEEING NOT ONLY THE INTEREST ON THE MEMBERSHIP, BUT ALSO IN OTHER ITEMS. BUT YES, UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE DIDN'T REACH, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL FOR, FOR THIS PARTICULAR PRODUCT.
DO YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF MEMBERS, LIKE IN THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY THAT, THAT YOU'RE STRIVING FOR? LIKE, DO YOU KNOW, THE
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BOONS PROBABLY TELLS YOU HOW MANY ARE AVAILABLE, AND WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER OF THAT, YOUR GOAL IS THE IDEAL NUMBER? WELL, ACTUALLY IT WOULD PROBABLY, I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE AT LEAST 60 MEMBERS BY THE END OF THE YEAR.THAT IS A VERY AMBITIOUS NUMBER.
UM, I THINK THAT REALLY WHAT WE'VE CONCENTRATED ON IS, IS AMENDING RELATIONSHIPS, MAKING SURE THAT OUR, OUR EVENTS ARE BEING SUCCESSFUL AND BRINGING, UH, FOOD TRAFFIC DOWN TO DOWNTOWN.
UM, AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, MEMBERSHIP, HIGHER NUMBER LOOKS GREAT FOR AN ORGANIZATION, BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW I THINK IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE ARE CREATING WITH OUR BUSINESS OWNERS AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
AND I THINK THAT IS ACTUALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
YOU MAY NOT SEE THAT ON NUMBERS NOW, BUT YOU WILL, YOU WILL LATER ON.
UM, SO AGAIN, THE INTEREST THAT, THAT WE ARE GETTING FROM, NOT ONLY FROM EXISTING CURRENT, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS, BUT ALSO FROM THOSE THAT ARE JUST ARE COMING INTO DOWNTOWN, UM, THAT ALREADY REACHED OUT AND WE ARE ACTUALLY IN TOUCH WITH SEVERAL OF THEM.
I THINK THOSE NUMBERS ARE, WE'RE GONNA GET TO MY IDEAL GOAL, PROBABLY NOT, BUT I THINK WE'LL, YOU'LL SEE A BIG JUMP HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
BUR, I'M SORRY, THE OTHER THING IS THAT THERE'S SORT OF A TIERED MEMBERSHIP, SO IT'S, I THINK THERE'S 100, 200, AND THEN THE CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP IS GREATER.
SO YOUR, YOUR QUICK MATH WAS SORT OF LIKE $200 PER MEMBERSHIP WHEN YOU ASKED YOUR INITIAL QUESTION, I THINK.
BUT THERE'S A, I MEAN, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
ELABORATE IN TERMS OF WHAT THE DIFFERENT MEMBERSHIPS ARE IN TERMS OF DOLLARS, CORRECT.
YEAH, SO, SO AGAIN, THE, UH, BASIC MEMBERSHIP IS $200, UH, FOR THE YEAR.
UH, THE ELITE IS $500, AND RIGHT NOW THE, UH, CORPORATE PARTNER IS A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND, UH, SO THE NUMBERS PRETTY MUCH VARY AS YOU PROBABLY WOULD IMAGINE, THE HIGHEST NUMBERS GONNA BE ON THE BASIC MEMBERSHIP.
AND THEN, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, UM, UM, THEN IT WOULD BE THE ELITE AND THEN EVENTUALLY THE CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP.
SO, BUT SOME OF THE, AS A MATTER OF FACT, AGAIN, WE ROUGHLY HAVE THREE TO FOUR NEW MEMBERS IN THE MONTH OF JULY ALONE, AND, AND MOST OF THEM ARE COMING AT THE $200 LEVEL, WHICH IS AGAINST WHAT EXPECTED, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW BUSINESSES COMING IN.
WHO IS CHAIRING THE ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR MEMBERSHIP RIGHT NOW, COREY IS COREY, RON, COREY, MM-HMM
SO COREY, AND JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, IT USED TO BE A HUNDRED WAY, WAY, WAY BACK, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S DEFINITELY AN ACHIEVABLE GOAL.
AND I THINK MEMBERSHIP WAS ONLY A HUNDRED DOLLARS BACK THEN, SO IT'S NOT A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE OVER 20 YEARS.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY GOOD IF YOU'RE CONCENTRATING ON THAT AREA BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S NOT GONNA BE YOUR BREAD AND BUTTER NECESSARILY, BUT HAVING THAT BUY-IN, IT'S KINDA LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S OWNING HOUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE YOU HAVE THAT BUY-IN TO THE ORGANIZATION AND THAT SUPPORT.
I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY LIKE AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE GLUE.
I, I THINK ANOTHER THING THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER IS, UH, THOSE NUMBERS SOMETIMES DON'T REFLECT.
FOR INSTANCE, WHEN WE CAME IN, OUR, OUR, OUR AGENT SUMMARY WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY HIGH.
I THINK WE WERE ROUGHLY ABOUT $14,000 AS FAR AS INVOICES NOT PAID ALL THE WAY THROUGH 90 DAYS OR MORE.
AND, UH, UH, I'M GLAD TO SAY THAT WE ARE NOW BELOW $7,000, AND THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE MEMBERS.
AGAIN, THAT'S PROBABLY WHY YOU DON'T SEE A LOT OF FLUCTUATION ON THE NUMBERS, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE, THEY ARE BEHIND, WE STILL CONSIDER THEM AS A MEMBER.
AND, UM, AND AGAIN, SOME OF THESE WERE, WERE LATE ON THEIR INVOICE PAYMENT FOR 45, 90 DAYS, WHICH KIND OF GAVE US AN IDEA THAT THEY WERE NOT LOOKING TO RENEW, OR THEY WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE WORK THAT WE WERE DOING.
UH, AGAIN, BRINGING THAT DOWN FROM ABOUT $14,000 TO ABOUT SEVEN, A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN $7,000, A LOT OF THAT HAS BEEN MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS AND CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP RENEWALS.
SO I THINK THAT IS A GOOD SIGN, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT MOMENTUM.
UM, MOVING FORWARD, UH, UPCOMING EVENTS.
SO, UH, WHEN WE, UH, WHEN WE, UH, GAVE YOU MY UPDATE LAST MONTH, WE HAD JUST BEEN OVER THE SIP AND SHOP, WHICH WAS A REALLY GOOD EVENT, UM, THAT TOOK PLACE IN JUNE.
IN JULY, WE HAD A SIDEWALK SALE EVENT.
SO I WANT TO QUICKLY JUST POINT OUT, UM, UM, WHICH HAS BEEN A CONCERN IN THE PAST, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND LUCKILY WITH OUR CONVERSATION WITH BUSINESS OWNER, WE'VE BEING ABLE TO CLARIFY IT.
UM, SO WITH THE SIP SHOP, FOR INSTANCE, SIP SHOP AS A, AS A TICKETED EVENT, SO, UH, THE ORGANIZATION DOES MAKE A LITTLE BIT OF
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MONEY WITH THAT EVENT.IT END UP BEING A VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT, AND THAT'S BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM BOTH OUR BUSINESS OWNERS AND THE COMMUNITY.
THE FOLLOWING MONTH, WHICH WAS JULY, WE HAD OUR SIDEWALK SALE EVENT.
THAT EVENT IS NOT A TICKETED EVENT, OKAY? AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, SIP AND SHOP EVENT BROUGHT IN ABOUT $1,200, MORE OR LESS IN REVENUE, NET REVENUE, THE SIDEWALK SALE EVENT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IT WAS ACTUALLY A LOSS AT $1,400.
OKAY? BUT HERE'S THE THING, AND THAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF US HAVING TO MAKE REVENUE FROM SOME OF THOSE OTHER EVENTS.
THAT REVENUE THAT WAS GENERATED WITH THE SIP AND SHOP WAS ACTUALLY CONSUMED BY THE SIDEWALK SALE, BUT IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT EVENT FOR OUR MERCHANTS.
SO WE ARE GOING TO SEE THAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE EVENTS THAT ARE GONNA DO WELL, AND OTHERS THAT WERE WON AS MUCH SIDEWALK SALE, MOSTLY BECAUSE THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO, NO TICKETS TO SELL, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE.
IT'S REALLY FOCUSING ON BRINGING TRAFFIC TO OUR MERCHANTS.
AND AGAIN, BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK, IT WILL TURN OUT TO BE ALSO A GREAT EVENT IN THE MIDDLE OF JULY WHEN IT WAS REALLY HOT.
I'VE BEEN COLLABORATING WITH, UM, WITH THE RESIDENT, UM, OF OUR DOWNTOWN, UM, WHO HAS, UM, WORKED WITH ME ON BRINGING MUSICIANS, UM, MUSIC PERFORMERS TO DOWNTOWN THROUGHOUT THOSE EVENTS, AND IT KEEPS PEOPLE ENTERTAINED AND, AND, UM, AND, AND IN A GOOD MOOD.
SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S KIND OF BEING PART OF THE SUCCESS, SUCCESS ALSO.
BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE ARE GOING TO SEE THAT EVERY NOW AND THEN, ESPECIALLY WITH NON TICKETED EVENTS.
BUT AGAIN, THEY'RE STILL ESSENTIAL.
THEY'RE STILL IMPORTANT, AND FORTUNATELY IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE WORKING ON.
BUT AGAIN, IF IT WORKS FOR OUR MERCHANTS, WE KEEP WORKING ON THOSE.
UM, I'M ALSO HAPPY TO SAY THAT, UM, AND AGAIN, SIP AND CHOP BEING THAT IT WAS SUCH A SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
OUR, OUR MERCHANTS ARE ASKING FOR US TO DO THIS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
SO WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH IT.
OUR NEXT ONE IS GONNA BE SEPTEMBER 10TH.
UM, WE ARE BRINGING THE FIRST FALL FESTIVAL TO DOWNTOWN AIRBORNE.
UM, PART OF THE, UH, MESSAGE THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IS, IS HAVING PEOPLE COME BACK TO DOWNTOWN FALL IN LOVE AGAIN WITH DOWNTOWN.
SO THAT'S PART OF, UH, THE NAME OF THE FALL FEST FALL FOR DOWNTOWN ME, WHICH AGAIN, YOU KNOW, FALL IN LOVE AGAIN WITH DOWNTOWN URBAN.
SO THIS EVENT IS GONNA TAKE PLACE AT A, AT A LOT THAT WILL BE, DID IT, UH, HOPEFULLY OFFICIALLY TO THE CITY IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
AND THAT IS RIGHT BEHIND THE IRON OAK POST.
AND, UH, RIGHT NOW IT JUST, UH, JUST, JUST PAVEMENT AND DOESN'T LOOK VERY NICE.
UH, THE CITY WILL BE WORKING ON, ON, UM, CLEANING IT UP SO THAT WE CAN HAVE OUR EVENT ON OCTOBER 10TH.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE IT A FEW MORE TIMES BEFORE, UH, HOME SPA CONSTRUCTION TAKES PLACE.
BUT I THINK IT'S AN IDEAL PLACE.
IT'S VERY CLOSE TO NEW HAVEN, UM, AND I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO DRIVE PEOPLE BACK AND FORTH FROM THE EVENT, UM, TO NEW HAVEN AND, AND SO ON.
UH, THAT EVENT IS GONNA BE, UH, A FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT, SO WE'LL HAVE A PUMPKIN PATCH.
UM, WE'LL HAVE, UH, ARS AND CRAFT VENDORS OF LIVE MUSIC.
UH, SO IT SHOULD BE A FUN, ENTERTAINING EVENT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.
UM, AND ACTUALLY, SPEAKING OF FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENTS, I, I, I'M SORRY, I ACTUALLY JUMPED OVER SMALL TOWN FRIDAYS.
THERE'S BEEN AN INITIATIVE THAT WAS CREATED BY ONE OF OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, ERICA EVERETT FROM EXECUTIVE SEA GUARD.
AND, UM, AND VITAL, SO SHE STARTED THIS A FEW MONTHS BACK.
UM, HER ORIGINAL INITIATIVE WAS JUST TO KEEP THE, THE MERCHANTS OPEN A LITTLE BIT LATER ON THAT SECOND FRIDAY OF THE MONTH.
UM, SO THERE HAS BEEN SOME INTEREST ON, ON THE MERCHANTS.
UM, RECENTLY WE APPROACHED ERICA ABOUT COLLABORATING WITH HER ON THAT EVENT AND, AND MAKING A LITTLE BIT BIGGER AND PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE FAMILY FRIENDLY JUST TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BRINGING PEOPLE DOWNTOWN.
AND, UH, SO I'M ALSO HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT IN AUGUST 14TH, UH, WE, UH, WE'LL BE CLOSING, UH, VERNON STREET OR VERNON PLACE FROM THE ALLEYWAY TO NEW HAVEN, UH, WHERE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES FOR, FOR THE FAMILY THAT'S GONNA BE BOUNCE HOUSES, UH, UH, FACE PAINTING.
UM, WE HAVE ACTUALLY, UH, ONE BLOOD BIG BOSS SO PEOPLE CAN DONATE BLOOD AND GET A PINT OF BEER FROM MES OR VAN BEERS,
UM, SO, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE OTHER, UM, OTHER ACTIVITIES THERE.
BUT I ALSO WANTED TO SAY WE ARE BRINGING, UM, WE ARE BRINGING A STEEL DRUM ORCHESTRA FOR THAT DAY, RIGHT FROM A CROSS TRAIN CREEK.
[00:30:01]
OF THE BAND PLAYING, UH, DIFFERENT SIZES OF STEEL DRUM.UM, AUGUST 11 IS THE NATIONAL STEEL DRUM DATE, SO IT JUST WORKED OUT PERFECTLY.
ON THE 14TH DAY WE'LL BE HERE.
AND, UM, IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN A STEEL DRUM BAND IN THE PAST, PLEASE COME DOWN AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
IT SHOULD BE VERY ENTERTAINING.
AND THAT SHOULD BE TOWARDS THE END OF THE EVENT.
WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE DATE OF THAT EVENT? I'M SORRY.
IT'S SMALL TOWN FRIDAYS, AND THAT'S THE ONE SPECIFICALLY THE ONE YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT WITH THE STEEL VAN.
THAT'S WHICH DATE? IT'S AUGUST 14TH.
NEXT FRIDAY, IT'LL BE THE SECOND FRIDAY.
