[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER]
JULY 15TH, 2024 MEETING OF THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION.THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE.
UH, FOR THE RECORD, WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER POSI, AS WELL AS COMMISSIONER.
I, UH, EILEEN BAAN ONLINE AS WELL.
UM, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING FORWARD WITH THE TOPICS OF TODAY'S AGENDA.
UH, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, FELICIA? HEARING NONE.
WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE, UH, APPROVAL OF
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THE JUNE 12TH, 2024 MINUTES.DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE? I'LL MOTION.
COMMISSIONER MINUTES FROM JUNE.
SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, THE NEW ROBERTS RESERV OF ORDER DO NOT REQUIRE THAT WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND I JUST LEARNED, SO, NOPE, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT ANYMORE.
BUT, UM, WE, YOU, FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN DOING SO.
UH, ARE THERE ANY EDITS? HEARING NONE? I'M CALLING THE QUESTION.
THOSE IN FAVOR OF PASSING THE MINUTES.
COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL? I WASN'T HERE LAST MEETING.
YOU WANNA PASS? I WATCH THE VIDEO.
MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.
[2. Staff briefing from Staff Liaison, Felicia Ojeda, regarding the vacancy on the board and upcoming schedule changes for upcoming meetings and deadlines.]
WE HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING FROM OUR STAFF LIAISON, FELICIA, HEATHER, REGARDING THE VACANCY OF THE BOARD AND UPCOMING SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR, UH, THE MEETINGS FORTHCOMING AS WELL AS DEADLINES.UH, TODAY, JUST A REMINDER THAT OUR DISTRICT FOUR IS VACANT.
UM, SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR REPRESENTATIVES FOR THAT DISTRICT.
UM, ANOTHER REMINDER, WE WILL HAVE NO MEETING NEXT MONTH, SO NO MEETING IN AUGUST.
OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE IN SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 11TH.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING AUGUST MONTH OF AUGUST? NO MEETING JUST FOR REITERATION.
[3. Presentation by Ben Blocker, Director of Events with C3 Events, regarding special events in Austin and their economic impact on tourism.]
THIRD ITEM OF THE AGENDA WE HAVE TODAY, BEN BLOCKER, THE DIRECTOR OF EVENTS WITH C3 EVENTS.UM, HE'S GONNA SPEAK WITH US TODAY ABOUT SPECIAL EVENTS IN AUSTIN, UH, AS WELL AS THEIR BROADER ECONOMIC IMPACT, UH, AS A PART OF OUR BROADER TOURISM ECONOMY HERE, UM, IN THE, UH, BEAUTIFUL BAT CITY.
AND, UH, HE'S GONNA SPEAK TO, UH, SEVERAL EVENTS THAT C3 HAS, UH, PRODUCED, AS WELL AS OTHER TOPICS REGARDING, UM, STAGING AND PROMOTING LARGE EVENTS HERE IN AUSTIN, UH, AND NATIONALLY.
UH, I'LL KEEP THIS BRIEF AND INFORMAL 'CAUSE THIS IS A SMALL GROUP OF US.
UM, BUT I'VE BEEN WITH C3 NOW FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR 30 YEARS.
I CAME HERE IN 94 FOR SCHOOL AT UT AND LIKE MANY OTHERS DIDN'T LEAVE.
UH, AND LIVE EVENTS ARE SPECIAL TO ME, IMPORTANT TO ME, OBVIOUSLY DEDICATED MY CAREER TO IT.
UM, BUT I THINK MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT IS JUST SEEING WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR OUR CITY.
UM, NOT ONLY IN TOURISM, BUT IN REVENUE, UM, AND JUST IN SMILES ON PEOPLE'S FACES.
AND THAT'S AT THE END OF THE DAY WHILE WE'RE IN THIS THING.
UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT IT ALL COMES BACK TO.
SO, UM, TAKING YOU THROUGH SOME OF OUR BOILERPLATE STUFF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE TYPE OF DECK THAT I WOULD USE, GOING AND PITCHING ANOTHER NEW CITY, WHICH I DO A LOT OF.
UM, BUT WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF PUTTING SMILES ON PEOPLE'S FACE.
THAT IS KIND OF OUR PHILOSOPHY AT THE CORE OF IT ALL AT C3.
UM, AND I THINK JUST AT THE HEART OF DOING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY INCREASE THE GREATER GOOD FOR THE CITY ITSELF.
UM, YOU GUYS KNOW US FROM ACL OBVIOUSLY AND SOUTH BY, AND A LOT OF THE WORK WE DO HERE, WE DO WORK ALL OVER THE WORLD.
UM, AND THAT KIND OF PHILOSOPHY RINGS TRUE AND MAKES THE EVENT SUCCESSFUL NO MATTER WHERE WE OPERATE.
UM, THEY APPROACHES FANS FIRST, AND I BRING THAT UP RELATED TO TOURISM AND RELATED TO ECONOMIC IMPACT.
BECAUSE IF WE ARE FOCUSING ON THAT AND, AND A LOT OF WHAT I'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY AND, UM, HOW THAT IMPACTS WORKING WITH DIFFERENT CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES, IT GETS BACK TO THE FANS.
SO HOW WELL WE CAN EXECUTE ON THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKES THEIR EXPERIENCE EITHER GREAT OR NOT SO PLEASANT, UM, WHICH IN TURN MAKES THE EVENT COME BACK OR NOT.
[00:05:02]
UH, COMPLEXITY IS WHAT WE DO.AND SO I THINK AT THE HEART OF THIS, AND A LOT OF THE POINTS FOR DISCUSSION TODAY OR, OR KIND OF AROUND THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE THE SOMETIMES UNENVIABLE TASK OF GOING INTO A NEW MARKET EVERY YEAR WITH THE NFL.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF NFL DRAFT.
WE TAKE THAT EVENT TO A NEW CITY EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND THE VARIETY FROM CITY TO CITY ON WHAT IT'S LIKE TO WORK IN THAT MARKET IS VAST.
UM, I'LL GO INTO CITIES WHERE IT IS ALL LAID OUT ON A SILVER PLATTER.
EVERYTHING WE ASK FOR IS PROVIDED.
UH, THEY COULDN'T BE EASIER TO WORK WITH.
AND, YOU KNOW, A SHINING EXAMPLE OF GIVE OF THAT IS NASHVILLE.
I DON'T, MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW BUTCH SPEAR.
AND, UH, HE'S THEIR, UH, VP OF, UH, I GUESS THEIR CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU AND HAS BEEN FOR YEARS.
BUT HE BASICALLY WALKS YOU THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS AND CUTS THE RED TAPE, WALKS THINGS THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, UM, THROUGH ALL THE SERVICES, WHETHER THAT'S PD, FIRE PERMITTING, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UM, IT REALLY MAKES IT A PLEASURE TO DO BUSINESS THERE.
AND I THINK YOU'RE SEEING THE GROWTH AND, UM, YOU'RE SEEING THE FRUITS OF HIS LABOR REALLY COME TO FRUITION RIGHT NOW IN NASHVILLE.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AUSTIN HAS BEEN ON THAT TRAJECTORY.
UM, BUT I THINK WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER.
AND SO I STARTED TO MENTION KIND OF SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, EVENTS THAT WE'RE KNOWN FOR.
WE DO A LOT OF BRANDED EVENTS.
SO MY DEPARTMENT IS REALLY, UH, EVERYTHING BEYOND THE FESTIVALS THAT YOU KNOW AND LOVE FROM US.
WE OWN AND OPERATE BY, OPERATE ABOUT 32 MUSIC FESTIVALS ALL OVER THE GLOBE.
UM, I RUN A SEPARATE LINE OF BUSINESS THAT'S ALL FOR CLIENTS.
SO MAJOR BRANDS LIKE A NIKE, A HARLEY DAVIDSON, UM, THOSE TYPES OF BRANDS.
I DO A LOT OF STUFF FOR SPORTS LEAGUES, SO OBVIOUSLY THE NFL IS A BIG ONE.
UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH MLS TOWARDS AN EVENT HERE IN AUSTIN NEXT YEAR, UH, WORKING ON SOME FIFA STUFF FOR WORLD CUP.
SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS SECTOR, I THINK FOR TOURISM GROWTH.
I'M DAY IN, DAY OUT PITCHING THAT IMPACT AS WE APPROACH NEW MARKETS FOR DRAFT.
UM, SO I KNOW IT AS WELL AS ANYONE.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THAT TO DO A BETTER JOB OF ATTRACTING THESE TYPES OF THINGS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO I WANTED TO GO THROUGH JUST A, A COUPLE OF RECENT ONES THAT WE'VE DONE HERE AND, AND KIND OF TALK SOME PROS AND CONS.
UM, AND I IMAGINE YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS.
CMT AWARDS OBVIOUSLY CAME HERE, UM, AND THE INAUGURAL YEAR, UH, THE CONGRESS AVENUE PORTION OF THE EVENT.
SO ALL OF THAT TAPING THAT HAPPENED OUT ON CONGRESS, C3 PRODUCED THAT.
UM, I WORKED DIRECTLY WITH THE CLIENT ON THAT.
I WOULD SAY THE TELEVISION SUCCESS OF THAT AND, UH, THE IMPRESSIONS THAT WE GOT AROUND THE WORLD FROM THAT EVENT WERE OF INCREDIBLE VALUE.
EVERYTHING IN MOODY LOOKED SPECTACULAR.
EVERYTHING ON CONGRESS LOOKED SPECTACULAR.
UM, THE PAIN POINTS OF GETTING THERE WERE DIFFICULT AND, AND WORTH SHARING WITH THE GROUP, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN ALL DO BETTER TO MAKE THESE TYPE OF EVENTS WANT TO COME BACK, WHICH WAS NOT THE FEEDBACK I WAS GETTING IN THE MOMENT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT BELABORING IN GREAT DETAIL, I THINK THERE ARE, ARE A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS THAT, THAT TO A CLIENT OR A BIG, YOU KNOW, EVENTS COMPANY OR SPORTS LEAGUE OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, LIKE THE, LIKE CMT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT CAME DOWN TO THINGS THAT SEEM LIKE NICKEL AND DIMING.
SO YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE CHARGING FOR EVERY PARKING METER, UM, ON THE ROAD CLOSURES THAT WE HAD, THERE'S A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THAT.
THE EVENT COULD MORE THAN PAY FOR IT.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU START ADDING THOSE UP, COMING BACK LATE, ADDING, YOU KNOW, MORE DAYS TO IT OR MORE BLOCKS OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, THOSE ARE THE LITTLE ANNOYANCES THAT ARE, ARE JUST NOT WORTH IT TO A BIG INTERNATIONAL CLIENT.
UM, STREET CLOSURES ARE DIFFICULT, AND THIS IS A MAJOR EVENT.
WE KNOW IT'S HARD TO GET, WE KNOW IT'S AN INCONVENIENCE, BUT I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S ON SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, UM, AND OURSELVES TO REALLY LOOK AT THE GREATER GOOD AND GO, HEY, WE'RE CITIZENS HERE TOO.
WE DON'T WANT TO INCONVENIENCE PEOPLE ANYMORE THAN THE NEXT GUY.
UM, BUT IF WE, IF WE CLOSE THESE ROADS, IF WE MAKE CERTAIN CONCESSIONS FOR THIS EVENT, THE GREATER GOOD, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THIS EVENT, THE IMPRESSIONS THAT THIS EVENT BRINGS, UM, CAN FAR OUTWEIGH THOSE, THOSE NEGATIVITIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT SOME OF THESE PICTURES.
THE CAPITOL WAS IN THE BACKGROUND BEHIND OUR STAGE.
UH, BUT I REMEMBER AS WE WERE SHOOTING IT AND THE PRODUCTION WAS LIVE, WE HAD AN
[00:10:01]
18 WHEELER STOPPED AT THE STOPLIGHT BEHIND THE STAGE, AND THE CLIENT WAS LOSING THEIR MIND.THIS IS LIVE TELEVISION, WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE COULDN'T GET THAT CLOSURE.
THE CITY WOULDN'T GIVE US 11TH, 11TH, 11TH.
THOSE ARE HARD THINGS, BUT THOSE ARE PARTS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS AS YOU'RE CONSIDERING SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AND GO, HEY, COULD WE CLOSE THAT FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS WHILE THEY'RE SHOOTING AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY WANT TO COME BACK? UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER JUST INCIDENTALS, UH, A LOT OF PAID TIME FOR POLICE, FOR ALL THE ROAD CLOSURES TO MANAGE THOSE CLOSURES.
WE CERTAINLY WANNA PAY FOR THEIR TIME.
UM, BUT AFTER YOU GO DOWN THAT ROAD WITH THE CLIENT, GET THE APPROVALS TO MAKE THOSE PAYMENTS, A LOT OF NO-SHOWS.
SO WE'RE ON SITE BRINGING IN TEMPORARY STAFF, BRINGING IN PAID SECURITY TO COVER POSITIONS THAT WE HAD JUST PAID FOR FOR PD.
THAT'S A TOUGH SPOT TO BE IN WHEN YOU'RE MANAGING AN EVENT.
UM, I KNOW THAT'S A, A, A GREATER PAIN THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BUT IT'S, IT'S WORTH NOTING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE LITTLE THINGS I THINK IN THAT YOU SAW QUICKLY.
THIS, THIS SHOW DIDN'T COME BACK TO SOUTH CONGRESS FOR YEAR TWO.
I I THINK IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SHOT.
I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE SHOTS THAT PUTS US ON A WORLDWIDE STAGE.
AND YES, THEY'RE, THEY'RE A LITTLE PAINFUL TO DO, BUT I WOULD ARGUE THAT THEY'RE WORTH IT.
THIS WAS ANOTHER ONE RECENTLY.
THIS WAS JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKENDS AGO HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
THIS WAS COCA-COLA CAME TO US AND WANTED TO DO A SIPS AND SOUNDS MUSIC FESTIVAL.
THE ORIGINAL VISION OF THIS WAS THEY WANTED TO DO A, A FESTIVAL OF ABOUT 25 TO 35,000 FANS, UM, TWO SOLID DAYS OF THAT IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ENDED UP AT CODA DOING THE SHOW.
IT'S TOUGH TO DO A SUMMER FESTIVAL THAT HAD MORE TO DO WITH THEIR MARKETING TIMELINE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
UM, BUT I BRING THIS ONE UP TO GO, THESE ARE THE TYPES OF PLAYERS THAT WANT TO BE IN AUSTIN.
THESE ARE THE TYPES OF EVENTS THAT WANT TO BE HERE.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT AS A SHOW PRODUCER, FINDING LOCATIONS, YOU KNOW, WE, CODA WAS CERTAINLY NOT A FIRST CHOICE.
IT'S NO KNOCK ON THEM, BUT IT'S A HAUL TO GET OUT THERE.
I THINK MOST AUSTINITES WOULDN'T CONSIDER IT OUR HOME, UM, THAT IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A AUTHENTIC AUSTIN EVENT NECESSARILY OUT THERE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU GRAPPLE WITH IN THIS BUSINESS.
