[00:00:01]
TO ORDER THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MONDAY, APRIL 21ST, 2025.JENNY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE VICE MAYOR LUDO? HERE.
[ADJOURNMENT TO EXECUTIVE SESSION]
MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN TO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSIDER CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION RELATED TO THE REQUEST FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE THAT INVOLVES PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN WHICH EXECUTIVE SESSION IS NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE POSSIBLE INVESTMENT OR EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS TO BE MADE IN CONNECTION WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, JENNY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MR. ROSA? YES.
AND I WILL REMIND THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT WE WILL RECONVENE IN THIS LOCATION AT 7:00 PM THANK YOU.
[RECONVENE (7 P.M.)]
OKAY.WE WILL RECONVENE THE MONDAY, APRIL 21ST, 2025.
REGULAR DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
ANDY, WOULD YOU LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE? OKAY.
[Arbor Day Proclamation]
HAVE A COUPLE OF SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS THE THIS EVENING.THE FIRST ONE WILL BE THE ARBOR DAY PROCLAMATION.
UH, AND, AND ACCEPTING THAT WILL BE JAY ANDERSON, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND JEFF MEYERS, THE CITY FORESTER.
ARE THEY PRESENT HERE? HOW ARE YOU? GOOD.
THE PROCLAMATION READS AS FOLLOWS, WERE RATHER, WHEREAS IN 1872, THE NEBRASKA BOARD OF AGRICULTURE SET ASIDE A SPECIAL DAY FOR THE PLANTING OF TREES.
AND WHEREAS THE HOLIDAY CALLED ARBOR DAY IS NOW OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE NATION AND THE WORLD.
AND WHEREAS TREES CAN REDUCE THE EROSION OF TOPSOIL BY WIND AND WATER CUT HEATING AND COOLING COSTS, MODERATE TEMPERATURES, CLEAN THE AIR, PRODUCE LIFE, GIVING OXYGEN, AND PROVIDE HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE.
AND WHEREAS TREES ARE A RENEWABLE RESOURCE GIVING US PAPER WOOD FOR OUR HOMES, FUEL FOR OUR FIRES, UM, AND COUNTLESS OTHER WOOD PRODUCTS.
AND WHEREAS TREES IN OUR COMMUNITY INCREASE PROPERTY VALUES, ENHANCE THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF BUSINESS CENTERS AND BEAUTIFY OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS TREES, WHEREVER THEY ARE PLANTED ARE A SOURCE OF JOY AND SPIRITUAL RENEWAL.
AND WHEREAS THE, THE DUBLIN CEMETERY RECENTLY ACHIEVED ARBORETUM ACCREDITATION AT LEVEL ONE, SIGNIFYING ITS IMPORTANCE AS A FOUNDATIONAL GREEN SPACE THAT FOSTERS THE APPRECIATION FOR TREES WHILE SUPPORTING CONSERVATION EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT MARKING AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE REPRESENTING THE ADVANCEMENT OF GOALS SPECIFIC TO TREE FOCUSED PUBLIC GARDENS.
NOW THEREFORE, I, CHRIS AROSE GROOMS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN DUE PROCLAIM APRIL 25TH, 2025 IS ARBOR DAY IN THE CITY OF DUBLIN AND URGE ALL CITIZENS TO CELEBRATE ARBOR DAY, UH, SUPPORT EFFORTS TO PROTECT OUR TREES AND WOODLANDS, AND TO PLANT TREES TO PROMOTE THE WELLBEING OF FUTURE GENERATIONS.
SIGNED THIS 21ST DAY OF APRIL, 2025.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE A FEW WORDS ABOUT UPCOMING ARBOR DAY CELEBRATIONS? SO THE ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION WILL BE AT THE DUBLIN CEMETERY.
UH, IT'LL START AT 9:00 AM AND WE'LL RUN TILL NOON.
UH, CONCURRENTLY WE'RE ALSO CELEBRATING EARTH DAY THAT'LL OCCUR AT MONTEREY PARK.
UH, THE TREE PLANTING WILL BE AT NINE 30.
AND AS, UH, THE MAYOR MENTIONED, UH, WE'LL ALSO BE DEDICATING THE ARBORETUM, UH, AT THE DUBLIN CEMETERY.
[Earth Month Proclamation]
UP.IF MY NEW FRIENDS, AMY WONG AND AFI GIBO WOULD COME FORWARD, PLEASE,
[00:05:03]
WE HAVE ANOTHER PROCLAMATION FOR THE TWO OF YOU TO RECEIVE TODAY.UH, AND THIS ONE IS AROUND EARTH DAY PROCLAMATION READS AS FOLLOWS, WHEREAS EARTH DAY IS CELEBRATED EVERY YEAR ON APRIL 22ND TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WHILE PROPO, WHILE PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE HABITS TO PROTECT RE OUR RESOURCES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS A SOUND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IS THE FOUNDATION OF A HEALTHY SOCIETY AND A ROBUST ECONOMY.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF DUBLIN ASPIRES TO BE THE MOST SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL CITY OF CHOICE BY MODELING SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP, DESIGNING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES, SUPPORTING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, AND ACHIEVING ZERO WASTE.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY SEEKS TO CONSERVE RESOURCES, REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, WASTE, LITTER AND POLLUTION, AND PROTECT THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE OF WILDLIFE, VEGETATION, STREAMS, AND RIVERS, ALL OF WHICH ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS THIS YEAR IN CONJUNCTION WITH EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES, THE CITY OF DUBLIN IS TAKING ACTION TO HELP SAVE MONARCH BUTTERFLIES, WHICH ARE CRITICAL TO MOVING POLLEN FROM ONE PLANT TO ANOTHER, FERTILIZING FLOWERS AND MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR PLANTS TO PRODUCE FOOD NEEDED FOR PEOPLE AND FOR WILDLIFE.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF DUBLIN HAS DISPLAYED A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN EFFORTS TO ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITY GARDEN GROUPS TO ENCOURAGE THE PLANTING OF NATIVE MILKWEEDS AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES IN CITY PARKS TO IMPLEMENT MILKWEED PLANTING PROGRAMS AND BY BEING HOME TO A COMMUNITY WILDLIFE HABITAT.
AND WHEREAS DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL, THE CITY OF DUBLIN OFFERED A VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO CELEBRATE EARTH MONTH, WHICH KICKED OFF WITH SUSTAINABLE SATURDAY, APRIL 5TH AND CONCLUDED WITH EARTH DAY AND ARBOR DAY CELEBRATIONS THIS UPCOMING APRIL 26TH WITH VOLUNTEERS TAKING PART IN COMMUNITY PLANTING AT MONTEREY PARK AND OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED THE DUBLIN CEMETERY AS AN ARBORETUM.
NOW THEREFORE, I, CHRIS AROSE GROOMS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF APRIL, 2025 AS EARTH MONTH AND APRIL 21ST, 25 AS THE MAYOR'S MONARCH PLEDGE DAY IN THE CITY OF DUBLIN, AND ENCOURAGE THE SUPPORT OF GREEN INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT DUBLIN, OHIO AND FOR OTHERS TO TAKE SIMILAR ACTIONS.
SIGN THIS 21ST DAY OF APRIL, 2025.
SO DO YOU, HAVE YOU LADIES HAVE SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE? NO.
YOU HAVE ON THE APPROPRIATE T-SHIRT TODAY.
WELL, WE'LL TAKE A QUICK PICTURE HERE.
I'M GONNA HAVE ONE OF THESE FOR EACH OF YOU.
SO IF YOU WANNA OPEN YOUR, ALL RIGHT.
THIS BRINGS US TO THE CITIZEN COMMENTS PORTION OF OUR AGENDA IS, UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO COMMENT ON ANY TOPIC THAT IS NOT ON THIS EVENING'S AGENDA.
AS A REMINDER, YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN IN, IN THE KIOSK, UH, WHEN YOU ARRIVED TO THE CHAMBER THIS EVENING.
IF YOU DID NOT HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, WE CERTAINLY WOULD STILL, UH, OFFER THE CHANCE TO SPEAK.
IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT THIS EVENING THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK RELATIVE TO AN ITEM THAT IS NOT ON THIS EVENING'S AGENDA? HEARING NONE, WE WILL MOVE TO THERE ARE
[CONSENT AGENDA]
CONSENT AGENDA.IS THERE A REQUEST TO REMOVE THESE ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA CONSISTING OF THE MEETING MINUTES OF APRIL THE SEVENTH, AND THE EXCUSE OF THE ABSENCE OF COUNCIL MEMBER DEROSA FROM THE APRIL 7TH MEETING? HEARING NONE, I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
JENNY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE RULE MR. KEELER? YES.
[Ordinance 09-25]
SECOND, READING, PUBLIC HEARING ORDINANCES ORDINANCE ZERO NINE DASH 25 AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AND OTHER RELATED AGREEMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF J BLOCK WITH CRAWFORD HO DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS.AND OUR STAFF REPORT WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD THIS EVENING BY JENNY RA.
UM, THERE WERE NO FOLLOW UPS FROM THE FIRST READING OF COUNCIL, UM, APRIL 7TH.
SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THIS DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
UM, MYSELF AND GREG DANIELS ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY, SO THANK YOU.
IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THIS EVENING THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK RELATIVE TO THIS LEGISLATION? HEARING NONE.
[00:10:01]
JENNY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR AROSE GROOMS? YES.[Ordinance 10-25]
INTRODUCTION.ORDINANCE ORDINANCE 10 DASH 25 AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE NECESSARY CONVEYANCE DOCUMENTATION TO ACCEPT THE DEDICATION OF A 0.197 ACRE, MORE OR LESS EASEMENT, AND A 0.145 ACRE, MORE OR LESS TEMPORARY EASEMENT FROM THE DUBLIN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE MUIRFIELD DRIVE AT SELLS MILL DRIVE.
PEDESTRIAN PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IMPROVEMENT.
AND TINA WILL HAVE OUR STAFF REPORT.
DURING THE APRIL 7TH MEETING, UH, COUNCIL APPROVED THE FUNDING AGREEMENT FOR THE MURFIELD DRIVE, ZES MILL DRIVE, PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND THESE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE A HIGH INTENSITY ACTIVATED CROSSWALK OR A HAWK WITH THE CURB RAMP START STREET LIGHTING PAYMENT RESURFACING SIGNS, PAVE MARKINGS, AND A NEW SIDEWALK CONNECTION BETWEEN THE EXISTING PATH IN SCOTTISH CORNERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND TONIGHT, WE ARE PRESENTING THE EASEMENTS REQUIRED FOR THE PROJECT, WHICH ARE LOCATED WITHIN A PARCEL OWNED BY THE CITY, BY DUBLIN CITY SCHOOLS.
AND AFTER ENGAGING IN CONVERSATION, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS DONATING THE NECESSARY LAND TO THE CITY IN THE FORM OF 0.197 ACRE PERMANENT EASEMENT AND 0.145 ACRE TEMPORARY EASEMENT.
TEMPORARY EASEMENT IS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND THE PERMANENT EASEMENT IS FOR THE LONG-TERM OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE HAWK SYSTEM.
AND STAFF RECOMMENDS THE ADOPTION OF THIS ORDINANCE AT THE SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING ON MAY 5TH.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PROJECT OR THE ORDINANCE.
IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT THIS EVENING FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK RELATIVE TO THIS LEGISLATION? HEARING NONE.
UH, COUNCIL QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
SO THE EASEMENTS ARE ON THE SCHOOL SIDE.
THERE'S NOTHING REQUIRED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROADWAY FOR THIS.
NOT VISUALIZING NECESSARILY HOW THIS ALL WORKS.
SO THE SYSTEM IS ON BOTH SIDES.
THERE'S ENOUGH EXISTING PERMANENT RIGHT OF WAY ALONG, UM, THE OTHER CORNERS THAT WE DIDN'T NEED TO OBTAIN ANY ADDITIONAL EASEMENTS OTHER THAN THE SCHOOL PROPERTY ON THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT CONSTRUCTION WILL START AND, UH, MAY NOT BE FINISHED IN TIME FOR A SCHOOL TO START.
THE CROSSWALK WILL BE THERE, BUT MAYBE SOME OF THE, IN, SOME OF THE ELECTRONICS MIGHT NOT BE DELIVERED BY THEN.
LONGER LEAD TIME ON THOSE, UM, OVERHEAD EQUIPMENT, BUT YEAH, HOPING TO GET STARTED THIS SUMMER.
PUBLIC HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY THE FIFTH ON THAT ITEM.
[Ordinance 11-25]
ITEM IS ORDINANCE 11 DASH 25, ADOPTING AN ENACTING A SUPPLEMENT TO THE CODE OF ORDINANCES FOR THE CITY OF DUBLIN, OHIO.AND OUR STAFF REPORT WILL BE FROM YAWAR.
UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND GOOD EVENING COUNSEL.
BEFORE YOU IS, UH, ORDINANCE 1125, WHICH CONTAINS SUPPLEMENT 56 TO THE DUBLIN CODIFIED ORDINANCES.
THIS SUPPLEMENT INCLUDES THE, UH, NEW LOCAL LEGISLATION THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2024.
AND ANY STATE LEGISLATION CURRENT THROUGH JUNE 6TH, 2024, SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU'LL HAVE SEEN LAST YEAR.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT THIS EVENING FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK RELATIVE TO THIS LEGISLATION? HEARING NONE COUNCIL QUESTIONS? DISCUSSION? UH, YES.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UM, A LOT OF THE, UM, BOARDING COMMISSIONS AREAS WERE CROSSED OUT.
DID, DID THEY JUST APPEAR SOMEWHERE ELSE? YES.
I BELIEVE THEY WERE RELOCATED.
ANYTHING FURTHER? I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT.
IN THE PAST WE USED A DIFFERENT COLOR WHEN IT WAS LIKE OUR CODE THAT WE PASSED VERSUS THE STATE STUFF WE JUST UPDATE.
NEXT TIME IF WE JUST THIS, 'CAUSE I LIKE TO GO BACK TO THE ORDINANCES WE PASSED, JUST TO MAKE SURE THE WORDING ENDED UP RIGHT.
SO IF THOSE COULD BE ENOUGH SEPARATE COLOR, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
CERTAINLY WE CAN, UH, TALK TO AMERICAN LEGAL PUBLISHING, UH, WHO, WHO CHANGED THAT PRACTICE? I, I DO RECALL THAT LAST YEAR.
AND SEE IF THEY CAN CONTINUE TO DO IT.
YEAH, IT'S JUST HARDER TO PICK IT OUT WHEN IT'S ALL THE SAME COLOR.
PERHAPS WE CAN HAVE THAT FOR A SECOND.
READING, UH, AS SECOND READING, PUBLIC HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY THE FIFTH.
[Resolution 28-25]
INTRODUCTION, PUBLIC HEARING RESOLUTION RESOLUTION 28 DASH 25.ACCEPTING THE LOWEST AND BEST BID FOR THE SCHOOL ZONE BEACONS AND DRIVER FEEDBACK SIGN CITYWIDE COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT.
AND WE HAVE MARK SILVER AS OUR, UH, PRESENTER THIS EVENING WITH THE STAFF REPORT.
MEMBERS COUNCIL, UH, STAFF CONDUCTED A COMPETITIVE BID, UH, FOR THE PORTION OF, FOR A PORTION OF THE SCHOOL ZONE.
UH, STAFF CONDUCTED A COMPETITIVE BID FOR A PORTION OF THE SCHOOL ZONE BEACONS
[00:15:01]
AND DRIVER FEEDBACK SIGNS CITYWIDE COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT.THIS PROJECT UPGRADES THE TIME-BASED FLASHING BEACONS AND DRIVER FEEDBACK SIGNS IN DUBLIN SCHOOL SYSTEM OR SCHOOL ZONES TO ALLOW FOR EASIER MAINTENANCE AND PROGRAMMING.
IN ADDITION, THE START AND STOP TIMES OF THE SIGNS WILL BE MORE RELIABLE AND CONSISTENT.
THE EXISTING SIGNS OPERATE USING UNRELIABLE AND ANTIQUATED EQUIPMENT THAT DON'T, THAT JUST DON'T KEEP TIME ANYMORE, UH, APPROPRIATELY.
AND SO THE SIGNS MAY COME ON AT INCONSISTENT TIMES OR NOT AT ALL.
UH, APPLIED INFORMATION WAS CHOSEN AS THE PREFERRED SOLUTION DUE TO ITS ABILITY TO INTEGRATE WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AND ITS ABILITY TO FURTHER EXPAND THE CITY'S CONNECTED VEHICLE AND SMART CITY, UM, ENVIRONMENTS.
APPLIED INFORMATION'S EQUIPMENT AND PLATFORM ALLOWS STAFF THE ABILITY TO MONITOR THE HEALTH OF THE SYSTEM, PROGRAM THE SCHOOL ZONE SIGNAGE REMOTELY AND PERFORM PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE.
THE SYSTEM ALSO PROVIDES CVX COMMUNICATION AND INTEGRATION WITH WAZE NAVIGATION APPLICATION.
THIS BID IS FOR THE PURCHASE OF MATERIALS ONLY FOR THE NEW VARIABLE SPEED LIMIT AND DRIVER FEEDBACK.
DUAL DISPLAY ASSEMBLIES AS SEEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE, OF THE, THE RIGHT PICTURE HERE ON THIS SLIDE.
UH, FOR FULL SYSTEM INTEGRATION, UH, OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM WERE AVAILABLE VIA OTHER PROCUREMENT METHODS.
ON APRIL 2ND, 2025, ONE BID WAS RECEIVED AND PUBLICLY OPENED AND PATH MASTERS SUBMITTED THE LOWEST AND BEST BID OF $182,820, WHICH WAS 1.6% OVER THE ENGINEER'S ESTIMATE OF $180,000.
THE TOTAL PROJECT COST IS $521,255, WHICH IS UNDER THE INTENDED PROJECT BUDGET AS BUDGETED IN THE 20 24 20 28 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
IN ADDITION, THE BUDGETED FUNDS FOR THE SCHOOL ZONE BEACONS AND DRIVER FEEDBACK SCIENCE PROJECT IN THE 20 25 20 29 CIP ARE 75,000.
THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING NEEDED FOR THE PROJECT IS AVAILABLE FROM THE UNENCUMBERED AVAILABLE BALANCE IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FUND.
MATERIALS ARE EXPECTED TO BE DELIVERED THIS WINTER WITH INSTALLATION COMPLETE BY THE END OF, BY THE BEGINNING OF THE 20 26 20 27 SCHOOL YEAR.
UH, STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS RESOLUTION, ACCEPTING PATH MASTER'S BID AS LOWEST AND BEST IN THE AMOUNT OF $182,820.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
WANNA TAKE A MOMENT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT THIS EVENING THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK RELATIVE TO THIS LEGISLATION? HEARING NONE COUNCIL QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION? I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS SYSTEM.
SO ARE WE'RE PURCHASING THEN THE SOFTWARE THAT THE CITY ITSELF CAN ACTUALLY REGULATE EACH OF THESE INDIVIDUALLY? OR IS THE VENDOR THE ONE WHO'S CHANGING THE TIME AND REGULATING? NO, IT'LL BE CONTROLLED BY THE CITY.
AND THEY ARE ALL INDIVIDUALLY, LIKE YOU COULD HAVE DIFFERENT TIMES ON EVERY SINGLE ONE.
IF WE, AND, AND A BIG PROPONENT OF THIS SYSTEM IS THE ABILITY TO, UM, PROGRAM THEM REMOTELY, AS I STATED, UH, SPECIFICALLY DURING PERIODS OF INCLEMENT WEATHER.
WHEN WE NEED TO DELAY SCHOOL OR CANCEL SCHOOL, WE'LL HAVE THE ABILITY, STAFF WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT REMOTELY.
UM, AND, AND DELAY THAT ACCORDINGLY TO THE SCHOOL SCHEDULE.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY MY OTHER QUESTION IS HOW RESPONSIVE OR HOW QUICK.
OTHER QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE.
JENNY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MS. FOX? YES.
[Resolution 29-25]
29 DASH 25 EXTENDING THE MICRO MOBILITY PROGRAM AND PERMITTING THE OPERATION OF SLOW LOW SPEED MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES ON LOW SPEED STREETS, SIDEWALKS AND SHARED USE PATHS FOR AN ADDITIONAL 12 MONTH PERIOD.AND OUR STAFF REPORT WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD BY JM RAYBURN.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UH, AS, UM, AS PART OF THE OVERVIEW OF THE MICRO MOBILITY DEMONSTRATION PILOT, THE CITY LAUNCHED THE PILOT BACK IN MAY 1ST ON MAY 1ST, 2022 TO TEST THE VIABILITY OF MICRO MOBILITY IN, UH, DUBLIN.
AND THEN COUNCIL MOST RECENTLY ADOPTED RESOLUTION 29 24 LAST YEAR ON JUNE 3RD, WHICH EXTENDED THE MICRO MOBILITY PILOT PROGRAM FOR ANOTHER 12 MONTH PERIOD, LOOKING AT RIDERSHIP DATA FROM BIRD BETWEEN 2022 AND 2024.
