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[1. Call to Order]
OKAY.WELCOME TO THE OCTOBER 8TH SPECIAL MEETING FOR THE MELBOURNE DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
[2. Pledge of Allegiance]
IF EVERYONE PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE PAROLE.[3. Roll Call]
ITEM THREE, ROLL CALL.AND I'M SORRY, BRETT LUER AND JOHN LUCAS ARE EXCUSED THIS MORNING.
[4. Approval of Minutes - September 4, 2026]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR, UH, APPROVAL OF MINUTES.DID EVERYONE HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW? I CAN MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
[5. Melbourne Main Street Annual Report]
OKAY.ITEM NUMBER FIVE, MELBOURNE MAIN STREET ANNUAL REPORT.
UM, FIRST I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, CRA FOR HAVING US AND INVITING US ALWAYS.
UM, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AND WE'VE GOT SOME EXCITING THINGS TO REPORT.
UM, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW ME WELL, I GUESS WE'LL START.
THIS IS THE CRA ADVISORY COMMITTEE PRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF MELBOURNE MAIN STREET.
I'M THE BOARD CHAIR FOR THIS YEAR.
UM, PROBABLY RECOGNIZE, I MIGHT LOOK FAMILIAR 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN MELBOURNE MAIN STREET SINCE 2014, ALMOST AS LONG AS, UM, LISA HERING
UM, ANYWAYS, UM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
WE'VE GOT A NICE PRESENTATION PUT TOGETHER FOR YOU ALL.
UM, I'LL BE DOING A PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION AND THEN MIRANDA STEVENS WILL BE DOING A PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION.
SHE'S OUR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND EVENTS.
AND CASEY HESHER, OUR OPERATIONS MANAGER, WILL ALSO BE GIVING A PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION.
UM, DOES THIS CONTROL THE SLIDES? PERFECT.
SO IN TODAY'S REPORT, UM, WE'RE GONNA GO OVER JUST A COUPLE DIFFERENT SECTIONS.
THIS IS YOUR TABLE OF CONTENTS.
SO WE'LL START WITH WELCOMING, UM, SOME NEWS AND UPDATES IN A YEAR OF NEW LEADERSHIP, FOLLOWED BY MARKETING EVENTS, ECON, ECONOMIC VITALITY, UM, MEMBERSHIP WAY, FINDING VISITORS GUIDE AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
AND THEN FINALLY OUR DISTRICT UPDATE FINANCIALS AND SOME CLOSING STATEMENTS.
UM, TO START OFF, SO A YEAR OF NEW LEADERSHIP.
UM, I ACTUALLY WAS NOT THE BOARD CHAIR LAST YEAR.
I WAS FOR THREE YEARS PRIOR TO THAT IN A ROW.
UM, BUT I AM THE BOARD CHAIR THIS YEAR, SO THAT'S NEW.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A, AN ENTIRE NEW STAFF AS YOU GUYS REMEMBER, KIM AJI, WHO WAS OUR PREVIOUS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
UM, SHE WAS OFFERED A JOB SHE COULDN'T REFUSE.
AND, UM, SHE'S OFF INTO THE FULLY PRIVATE WORLD, UM, AND HAVING A SUCCESSFUL TIME THERE.
UM, WITH THAT WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME SOME NEW STAFF.
WE WENT THROUGH A PRETTY INTENSIVE INTERVIEW APPLICATION, JOB POSTING PROCESS.
UM, IT WAS POSTED ON FLORIDA MAIN STREET, NATIONAL MAIN STREET, AND MULTIPLE WEBSITES.
UM, WE INTERVIEWED AND HIRED, UM, MIRANDA, WHO'S OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF EVENTS AND MARKETING.
WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER.
AND WE ALSO HIRED CASEY HESHER, WHO'S HER OPERATIONS MANAGER.
AND CASEY'S NOT AN UNFAMILIAR FACE.
SHE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN, UH, A CONSULTANT OF OURS WORKING ON THE VISITORS GUIDE AND THE WAY FINDING SIGNS FOR THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS.
SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE CASEY AS WELL.
'CAUSE SHE KNOWS DOWNTOWN VERY WELL.
AND MIRANDA IS ACTUALLY FROM HERE.
SO, UH, WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THIS PLACE 'CAUSE IT'S A VERY ECLECTIC AND UNIQUE, UH, CITY AND ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WE DID HIRE, UH, EMIL CORDOVA, WHO WAS THE PREVIOUS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
UM, EMIL'S NO LONGER THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
WE SHOULD HAVE SOME EXCITING NEWS AT OUR, AFTER OUR BOARD MEETING NEXT THURSDAY.
SO WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE AND WE WILL NOT MISS A BEAT.
WE ARE CURRENTLY FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS.
UM, THE STAFF HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE AND I'M PROUD OF THEM FOR STEPPING UP AND FILLING THAT GAP, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE NOT MUCH OF A GAP.
SO, UM, WE'VE GOT SOME EXCITING NEWS THAT WE SHOULD HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO SHARE AFTER OUR BOARD MEETING NEXT WEEK.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE A NICE NEW
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REFRESHED BOARD AND EXPANDED BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS WELL.UM, AND I'LL GO OVER THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
SO, THE YEAR AT A GLANCE, DID I SKIP? NOPE.
SO I DID WANT TO HIGHLIGHT OUR BOARD MEMBERS, UM, JUST BECAUSE I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR, OUR MAIN STREET NATIONAL AND STATE REQUIREMENTS FROM A COMPLIANCE STANDPOINT INTO THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF BOARD MEMBERS.
WE WERE REQUIRED AT MANONE TO HAVE.
THAT INCLUDES, FOR EXAMPLE, PROPERTY OWNERS, DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS.
UM, IT ALSO REQUIRES NON-PROPERTY OWNERS AND NON DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDERS.
AND IT ALSO HAS SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR OTHER PROFESSIONAL TYPES IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, WE DO HAVE OUR HANDS TIED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, BUT I'M REALLY EXCITED WITH THE MIX WE HAVE THIS YEAR.
SO MYSELF, UM, I'M VICE PRESIDENT, CERTIFIED GENERAL CONTRACTORS.
I OWN PROPERTY DOWNTOWN AND I OWN A BUSINESS DOWNTOWN.
SHE, UM, OWNS REACH COMMERCIAL, UH, WHICH IS, SO SHE ACTUALLY OWNS MULTIPLE PROPERTIES DOWNTOWN AND SHE OWNS A BUSINESS DOWNTOWN.
SHE'S BEEN INVOLVED IN MAIN STREET LONGER THAN I HAVE.
UM, ERIN TRUCKER WITH TRUCKER CONSULTING ENGINEERS, UM, OWNS PROPERTY DOWNTOWN AND OWNS A BUSINESS DOWNTOWN, UH, BY FRONT STREET, BERNIE CLEVEN, UH, WITH THEMATIC CAPITAL GROUP.
UM, HE OWNS A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES DOWNTOWN AND, UM, HE'S ON OUR BOARD.
UH, PAUL RESH WITH HOTEL MELBY, WHO'S HERE IN THE, IN THE AUDIENCE.
UM, HE IS THE, UM, VICE PRESIDENT AT, UM, HOTEL MELBY.
IS THAT THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT, UH, TERM GM.
SO HE'S OBVIOUSLY A HUGE STAKEHOLDER IN OUR DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE SCOTTY, UH, MARTIS, UH, OWNER OF ME, O'MALLEY'S, AND PART OWNER OF THE LAWN DOGGERS GROUP.
SO PROPERTY OWNER, BUSINESS OWNER AND RESTAURANT OWNER, LORI MILTON WITH MARINE BANK.
UM, THEIR VP OF, UM, COMMERCIAL LENDING.
SHE'S BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR FIVE YEARS NOW.
UM, MATTHEW FLORES, WHO'S A PRINCIPAL AT BRPH ARCHITECTS, WHO BROUGHT TO LIFE IN THE INSPIRATION PACKAGE FOR HOMES PARK, AND THE STREETSCAPE ACTUALLY, UH, DON HEMINGWAY, WHO YOU'VE ALL PROBABLY MET AND WHO WAS RECENTLY NAMED THE BOARD MEMBER OF THE YEAR FOR THE ENTIRE STATE, UH, THROUGH MELBOURNE MAIN STREET AND THE FLORIDA MAIN STREET ORGANIZATION.
SO WHEN YOU SEE DON, PLEASE GIVE HIM SOME KUDOS.
UM, HE'S A PROPERTY OWNER AND A RESIDENT, UM, RETIRED.
JASON VAUGHN IS A, A DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNER.
SO HE IS DOWN BY THE SUN SHOP.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE CINDY DIMER, WHO YOU ALL KNOW AND LOVE.
UM, SHE IS OUR 11TH BOARD MEMBER.
SO, UM, WE'VE GOT A VERY STRONG AND FULL BOARD.
UM, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM OR AT THE END AS WELL.
UM, MOVING ON TO A YEAR AT A GLANCE.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS THAT, UM, OUR STAFF MOSTLY HAS BEEN ABLE TO MAKE.
UM, SPECIFICALLY MIRANDA AND CASEY, THIS IS ALL THEM HONESTLY.
UM, ALMOST 5 MILLION SOCIAL MEDIA VIEWS.
MELBOURNE MAIN STREET, NO MATTER HOW MUCH I VOLUNTEERED AND I WORKED DOWN HERE, I'M DOWN HERE ON THE WEEKENDS.
IT WAS NEVER IN MY ALGORITHM ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND WHATEVER SHE DID, THEY DID.
SO I MEAN, IT'S UP ALMOST 200% ON INSTAGRAM AND UP 56% ON FACEBOOK.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE PRETTY, PRETTY WILD NUMBERS.
IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE SOCIAL MEDIA GAME.
UM, 26 NEW BUSINESSES OPENED IN DOWNTOWN.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME CLOSURES, BUT THAT HAPPENS.
WE HAVE 10 NEW EVENTS, FOUR BRAND NEW ONES, UM, THAT WE SUPPORTED OR WE ARE IN CHARGE OF 20,000 VISITOR GUIDES.
WERE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS TWO DIFFERENT ADDITIONS.
41 MEMBERS IN CORPORATE PARTNERS.
15 OF THOSE ARE NEW THIS YEAR.
AND THEN 49% OF OUR REVENUE CAME FROM NON-GRANT RESOURCES JUST TO KIND OF PAINT A PICTURE OF, OF, UM, WHERE OUR INCOME COMES FROM.
SO I THINK EVERYONE HERE IS FAMILIAR, UH, WITH THE FOUR POINT APPROACH.
AGAIN, THIS IS KIND OF THE COMPLIANCE SIDE OF MELBOURNE MAIN STREET.
UM, THESE ARE THE FOUR MAIN PILLARS THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW AS A GUIDE FOR OUR ORGANIZATION.
UM, SO PROMOTION, YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT.
ECONOMIC VITALITY, WHICH IS BUSINESSES REINVESTMENTS, UM, IMPROVING THE DISTRICT PRETTY MUCH FROM EVERY STANDPOINT FROM AN ECONOMIC STANDPOINT.
THAT'S A LOT OF WHAT I GET TO DO IS ALL THE PAPERWORK, THE COMPLIANCE, THE FINANCIALS,
[00:10:01]
THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, WHICH WE'VE HAD.UM, MEMBERSHIP AND OUR BRAND NEW CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH WE JUST LAUNCHED.
UM, AND THEN DESIGN THE FUN ONE.
UM, YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT, WHICH INCLUDES HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN CASEY'S GONNA TOUCH ON THAT 'CAUSE WE ARE PUTTING A BIG EMPHASIS ON THAT MOVING FORWARD.
SO PAUL, UM, WITH HOTEL MELBY, THE GM HE'S IN, HE'S THE CHAIR OF OUR PROMOTIONS COMMITTEE.
AARON TRUCKER IS THE CHAIR OF OUR DESIGN COMMITTEE.
UH, JASON VAUGHN IS THE CHAIR OF OUR ECONOMIC VITALITY AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE.
UM, WE DO HAVE NON-BOARD MEMBERS, WHICH WE WELCOME.
SO, UM, WHENEVER YOU, IF SOMEONE EVER ASKS HOW THEY CAN GET INVOLVED DOWNTOWN OR THEY WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN MELBOURNE MAIN STREET, PLEASE SEND THEM OUR WAY.
UH, GIVE THEM MIRANDA'S CONTACT INFORMATION, MY CONTACT INFORMATION, SEND 'EM TO OUR WEBSITE.
'CAUSE WE DO, WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR MORE NON-BOARD MEMBERS TO, TO PARTICIPATE ON OUR COMMITTEES.
AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT COMMITMENT LEVELS DEPENDING ON WHICH ONE THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.
UM, BUT WE HONESTLY WELCOME ANY HELP WE CAN GET.
UM, I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF TO MIRANDA STEVENS, WHO'S OUR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND EVENTS.
AND SHE'S GOING TO KICK OFF WITH KEEPING YOU INFORMED DOWNTOWN AND HOW WE'VE IMPROVED IN THAT AREA.
SO, UM, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST CHANGES THIS YEAR, I'D SAY IN, UH, REFERENCING COMMUNICATING WITH THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES WOULD BE OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS THAT ARE GOING OUT TO BELIEVE YOU ALL SHOULD BE RECEIVING AS WELL.
IF YOU'RE NOT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I'LL CHECK TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, I SEND OUT A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER EVERY SINGLE MONTH THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS OR SO.
THOSE NEWSLETTERS CONSIST OF EVENTS THAT ARE UPCOMING AS WELL AS WEBINARS THAT MAIN STREET AMERICA OR FLORIDA MAIN STREET ARE PUTTING OUT FOR BUSINESSES, TOOLS FOR THEM, UM, ROAD CLOSURES THAT ARE UPCOMING TO KEEP THEM INFORMED WHEN THEY'RE CLOSING THE ROADS, WHAT IT'S FOR.
AND JUST REALLY SOME GENERAL INFORMATION.
WE WANTED TO BE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE RECEIVING INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING DOWNTOWN.
FOR THE BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, THOSE HAVE A 51 TO 63% OPEN RATE, WHICH IS WELL ABOVE THE INDUSTRY AVERAGE.
SO THAT'S NOT THE ONLY WAY WE'RE COMMUNICATING TO THEM, BUT THAT'S A REALLY GOOD START.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'D DO WEEKLY WALKS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND MEET WITH BUSINESS OWNERS AND SEE HOW WE CAN HELP THEM AND WHAT THEY NEED FROM US.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD OUR TWO STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS THIS YEAR.
WE HAD, UH, SET BACK IN APRIL MORNING AND EVENING.
AND THEN WE JUST HAD ONE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO IN SEPTEMBER AS WELL, UM, PROMOTION.
SO AS CORY MENTIONED, A BIG GOAL FOR US WAS TO CHANGE OUR ONLINE REACH, EXPAND IT, IF YOU WILL, WHICH WE CERTAINLY HAVE DONE, UM, ABOVE AND BEYOND REALLY WHAT I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED TO DO IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME HERE.
UM, WE WANTED TO START PROMOTING DOWNTOWN AND THE BUSINESSES THAT MAKE DOWNTOWN, DOWNTOWN AND OUR DISTRICT, NOT JUST MELBOURNE MAIN STREET'S INITIATIVES AND OUR EVENTS.
WE WANNA PROMOTE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT, UM, AND FEATURE THOSE BUSINESSES.
SO EARLY ON, I STARTED AN INITIATIVE TO POST ORGANIC CONTENT, WHETHER IT'S JUST PHOTOS OF BUSINESSES, THE OUTSIDE THEIR STOREFRONTS, AND SHARING SOME STORIES BEHIND THE BUSINESS, WHAT MAKES THEM WHO THEY ARE, MAYBE WHY THEY CAME DOWN TOWN TO START THEIR BUSINESS, SOME HISTORY, WHAT THEY OFFER, UM, AND THAT KIND OF THING.
AND THEN IT EVOLVED INTO REELS.
UM, IF YOU'VE SEEN SOME OF THE VIDEOS THAT WE'VE BEEN PUTTING OUT THERE, THEY GET THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF VIEWS, UM, SHORT, THEY'RE TYPICALLY UNDER 30 SECONDS.
BUT I CHOOSE A DIFFERENT BUSINESS EVERY WEEK FOR THE MOST PART.
I GO, I FEATURE THEM, AND THEN I WRITE A BLURB IN THE CAPTION ABOUT WHAT THE BUSINESS IS.
AGAIN, SOME HISTORY, SOME STORYTELLING BEHIND WHAT THEY DO.
UM, IN DOING SO THIS PAST YEAR, WE'VE INCREASED OUR VIEWERSHIP ON FACEBOOK BY OVER 50%.
UH, WE'VE HAD OVER 4 MILLION VIEWS.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE GAINED ALMOST 3000 FOLLOWERS IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND ADDITIONALLY, UH, INSTAGRAM, OUR VIEWS ARE UP THREE TIMES AS WELL.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A WIDE RANGE OF CONTENT.
I TRY NOW TO, WHENEVER A NEW BUSINESS OPENS, IMMEDIATELY GO OVER THERE, I SNAP PHOTOS, I POST A NEW BUSINESS ALERT AND ADDITION TO THE WEEKLY REELS.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO DOING, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE THIS WEEKEND.
TYPICALLY POST THAT THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS OF THE WHOLE LIST OF WHAT'S GOING ON THIS WEEKEND.
I WANT MELBOURNE MAIN STREET'S SOCIAL MEDIA TO BE A RESOURCE FOR PEOPLE.
IF THEY'RE LIKE, WHAT AM I DOING THIS WEEKEND? I DON'T KNOW, LET'S GO CHECK THEIR INSTAGRAM OR THEIR FACEBOOK AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
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NOT JUST WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT THE BUSINESSES, THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE.SO THAT CAN INCLUDE ROAD, ROAD CLOSURES, YOU KNOW, TICKETED EVENTS, EVEN.
DOES TICKETED FUND WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS.
I'LL ADD THAT ON THERE IF THAT'S GOING ON ON A WEEKEND.
AND IT'S, IT'S BEEN REALLY POPULAR AND I DO BELIEVE PEOPLE LOOK FORWARD TO IT EVERY WEEK.
UM, APART FROM OUR BUSINESS EMAILS THAT ARE GOING OUT TO STAKEHOLDERS, WE ALSO HAVE OVER 9,000 SUBSCRIBERS ON OUR EMAIL, UM, ON OUR GENERAL PUBLIC EMAIL LIST.
AND AGAIN, 44% OPEN RATE, WHICH IS ABOVE THE INDUSTRY AVERAGE, WHICH IS ABOUT BELOW 30% IS USUALLY AN OPEN RATE.
UM, AND FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL EVENT OR PROMOTION WE'RE DOING THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL SETS OF EMAILS.
SO I USUALLY START ABOUT TWO MONTHS IN ADVANCE.
I ANNOUNCE THAT AN EVENT OR A PROMOTION IS COMING UP, EXAMPLE, TRICK OR TREAT SO THE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOWS IT'S COMING.
AND THEN UPDATE THEM WITH EXCITING NEWS AND REMINDERS THAT THAT'S HAPPENING.
SO THAT'S GOING OUT MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE TIMES A MONTH TO OVER 9,000 SUBSCRIBERS.
SO THAT EVENT CALENDAR FROM THIS YEAR, THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR IS RIGHT HERE.
SO WE STARTED AS A TEAM IN JANUARY, I THINK BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY OR LATE JANUARY.
UH, WE KEPT OUR EVENT CALENDAR PRETTY MUCH EXACTLY THE SAME AS HOW IT WAS WHEN WE CAME IN.
WE MOVED ONE EVENT, WHICH WAS A FLAVOR.
WE ELIMINATED FLAVOR, WHICH WAS MORE OF A, IT WAS AN EVENT AT THE TOP OF HOTEL MELBY.
IT WAS A LOT OF FUN, BUT IT WASN'T WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
SO WE WANTED TO OPEN UP SPACE TO HAVE AN EVENT IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, WHICH IS WHY IN 48 HOURS WE WILL HAVE THE FALL FOR DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE FALL FESTIVAL ACROSS THE STREET FROM HOLMES PARK.
WE HAD, UH, STARTED OUT THE YEAR IN APRIL WITH BOTANICAL FEST, WHICH WAS THE BUSIEST YEAR YET.
THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO THE FLORIDA FREEZE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TAKE IT.
IT WAS A GREAT EVENT FOLLOWED BY PTAP PALOOZA.
AGAIN, WE SOLD MORE TICKETS TO PTAP PALOOZA THAN WE HAVE FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.
UM, AND THEN WE ADDED TWO SIP AND SHOPS TO OUR CALENDAR THIS YEAR.
