WEBVTT

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 Oh, I missed the countdown, I guess, as I'm on now.

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 Okay, welcome everybody to this meeting of the Hotel Occupancy Tax and Sponsorship Committee

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 of the City of Denton.

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 It is May the 18th, no, what's it, May 14th, sorry, my calendar on my phone's not working.

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 That's why I'm remote.

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 May 14th, it is 1.01 p.m. and I understand that Council Member Armitter will be joining

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 us here shortly.

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 So and I guess just as a clarification, the last meeting was in February, I believe, is

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 that correct?

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 Let's just go through the agenda and we'll come to the minutes and I can talk about it

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 in minutes.

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 So our first item on the agenda is the Hot 29 Consideration Approval of Minutes from

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 February 13th, 2020.

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 Are there any changes to the minutes?

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 All right.

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 Chair would entertain a motion for approval of the minutes.

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 I move we approve the minutes of February 13th, 2020.

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 And I will second it.

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 And I guess because the two of us have motioned and seconded, the minutes are approved.

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 One question I had, was there a, when do we have an agenda item for to elect a new board

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 chair?

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 Well, due to the situation, it's not on the agenda since you are still with us as chair.

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 So normally, it's wait until you actually roll off.

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 Okay, so the next opportunity would be June.

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 June.

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 Okay.

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 All right.

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 Okay.

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 Well, then, Councilmember Davis, I'll just chair the meeting this this time.

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 And then if we could, and I'll just mention in concluding items again, maybe put that on

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 on the agenda.

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 All right.

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 So then we'll go down through our next agenda item, which is Agenda Item 1B, Receive Report,

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 Build a Discussion, and Provide Recommendations Regarding an Event Name Change for the Habitat

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 for Humanity of Denton County, Inc.

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 Okay, this item is due to the sponsorship contract with the Habitat for Humanity.

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 Their application and their contract showed that they are doing an event called the Dream

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 Builders Luncheon that was to be held in April.

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 And they've had some changes in their organization and they wanted to move it to an evening or

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 weekend event to hopefully receive more fundraising.

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 And so their intentions are to move it to May, but they're probably going to have to

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 move it further out.

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 But the contract does articulate that it's Dream Builders Luncheon.

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 And they would like your permission to put it towards a party with a purpose to be held

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 by the end of the contract, which is September 30.

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 And it's just a formality, but we will have to amend the contract, which is able to be

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 signed by the city manager with your approval of the name change.

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 Council Member Davis?

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 I have no objection at all to those changes.

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 Do we need a formal motion or can we kind of just give direction and then staff and

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 the city manager can amend the contract since it's under city manager's ability to do that?

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 Yes, if you will give me a formal approval, then we will take it administratively and

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 complete the task.

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 Then I would like to this time move approval of the requested change to the contract with

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 Habitat for Humanity.

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 And I will second that for Agenda Item 1B.

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 Any more questions or comments?

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 Let's just go ahead and do a formal aye, Council Member Davis, just so that we'll have it.

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 So all in favor?

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 Council Member Davis?

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 Aye.

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 Mayor Watts is an aye.

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 Oh, is Council Member Armitage on?

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 Yes, sir.

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 She just joined.

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 All right.

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 I can only see four screens.

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 So Council Member Armitage, if you have a question, just be sure and kind of say something because

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 sometimes I'm not toggled onto that screen.

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 I would appreciate that.

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 Sure.

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 Thank you very much.

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 Aye.

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 All right.

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 So Council Member Armitage, Council Member Davis are an aye.

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 Mayor Watts is an aye.

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 The motion carries unanimously for Agenda Item 1B.

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 Agenda Item 1C is receive a report, hold a discussion, and provide recommendations regarding

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 hotel occupancy tax revenue and hotel and occupancy tax and sponsor expenditures for

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 FY 2019 and 20.

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 Good afternoon, Mayor and Council Members.

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 This is David Gaines, Director of Finance.

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 This presentation is really just intended to give an update of where we are right now

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 and with our projections for hot revenues.

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 Obviously in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we anticipate them to be impacted significantly.

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 So wanted to bring an update of those forecasts to you and then talk through a couple of the

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 options that we may have moving forward with the Hot Fund.

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 Here's our objectives of the presentation.

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 We're going to have the next couple slides do a very high-level overview of the Hot Program.

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 I know you all are familiar with it.

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 Then take a look at that, our fund balance estimates and revenue impacts, and then talk

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 through some of the cost reduction strategies we could consider this fiscal year and then

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 get some direction on our next steps.

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 So program overview, this is just kind of set in the stage for our conversation.

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 Obviously each year applications are submitted that are reviewed by the subcommittee, and

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 then recommendations are made to the full council, and those applications are weighed

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 against what we anticipate for revenues each fiscal year and the fund balance reserves

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 that we have, and those conversations are obviously each year taken by the subcommittee

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 and then ultimately with the full council, the contracts that are approved with each

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 of the entities have an approved budget, have a specified use of funds, and then it specifies

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 how those payouts of each of the budgets are carried through in each year, and you'll have

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 a little more detail on that in a coming slide, and then what those reporting procedures look

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 like on a quarterly basis and how they submit their reports to the city each year.

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 David, I have a question.

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 And I'm sure I'll remember this, but so this program year, we financed these programs from

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 January 1 to December 31, which is on a county year, not the fiscal year that our budget

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 is.

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 Is that correct?

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 Yeah.

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 The contracts are on a program year that matches the calendar year, but obviously we always

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 have to kind of marry that up with the fiscal year itself.

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 Okay.

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 All right.

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 Thank you.

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 So we have 19 contracts, and we'll have these laid out, are administered through the calendar

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 year.

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 The majority of those, and this will come in as we talk about our options, are paid

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 on a quarterly basis, where 25% just goes out each quarter, but that's not true for

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 all of them.

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 Some of them could receive their funds earlier in the fiscal year, and usually that's related

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 to when their event is.

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 We do have three city departments that receive funds, the Public Art Committee, the Civic

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 Center, and the Water Works Park.

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 Those funds are essentially available from the beginning of the fiscal year, from October

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 1 on, not necessarily spent all at once, but they are budgets that are available for those

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 departments to spend.

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 So shifting gears to the 19-20 revenue impacts, I don't think it's a surprise to anyone that

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 we're anticipating the whole hotel industry to be dramatically impacted by COVID-19 and

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 the impacts on the economy.

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 Thus far through this fiscal year, just on a fiscal year basis, through the first two

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 quarters, we had received about $1.4 million of our total budget, of the $3.4 million budget.

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 Obviously, that didn't really have taken into account the impact of COVID-19.

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 But moving forward, we are projecting significant decreases in the hot revenues.

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 For quarter three, which would begin in April, we're anticipating an 85% reduction in revenues,

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 and in quarter four, a 75% reduction from the budget.