AND I THINK WE CAN ALL LOOK AT TRYING TO DO A BETTER JOB AS A CITY AND GO, HEY, AUSTIN HAS SOME BEAUTIFUL LOCATIONS.
THERE'S ONLY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SPOTS AVAILABLE EACH YEAR AT A PLACE LIKE AN AUDITORIUM, SHORES OR CLOSING STREETS DOWNTOWN.
UM, BUT I THINK THE VERY OUTSPOKEN VOICES OF A FEW THAT MAY NOT WANT THOSE THINGS, UM, PROBABLY TIP THE SCALES IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE GREATER GOOD AND GO, WHAT KIND OF IMPACT WOULD THIS BIG SHOW HAVE ON THE CITY? HOW MANY BEDS AND HEADS CAN WE GET OUT OF A SHOW LIKE THIS? UM, HOW MANY DOLLARS POUR INTO THE CITY OUT OF A SHOW LIKE THIS? OR JUST AS A CITIZEN HERE, HOW MUCH FUN IS IT TO WALK DOWN THE STREET AND GO TO A SHOW? I'D LOVE TO DO THAT, UM, AS OPPOSED TO DRIVING OUT DAKOTA.
SO AGAIN, JUST CONSIDERATIONS.
I THINK THEY'RE THINGS WORTH EXAMINING AS WE START TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO EXPAND EVENTS HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, THIS ONE I BRING UP JUST TO GIVE YOU KIND OF A, A SENSE OF ECONOMIC IMPACT AND WHAT OTHER CITIES LOOK AT OUTSIDE OF OUR MUSIC FESTIVAL EVENT.
AND I'LL TALK ABOUT ACL AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS.
WE'RE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THEM.
UM, BUT THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT CAN COME TO A MAJOR CITY LIKE AUSTIN, UM, WITHOUT BEING A REOCCURRING FESTIVAL, UM, OUTSIDE OF AN ACL, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MULTIPLE CITIES BID ON TO HOST.
UM, AND AS I MENTIONED AT THE TOP, NF L'S, NOT THE ONLY LEAGUE.
I GET THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN NFL TEAM, BUT WE DO HAVE AN MLS TEAM.
I'M GLAD WE'RE GETTING, UM, THE, UH, ALL-STAR GAME HERE IN 25.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER EVENTS OF THIS MAGNITUDE THAT I THINK THAT WOULD LOOK AT AUSTIN AND, YOU KNOW, BE PROUD TO BE HERE AND BE, THIS WOULD BE A PLACE THEY WOULD WANT TO SHOW OFF TO THE WORLD.
THIS LAST YEAR IN DETROIT, WE TOOK, YOU KNOW, A NOT SO PROSPEROUS MARKET AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK WHAT WE DID WITH IT.
213 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT TO DETROIT IN THE SURROUNDING REGION.
THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, I THINK THEIR HOTEL RATE, UH, WAS IT 92% ON THE THURSDAY OF DRAFT, UM, WHICH IS SAYING SOMETHING THAT'S
[00:15:01]
A, A MAJOR CITY.UM, SO THESE OPPORTUNITIES COME ACROSS MY DESK DAILY.
UH, THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS I'M LOOKING AT THROUGHOUT THE GLOBE, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, UM, AND KIND OF GRAPPLING WITH WHERE TO PUT THEM.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, AUSTIN IS WHERE I'D LOVE TO PUT ALL OF THEM.
SO THAT THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE, THAT'S WHY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
I THINK A GOOD TRUE MEASURE OF WHAT THESE THINGS CAN BRING TO AUSTIN IS, IS ONE AT SCALE, AND THAT IS ACL.
SO THESE ARE FRESH NUMBERS FROM, UH, LAST YEAR'S FESTIVAL.
UH, NEARLY 500 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT TO AUSTIN.
SO JUST SOME PHENOMENAL NUMBERS FROM LAST YEAR.
UM, THE EQUIVALENT OF ABOUT 3,700 FULL-TIME JOBS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DOLLARS THAT GO BACK INTO THE PARKS, I THINK PROBABLY THE, THE, THE LOUDEST VOICES WE HEAR ARE ABOUT BEING IN ZILKER PARK.
UM, BUT SINCE ITS INCEPTION, 63 MILLION, UH, TO AUSTIN PARK SYSTEM 8.1, JUST IN LAST YEAR ALONE, UH, OF IMPROVEMENTS TO ZILKER.
AND THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE MAINTENANCE THAT WE PAY, THE EXPENSES THAT WE PAY TO BE OUT THERE.
I KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, HOTEL NUMBERS WERE IMPORTANT TO, UH, THIS PARTICULAR GROUP.
UH, I BELIEVE, UH, REVIEWED SOME OF THESE BEFORE THE MEETING.
I THINK OUR F AND B CONTRIBUTIONS, UH, AND, AND IMPACT TO THE CITY THIS YEAR, WERE AROUND 111 MILLION AND HOTELS WERE AROUND 54 MILLION.
AND I CAN PROBABLY GET THE BED COUNTS FOR THAT AS WELL.
BUT, UM, SOME SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS.
I THINK IT JUST SHOWS THAT SCALE, UH, THE TYPE OF IMPACT THAT THESE SHOWS CAN HAVE IN A CITY LIKE AUSTIN.
OBVIOUSLY WE'VE SEEN THAT FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS AND WE'VE SEEN IT GROW, UM, SUBSTANTIALLY YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR.
UM, C3, OBVIOUSLY THESE ARE IMPORTANT TO US, THIS SHOW'S SPECIAL TO US.
BUT, UM, IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME ACROSS ALL OF THE BRANDED EVENTS, YOU KNOW, WHERE WOULD I PREFER TO PUT 'EM? IT'D BE THE SAME ANSWER AS WHICH ONE OF OUR MUSIC FESTIVALS IS MY FAVORITE, MY BACKYARD.
THAT'S WHERE I'D PREFER TO PUT 'EM.
SO, UH, WE'RE HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT.
AND I THOUGHT I'D OPEN IT UP AT THIS POINT JUST TO ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION YOU WANTED TO HAVE.
AND TO REMIND FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TODAY, UH, THE THEME OF OUR MEETING WAS COMING TOGETHER, AUSTIN'S, UH, ORGANIZATION OF LARGE SCALE EVENTS.
AND SO, UH, THIS PRESENTATION BY MR. BLOCKER FROM C3 REALLY, UH, SEEKS TO PINPOINT SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES AROUND LARGE EVENTS IN AUSTIN AND, AND NATIONALLY.
AND, AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT, UH, WHETHER IT'S CONFERENCES TO LARGE EVENTS, UM, AND, UH, ATTRACTIONS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT, UH, FOLKS LOOKING TO PLAN LARGE GA UH, GATHERINGS HAVE IN MIND, UM, TO, UH, IN TERMS OF MAKING THESE, THESE EVENTS HAPPEN.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, I'D LIKE TO OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR COMMENTS, UH, FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS AND, UH, TO GET THE CONVERSATION GOING ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP ASSIST, BRING IN MORE INVESTMENT FROM TOURISM, AND ALSO INCREASE THE, UH, THE PROPORTION OF HOT TAXES THAT HAVE RAISED THROUGH THESE LARGE GATHERINGS.
COMMISSIONER CHAPEL, MR. BLACKER.
OH, HEY, BEN BLACKER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT TODAY.
UM, LOVE THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
UM, I'M NOT GOING TO ACL THIS YEAR, BUT I'VE ENJOYED IT, UH, IN THE PAST, BUT MAYBE WE WILL, WE'LL FIND OUR WAY THERE.
'CAUSE IT, LIKE YOU SAID, IT IS FUN IN THE ATMOSPHERE THAT WE CREATE IN THIS CITY.
UM, WE WANT PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
UM, COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, MADE A COUPLE NOTES HERE, BUT YOU, YOU KIND OF HIT ON A FEW TOPICS AROUND LOGISTICS.
UM, IS IT MORE ABOUT THE LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN AUSTIN OR LESS OR MORE ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY FOR ROAD CLOSURES FOR EVENTS? IF YOU COULD, AND I'M SURE THEY BOTH BUILD ON EACH OTHER, BUT IF YOU COULD ELABORATE ON THAT.
UM, AND THEN YOU ALSO MENTIONED BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE KIND OF LEFT YOUR CLIENT RIGHT, LEFT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF A BAD TASTE IN THEIR MOUTH A LITTLE BIT, LIKE, HAD A GOOD TIME, BUT A POOR EXPERIENCE.
AND IF YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, NOT NECESSARILY THE NICKEL AND DIMMING, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE YOU LEARNED A LOT OF THINGS AFTER THE FACT.
SO IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THAT PROCESS AND MAYBE WHAT, UH, WAYS THAT WE COULD HAVE INTERVENED SOONER.
AND IDENTIFIED THOSE SO WE CAN HELP BUILD LIKE A PROCESS THAT GOES THROUGH.
UM, AND THE LAST THING, UM, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT FULL-TIME, JOB EQUIVALENCIES, CAN YOU GIVE US THAT IN A DOLLAR AMOUNT AND LIKE AN ANNUAL SALARY AS WELL? SURE.
SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, BACKING UP TO KIND OF A, ALMOST A CHECKLIST IF YOU WILL.
UM, AND I, I USE DRAFT AS AN EXAMPLE JUST 'CAUSE IT'S REPETITIVE.
I'M ON THE 10TH YEAR OF THAT SHOW, AND IT'S A NEW MARKET, AS I SAID, EVERY YEAR.
SO WHEN WE GO INTO THOSE, UM, WE KIND OF HAVE AN OUTLINE OF, OF
[00:20:01]
THE TYPICAL ASKS THAT WE'RE AFTER FROM THE CITY, FIRST AND FOREMOST IS A LOCATION.UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT A PLACE TO DO THE EVENT AND TO HOST THE EVENT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST GETTING OFF THE STARTING BLOCK, I THINK SOMETIMES IN AUSTIN CAN BE DIFFICULT AGAIN, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S ONLY SO MANY PARKS THAT HAVE THE SCALE TO HOST THIS SIZE EVENTS.
SO OPTIONS WHERE WE COULD GO AS WELL.
UM, THEN FROM THERE IT'S REALLY KIND OF NAVIGATING THE WATERS OF, OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, AND AS I SAID, THERE ARE CITIES THAT DO THIS REALLY WELL.
THERE'S CITIES WHERE YOU REALLY NEED TO SEEK THE INFORMATION OUT AND UNDERSTAND HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS.
UM, I MENTIONED BUTCH AND NASHVILLE BECAUSE THAT WAS JUST A SHINING EXAMPLE OF WE WALKED IN AND BUTCH SAID, I'M GONNA MAKE ALL THE INTROS FOR STREET CLOSURES.
I'M GONNA MAKE ALL THE INTROS FOR GETTING CONCRETE AND KRA L FOR SAFETY NEEDS.
I'M GONNA MAKE ALL THE INTROS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, ALL OF THE PERMITS.
I'M GONNA WRITE THOSE EMAILS AND PIN 'EM FOR YOU.
YOU GUYS JUST NEED TO STAY, STAY INVOLVED.
UM, THAT WAS AN EXTREME EXAMPLE.
I THINK ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, YOU WALK INTO MARKETS WHERE, UM, YOU'RE HAVING TO FIGURE ALL OF THAT STUFF OUT ON YOUR OWN.
AUSTIN'S PROBABLY SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, ACE HAS A REALLY GOOD SYSTEM IN PLACE.
UM, AND AUSTIN PARKS HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL PARTNER TO US.
UM, SO I, I DO WANT TO BE CAREFUL I'M NOT HERE TO BAD MOUTH OUR, OUR CITY.
NO, I THINK, AND WE'RE ALL AWARE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT AUSTIN TEXAS FACES AND ITS PARALLEL STAR STOP PROVINCES IS ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, YEAH, I I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS OF WE HAVE GROWN TO THIS SCALE WHERE WE ARE ON A WORLDWIDE STAGE NOW.
WE'RE ONE OF THE PREMIER CITIES IN THE WORLD.
UM, TO THE POINT THAT THE, THE CALIBER OF BRANDS AND THE SIZE SHOWS, AND I'M TALKING, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE SHOWS I WON'T LOOK AT UNLESS THEY ARE A, YOU KNOW, 25 TO 50,000 PERSON ATTENDANCE, RIGHT.
UM, MULTIMILLION DOLLAR SCALED EVENT.
UM, ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF CLIENTS WANT TO BE IN A CITY LIKE AUSTIN MM-HMM.
SO IT REALLY STARTS WITH OPENING UP MORE DATES.
UM, AND WHETHER THAT'S AUDITORIUM SHORES OR PLACES LIKE AUDITORIUM SHORES, I THINK THERE ARE ONE OF OUR, OUR PREMIER LOCATIONS, OUR PREMIER LOCATIONS KNOWS AVAILABLE FOR OFFERINGS.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE KIND OF STUCK BETWEEN WHERE ARE OUR EFFICIENCIES AND WHERE ARE CONCIERGE SERVICES FOR THE CITY TO MEET.
AND DRIVE THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN I THINK ON THE, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING SERVICES SIDE AG, AGAIN, EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THOSE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT TO PAY OUR FIREFIGHTERS, WE WANT TO PAY OUR POLICE, UM, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, CLIMB A MOUNTAIN TO GET THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
UM, SOMETIMES JUST GETTING THE PRICING, GETTING THE NUMBERS THAT ARE NEEDED CAN BE LIKE PULLING TEETH.
UM, WHERE WE'RE LITERALLY SENDING EMAIL AFTER EMAIL GOING, HEY GUYS, WE'RE UP AGAINST A BUDGET DEADLINE AND WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY ANSWERS.
SO THAT LACK OF COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT DOESN'T NECESSARILY GO THROUGH TO ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IS WHERE I'M HEARING.
AND THEN AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, UH, SOMETHING LIKE STREET CLOSURES IS, IS PROBABLY THE OTHER BIG ONE.
WE'RE IN A CITY THAT ALREADY DOESN'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT OUR POPULATION AND THE WAY OF ROADWAYS.
SO ASKING TO CLOSE ANY OF THEM DOWN, WE GET IT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I POINTED AT THE CASE OF CMT THAT THIS WAS A WORLDWIDE BROADCAST TELEVISION EVENT, UM, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A FEW HOURS UNENCUMBERED BY TRAFFIC, MOVING TRAFFIC THROUGH BEHIND THE STAGE.
AND MAYBE IT IS, UM, OR IN THESE INSTANCES, I DO WANNA CIRCLE BACK.
SO JUST ON THE FULL-TIME, LIKE JOB EQUIVALENCY FOR SALARY AND THEN YOU MENTIONED ABOUT HAVING TO PAY FOR POLICE THAT YOU EITHER GOT NO SHOW OR YOU HAD TO PAY A HIGHER RATE FOR POLICE.
IS THAT PART OF TIED TO A CONTRACT? YOU MUST HIRE THESE CONTRACTORS OR NO, IT WASN'T A HIGHER RATE.
I I DON'T, MAYBE I MISSPOKE OR NO, I MISINTERPRETED THERE.