WE WANTED, WE HAD SOME GAPS IN OUR EVENTS AND WE WANTED TO GET PEOPLE OUT IN THE DISTRICT.
SO WE STARTED A THURSDAY EVENING, SIP AND SHOP.
THE IDEA IS TO DO IT QUARTERLY.
THE FIRST ONE WAS IN THE SUMMERTIME.
IT HAD A GREAT TURNOUT AND WE BROUGHT IT BACK, UH, IN SEPTEMBER.
IT WAS A LITTLE LOWER OF A TURNOUT.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE TIME OF THE YEAR.
WE'LL, WE'LL PLAY AROUND WITH THE CALENDAR NEXT YEAR.
BUT WE RECEIVED GREAT FEEDBACK.
WE HAD MORE THAN 20 BUSINESSES PARTICIPATING AND WE SELECTED A THURSDAY EVENING.
INTENTIONALLY IT WAS STRATEGIC.
THURSDAYS AREN'T AS BUSY AS A SATURDAY NIGHT.
WE WANNA GET PEOPLE DOWN HERE MAYBE WHEN THEY'RE NOT ALREADY.
SO THAT WAS THE GOAL FOR A THURSDAY, SIP AND SHOP.
AND WE DID GET GOOD FEEDBACK FROM THE BUSINESSES AND THE, UH, ATTENDEES.
WE ALSO KEPT GOING WITH THE SIDEWALK SALE, THE 10TH ANNUAL SIDEWALK SALE.
IT WAS HOT AS USUAL, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, IF WE CAN GET PEOPLE DOWN HERE IN THE SUMMERTIME LIKE THAT, THAT'S A GOOD SIGN.
AND THEN WE PARTNERED WITH ERICA EVERETT, UM, AT EXECUTIVE CIGAR AND VIDALIA MARKETPLACE.
SHE STARTED THE SMALL TOWN FRIDAYS INITIATIVE, WHICH IS THE SECOND FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
IT'S JUST A CALL TO ACTION REALLY, TO GET PEOPLE DOWNTOWN IN THE DISTRICT AND SHOPPING.
AND SHE ASKS SOME OF THE BUSINESSES TO PLEASE STAY OPEN LATER IF THEY CAN.
WE DID A QUARTERLY, UH, FAMILY FEST WITH HER, WHICH WAS BACK IN AUGUST, AUGUST 14TH.
WE CLOSED VERNON FROM NEW HAVEN JUST TO THE ALLEYWAY.
WE HAD 20 OR SO VENDORS, A BOUNCE HOUSE, SOME FOOD TRUCKS, LIVE MUSIC.
AGAIN, IT WAS SUPER HOT
YOU COULD REALLY SEE THE, THE CRAVING FOR THAT STYLE OF EVENT DOWNTOWN.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
IDEALLY, WE WOULD LOVE TO START DOING IT, UM, MONTHLY.
IT'S GONNA COME BACK IN NOVEMBER.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ON VERNON.
WE KIND OF OUTGREW THE SPACE ALREADY, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT.
WE'RE GOING TO SHIFT IT TO THE LOT ACROSS FROM HOLMES PARK.
UM, AND WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT NEXT MONTH IN NOVEMBER.
AND THEN LAST YEAR, BECAUSE THIS IS THE FISCAL YEAR, WE ALSO HAD THE FOUR CANDLELIGHT SHOPPING EVENINGS.
UM, AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, THE BRAND NEW TECHNICALLY FALLS WITHOUT OUTSIDE OF THE FISCAL YEAR, BUT IT'S IN TWO DAYS.
SO I HAD TO BRING IT UP FALL FOR DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE, UM, ACROSS FROM HOLMES PARK THIS SATURDAY, 11:00 AM TO FOUR, WE HAVE OVER 40 VENDORS.
I HAVE A BAND PLAYING ALL AFTERNOON.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PUMPKIN PATCH.
UM, AS A MATTER OF FACT, AFTER THIS I'M GONNA GO OVER THERE AND START MAPPING IT OUT.
AND WE WILL HAVE, UH, FOOD TRUCKS AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
LOTS OF KIDS ACTIVITIES, INFLATABLE GAMES, A BOUNCE HOUSE.
IT'S REALLY GONNA BE A GOOD AFTERNOON.
PLEASE HOPE THAT THE WEATHER STOPS DOING WHAT IT'S DOING 'CAUSE IT'S HAPPENING.
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FLORIDA'S UNPREDICTABLE.AND THEN MOVING ON, COMING UP THIS HOLIDAY SEASON I MENTIONED FALL FOR DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE.
UM, TRICK OR TREAT, WE'LL COME BACK OCTOBER 24TH.
WE HAVE 33 OR SO BUSINESSES SIGNED UP.
IT'S ACTUALLY MORE SIGNED UP SO FAR THAN THERE WERE LAST YEAR.
SUPER, SUPER EXCITED FOR THAT.
WE'VE HAD A CAMPAIGN GOING FOR THE LAST MONTH OR SO.
UM, AND THEN SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT WE DECIDED TO DO THIS YEAR FOR FEEDBACK FROM THE BUSINESSES IS IN PREVIOUS YEARS WE'VE CLOSED NEW HAVEN ON, UH, THE SATURDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING, WHICH IS ALSO SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY.
UM, AND WE GOT A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM BUSINESSES THAT SAID ON WHAT SHOULD BE A BUSY DAY FOR THEM AS FAR AS WALKING TRAFFIC IS NOT BECAUSE WE CLOSED THE STREET AND WE DIDN'T WANNA HINDER THEM ON THAT DAY.
WE THOUGHT THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY.
SO OUR GOAL THIS YEAR IS TO PROMOTE SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY SHOP, SMALL SATURDAY AS A DISTRICT INITIATIVE, GETTING PEOPLE DOWN HERE PROMOTING WHAT THE SHOPS HAVE TO START THEIR HOLIDAY SHOPPING ON SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY AND NOT CLOSING THE STREET.
SO WE'RE GONNA PROMOTE THAT SIMILAR TO HOW WE DO SIDEWALK SALE WITH POSTERS, FLYERS, PAID ADVERTISING, BILLBOARDS, EVERYTHING.
THROW THE BOOK AT 'EM SO THAT WE GET PEOPLE DOWN HERE AND SHOPPING ON THAT SATURDAY.
AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT, WE WILL DO OUR TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY THE FOLLOWING WEEK ON DECEMBER 5TH.
AND THEN WE'LL PICK BACK UP WITH THE COOKIE CRAWL DECEMBER 12TH.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO ADD A HOLIDAY WINE AND ART WALK ON DECEMBER 19TH.
AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE GALLERIES TO GET THEM INVOLVED APART FROM JUST BEING A SHOPPING EVENT.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO SEE OUR GALLERIES AND THE ARTS DOWNTOWN BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY.
UM, SO WE THOUGHT THAT THAT COULD BE A REALLY FUN WAY TO CLOSE OUT THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
PEOPLE CAN COME SEE OUR CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS, WHICH WILL BE GOING UP IN NOVEMBER THIS YEAR.
UM, AS COREY HAD MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, WE'VE HAD, UH, 26 NEW BUSINESSES OPEN DOWNTOWN IN 2026.
BUT I THINK MORE IMPORTANTLY WHAT WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE OF IS BUSINESSES REINVESTING IN DOWNTOWN MELBOURNE.
UM, YOU HAVE ERICA EVERETT, AS I MENTIONED, WHO'S A PARTNER IN EXECUTIVE CIGAR, OPENED UP VIDALIA MARKETPLACE WHERE SENDEL IS USED TO BE.
UM, WE HAD HELEN BLAZES PUT IN THEIR NEW TIKI HUT, WHICH IS A WHOLE NEW SPACE OUTDOORS THAT DOWNTOWN HASN'T HAD BEFORE.
AND THEN WE HAD SEVERAL BUSINESSES, SAGE WAVE, SOUND BUMP, MATERNITY, AND UH, MR. NICE GUY IS ACTUALLY EXPANDING OR MOVING TO LARGER SPACES.
SO ALL GOOD SIGNS, PEOPLE DOWN HERE ARE REINVESTING.
I ALSO, WHAT I DIDN'T MENTION ON THIS SLIDE IS POOR BILLY'S BARBERSHOP IS OPENING UP OKAY.
SO SUPER, SUPER EXCITING THINGS COMING UP.
AND THEN RECENTLY, UM, THIS WAS REALLY A BRAINCHILD OF CASEY'S, SHE BEEN WORKING ON THIS.
WE STARTED A NEW BUSINESS PACKET INITIATIVE.
SO NOW ANYTIME A NEW BUSINESS COMES DOWNTOWN, WE HAVE A FOLDER WITH RESOURCES FOR THEM, SOME MERCH FROM MELBOURNE MAIN STREET, OUR CONTACT INFORMATION, OUR CELL PHONES, AND WE'RE HANDING IT OUT TO THEM.
SO RECENTLY WE DID A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HENNEGER CENTER TO DO THEIR RIBBON CUTTING TO SHOW THEIR NEW SPACE, THEIR NEW RENOVATED SPACE.
AND IN MEETING WITH DOMINIC PRIOR, HE SPOKE WITH US AND SAID THAT HE SENDS OUT A SURVEY AFTER EVERY ONE OF HIS SHOWS.
AND 50, MORE THAN 50% OF THE FEEDBACK FROM THE SURVEY ON MATINEES IS NOTHING IS OPEN, UM, ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
AND HE REALLY WANTED TO DRILL INTO US THAT WHEN THEY'RE AT FULL CAPACITY, WHICH LATELY, THESE, THESE DAYS, THEY'RE ALWAYS AT FULL CAPACITY ON THEIR SHOWS, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
HE HAS MORE THAN 1300 PEOPLE DOWN HERE PARKING IN OUR DISTRICT AND WALKING AROUND.
AND THEY WANT TO EAT AND DRINK AND SHOP AND SPEND THEIR MONEY.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF PLACES JUST AREN'T OPEN.
UM, SO AN INITIATIVE WE HAVE STARTED AND WOULD REALLY CONTINUE TO PUSH HARD IS WORKING WITH THE BUSINESSES AND ASKING THEM TO STAY OPEN LATER WHEN THEY CAN.
AND IT'S WORKING AND THEY'RE STAYING OPEN LATER AND LATER.
UM, I DID JUST GET FEEDBACK FROM, OH GOODNESS, THE NAME JUST ESCAPED MY HEAD.
A BUSINESS JUST TOLD ME THEY WERE GONNA STAY OPEN LATER.
WASN'T I JUST, IT WAS RAINTREE.
THEY SAID THEY'RE GONNA STAY OPEN UNTIL SEVEN O'CLOCK NOW, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
WE SENT OUT A SURVEY, UH, A QUESTIONNAIRE TO THE BUSINESSES OUT OF ABOUT 30 BUSINESSES THAT RESPONDED HALF CLOSE AROUND FIVE O'CLOCK.
NOW GRANTED, SOME OF THE BUSINESSES, IT'S, IT DOESN'T DO GOOD FOR THEM TO STAY OPEN LATER IF THEY'RE APPOINTMENT ONLY, BUT WHAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON IS RETAIL.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED FEEDBACK FROM SOME BUSINESSES THAT DO STAY OPEN TILL SEVEN O'CLOCK AND THEY SAY SOMETIMES THEY'RE
[00:25:01]
BUSIEST BETWEEN FIVE AND 7:00 PM BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE OFF WORK AND THEY'RE TRYING TO COME DOWNTOWN.SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO PUSH, UM, AND WORK WITH THE HENNEGER CENTER.
THAT'S WHY WE DID THAT MIXER TO GET BUSINESS OWNERS DOWN THERE TO TALK TO DOMINIC AND SEE, WOW, THERE'S 13 OR SO A HUNDRED PEOPLE HERE EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND.
I HAVE TO CAPTURE THIS AUDIENCE.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE THAT INITIATIVE.
AND THEN, UM, ALSO IF YOU WERE AT ONE OF OUR LAST CR MEETINGS, YOU KNOW THAT OFFICER ALLEN WHO IS IN OUR OFFICE AND SAID THAT THERE'S A BEEN A 50% DROP IN CALLS AND FEELS COMFORTABLE SAYING DOWNTOWN IS SAFE.
WE LOVE HEARING THAT AND I WILL PASS IT ON TO CASEY.
OKAY, SO I'M CASEY HESHER, I'M THE OPERATIONS MANAGER.
UM, AS COREY SAID, I STARTED ACTUALLY BACK IN 2023 DOING THE VISITORS GUIDE.
AND THEN KIM BROUGHT ME ON BOARD, UM, EARLY THIS YEAR TO DO THE OPERATIONS MANAGING.
SO, OKAY, SO I'LL TALK ABOUT OUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS.
UM, WE'VE HAD 15 NEW MEMBERS THIS YEAR.
OKAY, SO WE'VE HAD 15 NEW MEMBERS THIS YEAR, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WE'VE CHANGED OUR STRATEGY.
UM, WE NOW HAVE WEEKLY WALKS WHERE WE GO AND TRY TO CONNECT WITH THE BUSINESS OWNERS AND FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT THEY NEED, SPECIFICALLY FINDING OUT, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE ARE HAVING A MEMBERSHIP AND THEY DO THEY FEEL LIKE IT'S, THEY'RE GETTING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING, IF NOT, WHAT'S MISSING.
UM, WE ALSO ADOPTED A NEW CRM SOFTWARE SO MEMBERS CAN SIGN IN, THEY CAN CHECK THE STATUS OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP, THEY CAN PURCHASE ADD-ONS LIKE OUR WAY FINDING SIGNS, WHICH HAS MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
AND UM, AS MIRANDA SAID, WE'VE DEVELOPED SOME MATERIALS THAT WE HAND OUT.
WE GIVE NEW MEMBERS A PACKET THAT HAS INFORMATION ABOUT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER, UM, A DECAL THAT GOES ON THEIR WINDOW, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
SO WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT, THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY BEING DELIVERED, UM, WHICH IS GREAT FOR OUR WAY FINDING SIGNS.
WHEN I STARTED, WE NEEDED A NEW SIGN VENDOR.
UM, AND NOTHING WAS REALLY GOING ON WITH THAT PROGRAM.
UM, SO WE NOW HAVE A NEW SIGN VENDOR.
UM, AS I SAID, WE'VE GOT THE CRM PROGRAM WHERE PEOPLE CAN ADD THOSE WAY FINDING SIGNS WHEN THEY RENEW THEIR MEMBERSHIP.
AND SO THAT'S, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THOSE PURCHASES AND ARE ACTUALLY PRINTING THE SIGNS AND GETTING THEM POSTED.
WE HAVE 15 SIGNS CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTION RIGHT NOW.
AND ACTUALLY THEY'RE SITTING AT THE PRINT SHOP.
I NEED TO GO PICK THEM UP TODAY.
I THINK ABOUT 10 OF THEM ARE SITTING AT THE PRINT SHOP.
SO THERE'S A FEW MORE THAT I NEED TO GET INFORMATION FROM BUSINESS OWNERS TO GET THOSE FINISHED.
BUT, UH, THAT PROGRAM IS GROWING AND CERTAINLY I THINK THE, THE CRM SOFTWARE IS A PART OF THAT.
I THINK ALSO AS PEOPLE SEE NEW SIGNS UP, THEY'RE SAYING, WELL, HOW DO I GET ONE OF THOSE? AND SO THAT'S KIND OF GENERATING MORE INTEREST.
WHEN WE WERE HERE LAST TIME, I THINK SOME, MAYBE IT WAS, JOANNE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, SOME OF THE STATS IN THE PROGRAM AND I BROUGHT SOME INFORMATION HERE WITH ME TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO WE HAVE 11 SIGN MARKERS.
EACH SIGN HAS 14 POSITIONS ON IT, SEVEN ON EACH SIDE.
YOU CAN BUY A SINGLE PIECE OR LIKE A DOUBLE HIGH SIGN THAT TAKES UP TWO POSITIONS.
SO THAT'S WHY I TEND TO REFER, AS YOU KNOW, TO IT AS POSITIONS WE'VE SOLD CURRENTLY AND HAVE POSTED 37 POSITIONS PLUS THAT 15, LIKE I SAID, THAT ARE IN PROCESS.
SO THAT GIVES US ABOUT 52 THAT WE HAVE SOLD, UM, THAT ARE COMMITTED.
AND THAT'S ABOUT 34% OF THE TOTAL.
SO WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF SPACE AVAILABLE FOR NEW BUSINESSES COMING IN.
SOME POSITIONS ARE TAKEN UP, I THINK 6%.
WE HAVE NINE GENERAL LOCATOR SIGNS THAT SAY THINGS LIKE WATERFRONT OR PARKING, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
AND THEN THERE ARE, UH, 39 SIGNS CURRENTLY THAT ARE OURS THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, EVENTS AND THERE'S A QR CODE YOU CAN SCAN TO SEE WHAT'S COMING.
WE HAVE INDIVIDUAL SIGNS FOR CERTAIN EVENTS, ALZA AND, AND SOME DIFFERENT BOTANICAL FEST EVENTS LIKE THAT.
SO BEFORE THAT EVENT, WE'LL GO SWITCH OUT AND PUT THOSE UP SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THAT'S COMING.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE LOTS OF ROOM AND WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO CONTINUE WELCOMING NEW BUSINESSES TO GET THOSE SIGNS UP.
WE HAVE SOME ELITE MEMBERS THAT
[00:30:01]
SHOULD HAVE A WAY FINDING SIGN AS PART OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP AND WE'RE FOLLOWING UP WITH THOSE AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE AWARE THAT THAT'S AN OPTION.UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY THAT WANTS ONE THAT HAS IT AS A PART OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP IS A, IS AWARE THAT IT'S AVAILABLE AND IS ACTUALLY IN PROCESS OF GETTING IT.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT, GETTING THAT SQUARED AWAY.
UM, WE ALSO RELEASED TWO ISSUES OF OUR VISITORS GUIDE THIS YEAR.
AS YOU'VE HEARD ALREADY, OUR WINTER SPRING ISSUE WAS OUR DINING GUIDE AND WE TRIED SOMETHING NEW.
UM, WE ADDED A SECTION FOR FEATURED GATHERING SPOTS AND, AND OFFERED TO BUSINESSES THAT THEY COULD HAVE AN EXP EXPAND NOT TO OUR RESTAURANTS THAT THEY COULD HAVE AN EXPANDED LISTING THAT WOULD HAVE A PHOTO OF THEIR, THE FOOD FROM THEIR RESTAURANT AND ACTUALLY A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE THERE TO, YOU KNOW, RAISE INTEREST AND, AND LET PEOPLE KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT'S DOWN HERE.
AND, UM, SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DID.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WAS, WE DIDN'T GET THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE HOPED FOR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS A COMMUNICATION ISSUE, I'M NOT SURE.
BUT, UM, IT, IT REALLY DID BRIGHTEN UP THE ISSUE.
UM, AND I, I THINK THAT IT, IT DREW MORE ATTENTION TO THE RESTAURANTS, THE ONES THAT DID PARTICIPATE.
SO IT WAS, I THINK IT WAS STILL A GOOD INITIATIVE.
UM, OUR SUMMER FALL ISSUE, WE ALIGNED WITH OUR, THE AMERICA TWO 50 CELEBRATIONS AND HIGHLIGHTED THE HISTORY OF MELBOURNE.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE SHARED OUR NEXT ISSUE COMING UP.
IT, UH, COMES OUT IN JANUARY AND THAT WILL FOCUS ON EXPERIENCING THE ARTS.
AND SO WE'LL HIGHLIGHT OUR GALLERIES, OUR THEATERS, THE THE PLACES THAT YOU CAN COME DOWNTOWN TO DO ART, MEANING WITH A TWIST AND GET FIRED UP AND TUFTON.
UM, AND SO WE WILL REALLY PROMOTE THAT AND CELEBRATE THAT IN THIS NEXT ISSUE.
UM, SO THE OTHER THING THAT I'M WORKING ON IS I'M PARTNERING WITH DON HEMENWAY, WHO YOU ALREADY HEARD ABOUT OUR BOARD MEMBER OF THE YEAR.
UM, HE AND I ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON A HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROJECT.
THE FIRST LAYER OF THIS PROJECT IS TO GATHER INFORMATION TO CREATE A WALKING TOUR IN THE FLORIDA STORIES APP.
THIS IS AN APP YOU DOWNLOAD ON YOUR PHONE AND THEN YOU CAN PULL UP THIS WALKING TOUR.
THERE'S RECORDED NARRATION, YOU POP YOUR EARBUDS IN AND YOU WALK DOWNTOWN AND ACTUALLY GET TO EXPERIENCE THIS TOUR WITH DIFFERENT STOPS ABOUT THESE HISTORICAL BUILDINGS.
UM, THERE'S PHOTOS, THERE'S THE NARRATION, AND THEN THERE'S SOME PRINTED INFORMATION AS WELL, UM, OR TEXT INFORMATION.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON NOW.