AND WHAT ARE THE HOURS PLEASE? UH, THREE TO SEVEN.
YES, THREE TO SEVEN SOUNDS VERY INTERESTING.
SO IT'S A, IT IS A TRIAL, UM, JUST TO SEE HOW IT GOES.
AGAIN, IT'S ONE OF THOSE EVENTS THAT IT IS FREE TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT AGAIN, EXPENSES HAVE TO BE TAKEN, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE STREET.
THOSE ARE EXPENSES WE HAVE TO PAY FOR SOME OF THIS.
AND NOW, LUCKILY, UH, AND AGAIN, THIS GOES BACK TO OUR EFFORTS ON, ON AMENDING RELATIONSHIPS, WE HAVE NOW PROBABLY THREE DIFFERENT BUSINESS OWNERS THAT, UH, WILL BE SUPPORTING THE EVENT AND THEY WILL BE TAKEN ON SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES.
SO IT'S, IT'S, I THINK THAT'S GOOD NEWS.
UM, AND SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE ARE LOOKING, LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUE COLLABORATIONS WITH OUR, OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
AND ACTUALLY, NOT ONLY FOR THE, UH, SMALL TOWN FRIDAYS, WE ALREADY SEEN SOME INTEREST IN SOME OF THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS SUPPORTING THE FIRST, UM, UH, FALL FESTIVAL.
UM, MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE THE, UM, UM, HALLOWEEN EVENT, WHICH IS REALLY, LATELY IT'S BEEN JUST A, A, A TRICK OR TREAT EVENT WHERE KIDS COME DOWNTOWN AND GO THROUGH THE STORES AND GET THEIR CANDIES AND SO ON.
GOING BACK TO BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, WE RECENTLY MET WITH, UH, THE SIMMER MANS FROM THE HIGHLINE APARTMENT BUILDING AND MR. OH ONE.
AND, UM, AND WE ARE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE HEGAR TO REALLY CREATE A NICE FAMILY FRIENDLY HALLOWEEN EVENT.
UM, SO THERE'S, UH, WE STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE CONVERSATION ON WHAT THAT'S GOING TO BE TURNED OUT, BUT IT WILL NOT JUST BE A TRICK OR TREATING EVENT ANYMORE.
HOPEFULLY WE TURN OUT TO BE SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT LARGER AND MORE FUN.
UM, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE BEEN PRETTY BUSY WITH THESE EVENTS.
I THINK WE HAVE HAD AN EVENT JUST ABOUT EVERY MONTH SINCE APRIL.
UM, AND WE THOUGHT WE WERE NOT GONNA HAVE ANYTHING IN AUGUST, AND WE ARE ALREADY WORKING ON IT.
SO, UM, SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S OCTOBER, UM, NOVEMBER, ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE AN EVENT IN NOVEMBER.
THAT'S THE, UH, LAST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH, WHICH IS, UH, SHOP SMALL SATURDAY IS WHEN WE DO, UM, HISTORICALLY WE DO OUR CHRISTMAS LANDING EVENT.
SO WE WILL HAVE, UH, ONE EVENT IN NOVEMBER, AND THEN, UH, THREE SATURDAYS IN DECEMBER.
UH, WE TAKE PLACE, UH, THE CANDLELIGHT SHOPPING AS WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND LASTLY, UM, WE ARE BRINGING THE FIRST BEER FESTIVAL TO DOWNTOWN ORLANDO.
UH, WE DECIDED TO CALL IT HARBO CITY HOPS FEST, AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE THE LAST SATURDAY OF FEBRUARY, FEBRUARY 27TH.
UH, UM, WE HAVE BEEN COLLABORATING AND WORKING WITH, UM, UH, PAUL HILL FROM DIRTY OIL, UM, UH, BREWERY IN COCO VILLAGE.
HE DOES THE, UH, BRUCE BATCH OVER THERE.
AND, UM, WE HAVE BUILT A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.
UH, WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER WITH VAN BEERS TO PUT TOGETHER THE EVENT.
EVENTUALLY WE'LL BE REACHING OUT ONCE WE GET CLOSER TO MORE DETAILS ON THAT.
WE'LL BE WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR OWN RESTAURANTS SUCH AS MEGA MALLEY'S, UH, HELEN BLAS AND, AND, AND OTHERS.
UH, BUT WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS EVENT.
WE ARE HOPING TO BRING, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY ABOUT 40 DIFFERENT BREWERS, UH, TO DOWNTOWN.
UH, WE WILL BE CLOSING, WHICH ALREADY SUBMITTED THE PERMIT FOR, I WILL BE SUBMITTING NEW, UH, CLOSING NEW HAVEN FROM THE, UH, EAST SIDE OF, UM, LIVINGSTON TO THE WEST SIDE OF WAVERLY.
SO AGAIN, THAT WILL TAKE PLACE ON, UH, FEBRUARY 27TH.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EVENT, THE FRIDAY EVENT FOR NEXT FRIDAY? HOW OFTEN WILL THAT REPEAT IF IT'S A BIG SUCCESS? YOU KNOW, WE, I HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH ERICA.
IT IS, IT IS AN EVENT THAT TAKES A LOT OF PLANNING AND, AND A LOT OF IT T MONEY TO HAVE IT TO TAKE PLACE FOR BEING A FREE COMMUNITY EVENT.
SO WE THOUGHT ABOUT DOING THIS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
THE SMALL TOWN FRIDAYS WILL CONTINUE EVERY SECOND FRIDAY OF THE MONTH, BUT THIS TYPE OF EVENT, PROBABLY ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
SO THEN THAT WOULD PUT IT IN NOVEMBER IF IT, IF IT DOES WELL, RIGHT? OKAY.
[00:35:01]
OKAY.SO MOVING FORWARD, AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE MENTION IT AGAIN.
OUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY HAS BEEN REALLY PAYING OFF.
LAST TIME I REPORTED TO YOU, WE ARE NOT A 19,000 FOLLOWERS IN FACEBOOK.
AND, UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT'S 876 NEW, UH, FOLLOWERS SINCE OUR LAST QUARTER.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT INSTAGRAM, UM, WE ACTUALLY WENT IN FROM, WENT UP FROM 7,000 TO, UM, TO 8,000 FOLLOWERS.
UM, A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH A GREAT JOB THAT OUR EVENTS AND MARKETING DIRECTOR MI STATEMENT HAS BEEN DOING, UM, WITH SOCIAL MEDIA.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, UM, YOU DON'T GROW THOSE FOLLOWERS IF YOU DON'T GET PEOPLE ENGAGED.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING.
THOSE POSTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON HAVE GOTTEN SUCH A GREAT ENGAGEMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT IT ALLOWS TO GROW.
THE MORE GROWTH THAT WE HAVE, THE MORE RICH WE HAVE.
UM, THESE POSTS ARE A COMBINATION OF PROMOTING, UM, OUR EVENTS AND OUR BUSINESSES EVENTS.
IT IS, UH, ABOUT PROMOTING, UH, OUR BUSINESSES.
UM, WE HAVE RECENTLY MOVED INTO, UH, DOING REELS AND, UM, AND IT JUST AMAZING THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN.
AND AGAIN, NOT ONLY FROM THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO FROM OUR, OUR, OUR BUSINESS OWNERS WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, SO, AND, AND, AND NOW, UM, WE ARE ACTUALLY WORKING ON CREATING WHAT IS CALLED STORYTELLING ABOUT THE BUSINESS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST PROMOTING YOUR BUSINESS ANYMORE, IT'S NOW ABOUT THE HISTORY OF, OF THE BUSINESS, THE HISTORY OF THE BUILDING, WHERE YOU'RE AT.
UM, SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MOVING ON TO FORWARD.
SO FAR, THE FIELD THAT WE HAVE DONE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AS WELL.
SO EVERY TIME WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO PROMOTE DOWNTOWN EARTH FOCUS NOW WILL BE KIND OF GOING AWAY FROM PROMOTING THE BUSINESSES THEMSELVES.
THAT'S SHOULD BE THEIR OWN, THEIR JOB, RIGHT? PROMOTE THEMSELVES.
UM, ALSO THOUGH, WE HAVE BEEN HELPING OUT WITH THAT A LOT.
NOW, OUR FOCUS IS GONNA BE DOWNTOWN AS A WHOLE, CREATING DOWNTOWN AS A DESTINATION WHERE THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST THE, THE, THE UNIQUE JOBS, RIGHT? SO, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S A CAMPAIGN COMING BEHIND IT.
UM, THERE IS ACTUALLY STRATEGIC PLAN THAT HAVE PREPARED FOR YOU GUYS.
FORTUNATELY, I WON'T BE ABLE TO PRESENT IT UNTIL NEXT MONTH, BUT, UM, UM, THE CITY HAS A COPY OF IT, SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO IT.
UM, BUT IT WILL TALK MORE ABOUT OUR PLANS AND VISION FOR DOWNTOWN URBAN IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THAT'S AN OUTSTANDING INCREASE, BY THE WAY.
I'M CURIOUS, ARE YOU GUYS DOING SOME ANALYTICS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT IT IS THAT'S MOSTLY ENGAGING THEM OR WE, WE HAVE.
AND, AND ACTUALLY IT BREAKS IT DOWN PRETTY GOOD.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU, IT BREAKS IT DOWN BY REELS, BY, BY, BY VIDEOS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS ON THE TOP OF MY HEAD, AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT MIRANDA IN THE SPOT EITHER.
I DUNNO IF SHE HAS IT ON HER MIND TOO.
AND ANYTIME THAT YOU NEED, UM, A COPY OF THEM, WE CAN PRINT IT OUT AND, AND, AND GIVE YOU ACCESS TO IT.
BUT AGAIN, UH, IT, IT VARIES A LOT.
UH, THE ONE THING I DO KNOW FROM THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT I CAN TELL YOU IS ACTUALLY WHO OUR AUDIENCES AND OUR AUDIENCE IS PRETTY CONSISTENT BETWEEN 25 YEARS, UP TO 34 YEARS OLD.
THAT'S REALLY OUR, OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR CORE OF OUR, OR THE FOLKS ENGAGED, UM, ON, ON OUR POSTS, WHICH IT, IT KIND OF SHOWS, AGAIN, WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE LAST FEW MONTHS IS OUR DEMOGRAPHICS ARE SHIFTING AND WE ARE GETTING YOUNGER AND YOUNGER AS WE, AS WE GO.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR OUR GOAL IS NOT TO LOSE OUR CORE, WHICH IS OUR, OUR SENIORS AND ARE RETIREES.
UM, WHICH AGAIN, REALLY IS WHAT HELP OUR, OUR, OUR DAYTIME, UM, ECONOMY IN DOWNTOWN.
BUT WE'LL SEE THAT AGAIN, THE EVENING HOURS IS WHERE THAT 25 TO 34, UH, WE NEED TO START, UH, REACHING TO AND CREATING ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS, UM, TO, TO ATTRACT THEM AND KEEP THEM HERE.
NOT GOING TO, OH, GOLY OR COCOA VILLAGE OR VIRA.
AND, UM, AND THAT BEING SAID, WE'VE BEEN WORKING AND TALKING WITH OUR MERCHANTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, STAYING LATER IN SOME, UM, EVENINGS OF THE WEEK, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE DO HAVE EVENTS, AND ESPECIALLY ON A FRIDAY OR SATURDAY.
AND I'M, I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT A LOT OF THEM ARE COMING AROUND AND ARE STAYING LATER.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, WE HAVE FOLKS NOW CHANGING THEIR HOURS TO EIGHT O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
SOME OF THEM THAT WE'RE CLOSING AT FOUR AND FIVE ARE CLOSING NOW AT SIX OR SEVEN.
UH, SO WE ARE SENDING THAT GOOD TREND.
OBVIOUSLY IT IS UP TO US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BRING THE TRAFFIC ALSO IN THE EVENING HOURS.
UH, BUT IT HELPS WHEN WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE OPEN.
UH, SO THAT'S ANOTHER MESSAGE THAT WE ARE SENDING OUT THERE AS WELL.
[00:40:03]
UH, THIS IS, UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA WHAT I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, THESE ARE THE ACTUAL VIEWS THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN IN COMBINATION BETWEEN FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM JUST IN THE LAST QUARTER.UH, SO THESE ARE VIEWS OF OUR, OUR DIFFERENT, UH, TYPES OF POSTS.
UH, OUR VISITORS GUIDE, UM, HOPEFULLY YOU ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH IT.
UM, UM, OUR VISITORS GUIDE NOW, WE HAVE 20 ADVERTISERS, AND, UH, THERE'S A DISTRIBUTION OF 10,000, WHICH HAS BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT, UM, THE LAST, UH, COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE NOTICED IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST FROM BUSINESSES OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN TO BE PART OF THAT VISITORS GUIDE PUBLICATION, TO SAFEGUARD OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ALWAYS HAVE ROOM IN OUR VISITORS GUIDE.
WE HAVE NOW REVISED OUR RATE CARD, IF YOU WILL, SO THAT, UM, OUTSIDE BUSINESSES WILL HAVE A HIGH, WE PAY A HIGHER RATE TO BE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, UM, POST THEIR ADS IN OUR, IN OUR VISITORS GUIDE.
UM, WE ARE ACTUALLY ALSO WORKED ON THE NUMBERS A LITTLE BIT FOR OUR LOCAL, UM, ADVERTISERS, UM, JUST TO MAKE THEM MORE UNIFORM AND COMPETITIVE.
UH, BUT WE HAVE RAISED, ACTUALLY, WE DIDN'T RAISE THEM.
WE CREATED A NEW SET OF RATES FOR OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES.
UH, OUR HOPE IS THAT WE CAN, AND ACTUALLY, UH, OUR NEXT EDITION, WE WILL BE GROWING FROM 32 PAGES TO 36 PAGES.
AND, UM, AND OUR HOPE IS THAT, UM, HOPEFULLY SOMETIME BY, BY SECOND OR THIRD QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR, WE MAY BE ABLE TO RAISE, UH, THE DISTRIBUTION TO 15,000.
UM, IT IS, IT IS GETTING A LOT OF INTEREST OUT THERE.
UM, OUR OPERATIONS MANAGER, CASEY, HE IS THE PERSON BEHIND THIS.
SHE'S DONE A GREAT JOB WITH THE ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWING OUR, OUR BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND, UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S PAYING OFF.
