REGULAR MEETING

TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020

4:00 P.M.

 

Present:         Carolyn Ford, Chair- appeared remotely

Jeff Dubree, Bed Tax Collector- appeared remotely

Brenda Holt, Commissioner Dist. 4- by phone  

Cathy Johnson, Havana Council Member- by phone                  

                        Keith Dowdell, Quincy City Commissioner- appeared remotely

                       

 

Absent:          Linda Dixon, Tax Collector

                        John Garcia, Bed Tax Collector

                        Peter Patel, Bed Tax Collector

 

Staff:               Leslie Steele, Public Information Officer- appeared remotely

                        Jeff Price, Sr. Management Budget Analyst

                        Clayton Knowles, County Attorney-appeared remotely

                        Beth Bruner, Deputy Clerk

 

1.    Pledge of Allegiance/Roll Call

  4:17 pm Chair Ford called meeting to order.

 

2.    Amendments to and Approval of the Agenda

 

DOWDELL/DUBREE

5-0

 

3.    Approval of Meeting Minutes

a.    August 25, 2020

 

DOWDELL/HOLT

5-0

 

4.    Presentations

None

 

5.    Citizen Requesting to be Heard on Non-Agenda Items (3-minute limit)

None

 

6.       General Business

 

a.    Financial Reports September 2020, (Jeff Price, Sr. Management Budget Analyst) (Discussion)

 

Ford- asked Price to give a summary.

 

Price said page1 was the fund balance for the past couple years.

 

Ford- Under the beginning balance of 9/30/20, is that a projection.

Jeff- bottom number is a projection based on the Revenues.

Ford- the ending balance was $100,781 ana projection. -asked if he knew what the state was going to send.  

Price- said the amount listed was the best estimate based on revenues. Said was comfortable with the revenue, expense what was agreed at meetings. Page 2, Revenue for the past year, still waiting for one number for September ($9,000-10,000) Page 3 expense side was good. No major promotions. Any questions.

 

b.    FY 20/21 Final Budget (Jeff Price, Sr. Management Budget Analyst) (Discussion)

Last 2 pages was what the council wanted as their budget with corrections made by the council over a month ago.

 

Steele- with the new budget, there was $179,341 for this FY with updates and corrections made.

 

Ford- did not understand. Don’t know, with COVID how much money would come in. Where did the projection come from? Did you get a notice from the State what TDC would get?

 

Jeff- Did not get anything from the State, Last year $180,000 was the budget and now was $135,000.

 

Ford- did we adjust the marketing firm? She thought they were budgeted at $90,000 and asked if it needed to be readjusted.

 

Jeff- Possible. It is the same as past year or two.

 

Steele- When an RFP goes out, TDC will need a marketing plan to get people back to Gadsden County, hotels, events. Smart to leave it in the Budget. If not used it would carry over just like last year. Will need marketing, the County is reopening. Be prepared. Recommends a plan and to be ready.

 

 

Holt- *inaudible*

 

Steele- Nothing would be done with Marketing but wanted the TDC to start thinking about dates to put the RFP out. She suggested to be ready and have a plan in place. She understood the firm would get $30,000 and the media plan and buys were $60,000 for billboards, ads, video production, radio, etc.  RFP gives time to get a marketing firm in place.

 

Ford agrees accept COVID and outside events. Bring back to the TDC in November. Will be ready by January 1.

 

 Dubree- Opinion is be ready – leave marketing in the Budget as is. Need to get people in the County and Hotels. Tourists come no matter if there is an event or not. Coming to the lake, to see the small towns. Missing the tourists coming now Some are ready to travel. Owe it to the industry that collected the tax. It was money that is supposed to be used for marketing to the county to get people in the hotels.

 

Holt- *inaudible*  

 

Steele- needing approval today was the new website.

 

Holt- 4:39 p.m. said she needed to hang up but would call back.

 

Knowles-Lost quorum, cannot conduct any further business.