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 So that really leaves us with about $2 million that we're anticipating to bring in in revenue,

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 which is a million and a half less than our budget.

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 So David, and this is a good example to sort of help me understand or clarify.

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 So when we passed the budget last September, we were allocating funding for this January

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 of 2020 through December 31, 2020, correct?

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 Correct.

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 And I guess this has never come up because we've never had such a shortfall and things

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 such as that.

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 But when I see 85% reduction in quarter three, 75% reduction in quarter four, you're talking

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 about the fiscal year budget, those quarters.

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 Is that correct?

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 Yeah, I am.

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 So I'm talking strictly on fiscal year.

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 So that is where kind of the revenue and expenses aren't married necessarily because of that

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 program year versus fiscal year.

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 So just on the revenue portion, really wanted to focus on the revenues on a fiscal year

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 basis.

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 And then as we look at anything to do with the contracts, obviously there's just a little

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 more nuance that we have to think through when we look at how those expenses go out.

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 Right.

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 But that budget year, the budget year that we budgeted last September is through the

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 end of the year, December 31.

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 So all those revenues for that year would have had to have been collected through, I

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 guess, it's the first and second quarter of this budget year, which was back in a previous.

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 So there is that overlap.

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 So I just want to make sure that I understand it.

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 And if there was anybody else that had a thought or question, then maybe that will address

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 it.

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 So I appreciate that.

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 Thank you.

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 The fiscal year, the last quarter of our fiscal year, we pay out in our fourth quarter, but

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 it is for the recipients last calendar quarter, so we keep the revenue expended during our

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 fiscal year.

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 So September 30th, I already have those fourth quarter checks cut in our fiscal year, but

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 hand them out to the recipients in their calendar year.

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 So it all happens within our fiscal year.

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 Expenses match up.

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 Okay.

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 So yeah, so we closed the books out on this fiscal year in September for this fund, but

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 yet we're still distributing those funds through those next three months, October, November,

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 and December for those contracts.

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 Yes, they're distributed in that end of the calendar year, but the actual funds come from

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 our fiscal year end.

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 Yes.

00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:06.320
 Okay.

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 All right.

00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:09.680
 Thank you.

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 So based on those, the revenue projections we had on the previous slide, wanted to take

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 a look at what that would look like for the '19-'20 estimate.

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 So the first column you can see there, essentially here's how we started out the budget year

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 with a fund balance of about $2 million, expenses that are essentially in line with our revenue

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 through the fiscal year and not much change in fund balance.

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 We do show our year to date for the fiscal year there, and then our estimate with those

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 revised revenue projections, which would result in about a million dollar drawdown in our

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 fund balance that does, and just for this purpose does anticipate that we continue forward

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 with all of our expenses to recipients that we had budgeted.

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 And then we also put a preliminary 2021 budget to say if we move forward with the plan as

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 laid out and we do have that million dollar drawdown, go ahead anticipating a 35% reduction

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 from our budget next year, not anticipating that the hotels would necessarily get back

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 up to the regular business right away, especially as the fiscal year starts in October of this

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 year and going into next year, not planning to draw down any fund balance, our revenues

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 match our expenditures and keep that close to a million dollars in fund balance.

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 I think obviously going through the situation this year shows the value of having a fund

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 balance there so that there are options when situations like this happen.

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 Okay.

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 Definitely don't have to go through each one of these lines, but I think this is just kind

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 of give some color to the conversation earlier about how each entity is paid out slightly

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 a little bit differently based on their event dates, have a payout balance in the sense

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 that they haven't been paid their four quarters for this fiscal year and some have been paid

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 essentially all upfront.

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 So you can see a couple of those where the event's already complete, we sent their money

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 out prior and then those where we still have a number of payments left.

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 And we've also trying to include a very high level view of the event date or those that

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 are year-round or those that have events coming up and then to kind of give some expectations

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 on do we think these events may or may not happen this year.

00:13:40.600 --> 00:13:42.000
 Okay.

00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:49.840
 We'll probably come back to this slide specifically once we get into discussion.

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 Yeah, absolutely.

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 I think we can definitely go back to this slide or the fund summary, but that's essentially

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 it for the presentation itself other than just our options moving forward.

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 I think we can definitely just have no change, move forward and say we're comfortable with

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 drawing down the fund balance.

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 However, we need to with those anticipated revenue losses and moving forward with our

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 recipient contracts.

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 I do think there is some nuance to that in that each one of those contracts do have provisions

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 in them where if the event doesn't happen, through their reports, there is the obligation

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 to send some of those funds back to the city.

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 So that would be a continuing discussion.

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 So even continuing with the first option laid out there, we're not necessarily going to

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 expend all the funds that we anticipated as some of those funds could come back to us.

00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:51.680
 And I think part of that, part of the consideration with this option would be we kind of view

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 next year and the allocations that go out with FY20 in mind as you look at what kind

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 of distributions you approve out to the entities that apply.

00:15:04.160 --> 00:15:09.680
 Option number two would be to reduce the current budgets for this fiscal year to try to immediately

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 address the anticipated revenue shortfall and that could take place by reducing our

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 upcoming receipts and payments that Randy just mentioned in September.

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 And a sample would be to say with all of this quarter, we're going to reduce by 50% reduction.

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 You obviously could have a more tailored approach where you go event by event and think through

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 that, or you reduce all payments to organizations or request refunds from previous payments

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 is an option as well, or really it's up to the discretion of council if there's another

00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:52.920
 approach you'd like to take to reduce any of the current budgets.

00:15:52.920 --> 00:15:57.200
 Okay, all right.

00:15:57.200 --> 00:16:04.000
 Council member Davis.

00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:09.880
 So the slide that we saw before, I guess it was slide number six, the fund summary that

00:16:09.880 --> 00:16:15.920
 in fund balance preliminary, the last column next to last row, that's, am I correct in

00:16:15.920 --> 00:16:20.480
 reading that to mean that if we continued with all the payouts that we would anticipate

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 making in a normal, just as we've contracted with no changes, that that's the ending fund

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 balance.

00:16:26.920 --> 00:16:29.000
 That's the final draw down that you're talking about.

00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:34.480
 And we'd end up with just shy of a million dollars in the fund balance.

00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:35.480
 That's correct.

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 That would be if we paid out everything that we had in the contracts for this year.

00:16:39.800 --> 00:16:40.800
 Right.

00:16:40.800 --> 00:16:46.280
 And if I'm remembering correctly at our last couple of meetings, especially at the meeting

00:16:46.280 --> 00:16:51.520
 where we discussed the budget, the program budget for this year, before passing on to

00:16:51.520 --> 00:16:55.840
 council, I seem to remember having some significant conversations about that fund balance, you

00:16:55.840 --> 00:17:02.720
 know, that it was higher than necessary, except for a situation like this, obviously.