EVENTUALLY WE HOPE TO EXPAND THAT AND MAKE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO BUSINESS OWNERS WHO CAN POST IT IN THEIR STORES, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, HAVE PLAQUES OR DIFFERENT MARKERS AVAILABLE DOWNTOWN SO THAT PEOPLE CAN EXPERIENCE THAT HISTORY AND ENGAGE WITH IT.
UM, WE CAN POST SOME OF THIS INFORMATION, UH, AT OUR EVENTS.
UH, I WAS AT A CONFERENCE EARLIER THIS YEAR AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT A CITY, I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN CLAREMONT DOES, IS WHEN THEY HAVE AN EVENT, THEY PRINT THESE LAMINATED CARDS THAT HAVE HISTORIC PHOTOS AND A LITTLE BLURB DESCRIBING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IN THE PHOTO.
AND THEY HANG THESE ON LIKE A CHAIN FROM THEIR VENDOR TENTS AT THEIR LIKE INFO BOOTH.
AND SO YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THIS INFORMATION AVAILABLE THAT PEOPLE CAN THEN JUST ACQUIRE NEW TIDBITS OF HISTORY ABOUT THE DISTRICT.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA AND THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WOULD REALLY SUPPORT THAT DEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH THAT AND EXPECT TO CONTINUE INTO THE NEW YEAR.
AND I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO COREY FOR OUR FINANCIALS.
SO NEXT I'M GONNA TOUCH A LITTLE BIT ON OUR, UM, SO DISTRICT WIDE.
WE'VE DONE, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED THIS BEFORE, BUT IT'S AN INITIATIVE WE STARTED I THINK THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO.
AND IT'S CALLED A BOOMS TRACKER.
SO IT STANDS FOR BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES ON MAIN STREET.
UM, IT'S A PRETTY ROBUST, HONESTLY IMPRESSIVE, UM, INITIATIVE WE TOOK.
AND, UM, IT'S CURRENT, I'M PROUD TO SAY IT'S CURRENT, MOSTLY THANKS TO DON HEMINGWAY WHO
SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST BECAUSE OF THIS OR EVERYTHING ELSE HE DOES, BUT, UM, IT'S BEEN A GREAT TOOL AND RESOURCE WHEN MAIN STREET GETS CALLS ALL THE TIME, HEY, WHAT VACANCIES DO YOU HAVE? I'M LOOKING FOR 1200 SQUARE FEET TO DO THIS.
CAN I DO THIS IN THIS SPACE? OH, I THOUGHT THIS WAS OPEN.
IS IT TRULY VACANT? WHY ARE THERE FOUR BUILDING ZONE BY THE SAME PERSON THAT'S BEEN SITTING ON TOUCH FOR 30 YEARS? THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WE CAN ALSO WORK WITH THE CITY AND SHARE THAT WITH THEM BECAUSE I KNOW THE CITY GETS
[00:35:01]
PROBABLY A LOT, THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF CALLS WE GET ON PERSPECTIVE PROJECTS, PERSPECTIVE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS AND JUST GEN GENERAL BUILDING AND, UM, GEOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS ABOUT DOWNTOWN.SO WITH THIS, WE CAN NOW SEND THIS TO PROSPECTIVE DEVELOPERS, PROSPECTIVE BUILDERS AND TENANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN EXPORT AND SHARE WITH YOU GUYS IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.
UM, UM, SO NEXT IS OUR, UH, FINANCIAL POSITION.
UM, SO JUST A QUICK HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW AND IN YOUR PACKET THERE'S A FULL DETAILED FINANCIAL BREAKDOWN.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA DIVE INTO THOSE DETAILS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND SEND ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS A FOLLOW UP FROM THIS MEETING.
UM, SO THIS IS, THIS IS A COMPARISON, A BAR CHART OF OUR BUDGET TO ACTUAL, SO, UM, REVENUE WE BUDGETED 376,000 AND OUR ACTUAL WAS 329,000.
UM, EXPENSES WE PROJECTED AT 374, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO CUT THOSE BACK SIGNIFICANTLY.
WE, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, UM, CASSANDRA, MYSELF, PAUL, AND KIM, RIGHT BEFORE THE NEW STAFF CAME IN AND AS THE NEW STAFF CAME IN, UM, WENT THROUGH ALL OF OUR EXPENSES AND WE WENT, WE GO THROUGH THEM EVERY YEAR, UM, ON A VERY DETAILED LEVEL, WE WENT THROUGH AGAIN AND JUST FIG TRIED TO FIND EVERY PLACE WE COULD POTENTIALLY CUT TO BE A STEWARD OF, OF THE PUBLIC DOLLAR.
'CAUSE AS YOU GUYS KNOW, THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT IS SIGNIFICANT IN OUR ORGANIZATION.
WE'RE CONSTANTLY WORKING ON, ON INCREASING THE PRIVATE CONTRIBUTION, WHICH IS MORE THAN HALF OF OUR FUNDING IS ON THE PRIVATE SIDE.
SO OUR GOAL IS TO CONTINUE, UM, IMPROVING THAT PERCENTAGE.
UM, THAT IF YOU TAKE THE 3 42 MINUS THE 3 29, WE ARE IN THE RED A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AS OF TODAY, HOWEVER, WHEN SOMEONE GIVES US A PROBLEM, WE FIND THE SOLUTION.
WE ARE WORKING OUR BUTTS OFF TO, UM, MAKE UP FOR THAT SHORTFALL IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS.
SO, UM, YEAH, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS? AND THE MAIN REASON, HONESTLY, I CAN POINT TO ONE THING IS THE FLAVOR FESTIVAL WAS AN EVENT WE PROJECTED TO HAVE.
EVENTS ARE HARD AND TICKETED EXPENSIVE EVENTS ARE EVEN HARDER, ESPECIALLY WITH TODAY'S CURRENT ECONOMY.
TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD $150 TICKET IS JUST NOT A LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE EVENT.
UM, SO IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN ITS YEARS, BUT EVENTS ALSO HAVE A TIMELINE.
THEY HAVE A EXPIRATION DATE I GUESS YOU COULD CALL IT.
UM, AND WE FELT THAT WE HIT THAT OR PROBABLY WENT PAST THAT BASED ON THE FEEDBACK FROM THE LAST EVENT.
SO WE WENT AHEAD AND, AND SHIFTED LAST MINUTE AND CANCELED THAT.
IT WASN'T CANCELED LAST MINUTE, BUT WE, WE WENT AHEAD AS A BOARD AND MADE THE DECISION TO CANCEL THAT AND THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT PROCEEDS PROJECTED FROM THAT EVENT.
UNFORTUNATELY, OUR PROCE THE BIGGEST REVENUE GENERATORS FOR US ARE EVENTS.
SO IT'S KIND OF A VICIOUS CYCLE.
AND I KNOW WE'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, BUT IF WE DON'T DO EVENTS, I MEAN, WE WANT TO DO EVENTS FOR DOWNTOWN, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO DO EVENTS TO SURVIVE.
SO, UM, THAT EVENT, WE TOOK THE ENERGY FROM THAT ONE AND PUT IT INTO THE FALL FESTIVAL, THE TWO NEW SIP AND SHOPS AND THE, DID YOU EVEN TOUCH ON THE HOPS FESTIVAL? YOU DIDN'T, ARE YOU GOING TO WELL, IT'S FEBRUARY.
OKAY, WELL WE HAVE A BRAND NEW EVENT COMING IN FEBRUARY.
IT'S THE HARBOR CITY HOPS FESTIVAL.
YEAH, YOU COME UP
SO WE'RE BRINGING UP A BEER FESTIVAL DOWNTOWN FEBRUARY 27TH, 2027.
UM, THAT IS GOING TO BE ON NEW HAVEN FROM LIVINGSTON TO WAVERLY.
WE'RE CLOSING NEW HAVEN RIGHT IN FRONT OF LIKE MAIN STREET PUB AND VAN BEERS.
WE'VE PARTNERED WITH PAUL WHO OWNS DIRTY OR BREWING IN COCOA VILLAGE, AND HE PUTS ON COCOA VILLAGE'S, BREWERS BASH, WHICH IS THEIR BEER FESTIVAL AS WELL AS JAY FROM VAN BEERS.
SO WE'LL HAVE MORE THAN 30 BREWERIES.
WE'LL HAVE, IT WON'T BE, SORRY, IT WILL BE A TICKETED EVENT.
SO ANYONE CAN COME DOWN AND EXPERIENCE THE FOOD TRUCKS, THE ADDITIONAL VENDORS WILL HAVE THE, UM, KIDS ACTIVITIES, ALL THAT KIND OF THING.
BUT IN ORDER TO TRY THE BEER FROM THE DIFFERENT BREWERIES, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TICKET.
UM, SO WE'RE SUPER, SUPER EXCITED TO BRING HARBOR CITY HOPS FEST TO NEW HAVEN.
YEAH, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT ONE.
AND THAT'S GONNA KIND OF REPLACE LABOR EXPERIENCE, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A LAG TO PLAN AN EVENT OF THAT SIZE AND MAGNITUDE.
IF YOU'VE BEEN TO THE, THE EGA HAS ONE CALLED ROCKY WATER BREW FEST.
IT'S PUT ON BY THE ROTARY CLUB, NOT THEIR MAIN STREET OR WHATEVER.
UM, SO WE ARE PUTTING THIS ONE ON AS AN ORGANIZATION AND I THINK IT'S GONNA BE TWO OR THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF THAT ONE.
SO WE'RE HOPING IT'S GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL AND WE HOPE IT BECOMES A STAPLE FOR DOWNTOWN.
[00:40:01]
BRING A COUPLE THOUSAND PEOPLE DOWN HERE.I THINK WE'RE PROJECTING BETWEEN THREE AND 4,000 PEOPLE AS A DIRECT AND INDIRECT IMPACT.
UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA SOON.
WE JUST GOTTA GET THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS,
UM, SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE REVENUE.
UM, AGAIN, ROUGHLY HALF OF OUR REVENUE IS FOR NON-GRANT OR, UH, PUBLICLY FUNDED, UH, OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, OUR EVENT SPONSORSHIPS ARE DOWN NATURALLY BECAUSE WE NO LONGER ARE OVERSEEING THE FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL AND THAT WAS TYPICALLY OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN PRIVATE SPONSORSHIPS.
BUT BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT DIDN'T EVEN UNDERWRITE THE EVENT, WHICH IS WHY WE HAD TO MOVE ON FROM IT BECAUSE TO PUT ON AN EVENT OF THAT SIZE, IT, IT KILLED EVERY STAFF MEMBER AND BOARD MEMBER AND EVERYONE ELSE AROUND.
AND TO BREAK EVEN OR LOSE MONEY IS JUST, IT'S NOT A GREAT IDEA.
SO WE GRADUATED FROM THAT ONE.
UM, AND THEN THE FLAVOR EXPERIENCE WAS ALSO USUALLY AROUND 40 TO 60,000 IN PRIVATE SPONSORSHIPS.
SO ROUGHLY $150,000 IN PRIVATE SPONSORSHIPS.
WE'RE TRYING TO RE HARNESS AND REDIRECT THOSE BACK INTO SOME OF OUR NEW EVENTS AND CAPTURE THAT CAPTIVE AUDIENCE, UM, FROM THOSE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.
SO THIS YEAR THE EVENT SPONSORSHIPS ARE THIS FISCAL YEAR, IT LOOKS, IT'S SKEWED IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION, BUT THAT'S, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND GET THAT BACK UP TO CLOSER TO A HUNDRED NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND PART OF THAT'S GONNA START WITH A REFRESHED LEADERSHIP, UM, FOR MELBOURNE MAIN STREET.
WE DID APPLY FOR, AND WERE SUCCESSFULLY AWARDED THANK YOU TO CASEY.
SHE HONESTLY DID ALMOST THE ENTIRE THING HERSELF.
UM, THE NEW TDC COUNTY GRANT, UM, TICKET SALES, VENDOR FEES, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE.
UM, AND WE ALSO LAUNCHED A CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LAUNCHED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UM, BUT CASEY MIRANDA WENT AHEAD AND LAUNCHED THAT FOUR WEEKS AGO, THREE WEEKS AGO.
AND WE ALREADY HAVE FOUR MEMBERS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA PUSH BIG INTO.
AND JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU HIGH LEVEL OF THE INTENT BEHIND THAT, INSTEAD OF HAVING THESE ONE-OFF TRANSACTIONAL RELATIONSHIP SPONSORSHIPS, WE WANT A LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE COMMITMENT TO DOWNTOWN, HEY CORPORATION, WE MATTER TO YOU BECAUSE WE ARE THE LIVING ROOM OF YOUR CITY.
THIS IS WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GATHER TOGETHER AND HAVE EVENTS AND CREATE MEMORIES AND HELP WITH EMPLOYEE RETENTION, EMPLOYEE RETRACTION.
YOU NEED TO SHOW THE LOVE AND INVEST IN DOWNTOWN ON A RECURRING BASIS, NOT JUST FOR ONE EVENT TO GET YOUR SIGNAGE UP, MAKE AN IMPACT, HELP DOWNTOWN 'CAUSE AND WE'VE NOTICED A HUGE SHIFT IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS OF ALL NEGATIVITY.
NOT ALL NEGATIVITY, BUT A LOT OF NEGATIVITY TO PEOPLE CARE AND THEY, AND THEY BELIEVE IN IT.
AND WE'RE SEEING, WE'VE SEEN A SHIFT IN THAT THIS YEAR.
AND IT HONESTLY IS SOMETHING I'M, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE 'CAUSE IT, IT CAN BE EXHAUSTING TO DEAL WITH NEGATIVE SOCIAL MEDIA OFTEN TIMES, AS YOU GUYS KNOW.
SO WE'RE SEEING QUITE A BIT OF AN IMPROVEMENT THERE.
UM, GRANT AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY, UM, YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS.
THIS IS JUST KIND OF A, A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE KEY REQUIREMENTS.
SO THOSE ARE WAY FINDING SIGNS.
WE'RE DOING THAT COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICER AND MONTHLY NEWSLETTER, THE DATABASE, STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, INSURANCE FACADE.
WE DO PARTICIPATE IN THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
UM, APPLICATIONS WE REVIEW AND, UM, PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND APPROVE OR DON'T APPROVE THOSE APPLICATIONS.
AND THE NEW, UM, I'M GONNA MESS UP THE TERMINOLOGY, THE NEW BUSINESS PROGRAM, THAT ONE THANK YOU.
WHICH I'M EXCITED ABOUT BECAUSE IT DOES MATTER WHAT A BUILDING LOOKS ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT IT'S ALSO, IF IT'S NOT AN EXPERIENCE ON THE INTERIOR, THEY'RE NOT COMING BACK.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON CAPTURING THE, WE WANT PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING DOWN HERE TO COME DOWN HERE AGAIN.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE MISSED IN THE LAST HANDFUL OF YEARS.
UM, OUR COMMITTEES, UH, SAW WASTE COORDINATION AT THE VERNON LOT.
I THINK WE CAN ALL SAY THAT'S BEEN RESOLVED THANKS TO WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVING TO GET INVOLVED.
UM, OUR QUARTERLY REPORTS, WHICH YOU GUYS ARE GETTING AND HAVE FOR TODAY, AND THEN THE, UM, HOLIDAY LIGHTING DECORATIONS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THAT'S A PASS THROUGH EXPENSE.
SO AS PART OF OUR CITY GRANT THROUGH MEL RANGE STREET, WE'RE FUNDED 31,000 AND WE HANDLE EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE HOLIDAY DECORATIONS.
SO I WANNA REMIND YOU, IT'S NOT TRULY $150,000.
IT'S ACTUALLY A HUNDRED AND LITTLE UNDER 1 1 20, WHICH IS STILL AMAZING AND SIGNIFICANT AND WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE.
BUT 30,000 OF THAT IS THE HOLIDAY LIGHTING, WHICH IS GOING UP EARLY NOVEMBER, NOT OCTOBER THIS YEAR.
SO, UH, LOOKING AHEAD TO 2020, OH, I SKIPPED AHEAD.
[00:45:01]
I WAS JUST EXCITED ABOUT IT.I THINK IT'S GONNA BE AN AWESOME EVENT FOR DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S A TICKET PRICE THAT WE CAN CAPTURE A MUCH LARGER AUDIENCE IN THE, IN THE COUNTY.
UM, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF INTERESTING METRICS FROM, FROM ARTICULATED EVENTS.
WE TRACK THE ZIP CODES AND WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM.
UM, I FIND THAT KIND OF STUFF STATISTICALLY INTERESTING.
IF YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED, WE CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, MIGHT SURPRISE YOU ON SOME OF OUR REALLY SUCCESSFUL ZIP CODES THAT WERE, SOME WILL SURPRISE YOU, SOME WON'T SURPRISE YOU.
UM, IT ALSO DEPENDS ON THE DOLLAR AMOUNT AS WELL.
SO IT'D BE INTERESTING TO LOOK AT THOSE TRENDS.
UM, AND NEW, UH, ALSO MARINA MENTIONED THIS, WE'RE DOING THE, SHE, HER AND CASEY ARE DOING THE DOWNTOWN NEWSLETTER FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, NOT JUST MEMBERS.
SO ANOTHER INITIATIVE OUR STAFF TOOK THEMSELVES.
UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT, PROBABLY INFORMATION OVERLOAD.
UM, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, SEND ANY FOLLOW UP DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION TO THE CRA COMMITTEE.
BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING PARTNERS OF OURS AND BELIEVING IN US AND SUPPORTING US WHENEVER WE ASK.
AND WE WANT YOU TO HOPE, I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE HAPPY WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WE ALWAYS TAKE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM AS POSITIVELY AS POSSIBLE.
I'M SURE YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT'S FOR ME TO BE QUIET FOR 45 MINUTES.
I DID SAY YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS DURING IT.
I SAID THE END, BUT I WAS PROBABLY TALKING TOO FAST.
I I DO HAVE A FEW THOUGH, SO FEEL FREE IF YOU DON'T WANNA ANSWER 'EM TO BRING WHOEVER UP AND I'M SURE THEN I'LL OPEN UP.
I, IF I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER, I WILL GET YOU THE ANSWER.
MY FIRST ONE IS, UM, UH, MIRANDA, I BELIEVE IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THE BUSINESSES ARE OPENING LATER AND HAVING GOOD FEEDBACK.
SO I'M REALLY, I MEAN THIS AGAIN, COMING FROM A SPOT WHERE I'VE BEEN HERE AND SEEN THESE SAME THINGS, RESURFACE AND RESURFACE, THE FIRST THING I WANNA SAY IS IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE YOU GUYS FINALLY DIVING DEEPER INTO SOME OF THOSE AND LIKE SEEING MOVEMENT AND IT'S HAPPENING
BUT I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT CHANGE TO THAT THEY'RE FINALLY LIKE GOING, OKAY, WE NEED TO OPEN LATER? UM, I I WOULD SAY JUST RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, HONESTLY.
I MEAN THE, THE BETTER RELATIONSHIP YOU DEVELOP WITH A WITH ANYONE, WITH A HUMAN BEING, YOU GET MORE COMFORTABLE.
YOU TALK ABOUT THINGS, YOU SHARE THINGS.
AND ALSO, UH, FEEDBACK FROM OTHER BUSINESSES.
SO I MENTIONED THAT SOME BUSINESSES SAY BETWEEN FIVE AND 7:00 PM THEY DO THEIR MOST.
GLITTER ALLEY TOLD US THAT MORRIS SAID GLITTER ALLEY SAID, SOME DAYS I DO MORE BUSINESS AND MAKE MORE MONEY IN TWO HOURS THAN I DO ALL AFTERNOON.
AND WE TOOK THAT TO OTHER BUSINESSES AND WE LET THEM KNOW THAT.
AND ALSO, NOT JUST US, I CAN'T SAY IT'S ALL US.
SO ERICA IS A HUGE ASSET, UM, DOWNTOWN, AND SHE GOES AND SPEAKS TO THE BUSINESSES AS WELL AND ASKS THEM TO STAY OPEN LATER.
I THINK SMALL TOWN FRIDAYS WAS AN INCREDIBLE INITIATIVE STARTED BY HER, UM, TO REALLY COMMUNICATE BUSINESS TO BUSINESS.
SO IT, PEOPLE ARE JUST COMMUNICATING MORE AND I THINK THEY'RE, THEY'RE STARTING TO BE RECEPTIVE TO THAT INFORMATION AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT SHIFT.
I WILL SAY WHEN WE, WHEN WE AND THE STAFF HAS HAVE PRESENTED THE REQUEST TO STAY OPEN LONGER, WHICH WE'VE ASKED FOR A LONG TIME MM-HMM
UM, IT IS THE MESSAGING, BUT WE'RE ALSO GIVING DATA.