UM, ON THE SCREEN YOU'LL SEE THE GRAPH, THE DATA ILLUSTRATES THE NUMBER OF RIDES TAKEN ON MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES GREW BY 10% SINCE THE LAUNCH OF BIRD IN 2022 TO THE END OF 2024.
[00:20:01]
THE DATA SUGGESTS THAT THE TYPES OF TRIPS TRANSITIONED FROM MORE RECREATIONAL USE IN THE BEGINNING TO MORE TRIPS WITH PURPOSE.SO THINK OF THAT LAST MILE, FIRST MILE GAP THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO CLOSE FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR WORKFORCE.
UM, THE DATA SUGGESTS THAT THE MICRO MOBILITY PROGRAM HELPED WITH SOME OF THOSE LAST MILE FIRST MILE TRIPS.
UM, AND THEN BY THEN OF THE PILOT, WE, YOU KNOW, TO BACK THAT UP, WE SAW THAT SHIPS ARE TRIPS ARE TAKING AT SHORTER LENGTHS, BUT AT HIGHER FREQUENCY.
SO AGAIN, RATHER THAN GOING FOR THOSE RECREATIONAL TRIPS, EXPLORING THE NOVELTY OF MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES, THEY'RE USED MORE PURPOSEFUL FOR PIP UH, FOR RIDERS GETTING TUNED FROM, UM, DIFFERENT DESTINATIONS, USUALLY WITHIN A MILE, TWO MILES, UM, OF WHEN THEY START THEIR TRIP.
ANOTHER THING THAT'S WORTH NOTING IS, UH, THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE LAUNCHED IN 2022, WE RECEIVED 11 COMPLAINTS FROM THE PUBLIC REGARDING MICRO MOBILITY.
AND WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
AND LAST YEAR WE HAD ONE COMPLAINT.
SO WE SEE THAT ALSO AS A MARK OF OUR SUCCESS IN ADDRESSING, UH, THE NEEDS OF THE PROGRAM.
DURING THE APRIL 7TH COUNCIL MEETING, VO WAS INTRODUCED WITH A DIFFERENT OPERATING MODEL FOR MICRO MOBILITY THAN WE HAVE WITH BYRD IN THE PAST.
MOST NOTABLY, VOS OPERATIONS INCLUDE REVENUE CHAIN FOR THE CITY, A DIVERSE FLEET OF VEHICLES WITH SEATED OPTIONS, AS WELL AS STANDING IN A BIKE SHARE COMPONENT WITH E-BIKES.
STAFF WILL RECOMMEND RESOLUTION 30 DASH 25 AS PART OF THE NEXT ITEM ON TODAY'S MEETING AGENDA, WHICH WOULD AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH VO TO DEPLOY SUCH, UH, SYSTEM IN CELEBRATION OF EARTH MONTH, OR EXCUSE ME, IN CELEBRATION OF BIKE MONTH, EXCUSE ME.
UH, STAFF WILL LAUNCH A TELL DUBLIN ONLINE SURVEY.
AND THAT WILL, UH, THAT IS MEANT TO GATHER MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC REGARDING, UH, VO AND ALSO THE CENTRAL OHIO SHARED MICRO MOBILITY PROGRAM, WHICH WE'RE PARTNERED TO WITH CITY OF COLUMBUS, CITY OF ARLINGTON, AND OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY.
THE RESULTS AND FEEDBACK WILL BE SHARED AS PART OF THE REVIEW OF CODE MODIFICATIONS LATER THIS YEAR, ADDRESSING MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES.
SO TO CONTINUE WITH THE MICRO MOBILITY PROGRAM, AN EXTENSION TO ALLOW, UH, LOW SPEED ELECTRIC SCOOTERS, DEVICES ON STREET SIDEWALKS AND SHARED USE PATH IS NECESSARY.
AS I MENTIONED, STAFF, UH, WILL PRESENT DRAFT CODE MODIFICATIONS FROM MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES TO COUNCIL AT A FUTURE MEETING DATE IN 2025.
WITH THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION 29 25, WHICH EXTENDS THE MICRO MOBILITY PROGRAM, UH, PILOT FOR AN ADDITIONAL 12 MONTH PERIOD.
AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT THIS EVENING FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE COMMENT RELATIVE TO THIS LEGISLATION? HEARING NONE COUNCIL QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION.
CAN YOU DEFINE LOW SPEED FOR ME? THOSE WOULD BE DEVICES THAT ARE REGULATED, UH, USUALLY NO MORE THAN 15 MILES PER HOUR.
SO THE E-BIKES AND THE E SCOOTERS, THEY'RE CAPPED AT 15.
THEY WOULD BE CAPPED WITH A GOVERNOR ON THE DEVICE.
I'M STARTING TO SEE ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES.
UM, THESE ARE TYPICALLY TEENAGE BOYS RIDING AROUND ON, THEY APPEAR TO BE, IT'S A MOTOR.
IT LOOKS LIKE A MOTORCYCLE, UH, TOP SPEED OF 77 MILES AN HOUR, AND THEY'RE ON THE SIDEWALKS.
AND I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE KEEP THOSE OFF OF THE SIDEWALKS.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON EDUCATION AS WELL AS GOOD ETIQUETTE, PARTICULARLY WITH OUR PARTNERS IN POLICE, UH, ENGAGING WITH THE PUBLIC AT VARIOUS OCCASIONS OVER THE SUMMER.
UM, WE CANNOT REGULATE THE PRIVATE DEVICES, BUT WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON WHAT'S EXPECTED FOR SAFETY.
SO, UH, BACK IN THE DAY, I REMEMBER READING THAT MOTORIZED VEHICLES WERE PROHIBITED FROM BEING ON SIDEWALKS OR SHARED USE PATHS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THESE ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES ARE MOTORIZED, BUT THEY'RE NOT GASOLINE POWERED.
IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT WE EITHER TIGHTEN THE ORDINANCE OR TIGHTEN ENFORCEMENT TO, YOU KNOW, I GUESS GET THE WORD OUT, THAT WE JUST DON'T TOLERATE THESE THINGS ON THE SIDEWALKS.
AS I SAID, I'M SEEING MORE AND MORE OF THEM.
IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, A A RASH PROBLEM, BUT, UM, THEY'RE MORE AND MORE COMMON.
AND AS I SAID, THE SPEEDS ARE, YOU KNOW, IN EXCESS OF 50 MILES AN HOUR.
AND I, I THINK THERE, IS THERE NOT A MOPED LICENSE REQUIREMENT IN THE STATE OF OHIO FOR 14 AND 15 YEAR OLDS? SI
[00:25:02]
THINK THE BIG CONCERN IS WHAT THEY'RE TRAVELING ON AND PERHAPS A SPEED LIMIT ON OUR SHARED USE PATHS MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO ENTERTAIN, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN ADDRESS AS WE WORK ON THE CODE MODIFICATIONS THAT WE'LL BRING BACK TO COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.THANK YOU JAM AND TEAM FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
I WONDER WHEN WE BRING THE CODE, WE JUST DO IT.
I MEAN, RATHER THAN HAVING TO KEEP EXTENDING THAT, WE'RE DOING 12 MORE MONTHS OR 12 MORE MONTHS.
I, I, I THINK BY THIS POINT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT, NOT IF TO DO IT.
AND, AND MAYBE WE CAN AT THAT POINT BRING THAT BACK TOGETHER.
SO MAKE IT PART OF WHAT WE DO AND SOLVE SOME OF THE, THE USABILITY ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORTH AS THAT MAY BE A CONSIDERATION.
MAYBE THIS 12 MONTH, AND THEN WE HA WE SIGN A LONGER TERM CONTRACT WITH A PARTNER THAT WE'D BE COMFORTABLE WITH MOVING FORWARD.
YEAH, AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY THE PLAN.
UM, JM I BELIEVE IS WORKING ON YEP.
PERMANENT LANGUAGE TO IMPLEMENT.
WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THAT READY FOR THIS ROUND AND WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT FORWARD BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
ANYTHING ELSE? UM, WHEN WE DO, UM, COME UP WITH THE CONDITIONS FOR IT, I, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE ALL LOOKING FOR IS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SHARED USE PATH, THERE ARE SO MANY NEW ELECTRIC DEVICES THAT YOU CAN RIDE, EVEN IF YOU JUST, IF IT LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE, I DON'T THAT ONE WHEELER THINGS, THAT SORT OF THING, BUT WE WANNA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE THE SHARED USE PATH AND TO TRY THESE DIFFERENT MOBILITY DEVICES.
BUT I THINK SPEED IS PROBABLY THE PROBLEM.
AND, AND ALSO IT'S, IT'S NEVER A BAD IDEA TO HAVE KIND OF, UM, ETIQUETTE RULES OF THE ROAD MAYBE, UM, ADVERTISED SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS EXPECTED NOW THAT WE'RE HAVING A LOT MORE DIFFERENT KINDS OF USES ON THE SHARED USE PATH.
ANYONE ELSE? JENNY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MS. CRAM? YES.
[Resolution 30-25]
DASH 25 AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A SERVICE LEVEL AND REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENT BETWEEN VO RIDE INC.I'LL INTRODUCE IT AND WE'LL STICK WITH JM.
UH, STAFF PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW OF THE SHARED, UH, CENTRAL OHIO SHARED MICRO MOBILITY PROGRAM AT THE APRIL 7TH MEETING.
AND, UH, THE PURPOSE OF THIS UPDATE IS TO PROVIDE THE KEY TERMS OF THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT PRIOR TO THE CONSIDERATION OF THE RESOLUTION.
THE CENTRAL OHIO SHARED MICRO MOBILITY PROGRAM SUPPORTS DUBLIN'S BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION, WHICH WE WILL REAPPLY FOR NEXT YEAR IN 2026.
HAVING A BIKE SHARE WILL HELP US MAINTAIN OUR CIVIL LEVEL STATUS AND DEMONSTRATE OUR ADVANCEMENT TOWARDS GOLD.
SIX PROPOSALS WERE RECEIVED AS PART OF THIS, UH, RFP PROGRAM AND THEY WERE, UH, THEY WERE, UH, RECEIVED AND EVALUATED BY THE STEERING COMMITTEE, WHICH CONSISTED OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS, THE CITY OF UPPER ARLINGTON, AND THE CITY OF DUBLIN, AS WELL AS THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY STAFF.
OF THOSE SIX PROPOSALS, FOUR OF THOSE WERE DOCKLESS AND TWO WERE DOCKED.
COGO AND LYFT DID NOT SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR THIS, UH, PROGRAM.
VO WAS SELECTED BASED ON THE STRENGTH OF ITS PROPOSAL, ITS FINANCIAL MODEL, ITS OPERATIONAL ABILITIES AND VEHICLE TYPES.
AND VO HAS ALREADY LAUNCHED OPERATIONS IN COLUMBUS BACK IN MARCH 15TH OF THIS YEAR.
THE DRAFT AGREEMENT WITH VO INCLUDES OPERATIONAL RESTRICTIONS, PARKING MANAGEMENT, FLEET DISTRIBUTION, REVENUE SHARING, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, NO PUBLIC SUBSIDY.
THE PREVIOUS MEMO FROM THE APRIL 7TH MEETING IS INCLUDED IN THIS PACKET FOR REFERENCE TO SOME OF THOSE DETAILS.
AS WE LOOK AT THE INITIAL LAUNCH PERIOD FOR THIS PROGRAM, WE ANTICIPATE THE LAUNCH PERIOD OF THE DUB FLEET LASTING APPROXIMATELY 45 DAYS FROM APRIL 30TH OF THIS YEAR TO JUNE 15TH.
IN PREPARATION FOR THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT, VO WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF VEHICLE, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE DEVICES TO PROVIDE RIDE CITYWIDE AND BICYCLE AND MICRO MOBILITY.
PARKING WILL BE AVAILABLE AT TWO LOCATIONS AT THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT.
ONE LOCATION IS, UH, NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF MEMORIAL DRIVE IN KENROSS COURT, AND ONE, THE OTHER LOCATION IS OFF DUBLIN ROAD, NEAR THE SIXTH HOLE OF THE MEREFIELD VILLAGE GOLF CLUB.
AS A REMINDER, THE COST TO RENT IS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN, AND THESE ARE THE STANDARD PRICES FOR RIDER AS IT APPLIES.
THE AGREEMENT VIA WILL LAST APPROXIMATELY FOUR YEARS THROUGH
[00:30:01]
DECEMBER 31ST, 2029, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CENTRAL OHIO SHARED MICRO MOBILITY PROGRAM.DUBLIN MAY TERMINATE THE AGREEMENT AT ANY TIME WITH A 90 DAY WRITTEN NOTICE, AND AT THE END OF THE TERM, DUBLIN MAY CHOOSE TO EXTEND OR TERMINATE THE AGREEMENT WHEN COMBINED WITH THE PROPOSED DEVICE FEES AND TRIP FEES USING THE DATA, UH, FROM 2024 FROM BYRD.
STAFF CONSERVATIVELY ESTIMATES TRIP REVENUES, UH, REVENUE FEES FOR THE CITY THIS YEAR TO BE ABOUT $3,800.
ONE CHANGE THAT IS NOTABLE FROM THE LAST PRESENTATION IS AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF, UM, THE AMOUNT REMITTED TO THE CITY FROM RIDER FINES, WHICH INCREASE FROM 50% TO 75%.
AND THAT CREATES TO A MODEST INCREASE IN THE REVENUE.
AND AS A REMINDER FOR THE PUBLIC SUBSIDY THAT WE WERE SEEING PREVIOUSLY WITH COGO EXPANDING TO THE CITY, THAT WOULD'VE REQUIRED AN INVESTMENT OF $380,000 PLUS $80,000 A YEAR TO SUBSIDIZE THE OPERATION OF THAT SYSTEM.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY PUBLIC SUBSIDY, AND WE ACTUALLY WILL GET SOME REVENUE FOR THIS TO REINVEST INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
SOMETHING WORTH NOTING WITH OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS, THERE'LL BE A SEAMLESS EXPERIENCE FROM WHAT RIDERS HAD WITH THE BIRD PROGRAM, UM, SUCH AS NO RIDE ZONES AND PARKING GARAGES.
AND CERTAIN STREETS LIKE LONG LONGSHORE SLOW ZONES, PARTICULARLY, UM, AT THE PE UH, THE DUBLIN LAKE BRIDGE AND THE PLAZAS THAT FLANK IT ON BOTH SIDES PROHIBITING DEVICES FROM RIDING THE TRAVEL LANES OF ROADWAYS WITH THE SPEED LIMIT POSTED OVER 25 MILES PER HOUR.
AND THEN THE DOCKLESS SYSTEM REQUIRES PARKING COMPLIANCE AT DESIGNATED LOCATIONS SUCH AS BIKE RACKS, BIKE CORRALS, AND OTHER DESIGNATED LOCATIONS.
UM, IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT A LOCAL VO TEAM, WHICH IS BASED IN COLUMBUS AND SUPERVISED BY STEVEN NEEDHAM, WHO WAS INTRODUCED AT THE APRIL 7TH MEETING, UM, THEY WILL MANAGE THE DUBLIN FLEET FOR DEVICE REBALANCING AND, UH, REPLACING BATTERIES THAT ARE LOW.
THE TEAM ALSO REMOTELY MONITORS ALL THE DEVICES TO SEE HOW IT'S PERFORMING AND IF THERE'S ANY REBALANCING BASED ON USER DATA.
WITH THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION 30 25 TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO PROCEED WITH THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT WITH VO TO OPERATE MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES IN THE CITY OF DUBLIN, BEGINNING APRIL 30TH.
AND AGAIN, THE FOCUS WILL BE, UH, THE TIDINESS OF THE RIGHT OF WAY AND REBALANCING IN THE HIGH USE AREAS FOR ACCESS AS WE DEPLOY THIS SYSTEM.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
WANNA TAKE A MOMENT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT THIS EVENING FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE COMMENT RELATIVE TO THIS LEGISLATION? HEARING NONE COUNCIL QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION? I THINK WE GOT 'EM ALL COVERED LAST TIME.
UH, JENNY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL A ROLL? MR. KEELER? YES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT JAM.
[Community Events Roadmap - Benchmarking]
UH, THIS BRINGS US TO THE OTHER BUSINESS PORTION OF OUR AGENDA.COMMUNITY EVENTS ROADMAP BENCHMARKING.
OUR STAFF REPORT WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD THIS EVENING BY KENDALL BLAKE, UH, WITH ED SHAR AND BROOKE FROM YARD AND CO.
WILL PRESENT VIRTUALLY GOOD EVENING MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
AS YOU ARE ALL AWARE, THE THE EVENTS ROADMAP PROJECT IS IN FURTHERANCE OF ONE OF COUNCIL'S GOALS.
TONIGHT'S AGENDA INCLUDES A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE TO DATE.
THE MAIN GOALS OF TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION YARD IS PARTICIPATING VIRTUALLY AND WILL REVIEW THE BENCHMARKING THAT SUPPORTS THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND FINALLY, A DISCUSSION TO RECEIVE COUNCIL FEEDBACK TO FINALIZE YARD'S WORK BEFORE THE DRAFT REPORT IS BROUGHT BACK TO COUNCIL.
ON THE SCREEN ARE THE TWO DATES BEFORE THAT CAME BEFORE COUNCIL.
AND AS YOU'RE ALL AWARE, YA YARD, UH, DID COME TO THE DUBLIN IRISH FESTIVAL LAST YEAR.
THEY CONDUCTED SURVEYS BOTH ONLINE AND IN PERSON, UH, AND RESEARCH THAT CULMINATED IN THE SUMMARY OF UNDERSTANDING THAT WAS PRESENTED IN THE NOVEMBER WORK SESSION YARD ALSO PRESENTED THEIR BUDGET ANALYSIS AND PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE FEBRUARY WORK SESSION AS REQUESTED BY COUNSEL YARD WILL PROVIDE THE DATA BEHIND THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS THIS EVENING.
THEN WE WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCUSSION THAT YARD AND STAFF WOULD LIKE FEEDBACK AND DIRECTION ON.
AND WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO DO INTRODUCE ED SHIRA WITH YARD AND CO.
UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON VIRTUALLY.
AND, UM, WE, UH, PROVIDED A, A MUCH LENGTHIER REPORT, UH, THAT WAS PART OF YOUR PACKET.
UH, THE SLIDES REPRESENT SOME VERY HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF THAT, UH, BUT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, HAVE YOU ASK QUESTIONS IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED.
AND SO THE BE FOR THE BENCHMARKING FOR THE MOST PART, UH, WE LOOKED AT PEER CITIES, UH, TO DUBLIN, UM, IN ORDER TO COMPARE WHAT THEY DO WITH THEIR EVENTS.
SO WE LOOKED AT HIGH GROWTH SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES OF COMPARABLE HOUSEHOLD INCOME THAT ALSO HAVE A HIGH EXPECTATION
[00:35:01]
FOR QUALITY OF LIFE AND QUALITY OF PLACE, UH, PLACES THAT ARE MAKING INVESTMENTS IN THEIR COMMUNITY.UM, AND SO WE, UH, CHOSE, UH, A LOCAL EXAMPLE, A REGIONAL EXAMPLE AND A NATIONAL EXAMPLE.
UH, LOCALLY WE LOOKED AT WESTERVILLE, OHIO, YOUR NEIGHBOR, UH, REGIONALLY WE LOOKED IN THE MIDWEST AND WE SELECTED CARMEL, INDIANA.
UH, THERE'S A VERY SIMILAR DNA BETWEEN YOU AND CARMEL, UM, INDIANAPOLIS SUBURB.
AND, UM, FOR THE NATIONAL EXAMPLE, ACTUALLY, UH, PAIRED UP TWO NEIGHBORING SUBURBS IN THE DALLAS FORT WORTH METROPLEX, UH, GRAPEVINE, WHICH IS, UH, AN AWARD-WINNING, UH, CITY FOR ITS FESTIVAL WORK AS YOU ARE.
UH, AND THEN THEIR NEIGHBORS, SOUTH LAKE, UH, BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM, THEY HAVE A REALLY NICE COMPLIMENT OF EVENTS THAT REALLY PARALLELS WHAT YOU DO THERE IN DUBLIN.
SO WE LOOKED AT THOSE, UH, PLACES FOR BENCHMARKING SPECIFICALLY.
AND SO TO DIVE RIGHT IN, UM, THIS PROBABLY AGAIN, WILL BE A REPEAT OF WHAT YOU'VE SEEN IN YOUR PACKET, BUT FOR YOUR HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING TO BREAK DOWN THIS ON AN EVENT BY EVENT BASIS, WHICH WE DID AT THE WORK SESSION.
BUT NOW WITH A LITTLE MORE DETAIL BEHIND IT, UM, YOU, WE, WE SUGGESTED THAT YOU CONTINUE INVESTING AT THIS LEVEL.
THE BENCHMARKING SHOWS THAT, UH, YOUR INVESTMENT IS COMPARABLE TO THE BENCHMARK CITIES.