SO WE HAD A LITTLE VERY GOOD INTEREST FOR THIS EDITION THAT JUST CAME OUT.
BUT FOR THAT NEXT EDITION, UH, AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO GROW TO ABOUT 36 PAGES AND HOPEFULLY EARLY NEXT YEAR, UM, BY $15,000, UH, 15 COPIES, UM, DISTRIBUTED.
AND WHEN YOU SAY OUTSIDE, UM, DO YOU MEAN OUTSIDE THE CORE? DO YOU MEAN OUTSIDE THE MEMBERSHIP? NO, OUTSIDE OF THE, UH, THE DISTRICT, OUTSIDE OF THE CORRIDOR.
UM, AGAIN, OUR FOCUS REALLY IS BEING, BEING A VISITORS GUY THAT IS MOSTLY OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES IN THERE.
BUT AGAIN, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INTEREST, UH, FROM THE OUTSIDE, MEANING ANYBODY THAT IS NOT PART OF DOWNTOWN ME, THAT MADE ME QUESTION, IS THERE STILL AN ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN DOWNTOWN TO BE A MEMBER? NO.
UH, ACTUALLY I WASN'T EVEN AWARE THAT THERE, THAT EXISTED, UH, SO FAR, JUST BEING THOSE TWO LEVELS AND THE CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP, THE CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP IS REALLY WHERE MOST OF THE OUTSIDE, UH, BUSINESSES COME FROM.
AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT PAY A HIGHER RATE.
UM, ACTUALLY I, I'LL, I'LL, I'M GONNA WIN TO THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT WE ACTUALLY JUST, UM, REVISED OUR CORPORATE PARTNER PROGRAM NOW.
IT'S GONNA HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT LEVELS.
THE INTENTION OF THAT IS TO HAVE A LOT OF THESE CORPORATIONS, UH, IN BREVARD COUNTY, UM, UM, INVEST IN DOWNTOWN.
SO THIS IS NOT SO MUCH A MEMBERSHIP, BUT AN INVESTMENT IN OUR IZATION EFFORTS FOR DOWNTOWN.
I'M WAITING FOR A BOARD TO APPROVE IT SO I CAN SEND IT OUT TO PRINT ONE THAT IS APPROVED BY OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
UM, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU GUYS A, A COPY OF IT.
UH, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS DIRECTED TO OUR LARGE CORPORATION THAT HOPEFULLY WE'RE HAVING INTEREST IN INVESTING INTO OUR DOWNTOWN.
AND I THINK THE MESSAGE ON WHY YOU NEED TO INVEST IN DOWNTOWN, I THINK IT WILL RESONATE.
AND HOPEFULLY WE, WE'LL GET SOME ADDITIONAL REVENUE COMING IN FROM THAT TO HELP US WITH OUR, WITH OUR REVITALIZATION EFFORTS.
BUT IF IN THE MEANTIME, IT'S JUST THE TWO LEVELS AND THE $1,000, UM, CORPORATE PRO, UH, PARTNER, WHICH AGAIN, IS WHAT'S BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE FROM, UM, OUTSIDE MEMBERS, IF YOU WILL.
MOVING FORWARD, UM, THE BOOM TRACKER, UM, I KNOW WE, WE'VE ACTUALLY DO A QUARTERLY UPDATE ON THIS, AND PROBABLY THE NUMBERS DON'T SHIFT VERY MUCH, UH, BUT JUST WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO MENTION HERE, UM, THAT IS, WE HAVE ROUGHLY ABOUT 158 BUSINESSES IN, IN, IN, WITHIN OUR CORE DISTRICT.
AND THAT MAP THERE PRETTY MUCH POINTS OUT TO OUR OFFICIAL BOUNDARIES BY, UM, BY FLORIDA MAIN STREET.
UM, SO IT DOESN'T COVER THE WHOLE CRA, UM, DISTRICT, JUST, UM, JUST
[00:45:01]
WHAT, UM, IS OFFICIALLY OUR BOUNDARIES AS AN ORGANIZATION.UM, SO WITHIN THAT BOUNDARY, WE HAVE 158 BUSINESSES.
UM, AND ACTUALLY, IF I GET CLOSER, I MAY BE ABLE TO SEE, UM, THE NUMBERS ABOVE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, BUILDINGS AND SPACES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE IS ALSO TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE EMPTY SPACES THAT WE HAVE.
UH, AND, UH, AND, AND THIS TALKS ABOUT, IT'S NOT ON THE BUILDINGS, BUT IT'S ALSO PARCELS AND, AND, AND, AND BUILDINGS.
SO, UM, UH, ACTUALLY THOSE NUMBERS DO NOT REFLECT SOME OF THE NEW BUSINESSES THAT WE RECENTLY GOT IN, BUT IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND, UM, A FEW THINGS, RIGHT? HOW MANY VACANCIES WE HAVE IN DOWNTOWN, UH, HOW MANY PROJECTS OR RENOVATIONS HAVE BEEN DONE.
AND THAT ACTUALLY, UM, AGAIN, FOR SAKE OF, OF TIME, UH, I WASN'T ABLE TO PUT ALL THOSE DIFFERENT, UM, SLIDES THERE.
BUT I DO HAVE A FULL REPORT, UH, FOR THE BOOM STRIKE.
IF YOU ARE, ARE, ARE, UH, YOU'RE WELCOME TO IT.
AND THAT PRETTY MUCH GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE INVESTMENT FROM PROPERTY AND BUSINESS OWNERS INTO SOME OF OUR BUSINESSES HERE IN DOWNTOWN.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THE NUMBERS DON'T, HASN'T MOVED TOO MUCH ON THE LAST, FROM THE PREVIOUS QUARTER.
UH, AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT FOR OUR NEXT QUARTER, YOU PROBABLY WILL SEE THOSE NUMBERS CHANGE.
WE HAVE SOME NEW, UH, BUSINESSES COMING INTO TOWN.
AND, UM, AND HOPEFULLY THOSE NUMBERS WILL CHANGE, UM, FOR THE BETTER.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THE BOONS OWN.
CAN YOU COUNT, TELL ME THE, UM, STREET BOUNDARIES? I, MY EYES AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO SEE, AND I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS THAT KIND OF AREA, BUT RIGHT.
SO WE GO FROM, UM, IT WOULD BE THE EAST SIDE OF HICKORY UP TO THE RAILROAD TRACKS OKAY.
ON NEW HAVEN, RIGHT? SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT COVERS OUR, OUR OFFICIAL BOUNDARIES.
UM, IT GOES A LITTLE BIT UP NORTH.
IT COVERS SOME OF THE BUSINESSES ON STRAWBRIDGE.
AND THEN, UM, GOING SOUTH, IT COVERS, UH, A HANDFUL OF, AND THEN AGAIN, NOT SO MUCH BUSINESSES, BUT, BUT MORE THE COMMUNITY IF YOU LOOK TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF THAT IMAGE.
AND THEN TOWARDS, UM, TOWARDS THE RIGHT SIDE AS IT KIND OF GOES DOWN TO CRANE CREEK, UH, THAT, AGAIN, IT COVERS BRUCE.
UH, AMBIA IS ACTUALLY NOT WITHIN THE OFFICIAL BOUNDARIES.
NOW, LET ME, LET ME CLARIFY THAT A LITTLE BIT.
THE OFFICIAL BOUNDARIES IS REALLY WHAT KINDA AFFECTS THE BOOM TRACKER APPLICATION.
SO I CAN ONLY REPORT TO FLORIDA MAIN STREET AND MAIN STREET AMERICA ON, ON, ON THOSE THAT ARE WITHIN OUR BOUNDARIES.
AS FAR AS OUR WORK IN GENERAL IS CONCERNED, WE PRETTY MUCH GO PRETTY MUCH FURTHER OUT, RIGHT? SO WE, WE GO ACROSS, UM, DEPOT DRIVE TO, TO INCLUDE THE
UM, SO ALTHOUGH OUR OFFICIAL BOUNDARIES, THAT'S WHAT IT IS, WE ACTUALLY DO, UH, DO WORK AND PROMOTE EVERYBODY ELSE WITHIN NEW HAVEN.
UM, I HAVE RECENTLY ASKED FLORIDA MAIN STREET, UH, TO ALLOW US TO EXPAND OUR BOUNDARIES TO COVER, UH, FRONT STREET AND, AND PART OF NORTHERN AVENUE THAT IS NOT, UM, THAT IS NOT COVERED WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES.
AND, UM, THEY JUST PRETTY MUCH JUST ASKED US TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION FOR THAT.
UM, SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO, UM, SPEAK WITH, UM, CINDY AS WELL, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ON THE SAME PAGE, BUT I THINK EXPANDING, UH, TO FRONT STREET IS GONNA HELP US EVENTUALLY BEING ABLE TO ACTIVATE OUR WATERFRONT AREA, SORE CREEK AND INDIAN RIVER LAGOON AND SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE DOWN THERE.
SO, UM, THAT'S PART OF OUR, OUR GOAL.
UM, SO WE ARE WORKING SLOWLY TOWARDS THAT.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT, FOR INSTANCE, MEMBERSHIP, WHAT YOU'RE SHOWING HERE IS 158 POSSIBLE BUSINESSES OR MEMBERS.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR MEETINGS AND MEMBERSHIP OUTREACH, ARE YOU GOING OUTSIDE, LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, TO HELEN BLAZES AND DOWN TO EVEN 1 92 INCLUDING THE STRIP? LIKE HOW, HOW FAR DO YOU GO? WE, WE, AGAIN, UM, THE IDEA IS THAT WE HAVE, EXCUSE ME, AS MANY MEMBERS AS POSSIBLE WITHIN OUR DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, WHICH IS AGAIN, OUTSIDE OF OUR BOUNDARIES MM-HMM
UM, SO YES, WE DO REACH OUT TO THEM.
AND WHEN WE HAVE OUR STAKEHOLDERS MEETING AND WE HAVE ANY TYPE OF INFORMATION OR OUR, OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER THAT GOES OUT, UM, WE DO REACH TO THEM AS WELL FROM LIKE, ALL
[00:50:01]
THE WAY DOWN TO 1 92 ON NEW HAMPSHIRE, OR, UM, NOT, NOT SO MUCH.'CAUSE AGAIN, TO RECENTLY, THERE REALLY HAVEN'T BEEN A LOT OF, UM, LOT OF MOVEMENT DOWN THERE.
AND, AND RECENTLY IT HAS, BUT SO FAR OUR CORE HAS BEEN ALL THE WAY UP TO US, ONE TO INCLUDE HELEN BLAS AND, UM, AND ESSENTIALS THAT USED TO BE RIGHT NEXT TO HELEN BLAS, THAT THE ITY MOVED UP.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, ALL THE WAY OUT TO TACO D.
WE'RE A MEMBER AND WE'RE THE FURTHEST WEST.
SO, BUT HE REACHES YOU IN HIS CORRESPONDENCE, TYPICALLY? WELL, I DON'T BECAUSE WE'RE A MEMBER.
AND IF I MAY CLARIFY THAT, ALTHOUGH NORMALLY THAT THAT INFORMATION WOULD GO OUT TO JUST OUR MEMBERS, I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO US THAT, THAT WHEN WE SEND OUT THAT MONTHLY NEWSLETTER, IT GOES OUT TO ALL THE DIFFERENT, UM, DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES AND PROPERTY OWNERS.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY.
AND, UH, SO WE NOT JUST KEEPING IT TO OUR MEMBERS, ALTHOUGH THAT WAS THE INTENTION ORIGINALLY, UH, BUT I THINK THAT HAS REALLY HELPED US, AGAIN, TO, TO, TO, TO AMEND A LOT OF THE RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, SO ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY OUT IN THE WEST SIDE, DON'T, DON'T BENEFIT TOO MUCH FROM SOME OF OUR EVENTS BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE, UM, BUT THEY'RE STILL PART OF IT.
THEY'RE INVITED TO, TO, TO CONNECT.
SOME OF THEM HAVE ALREADY REACHED OUT TO US TO BE PART OF SOME OF OUR EVENTS.
AND AGAIN, UH, THIS REPORT IS, IS, IS, IS, IS VERY DETAILED.
UH, SO AGAIN, IF YOU GUYS WOULD, UM, LIKE TO HAVE A COPY OF IT, PLEASE LET ROBERT KNOW OR MYSELF, AND I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SEND IT TO YOU.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER BY DON HEMINGWAY, ONE OF THE MANY THINGS THAT HE DONE.
UM, SPEAKING OF BOOM TRACKERS, STAYING THERE, THESE ARE SOME OF THE NEW BUSINESSES THAT WE HAD.
AGAIN, WE ARE FOCUSING ON LAST QUARTER ONLY.
SO CUBAN GRILL ON THE WEST SIDE, IF LA JUANITA RIGHT ACROSS, UH, US ONE.
UM, WE HAVE CLOSED BUSINESSES, UH, UNFORTUNATELY IN DALLAS, WHO RETIRED ESCAPE ROOM.
JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, NOT EVERY ONE OF THESE BUSINESSES HAVE CLOSED DOWN BECAUSE OF, UM, MELBOURNE'S ECONOMIES.
ADA HAS RETIRED, THE ESCAPE ROOM, THE PROPERTY OWNERS SOLD THE BUILDING, AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY COULD NOT BUY FROM THEM.
AND V COFFEE, UM, OH, I DON'T UNDERSTAND, IS A DISPUTE WITH THE BUSINESS OWNER, UH, THE PROPERTY OWNER.
THAT'S ALL I REALLY KNOW AND CAN SAY ABOUT THAT.
BUT AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE REASONS WHY THEY HAVE CLOSED.
IT HASN'T NECESSARILY BEEN BECAUSE DOWNTOWN IS NOT DOING WELL.
UM, I'M ALSO HAPPY TO SAY THAT AT ST.
DALLAS AND V COFFEE, WE HAVE TWO NEW BUSINESSES COMING UP.
BOTH OF THOSE BUSINESSES ARE FROM CURRENT BUSINESS OWNERS IN DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE.
THESE ARE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE REINVESTING INTO DOWNTOWN.
AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO A GOOD SIGN.
I DON'T THINK THESE PEOPLE WOULD BE WILLING TO INVEST THEIR MONEY INTO ANOTHER BUSINESS IN DOWNTOWN IF DOWNTOWN WASN'T DOING WELL OR WASN'T LOOKING WELL.