SO, AND WE'VE GIVEN THEM THAT BEFORE, BUT THE, THE DATA FROM THE HENNEGER CENTER, I MEAN IS, IF THAT'S NOT IMPACTFUL, I MEAN I GET FOMO AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE A RETAIL BUSINESS.
I MEAN THERE'S 1300 PEOPLE MULTIPLE TIMES EACH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, SOME SUNDAYS.
I MEAN, HOW ARE YOU NOT, HOW IS THAT NOT LIKE HOW DO I CAPTURE A PIECE OF THAT? I MEAN, EVEN 1% OF THAT COULD BE MEANINGFUL TO ONE BUSINESS.
SO WHEN WE GAVE THEM DATA, THEY CAN MAKE DATABASE DECISIONS, NOT JUST EMOTIONAL DECISIONS AND PERCEPTION BASED DECISIONS.
'CAUSE PERCEPTION IS, IT IS REALITY, BUT IT'S NOT MM-HMM
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S BEEN HELPFUL AS WELL.
AND LIKE MIRANDA SAID, THE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, THEY'RE WALKING THE STREETS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THE HENA GRACE CENTER LOOKS AMAZING.
AND THEN THE SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, SEEMS LIKE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY.
I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE DIGGING INTO THIS DEEPER, BUT HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT JUST OPENING UP LIKE PUBLIC, SOME SORT OF PUBLIC MEMBERSHIP? BECAUSE WITH THAT MANY PEOPLE, I MEAN, AND ONLY 41 MEMBERS, I, I JUST SEE SO MUCH FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY IN THAT IT'S, YEAH, SO WE ARE ACTUALLY GETTING REQUESTS.
SO I, I COME FROM A BACKGROUND OF A MONETIZED SOCIAL MEDIA.
I USED TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND EVENTS FOR ORLANDO WEEKLY, WHICH IS A PUBLICATION IN ORLANDO FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN ORLANDO.
AND WE THOUGH I AM FROM HERE, I'M FROM SATELLITE BEACH
[00:50:01]
I COME FROM A MONETIZED SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM.I SEE THE REVENUE DOLLARS THAT CAN COME FROM A REALLY, REALLY STRONG SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM.
AND FROM THE DAY I STARTED AT THIS ORGANIZATION, THAT WAS MY GOAL, UM, BECAUSE WE WERE REALLY MISSING OUT ON THAT OPPORTUNITY.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, OPENING UP A MEMBERSHIP TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, THOUGH IT ISN'T SOMETHING WE'VE DISCUSSED, WE'VE CERTAINLY DISCUSSED OPENING UP, UM, UH, ADVERTISING IN THE VISITORS GUIDE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE HOPING TO PUSH MORE.
I THINK THAT THAT'S ALSO AN UNTAPPED MARKET AND WE ARE GETTING REQUESTS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA NOW.
UM, AND WE ARE ABLE TO MONETIZE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO THOUGH I DO WANNA KEEP IT DOWNTOWN ADJACENT, THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
LIKE LOCAL BUSINESSES MAYBE THAT AREN'T DOWNTOWN, LIKE AN ATTORNEY IN MELBOURNE IN THE AREA THAT WANTS TO SPONSOR THE POSTS.
AND THAT WAY I CAN GO HIGHLIGHT BUSINESSES, TAKE MONEY FROM A SPONSORED POST AND THEN JUST KIND OF PUT AN OVERLAY THAT THIS IS SPONSORED BY, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER ATTORNEY, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO TO CONSIDER.
I THINK THAT'S A FANTASTIC IDEA THOUGH.
AND I'LL ADD TO THAT, MIRANDA HAS BEEN VERY GRACIOUS AND GENEROUS.
A LOT OF THE POSTS YOU'VE SEEN WERE FROM NON-MEMBERS.
SO IT IS UNOFFICIALLY OPEN TO SELECT NEW BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN.
WELL NOT SELECT NEW BUSINESSES.
IT'S SOMEWHAT OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC IF YOU ARE A DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDER, KIND OF ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
SO, AND SOME OF THOSE HAVE BEEN WILDLY SUCCESSFUL.
I MEAN, WHAT WAS THE, THE, UM, ITALIAN BAKERY? WAS IT, OH, WHAT THE NUMBERS ON THAT? IT'S BAKED BY SHELL, WAS IT OVER A MILLION VIEWS? NO, NO, NOT THAT MANY, BUT SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND, SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND VIEWS.
I MEAN THAT'S ALMOST, BREVARD COUNTY IS 610,000 PEOPLE AND WE HAD ALMOST THE SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE SEE THAT POST.
UM, LENORA IS NOT A MEMBER AND THAT WAS A POST.
UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S COUNTLESS POSTS THAT WE DO OFFER.
WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE OF THE MAIN STREET COMPLIANCE GUIDELINES.
THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE MEMBERSHIP TO MEMBERSHIP BASED ORGANIZATION, OTHERWISE THERE'S REALLY NO MONETIZATION OR FUNDING REVENUE ASIDE FROM THE CITY AND EVENTS.
SO, UM, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF STAYING IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT.
BUT YOU NOT CALL IT A MEMBERSHIP, MAYBE IT'S JUST A, I MEAN, I COULD JUST SEE PEOPLE WANTING TO SUPPORT IT.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND 50 BUCKS, IT'S A GOOD SUGGEST, YOU KNOW, 50 BUCKS BY, YOU KNOW, GOSH, A THOUSAND PEOPLE IS GOOD REVENUE, YOU KNOW, I LIKE THE IDEA.
WE'LL BRING IT UP AT THE BOARD MEETING NEXT WEEK AND SEE WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH THERE.
'CAUSE THERE IS A BIG OPPORTUNITY.
'CAUSE YOU'RE HITTING 'EM AND THAT'S, THAT'S AMAZING.
WE GOT OUR NEW WEBSITE AND BRANDING TWO YEARS AGO, SO IT WAS KIND OF BUILDING THE BASES AND IT WAS JUST KIM.
SO NOW WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO BYRON ALL CYLINDERS AND WE ARE YEAH.
THE, UM, THE 41 MEMBERS, HOW IS THAT SPLIT ELITE VERSUS BASIC? I DID WRITE THAT DOWN.
OKAY, SO, OH, I GUESS I DON'T HAVE THE TOTALS.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU WHO, HOW THE NEW MEMBERS BREAKS DOWN THE 15.
UM, WE HAD FOUR NEW CORPORATE PARTNERS, THREE NEW ELITE MEMBERS AND EIGHT NEW BASIC MEMBERS.
I THINK I KNOW THAT WE HAVE NINE TOTAL CORPORATE PARTNERS.
I'LL DOUBLE CHECK, BUT THIS IS, THIS SHOULD BE BALLPARK.
UM, SPREADSHEET ELITE MEMBERS CURRENTLY, UH, CURRENTLY ACTIVE.
THERE'S A FEW THAT WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON GETTING THEM TO GET THAT RENEWAL IN.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE GOT 22 BASIC MEMBERS.
UM, A THING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS, IS REALLY REBUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
ONE THING THAT'S REALLY EXCITING ABOUT OUR NEW MEMBERSHIP IS, IS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PULL PEOPLE BACK IN THAT KIND OF BAILED IN THE PAST.
UM, MR. NICE GUYS HAS COME BACK.
UM, WE'VE BUILT A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HIGHLINE APARTMENTS.
THEY'RE ONE OF OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS.
SO WE'RE REALLY STARTING TO SEE SOME PEOPLE COME IN REBUILDING THAT TRUST AND, AND SEE THE FRUIT OF THAT.
UM, WE'VE ALSO HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE JOIN WHO SAID, I'VE REALLY WANTED TO JOIN FOR A LONG TIME, BUT EITHER NOBODY RETURNED MY CALLS OR I WASN'T ABLE TO MEET WITH ANYONE.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND SO THAT INCREASED COMMUNICATION, THAT INCREASED AWARENESS AND AVAILABILITY, UH, WE'RE DEFINITELY SEEING THAT IMPACT.
I EXPECT TO SEE THAT THAT MEMBERSHIP NUMBER TRENDING UP GOING INTO THIS NEXT YEAR.
BUT I'LL, I'LL FIND OUT THOSE FOR SURE.
SPECIFIC NUMBERS AND WE CAN SEND THOSE TO YOU.
JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT THE SPLIT IS.
AND ARE THE VISITOR GUIDES ONLINE? ARE THEY AVAILABLE ONLINE AND ARCHIVED? YES.
[00:55:01]
AND THERE IS A FLIP BOOK THAT SHOWS THE CURRENT GUIDE AND THEN UNDERNEATH OF IT THERE'S LIKE A BAR THAT SHOWS MAYBE LIKE THE LAST SIX ISSUES.AND SO YOU COULD CLICK BACK AND LOOK AT PAST ISSUES AS WELL.
'CAUSE I WAS THINKING THE RESTAURANT GUIDE, PEOPLE MIGHT WANT TO GO ONLINE AND LOOK AT THAT.
UM, AND THEN I'LL SAY ON THE MEMBERSHIP, UM, THE NUMBERS, I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE OKAY.
UM, BUT WE, WHEN THE NEW STAFF CAME ON, WE DIDN'T WANT THEM TO JUST START FALLING UP IN INVOICES AND START SELLING.
WE WANTED THE THEM TO BUILD THE RELATIONSHIPS THIS YEAR AND SHOW THE PROOF IN THE PUDDING.
AND THEN THIS NEXT UPCOMING YEAR IS WHEN WE CAN SAY, HEY, LOOK WHAT WE DID.
LOOK AT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACT.
LOOK AT THE ALL THE NEW EVENTS WE HAVE DOWNTOWN.
LOOK AT THE REPUTATION IMPROVEMENT WE'VE BEEN PART OF.
LOOK AT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT WE'VE QUARTERBACKED AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CRA AND CITY AND CITY COUNCIL.
SEEING THOSE MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE VERY SUCCESSFUL WHEN WE DO GO ASK NEW MEMBERS.
'CAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S 300 BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN AND THERE'S A BIG OPPORTUNITY THERE.
AND A LOT OF TIME THOUGH, IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF TIME TO HAVE SET UP THOSE MEETINGS, EXPLAIN THE PACKAGE, SET 'EM UP, INVO.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO NOW THAT WE DO HAVE OUR STAFF, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE PUSHING ON THAT.
UM, WHEN YOU SAY, SO WE GRADUATED FROM FOOD AND WINE BECAUSE I IT WAS OUTSOURCED.
AND THEN AS YOU'RE SAYING THAT, I REALIZE IT'S NOT ON THE CALENDAR.
SO IS IT DONE? NO, NO MORE SO WHEN I SAY GRADUATED, IT, IT, IT WAS A, IT BECAME A LIABILITY FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND IT, WE WERE NOT BEING, IF WE PROCEEDED WITH THE EVENT, IT WOULD'VE NOT BEEN A RESPONSIBLE FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP DECISION ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DOLLAR.
UM, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY EXHAUSTING.
I MEAN, TO, TO FUNDRAISE $110,000 FROM PRIVATE COMPANIES IS, IS ABSOLUTELY EXHAUSTING.
IT WAS A FULL, IT WAS LITERALLY FOOD, WINE BECAME A FULL-TIME JOB FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WHICH IT WAS JUST KIM.
I MEAN, YOU TALK ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS THAT SHE COULDN'T DO WAS BECAUSE OF THAT EVENT ALONE KILLED, WE LOST TWO EVENT AND MARKETING COORDINATORS TO THAT THREE ACTUALLY FOR THAT EVENT.
UM, IT JUST BECAME, I MEAN, I THINK THE TOTAL CASH FLOW WAS LIKE $600,000 AND IT WAS LIKE A COUPLE THOUSAND TRANSACTIONS AND IT JUST, IT BECAME A MASSIVE CASH FLOW ISSUE TOO.
SO, AND IT WAS NO LONGER PROFITABLE.
I MEAN, THE EVENTS HAVE EXPIRATION AND THAT EVENT, IN MY OPINION, EXPIRED AND WE WERE JUST READY TO MOVE ON FROM IT.
SO KIM, I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DID THIS, BUT SHE FOUND THE GROUP WHO RUNS THE AIR SHOWS AND THEY SAID, HEY, LIKE, WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR FOOD AND WINE? SHE SAYS, WELL, I DON'T THINK THE BOARD DECIDED NOT TO, NOT TO DO IT NEXT YEAR.
AND HE'S LIKE, WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE IT OVER.
YOU KNOW? AND SHE, THERE'S AN AGREEMENT WHERE THEY ACTUALLY COMPENSATED US FOR THE FIRST YEAR.
I THINK IT'S THE FIRST THREE YEARS, UM, THREE YEARS, RIGHT? OR BUYING THE EVENT, ESSENTIALLY.
SO WE STILL SUPPORT IT, WE STILL MARKET IT, WE STILL HELP WITH SPONSORSHIPS, BUT IT JUST, IT EXPIRED FROM OURS.
SO IT WILL HAPPEN THIS YEAR? YEAH.
IT'S ON, IT'S ON MELBOURNE AVE AND IT'S IN FEBRUARY.
IT'S SLATED FOR FEBRUARY OR MARCH.
I THINK THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S SOME FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY.
SO, AND YOU'LL GET SOME REVENUE FROM IT THIS YEAR TOO? A LITTLE BIT.
I HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE NUMBER.
UM, 'CAUSE WE BUILT THAT THING FROM THE BOTTOM UP.
SO THEY'VE DECIDED JUST TO NOT CONTINUE WITH IT, THE OUTSOURCE COMPANY? NO, THEY ARE, YEAH.
BUT IN FEBRUARY, BUT AFTER THAT DONE, DONE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA, I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA CONTINUE IT.
I THINK IT, THEY LOST MONEY ON THIS LAST ONE, SO I'M VERY HAPPY WE DIDN'T DO IT AGAIN, BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO, TO PUT AN EVENT ON THAT MAGNITUDE AND LOSE MONEY.
UM,
I MEAN, TREE LIGHTING, WE LOSE MONEY.
BUT IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND THERE'S 10,000 PEOPLE DOWN HERE.
RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT BEING PROFITABLE, BUT A NON-PROFIT CAN'T, CAN'T HAVE, UH, EVENTS IN THE RED EVERY SINGLE TIME.
SO THEY SEEM TO BE POSITIVE ABOUT IT AND THEY WANT TO CONTINUE IT.
I THINK THEY'RE GONNA SEE HOW THIS YEAR GO, FEBRUARY GOES.
AND I HAVE ONE MORE AND THEN I'LL OPEN IT UP.
SO YOU MENTIONED, UM, THE BOOMS TRACKER AND THAT SOMEONE SAID, HEY, WHY DOES THE SAME PERSON OWN ALL OF THESE VACANT SPACES? AND THAT YOU CAN NOW ANSWER.
SO WHAT'S YOUR ANSWER,
[01:00:01]
NUMBER OF PROPERTIES AND DECIDE TO DO NOTHING WITH THEM.WE HAVE, WE HAVE, AND WILL CONTINUE TO ATTACK THAT FROM EVERY ANGLE POSSIBLE.
I SEE CINDY LOOKING OVER HERE.
I KNOW SHE, YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR 30 YEARS AND IT'S THE SAME, STILL THE SAME OWNERS.
SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH A COUPLE OF THEM ACTUALLY.
WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE THEM DATA TO MAKE DATABASE DECISIONS.
LIKE THERE'S CERTAIN CYCLES IN REAL ESTATE THAT YOU'RE GONNA MISS OUT ON.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE EVEN MORE THAN ONE PROPERTY DOWN HERE.
SO IT'S, IT'S, UM, WE'RE WORK, WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN.
UH, IF YOU KNOW ANYBODY WHO KNOWS THEM, YEAH, PLEASE ENCOURAGE THEM TO, UH, LISTEN.
ANYONE ELSE? I KNOW JOANNE WILL, BUT GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS.
I HAVE SOME BUT YOU CAN GO, GO AHEAD.
UM, IT'S JUST GONNA BE BUDGET RELATED STUFF.
SO YOU SAID YOU'RE WORKING ON MAKING UP THE SHORTFALL ON THE, UH, UH, NET OPERATING INCOME, I'M ASSUMING.
IS THAT JUST BY SEEKING CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS OR IS THAT THE GOAL? YEAH, CORPORATE CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM SINCE WE JUST LAUNCHED IT.
AND WE DO HAVE A NUMBER ALREADY.
WE THINK THAT'S A BIG OPPORTUNITY.
UM, ALSO RESTRUCTURING OUR LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION IS GOING TO HELP, HAS ALREADY HELPED.
UM, WE ARE IN THE EVENTS WE HAVE THAT ARE ALREADY SET IN STONE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, WE ARE HYPER-FOCUSED ON, UH, SPONSORSHIPS FOR THOSE EVENTS TOO.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WHEN WE HAVE AN EVENT, WE DON'T SELL LIKE MELBOURNE MAIN STREET.
SO IT'S REALLY ONLY WHAT THE VENDORS PAY, WHICH IS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT BECAUSE, AND THEN WE HAVE THE SPONSORSHIPS.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND, AND PUSH SPONSORSHIPS FOR THE EVENTS.
WE HAVE TO INCREASE OUR REVENUE, I FEEL FOR Y ALL WITH THE EVENTS.
'CAUSE IT'S OBVIOUSLY A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD WITH YOU HAVE TO DO IT IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, GENERATE BUSINESS DOWNTOWN, KEEP THE BUSINESS OWNERS HAPPY.
IT'S, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S RAIN AND SHINE.
IT'S LIKE YOU'RE, YOU'RE REALLY TRYING TO BALANCE THE COST THERE AND NOT BE A LOSS LEADER FOR YOU.
UM, SO IS THAT KIND OF WHAT THE GOAL IS, IS YOU'RE SHIFTING TO, OKAY, THESE, THESE, UH, EVENTS THAT ARE REALLY CAPITAL INTENSIVE, WE'RE TRYING TO SHED THOSE COME UP WITH NEW IDEAS THAT JUST DON'T COST AS MUCH LIKE A BEER FEST.
LIKE, AND FRESH IDEAS AND WHAT FRESH IDEAS, FAMILY FRIENDLY IDEAS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS AND CORPORATIONS OUT THERE THAT WE WERE NEVER ABLE TO TAP INTO FOR THE BIG EVENTS.
FLAVOR AND, AND FOOD AND WINE.
BECAUSE A LOT OF 'EM HAVE RULES SINCE THEY HAVE PUBLIC REVENUE COMING IN.
LIKE NORTHROP GRUMMAN FOR EXAMPLE, AND HEALTH FIRST.
THEY CAN'T SPONSOR SOMETHING THAT SELL, SOMETIMES THEY CAN'T SPONSOR THAT SELLS ALCOHOL, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S IN THE NAME OF THE EVENT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE THAT WE CAN'T EVEN, WE COULDN'T PREVIOUSLY ASK FOR MONEY TO SPONSOR OR BECOME A CORPORATE PARTNER UNTIL WE HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES NOW.
AND NOW WE HAVE THE PARTNERSHIP, CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, WE CAN SAY, HEY, LIKE I TOLD YOU EARLIER, WE THINK THAT THAT'LL BE SUCCESSFUL FOR KIND OF THE MID-LEVEL CORPORATIONS, LIKE MID-SIZED, UM, ON THE BUDGET.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECTED AND THEN THE FULL YEAR FOR PARTICULARLY ADVERTISING AND THEN GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE.
IS THAT MAINLY JUST IN RELATION TO THESE FOOTNOTES OVER HERE THAT THINGS GOT SWITCHED AROUND AS FAR AS WHERE THEY'RE BEING REPORTED OR, BECAUSE THAT'S IMPRESSIVE ON THE ADVERTISING, THAT HUGE JUMP.
UM, SORRY, BRETT, WHERE WHERE ARE YOU AT LEAST IN THE PACKET THAT WE GOT? SO I
IS THAT IN THE PRESENTATION, CINDY? IT MIGHT NOT BE.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT? YEAH.
DON'T YOU LOVE THE NUMBERED PAGES? PAGE 30.
THANK YOU MIRANDA AND CASEY FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
UM, THE ADVERTISING, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT BECAUSE MIRANDA'S REALLY GOOD AT IT.
WE WERE PREVIOUSLY PAYING A MARKETING AGENCY TO DO THE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR OUR EVENTS.
NOT ONLY HAVE WE TURNED IT IN HOUSE, 'CAUSE WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S EXCELLENT AT IT, BUT IT'S A MASSIVE SAVINGS FOR US AND HAS DONE A MUCH BETTER JOB AT IT, HONESTLY.
ANALYSIS A LARGE REVENUE GENERATOR FOR YOU TOO.
