GADSDEN COUNTY

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

EDWARD J. BUTLER GOVERNMENTAL COMPLEX BUILDING

Tourist Development Council

 

Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners

Tourist Development Council & Gadsden County Sherriff Office Joint Meeting Agenda

 

Thursday, April 10, 2014

3:30p.m.

Present:

Lee Garner, Chair of TDC, City of Chattahoochee Manager and Tax Collector

Matt Thro, Vice – Chair of TDC, H & H Furniture

Jeff DuBree, Sportsman’s Lodge, Bed Tax Collector Lake Talquin (absent)

David Knight, Midway Councilman

Keith Dowdell, City of Quincy Commissioner

Peter Patel, Hotel Industry

Brenda Holt, BOCC

Clarence Jackson, City of Gretna

Attorney David Weiss, County Attorney

Sonya Burns, TDC Administrative Assistant

Allara Gutcher, Planning Director

Beryl Wood, Deputy Clerk

 

Present:

Major Shawn Wood

Tashonda Whaley

 

 

1.               PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/ROLL CALL   

 

Lee Garner, Chairman of TDC called the meeting to order at 3:30p.m. then led in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

2.                  AMENDMENT AND APPROVAL OF AGENDA

 

Mrs. Holt questioned additions to the called the meeting.

 

3.                  BUDGET UPDATE (Jeff Price, Budget Analyst)    

 

Mr. Price gave update of the budget.

 

Mr. Garner said if they had information like this at all meetings it would be great.

 

Mr. Dowdell inquired about numbers in parenthesis.

 

Mr. Price corrected said it should be blank.

 

Mr. Garner said they have spent $67,321 resulting in remaining balance of $92,679.

 

 

4.                  ITEMS OF DISCUSSION

a.               3rd Annual Rural County Summit-Community Disaster & Emergency Response

                          (Gadsden County Sheriff Dept. Major Shawn Woods)  

 

Major Shawn Wood came before the Council on the 3rd Annual Rural County Summit, Community Disaster & Emergency Response on the dates of July 9-11, 2014.

Dates 9-11, will probably hold 350 people, Demand Staff

Whippoorwill, July 10 6pm-11pm, West End Grille, July 11th 6pm-11pm

Hotel Accommodations: Holiday Inn Express; Hampton Inn, etc.

He said they are not event planners and are looking for help.

 

Mrs. Holt said she was interested in keeping as much dollars as possible in the County. Transportation they choose where they would like to go, so other vendors can get in on this event.

 

Major Wood said normally they send out flyers. He wants to be the guy that runs the summit.

 

Mrs. Holt said that whenever an event is coming up, info needs to be given to the hotels. She said they need to circulate to other venues.

 

Mr. Garner said there focus should be showcasing Gadsden County.

 

Mrs. Holt we need to focus on how to keep dollars in Gadsden County.

 

Mr. Dowdell said there are 2 things that they need to do. He asked Mr. Wood what do you want the TDC to do. We need to decide if we are going to take this on for the County to plan this activity for the Rural Summit. He suggested an agency that can provide a bus.

 

Major Wood said the educational component nothing, but what about the families and then after 5pm transportation.

 

Mr. Patel said do you have any fixed places. We need to know to calculate prices.

Mr. Dowdell suggested they put out an RFP.

 

Mr. Jackson when you talk about transportation getting people around. He said the simplest thing to do would be brochures showing people what we have to offer. He asked was that was something they wanted a brochures.

 

Major Wood said yes. When they get here how they call.

 

Mrs. Holt said Mr. Dowdell was correct, brochure and help organize the transportation.

 

Mr. Garner asked the County Attorney how we can finance something through the TDC.

 

Attorney Weiss I’m concerned about the transportation piece of this. He said he understood talking the county up. He said he was not sure if transportation is an authorized expenditure with the statute. Problem with spending public dollars on transportation. He said he has researched, but is not sure transportation fits. He said if it’s tangible that’s different.

 

Mrs. Holt said she is trying to find a way to do what needs to be done.

 

Mr. Thro commented on TDC being

 

Attorney Weiss said if the sponsorship is something besides transportation he thought it was fine.

 

Mr. Patel commented on joint event with TDC and the Sheriff’s Office.

 

Mrs. Holt asked about the grant, to say to provide transportation to the people in the hotels. To promote tourism in the County.

 

Attorney Weiss said he is concerned about transportation.

 

Mr. Dowdell said under contractual services it would not exclude transportation.

 

Mr. Thro said if it’s a grey area. He said there is a way you can spend. He said why they can’t help support not totaling supporting this event with transportation.

 

Mrs. Holt said they need to get a catalog in the area.

 

Mr. Garner asked did they have any event planners in the area. He asked the Attorney under what conditions could they send out RFP.

 

Attorney Weiss said it would be appropriate to develop an RFP for advertising.

 

Sonya said her and Tashonda would work together on RFP along with Mr. Lawson.

 

Mr. Garner said could they have a special meeting

 

Mrs. Gutcher said they can advertise in the TLH democrat.

 

Let’s do RFP to do tours of Gadsden County. On the 21st short business meeting approve RFP. Starting at 3:00pm

 

Motion:

Dowdell/Patel  - Sonya and Tashonda to do RFP and come back April 21, 2014 in the Tallahassee Democrat to get with the Procurement Department and authorize the brochure to have TDC logo. 7-0 Approved

 

Attorney Weiss said they are discussing doing a TDC event not grants program.

 

Major Wood said he would hand the TDC the ball, but would continue to work on private funding for transportation.

 

Mr. Patel asked did you have a rate for hotels. You can get support on room nights.

 

Mrs. Sonya said she would provide the tracking information.

 

Mr. Knight inquired about rooms.

 

Major Wood said probably about minimum 200 – 250 room’s maximum 450 rooms.

 

5.      PUBLIC COMMENTS  

 

Carolyn Ford, commented on her Mother’s Day Festival on May 10, 2014. She said they are expecting a lot of people from all around. She is seeking help with promotions and a grant to help with expenses. She said T-Shaw will be helping and Freddie Jackson is the star.

 

Dexter Allen commented they will have 25-30 hotel rooms booked. He said it’s a major event and asked for support.

 

Mrs. Holt asked could this be added to the April 21, 2014 at 3:00pm meeting.

 

Mrs. Gutcher asked about visioning session is set for the April 21, 2014 and asked for another date and the consensus was May 12, 2014.

 

§  April 21, 2014 at 3:00p.m and 3:30p.m. Visioning Session

§  May 12, 2014 (2nd part of Visioning Session)

 

 

 

6.      MEETING ADJOURN @4:52 p.m.