UH, ONE THING THAT WE DID NOTE IS, UM, THE OTHER THREE BENCHMARK CITIES THAT WE LOOKED AT USE THEIR TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY AS A WAY TO DRIVE FOOT TRAFFIC, EITHER TO THEIR PERMANENT DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS WHERE THEY HOLD THEIR FESTIVITIES OR TO A, UH, SEASONAL CHRISTMAS MARKET, UH, IN THE CASE OF CARMEL.
SO WE, UH, WE DO REITERATE THE SUGGESTION THAT WE MADE THE LAST TIME, WHICH IS TO, UM, WHEN YOUR HOLIDAY MARKET COMES ONLINE TO, UH, JOIN FORCES SO THAT YOUR EVENT, UH, REALLY SUPPLEMENTS, UH, THAT EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS AND HELPS, UH, HOPEFULLY DRIVE EVEN FURTHER MERCHANT SALES, WHICH, UH, WOULD ONLY BENEFIT, UH, YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
AND, UH, WE HAVE PROVIDED IN THE SLIDES, UH, AT LEAST SOME HIGH LEVEL EXCERPTS FROM THE FULL REPORT.
THEY ARE HERE SPECIFICALLY IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AND IF WE NEED THEM.
BUT OTHERWISE, FOR THE SAKE OF BREVITY AND TO GET EVERYONE HOME AT A DECENT TIME TONIGHT, WE ARE JUST GONNA MOVE ON, UM, WITH DISCUSSION.
BUT IF WE NEED TO REFER BACK, WE CAN.
UH, SO THEN THE HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR, UH, OUR PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATION WAS TO BRING THE TOTAL COST DOWN JUST A BIT.
UM, AND WE DID FIND THAT YOUR INVESTMENT IN SPECTACULAR IS JUST A BIT HIGHER THAN YOUR BENCHMARK, UH, PEERS, NOT, NOT SIGNIFICANTLY, BUT A, A BIT MORE.
UM, SO OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS TO DO ONE OF TWO THINGS REALLY WAS TO CONTINUE GROWING THE SPONSORSHIP DOLLARS TO BETTER COVER COSTS, WHICH HAS HAPPENED FROM 2023 TO 2024.
SO WE HOPE THAT THAT MOMENTUM CONTINUES, WHICH WILL BRING YOU IN LINE WITH YOUR PEER CITIES.
UM, IN LIEU OF THAT, THOUGH, IT MAY BE, UH, NECESSARY TO AT LEAST ANALYZE WHETHER REDUCING THE SCALE OF THE EVENT FROM TWO DAYS BACK DOWN TO ONE WOULD MAKE SENSE.
UM, IN THE CASE OF YOUR PEERS, UM, TWO OF THE BENCHMARK CITIES HAVE FREE EVENTS THAT ARE ONLY ONE DAY, YOURS BEING FREE, BUT TWO DAYS, UH, YOUR NEIGHBOR AT WESTERVILLE HAS A MULTIPLE DAY EVENT, AN ACTUAL FOUR DAY EVENT, BUT WITH PAID ADMISSION.
SO, UM, THESE FAMILY FRIENDLY FALL EVENTS THAT ARE EITHER, YOU KNOW, AUTUMN THEMED OR HALLOWEEN THEMED, UH, THERE'S REALLY, UH, A LOT OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES.
BUT, UH, WE FEEL LIKE, UH, IN ORDER TO KEEP YOUR EVENT FOR FREE, YOU REALLY NEED TO BRING UP THE SPONSORSHIP DOLLARS TO CONTINUE OFFERING IT FOR FREE OR PERHAPS MAYBE JUST BRING IT DOWN TO ONE DAY TO GET YOUR INVESTMENT IN LINE.
UM, AND WE DID ALSO MENTION POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT CHANGING THE EVENT LOCATION.
THIS IS AGAIN, FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS.
YOU GUYS ARE, UH, A BIT MORE EXPERT.
BUT, UH, CARMEL, INDIANA NOTED VERY SPECIFICALLY THAT, UH, IN HOSTING THEIR EVENT, UH, AT A PUBLIC SPACE THAT THE CITY OWNS AND INVESTED IN THAT IS READY TO DO PROGRAMMING OF THIS SORT GREATLY SIMPLIFIES THEIR EVENT PREPARATION AND THE FACT THAT THERE ARE LOCAL MERCHANTS SURROUNDING THAT SPACE.
UH, THE EVENT ORGANIZER FELT AS THOUGH THEY HAD TO CREATE LESS OF AN EXPERIENCE IN THE EVENT, AND IT WAS MORE ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE IN AND ALLOW THEM TO EXPERIENCE THE OVERALL AREA, UH, DRIVING THE FOOT TRAFFIC.
SO, UM, WE, WE STILL THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE, UH, SOME TABLES, UH, AN EXCERPT FROM THE FULL REPORT HERE, SHOULD WE NEED TO REFER TO THEM LATER ON.
BUT YOU'LL NOTE THAT YOUR TOTAL NET BEFORE LABOR AND AFTER LABOR IS JUST A BIT HIGHER THAN, UH, YOUR PEER CITIES.
SO WE'LL JUST WORK ON BRINGING THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND YOU'LL BE RIGHT IN LINE WITH A GREAT EVENT.
[00:40:01]
ON TO THE ST.WE DID A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BENCHMARKING ON THIS.
UH, WE LOOKED AT COMPARABLE, UH, ST PATRICK'S DAY PARADES AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND, UM, INCLUDING THREE OTHER DUBLINS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
UM, YOU ARE FAR AND AWAY THE, UH, MOST WELL-KNOWN, UH, MOST RESOURCED, UH, DUBLIN, UH, UH, OF NATIONAL RENOWNED, BUT THERE ARE THREE OTHERS THAT AT LEAST ARE, ARE TRYING TO CATCH UP TO YOU.
SO, UM, WHAT WE FOUND, UH, IS THAT YOUR DIRECT COSTS IN PUTTING ON YOUR PARADE IS VERY COMPARABLE TO THE OTHER ST.
WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY, UM, SO CONTINUE INVESTING, UM, THE FELLOW DUBLINS, UM, THEY SEE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY, UH, PROMOTE THEIR BRAND.
UM, IN FACT, THE OTHER THREE DUBLINS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION FROM, UM, AGAIN, THAT WERE AT SOME SIZE AND SCALE, ACTUALLY DO A MUCH LARGER FESTIVAL, KIND OF THEIR VERSION OF DIFF BUT THEY DO IT AROUND ST.
UM, SO I THINK THAT YOU DOING A, A PARADE AND THEN DIFF IN A MORE TEMPERATE WEATHER MONTH IS ACTUALLY, UM, A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
THE OTHER DUBLINS ARE IN MUCH, UH, WARMER CLIMATES.
SO, UM, WE DID NOTE THAT THE REVENUES THAT YOU'RE GENERATING FROM YOUR ST.
PATRICK'S DAY PARADE ARE A BIT LOWER THAN YOUR PEER CITY.
SO THAT IS ONE NOTE THAT WE HAD, UH, FROM BEFORE THAT WE WOULD STRESS IS TO CONTINUE GROWING SPONSORSHIPS.
AND, UM, EVEN WITH DIFF WE'VE RECOMMENDED THAT YOU LOOK AT A SPONSORSHIP, UM, AGREEMENT, UH, REVIEW AND LOOK AT PERHAPS A CONSULTANT TO HELP YOU WRITE AN AGREEMENT TO PURSUE SPONSORSHIPS, UH, IN A BIGGER WAY.
AND, UH, EVERY BENCHMARK PARADE INCLUDES THEIR CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AS, AS YOU DO SO.
UM, THEY MAKE A VERY BIG POINT OF PRIDE TO INVOLVE, UH, THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEIR BUSINESSES AND MERCHANTS.
YOU DO THAT AS WELL AND YOU DO IT VERY WELL.
SO, UH, YOU ARE RIGHT IN LINE WITH YOUR PEER CITIES.
SO WE WOULD, UH, ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE DOWN THAT PATH.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME MORE NUMBERS, UM, AS WELL.
UM, WHAT WE DID NOTE IS THAT IN ALMOST EVERY CASE, THE ST.
PATRICK'S DAY PARADE WAS ACTUALLY PRODUCED BY A, UH, A NONPROFIT, UM, INSTEAD OF THE CITY ITSELF.
UM, AND SOME OF THOSE, UM, NONPROFITS ACTUALLY USE THE PARADE AS A BIT OF A FUNDRAISER FOR THEMSELVES.
AND SOME LOOK AT IT AS JUST SIMPLY A CIVIC GIVE BACK.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT OF THE BENCHMARK PARADES, YOU WERE THE ONLY CITY THAT WAS ACTUALLY PUTTING ONE ON, UM, AS OPPOSED TO A COMMITTEE OR NONPROFIT.
BUT, UM, YOU ARE STILL VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH WHAT OTHER GROUPS ARE DOING.
UH, WHICH THEN LEADS US TO INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD QUITE A BIT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS BACK IN FEBRUARY, AND YOU KNOW, AS WE NOTED THEN, UM, WE BELIEVE THAT THE ANNUAL TOTAL COST THAT YOU ARE INVESTING IN INDEPENDENCE DAY IS THAT IS OUT OF SCALE, UM, SCALE.
AND THAT'S DUE TO THE HEADLINE ENTERTAINMENT THAT'S BEING OFFERED AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL OF SUBSIDIZATION, UH, TO, UH, TO YOUR CITIZENS.
SO, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE TIME WAS TO, YOU COULD CONTINUE AS IS, BUT JUST WITH A VERY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU ARE OFFERING SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY FAR OUT OF SCALE IN INVESTMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU FEEL LIKE THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT OTHERWISE, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE TO TRY TO BRING THAT BACK INTO SCALE MORE.
UM, ONE WAY TO DO THAT WOULD BE TO REDUCE YOUR COSTS BY BOOKING LESS EXPENSIVE ACTS, YOU KNOW, WHICH REQUIRE SMALLER STAGE, UM, ALL OF THE BENCHMARK CITIES BOOK, EITHER LOCAL OR REGIONAL ACTS, AND ANECDOTALLY, EVEN OTHER PLACES THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT, UM, REALLY DON'T DO, UM, NATIONAL HEADLINERS.
WE DID LOOK AT, UH, YOUR NEIGHBORS IN HILLIARD, UH, WHICH YOU WILL FIND IN THE APPENDIX OF YOUR, UM, PACKET, UH, THAT WE PROVIDED IN THE REPORT.
UM, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, NO, NO SURPRISE BECAUSE THEY ARE BASING THEIR EVENT PRODUCTION AFTER, UH, ON YOUR EVENT PRODUCTION, UM, METHODOLOGY.
SO WE EXPECTED THEM TO, UM, TO DO THAT.
UH, BUT WE'RE JUST NOT FINDING MANY CITIES THAT ARE OFFERING A FESTIVAL AT SUCH A LOW COST TO THE CONSUMER.
UH, WITH THAT LEVEL OF ENTERTAINMENT.
UM, YOU COULD KEEP THAT BIG NAME HEADLINER AND OFFSET YOUR COST MORE BY INCREASING WRISTBAND PRICES.
UM, SO STILL OFFER A SUBSIDY, BUT LESS, UM, NONE OF YOUR OTHER PEER CITIES THAT WE BENCHMARKED, UM, ARE CHARGING ADMISSION.
UH, BUT THAT, THAT, AGAIN, NONE OF THEM ARE TRYING TO RECOUP THE COST OF A NATIONAL HEADLINER.
UM, THE ONLY FESTIVAL THAT HAS ANY SPECIFIC CHARGE, UH, TO, UH, PATRONS, UH, ISN'T FOR ADMISSION.
IT'S FOR CARNIVAL RIDES, UH, THAT THEY HAVE ON SITE IN CARMEL.
UM, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IS JUST SORT OF, UM, IS
[00:45:01]
FREE OR IF YOU CERTAINLY, OF COURSE, BUY CONCESSIONS THAT COSTS.UM, THE THIRD OPTION, UM, IS TO OUTSOURCE THE ACTUAL FESTIVAL MUSIC PORTION OF IT AND HAVE THE CITY SIMPLY, UH, KEEP THE FIREWORKS AND PARADE, UH, PORTION OF THE DAY AND PARTNER UP WITH SOMEBODY.
AND, UH, TWO OF THE BENCHMARK CITIES THAT WE LOOKED AT, UH, HAVE THIS ARRANGEMENT.
UM, IRONICALLY BOTH OF THEM HAVE, UH, THEIR LOCAL ROTARY CLUB AS THEIR LONGTIME, UH, ORGANIZER OF THE EVENT.
UM, AND EACH CITY INVESTS A LITTLE LESS THAN $120,000 OVERALL TO PROVIDE A BIG FIREWORK SHOW AND DO, UH, IN KIND STAFFING FOR THE PARADE.
UM, IN BOTH CASES, THE LOCAL ROTARY CLUB ACTUALLY TURNS A PROFIT FROM THE FESTIVAL.
UM, SO THAT, UH, WE THOUGHT WAS KIND OF AN INTERESTING LOOK.
SO IF, IF YOU'LL JUST NOTE FROM THIS TABLE, THE, THE YELLOW BEIGE IS, UH, AREAS OF SIMILARITY.
AND THEN THE, UH, PINKISH RED IS WHERE THERE'S A BIT OF AN OUTLIER.
SO, UM, YOU, YOU ARE THE ONLY CITY THAT IS REALLY CHARGING ANYTHING FOR ANY KIND OF ADMISSION, BUT YOU'RE ALSO OFFERING A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL OF ENTERTAINMENT, UM, BUT ALSO INVESTING FAR, FAR MORE AS YOU'LL SEE ON THIS TABLE.
SO, UM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, ASCERTAIN FROM CARMEL, UM, FROM THEIR ROTARY CLUB ORGANIZER AGAIN, THEY ACTUALLY TURNED A PROFIT ON THE FESTIVAL PORTION OF IT ITSELF.
UM, THEY SPEND ABOUT $20,000 IN BANDS AND $50,000 IN THEIR STAGE IN LIGHTING.
UM, THAT IS, UM, ABOUT $200,000 OR SO LOWER THAN WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SPENDING ON, ON MUSIC AND STAGE AND LIGHTING.
UM, I THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT LATER ON.
UH, SO, UM, I'M GONNA CONTINUE, UH, UNLESS, UH, KENDALL GIVES ME THE, THE, HOLD ON, UM, DEVILISH IRISH FESTIVAL, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST REPEATING SOME OB OBSERVATIONS THAT WE WENT THROUGH THE LAST TIME ABOUT A MATURE FESTIVAL THAT KEEPS GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE TO PRODUCE RELATIVELY THE SAME EXPERIENCE EVERY YEAR.
UM, BUT THE, THE KEY IS THAT EXPENSES ARE RISING FASTER THAN THE ABILITY OF THE CUSTOMER TO PAY FOR THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND SO WE'RE IN DANGER OF HAVING A DEFICIT STRUCTURALLY BAKED IN AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO, UH, WE REALLY WANT TO BRING THAT BREAK EVEN POINT MUCH CLOSER WITHIN REACH ON MOST YEARS.
OF COURSE, IT'S GONNA BE WEATHER DEPENDENT, BUT, UM, SO WHAT WE RECOMMENDED, UH, AT THE LAST MEETING WAS TO SET A TARGET OF INCREASING THE REVENUE BY $150,000, BRING EXPENSES DOWN BY 150.
THAT SHOULD GET YOU FAIRLY CLOSE WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF YOUR BREAKEVEN POINT MOST YEARS.
AND THEN CREATE A BIT OF A REVENUE BACKSTOP THAT, SO YOU HAVE SOME RESERVE FUNDS TO DIP INTO IN CASE YOU HAVE A SITUATION LIKE LAST YEAR.
UH, SO IN THIS CASE, WE, UH, WE LOOKED VERY SPECIFICALLY AT FESTIVALS OF SCALE THAT, UM, REALLY WOULD COMPARE MORE FAVORABLY TO DIFF AND IN THIS CASE, WE LOOKED AT TWO EXAMPLES.
UM, ONE ACTUALLY HERE IN MY HOMETOWN OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA, UM, ZKO OCTOBER FEST VOTED THE NUMBER ONE OCTOBER FEST BY USA TODAY LAST YEAR, WHERE SHE WON THE BEST, UH, CULTURAL, UM, EVENTS IN USA TODAY.
UM, BUT THEY DO A VERY SIMILAR PROGRAM TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BRINGING BANDS OVER FROM GERMANY, EDUCATION, FOOD, BEER CULTURE, ET CETERA.
AND THEN GRAPE FEST IN GRAPEVINE, TEXAS, UH, IT'S A VERY LONGSTANDING WINE FESTIVAL.
THEY BRING ALMOST 250,000 PEOPLE TO TOWN, UM, TO, UH, EXPERIENCE IT.
AND IT'S HUGELY TIED TO THEIR IDENTITY.
OF COURSE, GRAPE VINE, GRAPE FEST, WINE.
UM, BUT THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND, UH, THEY ACTUALLY HOLD IT IN THEIR LITTLE DOWNTOWN AND CLOSE OFF BLOCKS OF THEIR MAIN STREET.
SO WE TALKED TO BOTH OF THESE FESTIVALS AT LENGTH, UM, TO FIND OUT SOME OF THEIR TRENDS THAT THEY'RE SEEING AND GLEAN SOME, UH, BEST PRACTICES FROM THEM AND PROVIDE, UH, SOME BENCHMARKING TIPS.
UM, BOTH GROUPS HAVE SEEN THE SAME THING.
YOU'RE SEEING RENTAL COTS COSTS HAVE JUST EXPLODED, UH, FOR BOTH GROUPS.
SO THAT IS TRULY A NATIONWIDE PHENOMENON.
UM, AND YOU'RE OFTEN AT THE MERCY OF WHATEVER LOCAL COMPETITORS THAT YOU HAVE IN ANY PARTICULAR, UM, CATEGORIES SUCH AS TENTS OR GOLF CARTS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UH, IN, AT BOTH FESTIVALS, ALCOHOL, SALES WERE, WERE UP.
BUT, UH, WHAT THEY NOTED AT OCTOBERFEST IS THAT ON THEIR CENTRALIZED POS SYSTEM POINT OF SALE, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD A TIP, WHICH GOES TO THE NONPROFIT THAT'S STAFFING THE BOOTH.
UM, THE TIPS ARE ACTUALLY DOWN.
AND WHAT THEY FEEL THAT INDICATED IS THAT THEY WERE PROBABLY BUMPING UP AT THE
[00:50:01]
EDGE OF WHAT PEOPLE WERE WILLING TO PAY FOR A POUR OF BEER.AND SO, UM, THEY JUST WEREN'T TIPPING AS MUCH SO THAT THEIR PER TRANSACTION COST WAS ROUGHLY THE SAME YEAR TO YEAR.
SO, UM, WE NOTED THAT VIP PACKAGES, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE HEARD FROM FROM Y'ALL, UH, IF I'M ALLOWED TO USE THAT WORD, UH, WITH OHIOANS, UH, IS, UH, VIP PACKAGES ARE KIND OF HIT AND MISS, AND WE FOUND THAT TO BE THE CASE.
UH, CERTAINLY IN, UH, TULSA, THEY DEDICATE ONE NIGHT SPECIFICALLY TO CORPORATE NIGHT, AND YOU'RE ONLY ALLOWED IN, IF YOU HAVE A VIP PACKAGE SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR CORPORATION, IT'S A HUGE NIGHT.
IT'S ACTUALLY, UH, TECHNICALLY A FUNDRAISER FOR THEIR NONPROFIT.
UM, THEN THEY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THE VERY NEXT DAY.
AND OTHERWISE, THOSE SALES DON'T DO WELL AT ALL.
UH, THEY ALMOST NEVER SELL THEM TO INDIVIDUALS.
THEY SIMPLY USE THEM AS, AS SPIFFS TO GIVE OUT, UH, TO THEIR SPONSORS.
AND GREAT FEST DOESN'T REALLY OFFER COMPARABLE VIP PACKAGES.
THEIR FESTIVAL'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
YOU, YOU PAY FOR THE WINE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU WANT, UH, ON TOP OF ADMISSION.
SO THERE REALLY ISN'T A COMPARABLE VIP OPTION FROM THEM.
UM, BOTH OTHER FESTIVALS REPORTED GOING CASHLESS, AND THEY SAID THAT HAS BEEN A HUGE BOOST TO THEM FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
UH, IT WAS COVERED IN THE REPORT, BUT BASICALLY YOU ARE ON THE PATH, UH, IN THAT DIRECTION AND JUST THE, THE ADVICE FROM YOUR, UH, PEER FESTIVAL, UH, CITIES SAY ABSOLUTELY KEEP PURSUING THAT.
UM, IT MAKES SENSE FOR CENTRALIZING POINT OF SALE, FOR REDUCING STAFF COSTS.
UM, IT'S JUST REALLY THE WAY TO GO NOW.
SO, UH, CONTINUE TO DO THAT, UH, FOR, FOR CERTAIN.
AND SO THEN, UH, TO WRAP UP A DUBLIN IRISH FESTIVAL, OH, UH, SOME NUMBERS, UH, THAT WERE HERE, UM, OCTOBER FEST LAST YEAR DID LOSE A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY.
THEY ARE, UM, BIGGER IN REVENUE, UM, BUT, UH, JUST ACTUALLY TINY BIT SMALLER IN ATTENDANCE.