SO, UM, THERE, IT'S, I MEAN, SOME OF THE POSTS, LIKE WE'VE HAVE, WE GOTTEN SOME ROYALTIES FROM SOME OF 'EM.
WE'VE MONETIZED FACEBOOK WITHOUT EVEN TRYING, I MEAN, WELL THAT THE INTENT IS TO HAVE SUCCESSFUL POSTS, BUT WE NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY CREATE LIKE DOLLARS COMING IN FROM FACEBOOK VOLUNTARILY.
UM, YEAH, I THINK YOU ALL DESERVE A LOT OF CREDIT FOR THAT.
'CAUSE I KNOW TRYING TO FIND OTHER SOURCES OF REVENUE IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A TOUGH, UH, TASK AND SOMETHING THAT I KNOW THAT Y'ALL, UH, YOU KNOW,
[01:05:01]
HAVE BEEN GIVING SERIOUS CONSIDERATION.SO, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT'S SOLID THERE.
AND THEN, BUT THEN ON THE GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE, IS THAT LARGER NUMBER THAN WHAT YOU PROJECTED? IS THAT BECAUSE CERTAIN THINGS, 'CAUSE THERE'S A FOOTNOTE HERE ABOUT CERTAIN EXPENSES HAVING BEEN RE-CATEGORIZED.
OR WAS THAT, THAT WAS JUST MOVING THINGS FROM DIFFERENT CHANNELS OKAY.
AND THEN AS FAR AS THE BUSINESS OWNERS STAYING, UH, OPEN LATER, AND THIS IS MORE JUST A COMMENT THAN ANYTHING, BUT I MEAN, I'M KIND OF SHOCKED.
IT SEEMS JUST LIKE LOGIC REASON THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD WANT TO BE OPEN WHEN PEOPLE GET OFF WORK FOR THE FIRST TWO HOURS, THAT THEY MIGHT BE COMING DOWNTOWN TO GRAB A DRINK OR SOME FOOD, UM, ON THEIR WAY HOME.
NOT YEAH, NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WHEN THEY'RE AT WORK.
SO, UM, IT'S KINDA LIKE OUR COFFEE SHOP AN OPEN HOT, ISN'T IT EIGHT, NINE O'CLOCK? YEAH, I'VE ALREADY OVER, I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DAYTIME POPULATION IN AND AROUND THE AIRPORT, I THINK WITHIN LIKE A A FIVE MILE RADIUS, IT'S LIKE 40,000.
I LIKE STATISTICS IF YOU CAN'T TELL, UM, I THINK IT'S 40,000 IS THE DAYTIME POPULATION.
SO THERE'S A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE PASSING THROUGH AND AROUND DOWNTOWN AFTER 5:00 PM 'CAUSE THOSE ARE NINE TO FIVE JOBS.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHEN YOU'RE, WHY ARE YOU NOT OPEN? I MEAN, LIKE WHEN MY WIFE USED TO COMMUTE, I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH, SHE, THEIR BUSINESS NOW LEASES FROM OUR, OUR BUILDING AND THEY'VE ALSO EXPANDED.
IT WASN'T ON THERE, BUT THEY, THEY ACTUALLY ACQUIRED TWO OF THEIR LAW FIRMS AND THEY'VE CONTINUED TO EXPAND DOWNTOWN.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, DRIVE THROUGH DOWNTOWN AND, AND TRY AND GET A PRESENT FOR SOMEONE.
I MEAN, THERE WAS ONLY LIKE TWO OR THREE STORES OPEN.
SO IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST MIND BOGGLING THAT THEY, AND I GET IT, IT'S A CAPACITY THING SOMETIMES.
UM, I THINK SOME OF THE BUSINESSES ARE HOBBY BUSINESSES WHERE THEY JUST, WHERE TO HAVE A STORE AND THEIR FRIENDS COMBINE.
THEY CLOSE AND OPEN WHEN THEY WANT TO.
THAT'S THEIR, THAT'S THEIR CHOICE.
UM, BUT EVEN THOSE PEOPLE WORK, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? JUST WEIRD
UM, AND THEN I IMAGINE, ARE YOU ALL KIND OF TRYING TO LIKE, FORECAST THE POTENTIAL FOR IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, UH, THE MINOR LEAGUE STADIUM THAT GOES IN NEARBY TO TRY, IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE THAT'S IN A, IN A LOCATION TO WHERE YOU'RE GONNA BE FURTHER COMPETING WITH EA FOR OVERFLOW TRAFFIC AFTERWARDS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF LIKE, FORWARD THINKING THAT WE CAN DO THERE TO DRAW TRAFFIC THIS WAY.
YEAH, THAT, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
UM, WE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
UM, THERE'S SOME PEOPLE ON OUR BOARD THAT ARE LIKE SOMEWHAT INVOLVED IN THAT PROJECT.
UM, I THINK A NEEDS TO FURTHER PROGRESS BEFORE WE PUT YEAH, IT'S FAR OUT.
JUST 'CAUSE I'VE SEEN SO MANY PROJECTS GET ANNOUNCED AND THEY DON'T ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
SO IN THAT AREA THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS.
BUT BEING IN THAT WORLD, UH, I NEED TO SEE A LOT MORE PROGRESS BEFORE WE PUT ANY RESOURCES INTO IT FOR SURE.
BUT IT COULD BE A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US, UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE, WHAT'S IT LIKE, A MILE AND A HALF, TWO MILES AWAY.
SO CAPTURING, THAT'S GONNA BE HUGE.
I WILL SAY WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AIRPORT AND, UM, WE DO HAVE SOME CONTACTS WITHIN THAT DEVELOPMENT GROUP AND THAT PROJECT GROUP THAT WE THINK WE CAN LEVERAGE TO, UH, COORDINATE WITH THEM.
UH, SO LET'S SEE, WHERE DO I START? WE OBVIOUSLY, THE POINT OF THIS IS TO APPROVE FOR THE FUNDING FOR THE NEXT YEAR, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABOUT.
SO, UM, I'LL JUST ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
SO I WASN'T A FAN LAST YEAR OF GOING FROM 87 K AS YOU REMEMBER, UP TO 1 56 K.
AND THAT'S ISH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO APPROVE HERE.
THE NUMBERS DON'T, AREN'T GOOD.
SO I, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THAT.
AND THAT'S JUST, I MEAN, IT'S OBVIOUS YOU'RE STILL LOSING MONEY.
SO THE THING THAT STICKS OUT TO ME AND, AND WHEN WE WERE INVOLVED IN MAIN STREET MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, UM, THERE WAS A DIRECTOR THAT WAS PAID.
NOW YOU HAVE THREE PAID POSITIONS, IS THAT CORRECT? MARKETING, OPERATIONS AND THE DIRECTOR, WHICH YOU'RE TRYING TO FIND.
SO WE TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THE CAPACITY ISSUES AND THINGS THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE APPRECIATIVE OF THE CRA FUNDING AND WE COULDN'T OPERATE WITHOUT IT.
BUT WE ARE, THE ONLY WAY TO MONETIZE IS EVENTS.
AND IT'S A VICIOUS CYCLE AND IT, AND IT KILLS THE ORGANIZATION.
SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIND THAT BALANCE FINANCIALLY.
LAST YEAR WE WERE BALANCED, WE WERE BALANCED GOING TO THIS YEAR AND THERE'S A REASON WHY I'M UP HERE AND IL'S NOT UP HERE.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE WERE, THERE WERE SOME MISALIGNMENTS AND SOME MISSTEPS AND PERFORMANCE
[01:10:01]
ISSUES THAT WERE NOT ABLE TO BE CORRECTED AND ARE SIMPLE THINGS TO CORRECT.AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE IN THE BLACK AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
WE ARE A NONPROFIT, SO WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO GENERATE A PROFIT AT THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE BALANCED.
AND WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT WE NEED TO BE STEWARDS OF THE PUBLIC DOLLAR.
AND THAT'S WHY WE WENT THROUGH AND CUT, YOU KNOW, 20, 30,000 OUT OF OUR EXPENSES.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY THAT 12,000, WHICH I MEAN, DEPENDING YOU LOOK AT IT COULD BE A BIG NUMBER.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A HUGE NUMBER.
AND I THINK WE CAN CLOSE THAT GAP BEFORE JANUARY.
SO, UM, THAT'S MY RESPONSE TO THAT.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, WHAT POPPED OUT TO ME IS YOU HAVE 300 BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN.
YOU HAVE LESS THAN 10% OF THOSE ARE MEMBERS.
'CAUSE SOME OF THOSE ARE CORPORATE MEMBERS, RIGHT? I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GOING FOR IT.
AND WE MENTIONED THIS MANY MOONS AGO, GO FOR CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS WHO WANT TO RETAIN THEIR EMPLOYEES, NOT EVENT-BASED, WHICH I'M SO HAPPY TO HEAR YOU SAY, GO GET THOSE CORPORATE SPONSORS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH DOWNTOWN.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY THEIR EMPLOYEES WANNA STAY.
'CAUSE THERE'S A PLACE TO SOCIALIZE, BRING THEIR FAMILIES, ET CETERA.
FOCUSING ON THAT I THINK CAN BE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT, NOT JUST EVENT BASED.
SO I'M HAPPY TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT, BUT THE 10% OF THE BUSINESSES ACTUALLY BEING A MEMBER.
AND WHAT I'M HEARING IS, SO YOU'VE GOT WAYFINDING SIGNAGE, YOU'VE GOT THE VISITORS GUIDE, YOU'VE GOT THE SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU'RE ADVERTISING THESE COMPANIES WHO AREN'T MEMBERS AND GIVING BACK TO YOU.
THAT JUST SEEMS WRONG, RIGHT? SO THAT'S GOTTA TURN AROUND.
AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S BAD RELATIONSHIPS IN THE PAST AND I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING THAT'S ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
BUT YOU UNDERS AM I, AM I, NO, I, IT FRUSTRATES ME TOO, FROM BEING A NUMBERS PERSON.
AGAIN, WE HAD ONE PERSON ALL OF LAST YEAR.
I MEAN, AND KIM WAS SUPPOSED TO DO ALL OF THIS RIGHT? DOWNTOWN ALSO HAS NOT BEEN AT ITS BEST PERFORMANCE OF LATE.
I MEAN, WE HAD A SHOOTING LAST YEAR, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT, IT WAS NOT A SAFE AND CLEAN AND FUN PLACE TO BE IN 2025.
AND I, I'LL, I GUESS I PUT THAT ON THE RECORD, BUT IT WASN'T, I MEAN, I DIDN'T COME DOWN HERE WITH MY KIDS.
THERE'S ALSO NOTHING FAMILY FRIENDLY TO DO.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE RIVERVIEW PARK AND WE GO THERE FOR THE FARMER'S MARKET AND THE PLAYGROUND IS AMAZING.
SO WHY WOULD I COME DOWN HERE WITH MY KIDS ON A WEEKEND? NOTHING'S OPEN AND THERE'S NO PLAYGROUND.
AND IN THE SIDEWALKS, I CAN'T EVEN PUSH A STROLLER ON 'EM BECAUSE, UM, THE, THE STROLLER FLIPS OVER ON ALL THE ROOTS AND MESSED UP SIDEWALKS.
SO PART OF THAT HAS BEEN THE BUILDING BLOCKS AND CHAMPIONING THOSE, THE STREETSCAPE, CREATING THAT PUBLIC SPACE WITH THE HOLMES PARK PROJECT, CREATING A PLACE THAT'S FAMILY FRIENDLY IN THE CORE AND TAKING EVENTS OFF THE STREETS AND PUTTING THEM IN A DESIGNATED EVENT SPACE.
I MEAN, WHAT IF, WHAT CITY DO YOU KNOW IN THE STATE THAT DOESN'T HAVE AN EVENT SPACE? I BET YOU IT'S LIKE LESS THAN THAN 10%.
I MEAN, WE'RE PROBABLY ONE OF THE ONLY LARGE METROPOLITAN AREAS WITH A LARGE DOWNTOWN THAT DOESN'T HAVE A PUBLIC EVENT SPACE IN THEIR CORE.
SO ANYTIME WE WANT TO DO AN EVENT, YOU GOTTA BUILD THE CITY.
YOU GOTTA FILE IT 90 DAYS IN ADVANCE.
YOU HAVE TO PAY THE CITY, WHICH IT'S PART OF IT, BUT THE FEES ARE MASSIVE.
AND SO TO CREATE AN EVENT, I MEAN, IT'S A HUGE UNDERTAKING TO DO THAT.
SO THAT'S THE WHOLE INTENT WAS CREATE THAT SPACE.
BUT IT'S NOT EASY TO DESIGN, UH, AMPHITHEATER AND PARK AND GET CITY COUNCIL ON BOARD AND GET THE CRA ON BOARD AND GET STAFF ON BOARD.
THANK GOD IT WAS PART OF THE CITY'S VISION LIKE A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
THERE'S AN OLD BLUEPRINT IN THE PLANNING ROOM, AND I REMEMBER MY FIRST MEETING IN 2014.
I'M LIKE, WHERE, WHY DON'T WE HAVE THAT? WHERE'S, WHY DON'T WE HAVE THE AMPHITHEATER? WHY DO WE NOT FOCUS ON CONNECTING THE WATER? WE'RE THE HARBOR CITY.
WE HAVE WATER ON THREE SIDES, ACTUALLY MORE SIDES IF YOU COUNT EVERYTHING.
BUT, UM, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? SO THAT'S THE INTENT BEHIND HOLMES PARK.
AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO CHAMPION THAT.
WE'RE GONNA HELP FUNDRAISE FOR THAT.
UM, WE CREATED THE DESIGN PACKET, WHICH YOU GUYS SAW INITIALLY, AND THAT'S GROWN INTO WHAT IT IS NOW.
AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT.
BUT IT WAS NOT A, YOUR, YOUR COMPANY, LOW VOLTAGE SERVICES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU PERFORM WELL AND YOU OFFER A GREAT QUALITY PRODUCT.
WE CAN'T SELL SOMETHING THAT'S NOT HIGH QUALITY.
SO HOW CAN I ASK SOMEONE TO PAY A MEMBERSHIP FEE WHEN DOWNTOWN'S NOT A SAFE AND FUN PLACE TO COME? IT IS NOW, BUT IT WASN'T LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY ON THE RIGHT
[01:15:01]
TRACK WITH HOLMES PARK.AND HERE, UM, THE VISION THAT WE'VE HAD FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, I KNOW YOU SAY YOU WENT BACK TO THE, THE BLUEPRINTS, BUT TO MAKE DOWNTOWN WALKABLE ACROSS THE BRIDGE TO SOUTH MELBOURNE TO THE PARK.
AND THAT'S OUR BEAU THAT'S A GEM WE HAVE OVER THERE.
AND I WAS TRYING TO PUSH THAT MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO.
I KNOW TO MAKE THAT WALKABLE, MAKE THAT A GEM.
YOU'VE GOT HOLMES PARK, THE VISION'S THERE AND MAKING IT HAPPEN IS THE HARD PART.
RIGHT? SO ALL THAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, IS ENCOURAGING AND YOU HAVE THE RIGHT VISION.
UH, FINDING THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP'S GONNA BE, UH, CHALLENGING.
I JUST, UM, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME CONNECTING WHAT USED TO BE DONE AND NOT SO GREAT.
BUT THERE WAS ONE PAID EMPLOYEE VERSUS, YOU KNOW, THREE OR BE IT PART-TIME OR WHATEVER.
SO MAYBE, AND THAT'S A HARD THING TO SAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN EVERYONE'S SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE THAT IS BEING PAID.
YOU CAN'T COME BACK IN THE RED NEXT YEAR.
I MEAN, I, I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT TOO 'CAUSE I AM THE BOARD CHAIR, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT'S WHY A CHANGE WAS MADE BECAUSE IT'S WITH THE STAFF WE HAVE AND THE, AND THE FUNDING WE HAVE.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M STANDING HERE WITH OUR INCREDIBLE STAFF BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN DOING EVERYTHING ALL YEAR.
AND SO I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE EXCITED TO SEE WHAT WE, AFTER NEXT WEEK, I HOPE WE HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE.
UM, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
UM, ANOTHER THING CAME TO MIND.
UM, DO WE STILL HAVE AN HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD WITH THE CITY? I WAS ON IT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
DO WE STILL HAVE IT? IT'S THE HISTORIC AND IT'S HARD ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD.
WE BLENDED THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD AND THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD PROBABLY 10 YEARS AGO.
WHY CAN'T, COULD WE USE THAT COMMITTEE MORE TO SHARE THESE GREAT IDEAS THAT YOU HAVE WITH THE HISTORIC APPLICATION, UM, ON YOUR PHONE TO, I KNOW SOUTH MELBOURNE CAME IN HERE MAYBE THREE OR FOUR MONTHS AGO WITH THE EXACT SAME IDEA.
WE'VE BEEN COORDINATING WITH THEM.
WE'VE, WE'VE ESTABLISHED GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE SOUTH.
I DON'T WANNA SAY EXPANSION AREA, BUT THE SOUTH YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH CITY STAFF.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF LAYERS IN AND LIKE APPROVALS WITH THAT.
UM, BUT WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS AND WE HAVE, UM, MARCUS SMITH HAS BEEN AN AWESOME ADVOCATE FOR THE SOUTH AREA.
UM, AND HONESTLY, LISA AND MARK HARING, THEY'VE BEEN GREAT CONNECTORS WITH THOSE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.
'CAUSE WE'RE ALL ONE DOWNTOWN, ONE CRA.
SO I, I DO THINK, AND I'VE SEEN IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION AND WE'RE WORKING ON CONNECTING THE TWO, LIKE YOU MENTIONED.
THERE'S, THERE'S TWO SIDEWALKS ON THE BRIDGE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
IT'S JUST, IT DOESN'T FEEL SAFE AND COMFORTABLE TO CROSS THAT BRIDGE.
AND IT'S A PERCEPTION ISSUE, RIGHT.
JUST LIKE IT'S NOT A PARKING QUANTITY PROBLEM, IT'S A PARKING AWARENESS AND MANAGEMENT PROBLEM.
WE'RE TRYING TO, WE'RE WORKING ON ALL THAT, BUT GETTING THEM ENGAGED AND DOING SOME, UM, LIKE THE, HE MORE OF THE HEAVY LIFTING I GUESS.
I MEAN THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THEIR BOARD.
AND I KNOW THEY'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS LIKE WE ARE.
BUT AS LONG AS YOU'RE COMMUNICATING, COORDINATING, AND YOU DON'T HAVE THREE SEPARATE EFFORTS, THE HISTORIC BOARD, THE SOUTH AND MAIN STREET IS YOU'RE TELLING ME IT'S COORDINATED.
YOU'RE TALKING GET THEM TO, JUST TO CLARIFY, THEY'RE, WE'RE WORKING CITY STAFF AND MAIN STREET STAFF ARE WORKING ON THAT HISTORIC EFFORT THAT CASEY IS, UM, SPEARHEADING.
HARB HAS REALLY BEEN, I THINK THE INTENT OF THAT BOARD IS, IS A REVIEW PROCESS AS PART OF AND A BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION OR FACADE IMPROVEMENT.
SO IT'S, IT'S ALL ONE HARB AND HISTORIC RESIDENT.
I CIRCLED ON THAT BOARD FOR FIVE, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
I THINK THE, WHEN I WAS ON IT AND THE DESCRIPTION OF IT IS REALLY JUST FROM LIKE A REVIEW STANDPOINT.
I DO THINK SOME OF THOSE MEMBERS AND WE, WE DO ENGAGE WITH, SOME OF THEM ACTUALLY COULD BE POTENTIAL VOLUNTEERS OR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, VOLUNTEERS ON OUR COMMITTEES OR HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY EVEN WORK ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION UNTIL NOW.
SO EXAMPLE, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF OF BEING A FINANCIAL STEWARDS OF THE, OF THE PUBLIC DOLLAR IS WE OWE THAT TO THE CITY AND TO THE CRA TO FOCUS ON THAT.
AND WE NOW HAVE THE TIME AND STAFF TO DO IT AND WE'RE DOING IT.
SO I THINK THE WALKING TOWARDS GONNA BE REALLY COOL.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE DOWN HERE AT AN EVENT, YOU CAN WALK AROUND.
IT GIVES YOU A REASON TO COME HERE ON THE
[01:20:01]
WEEKENDS.LIKE WE HAD THE MURAL WALKING TOUR.
I WISH WE HAD MORE HISTORICAL BUILDINGS, BUT AS EVERYONE FIND KNOWS, THERE WAS PRETTY BAD FIRE.
AND THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF, WE HAVE ENOUGH THOUGH.
WE WOULD DEFINITELY LOTS OF TERMITES AND TEAR DOWNS AND, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S A GOOD, GOOD NUMBER LEFT.
WE HAVE ENOUGH, ESPECIALLY FOR A TOUR.