00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:07.400
 We are thinking about ways to draw that down or some creative projects that would qualify.

00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:11.200
 Am I remembering that correctly, that we were kind of talking about how to use that fund

00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:12.200
 balance?

00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:13.200
 Right.

00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:17.800
 Some of the perception was that we had a hefty fund balance, you know, across the board.

00:17:17.800 --> 00:17:23.880
 And we've worked towards that since 9/11 really was the last time we had to have this conversation

00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:25.040
 about a reduction.

00:17:25.040 --> 00:17:27.840
 So the fund balance would assist us in that.

00:17:27.840 --> 00:17:31.680
 And then we were also had built it up for any tourism projects that might come across

00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:36.720
 the way that we could use to draw down that rather than removing that from the recipients

00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:39.320
 contracts.

00:17:39.320 --> 00:17:44.960
 You know, the easy answer would be the, you know, across the board reduction and, you

00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:48.440
 know, the advantage there obviously would be it's clean, it's simple.

00:17:48.440 --> 00:17:53.040
 We're not picking and choosing favorites or events that, you know, we're not trying to

00:17:53.040 --> 00:17:56.720
 game the calendar and guess which events are likely to happen, which aren't.

00:17:56.720 --> 00:18:02.000
 But at the same time, I'm just not sure we can do that in a fair way either.

00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:07.360
 You know, we got a letter forwarded to us earlier today from the Storytelling Festival.

00:18:07.360 --> 00:18:15.160
 And that was a really good example of expenditures that are made kind of out of sync with payments

00:18:15.160 --> 00:18:18.920
 so that they're preparing for next year's event, which in normal times we would almost

00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:23.800
 certainly fund similar to the way that we funded this year's event.

00:18:23.800 --> 00:18:29.800
 So they're incurring expenditures legitimately, counting on and having budgeted on that quarterly

00:18:29.800 --> 00:18:31.400
 payment that we would normally make.

00:18:31.400 --> 00:18:38.880
 So I hate to say it, but it seems like we've got to take a more tailored approach to each

00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:41.700
 of these different expenditures.

00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:47.760
 And then on top of that, the other complicated thing is what David mentioned about return

00:18:47.760 --> 00:18:54.940
 of funds, so if an event doesn't happen and expenditures have been made and then our return

00:18:54.940 --> 00:19:00.520
 of funds request is because the event didn't happen, well, the organization or the agency

00:19:00.520 --> 00:19:02.800
 has already made the expenditures.

00:19:02.800 --> 00:19:11.920
 So I'd almost want to try to find a way to make those contract amendments as far in advance

00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:16.640
 as we possibly can so funds aren't going out the door, the organizations aren't, you know,

00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:20.580
 sending those funds and then having to try to find a way to send those back to the city

00:19:20.580 --> 00:19:27.320
 when their event doesn't happen because I would hate to see the fund balance drawn down

00:19:27.320 --> 00:19:30.600
 for events that just aren't happening, you know, to pay for advertising for something

00:19:30.600 --> 00:19:36.400
 that nobody's coming to to pay for, you know, supplies and things that are never fulfilled.

00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:40.280
 So it's a pickle.

00:19:40.280 --> 00:19:42.840
 Yeah.

00:19:42.840 --> 00:19:54.520
 So Jesse articulated really everything you just said is what I have been thinking about,

00:19:54.520 --> 00:20:00.300
 you know, including that letter from the storytelling association, which I was grateful for not

00:20:00.300 --> 00:20:04.760
 only because, as you mentioned, because of that specific case, but it's just kind of

00:20:04.760 --> 00:20:12.760
 an example, you know, of the way that each of these situations is different in ways that

00:20:12.760 --> 00:20:20.040
 what I would add to that is to say that in ways that we can only tell to a certain extent

00:20:20.040 --> 00:20:26.080
 just by looking at the applications and the dates, as much as I hate to say this, you

00:20:26.080 --> 00:20:31.680
 know, maybe I could be talked out of this, but I feel like I need the help of these organizations

00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:35.840
 at this point, not to completely redo the application necessary, but at least to touch

00:20:35.840 --> 00:20:42.720
 base with them and ask them, you know, has COVID affected, you know, does your application

00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:49.400
 stand as it is, do you want to leave it as it is, or has COVID affected, you know, your

00:20:49.400 --> 00:20:50.400
 plans?

00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:57.560
 Obviously, you know, there's that provision for events, you know, and I agree that it's

00:20:57.560 --> 00:20:58.560
 really unfortunate.

00:20:58.560 --> 00:21:05.680
 We want to try to do what we can to, you know, prevent that from happening to more organizations.

00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:15.720
 But I do prefer a more tailored approach, and that, unfortunately, I feel would involve

00:21:15.720 --> 00:21:20.000
 some level of, you know, going back to these organizations and asking them for feedback.

00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:23.560
 I feel like they would be grateful for it.

00:21:23.560 --> 00:21:30.440
 And if they want to say no, this doesn't change anything, then no.

00:21:30.440 --> 00:21:31.880
 Okay.

00:21:31.880 --> 00:21:32.880
 Thank you, Councilmember Archer.

00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:37.640
 A couple of, I don't think we have any other choice but to do a tailored approach.

00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:42.880
 I can say I'm not for paying down the fund balance by a million dollars, because we've

00:21:42.880 --> 00:21:48.320
 got a funding issue next year, as is example by the Storytellers Convention.

00:21:48.320 --> 00:21:53.920
 One other one was the fireworks display, the fireworks show.

00:21:53.920 --> 00:22:00.040
 I would be surprised if the fireworks show goes off as planned as it has in the past.

00:22:00.040 --> 00:22:03.520
 I mean, if it gets canceled, then what do we do with those funds?

00:22:03.520 --> 00:22:08.320
 I think this is going to take some creativity on the part of staff and this committee and

00:22:08.320 --> 00:22:11.960
 also just the whole council to say, okay.

00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:17.160
 And I think Councilmember Archer's suggestion is a good one, and that is, what do you guys

00:22:17.160 --> 00:22:18.560
 already expended?

00:22:18.560 --> 00:22:20.000
 What have you already expended?

00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:26.160
 In other words, we just need to get an accounting and an audit of the groups that have still

00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:28.600
 yet to receive their funding.

00:22:28.600 --> 00:22:34.720
 Unfortunately, some whose events occurred in the first part of the year and got full

00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:41.880
 funding, that's just sort of the sign of the times.

00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:46.600
 I mean, now that this is hit, we've got to figure out how do we adjust this?

00:22:46.600 --> 00:22:51.740
 And we also have to look at next year's funding as well, because the hotels are not going

00:22:51.740 --> 00:22:55.520
 to be back up to 100%.

00:22:55.520 --> 00:22:57.240
 I mean, they're just not.

00:22:57.240 --> 00:23:02.440
 So I think it's going to be very difficult to make a decision today about the actual

00:23:02.440 --> 00:23:03.440
 funding of the dollars.