UM, UPCOMING BUSINESSES ION MARKET, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE BUSINESS THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT.
COFFEE IS ALSO ONE OF THE BUSINESSES THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT ARE BEING, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE BEING REINVESTING INTO, UH, DOWNTOWN.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BOOM TRACKER? YES.
SO, AND I APOLOGIZE 'CAUSE WE JUST LOOKED AT THIS, BUT I KNOW YOU SAID, I THINK YOU SAID HELEN BLAZES IS OUTSIDE OF IT.
SO THIS IS ONLY REPORTING INSIDE OF THAT AREA? NO, MA'AM.
SO THE BOOM STRIKER THAT, JUST TO MAKE IT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE, UH, THE ONLY THING WHEN I REPORT, THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY KIND OF STICKS TO THOSE OFFICIAL BOUNDARIES OF MELBOURNE MAIN STREET IS JUST THE AMOUNT OF BUSINESSES.
BUT AS FAR AS OUR OUTREACH AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR BUSINESSES AND PROMOTION OF THE DOWNTOWN INCLUDES ALL HISTORIC DOWNTOWN MER.
SO WHAT, WHAT IS THAT BOUNDARY? BECAUSE I KNOW LIKE, TWO THINGS I'M THINKING OF ONE, I DON'T KNOW IF SHELL'S WAS ON FOR OUR LAST REPORT, BUT WHEN THEY SAY DOWNTOWN'S NOT DOING WELL AND SHE'S SOLD OUT BEFORE NOON
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO TRY IT YET, BUT THAT PLACE IS THE BOMB.
THE ONLY REASON SHE'S NOT ON THIS REPORT IS BECAUSE AGAIN, IT FALLS ON THE NEXT QUARTER RIGHT.
AND FOCUSING JUST ON APRIL THROUGH JUNE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE REALLY GREAT COFFEE TRUCK RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THEIR COFFEE CARAVAN.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER, ANOTHER NEW ONE.
BUT I KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE, UM, I MEAN I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, THAT THE, THE OUTREACH IS GOING TO THE WHOLE CRA IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE GOING OUTSIDE OF THE CORE ANYWAYS, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR FOCUS AND THOSE BUSINESSES COULD
[00:55:01]
PARTICIPATE AND, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST A LITTLE COMMENT, 19,000 FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS, I THINK YOU HAVE SOME SERIOUSLY UNTAPPED MEMBERSHIP POTENTIAL THAT YOU NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT IN-HOUSE.AND, AND 'CAUSE I MEAN, IF, IF YOU GOT A PERCENT OF THOSE TO JOIN AS ASSOCIATE MEMBERS OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT USED TO BE, IT WOULD BE UNBELIEVABLE COMING BACK TO THAT COMMUNITY BUY-IN AND SUPPORT.
LIKE, I DON'T THINK OF MYSELF AS NOT IN DOWNTOWN, AND YET I'M AT THE FURTHEST WEST END, AND YOU STILL ARE, YOU'RE RIGHT, RIGHT.
BUT, BUT TO YOUR POINT, UM, IF I MAY, I KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MEMBERSHIP.
I JUST THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR PRIORITY WAS TO, AGAIN, AMEND RELATIONSHIPS, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON BRINGING THE TRAFFIC TO DOWNTOWN, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ACCESSIBLE TO OUR BUSINESS OWNERS.
THERE'S SOMEBODY IN OUR OFFICE FROM NINE O'CLOCK, SOMETIMES EVEN BEFORE NINE O'CLOCK, SOMETIMES UNTIL ABOUT SIX O'CLOCK, AND PEOPLE DO COME TO OUR OFFICE.
I MEAN, JUST ABOUT EVERY AFTERNOON AFTER THREE O'CLOCK, I HAVE TWO OR THREE PEOPLE SHOW UP AND THAT'S, THAT DOESN'T STOP.
PEOPLE CALL OUR OFFICE, THERE'S SOMEBODY THERE TO ANSWER THAT PHONE.
SO THAT, FOR ME, WAS A PRIORITY IN MY FIRST FEW MONTHS BEFORE I STARTED FOCUSING EVEN ON SENDING INVOICES FOR MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS, BECAUSE AGAIN, I DON'T THINK IT REALLY, REALLY MATTER OF FOCUSING TOO MUCH ON GROWING OUR MEMBERSHIP.
AND WE STILL HAVE PROBLEMS WITH, WITH, UM, THE WAY THE ORGANIZATION WAS OPERATING, IF, IF, IF, IF I WILL.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I THINK FROM HERE ON, AND THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT I HAVE WITH MY STAFF, I THINK NOW WE CAN START FOCUSING ON GROWING THAT MEMBERSHIP, BRINGING IN SOME CORPORATE PARTNERS.
AND NOW THAT WE FEEL THAT YOU'RE MORE COMFORTABLE, WE FEEL THAT WE HAVE SETTLED IN AND THAT WE ARE BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
AND AGAIN, EVEN WITHOUT OUR EFFORTS, THEY'RE ALREADY COMING AROUND.
THEY HAVE PAID THEIR PAST DUE MEMBERSHIPS, THEY'RE RENEWING THOSE MEMBERSHIPS, AND NOW WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL NEW, UH, BUSINESSES COMING IN AS NEW MEMBERS, OR AT LEAST HAVE INQUIRED ABOUT IT.
YEAH, NO, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE BUILDING A TERRIFIC BASE.
I KNOW YOU HAVE TO START FROM THERE.
WE WE'RE CERTAINLY TRYING, WE'VE GOT A GREAT STAFF.
IT'S A GOOD TEAM, AND THE CITY'S BEING KEY ON THIS AS WELL.
THEY'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL, CINDY, ROBERT, AND CARMEN.
SO, UH, I THINK AGAIN, AND THAT'S THE WHOLE MESSAGE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, INCLUDING OUR BUSINESS PROPERTY OWNERS.
THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING WE REALLY CAN'T ACCOMPLISH.
I THINK THE POTENTIAL OF DOWNTOWN ME IS INCREDIBLE.
WE JUST HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS, OKAY.
IT'S, UM, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE DO WITH THE ECONOMIC VITALITY COMMITTEE, WHICH RIGHT NOW IS PROBABLY OUR LARGEST, UM, COMMITTEE, UH, AFTER PROMOTIONS.
AND, UH, THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE WORK TOGETHER AND CLOSELY WITH OUR BUSINESS OWNERS.
UM, WE, WE MEET WITH THE, UH, UM, UH, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT STAFF, UH, ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UM, SO THAT WHAT HELPS US STAY UPDATED WITH WHAT THE CITY AND THE CRA IS DOING, OR ANY PROPOSED PLANS, AND ESPECIALLY CONSTRUCTION PLANS.
UM, BUT WE DO GET A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETIMES SOME OF THE CONCERNS FROM, UM, FROM OUR BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND, UH, SO WE BRING IT TO THE TABLE TO SEE THIS TEAM.
AND, UM, AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S REALLY A GOOD, A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.
AND, UM, I, AND I HAVE TO SAY, AND NOT JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE SITTING HERE, THEY'RE VERY DILIGENT.
UH, ANYTIME I ASK FOR ANY INFORMATION OR REPORTS, I QUICKLY RECEIVE IT AND I CAN PASS THAT ALONG TO, TO WHOEVER'S INQUIRING ABOUT ANYTHING.
AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO BEING KEY ON GROWING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
SO, UM, THEY PROBABLY DON'T GET ENOUGH CREDIT, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO.
UM, WE DO HAVE OUR STAKEHOLDERS MEETING SEMI-ANNUALLY.
WE HAVE IN OUR NEXT, UH, STAKEHOLDERS MEETING, UH, TAKE PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 24TH.
UM, I THINK, AND MY GOAL IS, AND AND, AND WE BRIEFLY TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH, UH, UH, WITH, UH, CINDY'S TEAM, IS THAT, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS MEETING IS NOT JUST SO MUCH.
I THINK WE KIND OF WENT OVER SOME OF THE, UH, DISCOMFORTS, IF YOU WILL, THAT, THAT, THAT THE, THE DOWNTOWN HAT.
I THINK THIS IS MORE ABOUT MOVING FORWARD AND WHAT WE CAN PROPOSE.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME, UM, WORKSHOPS TAKE PLACE.
UH, SO WE ARE GOING TO, UM, BRING SOME IDEAS TO THOSE NEW, UH, TO THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS, AND TO HOW WE CAN HELP 'EM AND WORK TOGETHER ON ELEVATING, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR STOREFRONTS AND, UH, THE WAY OUR DOWNTOWN LOOKS FOR, FOR, FOR VISITORS.
SO THAT'S, UH, AGAIN, SEPTEMBER 24TH.
UM, I CONTINUE MY WEEKLY VISITS TO OUR, OUR BUSINESSES, AND SO DOES OUR AMBASSADORS, DON HEMINGWAY.
AND ACTUALLY OUR TEAM, UH, GOES OUT THERE TWO ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO WE ARE CONSTANTLY OUT THERE SPEAKING WITH OUR, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS.
[01:00:01]
TALKED ABOUT THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER THAT GOES OUT, UM, TO, UH, BUSINESS AND PROPERTY OWNERS.I BELIEVE THAT YOU, UH, THE COMMITTEE GETS A COPY OF THAT AS WELL AS THE, UH, CITY STAFF.
UM, THERE'S SOME HOUSEKEEPING, UH, THAT WE DO ON A CONSTANT BASIS.
OUR WAY FINDING SIGNS, UM, ARE BEING, UM, KEPT BY, UM, UM, BY CASEY AND, AND, AND DON.
UH, OUR DUCK, UH, DUCK WASTE STATION MAINTENANCE, THAT'S MAINLY DONE, UH, ALSO BY DON HEMINGWAY.
UM, THERE'S ALSO, UM, THE FACADE AND, UH, INTERIOR IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM THAT THE CITY HAS DONE A GREAT JOB WITH.
UM, I WAS JUST NOTIFY CINDY THAT WE HAD A NEW FACADE, UH, UH, BUSINESS INTEREST IN THE FACADE PROGRAM.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT SOON.
UM, AND, UM, I THINK THE INTERIOR, UH, IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IS A GREAT IDEA.
UM, I BELIEVE HAS ALREADY RECEIVED THE APPROVAL OF THE COUNCIL, IF I'M NOT CORRECTLY.
SO I'LL LET CINDY TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN THE TURN COMES AROUND.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING, UH, CLOSELY WITH, UM, THE CITY STAFF IS BRINGING, UM, UH, AN INITIATIVE TO OUR VACANT, UM, BUILDINGS IN STOREFRONT.
AND THIS IS A WINDOW, UH, CLS PROGRAM.
AND MY IDEA IS THAT WE CAN NOW START COVERING OUR EMPTY SPACES WITH, UH, WINDOW CLS, UH, WITH A, UH, A UNIFORM, UH, DESIGNED TO AVOID HAVING THE BROWN PAPER BAGS AND, UH, AND THE BLUE TARPS COVERING, UH, THOSE WINDOWS.
SO, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS ON THE TOPS.
THERE'S SOME PRELIMINARY, UM, UH, WORDING THAT HAS BEEN PUT TOGETHER.
UH, CINDY AND HER TEAM ARE WORKING WITH LEGAL COUNSEL FOR, FOR THE WORDING.
BUT IDEALLY WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE IS OUR EITHER BUSINESS OR PROPERTY OWNERS USING THESE WINDOW CLEANED, UM, IN THOSE EMPTY SPACES, ESPECIALLY THOSE SPACES THAT HAVE BEEN SITTING THERE FOR A WHILE.
UM, I, OUR IDEA IS TO HAVE A DESIGN THAT IS, AGAIN, PRETTY UNIFORM WITH, UH, OUR LOGO AND THE LOGO OF THE CITY.
AND, UM, AND, UM, PROBABLY PROVIDING SOME INFORMATION, UM, UM, ABOUT OUR DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN WHEN IT IS A NEW BUSINESS THAT IS OPENING AND IT'S TAKING SOME TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT COULD BE 30 DAYS, 45, 60 DAYS, WHATEVER IT IS, THAT THEY CAN HAVE A WINDOW CLINK, UM, ON THAT STOREFRONT, MAYBE JUST PROMOTING, UH, THE BUSINESS, RIGHT? THAT'S COMING SOON.
UH, BUT THERE'S ALSO, AND I'M PUTTING SOME SLIDES HERE, SOME OF THE, UH, PICTURES THAT IS, UH, OR SOME OF THE IDEAS, UH, WE CAN USE, YOU KNOW, HISTORICAL CONTENT, UH, FOR THOSE WINDOW CLS THAT COMING SOON FOR THE UPCOMING BUSINESS.
UM, UNDER CONSTRUCTION, UH, CAN BE AS WELL.
BUT SOMETHING THAT IS MORE PLEASING TO LOOK AT AND THAT, AND THAT IT STILL PROVIDES A, A, SOME SORT OF MESSAGE, RIGHT? AND IT'S NOT JUST BROWN PAPER OR BLUE TARP.
SO AGAIN, UH, WE'RE STILL ON THE EARLY STAGES.
UH, IT'S, UM, IT'S THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, ACTUALLY, I THINK, TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
SO, UM, AND, UM, AND FINALLY, UM, THERE HAS BEEN SOME INTEREST IN PLACING BACK OUR BENCHES ON NEW HAVEN.
UM, AS YOU PROBABLY ARE AWARE, THERE'S STILL BENCHES ON THE WEST SIDE, UM, STUDYING ON, ON, ON LIVINGSTONE FROM THE HEGAR TOWARDS THE WEST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T HAVE ANY BENCHES ANYMORE ON THE EAST SIDE EXCEPT FOR WHEN YOU GET TO, UM, UM, HELP ME OUT HERE SEE THE, THE NAME OF THE PARK BY CRUSH ON THE PARK.
SO WE HAVE SOME BENCHES THERE, BUT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ABOUT IT.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE SOME INTEREST FROM, UH, FROM THE PUBLIC AND EVEN SOME BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE BEEN BRINGING BACK SOME BENCHES, UM, SINCE THIS TEAM BROUGHT IT, UH, TO THE COUNCIL DETENTION, UM, IT WAS DECIDED TO AT LEAST START WITH FOUR BENCHES, UM, TO SEE HOW IT GOES ON A, ON A, ON A TEMPORARY BASIS.