YEAH, DEFINITELY SOME COOL, COOL STUFF.
AND I KNOW YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WHEN EMIL WAS HERE LAST, WHICH WAS JUST OVER A MONTH AGO MM-HMM
WE WERE ALL GIVING HIM KUDOS AND THEN BOOM, HE'S GONE.
JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT DISCONNECT OF US.
'CAUSE HERE WE ARE NOW WITH FUNDING AND, AND, AND WE HAVE THIS TRANSITION AND I KNOW WE'RE GONNA TRY TO WORK ON FINDING WAYS TO, I MEAN, IT'S NOT OUR JOB AS THIS COMMITTEE TO BE THEIR BOARD TO OVERSEE THE STAFF, BUT MAYBE HAVING A LITTLE BIT, UH, IT'S GREAT TO SEE SO MANY BOARD MEMBERS HERE.
I THINK THAT THIS IS PROBABLY BEEN ONE OF OUR MOST THOROUGH REPORTS BECAUSE IT'S COMING DIRECTLY FROM THE BOARD.
BUT WELL, WE WANNA GIVE YOU DATA TOO.
I MEAN, BECAUSE SOMEONE CAN PRESENT, SOMEONE CAN PUT ANYTHING THEY WANT IN A POWERPOINT.
BUT WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU LIKE, MEANINGFUL DATA WITH, I MEAN THIS IS DEFINITELY THE MOST INTENSIVE AND THOROUGH PACKAGE WE'VE EVER PRODUCED.
'CAUSE I'VE SEEN ALL OF 'EM FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS.
AND, AND MOST OF THE DATA IS PRETTY GOOD.
THERE'S, THERE'S SOME THINGS AGAIN THAT NEED TO BE CORRECTED AND WE ARE CORRECTING THEM RIGHT NOW.
SO I CAN ASSURE YOU THERE WON'T BE ANY MISSTEPS ON EVERYTHING WILL CONTINUE AS PLAN.
THE COMMUNICATIONS WILL ONLY INCREASE, UM, WITH THIS NEW LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE.
AND I MEAN, WE WELCOME ANY SORT OF ADDITIONAL COMMUNICATION OR MEETINGS WITH THE CRA OUTSIDE OF THE CHAMBERS.
I MEAN, I, I KNOW I TALKED TO YOU ALL OFF PRETTY OFTEN, LISA AND I, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL ME AND USUALLY DO, UM, AND JOANNE AND, AND, UH, MARVA, ANY MY CELL PHONE NUMBER, I CAN GIVE THAT TO YOU.
AND SAME WITH MIRANDA AND CASEY, WE WANT IT TO BE AN OPEN LINE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEND US AN EMAIL AND MAKE IT FORMAL.
JUST GIVE US A CALL AND ASK A QUESTION.
AND JOANNE, THE ONE THING THAT I'LL JUST SAY ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE LARGE FUNDING REQUEST IS, I KNOW WE WANNA EVENTUALLY SEE THAT DISAPPEAR, BUT I MEAN WE ARE GETTING THREE FOR THREE FOR ONE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT IT AS A POSITIVE LIKE THAT, WE ONLY HAD ONE STAFF PERSON WITH THAT AMOUNT OF FUNDING.
AND WE WERE ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO HAVE MORE THAN JUST KIM.
SO NOW WE HAVE THREE, THREE PEOPLE.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THE BOARD IS GETTING MORE ENGAGED, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD.
SO I DON'T WANT THEM TO LOSE MONEY EITHER.
BUT I DO REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE, I MEAN, THEIR WHOLE REASON ORIGINALLY WE HAD TO COME TO THE CRASS, THEY WERE BLEEDING, COULDN'T SUSTAIN AT ALL.
SO, WELL THAT NUMBER HADN'T CHANGED IN LIKE 18 YEARS.
AND WE ALL KNOW INFLATION VERY WELL, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT IT THIS WAY, I MEAN, YOU'RE GETTING, YOU'RE GIVING US 50 CENTS, WE GIVE YOU A DOLLAR.
IF WE DIDN'T EXIST, YOU'RE LOSING YOUR OPPORTUNITY.
COST IS 50 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR.
SO IT'S LIKE THE EDC, IT'S, I MEAN THE EDC IS I THINK THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY THE COUNTY HAS REBOUNDED IN AN INSANE WAY SINCE THE RECESSION.
UM, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE KIND OF THAT X FACTOR THAT EDC OR DOWNTOWN THAT LIVES AND BREATHES DOWN HERE.
SO YOU GIVE US 50 CENTS, WE TURN TO A DOLLAR, I WANT THAT TO BE A DOLLAR 50 OR $2.
SO WE WANT TO CON, OUR GOAL IS TO INCREASE AND OFFSET THE PERCENTAGE OF PUBLIC VERSUS PRIVATE FUNDING.
I WOULD LOVE TO NOT TO TAKE A DOLLAR AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THESE PRESENTATIONS
I'D LOVE TO BE A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION AND HONESTLY, THE MAIN STREET APPROACH IS SOMEWHAT DATED AND OUR HANDS ARE TIED ON THAT.
OUR HANDS ARE TIED IN THE CITY.
WE CAN ONLY HAVE THIS LITTLE BIT THAT'S FLEXIBLE IN THE MIDDLE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO AND BELIEVE IS TRUE FOR DOWNTOWN.
AND I KNOW THIS CAN BE EXHAUSTING AS VOLUNTEERS, SO NO, IT'S YOU.
NO, BUT THANK YOU FOR HANGING THERE.
I PAID MAIN STREET TO DO THIS ACTUALLY.
BUT I APPRECIATE YOU HANGING IN THERE, TAKING THE LEAD AGAIN AND COMING BACK.
I MEAN, I SPEND MORE TIME HERE THAN I DO AT MY HOUSE, SO I, UH, IT'S TRUE.
SO DO WE
AND I MEAN, WE LIVED AND BREATHED ALL THE PROBLEMS RIGHT THERE.
TRUST ME, WE WERE GROUND ZERO.
I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT THE 50% REDUCTION IN CALLS, I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE A HUNDRED PERCENT TO ME.
THERE'S LOTS OF STORIES I CAN'T TELL UP HERE.
[01:25:01]
BEEN A, THERE'S A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE AND THE PERCEPTION IS CHANGING.AND THAT WAS ONLY LIKE A YEAR AGO.
SO I MEAN, AGAIN, WE HAD A MASSIVE HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM IN DOWNTOWN UNTIL A YEAR AGO.
SO GIVE US, GIVE US SOME GRACE AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO HELP TURN THINGS AROUND.
YEAH, I MEAN, TO BE CLEAR, IT'S, I MEAN, WE'RE STILL IN THE SAME FISCAL YEAR THAT YOU HAD TO REPLACE KIM.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK I'VE SEEN A LOT OF POSITIVE CHANGES AND CONSIDERING YOU'RE HAVING TO REPLACE YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TWICE IN THE SAME FISCAL YEAR AND YOU'RE ONLY AT 12,000, WHICH I DO BELIEVE YOU'LL CLOSE THAT GAP.
I MEAN, I CAN'T ACTUALLY SEE THAT THAT ALMOST IS A PO THEY COULD BE WAY WORSE.
I MEAN, PAST YEARS WHEN YOU HAD THE SAME STAFF, IT WAS LIKE NEGATIVE 50,000.
SO, UM, BUT I MEAN, I THINK THEY'RE REALLY MAKING LEGITIMATE EFFORTS, ESPECIALLY WITH TRYING TO BALANCE THE WORK WITH THE, UH, THE DIFFERENT EVENTS AND THEN INCREASING ADVERTISING REVENUE, CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP.
I THINK IT'S ON THE RIGHT, ON THE RIGHT PATH.
YOU JUST GOTTA GET THAT LONG-TERM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
I MEAN, TO GET MONEY FROM A A COMPANY IS TOUGH.
AND TO GET SOMEONE TO PAY $55 OR A HUNDRED DOLLARS OR 150 FOR A TICKET IS TOUGH TOO.
I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING AND, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES ARE SEEING THAT AND WE'RE SEEING THAT.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE SENSITIVE TO THAT AS WELL, WHICH IS ALSO WHY WE HAVEN'T PUSHED THE MEMBERSHIP FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
AND WHEN THESE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS DO HAPPEN, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME STRESSORS CAUSED BY THAT AND INCONVENIENCES AND CLOSURES.
AND WE'RE GONNA HELP CHAMPION THE EFFORT TO CLOSE THAT GAP AND KEEP THOSE BUSINESSES OPEN.
MARVA, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA ASK BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT THE, UH, ANNUAL REPORT COMMENTS? NO, THANK YOU.
OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE ON ITEM SIX,
[6. Melbourne Main Street Funding Agreement]
WHICH IS THE ACTUAL MELBOURNE MAIN STREET FUNDING AGREEMENT.GUESS IT'LL STAY OVER HERE,
SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU BELIEVE IT'S OCTOBER ALREADY, THIS IS THE, UM, UH, ANNUAL AGREEMENT FOR BEVER MAIN STREET TO CONTINUE, UH, FUNDING FOR FISCAL YEAR 27.
UH, SO THE REQUESTED ACTION FROM STAFF WOULD BE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL, UH, FOR THE FY 2026 SLASH 2027 GRANT FUNDING AGREEMENT, UH, BETWEEN THE MELBOURNE DOWNTOWN CRA AND MELBOURNE MAIN STREET, AND THE AMOUNT OF 156,550.
AND THERE WERE NO SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES TO THE ACTUAL AGREEMENT.
SAME CONTINUATION OF SERVICES.
UH, NO PROPOSED, UH, INCREASE OR DECREASE IN FUNDING.
DOES ANYONE WANNA MAKE A MOTION? I MOVE TO, UH, RENEW THE, UH, MELVER MAIN STREET FUNDING FOR 26 27 AT THE SAME LEVEL AS THE FUNDING AGREEMENT FROM TRIER, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
[7. Building Improvement Program Guidelines (Revised)]
SEVEN IS THE BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM GUIDELINES REVISED.SO WE'RE BACK WITH THE BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, IF YOU REMEMBER, THIS WAS, THE GUIDELINES WERE PRESENTED TO YOU AT THE JULY MEETING, AND THEN WE SUBSEQUENTLY TOOK IT TO CITY COUNCIL AT THE FIRST AUGUST MEETING, UH, WHERE THEY APPROVED THE GUIDELINES SUBJECT TO REVISIONS.
SO WE'RE BACK HERE WITH THE REVISIONS TODAY.
UM, AS PART OF THE HANDOUT, YOU SHOULD HAVE THE BILLING IMPROVEMENT GUIDELINES.
YOU CAN SEE THE STRIKE THROUGH UNDERLINE, UH, REVISIONS THAT WERE DONE.
UH, SO WHAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVED OR WHAT REVISION CITY COUNCIL'S REQUESTING, WE HAVE A LIST ON THAT PAGE, ON PAGE TWO OF INELIGIBLE BUSINESS TYPES.
SO THESE BUSINESSES WOULD NOT BE, UM, ABLE TO APPLY FOR THE PROGRAM.
UM, THEY WANTED US TO REMOVE BARS AND ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.
UM, AND THEN THEY WANTED US TO SORT OF DIFFERENTIATE THE NORTH AND SOUTH AREA, UM, OF THE CRAS.
UM, AND SO FOR THE NORTH AREA, WE KEPT THAT ORIGINAL DEFINITION THAT WE HAD IN THE PROGRAM GUIDELINES, UH, FOR THOSE CUSTOMER FACING COMMERCIAL USES, UM, BUSINESSES THAT ARE GONNA ACTIVATE THE STOREFRONT AND BRING FOOT TRAFFIC DOWNTOWN, AS THAT WAS THE GOAL AND INTENTION OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, THE SOUTH AREA OPENED IT UP A BIT MORE TO, UM, OTHER TYPE OF COMMERCIAL USES, UH, RESTAURANTS, RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT, PERSONAL SERVICE BUSINESSES, AND PROFESSIONAL OFFICE USES.
UM, SO AGAIN, UM, TO THINK ABOUT THIS GRANT IS MORE OF AN INCENTIVE TOOL.
SO WE'RE USING IT TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES.
UH, BUSINESSES WOULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR THE DISTRICT THAT'S GONNA BRING MORE ACTIVITY DOWNTOWN, MORE COMMERCE, UM, AND THEN AN EXPANSION TOOL AS WELL TO HELP EXISTING BUSINESSES HERE WHO ARE DOING WELL, UH, WANTING TO EXPAND, UM, AND THEN GET HIT WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE COSTS THAT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH FLORIDA BUILDING CODE AND FLORIDA FIRE PREVENTION CODE REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO THIS IS A TYPICALLY UNFORESEEN COST FOR BUSINESS OWNERS WHEN THEY COME IN AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT A SPACE, YOU'RE THINKING COSMETICALLY WHAT NEEDS
[01:30:01]
TO BE DONE.UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU MEET, UM, UH, OUR BILLING DEPARTMENT AND FIRE, THEY MIGHT HAVE REQUIREMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN JUST BLOW THE PROJECT COST UP AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THESE BUSINESSES TO COME IN AND, UM, TRANSFORM THESE SPACES.
SO THE REVISIONS, AS YOU CAN SEE ON PAGE TWO, THIS IS THE INELIGIBLE BUSINESS TYPE LIST.
SO THE WAY THAT WE HAVE IT NOW IS FOR BOTH AREAS.
UM, THERE'S A LIST ON THERE, UM, AND THAT'S FROM EXISTING WHAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY, WHAT WE'VE ADDED IS ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES AND BEEN IN BREAKFASTS, I THINK IN BOTH AREAS THAT AREN'T, UM, THE INTENT OF THE PROGRAM THAT'S GONNA, YOU KNOW, DRIVE COMMERCE AND ACTIVITY AND PEOPLE, UM, TO COME TO THE DISTRICT.
UM, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE TRULY BETWEEN THE, THE NORTH AND SOUTH AREA, UM, IS IN THE NORTH AREA WOULDN'T BE INCENTIVIZING, YOU KNOW, ANY TYPE OF PROFESSIONAL OFFICES.
YOU KNOW, WE WANNA SEE MORE, UH, RETAIL OPEN TO THE PUBLIC CUSTOMER SERVING, UM, TO BRING, UM, BRING PEOPLE TO THAT NORTH AREA, UM, IN DOWNTOWN.
AND SO JUST LIKE THE FACADE GRANT, UM, KIND OF DI DIVIDED UP BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH AREA, IT IS A 50% MATCHING REIMBURSEMENT IN BOTH AREAS.
SO THERE'S NO DIFFERENT MATCH, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH LIKE WE HAVE WITH THIS FACADE.
BUT THIS IS HOW WE'RE SPLITTING IT UP AND HOW WE'RE DEFINING THE TYPE OF ELIGIBLE BUSINESSES, UH, FOR THESE AREAS.
AND LAST THINGS TO GIVE YOU GUYS THE NEXT STEPS, WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO THE FINISH LINE OF, UH, HAVING THIS PROGRAM WRAPPED UP AND BEING ABLE TO IMPLEMENT IT.
SO THE NEXT TUESDAY CITY COUNCIL WILL BE THE FINAL READ IN THE PLAN AMENDMENT THAT WAS BROUGHT TO YOU ALL AT THE LAST MEETING.
UH, ONCE WE HAVE THE PLAN AMENDED, UM, IT ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO USE CRA DOLLARS TO FUND THIS PROGRAM.
UM, THE, THE LAST STEP, THE LAST PIECE FOR US IS THIS PROGRAM GUIDELINES.
UM, SO ONCE THIS GETS APPROVED, WE'LL BE TAKING IT TO THE OCTOBER 27TH, UH, MEETING.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UH, ROLL OUT THE PROGRAM PROGRAM.
AND SO WHAT WE'LL BE LOOKING TO DO IS, UH, TAKE THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER REALLY TO MARKET THE PROGRAM.
UM, LET THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY KNOW, UM, LET BUSINESSES OUTSIDE KNOW, LET COMMERCIAL BROKERS KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S PERSPECTIVE, UM, BUSINESSES LOOKING TO COME INTO THE AREA.
UM, AND THEN SOCIAL MEDIA BLASTS UPDATE ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT DOING A Q AND A WORKSHOP, UM, IN NOVEMBER, UH, WHERE PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS CAN COME IN.
UH, WE'LL PRESENT THE PROCESS, THE PROGRAM, UH, WALK 'EM THROUGH IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIT DIFFERENT FOR PROPERTY OWNER VERSUS BUSINESS OWNER.
UM, AND THEN GO LIVE IN, UH, DECEMBER 1ST WE'LL BEGIN ACCEPTED APPLICATION.
SO, UM, WE THINK IT'S GONNA BE A VERY POPULAR PROGRAM ONCE, ONCE IT GOES LIVE.
UM, AND SO THE, THE WAY WE'LL DO IT IS, YOU KNOW, FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE, FIRST PROJECT READY, UM, AND THEN YOU'LL START SEEING APPLICATIONS, UH, COME IN FRONT.
AND SO WITH THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR REQUESTED ACTION IS FOR, UH, THE COMMITTEE TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL, THE BUILDING, PRO BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM GUIDELINES AS PRESENTED, IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY INPUT ON, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE DIFFERENTIATING THE SOUTH AREA.
UM, AND THEN THIS LIST HERE OF INELIGIBLE BUSINESS TYPES, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS WELL.
ANYONE, COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE SLIDE PLEASE, OF THE, UM, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NORTH AND SOUTH INELIGIBLE? OKAY, THERE YOU GO.
SO CONTRACTORS, BOTH AREAS, CONTRACTORS, CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES, AND TRADE SERVICE BUSINESSES ARE BOTH INELIGIBLE.
AND THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY SEEN BY CITY COUNCIL WHEN WE TOOK THE GUIDELINES IN AUGUST WHEN THEY APPROVED IT.
SO I'M JUST, I'M JUST CURIOUS ON THAT ONE.
SO IF THIS IS A BUSINESS, THAT TRADE SERVICE BUSINESS, I JUST, I JUST, I CAN'T WRAP MY HEAD AROUND WHY YOU WOULDN'T SUPPORT, I COULD SEE ONES LIKE THE LIQUOR AND ASSISTED LIVING, I GUESS, BUT I'M JUST NOT WRAPPING MY HEAD AROUND WHY YOU WOULDN'T SUPPORT CONTRACTOR, CONSTRUCTION, TRADE SERVICE, BUSINESS.
YEAH, SO THE, THE TENANT PROGRAM AND HOW, HOW WE'VE BEEN, UH, WRITING THIS, UM, FOR TYPE OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE GONNA BE PUBLIC SERVING, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, BRING CUSTOMERS, BRING, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITY TO THE AREA, UH, WITH CONTRACTORS, YOU KNOW, TRADE SERVICE BUSINESSES, UM, NOBODY'S REALLY WALKING INTO THEIR STORES TO, YOU KNOW, GO ORDER A PART OR, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEM COME TO THE HOUSE FOR SERVICE.
IT'S NOT GONNA BRING A LOT OF, UM, A LOT OF PUBLIC, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, A LOT OF PUBLIC CUSTOMER TRAVEL, UM, TO THOSE, UM, TO THOSE TYPE OF BUSINESSES LIKE A REAL ESTATE COMPANY, WOULD THAT, SO YEAH, IN THE, IN THE SOUTH AREA IS WHERE WE OPEN IT UP FOR OFFICES, UM, IN THOSE SORT OF THINGS.
SO IN THE SOUTH, SOUTH AREA IS KIND OF WHERE WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR INPUT ON WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESSES WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE DISTRICT.
AGAIN, THE WAY WE'RE LOOKING AT IT IS THINGS THAT ARE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SERVING,
[01:35:01]
YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, CUSTOMER FOCUSED BASED BUSINESSES, PROFESSIONAL OFFICE USE.SO THAT WOULD BE LIKE A, A CONTRACTOR IS A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE.
SO I'M, THERE'S, IT'S NOT, NOT IN OUR ZONING CODE, THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE WOULD VIEWED A CONTRACTOR OFFICE.
BUT IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE OFFICE, THE, YOU KNOW, WAREHOUSING, STORAGE MATERIALS, THEN YOU'RE, THEN YOU'RE A CONTRACTOR.
YOU, YOU'RE NOT JUST AN OFFICE.
REMEMBER THIS PROGRAMS IS AN INCENTIVE TO BRING NEW BUSINESSES TO THE CRA OR TO ALLOW EXISTING BUSINESSES EXPANSION OPPORTUNITIES AND REQUIRED BUILDING CODE IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE DONE TO HELP THEM EXPAND OR REMAIN IN THE CRA.
SO YOU GOTTA START THINKING ABOUT THAT BEFORE YOU REALLY GET INTO WHAT WE'RE ALLOWING AND NOT ALLOWING, USE WISE, WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE PROGRAM.