UM, THERE'S A, A LOT OF CORPORATE, UH, INVESTMENT HERE IN THAT FESTIVAL.
UH, IT REALLY DOES HAVE A BIG ECONOMIC IMPACT AS WELL.
UH, GRAPEVINE REPORTED TO ROUGHLY BREAK EVEN, BUT THEY DID NOTE THAT THEY HAD ROUGH, UH, ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS OF IN KIND, UH, DONATIONS.
THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GET SUPER SPECIFIC WITH THEIR NUMBERS, WHICH YOU PROBABLY NOTICED IN THE REPORT.
UM, THEY KEPT THEIR CARDS PRETTY CLOSE TO THE VEST, SO, UM, I, WE RESPECTED THAT, BUT, UH, WE GOT SOME INFORMATION FROM THEM THAT WAS AT LEAST PERTINENT.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS REPEATED, UH, FROM YOUR, UM, FROM THE REPORT THAT YOU SAW IN YOUR PACKET.
SO IF WE NEED TO COME BACK TO THIS, WE CAN.
UM, SO JUST TO THINK THREE MORE SLIDES FOR ME.
UM, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, INCREASING IN REVENUE, UH, CERTAINLY SUPPORTED TO GROW YOUR SPONSORSHIPS.
UM, YOUR SPONSORSHIPS MAKE UP ABOUT 15% OF YOUR TOTAL EVENT REVENUE.
THAT'S ABOUT WHERE OCTOBER FEST IS RUNNING.
UM, GREAT FEST IS JUST A TINY BIT MORE, UH, 20%, UH, SO YOU'RE IN THE BALLPARK, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, OCTOBER FEST IS FOCUSING ON THAT IN A BIG, BIG WAY, GREAT FEST AS WELL.
UM, SO ANY ATTENTION YOU PAY IN THAT REGARD IS PROBABLY, UH, GONNA KEEP YOU ON PACE WITH YOUR PEER, UH, FESTIVALS.
UM, BOTH OTHER PEER CITIES OR BOTH PEER FESTIVALS FELT AS THOUGH THAT THEIR ATTENDANCE WAS SUPER WEATHER DEPENDENT.
UM, IN GRAPEVINE, THEY HOLD IT IN SEPTEMBER AND IT'S BLAZING HOT.
SO SOME YEARS IT'S SO HOT, PEOPLE DON'T WANNA SIT ON DRINK RED WINE WHEN IT'S 105.
SO, UM, THEY, UM, THEY, THEY EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING THAT YOU DO.
UM, SLIGHT INCREMENTAL GROWTH IN GOOD YEARS AND, UH, LOWER ATTENDANCE IN POOR WEATHER YEARS.
UM, INCREMENTALLY RAISING YOUR PRICES, UH, MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
UH, THIS WAS DETAILED MORE IN YOUR, IN THE REPORT.
UM, YOUR ADMISSION IS JUST BARELY HIGHER THAN THE OTHER BENCHMARK FESTIVALS, BUT NOT COMPLETELY OUTTA LINE.
UM, BUT FOUND IN JUST DOING SOME, UH, ITEM ITEM COMPARISONS THAT YOUR CONCESSIONS ARE, UH, GOOD IF NOT BETTER THAN THE OTHERS.
SO, UM, YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH AS FAR AS BEING VERY CAUTIOUS THERE AND INCREMENTALLY RAISING YOUR VENDOR FEES, TREADING LIGHTLY THERE.
UM, CONTINUE ON THE SAME PATH.
UM, THEY OCTOBER FEST, UH, CHARGES A FLAT FEE THE SAME AS YOU DO, UH, JUST BECAUSE IT'S VERY HARD TO HERD THOSE CATS, UM,
UM, SO, UH, BUT GREAT FEST FIGURES OUT A WAY TO DO IT FOR EVERYBODY.
SO, UM, THEN AS FAR AS THE REVENUE BACKSTOP, WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR THAT CREATING AN ENDOWMENT FUND WAS A COMPLETE NON-STARTER.
WE HEAR AND UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WE DO FEEL AS THOUGH THAT THERE IS SOME OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE RESERVE FUND IF YOU SET UP A 5 0 1 C3.
UM, AND JUST TO NOTE THAT, UH, TULSA OCTOBERFEST HAS CASH RESERVES OF $1.2 MILLION.
UH, THEY'VE BUILT THAT UP OVER TIME.
UH, I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE WRITTEN GRANTS, THEY'VE
[00:55:01]
DONE OTHER THINGS, UM, BUT THAT MADE THAT A HUNDRED AND SOME ODD THOUSAND DOLLARS LOSS LAST YEAR, PRETTY EASY TO SWALLOW.UM, SO WE, WE FEEL A FESTIVAL OF THE STATURE, IMMATURITY OF DIFF WOULD BENEFIT FROM A SIMILAR ARRANGEMENT TO HAVE SOME CASH RESERVE, UM, TO HELP STAVE OFF THE PAIN FROM AN EVENT LIKE LAST YEAR WHERE THE WEATHER DIDN'T COOPERATE.
AND THEN AS FAR AS EXPENSES, UM, IT REALLY, UH, COMES DOWN TO BEING VERY, UH, CAUTIOUS AND, YOU KNOW, CREDIT TO ALLISON AND TEAM FOR DOING THIS AND BE VERY, BEING VERY DILIGENT AND LOOKING AT MULTI-YEAR CONTRACTS, NEGOTIATING VERY, UH, AGGRESSIVELY WITH VENDORS.
UM, GREAT VEST, UH, A GREAT VEST.
LEMME TELL YOU, THEY ARE AGGRESSIVE.
THEY ARE NOT SHY ABOUT GETTING A VENDOR'S ATTENTION BY CUTTING THEIR SCOPE, BY BRINGING CERTAIN THINGS IN HOUSE.
UM, UH, I THINK THAT'S PART OF THEIR PERSONALITY.
MAYBE THAT'S JUST TEXAS, BUT, UM, EVERYONE'S TRYING TO CONTROL THEIR COSTS AS BEST THEY CAN.
UM, BUT CONTINUING TOWARDS BEING A CASHLESS EVENT WILL HELP YOU.
UM, BOTH OF THEM ARE, AND THEY HAVE SAID THAT, THAT THAT HELPS WITH THEIR EXPENSES, UM, IN MANY WAYS.
AND THEN THE OTHER GROUPS ARE, UH, TWEAKING THEIR ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULING AS WELL.
UM, OCTOBERFEST USUALLY THEY HAVE 11 STAGES, AND THEY USUALLY BRING OVER MORE BANDS FROM GERMANY THAN THEY WILL THIS YEAR.
I, I THINK THERE'S TWO, PERHAPS THREE THAT THEY'RE SIMPLY NOT BRINGING OVER TO SAVE COSTS, BUT ALSO TO TRY TO PRESERVE THE, UH, THE SPIRIT AND CULTURE THAT'S THERE AT THE FESTIVAL.
SO EVERYONE IS FACING DIFFICULT DECISIONS.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE, BUT, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE OUTLINED TO YOU REALLY SEEM TO BE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOUR PEER FESTIVALS ACROSS THE CITY.
AND I THINK AT THIS POINT, UH, IT BECOMES BROOKE'S UH, BROOKE'S SHOW.
UM, APPRECIATE BEING HERE WITH YOU THIS EVENING.
MY JOB TONIGHT IS TO SHARE THE BACKGROUND BENCHMARKING THAT WE'VE CONDUCTED FOR OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TIED TO RIVERSIDE CROSSING PARK.
SO VERY EARLY IN THIS PROCESS, WE UNDERSTOOD FROM BOTH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, COUNCIL AND OTHERS THAT THIS IS THE DUBLIN SIGNATURE PARK.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN MINDFUL OF, OF HOW WE CAN SET A PATH FOR YOU FOLKS TO ACHIEVE YOUR ASPIRATIONS HERE.
AND, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT THE PARK WOULD BENEFIT FROM DEDICATED RESOURCES AND ATTENTION BOTH NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE.
AND SO THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'VE MADE, UM, IS FOR THE CITY TO CONSIDER AN ACTIVATOR SLASH OPERATOR PARTNER FOR THE PARK.
AND THAT THAT PARTNER WOULD, UM, CONDUCT EVERYDAY ACTIVATION AND PROGRAMMING EVERYTHING FROM THE PASSIVE, LIKE PLAIN AIR PAINTING THAT A VISITOR MAY STROLL THROUGH THE PARK AND, AND BE ABLE TO WATCH AND EXPERIENCE TO THE VERY ACTIVE PROGRAMMING LIKE AN ART FESTIVAL.
THE PARTNER WOULD ALSO MAXIMIZE RENTAL CONCESSION AND SPONSORSHIP INCOME AND DEVELOP STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH HISTORIC DUBLIN BRIDGE PARK AND OTHERS.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THIS IS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
UH, SO THE METHODOLOGY BEHIND THE BENCHMARKING FOR THE PARK.
UM, SO HERE WE'VE LISTED WHAT IS A PIER PARK.
SO IT'S SITUATED ALONG THE RIVER OR A WATERWAY.
IT'S URBAN OR DOWNTOWN ADJACENT.
IT'S A SIGNATURE PARK SERVING AS THE COMMUNITY'S GATHERING PLACE.
UH, EMPHASIZES DESIGN QUALITY.
AND THE TWO TYPES OF MANAGERS WE'VE STUDIED ARE CITY RUN AND NONPROFIT.
HERE'S THE TABLE OF THE FOUR CASE STUDIES THAT WE CONDUCTED.
UM, SOME, SOME LOCAL REGIONAL AND, UM, MORE NATIONAL EXAMPLES HERE.
UM, AND CERTAINLY TOUCHING ON THOSE TWO OPERATING, UH, TYPES OF ENTITIES, BOTH THE NONPROFIT AND THE, THE CITY DEPARTMENT.
AND SO TO SUMMARIZE THE CASE STUDIES THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR POCKET, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT TWO, UM, PATHS, RIGHT? SO, UM, KEEPING THIS, THE PROGRAMMING UNDER THE CITY'S UMBRELLA OR ENGAGING AN OUTSIDE MANAGEMENT PARTNER.
AND SO HERE WE'VE SUMMARIZED SOME PROS AND CONS, UM, ON THE PRO SIDE FOR KEEPING IT UNDER THE CITY'S UMBRELLA.
YOU CERTAINLY HAVE A CAPABLE EVENTS DIVISION.
UM, THE CITY MAINTAINS, UH, ALL OF THE CONTROL AND HOW THAT EVENT IS, IS DEVELOPED AND OPERATED.
UM, THE CITY IS AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO WORK, SO WE HAVE NO DOUBT THAT YOU'D BE ABLE TO ATTRACT TOP TALENT AND RE RETAIN, RETAIN THEM OVER TIME.
UM, AND BY KEEPING IT UNDER THE CITY'S UMBRELLA, YOU ARE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT PERSONAL TOUCH AND RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RESIDENTS AND CORPORATE RESIDENTS.
THAT IS, WE'VE UNDERSTAND, IS VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU.
UM, THE CONS AROUND THIS OPTION IS THAT THERE WOULD NEED TO BE AN ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IN EVENTS, DIVISION, STAFFING, UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'RE MAKING, WHICH IS AN OUTSIDE MANAGEMENT PARTNER.
SO, UM, WITH THIS ORGANIZATION, THEY WOULD BE SOLELY FOCUSED ON THE PARKS BEST INTERESTS, INSULATED FROM SHIFTING PRIORITIES WHEN CHANGES OCCUR
[01:00:01]
IN ELECTED OFFICES, THEY WOULD HAVE A DEDICATED STAFF, WHICH WOULD NOT BE SPREAD AMONG A NETWORK OF PARKS OR PULLED IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS FOR SUPPORTING DIFFERENT SPECIAL EVENTS OR PROJECTS, WHICH CONCERNS ENSURES A LEVEL OF QUALITY CONTROL.UM, THE PARTNER HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ACCESS GRANT FUNDS AND DONATIONS.
IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT A NEW OPERATOR MAY BRING NEW ENERGY, NEW AUDIENCES, INNOVATION AND DIVERSITY.
AND IF NOT PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS OR THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS OUTSIDE PARTNER, UM, IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE CITY COULD CANCEL THAT CONTRACT AND, AND NOT RENEW THE FUNDING FOR THAT PARTICULAR PARTNER.
AND IT COULD EITHER DECIDE TO FIND ANOTHER PARTNER OR, OR TAKE THIS OTHER OPTION, WHICH IS, UM, ALLOWING RIVERSIDE CROSSING PART PROGRAMMING TO BE UNDER THE EVENTS DIVISION.
UH, THE CONS OF THIS PARTICULAR, UH, OPTION OF ENGAGING A THIRD PARTY MANAGEMENT PARTNER, UM, WOULD BE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE DAY TO DAY.
SO THE CITY WOULD STILL BE ESTABLISHING THE CRITERIA OF THE RFP.
UM, SO YOU STILL HAVE THAT LEVEL OF CONTROL OF WHAT, WHAT EXPECTATIONS YOU'RE SETTING.
UM, BUT IT, THE EVENTS DIVISION WOULD NOT BE IN THE DAY-TO-DAY MANAGEMENT UM, YOU MIGHT HAVE WHAT FEELS LIKE A LOSS OF A PERSONAL TOUCH AND RELATIONSHIP, WHICH WE UNDERSTAND IS IMPORTANT.
AND THIS DOES REQUIRE CITY PARTIC PARTICIPATION AND INVESTMENT.
SO THIS IS JUST SUMMARIZING AGAIN, WHAT, WHAT WE SHARED FROM THE BEGINNING.
THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE ARE MAKING.
UM, AND I'LL PASS IT BACK TO KENDALL TO LEAD, UH, COUNCIL AND DISCUSSION.
AND ED, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME WITH US THIS EVENING.
UM, AT THIS POINT WE WOULD LIKE TO STOP AND HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL.
I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE ON YARD'S RECOMMENDATIONS IF REQUESTED.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, WE'D LIKE TO GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THOSE THREE QUESTIONS THAT WERE PROVIDED IN YOUR PACKET TO HAVE DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL TO HELP INFORM THE FINAL ROADMAP.
AND WITH THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, YOU HAVE THESE QUESTIONS BEFORE US.
UM, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO START ADDRESSING THEM? PERHAPS WE COULD ADDRESS THEM QUESTION BY QUESTION, UM, OR WE'LL GO THROUGH COLLECTIVELY.
WE HAVE SOME GUESTS HERE TONIGHT.
UM, IF ANYONE FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK RELATIVE TO THIS TOPIC, UH, WE ARE HAPPY TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS.
HEARING NONE, WE'LL, UM, START IT OFF WITH COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
IF, IF ANYONE HAS ANY THOUGHTS.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF GONNA GO DOWN THE LIST OF, UM, EVENTS.
SPOOKTACULAR, I'M IN FAVOR OF MOVING THAT TO ONE DAY AND I REALLY DO THINK THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE MORE SPONSORSHIPS.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR ATTENDANCE, WE HAVE IN TWO DAY, I BELIEVE IT'S TWO DAYS THAT, THAT YOU, UM, CITED 8,550 FOLKS COMING THROUGH.
IF WE MOVED IT TO ONE DAY, LET'S SAY THAT'S 4,225, THAT'S MORE THAN THE OTHER EVENTS OTHER THAN WESTERVILLE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A MARKETING OPPORTUNITY HERE AND, UH, IF WE CHARGE A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR THE, THE TABLES OR BOOTHS THAT WE SET UP, I THINK WE COULD RECOUP SOME OF THE EXPENSE INDEPENDENCE DAY.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO DECIDE WHETHER IT'S IS IT FOR RESIDENTS? I THINK IT IS NOT SO MUCH TRYING TO DRAW FOLKS FROM AROUND CENTRAL OHIO.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I, I, UM, HESITATE TO NECESSARILY CHARGE MORE BECAUSE IT IS, IT'S, IT'S A PERK FOR A RESIDENCE.
UM, I'M A ROTARIAN AND I, I'D BE WILLING TO TALK WITH THE ROTARY CLUB ABOUT THIS.
UM, THE ROTARY CLUB, THEIR MEMBERSHIP.
UM, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, OVER THE YEARS, IT'S AGED.
A LOT OF THESE, UH, VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE QANTAS, THE LIONS, UM, IT'S JUST HASN'T BEEN SOMETHING THAT THE MILLENNIALS HAVE EMBRACED UNTIL RECENTLY.
AND SO WE HAVE SOME FRESH MEAT, FRESH BLOOD, UM, FOLKS WITH ENERGY.
AND IN THE PAST WE'VE DONE, WE DID THE BLARNEY BASH AROUND, UM, THE ST.
UH, IT WAS A LOT OF WORK AND WASN'T, YOU KNOW, REALLY ALL THAT GREAT A FUNDRAISER FOR US.
UM, THE DUBLIN IRISH FESTIVAL, WE'VE ALWAYS VOLUNTEERED TO HELP WITH THE, THE ALCOHOL DISTRIBUTION THERE.
BUT, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, BECOMING, I THINK MORE AND MORE POSSIBLE THAT NEEDED LESS AND LESS.
AND WITH, YOU KNOW, SEEING THE FINANCES, I, I'M NOT NECESSARILY IN FAVOR OF PAYING THEM MORE TO DO LESS WORK.
UM, SO THAT BEING THE CASE, I THINK THERE
[01:05:01]
MAY BE AN APPETITE FOR THEM TO GET INVOLVED.AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WORKED WITH THE ROTARY CLUB ON A LOT OF PROJECTS, THE PEACE POLE AND OTHER THINGS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BIG HEARTED, THEY'RE HAPPY TO ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES.
SO I'D BE HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TALK WITH THEM ABOUT IT AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY INTEREST IN THAT, IF COUNCIL IS WANTING TO PURSUE THAT AS AN OPTION.
AND THEN FOR THE IRISH FESTIVAL, I THINK IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE COULD PROBABLY EITHER CHARGE MORE FOR THE ALCOHOL OR REDUCE THE POOR.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND WE'VE BEEN DOING I THINK 20 OUNCE PORES.
AND MOST, MOST OF THESE, MOST OF THE OTHER COMPETING, UM, EVENTS ARE DOING 12 OUNCE PORES.
SO YOU EITHER RAISE THE PRICE OR YOU LOWER THE QUANTITY.
UM, AND THEN I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY MORE OPPORTUNITY THERE AS WELL FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
THERE WAS ONE EVENT, UM, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE, THE AN INDEPENDENCE DAY EVENT WHERE IT WAS ACTUALLY BRANDED.
SOMEONE ELSE NOT SUPER KEEN ON THAT.
UH, BUT HAVING MORE INVOLVEMENT FROM CORPORATE SPONSORS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, CORPORATE RESIDENTS IN THE CITY, SOME OF WHICH HAVE SAID, WE WANT TO BE INVOLVED, WE WANT TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO THIS MAY BE, UH, AN, AN OPTION FOR US TO TAP.
UM, SPECTACULAR, I THINK IS THE EASY ONE.
I SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION FOR ONE DAY AND MORE SPONSORSHIPS, THE ST.
I THINK THAT WAS A, THERE WEREN'T REALLY MANY SUGGESTIONS.
IT WAS KIND OF KEEP IT AS IS, WHICH I AGREE WITH THE INDEPENDENCE DAY.
UH, I GUESS THE BOTTOM LINE IS I'M NOT SUPPORTIVE OF INCREASING OUR BUDGET FOR IT AND BEING THAT THE PRICE OF ENTERTAINMENT KEEPS INCREASING, I THINK IN MY OPINION, MAYBE WE DO NEED TO JUST GO TO A LOCAL OR REGIONAL TYPE OF ENTERTAINMENT INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GET THE NATIONAL HEADLINERS.
'CAUSE I THINK THE QUALITY OR LEVEL OF NATIONAL HEADLINERS IS GONNA GO LOW, LOWER, AND LOWER IF WE DON'T INCREASE OUR BUDGET.
UM, AND I, I'M, I MEAN, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF MAYBE SLIGHTLY RAISING PRICES, UH, FOR TABLES, BUT, BUT NOT MUCH.
THE POINT BEING IS, I THINK IT, IT SHOULD BE FOR OUR RESIDENTS, UM, WE'VE KIND OF SOLVED THAT PROBLEM BY ALLOWING OUR RESIDENTS TO BUY THE TICKETS FIRST.
SO, AND IT, I GUESS IT WOULD BE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THEY HAVE.
UM, MORE SPONSORSHIPS AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN GET MORE FOR OUR MONEY, I GUESS.
AND I'M FINE WITH THE LOCAL REGIONAL ACTS.
AND THE LAST ONE IS IRISH FESTIVAL.
UM, I MEAN, IT OBVIOUSLY MAKES SENSE TO RAISE OUR SPONSORSHIP 150,000 AND DECREASE OUR EXPENSES, BUT HOW WE DO THAT IS A HUGE QUESTION.
AND, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S EASILY ANSWERED.
AND I THINK WE'VE HIT OUR LIMIT OF HOW MUCH WE CAN CHARGE ON A TICKET, OR AT LEAST WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO HOW MUCH WE CAN CHARGE ON A TICKET.