00:23:03.440 --> 00:23:09.120
 I think what we need to do is figure out what kind of process do we want to employ to gather

00:23:09.120 --> 00:23:10.120
 data?

00:23:10.120 --> 00:23:11.120
 Because we're probably going to need to...

00:23:11.120 --> 00:23:12.600
 You said our next meeting's in June.

00:23:12.600 --> 00:23:13.600
 Is that correct?

00:23:13.600 --> 00:23:14.600
 Yes.

00:23:14.600 --> 00:23:15.600
 Okay.

00:23:15.600 --> 00:23:21.360
 So I think it's incumbent upon us to, if we can decide on what kind of information do

00:23:21.360 --> 00:23:26.880
 we need from the organizations and from staff to make the best decision possible with the

00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:29.600
 best set of data.

00:23:29.600 --> 00:23:33.680
 Because like I had got a call from someone on the fireworks display, well, let's say

00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:37.280
 they've received the money and they don't do the show.

00:23:37.280 --> 00:23:41.720
 Well, the question was, do we give it back or can we just keep it for next year and you

00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:44.700
 just don't budget us for next year?

00:23:44.700 --> 00:23:50.240
 And so I don't know the legalities of those kinds of things either.

00:23:50.240 --> 00:23:53.140
 And I'll be truthful with my colleagues.

00:23:53.140 --> 00:23:58.600
 I'm not even quite sure if this is a conversation that should be just limited to this subcommittee

00:23:58.600 --> 00:24:05.260
 because this is such a large issue that I would hate for us to come to some kind of

00:24:05.260 --> 00:24:08.100
 conclusion.

00:24:08.100 --> 00:24:12.600
 We're going to have to involve the rest of the council in this at some point, not just

00:24:12.600 --> 00:24:16.960
 the point where we've made our final decision about, well, this is how we're going to approach

00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:17.960
 it.

00:24:17.960 --> 00:24:18.960
 That's just sort of my thoughts on it.

00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:24.640
 That's the purpose of this committee, but given the circumstances that we're in now

00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:31.480
 and that we're looking at from drawing down the fund balance to basically nothing, I mean

00:24:31.480 --> 00:24:38.640
 $900,000 and you're right, Randy, the fund balance was primarily to offset these kinds

00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:43.000
 of contingencies, but I don't think anybody would have ever, ever thought it would be

00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:45.560
 one of these kinds of contingencies.

00:24:45.560 --> 00:24:51.400
 But it was primarily also for if we had some really cool kind of tourism projects that

00:24:51.400 --> 00:24:58.200
 were available through a public-private partnership that we would be able to have the funds outside

00:24:58.200 --> 00:25:04.880
 of general fund money or other kinds of funds such as CEOs and GOs to do that.

00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:10.040
 So that's where I am, I can say pretty much categorically I'm opposed to drawing down

00:25:10.040 --> 00:25:14.740
 the entire fund balance and just giving everybody the money without even assessing what their

00:25:14.740 --> 00:25:16.960
 need is, as council member Armitage said.

00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:21.840
 I think it's almost like, remember, I don't know how many of you saw, it's a wonderful

00:25:21.840 --> 00:25:29.600
 life and when they had the run of the bank and George said, "Hey, what do you need right

00:25:29.600 --> 00:25:30.600
 now?

00:25:30.600 --> 00:25:34.960
 Don't take out all your money, but what do you need right now?"

00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:40.920
 And I think that's a good place to start is to see what funds have been expended because

00:25:40.920 --> 00:25:45.400
 if some of these events don't occur, well, we need to know that.

00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:48.920
 I mean, or if they don't think they're going to occur.

00:25:48.920 --> 00:25:55.560
 And given even the ones in the fall that are attended by five or 10,000 people in an open

00:25:55.560 --> 00:26:01.040
 space, I'm not so sure how that's going to go anyway.

00:26:01.040 --> 00:26:07.880
 So those are my thoughts and I'm certainly open to, and I don't know if this is the agenda

00:26:07.880 --> 00:26:12.180
 item where we sort of parse through some of those things if we're going to look at some

00:26:12.180 --> 00:26:16.480
 way of assessing need, but those are my comments.

00:26:16.480 --> 00:26:21.760
 So I will also open it up for a response to council member Armitage or council member

00:26:21.760 --> 00:26:22.880
 Davis.

00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:25.000
 Go ahead.

00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:29.880
 I agree with what Chris just said.

00:26:29.880 --> 00:26:36.880
 I don't feel comfortable at all coming up with any kind of decision today, but I think

00:26:36.880 --> 00:26:39.680
 it's important to have the preliminary conversation.

00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:47.920
 I want to send it back to have council discuss it and in between that time for, as the mayor

00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:56.040
 said, for staff to be able to come up with some questions.

00:26:56.040 --> 00:27:06.640
 We can come up with questions, whatever we can come up with today, preliminary as preparation

00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:08.200
 for the time when we're deciding this.

00:27:08.200 --> 00:27:12.480
 I feel like we have a little padding of time.

00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:18.160
 I don't think anybody, including the storytelling festival, their events in March, they just

00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:23.360
 wanted, they were anxious about us, what kind of decision we'll make.

00:27:23.360 --> 00:27:32.320
 So I'd be surprised if anyone's in a rush and if they are, too bad, but I would also

00:27:32.320 --> 00:27:41.960
 be curious to know what other cities are doing with their HOT funds.

00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:43.480
 I can certainly reach out and ask.

00:27:43.480 --> 00:27:48.040
 I don't want to create necessarily more work for staff because the important thing is,

00:27:48.040 --> 00:27:51.800
 of course, what we're doing, what we're deciding to do, but I'd just be curious if any other

00:27:51.800 --> 00:27:57.640
 cities have some creative ideas or maybe they already sent out a questionnaire to their

00:27:57.640 --> 00:28:02.720
 applicants and we could look at it and borrow some of that.

00:28:02.720 --> 00:28:08.880
 Could someone, I'm sure I probably missed it, but the storytelling letter that you are

00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:15.440
 talking about, because I'm seeing that they've received some funding, I believe.

00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:16.440
 Have they received it?

00:28:16.440 --> 00:28:17.440
 Go ahead.

00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:21.160
 They've received two quarters of the four quarter contract.

00:28:21.160 --> 00:28:29.040
 And I'm looking on this current status, is that, does that mean they've received $28,540

00:28:29.040 --> 00:28:30.040
 so far?

00:28:30.040 --> 00:28:31.040
 Yes.

00:28:31.040 --> 00:28:32.600
 And now that event was canceled.

00:28:32.600 --> 00:28:35.360
 No, the last day, I think, was canceled.

00:28:35.360 --> 00:28:36.360
 Oh, okay.