IT'S AN INCENTIVE TO BRING NEW BUSINESSES TO THE CRA OR ALLOW EXISTING BUSINESSES THAT WANT EXPANSION OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THEY'RE UP AGAINST FLORIDA BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS, FIRE PREVENTION CODE REQUIREMENTS, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE, UM, THE FUNDING THE CAPITAL TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES OR TO KEEP THEM IN BUSINESS.
RIGHT? IT, IT'S ABOUT EXPANSION.
IT, IT'S, YOU GUYS HAVE THE FULL SET OF GUIDELINES HERE AND I'M TRYING TO THINK OF WHERE TO HIGHLIGHT ON THAT FRONT PAGE.
ROBERT, YOU MAY KNOW BETTER THAN ME WHERE WE'RE REALLY, UM, SO I THINK WHAT I UNDERSTAND YOU SAYING IS INCENTIVIZING A NEW BUSINESS TO COME IN OR EXPANDING, NOT KEEPING IN BUSINESS AN EXISTING BUSINESS.
THIS ISN'T A MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
THIS ISN'T INTENDED FOR MAINTAINING YOUR PROPERTY TO KEEP YOU IN THE CRA.
THIS IS FOR THE ABOVE AND BEYOND.
SO IT'S CLEARLY STATES NEW BUSINESSES COMING IN AND EXPANDING AND IT'S NOT MAINTENANCE, RIGHT? IT ABSOLUTELY IS.
ROBERT, DO YOU HAVE THE WHOLE STEP IN FRONT OF YOU THERE? YEAH, YEAH.
JUST IN GENERAL, THE INTENT WAS WE WANT TO CREATE A HUSTLING BUSTLING DOWNTOWN CENTER.
RIGHT? AND THERE'S A LOT OF BUILDINGS THAT PEOPLE LIKE SAY THEY WANNA DO A RESTAURANT OR SOMETHING, BUT OH MAN, THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING'S NOT UP TO CODE OR THE, YOU KNOW, THE GREASE TRAPPER FIRE HOOD OR ALL THAT.
AND THAT'S THE TYPE OF BUSINESS THAT WILL CREATE, YOU KNOW, FOOT TRAFFIC, HUSTLE BUSTLE TYPE STUFF.
SO THEREFORE LET'S HELP THEM DO THIS IMPROVEMENT TO THE BUILDING SO THAT THEY CAN BRING THAT BUSINESS IN THIS DOWNTOWN AREA.
I JUST, THE CITY IS, IS IS DELINEATING THAT THESE THINGS DON'T CREATE THAT GENERAL TYPE OF DOWNTOWN HUSTLE AND BUSTLE, FOR A LACK OF A BETTER PHRASE.
BUT THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN THINK WE CAN KIND OF ALL GENERALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UM, JUST BY THE NATURE OF THOSE SERVICES, THAT'S WHAT I THINK THEY'RE GETTING AT.
NO, I GET, I GET THAT SOUTH AREA IS DIFFERENT FROM THE DOWNTOWN CORE, SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET MY HEAD AROUND THAT
THE STRUGGLE IS THE C TWO BUSINESSES ARE INELIGIBLE AND THE C TWO IS WHERE THE BLIGHT IS.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, SAME, SAME THING I'VE BEEN SAYING.
WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT THAT EXPANSION AREA IN A BIGGER, BIGGER PICTURE.
BUT, BUT REMEMBER, MANY OF OUR SOUTH US ONE USES ARE NON-CONFORMING AND DON'T EVEN MEET C TWO REQUIREMENTS.
SO WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WELL.
INCENTIVIZING NON-CONFORMING BUSINESSES IN THE CRAI DON'T THINK WOULD BE THE INTENT OF USING OUR CCRA DOLLARS.
SO, SO WE DON'T ALLOW CONTRACTOR STORAGE YARDS IN A C TWO ZONING, BUT PROFESSIONAL USE OFFICES YES.
WHERE YOU HAVE CUSTOMERS COMING IN, COMING GOING.
LIKE, SO A REAL ESTATE A WOULD BE APPROVED IN THE SOUTH, IN THE SOUTH AREA, ABSOLUTELY.
BUT NOT IN IN MEDICAL OFFICE, ANY TYPE OF OFFICE USE.
BUT NOT IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? NOT IN THE NORTH AREA.
IT'S, IT'S NOT RETAIL BECAUSE IT DOESN'T REALLY GENERATE FOOT TRAFFIC.
WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF OFFICE USES ON NEW HAVEN PARTICULARLY, THEY DON'T GENERATE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING DOWNTOWN TO EAT AND SHOP AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S FOCUSED ON GENERATING MORE FOOT TRAFFIC, PARTICULARLY IN THE NORTH AREA.
[01:40:01]
I UNDERSTAND THAT, RIGHT.IT'S MORE RETAIL FOOT TRAFFIC.
GOT THAT DOWN IN THE SOUTH AREA.
IT'S MORE ABOUT PROFESSIONAL USE BEING THE WELL IT IS C TWO.
A LOT OF IT IS WE WIDENED UP, YEAH, IT'S C TWO SOUTH OF JACKSON AT WH JACKSON.
BUT YOU HAVE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE PROFESSIONAL, YOU KNOW, LIKE GENERAL CONTRACTORS.
THERE'S A COUPLE THAT OUR PROFESSIONAL OFFICE, IT'S NOT JUST STORAGE.
I CAN, I CAN THINK OF AT LEAST TWO ON THAT CORRIDOR RIGHT NOW.
WELL THE WORD CONTRACTOR JUST GOT, OKAY.
ELEVATE IS IN THE C3 ZONING DISTRICT AND THEY'RE AN OFFICE USE.
SO AS YOU, AS YOU GO FURTHER SOUTH, AND I CAN'T THINK OF ALL OF 'EM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT WHEN YOU START HAVING OUTDOOR STORAGE AND CONTRACTOR MATERIALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT AREN'T CONFORMED, WE CAN'T CALL YOU AN OFFICE AND RIGHT.
I MEAN, YOU'RE RAISING A GOOD ISSUE.
'CAUSE YOU MIGHT WANNA CLARIFY THIS BECAUSE I MEAN, YOU COULD EASILY SAY THAT.
I MEAN, THEY'RE A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, THEY'RE CONTRACTORS.
SO IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GET, HEY, WE DON'T WANT THEM TO WHERE THEY HAVE A LAY DOWN YARD, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, AT THEIR FACILITY THERE, THAT'S IN THAT ZONE.
PRODUCT MANAGER, MANAGER, YOU'RE SITTING IN THE AC WITH A NICE BUILDING, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN LIKE, RIGHT.
LIKE
SO THE WORD CONTRACTOR WORD IN CERTIFIED GENERAL IS AN OFFICE, BUT THEY'RE CONTRACT.
BUT FROM A ZONING PERSPECTIVE, THEY'RE AN OFFICE PROPER USE AS OPPOSED TO WE, WE COULD ADD SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE RELATED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MATERIAL STORAGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT MAYBE COULD GO BACK TO THAT CHART.
JUST THAT FIRST BULLET REWORDING SLIGHTLY THE CONTRACTORS, CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES WITH OUTSIDE STORAGE.
I DON'T KNOW,
THAT WE CAN CLARIFY THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE SO IT'S CLEAR.
'CAUSE WE DO WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDER STAND.
YOU CAN BE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE.
AND I THINK WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT TOO, BECAUSE I CAN, I CAN, I THINK WE CAN ALL VISUALIZE THAT AREA THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE.
THERE'S A BUNCH OF SUPPLIES OUT THERE AND STUFF MM-HMM
THAT YOU WANNA GET RID OF, SO.
ANYTHING ELSE? YOU PROBABLY NEED A MOTION FROM US.
I MEAN, IT'S A DIFFERENT SPOT IN HERE, BUT IT'S, UM, I MEAN, 'CAUSE WE HAVE, THERE'S YEARS WHERE THE FACADE GRANT MONEY GOES UNUSED, RIGHT? NO, IT NEVER GOES UNUSED.
I THOUGHT THERE WAS YEARS WHERE THERE HAS BEEN MONEY THAT HASN'T BEEN FULLY USED.
I THINK IT 60,000 THE LAST HANDFUL OF YEARS.
SOMETIMES WE'VE HAD ONE OR TWO.
SOMETIMES THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE STARTED AN APPLICATION, THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS AND IT TAKES A WHILE FOR THEM TO COMPLETE THEIR FACADE IMPROVEMENTS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE EVER HAD A YEAR THAT WE DIDN'T USE A DIME AND WE'VE HAD YEARS WHERE WE'VE HAD TO COME BACK AND PUT MORE MONEY INTO THAT LINE ITEM SO IT, IT, IT FLUCTUATES.
I THINK THAT WITH THIS NEW PROGRAM AND THE FACADE PROGRAM, RIGHT, RIGHT.
AND THEY HAVE A, A LINE ITEM TOGETHER.
SO, UM, WE'RE AT $150,000 FOR THE YEAR FOR EITHER OF THESE PROGRAMS SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS WHICHEVER THE NEEDS ARE THAT COME IN APPLICATION WISE.
WE'LL BE GETTING STRETCHED THIN ON THAT NOW ONCE WE ADD THIS.
BUT I'M, I MEAN, I GUESS WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES.
I WOULDN'T BE OPPOSED TO THE IDEA OF, AS OPPOSED THERE BEING A FIVE YEAR BAN, MAYBE SOMETHING LIKE THREE YEARS.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE TO GIVE THEM THE FACADE GRANT WHEN THEY APPLIED FOR IT WITHIN THAT BY THAT THIRD YEAR.
YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A CONSIDERATION THE FACT THAT THEY'VE HAD THIS BEFORE.
BUT, UM, I MEAN, IF IT'S SOMEBODY WHO'S, YOU KNOW, SPENDING MONEY AND THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE THESE IMPROVEMENTS AND STUFF, YOU KNOW, IF THE MONEY'S THERE, I WOULDN'T BE OPPOSED TO ALLOWING THEM THAT WITHIN, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT MEANING, LIKE FOR AN EXPANSION, YOU WELL, YEAH.
I MEAN THEY, BUT THEY SAY IF YOU GET THIS MONEY, YOU CAN'T HAVE, UH, THE FACADE GRANT.
I WOULDN'T BE OPPOSED TO CONSIDERING THAT BEING LIKE THREE YEARS, BUT I'M NOT NECESSARILY MAKING A SOLUTION THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED OR CHANGED NOW TO SEE HOW THE PROCESS WORKS ITSELF OUT WITH THE MONEY.
CAN WE DO THAT? YOU HAVE IT? IF, IF, IF IT LOOKS LIKE WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK AND REVISIT IT.
WE WERE SORT OF LOOKING AT THE PERSPECTIVE OF TRYING TO SPREAD THE LITTLE BIT OF WEALTH WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
YEAH, IT'S FAIR BECAUSE I, WE DO FEEL LIKE IT'S GONNA BE POPULAR AND WE COULD BE WRONG, BUT, OKAY.
YEAH, IF WORD GETS OUT, THAT'S ALWAYS THE TOUGH PART, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO WE NEED A MOTION TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO COUNCIL FOR FINAL APPROVAL.
[01:45:02]
YOU KNOW, APPROVE THE BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AS REVISED AND PRESENTED HERE TODAY.SO JUST CLARIFY THAT REVISION IS JUST TO THE BULLET OF THE CONTRACTORS, DON COMPANIES TO CLARIFYING THAT DON'T.
IN HERE, IS IT IN HERE? AND IT SAYS REVISED.
IT, IT'S JUST NOT HIGHLIGHTED IN RED 'CAUSE IT WAS THE EXISTING WORDING, IT WAS THE EXISTING LANGUAGE THERE, BUT WILL AMEND THAT FIRST BULLET WITH THE CONTRACTORS TO BE MORE CLEAR BASED ON YOUR DISCUSSION.
[8. Program and Project Updates]
EIGHT, PROGRAM AND PROJECT UPDATES.LET'S JUST HAVE A COUPLE WITH OUR MAJOR CIP PROJECTS WITH HOLMES PARK PUBLIC WORKSHOP.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE PUBLIC WORKSHOP SEPTEMBER 15TH, AND THEN THE, DOWN TO OUR CORE SCREE SCAPE THAT IS ON THE AGENDA SLATED FOR OCTOBER 27TH FOR THAT CONTRACT AWARD TO GO TO KIMLEY HORN.
UH, WE WERE GONNA WALK THE COMMITTEE THROUGH THE CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT AND WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE DESIGN.
UM, GIVEN THE TIME, DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU STILL, YOU STILL WANT TO DO.
IS EVERYONE GOOD ON TIME? WELL, I AM CURIOUS, UM, DID THE, DID ALL OF THE FEEDBACK FROM THAT WORKSHOP GET INCORPORATED IN AND BROUGHT BACK? ARE THOSE CHANGES GOING TO COUNCIL OR IS IT GONE TO COUNCIL AS IT WAS PRESENTED? LIKE THERE WAS TALK ABOUT ADDING BATHROOMS AND YEAH, WE, WE, WE HAD A, A INTERNAL MEETING WITH, UM, WITH KIMLEY HORN ON THAT IN OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
AND SO WE WERE GOING OVER WHAT, WHAT FEEDBACK WAS RECEIVED OR WHAT FEEDBACK, UM, WAS RECEIVED AT THE WORKSHOP.
UM, AND SO THERE WAS A, UM, A SUMMARY KIMLEY HORN GAVE US, AND WE'LL BE TAKING THOSE INTO ACCOUNT, UM, AS THEY CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE DESIGN.
SO NO OTHER BATHROOMS WERE ADDED.
THERE'S, IT MAY HAVE NOT BEEN UNDERSTOOD.
THERE ARE TWO BATHROOMS IN THE PROPOSAL.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT SEEING IF LIKE THAT OPEN SPACE COULD BE ANOTHER BATHROOM.
I HAVE NOT, I I THINK STAFF HAS, HAS LOOKED AT IT BASED ON, YOU KNOW, OUR PARKS DIRECTOR AND THE NEEDS WE SEE IN PARKS TWO BATHROOMS SEEMS VERY ADEQUATE.
IF YOU'RE HAVING A FESTIVAL EVENT DOWN THERE, YOU'RE GONNA PROBABLY HAVE TO BRING IN PORTA-POTTIES IN THAT TEMPORARY MM-HMM
SO THAT, THAT, THAT'S STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE ON IT.
SPECIAL EVENTS WILL STILL NEED PORTA.
BASED ON, BASED ON THE CROWD, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF ATTENDEES.
YEAH, EVERYONE'S GOOD ON TIME? I CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN WALK THROUGH THE, THE LAYOUT.
IS EVERYBODY GOOD? I I'M FINE.
YEAH, SO WE, WE DID HAVE THE, WE DID HAVE THE WORKSHOPS 10 15.
UM, WE'RE AT 30% DESIGN PLAN, SO WE FELT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO GO OUT AND GET, UM, UH, PUBLIC INPUT ON THIS BEFORE THE DESIGN GETS TOO FAR ALONG.
UM, SO WE HAD, THERE WAS 30, AROUND 35 PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY SIGNED IN THE, THE SIGN IN SHEET.
I HAD COUNTED, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO CLOSE TO 50 PEOPLE THAT CAME.
AND SO WE HAD, UM, NOT ONLY MELBOURNE RESIDENTS, BUT EVEN PALM BAY BEACHSIDE, UH, PEOPLE CAME TO, TO SEE.
UM, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF FEEDBACK, UH, GIVEN, UM, FROM THIS WORKSHOP.
AND WE WANTED TO BRING THIS TO THE COMMITTEE.
UM, I KNOW A FEW OF YOU CAME TO THE WORKSHOP, WE'D APPRECIATE YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, COMING AND SEEING THE, THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT INPUT ON THIS PROJECT, UH, BUT TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, THE LAYOUT AND WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE DESIGN.
UM, SO JUST SOME IMAGES, UM, THERE THAT WE HAD AT THE WORKSHOP IS AT THE FRENCH STREET CIVIC CENTER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD A BEAUTIFUL SPACE THERE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT WAS A LARGE ROOM, SO, UM, EVEN WE HAD MORE THAN I THINK WE WERE EXPECTING, SO IT TURNED OUT PRETTY WELL.
UM, AND SO I GUESS I GO BACK TO THIS DIAGRAM.
THERE SHOULD BE A HANDOUT FOR THE HOMES PARK CONCEPT.
UM, AND SO IF YOU WANT TO JUST WALK THROUGH WITH THAT WITH ME ON THERE, UM, IT'S GOT A LEGEND BELOW TOO, SO YOU'D BE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, LOCATE WHERE EVERYTHING IS.
UM, BUT THAT SOUTHWEST CORNER THERE AT THE BOTTOM, UM, IS THE, WHERE THE AMPHITHEATER WOULD BE.
GOT TERRACE SEATING, OPEN LAWN SEATING AREA, SOUTHEAST CORNER.
UH, WE'RE PRESERVING THOSE, UH, LIVE OAKS THAT ARE CURRENTLY THERE TODAY, INCORPORATING THAT CHILDREN'S NATURAL PLAY AREA, UM, MORE TOWARDS THE CENTERS WHERE YOU SEE KIND OF A SHADE OF SEATING AREA.
UM, THE INCORPORATION RIGHT NOW IS SWINGING BENCHES OR SWINGING CHAIRS, UM, THINGS MORE FOR ADULTS, NOT THE CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND SWINGS, UH, BUT AWAY IT'S A ENJOY THE VIEWS OF THE PARK AND THE WATER, THE WATERFRONT THERE AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN OPEN, OPEN SPACE THERE FOR BE ABLE TO HOST, YOU KNOW, TENTS OR DIFFERENT EVENTS.
UM, WE'RE EXPECTING, EXPECTING THE SPACE TO BE, YOU KNOW, FLEXIBLE IN ITS USE TO NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, OFF THE STREETS CURRENTLY, BUT TO BRING ADDITIONAL EVENTS DOWNTOWN.
UM, 'CAUSE NOW WE HAVE A SPACE DESIGNATED FOR IT.
AND SO THE MAIN PEDESTRIAN ENTRANCE IS REALLY COMING OFF MELBOURNE COURT THERE FROM PEOPLE WHO COME FROM NEW HAVEN.
UM, AND SO, UM, DOWN THERE WE SEE NUMBERS NINE, EIGHT, AND SEVEN.
UM, THERE'LL BE FESTOON LIGHTING AND SOME, SOME, UM, BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPING.
UM, WE HAVE SEEN THERE RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT A NICE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, SIT AND HANG OUT, UM, EVEN IN THE EVENINGS.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, WITH THE PREVIOUS ARCHWAY THAT WAS THERE ON HENLEY COURT IS MOVING IT TO
[01:50:01]
THE PEDESTRIAN ENTRANCE, SO WHEN THEY WALK IN.SO WE'RE REFURBISHING THAT, UM, AND SAVING THAT, INCORPORATING INTO IT AS WELL.
UM, THERE IS 24, UM, ON STREET PARKING SPACES THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNED HERE.
WE HAVE A MIX OF, UH, PARALLEL AND, UH, ANGLED PARKING.
AND THEN ALONG HENLEY COURT AT THE NORTH AND SOUTH END, UH, WE'LL HAVE REMOVABLE BOLLARDS.
SO DEPENDING ON THE EVENT, IF IT'S A LARGER EVENT THAT NEED TO UTILIZE THE, THE STREET, UH, MAKES IT MUCH EASIER, UH, TO UTILIZE THAT, NOT INTERRUPT TRAFFIC FLOW, UM, IN WHAT WE'RE DOING DOWNTOWN.
AND IF YOU'RE ABLE TO FLIP THE HANDOUT OR IF IT'S ANOTHER SHEET, I'M NOT SURE HOW MARY PRINTED IT FOR YOU GUYS, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE DURING AN EVENT, UH, WITH TENTS.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY JUST FOR, UH, JUST, JUST THE PARK SPACE.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD DEFINITELY SQUEEZE IN MORE TENTS IN THERE.
UM, AT THAT COUNT IS JUST A 41, BUT THEN IF YOU SHUT DOWN HENLEY COURT, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD DO BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET AND BE ABLE TO ADD MORE TENTS.
SO WE EXPECT PRETTY, UM, LARGE EVENTS TO, TO COME HERE.
AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS TOO IS THAT SELF-CLEANING RESTROOM THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S SELF SANITIZING.
SO ABOUT EVERY SO MANY USES, UM, THE RESTROOM WILL, WILL, WILL CLOSE, UM, AND THEN IT'LL JUST PUMP OUT, YOU KNOW, SANITIZER, YOU KNOW, ROOF, UM, BE THE ROOF, WALLS, FLOOR, TOILET HAND WASHING STATION, EVERYTHING, UM, AND THEN DRY.