SO CHANGING TICKET PRICES OR EVEN CHANGING BEER PRICES, I DON'T THINK THAT'S NOT GONNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
UM, SO WE WILL NEED THAT SPONSORSHIP OR SOMEHOW WE GOTTA GET, UM, SOMEONE TO PARTNER WITH TO COME UP WITH THAT MORE MONEY.
I THINK THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS.
UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AS I LOOK AT ALL AT ALL OF THESE, THE ONE THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS, UM, NOT REDUCING THE PREMIER EVENTS THAT WE HAVE TO A POINT WHERE THE CITY RESIDENTS LOOK AT US AND SAY THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO SAVE A BUCK BECAUSE WE DO EVERYTHING SO NICELY.
PEOPLE HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT BECAUSE WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN THE WORK THAT WE DO, THAT WE GIVE BACK THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE GREAT EVENTS.
AND SO I DON'T WANNA SEE THAT WATER DOWN IN ANY WAY.
AND, UM, AND THE SECOND ONE COMMENT THAT I LOOK AT, BECAUSE OF ALL OF THESE POSSIBLE, UM, MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES BY AN OUTSIDE VENDOR, I THINK THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE BUILD WITH OUR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY BUSINESSES CREATE COMMUNITY LOYALTY.
AND I WORRY ABOUT HAVING A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE TRYING TO GO AND KNOCK ON DOORS AND ASK FOR MONEY.
AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO TURN US INTO EVERY OTHER CITY THAT DOES IT THAT WAY.
WE HAVE A GREAT METHOD HERE WHERE, WHERE WE HAVE DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE IMPORTANT.
MAYBE WE THINK ABOUT A DEDICATED, AND I THINK WE HAVE THIS AND WE NEED TO LET IT WORK.
[01:10:01]
WHO WORKS WITH WHOEVER WE USE TO DO, DO MANAGEMENT OF EVENTS.BUT I, I DON'T WANNA LOSE THAT RELATIONSHIP.
I THINK THAT RELATIONSHIP IS SO IMPORTANT, UM, TO SPECIFICS, INDEPENDENT DAY CELEBRATION.
IT'S NOT A CENTRAL OHIO MUSIC FESTIVAL.
SO I, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE TO HAVE THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD.
I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THE PRICE REASONABLE AND NOT INCREASE IT.
UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT COMMUNITY BUILDING THING.
AND I, I THINK PEOPLE LOVE THE TABLES.
I WONDER, I DON'T KNOW, ALISON COULD PROBABLY TELL US MAYBE WE NEED TO CHANGE THE BOOKING AGENT.
'CAUSE IF YOU GOOGLE, YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF OF GREAT TALENT OUT THERE THAT'S WELL WITHIN OUR BUDGET.
MAYBE WE JUST NEED TO START EARLIER OR TALK, LOOK AT PEOPLE WHO ARE ON TOURS.
THAT'S NOT MY THING, BUT I KNOW THAT MAYBE THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE DUBLIN IRISH FESTIVAL, I WONDER IF OUR WINTER MARKET BOOST WOULD HELP WITH INFRASTRUCTURE SAVINGS.
UM, LIKE I SAID, I, I LIKE TO KEEP SPONSORSHIP STRATEGY IN-HOUSE.
I, I JUST THINK YOU'RE GONNA WATER DOWN OUR RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, YOU CAN ALWAYS DECREASE EXPENSES.
I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY SOME GREAT NATIONAL, UM, IRISH BANDS THAT THAT WOULD BE FUN TO LISTEN TO.
WE DON'T HAVE TO BRING EVERYBODY OVER FROM IRELAND, BUT I THINK, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO KEEP IT FRESH ALL THE TIME.
I HAVE TO, I THINK WE HAVE TO CHANGE UP AND OFFER NEW THINGS.
I WOULD NOT LIKE TO SEE US RAISE THE PRICES ANYMORE ON THAT.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE GONNA STOP COMING TO THINGS IF THEY JUST THINK THEY CAN'T BRING THEIR FAMILIES AND CAN'T AFFORD IT.
UM, RIVERSIDE CROSSING PARK OPERATIONS, I DO THINK IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A PARK ACTIVATOR, BUT I ALSO WONDER, UH, IF THAT ONE PERSON COULD NOT, UM, WORK WITH THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP THAT INCLUDES, UM, A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, EVEN, UM, DUBLIN CITY SCHOOLS, UM, THE YOUTH, UM, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THAT WE COULD BEGIN TO REALLY PUT A LOT OF BRAINS TOGETHER TO THINK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT EACH INDIVIDUAL GROUP CAN BRING TO ACTIVATING THE PARK.
BUT IT WOULD BE, I THINK YOU NEED A COORDINATOR AND THAT THAT COULD BE A PAY COORDINATOR THAT WORKS UNDERNEATH EVENTS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE DAY IS, UH, IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE IT.
I THINK IT'S NICE TO LEAVE IT AT COFFMAN PARK.
SPECTACULAR NEEDS KIND OF THE SPREAD OUT SORT OF THING.
IT WOULD BE OKAY TO HAVE IT AT RIVERSIDE CROSSING PARK, EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE A STAGE THERE.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO BRING MORE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE WAY OF, OF SOME SORT OF AMPHITHEATER OR STAGE AT RIVERSIDE CROSSING PARK.
UM, I'M MISSING A CELEBRATION TREE LIGHTING.
I DO THINK IT NEEDS TO GO BACK TO RIVERSIDE CROSSING PARK IF WE HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT IT.
UM, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE FIREWORKS, UM, AND THE PARADE OR ST.
PATRICK'S DAY PARADE, I THINK WE, I THINK WE KEEP THAT AS OUR OWN PIECE.
UM, AND I DO WORRY ABOUT, UH, HAVING A PRIVATE OPERATOR DO THE CONCERT PIECE, BUT I WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT.
TRY IT OUT FOR A YEAR AND SEE IF IT WORKED, BUT, OKAY.
JOHN, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH YOU ON SOME, UM, MAJOR ITEMS THAT WE, I THINK PEOPLE HAVE COME TO EXPECT A CERTAIN HIGH QUALITY OF, UM, ENTERTAINMENT HERE.
WHAT HAS MADE OUR CITY, UH, PRETTY FAMOUS, I THINK IN, IN THE AREA, IN THE REGION.
I THINK, UM, AND I AGREE, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, THE SPECTACULAR SHOULD BE CUT DOWN TO A DAY.
I MEAN, IT GREW AND GREW AND GREW, AND NOW MAYBE IT'S TIME TO SHRINK IT BACK DOWN.
UM, I THINK IT, A LOT OF THIS, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CHEW ON HERE FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS.
I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THIS AND I HAVE RUN SOME DIFFERENT THINGS IN MY LIFE RELATED TO THIS KIND OF THING.
AND, UM, I THINK YOU NEED SOME TIME TO DIGEST THIS AND SOME TALKS WITH ALLISON AND FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE BEST APPROACH IS TO THIS.
UM, DOES THE BAND HAVE TO BE AS FAMOUS AS IT'S BEEN AND IT'S JUST DRIVING UP HUGE AMOUNTS OF EXPENSE? I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, I CAN THINK WHEN WE STARTED OUT WITH THE BEACH BOYS IN SOME OF THESE BANDS YEARS AGO, AND THEN WE STARTED GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER ACTS.
SO MAYBE WE CAN, UH, BEAT THAT ALL BACK DOWN AND BEAT INTO PLACE.
BUT I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA HAVE THE FIREWORKS AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE PARADE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, I, UH, I TAKE THE, THE GUY WHO USED, USED TO BE THE MAJOR SPONSOR FOR DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS'S FIREWORKS, UH, AND HE SAID DUBLIN ACTUALLY HAS BETTER FIREWORKS THAN COLUMBUS.
SO, I MEAN, WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING TO THE MAX AND I, I'M REAL PROUD OF ALL THAT.
BUT I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO START SIFTING THROUGH SOME OF THE EXPENSES AND SEEING HOW WE CAN BOIL THOSE DOWN.
ALL THE ANSWERS I DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT.
[01:15:01]
SO EXCUSE ME.AS FAR AS, UM, THE HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING, I'M FINE WITH WHAT THEY'VE GOT HERE.
I I THINK IT'S A VERY NICE LOCAL EVENT.
I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD CHANGE ANYTHING.
WE COULD TALK ABOUT WHETHER WE WANTED TO MOVE IT, COMBINE IT WITH THE CHRISTMAS MARKET AS WE GET A LITTLE CLOSER THAN THAT.
WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT THAT ONE TODAY.
I, I KNOW WE MOVED IT TO TWO DAYS FOR COVID.
I THINK WE MOVED IT BACK TO ONE DAY.
I I, I THINK THE KIDS ENJOY IT.
I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO DO IT OVER TWO DAYS.
PATRICK'S DAY PARADE, UM, I, I THINK WE DO A GREAT JOB WITH ST.
I, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO LOOK AT ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR REVENUE THERE.
UM, IT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THE COST AT THE BOTTOM LINE, IT, IT'S JUST NOT A HUGE COST.
IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ACTUALLY.
UM, AS FAR AS THE INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION GOES, UM, I WOULD BE FINE WITH DOING LOCAL AND REGIONAL ACTS.
I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, TO JOHN'S POINT, WE, WE, WE'VE REALLY RAMPED UP THINGS OVER THE YEARS.
AND, AND AT SOME POINT IT'S NOT ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, CUTTING COSTS FOR THE SAKE OF CUTTING COSTS.
IT'S NOT JUST SAVING A DOLLAR, IT'S ABOUT BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
BECAUSE FOR EVERY DOLLAR WE SPEND ON SOMETHING IS A DOLLAR WE CAN'T SPEND ON SOMETHING ELSE.
AND I'M FAR MORE INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE MORE DURABLE AMENITIES THAN I'M WORRIED ABOUT HAVING A BIG HEADLINER, YOU KNOW, ACT AT THE 4TH OF JULY.
I THINK IT IS A PHENOMENAL COMMUNITY EVENT WITH THE TABLES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE STADIUM SEATING AND, AND THE KIDS AREA.
I THINK THOSE THINGS ARE GREAT ENOUGH AS THEY ARE THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO DO THIS HUGE NATIONAL ACT.
YOU KNOW, OR MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE CONSIDER DOING EVERY FIVE YEARS, RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT THE SAME WAY EVERY YEAR.
WE CAN SAY, OH, EVERY THREE YEARS WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BIGGER ACT EVERY FIVE YEARS.
IT'S OKAY TO BE OUTSIDE THE BOX A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.
UM, IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD THING, IN MY OPINION, TO FIND SPONSORSHIPS.
UM, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD WATER DOWN RELATIONSHIPS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT COULD MAYBE EVEN STRENGTHEN THINGS.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT FROM A CORPORATE SPONSOR, CORPORATE RESIDENT TYPE OF SITUATION, WE COULD TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS THE DIFF IS CONCERNED, I'M, I'M KIND OF HESITANT TO WANNA SAY WE WANNA RAISE PRICES A WHOLE LOT MORE.
WE'VE, WE'VE RAISED PRICES FAIRLY SIGNIFICANTLY, PARTICULARLY ON THE VIP PACKAGES.
AND I THINK PEOPLE REALLY ENJOY THE VIP PACKAGES.
THOSE ARE SORT OF, ARE COMMITTED TO GOING GO, AND THEY LIKE THEM.
I THINK WE'VE DONE SOME GOOD CREATIVE THINGS BY SAYING, YOU CAN HAVE THIS LEVEL OF PACKAGE WITH NO ALCOHOL OR THIS LEVEL OF PACKAGE WITH, YOU KNOW, THE WRISTBAND WITH THE ALCOHOL.
I THINK WE KEEP EVALUATING AND, AND REEVALUATING THOSE THINGS.
UM, I, I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF SORT OF HAVING ALMOST A RAINY DAY FUND, IF YOU WILL, UM, TO HELP OFFSET THE POTENTIAL FOR, UM, DAMAGE TO, UM, ATTENDANCE THROUGH WEATHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT COST TO THE CITY.
UM, SO IT, IT REALLY IS CHALLENGING, UM, GROWING SPONSORSHIPS.
AGAIN, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT.
UM, YOU AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THROUGH A 5 0 1 C3, YOU KNOW, TO DO A SPONSORSHIP AND RESERVE FUND.
MAYBE THAT IS THE WAY TO DO IT.
I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.
I'M OPEN TO THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, 'CAUSE I SORT OF LIKE THE 400 BY 40 A LITTLE BIT RIVERSIDE CROSSING PARK, AND I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE I'M LETTING MY EMOTIONS GET THE BEST OF ME WITH THIS ONE.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THE RECOMMENDATION FOR GOING WITH AN ENGAGEMENT PARTNER.
THE CITY OF DUBLIN HAS HAD A VERY SPECIAL, INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR PARKS.
I KNOW RIVERSIDE CROSSING IS A DIFFERENT PARK FROM WHAT WE'VE HAD.
I WOULD BE REALLY RETICENT TO FRANKLY GIVE UP ANY CONTROL.
I WOULD RATHER HIRE A STAFF MEMBER, AND THIS IS ME.
AND, AND AGAIN, IT MAY BE MY EMOTIONS AND MY NOSTALGIA GETTING THE BEST OF ME.
UM, I, IT WOULD TAKE A LOT MORE CONVINCING TO GET ME ACROSS THAT LINE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT I WANNA PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS, AND THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE JUST NOT AS IMPORTANT TO ME.
BIG HEADLINE, ENTERTAINMENT NOT AS IMPORTANT.
PROVIDING THE AMENITIES THAT WE KNOW OUR PEOPLE, OUR RESIDENTS WANT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT TO ME.
SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT WITH THOSE.
I WILL CONCUR WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON SPECTACULAR ONE DAY.
I THINK, UM, MAKES GOOD SENSE.
UM, RELATED TO INDEPENDENCE DAY, I THINK THERE IS A STRONG CORRELATION BETWEEN THE SALE OF THE TABLES AND THE HEADLINER.
SO, UM, I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE FROM A NATIONAL TO A REGIONAL, I THINK IT'S GONNA IMPACT THAT REVENUE.
[01:20:01]
BUT I DID A LITTLE MATH.WHAT DO THE TABLES SELL FOR? TWO 200? THEY CURRENTLY SELL FOR 200.
AND HOW MANY TABLES? I DUNNO, THEY'RE OFF THE TOP OF MY 400 TOTAL REVENUE, THEREFORE IS 80,000.
SO, UM, IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THAT DOWN BY, YOU KNOW, HALF, UM, YOU WOULD STILL SAY SIGNIFICANTLY BY GETTING A LESS, UM, KNOWN PERFORMER.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SAY EVERY OTHER YEAR OR EVERY THIRD YEAR, WE HAVE A BIG HEADLINER AND THE TABLE COST IS MORE, AND THEN WE SUPPORT REGIONAL ACTS AND THE TABLE COST IS LESS AND FIGURE OUT A COST SAVINGS MECHANISM.
AND I THINK THAT WAY WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DRAW THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE COST AND THE TRADE OFF WITH OUR RESIDENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT KEEPING THE TABLE COSTS AT THIS LEVEL AND BRINGING THE BAND DOWN, BUT WE'RE MAKING SOME CURLS.
SO I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING MODEL TO, TO, UM, BEGIN TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATION.
AND JUST OVER THE YEARS WE'VE HAD A LOT MORE INTERESTING, UM, REGIONAL BANDS HERE.
AND SO I, I THINK THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY THERE.
I WOULD, I WOULD CHANGE THAT FORMULA A BIT.
AS I THINK ABOUT ALL OF THESE, WE'VE HAD A VERY STANDARD FORMULA FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
SO THE ONLY WAY WE'RE REALLY GOING TO CHANGE THE OUTCOME IS TO CHANGE THE FORMULA, RIGHT? BECAUSE I THINK STAFF HAS WORKED INCREDIBLY HARD TO GET COST, MINIMUM COST CONTROL IN EVERY, AND AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED HERE, IF YOU DON'T CHANGE THE FORMULA, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA CHANGE THE OUTCOME.
SO THAT'S WHAT I MIGHT RECOMMEND THERE.
UM, AS FAR AS THE IRISH FESTIVAL IS CONCERNED, AGAIN, I THINK THE RECIPE HAS BEEN SO CONSISTENT.
WE EITHER NEED TO FIND A WAY TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF VENDORS, UM, THE TYPE OF VENDORS.
UM, I WILL AGAIN PUSH FOR THE PERCENTAGE, UM, FEE ON THE FOOD BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD SURPRISE US AT HOW MUCH REVENUE THAT COULD BRING.
UM, AS YOU SAW THE PIERS ON THE, ON THE, UH, MERCHANDISE, IT WASN'T THERE, BUT THEY WERE TAKING IT ON THE FOOD.
AND AGAIN, WHEN WE DID THE HOLIDAY MARKET STUDY, ALL OF THEM WERE DOING A PERCENTAGE ON THE FOOD.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD PUSH HARD, UM, BUT THINK ABOUT A FORMULA CHANGE A LITTLE BIT THERE.
WE KEEP SAYING GROSS SPONSORSHIPS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S NOT A WAY, SINCE THESE ARE ALL DUBLIN EVENTS, THE 4TH OF JULY, THE ST.
PATTY'S DAY, ET CETERA, TO CREATE AN OVERALL CORPORATE SPONSOR WHERE YOU GET NAME RECOGNITION AT ALL THE EVENTS.
IF YOU PLAY WITH US AND GROW THAT WHOLE LEVEL, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO SAY, WHAT IS IT FOR THIS EVENT AND WHAT IS IT THAT FOR THAT EVENT, MAYBE WE WOULD HAVE, AGAIN, A, SOME SUCCESS BY SAYING A CORPORATE SPONSOR FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS AND BRING UP THE VALUE TO THOSE SPONSORS AND MAYBE WE COULD RAISE SOME MORE MONEY.
SO I, I THINK WE HAVE TO, AGAIN, THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THAT.
BUT AS I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, IF IT'S, IF YOU'RE SUPPORTING DUBLIN, THEN WE CAN MAKE RECOGNITION.
BUT THAT THERE MIGHT BE A WAY TO DO THAT.
UM, AS TO RIVERSIDE CROSSING PARK, I, I GUESS I'M IN A DIFFERENT CAMP THAN MY COLLEAGUE HERE.
AND THAT I THINK, UH, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIMENT THERE.
I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT BETTING THE WHOLE FARM ON A, ON A, IN A, ON A BIG NAME PROGRAM THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS.
I'D BE PERFECTLY FINE TO HAVE SOMEONE HELP US FIGURE OUT HOW TO HAVE ARTISTS IN THE PARK OR HOW TO HAVE VENDORS COME IN OR HOW TO HAVE A, A SMALL FESTIVAL.
AND I THINK WE COULD BEGIN TO LEARN SOME THINGS.
AND, UM, I I, I THINK THE, THE PUSH AND THE PULL ISN'T IS, IS EMO I'M NOT AS EMOTIONAL ABOUT SOME OF THIS.
I'M MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN, UM, INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF ACTIVITY THERE.
UH, THE TREE LIGHTING THIS SPECTACULAR AND THE IRISH FESTIVAL ALL HAPPEN IN KAUFMAN PARK.
AND I HAVE SAID IT BEFORE, I'M GONNA SAY IT AGAIN.
I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD BE INVESTING IN PERMANENT STRUCTURES THERE AND PERMANENT FACILITIES THAT COULD RAISE REVENUE IN OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR.
YOU KNOW, WHAT IF WE HAD, UH, YOU KNOW, A LARGE PAVILION, IF WE HAD A LARGE UNDER UNDERCOVER THAT MAYBE WE HAD PICKLEBALL COURTS IN SOME TIME OF THE YEAR, OR MAYBE IT COULD BE USED FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER TYPES OF EVENTS, BE IT WEDDINGS, FAMILY REUNIONS, WHATEVER.
WE HAVE SOME STRUCTURES OVER THERE THAT WE GENERATE REVENUE FROM ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING OF SIZE, UM, YOU KNOW, OR THESE THINGS WE COULD CHARGE FOR, FOR, UM, MAYBE RUNS OR WHATEVER THAT MIGHT WANT TO COME TO THE COMMUNITY THAT COULD, UM, WE COULD GET IN THE BUSINESS OF LEASING THEM.
SO I REALLY BELIEVE IN PERMANENT FACILITIES.
I THINK THAT THEY, THEY CREATE A SENSE OF STABILITY AND, UM, I REALLY RAISE THE LEVEL OF, OF THE EXPERIENCE OF, OF THE EVENT.
[01:25:02]
I WOULD JUST SAY TO REDUCE COSTS, IF WE HAD PERMANENT FACILITIES, WE WOULDN'T NEED NEARLY THE TENTS.WE WOULDN'T NEED THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WE WOULDN'T NEED THE GENERATORS, WE WOULDN'T NEED ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAD PERMANENT POWER.
WE HAD, YOU KNOW, A A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
I WOULD CHOOSE TO SPEND MY MONEY ON INFRASTRUCTURE THAN LOSE 500, 300, $500,000 ON THE FESTIVAL EVERY YEAR.