UM, AND THEN WE COULD EITHER EXPAND OR REMOVE 'EM DEPENDING HOW, HOW, HOW THAT GOES.
UM, BUT, UM, I THINK WE'LL FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT BRINGING THOSE BENCHES BACK, UM, WOULD HELPFUL.
UM, AND, UM, AND I DON'T FORESEE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES THAT WE HAD IN THE PAST THAT PRACTICALLY PROVIDE THE REASON TO REMOVE THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THE CITY ON THAT.
I HAVE ALREADY, UM, THE CITY ASSIGNED ME WITH THE TASK OF, OF, OF TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHERE TO HAVE THEM.
UM, THOSE, UH, IMAGES THERE THREE OTHER LOCATIONS THAT I HAVE SUGGESTED.
I STILL HAVE TO, UH, REACH OUT TO SOME OF THE, UM, BUSINESS OWNERS.
ACTUALLY, THESE SUGGESTIONS ARE THERE.
'CAUSE I ALREADY REACHED OUT AND SPOKE TO EITHER
[01:05:01]
PROPERTY OWNERS OR BUSINESS OWNERS.CINDY ALREADY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT AS WELL.
SO HOPEFULLY WHEN THE NEXT, UH, THE NEXT MONTH OR SO, WE HAVE SOME BENCHES, UM, IN, IN OUR EAST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? YEAH, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH MY REPORT.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN HELP ANSWER? NO, I THINK WE HAD 'EM ALL ANSWERED.
IT WAS A VERY THOROUGH REPORT.
OKAY, ITEM NUMBER SIX, THE COMMUNITY AESTHETICS TEXT AMENDMENT.
TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS YET YOU WANT OKAY.
WHAT REPORT? YOU GUYS WANNA GO AHEAD? YOU, YOU CAN COME UP NOW.
MARCUS SMITH, MELBOURNE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE.
UH, REALLY GOOD INFORMATION TO HEAR THE PROGRESS.
AND THE PART THAT I REALLY LIKE IS THE FIDELITY THAT'S STARTING TO HAPPEN ON THE PROGRESS OF THE BUSINESSES.
AND SO, AND, AND, UH, MS. CHAIR, YOU MADE A POINT ABOUT THAT BEING MAIN STREET FOCUSED, BUT THEN WHAT ABOUT THE ENTIRE CRA SINCE WE ARE AT CRA MEETING AND THEN JUST, UH, SORT OF ASSESSING, UH, THE PROGRESS OF EITHER THE BUSINESSES OF CRA OR THE OVERALL CRA.
SO THAT WAS JUST MY ONE TAKEAWAY POINT, BUT LOTS OF GOOD INFORMATION THERE.
I LOVE THE POINT THAT HE BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE POTENTIAL EXPANSION DOWN TO FRONT STREET, WORKING ON SOME THINGS ON THE CITY COUNCIL SIDE OR REALLY THE, THE OVERALL EXPANSION OF THE MAIN STREET TERRITORY.
BUT THEN YOU HAVE THE ACTUAL GEOGRAPHY OF WHERE WE'RE, WHERE MAIN STREET IS OPERATING, BUT THEN YOU HAVE THE ACTUAL, WHAT IS IT THAT WE ARE HERE TO FOCUS ON, NOT ONLY AS A CRA, BUT IN PARTICULAR AS A CITY.
SO I JUST WANT TO KIND OF KEEP THAT PERSPECTIVE OUT AND THEN ASK THE QUESTION AS TO WHAT ARE WE, UH, GOING TO DO TO SORT OF PICK UP ON THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE HERE AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD ALSO HAVE EITHER REPORTING OR, UH, STATISTICS OR SOMETHING TO MEASURE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE ACROSS, UH, OUR ENTITIES AND BUSINESSES.
WELL, I THINK, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU COME TO SO MANY MEETINGS AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE INPUT SINCE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ADVISING YOU, BUT YOU GET TO HEAR US FIRSTHAND AND BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL.
AND SOME OF THE STUFF NEVER REALLY COMES UP TO COUNCIL.
DEFINITELY NOT IN THE SAME WAY.
SO, I MEAN, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED FROM US, YOU KNOW, AS A COUNCIL, MAN, THAT WOULD HELP.
YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY PLEASE LET US KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHY WE'RE ALL HERE.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR FEEDBACK ABOUT, ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
OKAY, ITEM SIX, COMMUNITY AESTHETICS.
SO THIS IS A TEXT AMENDED AMENDMENT TO, UH, CITY CODE CHAPTER 20, ARTICLE X.
UM, AND SO WE HAD ATTACHED THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE AS A PART OF THE MEMO.
SO IN CHAPTER 20, COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, ARTICLE X COMMUNITY AESTHETICS, UH, SECTION 20 DASH THREE 14 IS THE MAINTENANCE OF BUILDING EXTERIORS.
YOU CAN SEE THE BLACK LETTERING LANGUAGE.
WHAT'S GOING ON? MIKE?
IS THAT GOOD FEEDBACK? I KNOW.
SO WE RECEIVED, TRUST ME SWITCHING WITH COMMENTS.
IT WAS JUST WHERE I'M SITTING
MAYBE IF YOU SIT BACK A LITTLE BIT.
UH, SO THIS, THIS IS A TEXT AMENDMENT TO CITY CODE, UH, CHAPTER 20, AEX, COMMUNITY AESTHETICS.
UH, WE RECEIVED DIRECTION FROM CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE A LOOK AT KIND OF THE VACANCIES THAT WAS SPOKEN ABOUT WITH COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
UH, THIS TEXT AMENDMENT, THE GOAL IS TO, UH, SORT OF PROTECT THE LOOK OF DOWNTOWN WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES THAT SIT, UM, SOME OF THEM YOU GO BY, YOU SEE BOARD OF THE WINDOWS, UH, COVERING WITH THE BROWN PAPERS, UM, NEWSPAPER AND
[01:10:01]
SO FORTH.SO, UH, WITHIN THE SECTION OF CODE, THE FIRST SECTION, 20 DASH THREE 14 IS THE MAINTENANCE OF BUILDING EXTERIOR.
SO THIS SECTION APPLIES CITYWIDE JUST ADDED SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE WHEN IT COMES TO ORGANIC GROWTH.
UM, MILDEW ACCUMULATED DIRT ON EXTERIOR PROPERTIES AND THAT.
AND THEN ABOUT GRAFFITI BEING REMOVED WITHIN 15 DAYS.
NOTIFICATION OF THE CITY ADDING A NEW SECTION, UH, 20 DASH THREE 15 VACANT COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
THIS SECTION APPLIES TO THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREAS ONLY.
UM, SO THIS IS LOOKING AT THE VACANT COMMERCIAL BUILDING STOREFRONTS, UM, ENSURING THAT THEY'RE MAINTAINED, UM, AND THAT THEY'RE NOT IN A MANNER THAT, YOU KNOW, CREATES A NEGLECTED OR UNFINISHED APPEARANCE.
SO WE DON'T WANT, YOU KNOW, UM, PROPERTIES LIKE THAT.
UH, SO, UM, WITH SECTION C, UM, THAT'S WHERE WE, UM, GO IN AND TALK ABOUT THE TEMPORARY COVERINGS OF THE WINDOWS WHEN IT COMES TO BROWN PAPER.
YOU KNOW, ALLOWING IN EMERGENCY MEASURES OR THE, IF THERE'S AN ACTIVE BUILDING PERMIT ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, AND THEN A MEAL HIT ON IT A BIT WITH THE WINDOW CLEAN PROGRAM.
SO WE ADDED AN AND D KIND OF WHAT YOU CAN PUT ON THERE WITH BUSINESS LEASING, INFO FOR SALE, UM, HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS.
SOMETHING, UM, UH, CARMEN HAD ADDED, I THINK WOULD BE A GREAT TOUCH.
UH, ESPECIALLY SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD ABOUT THE WEATHER, THE LOOK OF DOWNTOWN FROM, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED SOME YEARS AGO.
UH, BUT THEN ALSO HAVING THAT, THAT UNIFORM WINDOW CLEAN PROGRAM, UM, BE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO THE LOGISTICS YET OF THE DESIGN ON WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE EXACTLY.
BUT MAKING IT, UM, HAVING, HAVING IT UNIFORM AND SOMETHING THAT'S UNIQUE FOR DOWNTOWN, UH, JUST CREATES THAT BETTER, THAT BETTER LOOK ON THE, ON THE STOREFRONTS FOR PEOPLE WALKING BY.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, YEAH, WE'VE, UM, QUESTIONED THAT THE COMMITTEE PROVIDE COMMENTS OR A RECOMMENDATION OF THE PROS LANGUAGE, UH, TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, AS DRAFTED.
AND WE'LL BE GOING TO CITY COUNCIL WITH AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND, UH, CITY CODE.
I, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO PROPOSE THAT THE WORDING AS DRAFTED, GO TO COUNSEL FOR APPROVAL.
SO THIS IS FOR ALL OF DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE LOT, NOT JUST ON THE CORRECT.
THE, THE IT, THE WAY IT'S WORD IS FOR, UH, THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREAS.
SO IT WOULD ALSO BE ALI, UM, AND MELBOURNE.
ALL THE ENTIRE C ENTIRE C AREA, ENTIRE CRA.
YOU CAN PROBABLY COULD SKIP A COUPLE SLIDES.
UH, SO WHAT'S THAT MEAN, LISA? ITEM SEVEN.
UH, SO THIS IS THE, WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, IT'S BEEN A FEW MONTHS SINCE, OR A FEW MEETINGS SINCE LAST TIME WE BROUGHT YOU GUYS PARKING MANAGEMENT.
I KNOW THAT'S EVERYONE'S FAVORITE TOPIC.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN WORKING, UM, UH, VERY DILIGENTLY INTERNALLY.
IT'S BEEN THE TOP PRIORITY OF STAFF TO, YOU KNOW, BRING BACK, YOU KNOW, PARKING MANAGEMENT AND ENFORCEMENT THAT WE HAVE, UH, DISCUSSED, UH, PREVIOUSLY.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE COMING TO THE COMMITTEE TODAY WITH THAT PARKING PLAN, UM, BUDGET AND SO FORTH, UM, TO GET YOUR ALL RECOMMENDATION TO GO BACK TO CITY COUNCIL, UM, AND HOPEFULLY GET THIS MOVING FORWARD.
THE CITY HAD A STUDY DONE BACK IN 2025, UH, BY A CONSULTANT TO, UH, DO A PARKING STUDY AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO TURNOVER FOR THE ON STREET PARKING ALONG, UH, EAST NEW HAVEN, WHICH IS THE PRIME PARKING FOR PEOPLE COMING DOWNTOWN, UH, WITHIN THAT RETAIL CORRIDOR.
UH, SO CONSULTANT'S RECOMMENDATION WAS A TWO PHASE APPROACH WITH PHASE ONE BEING THAT PARKING ENFORCEMENT GETTING BACK TO ENFORCING THE TIME LIMITED PARKING WITH THREE HOURS AS SIGNED, UM, THAT THE CITY HAD DONE FOR SO LONG.
BUT CASE LAW CHANGED WHERE WE COULDN'T PHYSICALLY CHALK TIRES.
NOW WE'RE HAVING TO LOOK TO TECHNOLOGY NOW TO BE ABLE TO, TO CARRY THIS OUT.
UM, AND SO CITY COUNCIL, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT IT, WE WERE FIRST LOOKING AT A THIRD PARTY VENDOR.
UM, THE INTERPRETATION OF FLORIDA STATUTE IS THAT THE PERSON WHO IS ISSUING THE CITATION WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY HAS TO BE, UH, 'CAUSE IT'S LIKE A POLICE POWER, HAS TO BE AN EMPLOYEE, UM, OF THE MUNICIPALITY.
UM, SO NOW WE'RE HAVING TO, UM, PIVOT FROM A THIRD PARTY TO CREATING THIS INTERNAL DIVISION, UH, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY BE CARRIED OUT BY THE MEL RIVER POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'VE BEEN COLLABORATING, COORDINATING WITH A LOT OF INTERNAL DEPARTMENTS HERE AT THE CITY.
UM, SO WE COME PREPARED WITH EXACTLY THE LOGISTICS AND THE BUDGET OF HOW THIS CAN BE CARRIED OUT.
UM, SO MELBOURNE PD WILL ULTIMATELY SUPERVISE AND OVERSEE THE, UH, PARKING ENFORCEMENT SPECIALISTS.
SO THEY'RE NOT SWORN IN OFFICERS.
UM, THEY'RE JUST HIRED, RECEIVE THE STATE CERTIFICATION TO BE ABLE TO CARRY OUT, UH, PARKING ENFORCEMENT.
SO, UM, AND SO AGAIN, WE'RE JUST MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PHASE ONE AND GOING BACK TO THE TIME WE CAN ENFORCE THAT, THAT THREE HOUR WINDOW.
UM, YEAH, JUST THE PHASE ONE OVERVIEW, I THINK WE COULD SKIP OVER IT.
KIND OF TOUCHED ON THAT WE GO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, SO THIS IS THE PARKING PLAN, AND IT WAS A PART AS THE AGENDA PACKET.
IT, IT, THIS WOULD BE ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL BY RESOLUTION.
UM, SO IT LAYS OUT, UH, JUST KIND OF JUST THE BULLET POINTS OF THE PARKING PLAN.
[01:15:01]
PARKING SCHEDULE, IT'S, UH, MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, UH, 9:00 AM TO 9:00 PM UM, THE ENFORCEMENT AREA, THIS IS JUST FOR ON STREET.THE OFF STREET ENFORCEMENT AREA WOULD BE AROUND CITY HALL SURFACE LOT.
UH, THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE GARAGE.
UM, AND YOU CAN SKIP TO THE NEXT ONE.
SO THIS, THE PURPLE SHOWS WHAT THE ENFORCEMENT AREA IS.
IT'S BASICALLY, UH, NEW HAVEN AVENUE FROM THE RAILROAD TO, UM, MCQUAID.
AND THEN IT HITS THOSE STREETS, WHICH IS WAY REALLY LIVINGTON VERNON MUNICIPAL.