SO, UM, AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THE SELF RESTROOM GUYS HAVE AMAZING SOFTWARE.
I IF YOU PULL UP THE, IS THAT SOMEWHAT TO SCALE? WHAT'S THAT? ANY IDEA IF THIS IMAGE IS SOMEWHAT TO SCALE? SO THIS IS JUST A RENDERING FROM THE SIMULATION VIDEO THAT THEY HAVE HERE.
KIND OF SEE, UM, HOW THAT LOOKS.
IS IT TO SCALE PLEASE? I THINK THIS GOOD, I WOULDN'T SAY THE VIDEO IS LIKE A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT IT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO THE
WELL, THE RESTROOM GUYS PUT THE WHOLE THING TOGETHER,
SO IT GIVES KIND OF DIFFERENT DESIGNS ON, ON WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, AND PART OF THE PUBLIC WORKSHOP WAS SOME OF THE FURNISHINGS THAT COULD BE OUT HERE.
UM, KIND OF GIVE AN IDEA OF THE THEME, UM, OR AESTHETIC OF THE PARK.
SO PEOPLE WERE VOTING GREEN.RED DOT ON DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY LIKED, DIDN'T LIKE LOOK AT ALL THAT TRAFFIC.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE AMPHITHEATER.
WHAT WAS SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THEN ABOUT I'M SURE THE RESIDENTS? YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE WAS ACTUALLY A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT THAT.
I, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE USUALLY IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
SOME PEOPLE SAID THE AMPHITHEATER SHOULD BE TWICE AS BIG.
AND OTHERS THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT.
JUST IN THE, THE SORT OF SMALLNESS IT IS.
I MEAN, WE, WE AREN'T TRYING TO MAKE THIS TRULY LIKE A BIG EVENT, YOU KNOW, HAVING LARGE BANDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE IT, YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, NEAR RESIDENTIAL, SO IT'S SORT OF THAT BALANCE OF THE IN BETWEEN.
AND IT, IT COULD BE THINGS LIKE YOGA IN THE PARK OR, UM, WE'RE GOING MORE EAT YEAH.
I HAVEN'T BEEN TO AN EVENT IN COCO VILLAGE AS TO SIZE.
YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT IT, UM, A LITTLE BIT LIKE SERIOUS FANS COME THROUGH THERE.
UH, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING, THAT'S WHAT I ENVISION.
LIKE, I MEAN, IF WE WANT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM FOR GETTING TRAFFIC DOWNTOWN, IT'S THAT RIGHT THERE.
LIKE IT'S, SO WE HAVE THIS GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT HERE AND IT DEPENDS.
NOW I UNDERSTAND THE SENSITIVITY WITH THE RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, BEING FAIRLY CLOSE BY.
SO OF COURSE THERE'S A BALANCE.
BUT I MEAN, UM, THE WAY I ENVISION THIS, THIS PUBLIC SPACE IS GOING TO, NO MATTER WHAT THIS SCENARIO IS, WHETHER IT'S BIG EVENTS OR BIG BANDS, THERE'S ALWAYS, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER, RIGHT? LIKE A MUSIC.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A MUSIC ELEMENT COMPONENT INTO A LOT OF EVENTS THAT COME DOWN TO THIS AREA.
AND WHAT WE CAN OR CAN'T DO, I FEEL LIKE IS GONNA BE DEPENDENT UPON THE SIZE AND THE ACOUSTICS AND WHAT'S OFFERED BY THAT AMPHITHEATER.
AND IT'S GONNA BE, I MEAN, I'M TELLING YOU, THIS'S GONNA BE A HUGE IMPORTANT DECISION.
SO THAT'S JUST MY FEEDBACK ON CONSIDERING HOW, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THOUGH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE EVERYBODY CAN'T SIT RIGHT AT THE AMPHITHEATER AREA, BUT YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF AREA ON THE TOP SIDE OF THAT, AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THAT ELEVATIONAL CHANGE
[01:55:01]
WHERE YOU'RE STILL GONNA BE ABLE TO BE LOOKING, YOU KNOW, AT THE, THE PERFORMER.UM, SO IT'S NOT REALLY JUST THE SPACE, YOU KNOW, IN THE CIRCULAR AREA THERE.
I THINK IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, I FULLY AGREE WITH, WITH YOU ON THAT.
THAT'S KIND OF JUST WHAT I MEAN.
LIKE, JUST CONSIDER THAT IN THE DESIGN.
I DON'T KNOW THAT SOME OF THAT AREA IS LIKE CONDUCIVE TO, IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE AMPHITHEATER, BUT YOU'RE BEHIND IT, THE PLAYGROUND AREA, PROBABLY WATCHING YEAH.
THE PLAYGROUND AREA IS PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT LOWER ELEVATION, BUT THEN AS YOU GO MORE TO THE NORTH MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE ELEVATION OF THIS WHOLE PROPERTY SLOPES UPWARDS TO THE NORTH.
SO YOU SORT OF HAVE THAT LINE OF SIGHT.
UM, AND, AND THEN COMING DOWN, I MEAN, I GUESS THAT IS A GOOD LOCATION WHERE THE ACTUAL STAGE, I MEAN, IT MIGHT WANNA BE ENCLOSED THOUGH, IF WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE RESIDENTS THAT WAY.
IT'S JUST PROJECTING OUT TOWARDS THE BUSINESSES THAT LOOK LIKE IT KIND OF HAD AN OPEN AIR THERE.
SOUND WALL VEGETATION ON THE BACK.
YEAH, AND I THINK IT'S COMPARISON.
LIKE, I THINK COCA VILLAGE IS WHAT, LIKE NINE ACRES OR SOMETHING, RIGHT? ISN'T IT? IT'S HUGE.
IT'S PRETTY MUCH, UH, THE FRONT STREET PART.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT'S WAY BIGGER DOWN THERE.
I FORGET THE SEATING CAPACITY.
IT'LL LEAD TO SOMETHING BIGGER AND BETTER.
WE CHANGED THE ONE SIDE TO NOT BE THE RIGID, YOU KNOW, UM, TERRORIST SEATING TO JUST GIVE MORE FLEXIBILITY.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM ON THAT GRASS AREA, BUT IT, IT LENDS MORE TO DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS.
MAYBE THAT YOU'VE GOT MORE FAMILIES THERE AND YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT YOUR KIDS NOT TO BE ON THOSE TERRORIST AREAS AND YOU JUST WANT A BIG BLANKET TO TRY TO, TRYING TO BE FLEXIBLE.
I'M TRYING TO GET MY HEAD AROUND ALSO THE, THE SPACE COMPARISON.
SO YOU'VE GOT, HAS ANYONE BEEN TO COCOA BEACH, DOWNTOWN? COCOA BEACH, CITY HALL AREA? MM-HMM
COMPARED TO THIS? I'M THINKING IT MIGHT BE THE SAME SIZE ISH, NOT AS BIG AS COCOA VILLAGE.
IS THAT ON THE RIGHT SCALE? UM, I WOULD THINK SO.
I'D HAVE TO LOOK AS FAR AS, OKAY.
UM, I HAVEN'T BEEN TO THAT OPEN AIR AREA, I DON'T THINK.
WHERE IS IT? IT'S RIGHT, UH, IT'S RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE, UM, THE PARKING GARAGE.
THEY PUT AN AMPHITHEATER IN FRONT OF IT, AND THERE'S AN OPEN GRASS AREA.
RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE ICE CREAM PLACE.
UM, ANYWAYS, THEY HAVE SOME NICE EVENTS THERE.
UM, THE AMPHITHEATER THERE IS NOT AS BIG AS COCOA VILLAGE, BUT THEY STILL HAVE LIKE, SOME FAMILY TYPE OF, UM, GATHERINGS, WHICH IS NICE.
BUT IN THE BIG PICTURE OF THINGS, WHAT WE HAD ALWAYS PLANNED, I MEAN, IF THIS IS SUCCESSFUL AND IT'S SMALLER AND YOU REALLY CAN'T GO LARGER, LIKE A COCOA VILLAGE STYLE, THE IDEA OR DESIGN HAD ALWAYS BEEN FOR RIVERVIEW PARK TO HAVE THE LARGER AMPHITHEATER, MUCH LARGER SPACE AND THE WALKABILITY FROM DOWNTOWN ACROSS THE BRIDGE TO RIVERVIEW PARK, MAKING IT, YOU KNOW, A A, A BIG WALKABLE DOWNTOWN.
UM, I SEE THAT AS BEING THE, THE LARGER SPACE.
BUT I DON'T HAVE A, A GREAT FEEL FOR HOW BIG THIS REALLY IS.
YOU KNOW, LIKE SEBASTIAN RIVER DOWN IN RIVERVIEW PARK, THEY DO, THEY HAVE LIKE A, ALMOST LIKE A MOBILE STAGE I THINK THAT THEY SET UP AND THEY STILL HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT COME OUT, YOU KNOW, AT BEER FEST WILL PROBABLY HAVE A LITTLE BAND.
IS THAT KIND OF WHAT THE VISION IS? YEAH.
I MEAN, THE IDEA HERE IS DEFINITELY TO USE THIS SPACE IN, IN A MULTITUDE OF WAYS IN HAVING FESTIVALS HERE MM-HMM
SO THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING THOSE STREET CLOSURES.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE ARE CLOSING HENLEY AND PART OF MELBOURNE COURT AND, YOU KNOW, GIVING MORE AREA, BUT THEN THIS IS RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, STEPS AWAY FROM NEW HAVEN.
SO IT'LL STILL BENEFIT THE BUSINESSES, BUT IT WON'T SHUT DOWN THE, THE ROADS FOR THEM.
I'VE NEVER SEEN
WELL, IF YOU WANNA GO ONLINE, IS IT, IT'S M-R-C-M-R-C, URBAN BLUE, UM, IS THE NAME OF THE SPECIFIC PART OF THE MRC COMPANY? I THINK IT'S U-R-V-A-N-B-L-E-U.
THEY HAVE VIDEOS AND IT'S, IT'S PRETTY AMAZING HOW THEY CLEAN IT.
[02:00:01]
IN A, IN A MINIMAL WAY.AND THEN LIKE YOU CAN SET IT EVERY 10 TO 15, HOW MANY EVER USES THAT? YOU WANT IT TO DO THE FULL, UM, FULL CLEAN DOWN AND IT'LL, IT STILL, STILL HAVE TO BE CHECKED STAFF IF SOMEBODY'S IN THERE OVER THE ALLOTTED AMOUNT OF TIME.
SO THEN PARK STAFF WILL KNOW MAYBE SOMETHING'S GOING ON IN THERE.
THEY COULD ALLEVIATE VANDALISM AND THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN MOST OF OUR PUBLIC BATHROOMS. AND I WOULD IMAGINE BOTH OF 'EM ARE CO-ED, RIGHT? MEANING? YES.
WE DON'T NEED ANY ACTION ON THIS ITEM, CORRECT? NO, NO.
JUST TO HEAR YOUR GUYS' THOUGHTS.
IF YOU HAD ANY INPUT YOU'D LIKE US TO TAKE BACK TO LEY.
I HEARD LARGER AMPHITHEATER, SO
I DON'T THINK THAT'S, THAT'S RIGHT.
UH, YOU KNOW, HOSTING A GOOD AMOUNT, LIKE A GOOD CROWD.
UM, I'M WORRIED THAT, BUT WE'LL SEE.
I THINK THAT'S THE MOST YOU CAN DO WITHOUT SPACE.
I'M SURE THEY, IF YOU THIS I THINK SO TOO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW FUNCTIONAL THAT IS AND IN THE END, SO THAT PROBABLY I WOULD HAVE REDESIGNED, BUT THAT'S JUST ME MORE FUNCTIONAL.
AND I MEAN THAT COULD BE ADDITIONAL SEATING AREA TOO.
BUT, BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE, THE ENGINEER NOW THOUGH.
'CAUSE THERE'S NO TENTS PROJECTED THERE.
WHAT, WHAT IS THAT SPACE PRIMARILY GOING TO BE? JUST A SHADED AREA.
YEAH, SHADED, SHADED SEATING AREA.
SO THERE WILL BE SEATING UNDER THERE.
YOU TALKING ABOUT THE MIDDLE OPEN AREA? OH, THE MIDDLE OPEN SPACE.
THE ONE BEHIND WITH THAT METAL PERLA THING, YOU KNOW, IF THEY COULD SQUEEZE ANOTHER LAYER, YOU KNOW, OF SEATING IN THAT ROW.
'CAUSE I, I AGREE IT IS A LITTLE LARGE.
I, I WOULD FORESEE IF YOU HAD CROWDS, PEOPLE PROBABLY JUST START, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THEIR BLANKETS DOWN ON THAT AT THE, AT THE BOTTOM LEVEL TO TRUE, YOU KNOW, TO SIT IN.
ALLOWS A LOT FOR, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S EVENTS TO BE ABLE TO SET UP TENTS IN THAT TOO.
BUT THAT MIDDLE CIRCLE AREA IN THE BACK.
THEN IT WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE FUNCTIONAL.
THAT'S WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT.
IT'S, I MEAN, IT LOOKS COOL AESTHETICALLY, LIKE FROM, YOU KNOW MM-HMM
A DESIGN, BUT WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY EVERY DAY.
SO MAYBE IF KIND OF SET UP LIKE WASTED SPACE.
SO MAYBE IF THAT BECAME MORE GRASS AREA, I MORE CONDUC TO SEE YEAH.
NOW THAT YOU, YOU POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE I AM THINKING OF LIKE COCOA CITY, COCOA BEACH, CITY HALL, THE WHOLE THING IS A GRASS AREA FOR KIDS JUST TO LIKE RUN AROUND AND, AND BLANKETS WOULD BE RIGHT UP FRONT IF YOU WOULD.
THAT WOULD NOT BE VERY COMFORTABLE IF IT WAS.
THERE'S PROBABLY SOME OF IT THAT NEEDS TO BE PAVED FOR, YOU KNOW, ACCESSIBILITY AND WALK, WALKING.
BUT I THINK YOU COULD, COULD MAYBE PUT MORE GRASS IN THAT AREA TO, YOU KNOW, TO ALLOW MORE SEATING TO FLOW INTO THAT.
ANY OTHER PROGRAM AND PROJECT UPDATES? UH, NO THAT'S IT.
[9. Additional Business]
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS.UH, THE ONLY THING WE HAD, UH, TO INCLUDE IS, UH, SO IF YOU REMEMBER WE BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY AESTHETICS, UH, IN REWRITING THAT, UM, THAT CODE LANGUAGE ABOUT LIMITING, YOU KNOW, TEMPORARY COVERINGS, YOU KNOW, VACANT STOREFRONTS, THE BROWN PAPER, YOU KNOW, WAS THE, THE INTENT AND LIMITING THAT.
UM, SO WE, WE'VE GONE THROUGH, WE HAD TO DRAFT ORDINANCE AS OUR ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND UH, UH, CODE, UH, CODE COMPLIANCE.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, 'CAUSE WE'RE ALSO TOUCHING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE BEING REQUIRED OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
UM, A LOT OF IT'S ALREADY COVERED UNDER THE INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODES, SO TO NOT CAUSE CONFUSION.
UM, WE'RE HAVING TO CUT SOME LANGUAGE OUT THAT WE WERE GONNA PUT IN THE CITY CODE AS THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ALREADY ENFORCEABLE UNDER, UNDER THAT CURRENT CODE THAT, UM, CODE CAN DO.
WE'LL BE BRINGING IT BACK, UM, HOPEFULLY AT THE NOVEMBER MEETING, UM, BEFORE WE TAKE IT TO CITY COUNCIL AGAIN FOR, UH, FOR DRAFT ORDINANCE OR, OKAY.
AND THEN I KNOW ONE QUESTION THAT I JUST HAD FOR THE COMMITTEE IS, UH, DID ANYONE BESIDES MYSELF HAVE QUESTIONS WHEN THE EMAIL WENT OUT ABOUT HOLMES PARK AND WHAT WE COULD AND COULDN'T TALK ABOUT? BECAUSE ONE, THE SUGGESTION THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH STAFF WAS POSSIBLY HAVING THE CITY ATTORNEY COME AND TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SUNSHINE LAW.
IS THERE ANY INTEREST IN THAT? 'CAUSE I DIDN'T SEE A POINT OF DOING UNLESS ANYONE ELSE HAD QUESTIONS, BUT I ENDED UP SHOOTING OFF A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, ESPECIALLY MORE BECAUSE, AND, AND I KNOW THE THREE OF US DO AT
[02:05:01]
LEAST HAVE AN, HAVE A STAKEHOLDER INTEREST AS WELL.YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU EITHER HAVE TO BE A, A RESIDENT OF MELBOURNE OR A BUSINESS OWNER TO BE ON THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT MANY OF US OWN PROPERTY IN THE AREA AS WELL.
AND I WAS, I HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON WHAT I COULD AND COULDN'T TALK ABOUT BECAUSE I WAS THINKING I WAS GONNA HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
AND IF IT WAS THE TYPE OF SETUP WHERE I'M SHOOTING OUT QUESTIONS, BUT THEY MIGHT COME TO A VOTE, THEN TO ME IT WAS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING.
BUT IF NO ONE ELSE HAD ANY CONCERNS, WE WON'T, YOU PRETTY MUCH HIT IT THOUGH.
IT'S, IF IT'S AN ITEM THAT COULD POSSIBLY COME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE TO BE VOTED ON, THEN YOU HAVE TO CLAM UP, UNFORTUNATELY.
WELL, AND I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD TALK ABOUT SOME THINGS AS LONG AS I'M NOT NECESSARILY AN EARSHOT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S WHY I WAS LIKE, IT WAS, IT WAS DEFINITELY, YEAH.
BUT YEAH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE ADVISORS.
THAT'S KIND OF WEIRD, BUT ANYWAY.
SO, UM, CINDY, DO YOU HAVE A GOOD EXAMPLE REAL QUICK? 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN THINK OF ONE, BUT, UM, LIKE I KNOW LIKE, LIKE STEFAN WAS THERE AND IF STEFAN AND I ARE BOTH LOOKING AT THE SAME THING, WE CAN'T NECESSARILY TALK IN DETAIL.
TWO BOARD MEMBERS AT A, UM, AT A WORKSHOP BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARING.
WE'RE NOT TAKING MINUTES, WE'RE NOT DOING THE USABLE THINGS TO COVER OUR SUNSHINE LAW REQUIREMENTS THEN WHETHER IT'S TWO CRA ADVISORY BOARDS, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE'VE DONE THE BACKGROUND, BRETT, YOU GUYS DO FALL UNDER IT.
I KNOW IT SEEMS SILLY, BUT THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING IT'S JUST WEIRD.
BUT COUNCIL'S UNDER THE SAME, YOU KNOW, THE SAME THING.
AND YOU SHOULDN'T BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS THAT AREN'T IN THE SUNSHINE AREN'T HAPPENING DURING A PUBLIC MEETING.
AND SO WHAT WE SORT OF INDICATED, THE ATTORNEYS, THE CITY ATTORNEY ASKED US TO PUT THAT SORT OF REMINDER OUT TO THE COMMITTEE FOR THAT WORKSHOP, WHICH IT WAS SORT OF A BROAD SORT OF STATEMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ONES OF YOU THAT CAME TO THE MEETING, I JUST TRIED TO EXPLAIN THE IDEAS THAT LISA AND STEFAN SHOULDN'T BE STANDING IN FRONT OF A BOARD LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DESIGN AND COMMENTING TO EACH OTHER ABOUT, WELL THIS IS HORRIBLE AND I WANNA DO THIS.
AND TO JUST AVOID THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL CONFLICT WAS FINE FOR EVERYBODY TO BE THERE WALKING AROUND, TALKING TO CITY STAFF, TALKING TO KIMLEY HORN, ASKING QUESTIONS.
IT JUST WAS MORE OF NOT HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WHERE YOU MAY BE INFLUENCING ONE ANOTHER AS THAT COMES BACK TO THIS BOARD FOR, YOU KNOW, AN OFFICIAL VOTE.
JUST STAY AWAY FROM OTHER BOARD MEMBERS UNLESS THERE'S MINUTES BEING TAKEN.
UNLESS WE'RE IN A PUBLIC MEETING AND THAT'S WHY YOU GUYS ARE HERE.
YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT.
YOU GUYS CAN TALK ABOUT OTHER CITY STUFF.
WELL I GUESS I DON'T, I DON'T SEE ANYONE SAYING YES, BRING 'EM IN.
SO I WOULD SAY WE SKIPPED THAT.
[10. General Public Comment]
NUMBER 10, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.[11. Adjournment]
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR COMING,GOT A LOT DONE FOR JUST FOUR OF US.