 

Steele asked if there could be discussion with no action taken and Knowles said no.

 

 Holt returned at 4:42 p.m. and a quorum was again present.

 

c.    New Website Approval (Leslie Steele, Public Information Officer) (Discussion/Action)

 

Steele- NO impact to the budget would be paid for by the County getting new website, offered the TDC to redesign their website for $7,000.  no cost until next year of $2,700. $2,500 for the second year, $2, 635 third year, $2,756 for the fourth year and $2,894 for the tenth year for the cost of living increase. Websites now are being managed by different people and the TDC did not have control over the TDC website. This will allow TDC to have control over website as well as meeting and agenda to go electronic. Onetime fee of $7,000 would be paid for with CARES money.

 

Ford- Content was the problem. Places to stay not listed.

 

Leslie- Not much control over the current website. Not managed by the same company the county. IT wants all County technology under one umbrella. County website is $54,000 and they would give the TDC the same type of website in smaller capacity for $7,000, which would be paid for with CARES money. TDC will be able to control the content. Now, no one knows the keeper of the records for the current website.

 

Ford- Sounded different from what was talked about last time.

Leslie –Difference is company turned links on. No maintenance for what Mr. Dubree asked for.

 

Ford- asked if all changes would be corrected under the new website for only $7,000.

 

Leslie- not even that much this year because CARES pays for it. Will allow automatic applications where people would not have to come in, they could socially distance by doing everything online. RFP’s could be submitted online. More modern and the first year would be paid for through the CARES Fund.

 

Ford- How much do we owe the old firm.

 

Leslie- don’t know who the old firm is. Go Daddy fixed some. Getting the TDC their own website.

 

Holt- Marketing firm have to add or can we.

 

Leslie- we can do ads ourselves. Will be in control of branding of the new website.

 

Holt- Going to have to use the CARES money before time ran out.

 

Leslie- County will own the website. Nothing is owed under the current website.

 

Dubree- Concern- Fee high for the 2-4 years. Stay focused on primary use of website. Primary should be to attract visitors. Should not look like County site. He thought $30,000 to pay a marketing firm included a website. Put in RFQ about not needing it. Content is the key to a successful website to bring people in. Update content with logs and stories and new restaurants and things like that, the marketing firm was doing for us and would the TDC be able o keep up with all of that.

 

Leslie- If the County decided to have an event and needed something up quickly. Marketing will provide the look and feel and will not look like county website.

 

COMMISSIONER HOLT MADE A MOTION TO ACCEPT CARES FUNDING FOR A NEW TOURIST WEBSITE WITH A SECOND BY MR. DUBREE.

 

THE BOARD VOTE 5-0 BY ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE.

 

DUBREE                                  Y

HOLT                                       Y

DOWDELL                               Y DID NOT VOTE

JOHNSON                               Y

FORD                                      Y

 

 

d.    Possible Marketing Firm RFP Dates (Leslie Steele, Public Information Officer) (Discussion/Action)

 

  Leslie come back in November to give dates for the RFP.

 

Holt- Nothing will happen but let’s put it on the agenda for November and decide then.

 

Ford- will have time to look at items and then put an RFP out in January.

 

Holt- Discuss in November. Did not mean an RFP would go out.

 

Ford- Asked Steele to send a copy of the RFP to TDC members to look at.

 

Attorney- Members will need to be in chamber with a quorum by November 1. Will notify commission if extended.

 

e.    Updates

None

a.    Next Scheduled Meetings

Monday, November 16, 2020

 

7.    New Business

 

8.    Items for Discussion

 

  Dubree- RFP need to get out so they could prepare. Don’t expect letter from the state. Meet in November and get something going.

 

Holt- Could we get a count of visitors from the hotels.

 

Leslie- will get on it

 

Holt Gives a better idea about marketing.

 

9.    Adjourn

 

DOWDELL /HOLT 5:05 P.M. 

 

                                                                              GADSDEN COUNTY, FLORIDA