NO, I, I THINK AGAIN, IT, IT WAS JUST, AND THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL IN ANY VENDOR, SO I'M NOT, I DON'T MEAN TO SINGLE OUT POLICE NO.
BUT YES, THERE WAS, THERE WAS A LOT OF SCRUTINY OVER THE NUMBERS NEEDED, UM, TO PATROL AND HAVE SOMEONE AT ALL OF THE CLOSINGS.
SO, YOU KNOW, TO GO THROUGH THAT BACK AND FORTH WITH THE CLIENT, GET APPROVAL TO MAKE THAT SPEND AND THEN HAVE THE AMOUNT OF NO SHOWS THAT WE HAD.
BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT WE'VE MADE SUCH A BIG DEAL OUT OF PAYING FOR ALL OF THIS, BUT NOW NO ONE'S BOTHERING TO SHOW UP AND, AND WE'RE STUCK A DAY OF SHOW TRYING TO SCRAMBLE AND FIGURE IT OUT.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU'RE KIND OF UPHOLDING YOUR SIDE, RIGHT? WE'RE BRINGING IN PEOPLE, WE'RE COLLECTING THE HOT TAX, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR, FOR THIS TOWN.
UM, SO NO, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR FRUSTRATIONS AND
[00:25:01]
KIND OF YOUR VIEWPOINT.UM, I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE AN NFL TEAM, BUT THE DRAFT COULD BE SPECTACULAR.
WELL, I, I DID WANT TO POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK SOMETHING WE'VE LEARNED, AND LOOK, I'VE GONE TO SUPER BOWL EVERY YEAR SINCE WE STARTED WORKING ON DRAFTS, SO IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE THOSE CITIES.
UM, I THINK IT'S WORTH NOTING, YOU KNOW, THE SUPER BOWL THAT MOST OF THE STADIUMS THAT HAS BEEN IN RECENTLY HAVE ABOUT 60, 65,000 TICKETS.
MOST OF THE SUPER BOWL HOST CITIES OVER THAT WEEKEND WILL HOST HALF A MILLION PEOPLE, UM, OUTSIDE NEW TOURIST TO THE CITY.
THEY JUST WANT TO BE PART OF IT.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE THAT HERE IN UT FOOTBALL.
WE HAVE THAT HERE IN A NUMBER OF OUR MAJOR EVENTS.
UM, SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY GOING, HEY, WE CAN'T HOST THIS EVENT, OR, GREAT, WE'RE GETTING THE ALL-STAR GAME, OR WE'RE GETTING F1 MM-HMM.
I THINK IT'S AS A, AS A CITY AND AS ALL OF US LOOKING AT WAYS TO GO, WHERE CAN WE EMBRACE THAT? CAN WE, WHERE CAN WE TURN A FEW BLOCKS OF DOWNTOWN INTO A FAN ZONE AND MAKE A THING OF THIS? MM-HMM.
UM, BECAUSE I SEE OTHER MARKETS DO THAT VERY SUCCESSFULLY.
UM, OR MAYBE WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, JUST THINKING THAT ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO EXTENDING NIGHTS AND EX YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO'S COMING IN FOR AN MLS ALL STAR GAME, WOULD THEY TURN THAT INTO A FOUR NIGHT STAY IF WE HAD THE RIGHT ENTERTAINMENT? RIGHT.
AND OUR METRIC ON THAT WAS WHAT, LIKE 1.2 EXTRA DAYS OF STAY OR SOMETHING KIND OF TIED IN.
UH, COMMISSIONER CHAP, WE HAVE ANOTHER CHEMISTRY.
WE'LL HAVE TO GO GRAB, GO GRAB A DRINK.
UH, FEEL FREE TO KEEP COMMENTING, BUT IN THE MEANTIME WE HAVE, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE ANNUAL SALARY THOUGH.
WE STILL, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL, VICE CHAIR HAILEY.
SO BEN, UM, AS PART OF THIS THEME DAY HERE, WE, WE WERE TRYING TO HIT, UM, THE CONVERSATION FROM TWO DIFFERENT AREAS.
ONE IS ATTRACTING MAJOR EVENTS, THE OTHER IS HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT ATTRACTING CONVENTIONS.
WE DON'T QUITE, WE DIDN'T QUITE GET THAT INTO THE AGENDA TODAY, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IN THE CONVERSATION WITH TEAMS THAT TRY TO WIN CONVENTIONS TO THEIR DESTINATION.
THERE'S A PRETTY SOPHISTICATED, USUALLY PLAYOFF BETWEEN CITIES, YOU KNOW, THAT THE CONVENTION HOLDER PUSHES THE DESIGNATED CITIES THAT ARE ON THE SHORT LIST TO BID EACH OTHER OUT UNTIL THEY GET WHERE THEY GET WHAT THEY WANT AND IT ALL COMES TOGETHER.
I'M CURIOUS ON YOUR SIDE OF THE FENCE, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE NFL CARRIES THE BIG, IF WE USE THIS ONE AS THE EXAMPLE, NFL CARRIES A HUGE STICK AND THEN THERE'S CITIES THAT WANNA HOST IT.
YOU'RE THE, YOU'RE, YOU'VE, I THINK IF I'VE LISTENED CORRECTLY, YOU'VE EARNED A PRODUCTION POSITION WITH THE NFL WHERE THEY TRUST YOUR EXECUTION.
SO A LOT OF THE NEGOTIATION OF WHICH CITIES ARE GONNA LAND IN IS POSSIBLY MORE DRIVEN BY THE RIGHTS HOLDER, THE NFL IN THIS CASE.
BUT I AM CURIOUS TO WHAT COMMENT YOU CAN MAKE, BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THIS BODY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT JUST 'CAUSE WE'RE AUSTIN, YOU DON'T JUST GET IT.
EVERYBODY THINKS, OH, WE'RE AUSTIN, EVERYBODY WANTS TO GIVE US THINGS.
I THINK IT'S GOTTEN, IT'S MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.
THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK ON THE GROUND THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
AND I THINK THE CONVENTION TEAM WILL TELL YOU ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION IS BASED AROUND THAT COMPETITION, HOW HARD IT IS TO GET THE RIGHT SCALE OF CONFERENCE IN THE CITY.
SO YOU, THEIR CHALLENGE HAS BEEN, AT ONE POINT WEREN'T ENOUGH, WEREN'T ENOUGH HOTELS TO TAKE ON A HUGE, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY COULDN'T COMPETE WITH VEGAS.
THAT IT WAS, THE FACILITY WASN'T BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD.
WE HAD THE HOTEL ROOMS, BUT THE FACILITY IS NOT THERE.
I'M CUR YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT LAND SPACE AS BEING THE CHALLENGE, BUT ANY INSIGHTS THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE US TO HELP UNDERSTAND REALLY WHAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, WHO'S CONTROLLING THESE THINGS AND C THREE'S EARNED RESPECT IS ABSOLUTE HERE AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU GET, HOW DO YOU DO FORCES WITH BIG BRANDS LIKE THE NFL AND WHAT KIND OF LEVERAGE DO THEY PUT ON CITIES TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT? YEAH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO GROW THAT RELATIONSHIP.
AND I, I, I CAN SAY I HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE ON ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND ALL THOSE NEGOTIATIONS.
UM, AND THEY VALUE OUR OPINION ON IT.
UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE DOLLARS SPEAK LOUDLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I WON'T QUOTE THAT'S THEIR INFORMATION TO SHARE OR NOT SURE WHAT THE TYPES OF DOLLARS ARE AROUND DRAFT, BUT IT'S, IT'S A SERIOUS CONTRIBUTION FROM THE CITIES THAT GET THAT BUSINESS.
[00:30:01]
SAME FORMS. UM, SO A LOT OF 'EM ARE IN, IN KIND SERVICES AND, AND YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT.SO WHETHER THAT'S A, AN AMOUNT OF HOURS OR AN AN OPEN TAB OF POLICE HOURS OR FIRE HOURS OR THOSE TYPES OF CITY SERVICES, UM, OFTEN THOSE ARE THROWN IN COMPLETELY.
THERE ARE NORMALLY A LOT OF IN KIND MARKETING DOLLARS, UM, AND THOSE SPENDS, SO THOSE CAN RANGE FROM, YOU KNOW, BUILDING TAKEOVERS, LIGHTING TAKEOVERS OF DOWNTOWNS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, STREET BANNERS, UH, FULL STREET BANNER TAKEOVERS.
ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS REALLY DO GO A LONG WAY WITH, WITH THIS SCALE OF AN EVENT.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
WE'RE CERTAINLY LOOKING AT HOTEL ROOM NUMBERS AND WHAT THOSE AVAILS ARE IN THE CITY ON THAT WEEKEND.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MY BREAD AND BUTTER ARE REOCCURRING SHOWS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE NF L'S NOT TAKING INTO NO INTO ACCOUNT.
BUT MY OTHER CLIENTS ARE, WE WANNA LOOK AT SOMETHING AS A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT.
THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA LOSE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY THE FIRST YEAR, THE FIRST TWO YEARS, MAYBE THE FIRST THREE YEARS.
BUT IF WE CAN SET UP SHOPS SOMEWHERE, UM, AND GUARANTEE THOSE SERVICES OVER A LONG HAUL, OVER A MULTI-YEAR DEAL, THEN IT CERTAINLY STARTS TO MAKE SENSE TO OPERATE THERE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
I'M DOING AN A, UM, A MUSIC FESTIVAL IN TWO WEEKENDS FOR HARLEY DAVIDSON IN MILWAUKEE.
UM, WE MOVED OUR DATES THIS YEAR OFF THE RMC, WHICH STARTS TODAY.
UM, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY, I THINK AS A GOOD LONG-TERM PARTNER WAS REALLY HELPFUL WITH IN GOING, HEY, RN C'S GONNA BE HERE THIS YEAR.
WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE HOTEL ROOMS WE NEED FOR STAFF, MUCH LESS YOUR FANS.
THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH GOING ON.
THE CITY SERVICES CAN'T SUPPORT IT, BUT IF WE SLIDE TO THESE DATES, WE CAN OFFER X, Y, AND Z TO HELP MAKE THAT EASIER ON YOU.
AND A LOT OF THAT WERE SOME MARKETING THINGS IN KIND TO KIND OF SWEETEN THE POT.
SO I THINK IT'S LOOKING AT THINGS THROUGH THAT LENS AS WELL.
SO WHEN THERE ARE, WHAT ELSE CAN WE OFFER? HMM.
SO WHAT I, THE THE LAST THING YOU JUST SAID IS THAT BECAUSE WE ARE AS SUCCESSFUL AS WE ARE, SOMETIMES WE'RE COMPETING WITH OURSELVES, RIGHT? WE, WE LOSE BUSINESS BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SLOT IT.
YOU MAY HAVE A CONVENTION THAT SAYS, I EITHER REALLY WANT TO BE HERE ON A UT HOME GAME, OR I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S BEING CONSIDERATE OF ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND THEN HOW DO THOSE WEIGH INTO SOME OF THE IN-KIND OFFERINGS? CAN YOU, CAN YOU FULFILL THEM ON THAT WEEKEND OR ARE YOU BETTER MOVING OFF TO A DIFFERENT DATE AND THEN TRYING TO SWEETEN THE POT TO MAKE THAT WORTH THEIR WHILE? MM-HMM,
COMMISSIONER SHAPEY, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE ROAD CLOSURES ARE A PERSISTENT CHALLENGE IN, UH, IN EVENTS.
SO I, I WAS WONDERING WHAT, UH, WHAT THOSE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS ARE LIKE, LIKE WHO, WHO IS IT EXACTLY PUSHING BACK, UM, WHICH DEPARTMENT? UH, THOSE, THOSE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS.
I, I'M JUST INTERESTED IN WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE THAT PROCESS EASIER.
I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN ANSWER THAT HERE.
I'D HAVE TO GET WITH OUR OPS TEAM AND REALLY DIVE INTO THE SPECIFIC OF WHO CONTROLS WHAT.
UM, THAT'S NOT AT, AT, YOU KNOW, MY LEVEL.
I'M NOT REALLY THE ONE MAKING ALL OF THOSE PHONE CALLS.
UM, SO I COULDN'T GIVE YOU AN ACCURATE ANSWER.
I THINK WHAT I CAN SAY IS, UH, WE'RE OFTEN KIND OF MET WITH A AN ABSOLUTE, UM, AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, EVENTS DON'T REALLY WORK IN ABSOLUTES.
SO, UH, IT'S, IT, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO AT LEAST HAVE SOMEONE HELP US NAVIGATE THE CONVERSATION TO GO, OKAY, YOU GUYS ARE ASKING FOR A WEEK HERE.
LET'S START A CONVERSATION AND FIGURE OUT HOW CLOSE WE CAN GET.
UM, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WHAT'LL COME UP IS WE WILL PUT IN A REQUEST LIKE THAT, AND THE QUICK THING WE HEAR BACK IS THAT ROAD'S NOT SHUTTING DOWN AT ALL.
AND IT'S NOT A, WELL, LET'S WORK TOWARDS A SOLUTION.
WHAT COULD WE DO? COULD WE MOVE THIS OVER BY A BLOCK? CAN WE REROUTE SOMETHING? SO, UH, UM, AGAIN, THAT, THAT MAY NOT BE HELPFUL.
I'M NOT GIVING YOU ENOUGH SPECIFICS, BUT THIS IS, IT'S SOMETHING WE RUN INTO IN EVERY MARKET.
IT'S A CHALLENGE WITH EVERY SHOW.
I MEAN, ON THE DRAFT, WE'RE, WE'RE CLOSING DOWNTOWN STREETS FOR, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY SIX WEEKS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE SHUT DOWN THE STRIP IN LAS VEGAS FOR IT.
UM, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE SOLVES THAT CAN BE HAD.
AND I THINK IT'S JUST A MATTER OF ALL OF THOSE CITIES COMING TO THE TABLE.
NOT WITH AN ABSOLUTE, BUT WITH A, ALRIGHT, LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK THROUGH THIS.
[00:35:01]
TO SEE THE CITY OF AUSTIN MORE OPEN TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE, UH, IF YOU'RE NOT MOVING CARS, UH, YOU MIGHT BE MOVING PEOPLE INSTEAD.COMMISSIONER SHAY, OTHER COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, THOUGHTS ON THE PRESENTATION? WE'VE HEARD THIS AFTERNOON? I, I HAVE A QUESTION.
HEARING NONE FROM MY COLLEAGUES.
UM, SHOOT, THANK YOU, UM, FOR BEING HERE, UH, MR. BLOCKER AND I, I REALLY WANTED TO CALL ATTENTION TO, UH, THIS TOPIC WITH REGARD TO MAKING UP TIME FOR NO SHOWS AND, UM, HIRED POLICE AS WELL AS FIREFIGHTERS AND WANTED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS POTENTIALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A, A SECONDARY WORKFORCE OF SORTS WITHIN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY THAT COULD HELP WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, PROTECTING THESE EVENTS OF, YOU KNOW, OFF-DUTY.
POLICE OFFICERS ARE ONE THING, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY HAS, UM, SERGEANTS AT ARMS, RIGHT? SO THEY CAN HELP WITH EVENTS AS WELL.