00:28:36.360 --> 00:28:37.360
 Okay.

00:28:37.360 --> 00:28:38.360
 All right.

00:28:38.360 --> 00:28:42.160
 So if somebody could just briefly describe to me just the basic theme of the letter instead

00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:45.200
 of me having to go back and find it.

00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:49.840
 I think they were just trying to portray that they were in the beginning of the year where

00:28:49.840 --> 00:28:54.240
 their event was pretty much 99% complete.

00:28:54.240 --> 00:29:00.100
 And so they've expended all of their funds and some of their advertising partners know

00:29:00.100 --> 00:29:05.080
 that they are hot recipients and the local advertising groups do work with them and then

00:29:05.080 --> 00:29:11.040
 let them pay out their expenditures quarterly to match their receipts of the hot funds.

00:29:11.040 --> 00:29:12.040
 I got you.

00:29:12.040 --> 00:29:13.040
 Okay.

00:29:13.040 --> 00:29:14.040
 Yeah.

00:29:14.040 --> 00:29:15.040
 I get that.

00:29:15.040 --> 00:29:16.040
 Councilmember Davis?

00:29:16.040 --> 00:29:20.320
 Yeah, I really like your analogy with It's a Wonderful Life.

00:29:20.320 --> 00:29:24.520
 I had forgotten that scene or at least that response to the scene.

00:29:24.520 --> 00:29:29.240
 As usual, George Bailey's got the right idea.

00:29:29.240 --> 00:29:38.280
 If there's a way to communicate with the organizations, we could send out a letter that says, red

00:29:38.280 --> 00:29:43.440
 flags, sirens are blaring, we're going to have a budget shortfall, y'all got to give

00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:47.920
 us a full accounting right this minute because we're looking at who's money to yank.

00:29:47.920 --> 00:29:51.280
 On the other hand, we could send out something that's a lot more like what the mayor described,

00:29:51.280 --> 00:29:56.980
 you know, listen, we're all in this together, we anticipate there's going to be lower revenues

00:29:56.980 --> 00:29:59.560
 and we're looking at what the status of your event is.

00:29:59.560 --> 00:30:02.520
 Can you tell us about your year to date budget?

00:30:02.520 --> 00:30:07.160
 Can you tell us about any changes or updates to your program and what you expect to do

00:30:07.160 --> 00:30:08.160
 differently?

00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:10.920
 And it's a fair answer, of course, for them to say, well, we don't know yet, you know,

00:30:10.920 --> 00:30:13.560
 the fair, they don't know what a fair is going to look like in August yet.

00:30:13.560 --> 00:30:17.040
 There's just no way to know, but they have some pretty major expenditures that go into

00:30:17.040 --> 00:30:18.040
 that event.

00:30:18.040 --> 00:30:24.320
 So I think you're right that we just, we need more information and that fund balance is going

00:30:24.320 --> 00:30:28.800
 to be a blessing even if we don't draw it down all that significantly because it gives

00:30:28.800 --> 00:30:33.560
 us that buffer, you know, that kind of padding that Deb was talking about, a little bit more

00:30:33.560 --> 00:30:37.720
 time that if we have to start cutting checks for the next quarter before we make a council

00:30:37.720 --> 00:30:44.800
 decision then, you know, it's at least a little bit is there to play with.

00:30:44.800 --> 00:30:51.400
 I agree that the council has to be involved earlier than our normal decision process,

00:30:51.400 --> 00:30:56.600
 but I'd like, I still think I'd like for us to do at least, my preference would be for

00:30:56.600 --> 00:31:04.920
 us to do the heavy lifting, you know, to kind of come through those responses we get and

00:31:04.920 --> 00:31:08.760
 at least take them a good solid recommendation and then knowing that, you know, nobody's

00:31:08.760 --> 00:31:12.000
 feelings are going to be hurt if they don't take it, it's just too big a decision for

00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:16.260
 us to make by ourselves, but also giving them a starting place because right now we don't

00:31:16.260 --> 00:31:19.520
 have a starting place and it's going to be difficult.

00:31:19.520 --> 00:31:20.520
 I agree.

00:31:20.520 --> 00:31:21.520
 I agree with that.

00:31:21.520 --> 00:31:23.440
 Yeah, we can, we can do that.

00:31:23.440 --> 00:31:26.960
 And plus the fund balance, I mean, we don't know what it's going to look like next year.

00:31:26.960 --> 00:31:33.000
 So we want to make sure that we don't rob Peter to pay Paul, so to speak.

00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:40.920
 So I think, I think the first step will be to get out that letter as council member Davis

00:31:40.920 --> 00:31:48.400
 described of, you know, a very collaborative initiative, but yet we need what you've expended

00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:52.220
 to date and what you anticipate expending.

00:31:52.220 --> 00:31:55.760
 I mean, I know it's a forecast for them and they may not know, but we still need somebody

00:31:55.760 --> 00:31:57.620
 to give us some idea.

00:31:57.620 --> 00:32:00.720
 You just, you're not going to have an event in August and not be thinking right now, number

00:32:00.720 --> 00:32:04.120
 one, are you still going to have it and having a contingency plan.

00:32:04.120 --> 00:32:10.640
 So I think it's, it's, it's important that we know exactly where they are in their budget

00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:12.000
 now.

00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:13.240
 How much have they spent?

00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:15.040
 How much are we giving them?

00:32:15.040 --> 00:32:17.560
 What do they anticipate not spending?

00:32:17.560 --> 00:32:22.600
 And we'll just have to wait and see if people are really trying to be forthright on those

00:32:22.600 --> 00:32:28.080
 instead of saying, oh, wait, we need everything we've asked for, which if we get 19 of those,

00:32:28.080 --> 00:32:30.200
 well, we'll make the tough decisions.

00:32:30.200 --> 00:32:33.520
 I mean, that's not, that's not an issue.

00:32:33.520 --> 00:32:39.040
 And what I would like to do on that letter, if you could send that out, once y'all draft

00:32:39.040 --> 00:32:43.680
 that to each of the committee members here, and if the committee members want to provide

00:32:43.680 --> 00:32:48.960
 some comments, of course, don't respond all to where we all get each other's comments,

00:32:48.960 --> 00:32:54.000
 but in that way, then staff can compile, you know, that and send it out so that we all

00:32:54.000 --> 00:32:58.860
 sort of have an idea and some input into, into how that looks.

00:32:58.860 --> 00:33:02.680
 Is that, is that an okay plan moving forward, at least on that particular part of the process

00:33:02.680 --> 00:33:04.640
 with the other committee members?

00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:05.640
 Yes.

00:33:05.640 --> 00:33:06.640
 Okay.

00:33:06.640 --> 00:33:07.640
 Yes.

00:33:07.640 --> 00:33:16.460
 What about in the letter taking the form of or, or having attached to it an electronic

00:33:16.460 --> 00:33:23.880
 survey to make, you know, so that the questions would be, it could answer.