UM, AND THEN DOWN AROUND MELBOURNE COURT WHEN YOU GET AROUND CAMPBELL PARK THERE, AND THEN DOWN TO, UH, TO HOMES.
AND SO THAT'S THE THREE HOUR PARKING.
AND THEN AGAIN, UH, THE CITY HALL PARKING GARAGE, UH, FIRST LEVEL, UH, THE SURFACE LOT AS WELL WOULD BE IN ENFORCED AREA.
SO NOW WE GET INTO THE BUDGET.
UH, SO THIS IS THE KIND OF JUST THE STARTUP COSTS.
YOU SEE HIGHER COSTS, OF COURSE IN YEAR ONE WITH THOSE ONE-TIME FEES.
UH, SO FOR PERSONNEL WE'RE THINKING, OR PD, UM, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE SCHEDULE, THE MONDAY TO SATURDAY, UH, NINE TO NINE CAN GET DONE WITH THREE PART-TIME SPECIALISTS.
SO THIS INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, PERSONNEL COSTS, UH, SALARIES, TRAINING, UNIFORM SUPPLIES, UH, THAT'S, UH, 90,000 TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT.
SO THIS IS WHEN WE GET INTO THE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, THE HARDWARE, UM, YOU KNOW, HARDWARE, UH, SOFTWARE OF THE LICENSE PLATE READER CAMERAS, UM, THE SOFTWARE TO RUN IT, AND THEN ALSO THE VEHICLE.
THESE ARE JUST, UM, ESTIMATES, UM, UM, THAT WE HAVE.
SO IN, IN YEAR TWO, YOU SEE THE COST COME DOWN, OF COURSE, WITH THOSE ONE TIME FEES, BIGGEST PURCHASES OF THE VEHICLES.
UM, AND THE SEE THAT TOTAL, UM, IN YEAR TWO FOR THE OPERATING BUDGET TO BE A HUNDRED LEVEL, 111,000.
CAN YOU DEFINE PART-TIME? 'CAUSE THAT SEEMS REALLY HIGH FOR THREE PART-TIME PEOPLE.
HOW MANY HOURS IS THAT GONNA BE? YEAH, I THINK, WHAT WAS IT, THE 30 HOURS? 30 HOURS.
AND 24 24 TO COVER YOUR 12 HOURS A NIGHT OVER SIX DAYS.
AND IS IT HOW MANY VEHICLES? IT SAYS VEHICLE.
SO, UH, IN, IN THE CASE IT'S, UM, TALKING WITH PD, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIKE TWO VEHICLES IN THE CASE THAT ONE GOES DOWN, ANOTHER VEHICLE IS READY, UM, TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND, YOU KNOW, UH, DO THE ENFORCEMENT.
THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE GRANT FUNDING FOR THOSE MM-HMM
SO IT'S A LITTLE SIDE NOTE IN THERE, BUT, UM, WE DO THINK THAT'S LIKELY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
UM, AND IT'S AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE, AND SO, UM, THAT'LL BE LOWER ON OVERALL COSTS.
SO, SO I JUST, SO IN THE ATLANTIC USES LIKE A GOLF CART, WHY DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A FULL-SIZED CAR? IS THAT A REQUIREMENT? I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY.
IT'S, YEAH, IT WASN'T A REQUIREMENT, BUT WITH THE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOKED AT AND, UM, PD WAS, YOU KNOW, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE GRANT AT PLAY, AND IT SEEMS LIKE A LIKELY POSSIBILITY.
UM, SO THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S THE BUDGETING WE WENT WITH, WITH THOSE VEHICLES.
BECAUSE THE GRANT WILL COVER A REGULAR VEHICLE YES.
GOLF, GOLF CART, GOLF CART, CART TYPE.
IT WAS LIKE A, IT'S LIKE A MR. BEAN CAR.
UM, SO WITH PARKING ENFORCEMENT DOES COME, UM, POTENTIAL REVENUE.
UM, AND SO KIND OF JUST SHOWING WHAT YEAR ONE, YEAR TWO, WHAT LOOKS LIKE TO PUT THE COST, OPERATING COST AND THEN WITH THAT REVENUE.
UM, SO AGAIN, YEAR ONE, UM, ESTIMATED OPERATING COST, 246,000, UM, WE'RE ESTIMATING AROUND 5,000 CITATIONS TO BE ISSUED.
UM, AND SO THAT REVENUE LOOKS LIKE, SO AFTER FEES, SO, UM, THE WAY THESE COMPANIES WORK THAT PROVIDE THE LICENSE PLATE READER, UM, TECHNOLOGIES IS THEY HAVE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FEE, PLUS THEY DO THE PROCESSING FEE.
AND SO THEY MAKE THEIR REVENUE ALSO, UH, PER CITATION.
SO AFTER THEIR FEES ARE TAKEN OUT, THIS IS WHAT THE CITY WOULD COLLECT IN THAT, YOU KNOW, 146,000.
UM, AND THEN THE ESTIMATED CRA CONTRIBUTION.
SO THE, WITH PARKING ENFORCEMENT, THE MODELS THAT WE LOOKED AT IS IT, IT DOESN'T PAY FOR ITSELF.
SO ANYTHING THAT'S NOT COVERED BY THE OPERATING COST WILL ULTIMATELY BE SUPPLEMENTED BY THE CRA.
SO, AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE FUNDING GAP HERE AT 110,000, UM, SHOULD WE RECEIVE THAT GRANT THAT WILL COVER THE VEHICLES? YOU KNOW, THEN IT TAKES IT DOWN REALLY TO KIND OF A 10,000, YOU KNOW, A LOT LOWER COST THERE IN, IN YEAR ONE.
UM, YEAR TWO, HOWEVER YOU SEE THE OPERATING COSTS DROP.
UH, BUT WE ALSO PREDICT THAT REVENUE WILL BEGIN TO DROP.
AS YOU KNOW, PARKERS, PEOPLE COME DOWNTOWN START TO LEARN, HEY, THE CITY'S ACTUALLY ENFORCING PARKING.
SO WE'LL BE ISSUING A LOT LESS CITATIONS.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE INFLATION, UM, THAT WILL COME WITH THE PERSONNEL, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEIR COST AS WELL.
[01:20:01]
SEEING COST RISE AND WOULD, AND REVENUE DROP, UH, THE YEARS FOLLOWING.AND, AND PLEASE UNDERSTAND TOO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE OUR BEST GUESSTIMATES MM-HMM
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SEE IN THAT FIRST YEAR THAT DRIVERS FIGURE OUT VERY QUICKLY, HEY, I NEED TO STOP PARKING ON NEW HAVEN.
SO THOSE FIRST YEAR REVENUES COULD BE REDUCED, AND THOSE SECOND YEAR REVENUES WILL BE REDUCED FURTHER.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY ASSURED THAT WE WILL BE IN THE DEFICIT ANNUALLY.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW FAR IN THE DEFICIT, UH, IT, IT COULD BE MORE 50,000 A YEAR IN DEFICIT WITH JUST THE ENFORCEMENT.
SO IT'S REALLY ALL A DETERMINATION ON HOW OUR, YOU KNOW, PARKER'S DOWNTOWN REACT.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S THE RUB.
SO WE'RE PAYING MORE IF THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE'RE DOING ALL OF THIS AND SPENDING THIS KIND OF MONEY BECAUSE WE'VE GOT CHRONIC PEOPLE THAT PARK IN FRONT OF THEIR BUSINESSES.
IT IS, I MEAN, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S LIKE THIS LITTLE SPIN IN MY, IT'S KIND OF CRAZY, YOU KNOW, AND I MEAN, I WOULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE BEFORE THIS GOES TO COUNCIL TO GET A BETTER IDEA OF THE BUDGET AND LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE HUGE EXPENSES.
'CAUSE I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING JUST A COUPLE BLOCK RADIUS AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING TWO VEHICLES FOR THAT.
ONLY ONE VEHICLE WILL BE OPERATING, BUT ONE'S A BACKUP.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND I THINK THAT SEEMS UNNECESSARY.
AND THEN THE MAINTENANCE ON IT WOULD BE ON FOOT.
SO CLOSE OR JUST GET TWO GOLF CARTS.
THEY HAVE LIKE THE LITTLE, YOU KNOW EXACTLY CANVAS ENCLOSURE SIGHTINGS.
AND I'M SURE IT CAN BE REPURPOSED FOR OTHER USES FOR THE CITY, IF I KNOW.
BUT UN UNDERSTAND THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THE ONE DEVELOPING THE, THE BUDGET AND, AND HOW THINGS ARE GONNA WORK BECAUSE THEY'LL BE THEIR EMPLOYEES.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU WHAT INTERNALLY STAFF HAS DETERMINED WILL WORK IN THAT SCENARIO.
WELL, IN THE WAY THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT IMPLEMENTING IT, I THINK IT'D BE GREAT IF MAYBE THEY HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF IT.
THEY HAVEN'T DONE THIS BEFORE.
SO SOME FEEDBACK WOULD BE MY EXPERIENCE.
POLICE DEPARTMENTS, LIKE EQUIPMENT
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M THINKING.
AND THEN THERE'S MAINTENANCE ON THAT EQUIPMENT.
UM, AND DO WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE LICENSE PLATE, UH, READER SYSTEM WORKS? IS IT FLOCK? NO.
SO THIS, IT'S STRICTLY JUST, THEY, THEY DRIVE AROUND, IT CATCHES ALL THE LICENSE PLATES, SORT OF DIGITALLY CHALKS 'EM OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY'RE PARKED.
IT DOESN'T PULL, WELL, MUST IT LIKE A GOOGLE READER ON THE TOP OF THEIR VEHICLE? OR DO THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO BY AND PHYSICALLY KIND OF, NO.
YEAH, SO ON THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD BE TWO MOUNTED CAMERAS ON EITHER SIDE.
SO WHEN YOU DRIVE UP, YOU, YOU CATCH THE PLATES.
UM, AND ALL THE ONLY INFORMATION THAT THAT, THAT THEY RECEIVE IS JUST, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LICENSE PLATE WHERE THE VEHICLE'S TALK OR WHERE THE VEHICLE'S PARKED.
AND THEY CAN EVEN CATCH THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU, WHERE YOU FILL UP YOUR AIR, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THE TIRE HASN'T, HASN'T MOVED ITS POSITION.
SO IT DOESN'T PULL UP ANY, ANY TYPE OF CRIMINAL HISTORY OR INFORMATION ABOUT THE DRIVE OR STUFF LIKE THAT.
ANY, ANY OTHER INFORMATION ON THIS PART OF IT OR ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED FROM US? I, AND I WOULD JUST MENTION THAT WHEN WE DO, UM, TALK TO COUNCIL ABOUT THIS IN AN UPCOMING AGENDA, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GONNA, YOU KNOW, LET THEM UNDERSTAND TOO PHASE TWO, WHICH WAS THE PAID PARKING, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL BE A REVENUE GENERATOR.
UM, AS PROBABLY MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, COUNCIL IS LOOKING AT NEW REVENUE GENERATION, UM, YOU KNOW, AREAS.
SO WE, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, MENTION THAT IT, WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE SYSTEM AND THE SOFTWARE AND THE HARDWARE AND WE CAN TRANSITION VERY EASILY WITH STAFF, THE SOFTWARE, THE HARDWARE, TO A PAID PARKING SCENARIO.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE PHASE TWO THAT WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE CONSULTANTS.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THE COMMITTEE HAS ANY, ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT, BUT WE DO PLAN ON MENTIONING THAT TO CITY COUNCIL AS WE TAKE THIS ITEM BACK FOR THEIR DIRECTION.
I MEAN, I DON'T, I SHARED WITH CITY STAFF THAT, YOU KNOW, MARK AND I WENT TO COCOA BEACH FOR ONE OF THEIR LITTLE ART SHOWS AND THEIR PARKING GARAGE WAS FULL AND WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PARK ON THE STREET.
WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TIME TO SEE THE SHOW AND HAVE LUNCH.
SO, YOU KNOW, I HAD SUCH A BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH, IT IMMEDIATELY MADE ME THINK OF THIS.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN HERE.
THAT WE'RE NOT, BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, I DON'T EVER, I NEVER WANTED TO GO BACK.
'CAUSE IT WAS MY FIRST TIME I WROTE A NICE LETTER, BUT I WAS PRETTY UPSET.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF OUR PARKING GARAGE DOES GET FULL FOR A SPECIAL EVENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT WE ARE NOT PENALIZING PEOPLE IF THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PARK FOR MORE THAN THREE HOURS.
[01:25:01]
WANT THEM TO DO, IS COME DOWN HERE AND SPEND MONEY.YOU KNOW, WE WERE SPENDING MONEY AND, UH, YOU WANNA ENCOURAGE THAT, NOT DISCOURAGE IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY, ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT, BUT I DO WANT THAT TO GET CONVEYED, YOU KNOW, AS WELL TO COUNSEL, JUST SO WE PULLED THE MAP BACK UP.
SO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, THE TIME LIMITATION WILL ONLY BE IN THE PEAK AREA.
THE GREEN AREAS WILL BE UN UNRESTRICTED.
AND THEN IF WE DO MOVE INTO A PAID SYSTEM, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THIS FURTHER DISCUSSION.
BUT THERE'S NOT ANY INTENT ON CHARGING IN THE GARAGE.
AND THEN THEY'LL ALSO LIKELY STILL BE ON STREET PARKING THAT ISN'T PAY PARKING, THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE UNRESTRICTED.
SO AGAIN, THE WHOLE INTENT OF THE PARKING MANAGEMENT PLAN IS, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED WITH THE GROUP ABOUT, WAS TO REALLY GET THE TURNOVER IN THESE HIGH VISIBILITY PARKING AREAS, NEW HAVEN AVENUE, YOU KNOW, MUNICIPAL LANE, UM, THOSE AREAS SO THAT THAT PARKING CAN BE TURNED OVER AND THAT PEOPLE COMING DOWNTOWN CAN FIND PARKING.
SO EVEN IN THE PAID SCENARIO, THAT'S REALLY STILL THE INTENT.
OUR LONG-TERM PARKS NEED TO MOVE FURTHER OUT INTO SURFACE LOTS AND AREAS WHERE THEY CAN BE EIGHT, 10 HOURS A DAY AND OUR VISITORS TO DOWNTOWN CAN BE IN, IN THE HIGHER, UM, PRIORITY PARKING.
SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S REALIZING THAT EVEN IN THE ENFORCEMENT, WE'RE NOT ENFORCING ALL ON STREET PARKING.
UM, THAT THERE'S NOT A TIME RESTRICTION ON EVERY STREET IN THE PAID PARKING.
YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF PLAN COULD BE PUT IN THE SAME WAY.
AND I, I DO THINK WHEN PAID PARKING COMES AROUND THAT WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT IT.
I WAS JUST GONNA COMMENT AS WELL, THIS IS PHASE ONE.
PHASE TWO, I ECHO THE COCOA BEACH.
WHO DO WE HAVE A COMMITTEE MEMBER? ARE YOU COCO? YEAH.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, THE, THE PAID PARKING, SEEING HOW COCOA BEACH DOES IT, I MEAN THEY'RE, THEY'VE GONE OVERBOARD IN MY OPINION.
I HAVE A BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH AS WELL WITH COCOA BEACH.
IT IS SO EXPENSIVE TO PARK ANYWHERE IN COCOA BEACH.
BUT JUST LOOKING, YOU KNOW, FOR THEM THEY'VE MADE THESE DECISIONS.
IS IT A LOT OF REVENUE? AND IT BALANCES 'CAUSE THE DEMAND'S SO HIGH.
JUST THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT, THAT LOOK AT FUTURE PHASES.
BECAUSE I HAVE THAT SAME FEELING IN MY, YEAH, THEY CHARGE $5 AN HOUR AND OUR CONSULTANT PROPOSED A DOLLAR AN HOUR SO THAT THEY'RE EVEN HAVING PAID PARKING, AS I UNDERSTAND IN PARKS NOW, WHICH IS CRA THEY'RE RE RENOVATING.
I THINK IT'S CALLED RAMP ROAD AND WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING, I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, BUT THEY'RE HAVING FAMILIES PAY, SO THEIR KIDS, I MEAN, IT IS A RAMP FOR BOATS AS WELL, BUT FOR KIDS TO PLAY IS JUST MAKES ME VERY SAD.
SO WE NEED TO, SO ANYWAYS, FINDING OUT WHY COCOA BEACH IS, IS, IS GOING TO THOSE LEVELS IS IT JUST PAYS OFF SO MUCH AND THEY'RE, THE BAND'S SO HIGH.
THAT'S MY ONLY COMMENTS THERE.
I KNOW WE AREN'T THERE YET, BUT MM-HMM
YEAH, FRANKLY, I THINK, UM, JUST BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF, UH, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS VACANCIES AND SUCH THAT WE'RE FAR OFF FROM PAID PARKING AND WE'RE REALLY JUST TRYING TO CURTAIL THE BEHAVIOR OF EMPLOYEES AND OWNERS.
IF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE GET A BUNCH OF NEW BUSINESSES IN THE DOWNTOWN AND IT STARTS POPPING AGAIN, THEN YEAH, MAYBE PAID PARKING WILL BE SOMETHING WE WANNA LOOK AT.
BUT I THINK, UH, WE'RE FAR OFF FROM THAT RIGHT NOW.
HOPEFULLY THAT'S GOOD FEEDBACK FOR YOU ALL.
DOES THE COMMITTEE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL ON THE PARKING MANAGEMENT PLAN? AS FAR AS THIS FRAMEWORK? ANY FUTURE, YOU KNOW, STEPS? THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL IS GONNA LOOK AT.
MY, MY THOUGHTS ARE JUST TO BE, YOU KNOW, SUPER CRITICAL ON THE, THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.
I MEAN, AGAIN, IF THE REAL, YOU KNOW, THIS TARGETED APPROACH IS TO CURTAIL EMPLOYEE AND OWNER BEHAVIOR, WHICH I THINK WILL HAPPEN FAIRLY, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A REASONABLY QUICK PERIOD OF TIME, THREE TO SIX MONTHS.
I MEAN, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF WE, YOU KNOW, NEED, UH, TO SPEND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY UP FRONT THAT WE POTENTIALLY ARE PROPOSING.
BUT THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHTS AND MY FEELING IS IT'S A LOOSE BUDGET.
IT'S NOT, IT'S HARD TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION WHEN WE DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW THE REAL NUMBERS BECAUSE WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THEY APPROVE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT FINAL IN IT'S FINAL FORM.
I MEAN, THE FRAMEWORK ITSELF, I WOULD SAY YES, IT'S, IT'S GOOD.
WE KNOW WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, BUT THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY THOUGHT.
[01:30:01]
VARIABLE OUT THERE IS, IS REALLY THE GRANT.EVERY, EVERYTHING ELSE IS PRETTY FINE TUNED AS FAR AS NUMBERS.
SO YOU HAVE AN EXACT PER HOUR SALARY FOR THOSE THREE PEOPLE? YES.
HOW MUCH IS THAT PER HOUR SALARY? I DON'T HAVE THAT WITH ME.
IT, WE'VE RESEARCHED OTHER LOCAL POSITIONS.
A PARKING ENFORCEMENT SPECIALIST IS A SPECIFIC POSITION.
THAT IS GAINS THE 40 HOUR TRAINING FROM THE STATE.
SO WE'VE LOOKED AT THOSE WAGES.
UM, OUR, OUR POLICE, UM, YOU KNOW, STAFF HAVE LOOKED AT THOSE WAGES AND FEEL LIKE THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO, TO, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO HIRE PEOPLE AT.
I REMEMBER RESEARCHING LOCALLY PART, THE PARK REPORT SPECIALIST, YOU MENTIONED COCOA BEACH.
IT'S AROUND 18, $20 AN HOUR MM-HMM
WHICH DEFINITELY DOES NOT ADD UP TO THE 90.
SO THAT'S, I JUST, I MEAN I, IF SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I DON'T, I DON'T, I MEAN, I'M PERFECTLY OKAY SAYING YOU CAN PRESENT THE FRAMEWORK, BUT I'M NOT COMFORTABLE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION WHEN I DON'T HAVE LEGITIMATE NUMBERS.
SO, AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW, THE ONLY THING THAT'S NOT AN EXACT NUMBER IS THE VEHICLE.
AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO OBTAIN THAT GRANT, THEN THAT, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT REAL QUICK? IS IT A, IS IT A HUNDRED PERCENT GRANT IS A MATCHING GRANT, IS IT A, WE BELIEVE IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT GRANT.
IT'S RELATED TO THE PER PURCHASE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
SO IF WE, IF WE GET THE GRANT, THEN OBVIOUSLY GO FORWARD WITH THE VEHICLES.
IF WE DON'T GET THE GRANT, THEN STEP BACK AND SAY, HEY, ONE VEHICLE OR GOLF CARTS, CAN WE JUST MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE IN THE MOTION THAT THE COMMITTEE MAKES TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL TAKE FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND THEN THEY'LL, THEY'LL MAKE THAT DECISION.
WE MAY HAVE MORE CONFIRMATION, YOU KNOW, ON THAT GRANT BY THE TIME WE MAKE IT TO CITY COUNCIL.
I'LL TRY TO RECOMMEND THAT IT, OH, SO HOLD ON.
MY MOTION IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER WE QUALIFY AND ARE AWARDED THE GRANT WITH THE TWO ELECTRIC VEHICLES PROCEED.
HOWEVER, IF WE AREN'T AWARDED THE GRANT, THEN WE LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS SUCH AS ONE ELECTRIC VEHICLE OR GOLF CART TYPE OF VEHICLE.
AND I'M, I MEAN, I'M KIND OF CONFUSED HERE 'CAUSE IT'S, THERE'S TWO ELECTRIC VEHICLES, RIGHT? AND IT'S SHOWING A LINE ITEM COST OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO WHAT ARE WE BUYING? TWO TESLAS LIKE
I MEAN THERE'S THE LITTLE HATCHBACK HYUNDAIS THAT ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, $35,000.
I'M SURE THERE'S OTHER CHEAPER OPTIONS, EVEN IF WE'RE GOING WITH AN ACTUAL VEHICLE, YOU KNOW, NOT A LOW SPEED VEHICLE.
UM, SO THAT JUST SEEMS THAT WE CAN SAVE MONEY THERE.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE VEHICLE DOES INCLUDE THE UPFITTING.
SO THAT'S GONNA INCLUDE ALL OF THE CAMERAS.
ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IT A CITY OFFICIAL VEHICLE.
SO THAT'S NOT JUST THE PRICE OF THE VEHICLE, THAT'S INCLUDING THE MAINTENANCE AND EVERYTHING THAT'S INCLUDE NEEDED.
AND WHAT'S IN THE TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT FOR 56, IF IT, SO THAT'S GONNA BE THE ACTUAL CAMERAS, BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE LIKE WHAT THE POLICE NEED IN THEIR ACTUAL CARS.
SO ANYTHING ON THE SIDE THAT SAYS CITY OF MELBOURNE, PARKING OFFICIALS, PARKING ENFORCEMENT, THAT IS WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE VEHICLE.
THE WIRING AND THE LAPTOPS, THE EVERYTHING THAT'S IN A POLICE VEHICLE.
SO WE'RE GETTING A, AN OFFICIAL POLICE VEHICLE TO DO PARKING MANAGEMENT.
IT'S SIMILAR TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOP OR COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICER'S TRUCK, BUT IT'S NOT A TRUCK.
THAT'S WHAT IT WOULD BE REFERENCED TO.
YEAH, COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERS.
THE CSOS, WE ALREADY HAVE THAT TYPE OF POSITION IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO WHATEVER THAT EQUIPMENT THAT, THAT, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER HAS, THEY'RE REPLICATING THAT IN THIS VEHICLE.
AND, AND OUR STAFF DOESN'T KNOW ALL THOSE DETAILS.
BUT, SO, BUT THAT'S WHERE THE COST IS BASED ON.
SO IF WE'RE NOT QUESTIONING THE BUDGET NUMBERS, DOES THE MOTION A QUESTION? IT DOES THE MOTION STAND? YES, I THINK SO.
BUT YEAH, WE ARE QUESTIONING THE NUMBERS, SO MAKE SURE THAT GETS CONVEYED.
'CAUSE THAT'S 156,000 REALLY NOW FOR TWO VEHICLES AND A EQUIPMENT, WHICH THAT'S, THAT'S A LOT.
WELL, THE 56,000 IS EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE.
AND THEN THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A CONTINUING ANNUAL SOFTWARE COSTS.
[01:35:02]
I THINK THAT'S A LOT.I'D LOVE TO SEE THE BREAKDOWN.
COUNSEL WILL SEE THE BREAKDOWN, I GUESS.
WAS THERE A VOTE? THERE WAS A, THERE'S A MOTION.
NO, I THOUGHT I CALLED FOR IT.
SO JUST AN UPDATE ON, UH, A COUPLE OF THE CRA CAPITAL PROJECTS PROGRAMS. SO, UH, DOWNTOWN CORE STREETSCAPE, JUST WANNA REMIND THE COMMITTEE, UH, THERE'LL BE A CONTRACT AWARD, UH, AUGUST 25TH OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
SO THIS IS FOR THE ENGINEERING DESIGN OF THE STREETSCAPE PROJECT, UM, WITH THE, IN THE, THE CONTRACT AWARD IS WITH, UH, KIMLEY HORN.
AND SO THAT'LL BE PRESENTED THEN.
AND THEN AFTER FOLLOWING THAT, UM, KIMLEY WILL GET STARTED ON THE, UM, GET, GET STARTED ON THE DESIGN FOR THE STREETSCAPE.
UM, AND THEN THE HOMES PARK PUBLIC WORKSHOP.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED A DATE, UH, SEPTEMBER 15TH, BE IN THE AFTERNOON AT THE FRONT STREET CIVIC CENTER.
UM, SO, UM, WE'LL GET, WE'RE GETTING PREPPED NOW, UH, FOR THE WORKSHOP THERE.
KIMLEY'S GONNA BE SUBMITTING A 30% DESIGN PLAN SOON.
UM, SO WE'LL BE GOING TO, TO THE PUBLIC WITH THAT.
UM, ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, WE ENCOURAGE THE COMMITTEE TO ATTEND THAT WORKSHOP.
'CAUSE WE WILL HAVE THE CONSULTANT THERE, YOU KNOW, ANSWERING QUESTIONS, EXPLAINING, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY'RE AT AND GETTING INPUT.
DO WE KNOW WHAT TIME THAT WILL BE? DID YOU SAY? AND I MISSED IT.
SO YEAH, WE'RE TRYING TO, WE'RE TARGETING AFTERNOON.
UM, I BELIEVE FIVE 30, BUT ONCE IT'S SET IN STONE, WE'LL GET THE INVITATIONS OUT.
I THINK THERE ARE ADDITIONAL BUSINESS, BUT YEAH.
ADDITIONAL, ADDITIONAL BUSINESS.
I THOUGHT WE WERE STILL, I MESSED UP BACK, BACK TO NUMBER EIGHT.
HOW ABOUT US ONE STREETSCAPE, UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, UM, IS THAT GONNA BE UNDER ADDITIONAL BUSINESS OR OH, NO, YEAH, I CAN, I CAN MENTION IT UNDER HERE.
UH, US ONE, UH, STREETS SCAPE, THE LAST CALL WE HAD WAS WITH, UM, THE, UM, VENDOR WITH, UH, DOT.
SO THE, THE MEDIANS, YOU KNOW, REACH CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION.
UH, SO THE MEDIAN SHOULD BE DONE.
UM, AND THEN NEXT TO FOLLOW IS, UH, TRYING TO IDENTIFY A LOCATION FOR THE WELL SO THAT THEY CAN PUT IN THE LANDSCAPING, UM, AND HAVE THE IRRIGATION FINISHED UP.
AND THEN THERE'S A ONE YEAR MAINTENANCE CONTRACT THAT DOT VIA MAINTAINING THE, UM, THE MEDIANS.
IS THE UPLIGHTING DONE? WHAT WAS IT? UPLIGHTING? IS ANY UPLIGHTING ANY LIGHTING AT ALL? IS THAT, I, I HAVEN'T DRIVEN THERE THIS WEEK.
I REMEMBER YOU MENTIONED THAT CONSTRUCTION WAS PRETTY MUCH DONE OF THE ME OF THE MEDIANS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S LIGHTING OF THE LIGHTING WAS IN THE CONTRACT.