BUT I'M, I'M WONDERING, UM, IS THIS AN ISSUE THAT HAS TO DO WITH UNDERSTAFFING OF THE DEPARTMENTS OR, UH, JUST A, AN A NON-AVAILABILITY ON A CERTAIN WEEKEND? OR IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE MORE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ADDRESSING, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY IN, UH, OUR TOPIC IN NOVEMBER REGARDING TOURISM AND WELLNESS.
AND I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN FOLD THIS PERHAPS INTO THAT CONVERSATION.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD, I WOULD DO SO CAUTIOUSLY.
I I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THIS INTO SOMETHING BIGGER THAN IT, THAN IT WAS.
I, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS IN AUSTIN HAVE BEEN GREAT PARTNERS TO US, SO WE WANNA BE REALLY CAREFUL THAT WE'RE NOT COMING, COMING ACROSS THE WRONG WAY ABOUT THAT.
UM, AS I SAID, THIS WAS REALLY NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH ANY OTHER TYPE OF VENDOR.
WHETHER IT'S A LABOR CALL FOR STAGE, HANDS, UM, PAID SECURITY, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, IT'S COMMONPLACE TO HAVE ATTRITION.
AND SO WE MAY SAY WE NEED, YOU KNOW, 60 STAGE HANDS ON THIS DAY AND GET 45 SHOW UP.
UM, I THINK THAT BECAME A STICKLER TO THIS PARTICULAR CLIENT TO CMT BECAUSE THE, SUCH A BIG DEAL WAS MADE OF, IF YOU'RE GONNA CLOSE THESE STREETS, THESE NEED TO BE PAID P PD POSITIONS.
UM, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY PUSHED BACK ON AND SAID, WELL, ANOTHER MARKETS, WE JUST PAY SECURITY FIRM, OR WE'LL JUST PAY A TRAFFIC COMPANY TO COME AND MANAGE THAT.
AND IT WAS SAID, NOPE, NOT HERE.
YOU'VE GOTTA PAY THOSE POSITIONS.
SO I THINK THE FACT THAT SUCH A POINT WAS MADE TO, TO HIRE THOSE AS POSITIONS AND THEN WE HAD TROUBLE WITH ATTRITION, THAT'S WHAT LEFT A BAD TASTE IN THEIR MOUTH.
I DO WANNA BE CLEAR THIS ISN'T A COMMONPLACE PROBLEM ACROSS ALL OUR EVENTS.
WELL, ALSO, IT SEEM TO ME THAT THAT ACTUALLY ADDS TO THE COST OF THE CLIENT FOR THE EVENT.
SO IF THE CITY CAN'T DELIVER ON ITS OWN REQUIREMENTS, THEN MAYBE WE SHOULD REASSESS AND AS YOU WERE SAYING, BE MORE FLEXIBLE AND, AND NOT STATING A, YOU KNOW, NON-NEGOTIABLE AND TRY AND WORK WITH, UM, FOLKS THAT ARE TRYING TO COME INTO TOWN AND BRING THIS INVESTMENT.
UM, ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I HAVE, UM, IS IN REGARDS TO WHERE IS YOUR PRESENTATION? OH, IT'S, IT'S OVER HERE.
UM, THIS FANS' FIRST MENTALITY.
AND, UM, I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO HOW PEOPLE SHOW UP TO THESE EVENTS AND, UM, DO YOU THINK THAT FANS, UM, TAUS, CAN THEY, CAN THEY TELL A A WELL ORGANIZED EVENT OVER ANY OTHER? I JUST, I THINK THAT THERE'S, SO, THERE'S SO MANY, RIGHT? UM, AND I'M NOT SURE PEOPLE KNOW THE INS AND OUTS AND I WOULD SAY SEEING THE, THE COPA LAST NIGHT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE THAT MAYBE COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.
BUT, UH, COULD YOU, COULD YOU GIVE SOME INSIGHT INTO THAT? YES, I'M, I'M GLAD YOU CIRCLED BACK TO IT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF ALWAYS BEEN A PHILOSOPHY.
SO THAT CARRIES THROUGH TO THE MOST SIMPLISTIC BASIC NEEDS THAT A FAN COULD HAVE AT AN EVENT.
WHAT ARE THE RESTROOMS LIKE? HOW CLEAN ARE THEY? HOW LONG ARE THE LINES? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET FOOD? WHAT ARE MY FOOD CHOICES? ARE THEY LOCAL PLACES OR AM I EATING AT, YOU KNOW, AN AWFUL TURKEY LEG FROM A, FROM A CARNIVAL? UM, HOW, HOW GOOD IS THE SIGNAGE? HOW WELL CAN I SEE EVERYTHING? SO WE CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AND EVEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO UPDATE OUR FESTIVAL STANDARDS.
AND I WOULD SAY OUR INDUSTRY STANDARDS ARE, UM, MUCH HIGHER THAN, THAN THE REST OF THE INDUSTRY OUT THERE.
[00:40:01]
TO MATH FOR THE MOST PART OF, HEY, THERE'S, THERE'S A MINIMAL NUMBER OF RESTROOMS PER HEAD.THERE'S A MINIMAL NUMBER OF FOOD AND BAR FOOTAGE PER HEAD.
UM, ALL OF THAT IS NOT LEFT A CHANCE.
BUT I THINK IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CITY AND EVENTS THAT GO BEYOND OUR SCOPE, UM, I THINK IT'S KEEPING RAINS ON THAT IF YOU GUYS ARE GONNA GO TO THE TROUBLE TO CLOSE STREETS DOWN TO INCONVENIENCE PEOPLE, UM, AND TO HAVE A PUBLIC EVENT ON A PUBLIC ROADWAY OR A PUBLIC PARK, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S EXECUTED PROPERLY.
UM, THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS MAKE AN EXCEPTION AND CLOSE AUDITORIUM SHORES FOR A WEEKEND AND HAVE TERRIBLY LONG LINES AND AN AWFUL FOOD EXPERIENCE AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
UH, THAT REFLECTS POORLY, I THINK, ON THE WHOLE CITY.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE PHILOSOPHY, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE TRY TO GET THERE.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY YOU SEE THAT IN OUR SHOWS.
AND NOTICING THAT WE ARE SORT OF A GROUP OF CITIZENS HERE FROM DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AS A, AN EVENT PROMOTER, EVENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
UH, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE SOME THREE TANGIBLE IDEAS OR TOPICS THAT PERHAPS WE COULD ADDRESS IN RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL TO IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE OF, UH, OF, OF DOING YOUR WORK HERE IN AUSTIN AND HELPING US PROMOTE MORE ROOM NIGHTS IN THE CITY? UM, PUT ME ON THE SPOT.
UM, SO I'LL, I'LL DATE MYSELF HERE.
WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL 30 YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, THE TO-DOS IN AUSTIN WERE YOURS AND REGGAE FESTIVAL.
UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS ABOUT IT,
UM, AND OVER THE YEARS AS SOUTH BY GREW AND KIND OF HIT ITS PEAK, UM, PEOPLE LOVED IT BECAUSE THERE WAS FREE MUSIC ON EVERY BLOCK AND THERE WAS STAGES ON EVERY BLOCK, AND IT WAS FREE AND IT WAS FUN.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE NORMAL GROWING PAINS OF A BIG CITY, SO IT'S NOT AS EASY TO DO THOSE THINGS.
WE, WE CAN'T BE AS FLEXIBLE AND JUST THROW A STAGE UP ON A CORNER.
I MEAN, HELL, THERE'S NOT CORNERS ANYMORE SOUTH BY USED TO HAVE A, A PARKING LOT EVERY OTHER BLOCK ALONG CONGRESS THAT COULD HOST A BIG EVENT.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT REAL ESTATE.
SO THAT'S ALL THE MORE NEED FOR THE CITY TO HELP PROVIDE THAT REAL ESTATE.
WE DON'T WANNA LOSE THOSE THINGS.
THOSE WERE THE THINGS THAT MADE AUSTIN SPECIAL.
UM, BUT WE'VE RUN OUT OF PLACES TO HOST 'EM.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE MOODY AMP IS A GREAT, THAT, THAT'S A GREAT STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL VENUE, BUT I THINK THESE BIGGER, LARGER SCALE EVENTS THAT A BRAND MIGHT WANT TO COME IN OR A LEAGUE MIGHT WANT TO COME IN AND PUT ON, REQUIRE MORE THAN THAT, REQUIRE MORE SPACE THAN THAT.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE ONES PARTICULARLY THAT COULD BE, UH, FREE TO THE AUSTIN PUBLIC, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE REASON THE DRAFT GETS AS MUCH LEVERAGE AS IT DOES WHEN WE GO INTO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT MARKETS IS WE'RE NOT A TICKETED EVENT.
UM, 100% OF THOSE EXPENSES ARE PAID BY THE NFL.
UH, AND THAT IS A SPECIAL THING THAT THE CITY GOES, HEY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A BET HERE AND WE'RE GONNA INVEST HOWEVER MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THIS SHOW.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS GONNA BE TENFOLD.
UM, AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THE INCONVENIENCES THAT WE'RE GIVING OUR CITIZENS ARE GONNA BE OUTWEIGHED BY THE FACT THAT WE'RE BRINGING THIS FREE EVENT.
UH, IF THEY WERE TO DO THAT AND CHARGE A HUNDRED DOLLARS TICKET, NO WAY.
SO I THINK LOOKING FOR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, UM, REALLY HELPS THE COMMUNITY BUY IN.
SO THOSE ARE PROBABLY THE, THE FIRST TWO.
AND THEN I THINK, YOU KNOW, NUMBER THREE IS JUST LOOKING AT THAT KIND OF SHINING EXAMPLE OF A, A BUTCH SPIRIT AND IN NASHVILLE AND THAT TYPE OF MODEL WHERE IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE HANDLE THESE MARQUEE STYLE EVENTS AND, AND DO A LITTLE BIT HIGHER LEVEL OF WHITE GLOVE SERVICE TO THOSE CLIENTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE COMING IN, THAT ARE CONSIDERING THINGS AND GOING, HEY, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS EASY FOR YOU.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS A NO-BRAINER TO PUT THIS HERE.
I WAS JUST GONNA COMMENT THAT THERE, IT OCCURRED TO ME WHEN I WAS THINKING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH CMT THAT, YOU KNOW, CMT HAS BEEN IN, IT'S A NASHVILLE BASED ORGANIZATION, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW DIALED IN NASHVILLE HAS SOME OF THEIR CITY CIVIC, YOU KNOW, OPERATIONS.
AND SO IT'S NOT A COMPLETE SHOCKER THAT WHEN THEY
[00:45:01]
LEFT THEIR, THE SAFETY OF THEIR NEST AND BROUGHT THEIR PRODUCT AT TO A NEW MARKET THAT THEY BUMPED UP AGAINST THE, THE EXPECTATIONS.THEY JUST ASSUMED BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY'VE OPERATED IN THEIR OWN HOMETOWN FOR A WHILE TO STEP OUT, I THINK PROBABLY NO DIFFERENT THAN POTENTIALLY WHAT WOULD BE HAPPENING WHEN THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS COME UP TO PLAY THE MOODY CENTER.
I MEAN, I'M SURE THERE'S BACKGROUND THINGS GOING ON THAT WE WILL NEVER SEE OR KNOW ABOUT, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROFESSIONALS LEANING INTO THIS.
IT'S PROBABLY WHOS US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THOSE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS.
BUT THERE'S A REALITY, I WOULD EVEN SAY, AND AS SO MUCH AS SINCE I WAS AROUND WHEN C3 LANDED THE LOLLAPALOOZA BUSINESS, AND IT WENT FROM BEING A TRAVELING FESTIVAL TO A DESTINATION FOCUS FESTIVAL, COMPLETELY CHANGED THE MODEL.
AND THAT CHANGED THE, YOU KNOW, CHICAGO, I MEAN, IT WAS NO LONGER JUST SOMETHING PASSING THROUGH TOWN, BUT CITY MAKING A DECISION.
IT WAS GONNA INVEST IN AN ICONIC BRAND AND, AND A LONG-TERM DECISION TO COURT A DESTINATION GROUP OF MUSIC BANDS.
SO I, I MEAN, AND THEN YOU WERE, I THINK AS YOUR COMPANY, ONCE YOU PROVED THE MODEL, YOU ARE, YOU ARE ABLE TO TAKE THE LEARNINGS AND GO TO OTHER MARKETS THAT WERE, AND BE YOU HAD A TEMPLATE FOR SURE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR CONTINUITY AND NOT HAVING, I'M SURE, LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER, SOMETHING FIRST YEAR, FIRST YEAR STARTUPS HAVE MORE OF A LEARNING CURVE.
IT'S HARD, EVEN IF THEY'VE GOT THE BENEFIT OF YOUR EXPERTISE AND YEARS OF SCALING EVENTS IN BIG MARKETS, SMALL MARKETS, ALL OF THAT.
THERE'S JUST, THERE'S A LEARNING CURVE THAT HAS TO GO ON.
I'M THINKING ABOUT LIKE, SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WENT ON OVER IN ARKANSAS, NOT, NOT YOUR COMPANY'S BUSINESS, BUT I SAW THAT ARKANSAS AND THE, THEY WERE REALLY TRYING TO BUILD A DESTINATION FESTIVAL OVER THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, MOVING PEOPLE TO ARKANSAS AS A DESTINATION IS A TRICKIER THAN MOVING THEM TO VEGAS OR MOVING THEM TO BOULDER.
OHIO HAS HAD PROBLEMS, THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME SITTING IN CLEVELAND, BUT NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO TO CLEVELAND.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE THE ROCK HALL.
NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO SPIN TO CLEVELAND TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO SOMETIMES IT, IT COMES, IT, IT TAKES TIME.
BUT I, I LIKE THE EXAMPLES THAT YOU PROVIDED.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CANDIDNESS AND TRANSPARENCY OF YOUR WORK.
YEAH, NO, AND YOU, I MEAN, YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT.
THERE'S, I DON'T THINK WE'VE RUN INTO ANYTHING HERE THAT YOU WOULDN'T EXPERIENCE IN A, A FIRST YEAR AT EVENT IN ANY CITY.
UM, BUT AS I SAID, I THINK SOME MAKE IT EASIER THAN OTHERS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO ASPIRE TO BE.
NOT EVERY CITY HAS A TOURISM COMMISSION.
I MEAN, I THINK WE'VE ALL ASKED IN DIFFERENT WAYS, AND WE DO CARE ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO, USE THIS PULPIT AND PLATFORM TO ASSIST MAKING US ALL SMARTER AND AS OUR CHARGE, FINDING NEW WAYS TO RAISE MORE HOT TAX.
I, I AUSTIN'S IN A WEIRD SPOT FOR GUYS LIKE US THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOREVER.
IT'S YOU, YOU CAN'T, THAT LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE THAT MADE THIS PLACE SO SPECIAL AND SO UNIQUE AS WE, WE'VE OUTGROWN A LOT OF THAT, THAT'S JUST GROWING PAINTS.
THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, NOW WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO KEEP SOME PIECE OF THAT AND, AND MAKE THE PROCESS EASIER SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ENJOY THE SAME THINGS WE ALL FELL IN LOVE WITH.
VICE CHAIR BAILEY COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? SHOUT OUT SALT LAKE CITY AND THE KIRBY BLOCK PARTY.
UH, NO, THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. BLOCKER.
WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THE TIME AND ALSO THE SORT OF, UH, INTERNAL THINKING THAT THESE EVENTS AND THEIR ORGANIZATION REQUIRE AND SOME OF THE INSIGHT THAT YOU PROVIDE THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT I'M GONNA GO AWAY WITH IS, YOU KNOW, JUST UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS NOT EASY AND ALSO EVERY CITY IS DOING THIS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO THE WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE IT EASIER, AS YOU'VE STATED, IS, IS SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT AND, AND REFLECT UPON AS WE APPROACH OTHER TOPICS, UH, INTERLAY TOPICS IN TOURISM.
AND SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR TIME THIS AFTERNOON AND THE ADDITIONAL INSIGHT THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT THAT DEEPENS OUR THINKING.
ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT TOPIC
[4. Discussion regarding the Tourism Commission Road Map on exclusive topics]
ON THE AGENDA.UM, TOPIC ITEM NUMBER FOUR, DISCUSSION REGARDING THE TOURISM COMMISSION ROADMAP ON, UH, EXCLUSIVE TOPICS.
WOW, I THINK THAT IS A TYPO, BUT WE'LL GO FOR IT.
UH, SO YOU'LL ALL AS COMMISSIONERS HAVE, UH, RECEIVED THIS, UM, HANDOUT BEFORE THE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON.
[00:50:01]
DOC DOCUMENT, THE TOURISM COMMISSION ROADMAP, UH, WHICH YOU WILL FIND HERE IN YOUR PACKET.UH, WE HAVE FIVE MEETINGS LEFT THIS YEAR.
UM, AS YOU'LL REMEMBER, AUGUST HAS ALWAYS BEEN A, UH, NO MEETING MONTH.
UM, WE HAVE FOUR ADDITIONAL TOPICS AND I THOUGHT WE WOULD TAKE SOME TIME TODAY CONSIDERING WE ONLY HAD ONE SPEAKER, UH, TO SPEAK, UH, MORE OPENLY ABOUT WHERE WE SEE THE COMMISSION GOING, UH, THE REST OF THIS YEAR AS WE REFLECT ON THE SUCCESSES OF THE PAST FISCAL YEAR, UM, OF WORK HERE ON THE TOURISM COMMISSION A LITTLE LATER IN THE MEETING.
BUT, UH, I'LL JUST GO RIGHT DOWN THE LIST HERE.
WE'VE GOT, UH, SEPTEMBER 11TH, WHICH IS THE NEXT, UH, COMMISSION MEETING, UH, WHERE WE TALK ABOUT FUNDING AUSTIN TOURISM THE CITY HOT TAX, UH, BRINGING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVES TO SPEAK TO THE STATUS OF THE, UH, THE HOT TAX, HOW, UM, IT HAS TRENDED OVER THE PAST YEAR IN PARTICULAR.
AND, UH, WAYS THAT WE CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF HOW THE HOT TAX IS BEING RAISED AND ALSO BEING SPENT ON, UM, THE REVENUE SIDE AS WELL AS THE EXPENSE SIDE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I FEEL AS THE COMMISSION DEDICATED TOWARDS REVIEWING THE HOT TAX AND HOW IT'S ALLOCATED AND ALSO OFFERING RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL THIS, UH, SHOULD PROBABLY BE A STAND STANDING MEETING EACH YEAR WHERE WE TAKE A, TAKE A STOCK IN, IN THE EFFICACY OF THE HOT TAX, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE LISTED IT HERE.
UH, MOVING ON TO, I, I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST GO THROUGH EACH TOPIC, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
WE GO BACK THROUGH AND TALK ABOUT ALL OF THEM AGAIN.
UH, JUST SO WE CAN JUST POWER THROUGH AND NOT HAVE TO REINTRODUCE EVERYTHING.
UM, UH, OCTOBER 9TH, UH, ACROSS TOWN FROM DISTRICTS TO DOWNTOWN, FOCUSING ON THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAINLY, BUT ALSO, UH, TOPICS IS THE REGARD.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION, UH, ECONOMIC INVESTMENT, SMALL BUSINESS.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING.
WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST ABOUT THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT, WHICH WILL ALSO ADJUST TODAY, UM, IN ANOTHER TOPIC.
UM, THE PALM DISTRICT CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS.
WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? YOU KNOW, I THINK GETTING UPDATED AS TO PARTICULARLY WHAT'S GOING ON DOWNTOWN WHERE A LOT OF, UH, TOURIST VISITS AND STAY, UH, WOULD BE A GOOD TOPIC.
UM, NOVEMBER 13TH THAT I ALLUDED TO IN, UM, DURING MR. BLOCKER'S PRESENTATION THIS AFTERNOON, UH, WAS THE FOCUS ON TOURISM AND WELLNESS.
HOW CAN WE CREATE, UH, AN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S OPEN AND WELCOMING TO VISITING TOURISTS HERE IN AUSTIN THAT CENTERS WELLNESS AND, YOU KNOW, HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS FOR, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY SINGLE TOURISTS AND COUPLES, BUT FAMILIES AND KIDS.
UH, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT, UM, HOW, UH, BARS AND OTHER VENUES ARE CONDUCIVE TO THE HEALTH OF TOURISTS, UH, DOWN TO THE OPERATIONS OF, OF NIGHTCLUBS, HOW THEY CAN BE IMPROVED FOR THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE OF OUR GUESTS AND VISITORS TO AUSTIN.
UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE DECEMBER 11TH AS A NO MEETING MONTH.
UM, BUT IT'S STILL ON THE CALENDAR AND WE HAVE DISCUSSED POTENTIALLY SLOTTING IN, UH, AN AGENDA ITEM.
SO I, WE'VE LEFT IT ON THE CALENDAR AS A NO MEETING, BUT, UH, WE'VE TALKED OPENLY IN THE PAST ABOUT PLACING AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR THAT MONTH.
SO I WANTED TO CALL ATTENTION TO THAT TO COMMISSIONERS TODAY.
UM, AND WITH THAT, THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S ON OUR LIST FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
AND I BELIEVE, UH, VICE CHAIR BANNON HAD A COMMENT, SORRY, VICE CHAIR BAILEY.
UH, I GUESS I JUST WANTED, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NEXT MEETING, THE, THE, THE SEPTEMBER 11TH MEETING, IF WE'RE GOING TO, I GUESS I WAS PROPOSING THAT WE CONSIDER EXPANDING BEYOND CITY ON H OR AT LEAST TO LOOK AT THE CITY, THAT WE LOOK AT IT IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE STATE AND POTENTIALLY THE COUNTY, SO THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IT IN A BROADER CONTEXT THAT, I MEAN, THAT WE'RE SEEING WHERE WE FIT INTO A BROADER MA MA MATRIX IN THEIR ECOSYSTEM.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WAS A, THERE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THIS BODY, A LOT OF THE ASPIRATIONS AND SOME OF THE, THE ATTEMPTS THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED TO EXPAND CONTRIBUTIONS STRATEGICALLY, WE RUN INTO THE STATE THINGS.
SO I WANT TO, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE, IF PART OF IT IS TO RE REORIENT THIS BODY WITH THOSE PRINCIPLES, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SITTING HERE FOR FOUR YEARS, THAT IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO LOOK AT IT TOGETHER.
AND, AND IF THERE'S A, I MEAN, WE KNOW WHO THE STATE PERSON IS
[00:55:01]
TYPICALLY IS, BUT SCOTT JOLO, WHO USED TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS BODY, HAS COUNSELED US MUCH ON THE STATE STATUTES AS FAR AS TRAVIS COUNTY GOES.I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT ON WHERE WE WOULD GO WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME MAJOR CONVERSATIONS GOING ON ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TRAVIS COUNTY EXPANDING ITS FOOTPRINT AND OTHER SERVICES AND RAISING MORE HOT TAX AND THE EXPOSITION CENTER BEING THE PRIME AREA OF DISCUSSION IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO IF WE CAN TAILOR IT JUST, THAT'S MY SUGGESTION.
I HAVE ON THAT PARTICULAR, I GOT NOTHING ELSE.
VICE CHAIR BAILEY, COMMISSIONER SHAPEY.
SO I, I, I NOTICED IN THE PROPOSED CITY BUDGET THAT THEY'RE, UH, MOVING HERITAGE TOURISM FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO PARD, AT LEAST IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO, UH, SOMETHING THAT I, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IS MAYBE GETTING A PARD REPRESENTATIVE, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE IN THIS, UH, HOT MEETING SINCE IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'LL BE PLAYING AN INCREASED ROLE.
ARE THERE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? THOSE ON, ON ZOOM HAVE BEEN QUIET.
OH, COMMISSIONER CHAN, EXCUSE ME.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS FITS IN WITH THE OCTOBER 9TH, UH, DISTRICTS OR THE, UM, THE CONVERSATION ABOUT BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS, BUT STREAM REALTY IS GOING THROUGH A MAJOR, YOU KNOW, PROJECT ON, UM, E SIX AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I RECENTLY WENT TO A NEW RESTAURANT THERE THAT'S ON ONE OF THEIR PROPERTIES.
UM, I THINK, AND I'VE, I'VE SEEN A PRESENTATION BY THEM BEFORE.
UM, AND I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY AT LARGE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE ABOUT THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A PLACE WE COULD GET A GOOD COMMUNITY PRESENTER.
UM, THOSE ON, I ACTUALLY TECHNICALLY THINK IT'S MICROSOFT WEBEX.
ANY THOUGHTS ONLINE? COMMISSIONER PENOC? SOUND'S NOT ON.
YOU SAID WE WERE QUIET, SO I THOUGHT I'D CHIME IN.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY I AGREE WITH, UH, COMMI COMMISSIONER BAILEY ABOUT EXPANDING IT A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THE STATE, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S DATA WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT AS A WHOLE AND NOT JUST IN A VACUUM.
UM, ESPECIALLY I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO JUST THE ECONOMICS OF THE AREA AND HOW FAR IT EXPANDS, YOU KNOW, SO LIKE WHAT EVENTS WE HAVE IN AUSTIN, HOW IT'S IMPACTING TEXAS AS A WHOLE, AND VICE VERSA.
COMMISSIONER PENOC, OTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS ROADMAP? CHARTING THE COURSES, CHARTING THE COURSE, RATHER OF OUR MEETINGS.
IS THERE A DESIRE TO HAVE A DECEMBER MEETING THIS YEAR AT THIS POINT? IS THERE A TOPIC THAT WE HAVEN'T COVERED THAT PERHAPS COULD BE SLOTTED FOR THAT DATE? COMMISSIONER PENOC, I THINK TWO MEETINGS AGO I WAS VOCAL ABOUT HAVING A MEETING IN DECEMBER.
AND REALLY MY THOUGHT PROCESS IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE MEETINGS ONCE A MONTH, AND WHEN YOU M MISS A MONTH, IT'S, YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY MISSING TWO MONTHS.
AND WHILE I THINK WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET A LOT OF, UM, UH, SPEAKERS IN A DECEMBER MEETING, I, I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO, AS A COMMISSION MEET AND JUST MAKE SURE WE HAVE OUR DUCKS IN A ROW FOR THE COMING YEAR AND KIND OF STAY IN TOUCH EVEN IF WE, YOU KNOW, AREN'T ABLE TO HAVE A PRESENTATION ON ONE OF THE ROADMAP, UH, ROADMAP, UM, SUBJECTS.
WOULD THERE BE VALUE IN A PLANNING MEETING FOR THE, THE NEXT YEAR IN DECEMBER THAT COULD HELP US SORT OF SET THE TABLE FOR 2025? WOULD THERE BE INTEREST IN THAT IN HAVING A BROADER CONVERSATION AS TO WHERE THE ORGANIZATION WANTS TO GO, RATHER THE, THE COMMISSION? I LIKE THAT.
EY, OTHER COMMISSIONER'S THOUGHTS? COMMISSIONER BAILEY? I'M, I'M INCLINED TO TO AGREE THAT WE SHOULD, I HAVE, THERE'S NO, I DON'T SEE A REASON TO TAKE DECEMBER OFF THE MAP.
[01:00:01]
I MEAN, I KNOW WHEN WE DO, THERE'S, THERE'S EITHER BEEN A, SOME PRESSURE POINT ON ACCESS TO A SPACE OR LIKE MARCH BEING SOUTH BY, YOU KNOW, AND WE REALIZE THAT THERE'S MONTHS OR SO, I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHY WE TOOK IT OFF THE MAP BEGIN WITH, AND NOW FOR SOME REASON, I JUST DON'T EVEN REMEMBER.WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE IT FIGURED OUT TODAY WHAT THAT MEETING IS.
DO WE? I MEAN, THE ROADMAP'S NOT AN ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT.
IT'S SURE IT'S US DOING DUE DILIGENCE AND HAVING A GOOD, UM, PLAN, BUT NO, EXACTLY.
AND I THINK, UH, THE SPACE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ROADMAP IS TO REALLY ASSIST ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHY WE'RE HERE, RIGHT? AND REALLY REFERRING BACK TO OUR MISSION, UM, UH, TO HELP, UH, ADVISE COUNCIL ON HOT TAX AND BROADER TOURISM MATTERS.
AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CENTERING OURSELVES AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO SHOW UP FOR THE TOPICS THAT HAVE, UM, BEARING ON TOURISM AND THE TOURISM INDUSTRY HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND, UM, SO I THINK MAYBE WHAT WE CAN DO IS KEEP OUR THINKING CAPS ON AND, UM, OF COURSE, I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO INTERCEPT ANY IDEAS COMMISSIONERS MAY HAVE ABOUT POTENTIAL TOPICS.
I THINK HAVING MORE OWNERSHIP IN THE AGENDA EACH MONTH IS A GOOD WAY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A VIBRANT DISCUSSION AND THAT WE'RE BRINGING ALL IDEAS TO THE TABLE AND ALSO HOPEFULLY FERMENTING, UH, NEW IDEAS AND POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND SOLUTIONS FOR COUNCIL.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE, UH, THAT IS THE GOAL OF WHY THERE IS A COMMISSION THAT WE ACTUALLY PUSH FORTH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND ALSO, UM, CAN HELP SOLVE SOME OF THE, THE BROADER ISSUES AND CHALLENGES AROUND TOURISM FOR THE BETTERMENT OF TOURISM AND THE HOT TECHS IN, IN AUSTIN.
I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER CHAPEL HAS A COMMENT.
UH, JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF KIND OF WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE TALKED ABOUT, I AGREE FOR, UH, KEEPING THE DECEMBER MEETING, I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A VALUE ADD IN TERMS OF, OF TOPICS.