00:33:23.880 --> 00:33:26.960
 This is, this is really a more of a question for staff because I'm thinking in terms of

00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:35.680
 processing the data and that way we could see, you know, like, like how on Survey Monkey

00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:42.120
 or something like that, you could say, make a, make a pie chart so we can, we can see

00:33:42.120 --> 00:33:48.040
 how to have these different answers compare and might also make it easier as long as it's

00:33:48.040 --> 00:33:53.800
 a way, as long as people have a way of saving information so they don't, so everything doesn't

00:33:53.800 --> 00:33:57.760
 get lost, you know.

00:33:57.760 --> 00:34:01.320
 Council Member Armitage, I think what I'm hearing you say, and I don't know about the

00:34:01.320 --> 00:34:05.840
 form of a survey, but what I'm hearing you say is we need to have some type of template

00:34:05.840 --> 00:34:11.680
 where the questions are all the same, where attached to that letter is everyone gets the

00:34:11.680 --> 00:34:16.000
 same question and then they have the opportunity to fill that in and then we're able to compile

00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:20.600
 those and maybe put those in a spreadsheet, an Excel spreadsheet to do the analysis.

00:34:20.600 --> 00:34:24.840
 So I agree with you that there needs to be certainly a consistency with what each one

00:34:24.840 --> 00:34:28.200
 gets for the information that they provide us.

00:34:28.200 --> 00:34:29.640
 Yeah, exactly.

00:34:29.640 --> 00:34:31.720
 And that's, that's more important than the question.

00:34:31.720 --> 00:34:37.280
 I mean, I mentioned survey because just so, however, it would be easiest for staff to

00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:46.320
 be able to compare that information, all the data we get from that in many different ways.

00:34:46.320 --> 00:34:47.320
 Sure.

00:34:47.320 --> 00:34:48.320
 Okay.

00:34:48.320 --> 00:34:49.320
 All right.

00:34:49.320 --> 00:34:51.640
 Davis, are you okay with that?

00:34:51.640 --> 00:34:52.640
 I think that's great.

00:34:52.640 --> 00:34:56.720
 I think we've got to have uniform data, otherwise it's going to make our job even harder.

00:34:56.720 --> 00:34:57.720
 Yeah.

00:34:57.720 --> 00:34:58.720
 Okay.

00:34:58.720 --> 00:34:59.720
 All right.

00:34:59.720 --> 00:35:02.720
 Well, let me look at, let's see here on the agenda.

00:35:02.720 --> 00:35:07.800
 So this is agenda item 1C.

00:35:07.800 --> 00:35:13.020
 So it seems like we've got at least a path moving forward for the next meeting.

00:35:13.020 --> 00:35:19.840
 And so by the next meeting, then we will have, do you think staff, there's enough time to

00:35:19.840 --> 00:35:25.360
 get the draft letter to the committee members for us to get that back as expeditiously as

00:35:25.360 --> 00:35:26.360
 we can?

00:35:26.360 --> 00:35:30.640
 In other words, get that out and hope we try to have some of that data back by the June

00:35:30.640 --> 00:35:33.400
 meeting or if we needed to put the June, okay.

00:35:33.400 --> 00:35:34.400
 All right.

00:35:34.400 --> 00:35:35.400
 Good.

00:35:35.400 --> 00:35:36.400
 I think they're waiting on this information.

00:35:36.400 --> 00:35:42.520
 I did send all the hot recipients and the sponsorship recipients an email in March that,

00:35:42.520 --> 00:35:44.320
 you know, they haven't been forgotten.

00:35:44.320 --> 00:35:49.080
 You know, the budget for the overall city is important and theirs is being looked at

00:35:49.080 --> 00:35:50.200
 as well.

00:35:50.200 --> 00:35:54.120
 And so they knew something was coming, they, you know, and a lot of these have been involved

00:35:54.120 --> 00:35:58.280
 for years, knowing what the discussions that we would be having.

00:35:58.280 --> 00:36:03.040
 And some of them are anticipating the reduction and kind of holding back.

00:36:03.040 --> 00:36:07.360
 And a lot of them are just kind of in that flux of I'm in the middle of a year, what's

00:36:07.360 --> 00:36:08.360
 coming next?

00:36:08.360 --> 00:36:13.160
 I have a June, July event and I heard from Kiwanis as well on the fireworks, which is

00:36:13.160 --> 00:36:14.160
 a sponsorship.

00:36:14.160 --> 00:36:19.380
 And we've had internal discussions too with legal that, you know, whatever come, you know,

00:36:19.380 --> 00:36:23.880
 making the reduction happen or truing that up, there's still going to be a lot of intricacies

00:36:23.880 --> 00:36:24.880
 to the contracts.

00:36:24.880 --> 00:36:25.880
 Yeah.

00:36:25.880 --> 00:36:30.880
 And so we've already spoken with Mac and Mac can elaborate, but, you know, amending those

00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:35.800
 to include, you know, what they've already received and their canceled events could go

00:36:35.800 --> 00:36:39.640
 towards extending that to another program years for 2021.

00:36:39.640 --> 00:36:43.680
 You know, we've had a lot of those internal discussions because we can, we can figure

00:36:43.680 --> 00:36:49.120
 out how to, how to fund them, but then how to make the terms of the contract appeasable

00:36:49.120 --> 00:36:54.240
 to everyone and to collaborate to see how all that will work for postponed events, canceled

00:36:54.240 --> 00:37:00.800
 events, smaller events, you know, all those pieces of the pie we don't know about yet.

00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:02.160
 Great.

00:37:02.160 --> 00:37:06.720
 And I think it's going to be important in the letter to, because most of these events

00:37:06.720 --> 00:37:11.600
 that we sponsor or that we provide funding for if they're events, they're fundraising

00:37:11.600 --> 00:37:12.880
 events.

00:37:12.880 --> 00:37:19.600
 And so we have to communicate that we're not going to be able to make up a, a, a fundraising

00:37:19.600 --> 00:37:20.860
 shortfall.

00:37:20.860 --> 00:37:24.280
 This is for hard expenses and things such as that.

00:37:24.280 --> 00:37:31.620
 So we probably can find a way to communicate that in a very diplomatic way that, okay,

00:37:31.620 --> 00:37:39.480
 you know, you're everybody's suffering and that's, we just have to find a way to mitigate

00:37:39.480 --> 00:37:41.880
 that as much as possible in an equitable manner.

00:37:41.880 --> 00:37:48.240
 So it sounds like we have a roadmap for this agenda item for the next meeting.

00:37:48.240 --> 00:37:51.040
 Are there any other questions on this particular agenda item?

00:37:51.040 --> 00:37:52.040
 I have a comment.

00:37:52.040 --> 00:37:53.040
 Yes, go ahead.