I, I HAVEN'T DRIVEN THAT WAY IN A BIT MYSELF.
THE LIGHT, IT'S ELEVATED STREET LIGHTING ON THE EAST SIDE, EAST SIDE, RIGHT? THAT WAS, I'M SORRY.
YEAH, IT WAS, THAT WAS WHAT WAS PROPOSED IN THE PLANTS.
AND FOR A WHILE IT WASN'T FUNCTIONING.
BUT NOT ANY UPLIGHTING IN THE MEDIANS.
SO WE ARE JUST WAITING THEN ON THE DOT CONTRACTOR THAT WILL DO THE LANDSCAPING, THE IRRIGATION COMPONENT.
SO THEY'VE SORT OF HANDED OFF, THEY FINISHED THE HARD IRRIGATION CONSTRUCTION AND NOW MOVING, DO WE HAVE A NEW PROJECTED COMPLETION? IT'S STILL FALL OF THIS YEAR.
THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE COMPLETION DATE.
AND I'M THINKING LANDSCAPING IS PALM TREES AND MULCH.
AND THEY WENT IN AND PUT GRASS IN THOSE SPACES, WHICH MAKES ZERO SENSE TALKING ABOUT THE CIRCLES, LIKE MEDIA, THE MEDIAN LANDSCAPING AREAS, THE WHOLE THING IS COVERED WITH GRASS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? BECAUSE IT'S DOT AND THEY HAVE ALL THESE THINGS ABOUT, OH, THE SITE LINE AND STUFF, AND THEY'RE LIKE SUPER STRICT ABOUT THAT.
IT'S RIDICULOUS, BUT I'M JUST SAYING IT'S SO YOU, THEY'RE GONNA GO IN AND HOPEFULLY WHO'S GONNA CUT IT, TAKE UP ALL THAT GRASS? THEY'RE JUST GOING TO REMOVE IT ALL BECAUSE A, WHO'S GONNA, WHO'S GOING TO MOW IT? AND IT'S A MAINTENANCE.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST, IT'LL BE VERY MINIMAL SOD IN THE END.
BUT YOU KNOW, IN THE CIRCULAR AREAS, THOSE WILL BE, YOU KNOW, THE PALM TREES.
AND THEN THERE IS SOME GROUND COVER LANDSCAPING AT THE ENDS OF THE MEDIANS.
SO THAT'LL BE, YOU KNOW, GROUND TOP, GROUND COVER TYPE LANDSCAPE MATERIAL.
[01:40:01]
IF THEY'RE SAWED IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS NOW, OH, IT'S ALL THE ENTIRE, I THINK DOT JUST PUT SALT IN THERE TO LEAVE TO CHECK A BOX.YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANNA LEAVE THAT OPEN.
AND THEN THE DIRT AND EVERYTHING GETS OKAY, I GET THAT RAINED ON POINT.
SO A LANDSCAPE, YEAH, THAT MAKES SENSE.
LANDSCAPER IS GONNA COME IN AND JUST REDO ALL THAT.
BUT I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IN YOUR COURT, EMILE, SINCE YOU'RE STILL HERE.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTOOD, THE SOUTH AND NORTH US ONE, I KNOW YOUR NORTH US ONE IS OUTSIDE EVEN OUR DISCUSSION.
THE DESIGN OR REDESIGN OF THAT IS FOR THE DESIGN COMMITTEE'S, UM, RESPONSIBILITY.
IS THAT WHERE WE LIE ON THIS? YES.
AND HOW, DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATE FOR HOW THAT'S GOING? BECAUSE IT, IT REALLY A, IS NOT BEING MAINTAINED.
I DON'T EVEN, I KNOW THE ONE AT THE NORTH DOESN'T SAY CITY OF MELBOURNE ANYMORE.
IT'S JUST, IT, IT LOOKS SO BAD.
SO CAN ANYONE GIVE AN UPDATE ON HOW THAT DESIGN'S GOING AND WHERE WE ARE IN THE PRIORITY? I'M GLAD YOU REMEMBER THAT.
BE THE LAST DESIGN COMMITTEE MEETING, WHICH
AND, UH, YEAH, IT, THE DESIGN COMMITTEES WORKING ON THAT.
WE MET I TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE TAKEAWAY TOPICS THAT IS PRIORITY IS TO WORK ON SOME, YOU KNOW, DESIGN SCHEMES.
UM, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT BLENDS WITH DOWNTOWN, SOMETHING THAT'S IN A MATERIAL THAT IS EASIER MAINTAINED, YOU KNOW, LONG TERM, UM, VIABILITY OF IT.
SO, UM, SO YES, THE COMMITTEE WILL BE BRINGING THAT BACK FOR THE SOUTH END.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO PLAY THAT INTO, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE THE ONE THAT HAPPENS AT FRONT STREET ON NEW HAVEN, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WOULD WORK DOWNTOWN OVERALL.
I KNOW THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE BROUGHT UP ABOUT ON, UM, NORTH OF 1 92, SORT OF RIGHT.
SO THEY'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOME, A DESIGN THAT COULD BE USED IN MULTIPLE, YOU KNOW, LOCATIONS.
THE ONE ON THE NORTH END, UM, REALLY PARKS IS WAITING, I THINK TO DECIDE IF WHAT WE COME UP WITH CAN JUST BE REPLICATED, BE BECAUSE THEY ARE READY TO REPLACE THAT.
BECAUSE IT, IT'S LOOKING VERY NICE THERE.
I'D HATE TO, UH, YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
WE'RE PROCEEDING AND THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE SOMETHING DOESN'T NEED TO BE DONE.
IT'S A LOST OPPORTUNITY WHEN YOU HAVE SUCH A NICE LOOK NOW, BUT YOU HAVE THIS VERY UGLY SIGN,
AND I KNOW THEY'RE VOLUNTEERS, BUT DO THEY HAVE A TARGET DATE? LIKE ARE THEY GIVEN A, LIKE, NOT JUST, HEY, WORK ON THIS.
NO, WE STARTED MEETING MONTHLY NOW THE LAST PROBABLY TWO MONTHS.
AND SO GETTING THAT MOMENTUM BACK TO GET THAT, THAT MOVING.
ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, ITEM NINE, ADDITIONAL BUSINESS.
UH, UH, SO WE SENT OUT AN EMAIL YESTERDAY, UH, JUST THE REMINDER COMMITTEE.
SO AUGUST 11TH, CITY COUNCIL MEETING WILL BE, UM, TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, UH, FROM THE CRA, SO THE BUILDING PERMIT, DAY, BUILDING PERMIT, FEE WAIVER DISCUSSION.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THE APPROVAL OF THE BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, UH, BE A CO WOULD BE THE ITEMS ON CITY COUNCIL.
UM, AND THEN THE MEAL, UH, STILL SOME OF THE THUNDER THERE WITH THE DOWNTOWN BENCHES, BUT, UH, CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED US TO LOOK AT INSTALLING BENCHES DOWNTOWN.
SO, UH, WORKING WITH THE BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS, YOU KNOW, ON, ON THE BENCH LOCATIONS.
UH, SO WE'RE NOT PLAYING MUSICAL, WHAT I HEARD MUSICAL BENCHES IN THE PAST, SO.
ARE THOSE BENCHES, ANY IDEA IF THEY'RE, 'CAUSE IT'S LIKE A, YOU KNOW, SOME AIRPORTS THEY PREVENT YOU FROM BEING ABLE TO SLEEP ON THE BENCHES, SO THEY JUST HAVE HANDRAILS LIKE EVERY YEAH.
IS THAT THE IDEA? THESE ARE THE, THE ONES THAT WERE REMOVED HAD THE, THE BARS IN THEM.
AND WE STILL HAVE THOSE, SO OKAY.
LOOKING AT BRINGING THEM BACK.
UM, AND THEN, YEAH, THE, UH, MELBOURNE RAIN STREET STAKEHOLDER MEETING, SORRY, I FORGOT TO PUT IT ON THE SLIDE HERE.
BUT AGAIN, THAT DATE'S, UH, SEPTEMBER 24TH, UH, FOR THE STAKEHOLDER MEETING.
UM, AND WE'LL HAVE THE, THE SAME, UH, MORNING AND AFTERNOON SESSION, UM, FOR THAT TO ALLOW THE, YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE TO COME.
ITEM 10, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, MARK, I'M JUST GONNA READ THE LIST STRAIGHT THROUGH IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.
SO WHOEVER IT APPLIES TO CAN TAKE YOUR NOTES AS YOU WISH.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING TECHNICALLY OR BY CONTRACTOR POLICY OR BOTH? THE MELBOURNE MAINE STREET CAN INCLUDE BUSINESSES OUTSIDE THE BOOM THAT MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN ANSWERED.
I JUST WROTE DOWN MY NOTES AS I TOOK THEM.
UM, THOSE MELBOURNE MAIN STREET EVENTS, HISTORICALLY FESTIVALS, BEER, FOOD, TRUCK AND ART, ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, ET CETERA, CAN, CAN AND HAVE HISTORICALLY AMPLIFIED
[01:45:01]
THE SAFE QUALITY OF LIFE OF DOWNTOWN RATHER THAN NEGATIVE.SO THOSE FESTIVALS, THAT'S INTERESTING TO SEE.
THE FRIDAY FEST WERE, AS THE PATRONS CHANGED, AS THE DEMOGRAPHICS CHANGED, AS MORE MONEY CAME IN, THOSE EVENTS KIND OF HAVE COME BACK INTO, INTO VOGUE, UH, BECAUSE THEY DO GO TO QUALITY OF LIFE.
IF YOU CAN WALK AROUND AT 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, THEN YOU CAN WALK AROUND ANYWHERE AT 10 O'CLOCK, WHERE EITHER WAY THAT YOU START AT THE WESTERN ENTRANCE OR YOU COME IN OFF OF FRONT STREET PARK.
SO BECAUSE THE MAKEUP OF THOSE CUSTOMERS, THE PUBLIC OVER THE LAST DECADE, PATRONIZES, UH, DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE, RETAIL STORES, RESTAURANTS HAVE EXPANDED, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS, INCOME, ALL THE PUBLIC EVENTS MAKE A REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE, UH, UH, ON THE ISSUE OF, UH, PROPERTIES, UH, THAT ARE VACANT OR, BUT DECREPIT OR BLIGHTED.
UM, I WANTED TO ADD TO THE STAFF AND TO THE, TO THE CRA BOARD, IF THEY CAN LOOK AT FDOT AND RAILROAD PROPERTY, LIKE ELECTRIC BOXES, STRUCTURES, ASSETS, THINGS LIKE THAT,
THOSE WEEDS ARE AT LEAST FOUR AND A HALF FEET TALL, AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO FIND SOMEONE IN DOT THAT YOU CAN GRAB BY THE SHORT HAIRS INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR SOME TYPE OF DI DIPLOMATIC RESPONSE AND TELL THEM TO CLEAN THEIR STUFF UP.
DOES THE GRANT HAVE, DOES THE GRANT ON THE, ON THE, THE GOLF CART, THE QUESTION, WHETHER IT'S THE GOLF CART OR, OR A VEHICLE, UM, DOES THE GRANT HAVE HAVE TO, OR IS REQUIRED TO COVER A GAS CAR? IS THERE A COMPANY IN TOWN, A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY THAT WOULD CONSIDER DONATING OR SELLING AT A SIGNIFICANT DISCOUNT AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE WITH LOTS OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS, SOMETHING LOCAL SO THAT YOU CAN POINT TO, UM, LOCAL, LOCAL SOURCING, SOMETHING THAT CAN HIGHLIGHT NEW TECHNOLOGY, MAYBE EVEN SOMETHING THAT'S A, UM, UH, A ONE-OFF MODEL THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE DEMOING
PATRICK'S DAY, EMT, FOR EXAMPLE, HAD A VERY AGGRESSIVE, UH, FOUR FOUR BY FOUR A TV WITH TIRES.
I THINK YOU COULD DO THOSE IN AN ENCLOSED CABIN
UM, IT WAS, AND YOU CAN MAKE THEM EXTREMELY VERSATILE.
AND THEN THE QUESTION BEYOND THAT IS WHAT BEST PRACTICES NATIONWIDE? NOT JUST FLORIDA, NOT JUST THE COUNTY, AND NOT JUST THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, BUT WHAT BEST PRACTICES NATIONWIDE DID THE POLICE DEPARTMENT LOOK AT WHEN THEY PRICED OUT THAT PRODUCT?
I, THERE WASN'T SO MUCH HOW MUCH THEY'RE CHARGING FOR PARKING.
I DO THINK $5 IS EXPENSIVE PER HOUR, BUT THE IDEA OF WHERE COCOA BEACH HAS GONE, I'M NOT TRYING TO COMPARE THE TWO, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PRODUCT OF WHAT A DOWNTOWN AREA IS, I MEAN, YOU CAN EVEN LOOK AT DOWNTOWN, YOU, UH, CRYSTAL RIVER AND THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA.
SMALL, SMALL, TINY, TINY DOWNTOWN.
BUT THE, BUT THE ASPECTS OF THE PRODUCT ARE THOSE ASPECTS BETTER? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO GET THERE? WHY DID IT TAKE SUCH A SHORT TIME TO GET THERE LOOKING AT THOSE THINGS? UM, AND THEN THAT'S IT.
AND ACTUALLY, THAT'S A GOOD POINT ABOUT, UM, FDOT, BUT ALSO JUST THE, THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR THE RAILROADS.
I THINK IT'S MORE THE RAILROAD, BECAUSE IF YOU GO DOWN MELBOURNE AVENUE AS WELL, IT'S REALLY BAD.
AGAIN, LIKE THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT TAKING CARE OF IT AT ALL.
AND, AND THEY'RE PART OF DOWNTOWN, THEY'RE REGULARLY ON OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT ACTION LIST.
THEY'RE NOT VERY RESPONSIVE AND, AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T THINK THEY HAVE TO BE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD GO TO TPO, CAN TPO HELP WITH THAT AT ALL? NO.
ANY OTHER, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO.
SEEING NONE, I MOVE TO ADJOURN.
OH, AND ACTUALLY BEFORE I ADJOURN, MARY, UM, MARVA DID TELL ME SHE HAD TO LEAVE PROMPTLY AT 9 45, SO, OKAY.