I THINK IT WOULD BE NICE TO HEAR FROM MAYBE, UM, I DUNNO IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR STAFF OR DEPARTMENT LIAISONS TO KIND OF REPRESENT MAYBE LIKE TRAFFIC OR LIKE POLICE AND FIRE AND KIND OF HEAR THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT ARE THESE EVENTS LIKE FROM THEIR LANDS AND FROM THEIR SEAT.
AND THAT COORDINATION THAT WRAPS AROUND THAT.
I THINK WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UM, AND KIND OF GETTING THEIR, THEIR INPUT.
IT'D BE, IT'D BE BENEFICIAL, UM, IN THE SAME WAY THAT UNDERSTANDING THE HOT TAX, UH, HOLISTICALLY AS WELL.
SO THOSE COULD BE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE DECEMBER MEETING.
SO TO MAKE HER SURE THAT
DID I, UM, SYNTHESIZE THAT? WELL IN MY MIND? YOU DID.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA? YES, VICE CHAIR BAILEY.
THIS WILL DOVETAIL AND BE YOUR SEGUE TO THE NEXT ITEM, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO MENTION IT IN THE NEXT ITEM.
UM, I'LL THROW UP ANOTHER PROPOSED DISCUSSION POTENTIALLY FOR DECEMBER IS, YOU KNOW, ITEMS, IF WE LOOK AT OUR ORDINANCE, THE ORDINANCE, THE CITY CODE THAT CREATED THE TOURISM IN ADDITION TO NUMBER A, WHICH IS WE UTILIZE AS PART OF OUR PURPOSE, THERE'S ALSO B AND C AND UNDER B, THERE ARE SEVEN ITEMS UNDER B.
AND TWO OF THE ITEMS UNDER B TALK ABOUT FACILITIES, TALKS ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF FACILITIES.
AND AS WE KNOW NEXT YEAR, THE, THE CURRENT AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER IS GONNA BE DECOMMISSIONED AFTER SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
AND SO THERE IS A PROCESS GOING ON AS WE SPEAK IN THE CITY TO GET THINGS FIGURED OUT THAT WHAT THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER, THE DESIGN PROCESS IS HAPPENING.
SO I FEEL LIKE POTENTIALLY BY DECEMBER THERE COULD BE NEWS THAT AFFECTS 2025 THAT WE MIGHT WANNA BE DISCUSSING AND AWARE OF OR HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM TO, TO BE PREPARED TO REVIEW ITEMS THAT ARE COMING TO THE CITY RELATED TO
[01:05:01]
THAT BUILD OUT PROCESS.THERE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE TPD, WHICH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE TI AND WHAT WE'VE DONE, BUT THE TPI ITSELF HASN'T HAPPENED YET.
THE TPI IF IT'S GONNA HAPPEN, IS WE NEED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT WHEN IT HAPPENS AND WHAT IT MEANS, NOT JUST THAT WE MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO MAXIMIZE HOMELESS SUPPORT FROM THE TPI.
I MEAN, TPI IS GONNA BE A VERY ACTIVE SITUATION THAT'S GONNA BE UTILIZED TO MARKET THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
SO I JUST WANNA REMIND US THAT THOSE ARE OPPORTUNITIES, I REALLY SEE THEM FOR ROADMAP COMMITMENT FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO I REALLY DO BELIEVE THIS IS ABOUT THINGS THAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON FOR NEXT YEAR IN OUR, IN OUR REPORT, BUT I ALSO THINK IT COULD BE A SWING TOPIC FOR DECEMBER.
ADDITIONAL TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO DOVETAIL OFF OF VICE CHAIR BAILEY'S COMMENTS WITH REGARD TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I THINK THERE'S A, A REAL OPPORTUNITY ALSO TO INTERFACE WITH CONVENTION CENTER REPRESENTATIVES, CITY STAFF TO UNDERSTAND THE DESIGN PROCESS CURRENTLY AND WHERE IT IS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD ABOUT TOWERS AT THAT SITE AND, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING MORE ABOUT HOW THAT'S BEING FINANCED AND WHAT THE LONG-TERM PRO FORMA FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER IS.
AND ITS LONG-TERM SUCCESS AT THAT SITE.
AND OTHER, UH, ADDITIONAL DESIGN ELEMENTS AND USES, UH, TO BENEFIT TOURISM AND, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY HOUSING ANOTHER MUSEUM USE WHATEVER IT IS, UM, I THINK WOULD BE, UH, GOOD FOR THIS COMMISSION TO LEARN MORE ABOUT.
UH, SO I MIGHT, UM, ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO ENGENDER A CONVERSATION WITH REGARD TO HOW THE COMMISSION CENTER PLANNING IS PROGRESSING EVEN BEFORE NEXT YEAR AS WE, UH, LOOK TO REMAIN ABREAST OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENTS AND ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTE OUR, UH, VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES AS WELL.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? HEARING NONE, I AM PROPOSE THAT WE MOVE ON TO THE
[Items 5 & 6 ]
NEXT TOPIC ON THE AGENDA.AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHERE WE SPEAK TO THE ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW FOR THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION.
THIS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IS A REQUIRED DOCUMENT, UH, FROM ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT GOES TO COUNCIL, I BELIEVE, OR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, I BELIEVE, UH, TO, UM, CLERK'S OFFICE, EXCUSE ME, THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO, UM, EXAMINE, UM, THE EFFICACY OF EACH BOARD AND COMMISSION AND SEEING IF WE'RE MEETING THE SCOPE OF THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN SET FORTH BY COUNCIL, UM, FOR US TO BE ENGAGED ON THE TOPIC OF TOURISM AND THE HOT TAX.
SO, UH, THIS ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW, UH, REALLY HELPS US KEEP US FOCUSED AS TO WHAT WE HAVE DONE AND HAVE ACCOMPLISHED, AND ALSO, UH, HELPS, UH, GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROJECT WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IN 2025, UM, RATHER THIS NEW FISCAL YEAR FROM 2024 TO 2025 THAT, UM, SETS US ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
SO YOU ALL HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THIS DOCUMENT AND I, UH, REVIEWED THE DISCUSSION FROM THE LAST MEETING ON, UM, JUNE, EXCUSE ME, JUNE, I ACTUALLY FORGET WHAT DATE THAT WAS.
UM, WITH REGARD TO, UM, JUNE 12TH, UH, THE INTERNAL REPORT.
AND I DID NOT HEAR ANY CONCLUSIVE RECOMMENDATIONS OR COMMENTS THAT, TO CHANGE WHAT THIS REPORT CURRENTLY SAYS.
AND SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO CALL OUT THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE PASSED TODAY, UH, PER THE REQUIREMENTS OF PRODUCING THE INTERNAL REPORT.
AND SO IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS, UM, OR RECOMMENDATIONS, WE WANT TO BE SURE TO ADDRESS THEM AND, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH THEM TODAY SO WE CAN, UH, PASS THIS DOCUMENT, UM, OR RATHER MOVE IT FORWARD.
ARE THERE COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER CHAN, SILENT COUPLE? EXCUSE ME.
UM, ONE IN ITEM C ON THE FIRST PAGE.
UM, UNANIMOUS RESOLUTION OF CITY COUNCIL TO FULLY FUND THE RED RIVERS CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S EXACT AS CLOSE TO WHAT WE DID, BUT REALLY DOESN'T ADD, RIGHTLY DESCRIBE IT.
IT WAS TO FUND IT ON A, BASICALLY A CONSISTENT BASIS WITH THE OTHER CULTURAL DISTRICTS, UM, IN THE CITY.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
[01:10:01]
COMMISSIONER KANATI, THIS IS GONNA BE A TOPIC THAT WE ADDRESS LATER IN THE MEETING, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE COMMISSION PUT FORTH IN, I BELIEVE APRIL OF THIS YEAR WITH REGARD TO THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.UM, DOES THAT, UM, MEET YOUR RECALL IN TERMS OF WHAT THE COMMISSION EXPLICITLY PASS SINCE THAT YOU'VE HAD MOST, UM, FOCUS ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM? UH, UM, I THINK, I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER'S OBSERVATION IS CORRECT THAT THIS, I DON'T KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THE EXACT WORDING LINES UP WHAT WE ACTUALLY DID, BUT FULLY FUNDING WASN'T WHAT WE'VE PASSED.
UM, UH, I'M TRYING TO LOOK, I'M, I'M SORRY.
THIS IS A LITTLE CONFUSING ON THE SCREEN HERE.
THAT WE WANTED TO ALLOCATE FUNDING IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET TO THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
THE WORD ARTS DOESN'T BELONG THERE, CONSISTENT WITH AMOUNTS ALLOCATED TO OTHER CULTURAL DISTRICTS WAS WHAT WE PASSED.
I'M JUST SAYING THE RESOLUTION, THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT, BUT I'M NOT GONNA QUIBBLE ABOUT THEM.
THIS IS JUST A SHORT SUMMARY, I GUESS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER KANATI.
AND I, I, I WANTED TO SAY TOO THAT THAT IS ALSO MY RECOLLECTION.
SO I THINK WE CAN CHANGE THIS, UM, LANGUAGE TO REFLECT, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, SHANNON'S COMMENT AND, UH, COMMISSIONER CTI'S AFFIRMATION THAT THIS WAS, UH, A RESOLUTION THAT OUR, RATHER, A BROADER RECOMMENDATION THAT THE COMMISSION PASS TO FUND THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT AT AN AMOUNT CONSISTENT WITH THE EXISTENT, UH, CULTURAL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CITY.
SO I'M HAPPY TO CHANGE THAT LANGUAGE ACCORDINGLY.
I HAVE ONE COMMISSIONER, ONE COMMENT, AND SO ON THE BACK PAGE, PAGE TWO, UH, UNDER A, WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING CONTACTS REVENUE FOR USES PERTAINING TO TOURISM RELATED ACTIVITIES, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD ADD AS NUMBER ONE, PROMOTING TOURISM SURE.
AS LIKE A, A, A AND THEN A BECOMES B.
NO, I, I JUST THINK IN THIS LIST, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO USE OF HOT TAX MONEY, SHOULD WE TAKE A, SHOULD WE TAKE A ME COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL? DO WE WANT TO TAKE A ME A METRIC LIKE ARE, WE'RE TRYING TO INCREASE RIGHT.
SO YES, WE'RE TRYING TO IN INCREASE TOURISM, BUT IF WE TIE IT BACK TO KIND OF SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO EITHER WE TIE IT BACK TO, TO EITHER SOME OTHER KPI, AND I'M JUST TALKING OUT LOUD, I THINKING EITHER, UM, EXTENDED STAYS OR RIGHT DAYS SPENT OVERNIGHT IN, IN AUSTIN AND THEN TIE IT BACK RATHER THAN JUST OVERARCHING.
WAIT, WHAT, SO WHAT I'M HEARING BETWEEN COMMISSIONER SHANNON AND COMMISSIONER BAILEY IS THAT WE, UH, ARE PERHAPS MORE EXPLICIT IN HOW WE TALK ABOUT RAISING HOT TAX REVENUE AND PROMOTING TOURISM.
DO WE JUST WANNA MAKE THAT ITS OWN SEPARATE POINT AND THEN PERHAPS ADD IN A METRIC? OR IS THAT TOO IN THE WEEDS? I KNOW.
CAN I COMMENT IF IT'S ME, COMMISSIONER, UH, RATHER VICE CHAIR BAILEY.
WELL, I THINK MY, MY COMMENT IF I'M READING COMMISSIONER CHANIN, IS THAT EVERYTHING IN A IS ABOUT SPENDING ON CULTURAL ARTS, HERITAGE, GRANTS, PARKS.
IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY SAY WHAT IT SAYS IN HERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS OR MARKET RELATED ADVERTISING FOR FUTURE FOR TOURISTS, FOR TOURISM TO CITY INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR FACILITY INVESTMENTS RELATED TOURISM STUDIES AND REPORTS AND PLANS RELATED AUTO CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION.
LIKE I THINK A LOT OF THIS HOT TAX, HOT TAX SPEND, SPENDINGS AND C SPENDING OF HOT TAX DOLLARS SPENDING OF HOT TAX DOLLARS INCREASING HOT TAX.
WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES BEYOND THE SPEND OF HOT TAX SPEND IS A, IN OUR CHARTER.
B IS A LOT OF OTHER THINGS BEYOND HOW WE SPEND THE HOT TAX FOR IN THE 15% CATEGORY.
IT'S, THAT'S WHERE HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS ARE THOSE 15% SPINOUTS.
WE STILL HAVE THE BROADER TOURISM, THE TPI TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT IS ALL BASED ON HELPING SUPPORT THIS COMMUNITY CONVENTION AND TOURISM BUSINESS FOR THE FOUR YEARS THAT THE CONVENTION IS OFFLINE.
WE DON'T NEED TO BE WORRIED ABSOLUTELY.
ABOUT HOW WE'RE SPENDING THE HOT TAX MONEY.
WE REALLY OUGHT TO BE LOOKING AT WHAT YOU HAVE ABOUT INCREASING HOT TAX STRATEGIES, WHICH YOU HAVE UNDER D WHICH IS GREAT.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING, I THINK WHAT GREG AND I ARE THINKING IS WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME MORE OVERT SUPPORT THE TOURIST STRATEGIES TO GROW AUSTIN AND GROWING THE CONVENTION CENTER IN ITS FACILITIES.
IT NEEDS A NU IT NEEDS A LETTER FOR THAT TOPIC.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A MASH IT ONTO A, I THINK IT'S ITS OWN TOPIC THAT
[01:15:01]
I, I, I AGREE.UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER TOWN AND COMMISSIONER BAILEY.
AND GOOD, UH, GOOD CLARIFICATION.
SO, UM, I'M GOING TO SAY, OH, I DID WANT TO ADD THOUGH, I SAY, SO WE, WE TALK ABOUT SPENDING, BUT WE TALK, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT COLLECTING.
STR RENTALS, 30, $40 MILLION A YEAR ANNUALLY WAITING TO BE PICKED UP.
SO WE DON'T TALK ABOUT, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT COLLECTION, WE TALK ABOUT SPEND, WE TALK ABOUT WANT, BUT THERE, I THINK IF WE'RE DRIVING THIS, THIS DIRECTION, THEN MAYBE WE WANNA TALK ABOUT COLLECTION OF THE HOT TAX.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THIS BY COMMITTEE NOW, AND SO I JUST WANNA CALL OUT THAT I TRIED TO PREVENT THIS BY EMAILING ALL OF YOU EXACTLY HARD.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS AGAIN, THAT YOU ALL SEND THE STUFF BEFOREHAND SO WE CAN INCLUDE IT IN THE REPORT SO WE'RE NOT WE WRITING BY COMMITTEE.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO ADD THIS IN NOW, UM, TO, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE REFLECTING THIS IN THE PROJECTION MOVING FORWARD.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH CREATING TWO UNDER, UNDER, I GUESS SUBHEADING.
IT'S JUST A SECOND SET OF LETTERS, UM, FOR GOALS.