00:37:53.040 --> 00:37:57.600
 It also includes the sponsorships and most of that conversation we've had in the presentation

00:37:57.600 --> 00:38:03.800
 for hot funds, so the sponsorship are more like for the events, but those funds are already

00:38:03.800 --> 00:38:04.800
 paid out.

00:38:04.800 --> 00:38:05.800
 Obviously we're not a shortfall.

00:38:05.800 --> 00:38:06.800
 They were in our budget.

00:38:06.800 --> 00:38:07.800
 They're a part of it.

00:38:07.800 --> 00:38:08.800
 So those have been paid out.

00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:13.280
 So the only concern there is my recipients are working very hard to try to have their

00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:17.760
 event within the terms of the contract and having it by September 30th.

00:38:17.760 --> 00:38:20.160
 So they're working towards doing that.

00:38:20.160 --> 00:38:24.340
 They perceive their phones in November, so there's no discussion about reducing those.

00:38:24.340 --> 00:38:28.960
 He's just working with them to get their event done in the manner that they wish to do before

00:38:28.960 --> 00:38:31.200
 the end of the contract.

00:38:31.200 --> 00:38:34.080
 So what happens if they don't do the event?

00:38:34.080 --> 00:38:36.040
 That's a discussion we'll have to have.

00:38:36.040 --> 00:38:40.440
 If the contract does say if they don't use the money, it is returned, but we also have

00:38:40.440 --> 00:38:42.680
 the availability to amend the contract.

00:38:42.680 --> 00:38:45.640
 If they know it's going to be later out in the calendar year, what have you, that we

00:38:45.640 --> 00:38:49.600
 could amend the contract to allow them to use it past that date.

00:38:49.600 --> 00:38:52.720
 Go ahead, Councilmember Davis.

00:38:52.720 --> 00:38:58.520
 You know, again, I don't want to create extra steps where we don't need them, but specifically

00:38:58.520 --> 00:39:02.800
 for sponsorships, might be useful for hot funds.

00:39:02.800 --> 00:39:07.240
 It might be helpful to get a cancellation report, a cancellation budget.

00:39:07.240 --> 00:39:11.680
 You know, if there's an event that is not able to make things happen, if they could

00:39:11.680 --> 00:39:15.500
 give us a narrative on, you know, here's why, you know, here's the impossibility of our

00:39:15.500 --> 00:39:19.620
 event and we've looked at all these different things and we couldn't possibly do it.

00:39:19.620 --> 00:39:23.760
 And then also, here are hard expenses that we couldn't get refunded.

00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:27.160
 I've been involved in a couple of different events that had to postpone or move, and some

00:39:27.160 --> 00:39:30.520
 of those things, some of those vendors, you can get your money back because they understand

00:39:30.520 --> 00:39:34.520
 you have an impossibility clause or a force majeure or something in there.

00:39:34.520 --> 00:39:39.480
 Others, it's pulling teeth because they have the same problems down their chain.

00:39:39.480 --> 00:39:45.440
 So if organizations could report back to us in some kind of uniform way, we canceled our

00:39:45.440 --> 00:39:50.160
 event, here's all the steps we took to not have to cancel, and here's the money that

00:39:50.160 --> 00:39:54.600
 we had to spend and we're not getting back, and we're trying to get back, but we can't

00:39:54.600 --> 00:39:56.720
 possibly return to you.

00:39:56.720 --> 00:40:01.520
 And then that also gives us a starting point for the next phase of the conversation, which

00:40:01.520 --> 00:40:07.360
 I think is probably, can we roll some of your funds over, do we amend the contract, do we

00:40:07.360 --> 00:40:11.440
 reduce your allocation next year because you've got something left in the kitty from this year?

00:40:11.440 --> 00:40:12.440
 Yes.

00:40:12.440 --> 00:40:16.200
 And that gives us more information to start with because otherwise it's going to be apples

00:40:16.200 --> 00:40:18.440
 and oranges all the way down the spreadsheet.

00:40:18.440 --> 00:40:19.440
 Yeah.

00:40:19.440 --> 00:40:30.840
 I completely agree, and so a couple of things to add to that, one, I would like to, it'll

00:40:30.840 --> 00:40:38.440
 be something where the way it's worded will really matter, as Mayor said, kind of diplomatically

00:40:38.440 --> 00:40:42.960
 and in a friendly way, so that it's clear that we're talking about, hey, we're working

00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:51.480
 with you, we're not ready to sue you or anything like that, but just to kind of let people

00:40:51.480 --> 00:41:07.480
 know, number one, to make sure to ask the, to ask the entities with whom they've already

00:41:07.480 --> 00:41:11.960
 made expenses, where they think that they're not going to get their money back to make

00:41:11.960 --> 00:41:14.120
 sure that they've asked.

00:41:14.120 --> 00:41:18.200
 Maybe that's not fair to kind of compel them to do that or to check off that they've done

00:41:18.200 --> 00:41:19.200
 it.

00:41:19.200 --> 00:41:24.440
 I just know that because this is such an unusual situation with COVID that there are situations

00:41:24.440 --> 00:41:33.440
 even with the city where the city has given refunds where, in circumstances where normally

00:41:33.440 --> 00:41:39.600
 it would not be a refundable thing, ultimately it's up to whoever is giving the refunds,

00:41:39.600 --> 00:41:45.200
 but I think that there might be some entities that have a general policy that say, yeah,

00:41:45.200 --> 00:41:53.780
 we don't do refunds in a case like this, whereas in the case of COVID, they're doing that.

00:41:53.780 --> 00:42:00.240
 So just to kind of remind people of that and encourage them to find out before they write

00:42:00.240 --> 00:42:11.120
 something off as just a sunk cost, and then also a way to just inform people, but in a

00:42:11.120 --> 00:42:16.560
 friendly sounding and really informative way, just to make sure that they know about the

00:42:16.560 --> 00:42:22.720
 legalities of, you know, if you have an event and it's canceled, that all the money has

00:42:22.720 --> 00:42:30.120
 to go back, they might not know that even though it's in, even though it's a clause

00:42:30.120 --> 00:42:33.400
 in the contract and they signed it.

00:42:33.400 --> 00:42:39.640
 So to make sure that they know that because they might be thinking, well, let's say, yes,

00:42:39.640 --> 00:42:43.560
 we're doing it, and if it doesn't happen, then we can use the money for X and people

00:42:43.560 --> 00:42:47.320
 need to be reminded, look, not only do you have to have a plan for cancellation, but

00:42:47.320 --> 00:42:53.780
 also it's really important that the funds be, for legal reasons, the funds be used for

00:42:53.780 --> 00:42:58.840
 exactly what you say they're going to be used for.

00:42:58.840 --> 00:42:59.840
 Okay.

00:42:59.840 --> 00:43:00.840
 All right.