I WOULD RATHER SPEND $300,000 ON A CAPITAL PROJECT, UM, THAT WE COULD ENJOY FOR, UH, THE TREE LIGHTING AND THAT WE COULD ENJOY FOR SPOOKTACULAR.
AND THEN IN THE EVENT THAT IT WAS A RAINY, UM, THAT WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO TRY TO DO IT IN THE REC CENTER AND FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, MOVE IT UNDERCOVER, UM, THERE AT THE PARK.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S WHERE I AM WITH, WITH THE IRISH FESTIVAL.
I MEAN, IF WE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TALENT, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE TO THE IRISH FESTIVAL.
SO IF IT, IF IT IS INTERNATIONAL TALENT, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF INTERNATIONAL TALENT WE HAVE.
I SIMPLY, THAT'S JUST NOT IN MY WHEELHOUSE.
SO I DON'T KNOW, KNOW, UM, FOR ST.
PATRICK'S DAY, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING UNIQUELY US.
AND, UM, I, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT SETS US APART.
UM, I DON'T MIND A BIT OF A LOSS ON THAT DAY.
I THINK THERE'S TWO DAYS THAT I'M REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH A LOSS ON BECAUSE THERE, WE CELEBRATE WHO WE ARE AND I THINK THAT'S ST.
PATRICK'S DAY, GIVEN OUR NOMENCLATURE AND IT'S 4TH OF JULY, GIVEN WE ARE CELEBRATING A BIRTHDAY OF OUR COUNTRY AND THAT IS WORTH CELEBRATING AND IT'S WORTH A SPEND.
COULD WE POSSIBLY GET MORE REVENUE FROM SPONSORSHIPS AND THINGS? I THINK, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS IF WE, UM, PARTNERED WITH A COMPANY THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY DO, MAYBE, MAYBE WE MIGHT SEE THE NEEDLE MOVE A LITTLE BIT IN THAT SPACE.
UM, PRIOR TO COVID, THE TABLES AT, AT THE 4TH OF JULY WERE 10 TOPS AND THEY WERE REDUCED TO EIGHT TOPS DURING COVID.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS A REALLY INEXPENSIVE EVENING TO SIT OUTSIDE, LISTEN TO GREAT MUSIC.
IF YOU HAD A 10 TOP TABLE AND IT WAS $300, THAT'S $30 AHEAD.
AND GUESS WHAT? YOU GET TO BRING YOUR OWN DINNER AND YOU GET BRING YOUR OWN SOFT DRINKS AND LEMONADE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND SO IT IS TO ENJOY LIVE MUSIC IN AN OUTDOOR SETTING LIKE THAT, IT IS A VERY INEXPENSIVE WAY TO DO THAT.
YOU, YOU GO BUY A CONCERT TICKET, IT'S GONNA SET YOU BACK $150 A TICKET AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUY, IF YOU WANNA HAVE A COKE WHILE YOU'RE WATCHING THE BAND, IT'S GONNA COST YOU ANOTHER $8.
AND IF YOU WANT A HOT DOG, IT'S GONNA BE 10 MORE AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO I THINK IT'S A VERY INEXPENSIVE, AND BY THE WAY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A TABLE TO COME TO THE 4TH OF JULY IF YOU WANNA DO IT FOR FREE, PACK YOUR PICNIC AND BRING A BLANKET AND SIT OUT IN THE FIELD.
SO I, I THINK THAT A, A TABLE, I WOULD PUT 'EM BACK TO 10 TOPS AND I WOULD MAKE 'EM $300 THIS YEAR AND I, THAT WOULD HELP, HELP THE REVENUE.
AND, UH, AND I STILL THINK IT IS A GREAT VALUE IF YOU WANNA, AND IF A FAMILY WANTED TO GO OUT AND SPEND $300 AND HAVE A CONCERT AND DINNER AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS, I WOULD CHALLENGE YOU ANY PLACE ELSE THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY DO THAT.
I DON'T THINK THAT YOU COULD, UM, RIVERSIDE CROSSING PARK AND OUTSOURCING, I, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT TAKE ON RIVERSIDE CROSSING PARK BECAUSE I REALLY FEEL LIKE IT SHOULD BE A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO AND ENJOY.
AND THEN IF YOU, YOU'RE A RESIDENT OF DUBLIN ON ANY GIVEN SATURDAY OR SUNDAY, YOU OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO EXPECT TO WALK ACROSS THE BRIDGE AND NOT BE INUNDATED WITH FLOODS OF, YOU KNOW, BE IT A FAMILY REUNION, A WHAT, WHATEVER IT IS.
I, I, I REALLY FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THAT SHOULD BE THE SPACE OF THE PEOPLE.
AND SO OFTEN I'VE GONE OVER TO THE PARK AND YOU COULD HARDLY NAVIGATE YOUR WAY FROM BRIDGE PARK TO THE, TO THE BRIDGE BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY THINGS GOING ON THERE AND YOU DON'T ENJOY IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M AN OUTDOOR CAT, SO I LIKE THE RESPITE, I LIKE THE QUIET, I LIKE THE GREEN, I LIKE THOSE KINDS OF AMENITIES WHEN WE GO THERE.
I WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT FEARFUL IF WE BROUGHT IN AN OUTSOURCING THAT WAS CHARGED WITH, UM, COMMERCIALIZING THAT PARK THAT IT, WE, IT WOULD LOSE THE FEEL OF BEING A COMMUNITY PARK.
AND IF YOU WANTED TO TAKE YOUR KID KIDS OVER TO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FOUNTAIN THERE AND, AND MESS AROUND, YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW.
AND I, I, I'M NOT, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO MONETIZE THAT PARK.
I THINK THAT PARK IS, SHOULD BE FOR THE RESIDENTS.
IT SHOULD BE THEIR EXPECTATION TO BE ABLE TO GO THERE AND HAVE A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE AND NOT BE CROWDED OUT BY, YOU KNOW, IT BEING A RUN OR A, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
UM, THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM ON THE, ON THE NORTH END OF THAT PARK TO LOCATE THOSE THINGS.
AND I THINK I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, WE NEED PERMANENT FACILITIES ON THE NORTH END FOR ANYONE THAT WANTS TO HOLD AN EVENT IN THAT PARK THAT IT STILL MAINTAINS THE, THE BROADER SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND IF YOU WANNA HAVE PRIVATE SPACE, IT NEEDS TO BE MOVED ELSEWHERE.
I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE MOVED TO THE NORTH END.
UM, SO, UH, SPECTACULAR ONE DAY I THINK IS PLENTY.
AND PARTICULARLY IF WE COULD INVEST IN PERMANENT STRUCTURES, WE, WE WOULDN'T NEED TO TRY TO MOVE IT HAVE
[01:30:01]
RAIN DATE, THIS, THAT, OR THE OTHER THING.UM, I THINK THAT WE COVERED ALL OF QUESTIONS.
KENDALL, DID WE GIVE YOU ANSWERS TO THE THINGS THAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR? IF I WAS TALLYING CORRECTLY, I, I HEARD FOUR THAT ARE IN FAVOR OF THE NATIONAL ACT VERSUS THE THREE THAT WERE SUPPORTIVE OF LOCAL, REGIONAL.
I WOULD BE A NATIONAL ACT PERSON, I DUNNO, I'M A YES WITH MORE RESEARCH, MAYBE GETTING THEM EARLIER TO SEE IF WE CAN, I, I LIKE THE IDEA OF DOING IT.
I THINK WE CAN REDUCE OUR EXPENSES, BUT I'D HAVE TO TALK TO ALLISON BECAUSE SHE DOES THIS ALL THE TIME.
BUT I THINK THEY, THEY'RE OUT THERE.
I WOULD JUST SAY THIS, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A YEAR AND WE SET ON THESE CONSULTANTS AND WE ASK THEM TO GIVE US ALL THE FEEDBACK.
I THINK THEY HAVE GIVEN US ALL, THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE ANY NEW, ANY MORE NEW INFORMATION, RIGHT? THIS IS THE LAST THAT WE HAVE NEW INFORMATION FOR WHICH TO MAKE OUR DECISIONS UPON.
SO I THINK IT IS TIME TO SAY WE COULD EXPERIMENT WITH THIS, OR WE SHOULDN'T DO THIS, OR WE'RE COMFORTABLE OR WHATEVER.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE'RE CLOSING IN ON THE TIME THAT WE NEED TO, UM, DECIDE FOR YOUR NUMBER COUNTING.
MY ANSWER WAS, I DON'T WANT TO SPEND MORE MONEY.
AND AS WE'VE HEARD FROM THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE PRICE OF ACTS KEEPS GOING UP.
SO WE HAVE TO REVISIT WHO WE CAN GET FOR THE MONEY WE HAVE, IN MY OPINION.
IS THERE A WAY TO GET A CHEAPER NATIONAL ACT? GREAT.
BUT IF WE CAN'T OR RAISE MORE REVENUE OR RAISE MORE NE I, MINE WAS, I'M AT MY LIMIT.
LIKE I WOULD NOT SUPPORT INCREASING THE AMOUNT WE SPEND TOWARDS THIS EVENT.
YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA, AND I THINK WE ALL OWE, UM, ALLISON A GREAT DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR THE YEARS THAT ALL THIS WAS DEVELOPED AND THIS BECAME A BENCHMARK FOR WHAT A COOL CITY DUBLIN REALLY IS.
AND THEY DID A GREAT JOB, ALLISON AND HER TEAM.
SO I THINK WE'RE JUST AT THE POINT WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S TRUE THAT THE IRISH FESTIVAL'S GONNA MASK MAX OUT, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA DO A MILLION PEOPLE, BUT MAYBE THIS IS IT.
MAYBE WHAT THIS GENTLEMAN'S SAYING IS TRUE.
NOW WE HAVE TO START REGRESSING AND START LOOKING AT OUR EXPENSES AND STARTING BOILING OUR WAY THROUGH ALL THAT TO SEE WHERE WE'RE REALLY AT FINANCIALLY.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY, I'M REALLY PROUD OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED HERE AND I THINK IT, IT'S BEEN JUST A, UH, HOOT.
AND THE IRISH FESTIVAL, THE THREE, THE THREE DAY LARGEST IRISH FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD IS, IS REALLY AN INTERESTING, UH, THING.
AND IT DRAWS PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER MY FAMILY.
AND I WAS CROSSING THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND WE HEARD PEOPLE COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN FINALLY.
'CAUSE WE HADN'T SEEN ANYBODY ALL DAY AND WE'RE OUT IN COLORADO.
AND SO WE SAT ON A LOG WAITING FOR THESE PEOPLE TO COME DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AND, UH, SAT DOWN AND, UH, WE SAID, WHERE ARE YOU GUYS FROM? AND THEY SAID, WE'RE FROM CALIFORNIA.
AND THEY, AND THEY SAID, AND WHERE ARE YOU GUYS FROM? WE SAID, WE'RE FROM DUBLIN, OHIO.
AND THEY GO, GREATEST IRISH FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD.
WE GO THERE EVERY YEAR, NEVER MISS IT.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE REPUTATION THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE GUYS HAVE BUILT FOR US.
SURE, IT'S A GREAT PROBLEM TO HAVE TO SOLVE, RIGHT? HOW WE'RE GOING TO MANAGE ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN A COMMUNITY.
SO IF WE'RE COUNTING, THEN WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS KEEP THE COST.
AND IF THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO DO REGIONAL, SOMETIMES NATIONAL SOME OTHER TIMES OR WHATEVER.
BUT I, IF, IF I WOULD FOLLOW AMY'S LEAD TO SAY, THIS IS THE BUDGET WE'RE WILLING TO SPEND.
NUMBER NUMBER ONE ON THAT SLIDE WAS WHAT I WAS VOTING FOR THE CONTINUE WITH THE 500 OR LESS.
SO IF THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO ROTATE ACTS OR WE HAVE TO DO REGIONAL WHATEVER, I, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD WAY OF DOING IT BECAUSE EVERY YEAR IT'S GOING TO BE, WELL, IS THIS A GOOD ENOUGH REGIONAL ACTOR? I MEAN, WE'RE GONNA FIND OURSELVES IN THE SAME, SO WE HAVE A BUCKET OF MONEY AND WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A GOAL AND WE FIGURE IT OUT.
IF I COULD ALSO MAKE A SUGGESTION, EACH YEAR WE GO THROUGH AN ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET PROCESS, WE COULD VERY MUCH HAVE THIS DISCUSSION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE GOING TO ALLOCATE FOR THE MUSICAL ACT FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
SO WE COULD HAVE THIS CONVERSATION EVERY YEAR AND WE CAN ALSO HAVE MORE TIMELY, UM, INFORMATION ABOUT SPONSORSHIPS TO INFORM THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
AND ALSO I WOULD OFFER THAT OUR AGENT IS A DUBLIN RESIDENT AND WE DID ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, BRING HIM IN TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL SO THAT COUNCIL COULD GET MORE INSIGHTS INTO THE PROCESS AND THE BUDGETS AND ALL OF THAT.
SO I WOULD OFFER THAT AS AN OPTION FOR THIS COMING YEAR AS WELL.
I WILL POSE THE QUESTION AGAIN.
DID YOU GET THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEEDED TO MAKE TONIGHT A SUCCESSFUL ENDEAVOR? I DID.
THANK YOU FOR THAT DISCUSSION.
[Bridge Park, J Block - Concept Plan]
UH, NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS BRIDGE PARK BLOCK J[01:35:01]
CONCEPT PLAN, WHICH HAS MADE ITS WAY TO THE END OF OUR AGENDA FOR A COUPLE MEETINGS NOW.UH, ZACH HOWELL WILL BRING US OUR STAFF REPORT.
SO THIS IS THE, UH, SECOND PIECE OF THE BRIDGE PARK BLOCK J APPLICATION TONIGHT.
FIRST WAS THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT EARLIER THIS EVENING.
UM, AND THE CONS PLAN IS REQUIRED AT LEAST CURRENTLY TO, UH, COME TO PLAN OR THE CITY COUNCIL WHEN A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT IS CONSIDERED.
UM, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, CITY COUNCIL DID APPROVE AN AMENDMENT, UH, TO THE CODE THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE CON CONCEPT PLANS TO COME FORWARD.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THE LASTS THAT WOULD FIT, UH, WITHIN THAT TIMEFRAME.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S BEFORE YOU TONIGHT.
BUT TONIGHT, UH, THE CONCEPT PLAN IS LOOKING FOR A DETERMINATION AS IT'S RECEIVED A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
UH, AND REALLY THIS IS LOOKING AT THE, THE BASICS OF THE DEVELOPMENT, THE, THE BUILDING BLOCKS SO THAT, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION CAN TAKE THAT AND MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT.
UH, SORRY, ONE MORE THING WITH THIS, AND IT WAS LISTED IN THE MEMO.
UM, THE APPLICANT HAS SUBMITTED A PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT'S CURRENTLY IN REVIEW.
UM, THEY'RE ANTICIPATING THIS TO GO MAY 1ST DEPENDING ON HOW THE CONCEPT PLAN GOES TONIGHT.
SO THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE TAKING RISK UPON THEMSELVES BY PUSHING THAT FORWARD AHEAD OF TIME.
UH, BUT LOOKING TO SEE WHAT THE FEEDBACK IS TONIGHT ON THIS APPLICATION.
SO THIS SITE IS JUST OVER FIVE ACRES IN SIZE ZONES, RIVER NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, YOU CAN SEE SYCAMORE RIDGE APARTMENTS TO THE NORTH, THE WENDY'S HEADQUARTERS TO THE EAST, AND THEN BRIDGE PARK.
THE REMAINDER OF THAT IS TO THE EAST.
UH, THIS IS LOCATED WITHIN THE SPECIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THESE SPECIAL NEIGHBORHOODS ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE BRIDGE STREET DISTRICT.
THIS ONE IS A SIDE RIVER NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, THIS SITE DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS, UH, SUCH AS GATEWAY LOCATIONS OR OPEN SPACE.
UH, SO JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT CONTEXT AS THOSE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
SO SHOWN ON THE SCREEN IS THE SITE PLAN FOR THIS BLOCK.
J UH, CURRENTLY HAS THREE BUILDINGS THAT ARE PROPOSED WITH PHASE ONE.
PHASE TWO WOULD HAVE AN ADDITIONAL CONDO BUILDING, WHICH IS WHERE THE, UH, PARK AND RIDE LOCATION IS AT.
SO THAT'S CURRENTLY IN NEGOTIATION AND, AND, UH, CRAWFORD HOR IS WORKING THROUGH THAT CURRENTLY, BUT THAT'S NOT BEING CONSIDERED AT THIS MOMENT.
UH, THE THREE BUILDINGS CONTAIN OFFICE UP IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER, CONDOS IN THE NORTHEAST, AND THEN THE GARAGE BUILDING IN THE SOUTHEAST.
UM, THE SITE IS ENCLOSED BY BRIDGE PARK AVENUE TO THE NORTH, WHICH IS A PUBLIC STREET.
DALE DRIVE TO THE WEST, WHICH IS A PUBLIC STREET, UH, BANKER DRIVE TO THE SOUTH, WHICH IS AN EXISTING PRIVATE STREET AS THAT'S OWNED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER TO THE SOUTH.
AND THEN DAVE THOMAS BOULEVARD, WHICH IS LISTED AS STREET B, UH, ON THE FAR RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A PUBLIC STREET FROM A PRIVATE DRIVE.
CURRENTLY, UH, THERE IS ONE NEW STREET PROPOSED WITH THIS, WHICH IS STREET A.
IT'S THE NORTH SOUTH CONNECTION BETWEEN BANKER DRIVE AND BRIDGE PARK AVENUE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE PRIVATE AND THAT WILL BE MAINTAINED BY CRAWFORD TOWING.
UH, THERE IS AN OPEN SPACE SHOWN AT THE CENTER OF THE SITE, UH, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE SITE.
IT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF THE SIZE THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE AND THAT INCLUDES WHAT'S EXPECTED WITH THE, UH, FOURTH BUILDING AS WELL.
SO IT ACCOMMODATES THAT FOOTPRINT IN THE FUTURE.
A FEW ELEVATIONS THAT WERE SUBMITTED WITH THE CONCEPT PLAN THAT ARE SHOWN ON YOUR SCREEN.
UH, THIS IS A FOUR STORY, UH, MIXED USE BUILDING THAT WILL HAVE ABOUT 10,000 SQUARE FEET OF RESTAURANT SPACE ON THE WESTERN HALF.
UH, THE FIRST FLOOR, FIRST LEVEL, YOU CAN SEE THAT ON THAT TOP, UH, THE SOUTH ELEVATION, BUT ALSO THE NORTH ELEVATION HERE.
UH, THE REST OF THIS WILL BE OFFICE BUILDING.
SO THE APPLICANTS CONTINUE TO WORK WITH US WITH THE PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
UH, AND THEN WOULD WITH THE FOUND DEVELOPMENT PLAN, SHOULD THIS BE APPROVED TONIGHT.
UH, THE NEXT THING IS THE PARKING GARAGE.
THIS IS IN THE SOUTH, UH, EAST CORNER OF THE, THE SITE.
IT IS A FIVE STORY PARKING STRUCTURE.
UH, YOU'RE SEEING THE SOUTH AND WEST ELEVATIONS.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS A, UH, PERFORATED METAL SCRIM, WHICH IS GONNA HAVE AN ART INSTALLATION ON IT, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID WITH BLOCK G, UM, WHICH IS CURRENTLY INSTALLED.
THE PARKING GARAGE ALSO REQUIRES A CONDITIONAL USE 'CAUSE IT DOES NOT HAVE A LINER BUILDING ON IT.
UH, THAT'S A PRETTY CONSISTENT THING THAT WE'VE SEEN.
UH, THAT, AND THAT'S A CONDITIONAL USE THAT'S BEEN APPROVED IN OTHER BLOCKS WHEN IT'S NOT ALONG THOSE PRINCIPLE FRONTAGE STREETS.
THIS LOCATION IS NOT A ALONG PRINCIPLE, THE STREETS.
AND THEN, UH, AS REQUESTED, THE HEIGHT COMPARISON JUST TO SHOW KIND OF THE MASSING OF, UH, WHAT'S OUT THERE CURRENTLY VERSUS WHAT IS BEING
[01:40:01]
PROPOSED.UH, THE REFERENCE POINT IS BLOCK G'S OFFICE BUILDING, WHICH IS IN THE TOP RIGHT, THAT'S ABOUT 900 FEET ABOVE C LEVEL.
UH, SO THAT'S WHAT'S BEING MEASURED AGAINST WHAT IS CURRENTLY PROPOSED WITH THE OFFICE.
AND CONDO BUILDINGS FOR BLOCK J UH, ARE GENERALLY IN LINE WITH THAT OFFICE BUILDING.
SO AGAIN, THERE IS SOME, SOME SIGNIFICANT GRADE CHANGE IN ELEVATION AS YOU MOVE FURTHER EAST ON BRIDGE PARK AVENUE.