SO ON THE BACK ON PAGE TWO, UM, LET'S CREATE A NEW LETTER CALLED E AND UM, SPEAK TO THIS IDEA THAT WE'VE HEARD BETWEEN COMMISSIONERS CHANIN AND VICE-CHAIR BAILEY, TO PROMOTE BROADER TOURISM, UH, AS ALIGNED WITH FINDING ADDITIONAL, UM, INCREASING ADDITIONAL HOT TAX REVENUES.
UM, IN LIGHT OF ONGOING DEVELOPMENTS AT THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER, IS THERE, IS THERE A PROPOSED WORDING THAT YOU CAN STATE NOW THAT CAN OKAY.
WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING IS TAKING, UH, B ON THE FRONT AND JUST REP REPEATING, REPING IT IN A WAY THAT'S FUTURE THINKING.
I MEAN, WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR WITH TID AND WHAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO NEXT YEAR.
SO LIKE, SO WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT, UH, BUT THE UN UNHOUSED, THE UN THE, THE HOUSING THING IS NOT, I THINK THAT'S WHAT, WHAT THE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED THIS YEAR WAS THAT RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THE HOUSING.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO ON THE GO FORWARD IS TO BE AWARE OF AND ENGAGED WITH THE TPID EXECUTION AND MARKETING IMPACT ON HOT TAX OR THE, THE MARKETING OF THE CITY TOURISM THROUGH THE TPI YEAH.
SO AS A GRANT WRITER, I'M JUST GONNA WRITE IT.
UH, SO ENGAGE WITH TOURISM PARTNERS TO LEVERAGE PAST EFFORTS TO INFORM ESTABLISHMENT OF TPID AND STR COLLECTION EFFORTS.
CONTINUED STR COLLECTION EFFORTS CONTINUED AND EXPANDED STR COLLECTION EFFORTS IN LINE WITH BROADER TOUR AIMS AS THEY ALIGN WITH TOPICS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO EXPANSION OF HOT TAX REVENUES AND THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
DOES THIS WORK FOR THE COMMISSIONERS THAT PROBABLY NEED TO READ IT? I, WE NEED TO READ IT OUT.
UM, SO PROPOSING NOW E NEW LANGUAGE IN ADDITION TO, UM, WHAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE, ENGAGE WITH TOURISM PARTNERS TO LEVERAGE PAST EFFORTS TO INFORM, UH, A, UM, WE'LL SAY CREATION OF T ID AND CONTINUED AND EXPANDED STR COLLECTION EFFORTS IN LINE WITH BROADER TOURISM AIMS AS THEY RELATE TO TOPICS,
[01:20:02]
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, UH, EXPANSION OF HOT TAX REVENUES IN THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER.COMMISSIONER CHA, THIS SUMMER'S IN THERE.
SO, UH, IN, IN E YOU WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE SAID THERE, JUST, JUST ANYWHERE.
ENGAGE WITH TOURISM PARTNERS, BUT WE'LL JUST SAY, ENGAGE WITH TOURISM PARTNERS TO PROMOTE TOURISM.
HOW YOU PUT IT UP AT THE TOP BEFORE YOUR I I WAS GONNA, I'M JUST SAYING I THINK WE COULD HAVE ONE BULLET POINT OF THESE THAT DOESN'T SAY ACTUAL HOT TAX.
LIKE, THAT'S WHAT GREG IS SAYING.
WE SAY HOT TAX HERE, INCREASING HOT TAX, HOT TECH, HOT TAX, HOT TAX.
EVERYONE HAS HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT.
AND THERE'S MORE THAN HOT THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE OVERSEEING.
SO I THINK WHAT GREG'S SAYING IS LIKE, CAN WE JUST HAVE ONE THAT SAYS THIS BODY WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON PROMOTING TOURISM BECAUSE WE'RE, WE GOT HOT TAX COVERED WITH THE FIRST FOUR ITEMS. I DON'T THINK WE'RE LOOKING FOR ONE THAT UPLIFTS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO WORK WITH THE TOURISM ENTITIES OF THE CITY TO HELP IMPROVE AND GROW AUSTIN TOURISM VERSUS COMPETITION.
SO ENGAGE WITH TOURISM PARTNERS TO PROMOTE TOURISM AND LEVERAGE PAST EFFORTS TO INFORM FORM CREATION OF TID AND CONTINUED AND EXPANDED STR COLLECTION EFFORTS IN LINE WITH BROADER TOURISM AIMES AIMS SUCH AS THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER CONVENTION CENTER.
WELL, THAT'S WHY YOU CAN WHIP THIS STUFF.
DOES THAT, DOES THAT LANGUAGE SATISFY THE, THE CONCERN ON THE FLOOR? THANK YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? GOOD.
UM, WE ALSO HAD ANOTHER QUESTION.
F UH, THERE WAS A PROPOSAL BY COMMISSIONER CHAPEL TO HIGHLIGHT THE, UH, BROADER COLLECTION OF STR REVENUES.
DO YOU THINK THAT A CREATION OF E ENCOMPASSED YOUR IDEA? YES.
THEREFORE, UH, CAN WE SAY THAT WE DON'T NEED AN F UNLESS WE WANT TO HAVE A RESOLUTION AND VOTE ON THE NEXT LETTER OF THE ALPHABET? I THINK WE ARE GOOD
COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL WITH THE THANK YOU FOR COMBINING THEM.
UH, I'M GONNA READ LETTER C ON THE FRONT PAGE AGAIN, JUST FOR CONSISTENCY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT LANGUAGE.
AS I'VE EDITED, EDITED IT IN REAL TIME, ARTS AND CULTURE FUNDS IS ALLOCATED THROUGH HOT TAX FUNDING AND THE EFFICACY OF THESE FUNDS FOR SAID PROGRAMS, INCLUDING UNANIMOUS RELU, UH, A UNANIMOUS RESOLUTION TO CITY COUNCIL TO FUND THE RED RIVER CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT, CONSISTENT WITH, UM, OTHER CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICTS FUNDING ACROSS THE CITY DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CITY.
WHY CAN'T WE JUST TAKE THE, THE LANGUAGE THAT'S OUT OF THE, UM, THE RESOLUTION WE PASS, WHICH IS, UM, ALLOCATE FUNDING IN 20 20, 24, 25 BUDGET TO THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT CONSISTENT WITH AMOUNTS ALLOCATED TO OTHER CULTURAL, CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
IF PEOPLE ARE FINE, JUST TO TAKE THE ORIGINAL RESOLUTION AND TAKE THE BROADER LANGUAGE AND PLOPPING IT HERE IN THE INTERNAL ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW.
I'M HAPPY TO GO DO THAT LATER.
DOES THAT WORK FOR COMMISSIONERS? YES.
UH, COMMISSIONER KANATI, I, I'M JUST TRYING TO NOTE THAT THAT RESOLUTION DID MORE THAN THAT PIECE.
I'M NOT GONNA QUIBBLE ABOUT IT, BUT JUST FOR THE RECORD, THAT RESOLUTION DID OTHER THINGS BESIDES FUNDING THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
UM, I ACTUALLY WOULD THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT.
I, I WILL GO BACK TO THE RESOLUTION MYSELF AND JUST PULL OUT EVERYTHING IT DID AND JUST THROW IT IN.
SEE, DOES THAT WORK FOR FOLKS JUST TO BE MORE ALL INCLUSIVE OF THE WORK THAT WE DID AS ENCOMPASSED BY THE RESOLUTION? I'M FINE WITH THAT.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ANNUAL AND GENERAL REVIEW? SO MOVED.
SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER SHANNON AS AS MODIFIED, AS DISCUSSED AS MODIFIED, UM, WITH THE COMMENTS, UH, LAID OUT TODAY.
SO SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER OCION.
TO FURTHER DEBATE, HEARING NONE.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF PASSING THE ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.
[01:25:04]
MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE.
[7. Discussion and possible action to approve the Amendment to minutes relating to the Red River District Resolution passed in April 2024 Tourism Commission Meeting]
NUMBER SEVEN, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENT.TWO MINUTES RELATING TO THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT RESOLUTION PASSED IN APRIL, 2024, UM, AT THE TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING, UM, BEFORE YOU, YOU HAVE THE, UM, REVISED DRAFT OF THE RECOMMENDATION NUMBER THAT WE HAD PASSED.
UM, THIS IS, UM, A TOPIC ON THE AGENDA TODAY BECAUSE OF COMMISSIONER KANATI AND HIS KEEN EYE, UM, IN LOOKING AT THE RESOLUTION THAT PASSED, UH, RECOMMENDATION NUMBER RATHER 20 24 0 4 1 0 0 7, UM, TO HAVE IT BE CONSISTENT WITH THE CONVERSATION THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD DURING THAT MEETING.
AND SO THIS REALLY REFLECTS, UM, THE LANGUAGE THAT WE HAD PASSED IN THE MEETING THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE ACTUAL RECOMMENDATION, UM, BY VIRTUE OF IT BEING A VERY QUICK, UM, RATHER I WOULD SAY BUREAUCRATIC MEETING, BUT WE DID GET THROUGH ALL OF OUR RESOLUTIONS.
UH, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING VERY ACCURATE, UH, ALL OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS RATHER.
SO I'M GONNA, UH, PASS THE BATON TO COMMISSIONER TI TO LAY OUT THE CHANGES THAT HE'S PROPOSING FROM WHAT WAS PASSED BY, UM, THE COMMISSION BEFORE AND NOW THE CORRECTION THAT WE ARE MAKING IN LINE WITH DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD AT OUR APRIL 10TH MEETING.
COMMISSIONER KANATI, I WILL DO MY BEST.
UM, I'LL JUST TRY TO, I WISH YOU'D BEEN ABLE TO SEND THE RED LINE VERSION OF WHAT WAS BEING CHANGED, BUT IN OUR DISCUSSION AT THE APRIL MEETING, THERE WAS CONCERN THAT THE RESOLUTION AT THAT POINT WAS ENDORSING THE MUSIC COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION AND THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION.
AND THERE WAS ANOTHER PROVISION IN THE ORIGINAL RESOLUTION THAT TALKED ABOUT FUNDING QUOTE THROUGH ITS MANAGING ENTITY, RED RIVER MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION.
THERE WAS SOME CONCERN FROM THE COMMISSIONERS ABOUT THE LANGUAGE I'VE JUST TRIED TO HIGHLIGHT AND WE STRUCK IT, UH, IN THE, IN AN AMENDMENT THAT WAS PASSED SO THAT THIS NEXT TO LAST BE IT RESOLVED WAS ONE THAT WE ACTUALLY PASSED, UH, WHEN WE VOTED.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO, I DON'T THINK THIS CAUSES ANY HEARTBURN, HOPEFULLY FOR ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS, BUT IT JUST GOES BACK TO SAYING THAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING THE COMMISSION THAT COUNCIL ALLOCATE FUNDING IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR BUDGET TO THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT CONSISTENT WITH THE AMOUNTS ALLOCATED TO OTHER CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS WHAT WE VOTED ON AND I WANTED THE MINUTES TO CORRECTLY REFLECT THAT WAS THE MOTION BE PASSED.
COMMISSIONER KANI, CAN YOU MAKE EXACT REFERENCE TO WHICH PORTION OF THE RECOMMENDATION YOU'RE REFERRING TO IN PARTICULAR? DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN, DO YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU? WE DO HAVE IT IN FRONT OF US.
I'M, I'M, I'M SCREENING HERE AND THE ATTACHMENT I SEE DOESN'T HAVE THE OLD LANGUAGE IN IT.
MAYBE I'M LOOKING AT THE WRONG ATTACHMENT.
UH, IT SAYS TOURISM COMMISSION BOARD RECOMMENDATION AT THE TOP AND IT SAYS REISE ON JULY 12TH, 2024 AND DRAFT, OH, SORRY, I'M NOT USED TO THIS EMAIL.
IF YOU LET ME READ, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT.
LET ME READ TO YOU WHAT WE PASSED AND WHAT WE DELETED FROM THAT PASSAGE.
I'LL TRY TO, WHICH PASSAGE CAN THE ORIGINAL IS THAT OKAY.
WHICH PASSAGE? WE JUST WANNA FOLLOW ALONG.
CAN YOU TELL US WHERE IN THE, IN THE RECOMMENDATION YOU'RE REFERRING TO IN THE NEXT TO LASTS, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION? THAT CORRECT PARAGRAPH.
SO LET'S LOOK THERE AND LIKE, LET'S SEE, LET'S SEE WHAT YOUR PROPOSAL IS.
WELL, HERE'S THE WAY IT WOULD READ, UM, BE FOR THE RESULT THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION, AND WE WOULD ADD THE WORD RECOMMENDS THAT COUNCIL, AND THEN WE WOULD DELETE THE WORDS ENDORSES THE MUSIC COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20 24 0 1 0 8 13.
AND THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20 24 0 3 2 0 DASH 0 0 2 TO ALL THAT WOULD'VE BEEN DELETED.
AND THEN WE WOULD CONTINUE WITH THE RESOLUTION LANGUAGE, ALLOCATE FUNDING IN THE FISCAL YEAR
[01:30:01]
24 25 BUDGET TO THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT CONSISTENT WITH THE AMOUNTS ALLOCATED TO, AND THEN INSERT THE WORD THE, AND THEN GO BACK TO THE RESOLUTION LANGUAGE, OTHER CULTURAL DISTRICTS.AND THEN WE WOULD DELETE EVERYTHING TO THE END OF THAT CLAUSE THROUGH ITS MANAGING ENTITY, RED RIVER MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION.
AND I DO REMEMBER IN DISCUSSION THAT THAT WAS VOTED ON AND WE DID AGREE TO IT.
IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE IT IN THE FINAL EDIT TO THE RECOMMENDATION.
AND WHAT WE HAVE HERE BEFORE IS ACTUALLY REFLECTS THE CHANGES THAT YOU JUST STATED.
AND SO, UH, UM, IF THERE IS NO DISCUSSION, UM, IS THERE A SECOND TO THIS CORRECTION, UH, RATHER AN APPROVAL TO THIS CORRECTION AND THEN A SECOND.
COMMISSIONER SHANNON FOR A SECOND.
SO THIS IS THE APPROVAL AND COMMISSIONER KTI WOULD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO APPROVE, UH, SECOND THE, UM, SURE.
IS THERE ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON THIS EDIT TO THE FORMER RECOMMENDATION THAT WE ARE ADJUSTING PER OUR CONVERSATION? WE'RE NOT CHANGING OUR RECOMMENDATION, WE'RE JUST UPDATING IT TO WHAT WE, WHAT IT ACTUALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN AS.
QUESTION, UH, VICE CHAIR HAVE A QUESTION.
IS IS, WAS THIS, DID MICHAEL CANNOT, DID YOU DRAFT THIS? WHO DRAFTED THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT? WAS IT A COMMITTEE OR WAS THERE A PERSON THAT ACTUALLY DRAFTED THIS? WHO WAS THE DRAFTER? SO MY RECOLLECTION IS AT THE MEETING JOHN HAD PRESENTED A, A RESOLUTION AND WE MADE MODIFICATIONS TO THAT.