UM, BUT THE REFERENCE POINT IS STILL PRETTY SIMILAR WITH WHAT IS CURRENTLY OUT THERE WITH THE BLOCKCHAIN OFFICE BUILDING IN JUST A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
THE YELLOW OUTLINES THE, THE SITE, UM, SAME POINTS JUST FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
SO WITH THAT, THE PLAN COMMISSION REVIEWED THIS APPLICATION TO THE APPLICABLE CRITERIA AND RECOMMENDED APPROVAL WITH THOSE THREE CONDITIONS ON THE SCREEN.
UH, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL TONIGHT.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT THIS EVENING THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK RELATIVE TO THIS TOPIC? HEARING NONE COUNCIL QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION.
UM, I NOTICED ON CONDITION THREE, UM, AND THE MINUTES OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING, UM, I CONCUR.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THAT IS NOT A THROUGH STREET.
UM, THE, UM, THE BRIDGE STREET CODE DOES TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT IF YOU WANNA BREAK UP A BLOCK AND YOU DECIDE THAT YOU DO NOT WANNA PUT A THROUGH STREET THROUGH, YOU CAN MAKE IT A PEDESTRIAN BYWAY.
I THINK THAT WE CAN USE THE SHERO, UH, KIND OF A POSSIBILITY.
YOU COULD, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR LOADING AND GETTING INTO THE GARAGE AND CERTAINLY THOSE ACCESS POINTS COULD BE HAD AT ONE END OR THE OTHER NORTH OR SOUTH.
BUT BECAUSE THE GREENWAY COMES ALMOST, UH, IN ALL THE WAY TO WHERE THE PRIVATE GREEN SPACE IS TAKING A ROAD THROUGH THERE, YOU CAN NARROW THAT DOWN.
YOU COULD CHANGE THE PAVEMENT, YOU COULD PUT IN VEGETATIVE BARRIERS.
YOU CAN MAKE THAT A, A, A PEDESTRIAN ROADWAY AND STILL GET THE FUNCTION YOU WANT.
AND I THINK KIM, WE BROUGHT THAT UP AT THE COMMISSION AND I THINK IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT.
PARKING IS A BIG QUESTION OF PLANNING AND ZONING.
THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SPACES FOR THE CONDO, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE DOING THE OFFICE OR THE RESTAURANT.
SO I KNOW THAT THAT'S A QUESTION THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON.
MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT YOU MIGHT LOSE GREEN SPACE IN ORDER TO SATISFY PARKING AND YOU'D HATE TO DO THAT 'CAUSE THIS IS REALLY UNUSUAL.
UM, AND, AND BEAUTIFUL DESIGN.
AND UM, I'M HOPING THAT THE RESTAURANT, WELL, I'M ALSO HOPING THAT THE, UM, THE ARCHITECTURAL IMAGES THAT YOU USE, THAT THEY USE FOR CONCEPT ACTUALLY PLAY OUT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN UNUSUAL CORNER PRESENCE.
BECAUSE THE FIRST FLOOR RIGHT NOW IN THESE IMAGES DON'T LOOK ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE UPPER FLOORS.
THAT'S A NICE CORNER, THAT'S GREAT CORNER AS YOU JUST GO ONE BLOCK DOWN FROM LONGSHORE.
AND I THINK THAT CORNER, UM, DESIGN OF THE RESTAURANT NEEDS TO BE IMPRESSIVE AND NOTICEABLE SO THAT PEOPLE WANNA WALK DOWN THAT WAY.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT, AND I KNOW THAT'S UP TO PLANNING AND ZONING, BUT, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE STREET PIECE, I, I DON'T THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE A A THROUGH STREET.
AND I, I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT A LARGE SCRIMM, UM, PARKING ON BANKER, UM, SURFACE, BUT THAT'S PLANNING AND ZONINGS, BUT THE STREET.
UM, YOU, YOU MOVED THE SLIDE, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S NO PARKING ON STREET.
PARKING IS THERE ON THE EAST, WEST STREETS ON THIS.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE PARKING PROVIDED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF BANKER DRIVE.
UM, SO ALTHOUGH THEY DO NOT CONTROL WHAT, WHETHER OR NOT BANKER CAN BE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, THEY ARE STILL MAKING THE EFFORT ON THEIR PORTION TO PROCEED AS IF IT'S GOING TO BE A BRIDGE STREET DESIGN STANDARD.
SO IT'S GONNA HAVE ON STREET PARKING THERE, UM, THERE'S GONNA BE ON STREET PARKING WITH STREET A THAT NORTH SOUTH STREET AND THEN ALSO ON THE WEST SIDE OF STREET B.
UM, IT'S CURRENTLY BEING SHOWN ON BRIDGE PARK AVENUE AS WELL.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH.
UM, BUT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S CONSIDERED.
BUT NO, THERE'S NO ON STREET PARKING ON BRIDGE PARK AVENUE, IT CURRENTLY IS SHOWN AS THAT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE HAVING ONGOING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, JUST 'CAUSE THE NORTH SIDE OF THAT, ALSO THE NORTH SIDE OF BRIDGE PARK AVENUE ALSO NEEDS TO, AS A TEMPORARY LAYOUT WITH THE, THE MULTI-USE PATH.
I I, I WORRY ABOUT THE ON STREET PARKING THERE, UM, WITH THE SIGHT LINES AND STUFF BECAUSE OF THE GRADE CHANGE, PARTICULARLY LIKE WHEN YOU COME ACROSS ON
[01:45:01]
DALE DRIVE, UM, IT'S ALREADY HARD TO SEE PEOPLE COMING UP AND DOWN THAT HILL THERE AS YOU'RE HEADING NORTH ON DALE DRIVE.SO, UM, I WOULD JUST BE CAUTIOUS OF LOOKING AT THAT AND I WOULDN'T WANNA COUNT THOSE SPACES TOWARDS, AS YOU'RE FIGURING OUT TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE ENOUGH PARKING.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO COUNT ON STREET PARKING ON BRIDGE PARK AVENUE AS PART OF IT.
UM, 'CAUSE I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S GONNA BE A VALID SOLUTION THERE.
OTHERS? UM, I HAD A QUICK QUESTION.
I ON THE STREET, A PRIVATE STREET.
THIS STREET WILL WILL MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF A PUBLIC STREET AS TO FIRE PARK.
UH, I MEAN WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ISSUES WITH PRIVATE STREETS, ET CETERA.
WHAT'S THE CONSIDERATIONS THERE VERSUS A PUBLIC STREET? YEAH, SO WE RECENTLY DID THIS WITH WINDER DRIVE, UH, THAT'S A PRIVATE STREET IN BRIDGE PARK.
SO IT WOULD BE DESIGNED TO THE STANDARDS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS HERE.
UM, AND THEN TO, SIMILAR WITH THAT JANE POINT, THEY'RE WORKING ON THE, THE TRANSITION BETWEEN THE OPEN SPACE AND THERE'S SOME PRIVATE PUBLIC OPEN SPACE THERE TOO.
SO IT'S, IT'S STILL GONNA BE DESIGNED TO OUR, OUR STANDARDS.
UH, I I HAD JUST A COUPLE THINGS.
UM, UH, THE REVIEW CRITERIA CONSISTENT WITH THE COMMUNITY PLAN, YES.
UH, CONFORMS THE APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS OF THE BRIDGE STREET DISTRICT CODE.
I I THINK WHEN THE, WHEN THIS OPEN SPACE STARTS TO GET DESIGNED, WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING IN THERE TO MEET CODE, WHETHER IT BE A TERMINAL VISTA, SOME, SOME ITEM OF INTEREST OR WHATEVER, BECAUSE THE FURTHER WE GET AWAY FROM THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE VISIBLE FROM HERE, WE'RE GOING TO NEED SOME ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES IN THIS AREA.
AND SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT ONE OF THESE BUILDINGS HAS SOME SORT OF TERMINAL VISTA, MAYBE A, A ROUNDED CORNER ON ONE OF THE EDGES, SOMETHING TO DRAW THE EYE TO.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE, WE DON'T, WE'RE, WE'RE SO FAR REMOVED FROM THE EXISTING ONES IN THE DISTRICT THAT WE NEED TO START IN INCORPORATING MORE OF THEM.
UM, SO, UH, CONFORMS TO LOTS AND BLOCK STREET TYPES, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT, IT MEETS THAT THOSE CRITERIA CONSISTENT WITH ADOPTED PLANS AND ALIGN WITH THE USES IDENTIFIED IN THE CODE.
IT DOES THAT CONFORMS WITH THE BUILDING TYPES IDENTIFIED BY THE CODE.
THE ONLY BUILDING TYPE, I'M NOT SURE THAT IT'S REALLY IN CONFORMANCE OF THE, UM, OF THE INSPIRATIONAL PORT.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE VISIONARY PORTION OF IT IS THE PARKING GARAGE WITH JUST HAVING THOSE, UM, PRE CASTED SCRIMS, IS THAT WHAT YOU CALLED THEM? UM, THAT BUILDING AS RENDERED REALLY LOOKS LIKE A PARKING GARAGE AND SOME OF THE PARKING GARAGES IN THE, IN BRIDGE PARK, PARTICULARLY ONE OF THE PARKING GARAGES IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE BUILDINGS IN, IN THE, UH, IN THE DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE AN OLD WAREHOUSE BUILDING.
IT, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S VERY AUTHENTIC TO SOMETHING YOU MIGHT SEE IN THAT AREA.
THIS, THIS AS RENDERED DOES NOT LOOK, IT LOOKS LIKE A PARKING GARAGE.
AND OUR INTENT WAS EITHER TO WRAP 'EM WITH SOME OTHER USE OR MAKE THEM LOOK EXCEPTIONAL.
THIS DOESN'T, DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WRAPPED WITH ANY OTHER USES.
AND FROM THE RENDERINGS THAT YOU CAN TELL HERE, IT DOESN'T LOOK EXCEPTIONAL.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT THAT, UM, REALLY DOESN'T, UM, CONFORM TO, TO THAT ITEM OF THE REVIEW CRITERIA.
UH, THE OPEN SPACES BENEFIT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY.
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SIGNIFICANT OPEN SPACE HERE AND I THINK IN, IN GETTING INTO THE DENSITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND AWAY FROM THE PARK, IT'S APPROPRIATE TO HAVE BETTER PUBLIC SPACES AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S ROOM FOR THAT.
UM, SO WHEN IT COMES TO, COMES TO, UH, FRUITION, I HOPE THAT THE DESIGN LIVES UP TO THAT, UM, ALLOWS FOR PUBLIC, UH, OR PRIVATE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, IT APPEARS TO, TO MEET THAT CRITERIA FOR ME, UH, AND CONFORMS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD STANDARDS.
I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN OF CONFORMING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD STANDARDS IN THESE LIGHTWEIGHT METAL BROWN METAL PANELS ON THE TOP OF THE, UH, OF SOME OF THE BUILDINGS.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT THE, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD STANDARD IS, IS THAT THE BUILDINGS DON'T GET TOO LIGHT AS THEY GET TOO HIGH.
THAT THEY STILL, NOT IN TERMS OF POUNDS, BUT IN TERMS OF VISUAL MASSING, THAT THERE'S STILL SOME FINISHES AT THE TOP OF THE BUILDING THAT WOULD DRAW YOUR EYE UP AND, AND MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IT'S EN ENDURING ARCHITECTURE.
SO THOSE WOULD BE MY, THAT WOULD BE MY FEEDBACK ON THE CONCEPT PLAN TO TAKE FORWARD TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
[01:50:01]
YEAH.UM, WHEN WE, UM, CONCEIVED A BRIDGE PARK, UM, ALL THE SIGNAGE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE UNIQUE, SO I HOPE THERE'S RESTAURANT AND OTHER OFF, UM, ARY USES THAT THEY'VE COME UP WITH SOME INTERESTING SIGNAGE THAT'S UNIQUE AND INTERESTING.
THAT WAS PART OF THE IDEA FOR THAT TO MAKE IT A VERY INTERESTING, UH, SERIES OF SPACES.
UM, IT'D BE INTERESTING ALSO IF WE COULD INCORPORATE SOME KIND OF SCULPTURAL ELEMENT OR TILE ONTO THE SIDE OF ONE OF THESE BUILDINGS, LIKE AS YOU MENTIONED THAT IT'S FAR AWAY NOW AND IT'S GOTTA START STANDING BY ITSELF AND BEING OF INTEREST.
SO, UH, INCORPORATING SOME KIND OF ART INTO THE, THE SIDEWALL OF THE BUILDING WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, I AGREE WITH THE PARKING GARAGE.
UH, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT IT CARRIES A CERTAIN KIND OF VIBE AND I'M NOT SURE ABOUT WHEN IN THIS GRAPHIC, SO I HOPE THAT YOU GET A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT, COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT'S ADEQUATE.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE BIG LANDSCAPE AREA.
UH, I THINK THAT YOU GOT, THEY DID A REALLY NICE JOB WITH THEIR LITTLE MINI PARKS AND THINGS, BUT YOU KNOW, I'M REAL INTERESTED IN SEEING THAT BE EXECUTED TO A HIGH STANDARD.
YEAH, THIS ONE'S PROBABLY IS THE MOST SIZABLE ONE THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE DISTRICT THUS FAR.
AND HOPEFULLY THEY CAN DRAW SOME OUTDOOR AMENITIES, MAYBE DINING OR, OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, INTO THOSE SPACES TO ACTIVATE 'EM AND MAKE THEM FEEL MORE ALIVE.
ONE THING I FORGOT TO SAY, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, BAILEY IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE CONDO, SENIOR CITIZEN, AND THAT'S AT SIX STORIES.
AND THESE ARE AT FOUR AND A HALF, POSSIBLY FIVE.
AND ONE OF THEM HAS PARKING ON THE ROOF, SO THEY'RE OVERLOOKING THAT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
JUST HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT ROOFTOP, UM, ATTRACTIVENESS.
AND I JUST WANNA THROW THAT OUT THERE THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE BAILEY FOLKS THAT LIVE IN THOSE HIGH HIGHER FLOORS AREN'T LOOKING AT, FIND A WAY THAT WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT PARKED CARS OR A REALLY UGLY ROOFTOP RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
I THINK, I THINK THERE'S SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT MAY BE COMING FORWARD, BUT I, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT AS WE START TO GET REALLY CLOSE TOGETHER AND LOOKING DOWN ON THINGS.
SO I THINK PART OF THAT'S THE TREATMENT OF THE, THE UPPER FLOORS IF WE USE A LIGHT METAL PANT BROWN PANEL, I, I, I HAVE CONCERN CONCERNS AS LONG AS CAN THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO LOOK WEIGHTY.
AND, AND, UH, AT ANY RATE, OUR APPLICANT IS HERE THIS EVENING.
UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE Y'ALL HAVE ENDURED WITH US FOR A COUPLE OF NIGHTS.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING ADDITIONAL YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD, MATTHEW STAR 66 40 RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
OBVIOUSLY AS YOU KNOW, THIS WAS APPROVED IN DECEMBER, SO IT'S MOVED ALONG QUITE A BIT SINCE THAT TIME.
AT OUR RISK, AS WE KNOW, UH, AS ALWAYS, STAFF HAS BEEN TERRIFIC TO WORK WITH, VERY COLLABORATIVE IN APPROACH.
UH, THE ONE THING I DID WANNA ADDRESS, TWO THINGS REALLY THE OPEN SPACE WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS SPACE.
IT IS THE LARGEST, I THINK REQUIRED IS ABOUT JUST UNDER AN ACRE.
IT'S ABOUT AN ACRE AND A QUARTER.
YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT, IT'S A LITTLE DISTANCE FROM, FROM THE PARK TIMES OF THE YEAR.
IT HELPS US MANAGE STORM WATER, BE A GREAT PLACE TO SIT AND HAVE LUNCH, READ A BOOK.
UH, WE HAD A HUGE DEBATE ABOUT THAT INTERNAL STREET.
I WONDER IF YOU COULD PULL UP THE SITE PLAN REALLY QUICK.
THE, THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT OFFICE BUILDING AND THE RESTAURANT IN PARTICULAR, AS YOU KNOW, THAT RESTAURANT IS ON THAT WESTERN EDGE OF THE BUILDING AND WE'VE SHRUNK IT A LITTLE BIT.
IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT 7,000 NOW.
SO WE'RE ADDING SOME MORE OFFICE SPACE BACK TO THE BUILDING, IS THAT THE SERVICE IS ON THE EAST END OF THE BUILDING, SO YOU HAVE TO GET TRASH TO THAT EAST END OF THE BUILDING AND SORT OF THE LITTLE DRIVEWAY ON THE, ON THE, UH, ON THE EAST END OF THAT STREET.
SO YOU HAVE TO GET TRASH IN AND OUT OF THAT BUILDING.
THERE'S ALSO THAT ADDITIONAL ENTRANCE TO THAT GARAGE.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE ENDED UP WITH THE STREET.
I THINK PEDESTRIAN WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, BETTER.
UM, THAT WHOLE MIDDLE SECTION WHERE I WOULD SAY WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE LARGER GREEN SPACE SORT OF COMES TO THE CONDO BUILDING.
WE'VE TRIED TO MAKE IT LOOK ALMOST AS CONTINUOUS AS POSSIBLE, BUT STILL MAINTAINING THAT LEVEL OF SAFETY THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEDESTRIANS.
SO THEY FEEL THAT AS THEY'RE WALKING FROM THE GARAGE TO THE OFFICE.
SO YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THAT FURTHER.
I THINK THE PLANS ARE EVEN POSTED ONLINE NOW.
UH, THE, THE OTHER THING, CERTAINLY A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT PARKING.
I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE OUR ARMS AROUND PARKING HERE AND WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THE CODE AND WE STUDY THIS EXTENSIVELY.
AND THAT RESTAURANT, UH, THAT ENTRANCE TO THAT RESTAURANT IS ON THE NO SIDE, SORT OF AT THAT NORTHWEST CORNER.
AND THERE'S SOME DISTANCES, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE STUDIED THIS.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME FROM THE WEST AND THEY WILL PARK ELSEWHERE AND WALK TO THAT SPACE INSTEAD OF PARK HERE AND WALK TO THE RESTAURANT.
[01:55:01]
SO.APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL SEE 'EM ALL INCORPORATED.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THAT? SURE, ABSOLUTELY.
THAT MIDDLE SECTION WHERE IT'S GRADE HERE, CAN IT NOT BE, UH, SEPARATED FROM YOU? COULD YOU STILL NOT GET TRAFFIC OR LOADING AND UNLOADING AND TRASH WITHOUT HAVING TO MAKE IT A THROUGH STREET? COULD YOU NOT JUST ALLOW IT TO BE WIDE AND PEDESTRIAN AND NOT ALLOW TRUCKS TO GO THROUGH THE MIDDLE SECTION? EXACTLY.
YOU'D HAVE TO PROBABLY FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET TRUCKS BACK OUT.
SO YOU'D HAVE TO CUL-DE-SAC IN SOME WAY SO IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO TURN AROUND INSTEAD OF HAVING THEM BACK OUT ON THE RIVERSIDE, DR OR SORRY, BRIDGE PARK AVENUE.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE CHALLENGE IS YOU JUST CREATE, YOU WANT TO CREATE THAT THROUGH OPPORTUNITY.
IF THERE'S JUST A WAY TO MAKE IT LOOK MORE PEDESTRIAN, THEN IT DOES LOOK LIKE A CUT THROUGH.
I THINK IT WOULD BE NICE FOR THAT.
I THINK WE TOUCHED ON ALL OF THE CRITERIA THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO A CONCEPT PLAN REVIEW.
UM, SO, UH, THAT IS THE EXTENT OF OUR OVERSIGHT.
UM, WITH THAT, I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONCEPT PLAN.
UH, GIVEN THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GIVEN, GIVEN ON THE CRITERIA.
AND THERE ARE THREE CONDITIONS I WILL ASK THE APPLICANT OR IF YOU ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE THREE CONDITIONS AS A, AS REPRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT, THOSE BEING YOU CONTINUE TO WORK WITH STAFF ON BANKER DRIVE, STREET B AND PUBLIC STREETS, SUBMIT CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT WITH THE SUBMISSION OF THE PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND THE APPLICANT CONTINUE TO WORK WITH STAFF TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE DESIGNS FOR STREET A BASED ON COMMENTS PROVIDED BY THE COMMISSION.
AND HEARING HIS AGREEMENT WITH THOSE CONDITIONS, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONCEPT PLAN WITH THOSE THREE CONDITIONS.
OUR FEEDBACK TODAY IS THERE A SECOND.
JENNY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE RULE MAYOR AROSE GROOMS? YES.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ENDURING WITH US THIS EVENING TO THE END OF OUR AGENDA.
[STAFF COMMENTS]
BRINGS US TO THE STAFF COMMENTS PORTION OF OUR AGENDA, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY MANAGER, MEGAN O' KELLYANN.I DO NOT HAVE ANY COMMENTS THIS EVENING.
[CDC Report]
COUNCIL COMMITTEE, COMMITTEE REPORTS.WE HAVE ONE FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE THAT WILL BE BROUGHT FORTH BY MR. REINER.
THE, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MET ON TUESDAY, APRIL 15TH.
REVIEWED SIX APPLICATIONS TO RECEIVE THE BEAUTIFY YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT FUNDING.