SINCE HE'S NOT HERE, THE REASON THAT THIS IS JUST A QUESTION, THIS ISN'T A, I'M, I'M ON BOARD WITH THE CHANGES WE MADE, SO I'M NOT TRYING TO, BUT I'M, I WAS, I'M NOW CONFUSED.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE WHOLE PURPOSE BEHIND MENTIONING SAN ANTONIO, BALTIMORE, AND DETROIT IS IN OUR RECOMMENDATION TO OUR COUNCIL TO SUPPORT FUNDING FOR THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT, WHY WE'RE HAULING OUT SAN ANTONIO, BALTIMORE, AND DETROIT, WHICH IS IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH ON THE BACKSIDE.
I, I'M JUST, I'M COMPLETELY CLUELESS ON WHAT MERIT THAT HAS TO THIS PROPOSAL.
UH, THANK YOU VICE CHAIR BAILEY.
I THINK SINCE COMMISSIONER BRADY ISN'T HERE TO SPEAK TO THAT, WE, WE CAN'T REALLY ANSWER THAT.
BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT, UM, SAN ANTONIO, BALTIMORE AND DETROIT ARE LOOKED AT AS, UH, CULTURAL ARTS LEADERS IN NATIONALLY.
AND SO IT REALLY IS A WAY TO HELP MODEL AUSTIN AND ITS CULTURAL ARTS PROGRAMMING, UM, ON SUCCESSFUL CITIES AND WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING.
SO FOLLOWING BEST PRACTICE, I THINK WAS MORE OF THE REFERENCE POINT THERE.
DO YOU HAVE AN ADDITIONAL POINT? THANK YOU.
UM, CHAIR CO ADDITIONAL COMMENT.
UH, COMMISSIONER KANATI, I, MY RECOLLECTION OF THAT, THAT PASSAGE THAT IS CORRECT, IS WHAT YOU JUST SAID, AND IT ALL, I REFERRED TO THE FIRST BE IT RESOLVED WE PASSED, WHICH TALKED ABOUT CREATING ALTERNATIVE SET OF FUNDING CATEGORIES.
I THINK WE WERE TRACKING WHAT SOME OF THESE OTHER CITIES DID WHEN WE WERE COMING UP WITH THIS PART OF OUR RESOLUTION TO CREATE A NEW FUNDING CATEGORY.
THANK YOU FOR THE ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION.
COMMISSIONER KDI, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, HEARING NO MORE DEBATE? UH, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE QUESTION THOSE IN FAVOR OF PASSING, UM, THE, UH, EDIT TO THIS AS PREVIOUSLY STATED IN THE SECOND TO LAST BE IT FURTHER RESOLVE THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT COUNCILS ALLOCATE FUNDING IN THE FISCAL YEAR 24 25 BUDGET TO THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT CONSISTENT WITH AMOUNTS ALLOCATED TO THE OTHER CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
AND, UH, PLEASE SAY A AYE AYE.
[8. Update from the Short-Term Rental Working Group on any new reports regarding the STRs recommendation and efforts with city council.]
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UPDATE FROM THE SHORT TERM RENTAL WORK GROUP ON ANY NEW REPORTS REGARDING THE SCR RECOMMENDATION, UH, AND EFFORTS WITH CITY COUNCIL.SO TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, UH, AND MS. OJEDA, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG.
WE ARE IN A NEW FISCAL YEAR FOR THE COMMISSION, AND THUS WE HAVE TO SUNSET OUR WORK GROUPS.
'CAUSE WE HAVE ALREADY ACTUALLY GIVEN A FINAL REPORT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL.
SO WE EITHER HAVE TO RECONSTITUTE THIS WITH A DIFFERENT GOAL OR WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP THIS ON THE AGENDA TODAY, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT RECONSTITUTING THIS WORK GROUP
[01:35:01]
WITH A NEW AIM.UH, BUT WE DO NEED TO DO THAT MORE FORMALLY TODAY.
AFTER EACH RECOMMENDATION IS COMPLETED, THEN IT NEEDS, IT AUTOMATICALLY SUNSETS THE WORKING GROUP REGARDLESS IF Y'ALL SAY, OKAY, WE'RE SUNSET THIS.
SO AFTER EACH RECOMMENDATION IS DONE, THEN THAT'S IT FOR THE WORKING GROUP.
AND THEN YOU CAN COME UP WITH A NEW WORKING GROUP FOR THE NEXT GOAL.
SO HEARING THAT CLARIFICATION FROM MS. JE, THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER SHANNON, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I WAS GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, RECON TO THE, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL GROUP, UM, TO FOLLOW THE IMPLEMENTATIONS OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE MADE IN OUR PREVIOUS RESOLUTION.
UH, IS THE MOTION SECONDED? I SECOND.
SO SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SHAPEY, UH, DISCUSSION.
HOW WOULD WE LIKE TO RECONSTITUTE THIS TO FOLLOW UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION MADE IN OUR FEBRUARY MEETING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE STR RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL COMMISSIONER, UH, TAPPEL.
UM, WE COULD USE THE, UM, THE NEW LANGUAGE FOR OUR GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR AND PIGGYBACK OFF OF THOSE.
AND SO I THINK WE'RE GOING INTO RIGHT, HOW THEY OPERATE OP, HOW WE OPERATIONALIZE AND COLLECTIVE HOT TAXES.
AND SO MAYBE SOMETHING AROUND THERE.
SO HEARING COMMISSIONER CHAPEL, UM, HE PROPOSES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LANGUAGE AS PROPOSED ON PAGE TWO, LETTER E, ENGAGE WITH TOURISM PARTNERS TO PROMOTE TOURISM AND LEVERAGE PAST EFFORTS TO INFORM CONTINUED AND EXPANDED STR COLLECTION EFFORTS.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO MAKE THIS THE GOAL OF, DO I HAVE AN AMENDED MOTION, UH, TO THE MOTION ON THE TABLE TO MAKE THIS THE GOAL OF THE RECONSTITUTED STR WORSHIP GROUP? CAN I, CAN I JUST ACCEPT THE AMENDMENT? UM, IS THAT POSSIBLE? I BELIEVE WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT REGARDLESS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THAT AMENDMENT? SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER SHAPEY.
IS THERE A SECOND? I SEE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER PIAN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? I'D RATHER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? A SO MOVES UNANIMOUSLY.
THE AMENDED MOTION ON THE TABLE IS TO RECONSTITUTE THE WORKING GROUP WITH FOUR STR WITH THE GOAL OF ENGAGING WITH TOURISM PARTNERS TO PROMOTE TOURISM AND LEVERAGE PAST EFFORTS TO INFORM CONTINUED AND EXPANDED STR COLLECTION EFFORTS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR A MOVES UNANIMOUSLY.
THANK YOU, UH, WITH THAT, WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT? COMMISSIONER CHAPEL?
ALRIGHT, SO NOT MUCH AS, AS HAS COME OUT, UH, WE'VE KIND OF CITY COUNCIL, UH, IS LOOKING AT IT.
THERE'S INTERESTED, UH, DISTRICTS, UM, THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED AT OUR PAST MEETINGS.
THE ONLY REAL UPDATE WE HAD WAS THERE WAS A, UH, A JOURNALIST, UH, REACHED OUT TO US FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UH, BIA, ABOUT A MEMO THAT CAME OUT WITH SOME SDR LANGUAGE ABOUT POSSIBLY HANDLING, UM, SOMETIME IN THE FALL.
AND SO WE'VE KIND CIRCLED BACK WITH OUR CONTACTS AND KIND OF REITERATED THAT THIS IS, IS A PRIORITY FOR THE CITY, BUT IT'S LOOKING KIND OF AFTER BUDGET.
AND SO WE'LL JUST KIND OF CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT IT FALLS IN AFTER BUDGET, I THINK WOULD BE, WOULD BE THE HOPES.
CONSIDER WE PASSED THE RESOLUTION IN FEBRUARY, SO WE DON'T WANT THE CALENDAR YEAR TO ESCAPE US WITHOUT, AS A, A CONTINUED EFFORT ON STR COLLECTIONS AND, UM, THE EFFORTS AROUND, UH, THE PLATFORM COLLABORATIONS ON THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
I BELIEVE, UH, MAYOR WATSON'S TAKEN A REAL, UM, INTEREST IN THIS AS SOMETHING THAT HE'D LIKE TO PUSH FORWARD.
SO, UM, AND I BELIEVE, UH, DO YOU MEAN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER? UH, VERONICA
WELL THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE.
UM, NOW, UM, SIMILARLY, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, PUSH FORWARD THE
[9. Update from the Parks and Environment Working Group regarding the recommendation on Parks funding to city council.]
QUESTION FOR TOPIC NUMBER NINE ON OUR AGENDA UPDATE FROM THE PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP REGARDING THE RECOMMENDATION ON[01:40:01]
PARKS FUNDING TO CITY COUNCIL.THIS BODY DID ACTUALLY SEND A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNSEL.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS BACK IN APRIL OR MAY, COMMISSIONER KTI, IS THAT CORRECT? IT MUST HAVE BEEN.
MAY IF MY RECOLLECTION, UH, I THINK SO, IS CORRECT SOUTH THAT WAY.
ALRIGHT, SO WE WILL HAVE TO RECONSTITUTE THIS WORKING GROUP AGAIN, SHOULD WE WISH TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS TOPIC.
UM, DO YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION SEEING THAT YOU ARE, HAVE BEEN THE LEADER ON THIS COMMISSIONER KANATI? UM, I'M FINE WITH IT.
I WILL POINT OUT TECHNICALLY THAT WHEN WE CREATED THE COMMISSION, EXCUSE ME, WHEN WE CREATED THIS WORKING GROUP, THERE WAS ONE CATEGORY OF ACTIVITY THAT WE HAVE NEVER REACHED.
UH, AND THAT WAS PALM PARK HOT FUNDING OPTIONS.
I'M NOT EVEN SURE WHAT THAT MEANS.
UM, AND I WOULD RATHER THAN JUST KEEP THE COMMITTEE ALIVE, WHY DON'T WE LET IT GO? AND THEN IF THERE'S INTEREST ON THE COMMISSION TO TAKE UP THIS TOPIC, UM, WE CAN DO SO.
I, THE FORMER TOURISM COMMISSION MEMBER, VANESSA FUENTES, WAS IN SUPPORT OF THIS IDEA AT THE TIME, AND I JUST HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET TOGETHER WITH HER TO SEE IF WE SHOULD CONTINUE ALLOWING THIS FIELD.
AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO IF THERE'S A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE TOURISM COMMISSION FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES DISTRICT, MAYBE YOU CAN FIND OUT IF SHE'D LIKE US TO KEEP WORKING ON THIS.
BUT IF WE CAN, IF SHE WANTS US TO, THEN WE JUST CREATE A NEW WORKING GROUP AND DO IT THAT WAY.
VICE CHAIR BAILEY, I'M JUST MENTIONING, I THINK, IF CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS THE PALM SCHOOL OR THE PALM DISTRICT IN DISTRICT THREE? OH, SORRY.
I I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY IN DISTRICT.
I I I, I KNOW THAT WHAT I WAS REPRESENTING DISTRICT THREE, I WAS GETTING A LOT OF COMMENTARY FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBER AT THAT TIME, VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT THE WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN TO PALM SCHOOL THROUGH THE US CONVENTION CENTER REDESIGN PROCESS.
SO WHEN THE ELECTIONS HAPPENED AND WE SWITCHED COUNT, IT'S WEIRD.
I, I LEFT THREE AND CAME OVER HERE, BUT I, I WAS JUST LOOKING TO SEE IF POSSIBLY CHRISTIAN, YOU, YOUR COUNSEL, IF IT WAS IN DISTRICT THREE, BUT IT'S NOT.
SO I JUST HAD A LEGACY THAT MY COMMISSION, DISTRICT THREE AT THE TIME CARED VERY MUCH, EVEN IF IT WASN'T IN THE DISTRICT.
IT'S DISTRICT NINE, RIGHT? YES.
IT'S ACTUALLY MY DISTRICT AS THOUGH APPOINTED ME.
UM, LET US REMIND OURSELVES THOUGH THAT JUST BECAUSE WE'RE APPOINTED BY CERTAIN COMMISSIONERS, UH, RATHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, THAT WE, WE ARE NOT LIMITED TO, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH, UM, ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ACROSS THE CITY ON TOURS ISSUES.
SO, UM, I'M HAPPY TO BRING US UP TO COMMISSIONER RIE, UH, AND HIS OFFICE STAFF TO CHECK IN ABOUT THIS TOPIC.
AS I KNOW IT HAS BEEN, UH, AN IMPORTANT ONE FOR AUSTIN AND, AND BROADER TOURISM AND, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS AROUND HOT.
SO I CAN, UH, LOOK FOR AN UPDATE THERE.
BUT I AGREE THAT IT MIGHT BE PREMATURE TO, TO CONTINUE, UH, WITH A RECONSTITUTION OF, OF THIS EVEN IF IT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE NARROW IN FOCUS.
UH, THIS PARTICULAR WORK GROUP AS COMMISSIONER KANATI, UH, ALLUDED TO EARLIER, UM, IS THERE A MOTION TO RECONSTITUTE THIS, UH, WORK GROUP OR ACTUALLY VICE CHAIR BAILEY? UM, I'M, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT NEXT YEAR THAT WE COULD HAVE A WORKING GROUP THAT'S DEALING ON THE EFFECTS AND, YOU KNOW, DIVING DEEPER INTO THE EX AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION DESIGN PLAN.
AND SINCE PALM DOES FALL WITHIN THE FOOTPRINT OF THAT, RIGHT, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IF WE DETERMINE WE WANT TO, TO HAVE A A OF A BREAKOUT GROUP THAT BEARS DOWN ON THAT, THAT WE COULD INCORPORATE AND WE CAN DETERMINE THAT ONCE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION STARTS.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHEN THE CONVERSATION WILL PROBABLY KICK IN ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING TO PALM.
THANK YOU VICE CHAIR BAILEY? UH, I I WOULD ALSO SECOND THAT RECOMMENDATION HEARING NO OBJECTION.
THAT WE WAIT UNTIL A FURTHER DATE WHEN WE'VE COLLECTED MORE INFORMATION, BEEN INFORMED ABOUT HOW THAT'S PROGRESSED, PERHAPS IN LINE WITH THE AUSTIN, UM, CONVENTION CENTER.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR, UH, YOUR ATTENDANCE TODAY.
FELLOW COMMISSIONERS AGAIN, UH, I REALLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND WE OFFER SUGGESTIONS BEFORE THE MEETING SO WE CAN END EARLIER IF AT ALL POSSIBLE AND MOVE FORWARD
[01:45:01]
DEBATE IN AN EXPEDITIOUS MANNER.BUT THANK YOU FOR, UH, WORKING WITH US TODAY TO, UH, REFORM THESE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AS WELL AS TO COMPLETE OUR, UM, ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW HEARING.
UH, I, UNLESS I HEAR OTHERWISE.
IS EVERYONE GOOD WITH ADJOURNMENT? GREAT.
THIS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION, UH, ON JULY 15TH, 2024 IS ADJOURNED.