THESE APPLICATIONS WILL BE COMING TO CITY COUNCIL ON MAY 5TH FOR YOUR APPROVAL OR CRITIQUE.
UH, THE SECOND AGENDA ITEM WAS THE ROOF AESTHETICS, ESPECIALLY GREEN ROOF STAFF WILL GATHER SOME RESEARCH AND BENCHMARKING.
AND THEN THE TOPIC, WE'LL COME BACK TO THE COMMITTEE.
AND ONE THING THAT, UH, WAS DONE WAS, UH, WENT TO, UH, UPPER ARLINGTON AND VIEWED THEIR SIX STORY BEAUTIFUL REC CENTER.
AND IN THAT REC CENTER IS THESE GREAT PRIVATE OUTDOOR DINING BALCONIES AND GROOM OUT BALCONIES ALL LOOKING OUT.
AND THE ARCHITECT DID A GREAT JOB, BUT WHEN YOU LOOKED OUT, YOU HAD TO SHORTLE AND LAUGH BECAUSE THEY LOOKED UPON A WHOLE SERIES OF SOME OF THE UGLIEST ROOFS YOU EVER SAW.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE CAN DO IS GET THIS ORDINANCE PASSED FAST.
WE GOT A LOT OF ROOFS COMING IN, AND I DON'T CARE IF IT'S ASTRO TURF OR WHAT IT IS, OUTDOOR DINING OR SPACES.
BUT WE GOTTA GET THIS DONE BECAUSE WE GOT A LOT OF ROOFS COMING AND COMING FAST.
SO, UM, WE'LL HEAR BACK FROM THE STAFF ON THIS.
[COUNCIL LIAISON REPORTS]
BRINGS US TO COUNCIL LIAISON REPORTS.I'LL START WITH MR. RSO FOR 33 CORRIDOR AND THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
I WILL DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUE ON THE 33.
MS. FOX 33 CORRIDOR AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
UM, SO THE US 33 CORRIDOR GROUP HELD A MEETING ON APRIL 11TH THAT WAS HOSTED BY PLAIN CITY, AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS ALONG THE CORRIDOR SHARED SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES THAT THEY'RE AFFECTED IN THOSE AREAS.
UH, THE DISCUSSION HIGHLIGHTED THE AREAS WITHIN THE CORRIDOR EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT GROWTH AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEMAND.
SO THE FORMAT OF THE MEETING HAS SHIFTED RECENTLY TO FOCUS ON THESE GROWTH AREAS, WHICH, UM, HAS REALLY ALLOWED FOR GREATER DISCUSSION, MORE COLLABORATIVE, COLLABORATIVE PLANNING AND IDENTIFYING SHARED PRIORITIES.
SO SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MEETING INCLUDE THAT, UM, MILL CREEK, JEROME TOWNSHIP AND UNION COUNTY ARE ALL, UH, LOOKING AT THEIR LONG RANGE PLANNING EFFORTS AND THEIR FINALIZING THEIR COMPREHENSIVE PLANS.
JEROME TOWNSHIP IS REQUESTING COMMENTS ON ITS DRAFT COMPREHENSION PLAN BY MAY 19TH.
THERE'S CONTINUED INTEREST IN DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS WITHIN THE 33 CORRIDOR, INCLUDING JEROME VILLAGE, UH, MARYSVILLE, EAST AND SOUTH JEROME TOWNSHIP'S INNOVATION DISTRICT IN HIGHLAND CROIX ROAD CORRIDOR, AND THE MADISON GATEWAY.
UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING
[02:00:01]
ROUTE 42 AND INDUSTRIAL PARKWAY CONSTRUCTION AND THE COMPLETION OF THE US 33 STATE ROUTE 1 61 INTERCHANGE CONSTRUCTION THIS YEAR, UM, SHOULD BE, UH, COMING TO A CLOSE WATER, SEWER, AND GAS LINE.IMPROVEMENTS ARE GOING INTO THE CORRIDOR UP ALL THE WAY UP TO DELAWARE COUNTY.
DISCUSSION AROUND DATA CENTERS AND THE IMPACTS ON SURROUNDING DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THERE WAS DISCUSSION IN MARYSVILLE ABOUT DATA CENTERS COMING AND POTENTIAL DESIGN STRATEGIES, UM, UH, USED BY THE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES.
SO COLLABORATION ON FUTURE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN MADISON COUNTY AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR PARTNERS, UH, WAS DISCUSSED.
STAFF FROM DUBLIN, MARYSVILLE DRUM TOWNSHIP IN PLAIN CITY REPORTED ON RECENT MEETINGS ALSO INCLUDING ODOT AND THE SHARING OF INFORMATION ABOUT PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS, UH, PUBLIC UTILITY SERVICE AND TRAFFIC IMPACTS TO THE 1 61 CORRIDOR IN MADISON COUNTY.
THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF FROM THE VARIOUS JURISDICTIONS, INCLUDING MADISON COUNTY, ARE MEETING LATER THIS WEEK TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLANS WITHIN THE MADISON GATEWAY AREA, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS THAT WILL BE COMING ON MAY 13TH THROUGH THE 15TH.
THE BETA DISTRICT IS HOSTING A MULTI-DAY MOBILITY CONFERENCE, WHICH IS BEING COORDINATED BY ALL THE BETA DISTRICT PARTNERS WITH EVENTS HAPPENING IN MARYSVILLE AND DUBLIN.
AND FULL DETAILS AND REGISTRATION ARE AVAILABLE AT THE WEBSITE OF WWW.THEBETADISTRICT.COM.
AND THE NEXT 33 QUARTER MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 13TH.
UH, MR. KEELER, WE'LL GO TO YOU FOR THE BOARD OF OF EDUCATION AND THE LOGAN UNION CHAMPAIGN COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO OUR NEXT BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING IS THIS WEDNESDAY, AND WITH THE LOGAN UNION CHAMPAIGN COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, THE LAST MEETING THERE WERE SIX APPLICATIONS, FOUR FOR UNION COUNTY, ALL WITHIN JEROME TOWNSHIP.
UH, ALL SINGLE FAMILY, NOT ALL DUBLIN CITY SCHOOLS.
UM, ONE FOR CHAMPAIGN CO COUNTY AND ONE FOR LOGAN COUNTY.
SO IT'S JUST, AGAIN, MORE OF THE SAME.
THE GROWTH IS HAPPENING IN UNION COUNTY OF THE THREE, AND THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS ON OUR WESTERN BORDER IN JEROME TOWNSHIP.
MR. REINER, THE ARTS COUNCIL AND, UH, THE ARTS COUNCIL SEARCH COMMITTEE.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE'VE BOILED DOWN THE 40 APPLICANTS, UH, TO, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT SEVEN.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'RE GONNA GET A GOOD LEADER OUTTA THAT SEVEN.
OKAY, MS. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP AND THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD FOR WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
JUST A HEADS UP, IF ANYONE GOES, WHICH RARELY THERE'S FEW IN PUBLIC ATTENDANCE, BUT IF YOU WANTED TO GO TO TOMORROW'S MEETING, IT HAS BEEN MOVED UP TILL 5:00 PM INSTEAD OF ITS USUAL SIX O'CLOCK START TIME.
AND JUST A REMINDER THAT THE WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP RENEWAL, UH, LEVY WILL BE ON THE BALLOT ON MAY 6TH AND FOR ARCHITECTURE REVIEW BOARD, THEY HAVE BEEN OFF FOR A FEW MONTHS, BUT THEY DO HAVE A MEETING THIS WEEK ON THE 23RD.
AND YOU'LL SEE THE REMODELING OF WHAT IS FORMERLY THE OSCAR SITE.
THE 84 NORTH HIGH STREET IS BACK.
IT IS A REMODEL AND NOT A WHOLE NEW COMPLEX.
THERE'S ALSO SOME REMODELING TO 16TH NORTH HIGH, WHICH IS WHERE THE CUPCAKE ERY USED TO BE.
UM, THERE HAD BEEN A PREVIOUS APPLICATION TO PUT SOME TOWN HOMES AT THE REAR OF THAT PROPERTY, AND THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED, AND THIS IS NOW JUST A REMODELING OF THAT BUILDING.
UM, FOR THE, I'LL GIVE A BRIEF MORPHY UPDATE.
SO ON WEDNESDAY, UH, SOME OF US WILL BE TRAVELING TO THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA.
UM, WE WILL BE MEETING, UH, WITH THE, UH, TRINITY METRO PEOPLE.
THEY HAVE RECENTLY, UH, ADDED, UH, AMTRAK RAIL IN THAT AREA.
SO THE, THE IDEA IS TO GO TO A RED STATE WITH RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND LEARN HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SUCH.
UM, SO WE'LL BE MEETING WITH THE BOARD OF THE TRINITY METRO GROUP, WHICH, UH, AND ALSO THE NORTHEAST TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS TO BE ABLE TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS OF, HOW DID YOU GET HERE? HOW DID YOU, UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE, THE STATE BUDGET IS IN THE SENATE NOW, AND WE, THERE ARE DOLLARS THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO GARNER IN THE STATE BUDGET, UM, TO MAKE THIS COME TO FRUITION AND ASK THE QUESTIONS, HOW WERE THEY, WHAT ANGLES DID THEY WORK TO, UM, LOBBY FOLKS FOR, UM, TO BE WILLING TO INVEST THAT.
ODDLY ENOUGH, I WILL BE HAVING LUNCH WITH BRUNO RUMBO, THE CITY MANAGER OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL MEETINGS, UH, IN THEIR,
[02:05:01]
IN THEIR DART STATION, UH, AND IN THEIR UNION STATION ON FRIDAY.AND THEN WE WILL RETURN HOME FRIDAY EVENING.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO A REPORT ON THAT FOR ALL OF YOU.
UPON MY RETURN, UH, THIS WILL BRING US TO
[COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE]
ROUND TABLE.I'LL START DOWN HERE WITH AMY.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR TONIGHT.
JOHN? YEAH, JUST A, UH, ITEM, UH, LAST WEEK, THE STATE BOARD OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURES ARCHITECTS WHO OVERSEE, UH, LICENSURE FOR OHIO.
UM, THIS INCLUDES A THREE DAY EXAM.
AND WHETHER RUSSIAN LICENSES ARE, CHINESE LICENSES ARE APPLICABLE TO OUR STATE AND HAVE GOOD ENOUGH QUALITY THAT IS THEIR EDUCATION BEFORE THEY TAKE THE EXAM.
BUT, UH, LET'S SEE, THREE PEOPLE PETITIONED TO COME TO THE MEETING FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF CULTURE.
AND, UH, IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING, UM, WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY.
AND I THINK WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY IS SHOCKING, AND IT'S SOMETHING WE PROBABLY HAVE TO ADDRESS IN DUBLIN SOMEDAY.
THEY SAID THE AVERAGE TREE IN OHIO LIVES SEVEN YEARS.
AND THEY HAVE SO MUCH RESEARCH FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING.
IT WAS, IT WAS INTERESTING TO CHALLENGE 'EM, BUT THEY WERE GROUNDED REALLY WELL.
AND THE REASON IS WHY OUR TREES DON'T LIVE VERY LONG AND WHY WE SPEND ALL THIS MONEY CONSTANTLY FLYING AS GREENERY IS THAT 85 TO 95% OF ALL OUR PLANT MATERIAL IS REALLY BOUGHT IN, UH, FLORIDA, TEXAS, AND MCMINVILLE, TENNESSEE AREA.
AND SO IT'S LIKE FIVE HARDINESS ZONES BELOW US.
NOW THE REASON THAT HAPPENS IN THE GREEN INDUSTRY, AND IT'S SORT OF A DARK EYE FOR THE GREEN INDUSTRY, IS THAT YOU CAN, THE GROWING SEASON'S REAL LONG DOWN THERE AND YOU CAN GROW TREES A LOT LONGER, PAY LESS TAXES.
THEY'RE IN THE FIELD FOR A SHORTER PERIOD.
AND THERE'S NO INTERNATIONAL, OR EXCUSE ME, NO FEDERAL LAW AGAINST THE TRANSPORTATION OF PLANT MATERIAL THROUGH FIVE DIFFERENT HARDINESS ZONES.
SO WHAT HAPPENS HERE IS WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF TREES THAT REALLY JUST SIT THERE AND THEY NEVER REALLY ACTUALLY GROW OR THEY DIE AFTER ABOUT, THEY ALL MAKE THE WARRANTY A COUPLE YEARS AND WHATEVER, OR BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN GROWN IN A HOT ENVIRONMENT, THE, WE HAVE A THING CALLED FROST CRACKS WHERE THE HEAT IN THE WINTER BUST THE BARK OPEN AND THEN THE BOARS GET INTO THE PLANTS AND, UH, KILL 'EM.
SO IT WAS REALLY SAD TO THINK ABOUT THIS AND THINK OF ALL THE MONEY THAT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PLANT A TREE, YOU WANT BIRDS UP IN IT, PEOPLE SITTING UNDERNEATH IT, HAVING A PICNIC.
UH, YOU HAVE ALL THESE HAPPY THOUGHTS, IT'S GONNA LAST A HUNDRED YEARS AND YOU ACTUALLY BOUGHT INTO THE FUTURE.
YOU'RE BUYING INTO THE FUTURE.
BUT, UH, I THINK WHAT WE PROBABLY MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK AT SOMEDAY IS AN ORDINANCE.
AND MAYBE WE ALREADY HAVE THIS ORDINANCE, I THINK IT WAS ON THE BOOKS YEARS AND YEARS AGO, MAYBE IN THE EIGHTIES, THAT WE DON'T ACCEPT TREES, UH, THAT AREN'T FROM OUR HARDINESS ZONE.
THEY CAN BE IN OUR HARDINESS ZONE, MAYBE EVEN ONE LEVEL BELOW US OR ABOVE US IN MICHIGAN AND CANADA AND STUFF.
BUT WE REALLY WANNA, IF WE'RE GONNA SPEND MONEY, WE WANT THIS PLANT MATERIAL TO REALLY START TO GROW AND BE HERE FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN.
AND, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
MY FAVORITE, UH, BIG BOX, I GO IN THERE AND I WAS JUST SHOCKED.
I, I REALIZED MY SON EXPLAINED IT TO ME, BUT I LOOKED AT THEIR TAXES USED AND THEIR BOXWOODS AND THEY WERE JUST LIKE THIS ALL NEW GROWTH THAT SHOT OUT.
AND THEY'LL NEVER HAVE A SOLID CORE IN 'EM.
'CAUSE THEY NEVER WERE TRIMMED.
THEY JUST, THEY'RE BIG AND THEY'RE GONNA BE WORTHLESS.
AND ALL THESE PEOPLE IN THERE LOAD THEM ON THEIR CARTS AND DRIVE 'EM OUT OF THAT STORE.
AND THE SAME THING, SAME THING HAPPENED WITH THE TROPICAL PLANTS.
UM, I BOUGHT A, UM, A PALM AND I SAID, I'LL PUT IT IN MY BEDROOM 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA GIMME OXYGEN.
AND WELL, THE EIGHT HOURS I'M SLEEPING THERE AND PLUS IT ABSORBS ALL THE PLASTICS FROM MY FLOOR AND CARPET.
SO IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT PALM.
BUT THEN I CAME TO REALIZE IT, IT DIED.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.
IF YOU'RE GONNA BUY A, A TROPICAL PLANTS FOR YOUR HOUSE, YOU GOTTA BUY THE GOOD ONES BECAUSE IN FLORIDA, WE PAY THOSE GUYS TO PUT PLASTIC OVER 'EM AND ACCLIMATE 'EM TO OUR BEDROOMS AND OUR LIGHT, OUR LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS.
NOT FLORIDA'S LIGHT CONDITIONS, BUT OUR LOW, LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS, THEY JUST GROW 'EM OUT IN FIELDS AND SHIP 'EM UP HERE BY THE JULIANS.
AND PEOPLE JUST HAPPEN TO BUY 'EM.
AND THEN THEY DON'T HAVE A REAL GREAT HISTORY WITH THESE PLANTS BECAUSE THE PLANTS AREN'T REALLY ACCLIMATED BECAUSE IT'S EXPENSIVE TO DO THAT.
SO THIS IS ALL COST CUTTING AND PROFIT FOR A BUNCH OF GUYS IN THE GREEN INDUSTRY WHO WANNA MAKE MORE MONEY.
SO I THINK WHAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO IS COME UP WITH AN ORDINANCE WHERE WE SAY, WELL, IF YOU'RE GONNA BRING PLANTS INTO OUR AREA, THEY GOTTA BE FROM OUR AREA OR, OR ABOVE IS WHERE IT'S COLDER SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE REPLACED CONSTANTLY.
SO ANYWAY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BRING UP TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OR, BUT START WORKING ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
PROTECT OUR INVESTMENT IN THE INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE.
KEEPING WITH THE FLORA AND FAUNA, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE, UH,
[02:10:01]
HAAHS FOR HOSTING SO MANY OF US A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO FOR THE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL.AND YOU KNOW, IT OCCURS TO ME THEY ARE A SHINING EXAMPLE OF LIGHT MANUFACTURING IN THE HEART OF DUBLIN.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT, WHAT THEY DO.
UM, YOU WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY WERE THAT THEY WERE THERE.
SO THANK YOU TO THE HAAHS FOR HAVING US BACK.
SORRY I WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR, THAT'S ALWAYS A HIGHLIGHT, SO THANK THEM FOR THAT.
UM, RELATIVE TO, UM, JOHN'S POINT, I KNOW WHEN WE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UH, TREE TREE REPLACEMENT, I KNOW STAFF IS WORKING ON A GREEN SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.
SO I KNOW THAT DISCUSSION IS UNDERWAY AND KIND OF INTERESTING, JOHN, THE, UM, LIKE THEY CALL 'EM THE STONE PINE TREES IN ROME, THOSE REALLY VERY LARGE, BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC TREES.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A, A BUNCH OF DISEASE CONCERNS THERE AS WELL.
BUT I KNOW WE HAD ASKED THE STAFF TO PUT THAT GREENS SUSTAINABILITY PLANT, SO I KNOW THAT WORK IS UNDERWAY.
UM, JUST A QUICK THANKS TO THE DUBLIN CHAMBER AND CONGRATULATIONS TO MY SALON SUITES.
UM, THEY JUST OPENED, UH, ANOTHER, UM, HERE, ANOTHER GROUP OF SUITES HERE IN DUBLIN.
AND, UM, I KNOW JOHN ATTENDED, UM, THE, UH, DUBLIN TYCO GROUPS TYCO PERFORMANCE, WHICH WAS PHENOMENAL.
IT'S REALLY SORT OF A PHYSICAL THUMPING OF, OF MUSIC THAT IS JUST, UH, UNBELIEVABLE.
SO THAT WAS A, A REALLY LOVELY PERFORMANCE.
ON THE NINTH, UH, THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, UH, WE HELD, HELD A MEETING, UM, LARGELY ABOUT, UH, PRESERVATION AND, UH, DOCUMENTATION OF FEDERAL FUNDED PROJECTS AND THEIR STATUS.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WATCH THAT.
UM, ON THE 10TH, WE DID HAVE OUR WARP SEA COMMISSION MEETING AND WANNA CONGRATULATE MOUNT CARMEL ON THEIR RIBBON CUTTING CERTAINLY WAS A, IS A LOVELY FACILITY THERE.
AND IT WAS A, A VERY NICE EVENT ON THE 11TH, THE HAAHS HAD THEIR, UH, TERRY BLOSSOM LUNCHEON, WHICH WAS DELIGHTFUL AS ALWAYS.
AND CERTAINLY, UH, IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME OUR NEW CONS GENERAL OF JAPAN AND DETROIT.
JIMMY KIRA, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO A LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM THAT IS FRUITFUL FOR BOTH OF US.
ON THE 15TH, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND A LEGENDS LUNCHEON AND CERTAINLY WANNA CONGRATULATE BARBARA NICHOLAS ON BEING THE HONOREE FOR THE, UH, 2025 MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT.
UM, WAS, UH, A WONDERFUL EVENT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, WHAT THAT WEEK WILL WE'LL BRING, UH, THAT EVENING WE HAD THE GRAND MARSHALL SELECTION MEETING AND, UH, YOU WILL HOPEFULLY WILL BE HEARING THE OUTCOME OF THAT MEETING, UH, HERE IN THE NEAR TERM.
AND TODAY I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO WELCOME THE GOVERNOR TO, UH, TO DUBLIN.
HE WAS AT HOPEWELL ELEMENTARY TODAY, UH, LAUNCHING A NEW MRSS, WHICH IS, UH, A PLATFORM THAT WILL MAKE MENTAL HEALTH, UH, SERVICES AVAILABLE IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS WITHIN ONE HOUR'S TIME, ANYWHERE IN THE STATE OF OHIO THAT THEY'RE ROLLING OUT NOW.
AND THEY HOPE TO HAVE THAT ROLLOUT COMPLETE, UH, BY JUNE 1ST.
SO, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, TALK WITH SOME OF OUR OFFICERS THAT WERE THERE TODAY AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT RESOURCE AT OUR DISPOSAL AS WELL.
UM, WITH THAT, IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER, WE WILL STAND ADJOURNED.