00:43:00.840 --> 00:43:11.320
 And if we could get a schedule, and there may not be any, but are there any payments

00:43:11.320 --> 00:43:16.520
 due to recipients from this fund between now and the next time we meet?

00:43:16.520 --> 00:43:18.120
 I mean, I don't know the answer to that.

00:43:18.120 --> 00:43:21.120
 The next payout is July, end of July.

00:43:21.120 --> 00:43:22.120
 Okay.

00:43:22.120 --> 00:43:23.120
 So we'll meet before then.

00:43:23.120 --> 00:43:24.120
 Yep.

00:43:24.120 --> 00:43:25.120
 All right.

00:43:25.120 --> 00:43:26.120
 Okay.

00:43:26.120 --> 00:43:28.120
 Any other questions on this agenda item?

00:43:28.120 --> 00:43:29.120
 Fantastic.

00:43:29.120 --> 00:43:30.120
 Okay.

00:43:30.120 --> 00:43:36.920
 We'll move on to the next agenda item, which is agenda item 1D, receive report, hold a

00:43:36.920 --> 00:43:47.360
 discussion and provide recommendations regarding the hotel tax program year 2021 to FY 2021.

00:43:47.360 --> 00:43:52.380
 This item normally comes to you in April, which we had to cancel that meeting.

00:43:52.380 --> 00:43:56.760
 So all the agenda items today are from the April meeting that was canceled, and we usually

00:43:56.760 --> 00:44:00.960
 consider this a kickoff meeting for our next program year.

00:44:00.960 --> 00:44:07.160
 So this item and the next item are to prepare for that, the unknown, I guess.

00:44:07.160 --> 00:44:15.240
 But what this item is asking is for you to look at the red line guidelines and application

00:44:15.240 --> 00:44:21.440
 to see if there's any changes you like or would like to add of what we've already done.

00:44:21.440 --> 00:44:26.200
 Right now, the only changes we've made were based on the conversations we had in our February

00:44:26.200 --> 00:44:31.280
 meeting, which where we were no longer going to accept any applications after the posted

00:44:31.280 --> 00:44:36.480
 deadline, whether they were late or missed it or have a mid-year issue or a new event

00:44:36.480 --> 00:44:40.040
 that we were not going to look through those in the middle of the year.

00:44:40.040 --> 00:44:46.000
 And administratively, we just add some clarifications to reporting procedures, some things that we've

00:44:46.000 --> 00:44:49.040
 seen missing or having to go back for and ask every quarter.

00:44:49.040 --> 00:44:51.960
 So obviously, the instructions weren't clear.

00:44:51.960 --> 00:44:57.240
 And lastly, we've also added some language to the internal, which is our departmental

00:44:57.240 --> 00:45:02.640
 procedures to make sure their processes were trued up in writing as well.

00:45:02.640 --> 00:45:06.920
 So those were the main things on the hot guidelines that we changed.

00:45:06.920 --> 00:45:11.680
 Everything else is pretty much the same as the entire program.

00:45:11.680 --> 00:45:12.680
 Okay.

00:45:12.680 --> 00:45:13.680
 Any questions?

00:45:13.680 --> 00:45:17.180
 Yes, Council Member Davis.

00:45:17.180 --> 00:45:19.680
 So Randy, thank you for that summary.

00:45:19.680 --> 00:45:24.640
 Looking over those, my impression was exactly as what you just described, that they were

00:45:24.640 --> 00:45:30.000
 pretty minor changes, that they reflected conversations that we'd already had and basically

00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:33.240
 process improvements.

00:45:33.240 --> 00:45:34.240
 Am I missing anything?

00:45:34.240 --> 00:45:40.200
 Is there anything in there that you're really looking for direction on or you think we ought

00:45:40.200 --> 00:45:41.200
 to weigh in on?

00:45:41.200 --> 00:45:43.160
 Otherwise, I'm fine with the changes.

00:45:43.160 --> 00:45:44.160
 No, sir.

00:45:44.160 --> 00:45:48.160
 We certainly need every year just as a process to make sure that you have them in front of

00:45:48.160 --> 00:45:53.640
 you and you approve them every year before I send them out.

00:45:53.640 --> 00:45:55.720
 Any questions, Council Member Armitage?

00:45:55.720 --> 00:45:56.720
 Nope.

00:45:56.720 --> 00:45:59.440
 They look good to me.

00:45:59.440 --> 00:46:00.440
 Okay.

00:46:00.440 --> 00:46:01.440
 All right.

00:46:01.440 --> 00:46:06.440
 Do you need a formal action on this?

00:46:06.440 --> 00:46:07.440
 Please.

00:46:07.440 --> 00:46:08.440
 All right.

00:46:08.440 --> 00:46:09.440
 Okay.

00:46:09.440 --> 00:46:11.240
 Council Member Davis.

00:46:11.240 --> 00:46:21.120
 I guess Item D first, I move approval of the, I guess it's Exhibits 2 and 3, the guidelines

00:46:21.120 --> 00:46:24.960
 and application for HOP funds that have been provided by staff.

00:46:24.960 --> 00:46:25.960
 Okay.

00:46:25.960 --> 00:46:26.960
 I second.

00:46:26.960 --> 00:46:27.960
 All right.

00:46:27.960 --> 00:46:28.960
 All right.

00:46:28.960 --> 00:46:31.060
 So we'll take a voice vote.

00:46:31.060 --> 00:46:35.760
 Council Member, we have a motion for approval of Exhibit 2 and 3 of Agenda Item, I believe

00:46:35.760 --> 00:46:37.300
 1B.

00:46:37.300 --> 00:46:40.840
 So Council Member Davis, how say you?

00:46:40.840 --> 00:46:41.840
 Aye.

00:46:41.840 --> 00:46:42.840
 Aye.

00:46:42.840 --> 00:46:43.840
 Council Member Armitage.

00:46:43.840 --> 00:46:44.840
 Aye.

00:46:44.840 --> 00:46:48.760
 Mayor Watz has an aye, so that motion carries unanimously.

00:46:48.760 --> 00:46:54.380
 We'll move on to the discussion of Agenda Item 1E, receive, report, hold a discussion

00:46:54.380 --> 00:47:01.720
 and provide recommendations regarding the sponsorship program for Fiscal Year 2020-2021.

00:47:01.720 --> 00:47:08.000
 This falls in the same procedural element as the last item that this is for the sponsorship

00:47:08.000 --> 00:47:11.080
 program specifically for the fiscal year.

00:47:11.080 --> 00:47:15.040
 We made the same change in the language so that we don't have any applications that will

00:47:15.040 --> 00:47:22.160
 be accepted during the program year, only during the time that the application is open.

00:47:22.160 --> 00:47:30.460
 And we also did some maybe just some administrative language for including some reporting language

00:47:30.460 --> 00:47:35.200
 to true it up so that it is mirror image of the contract so that some language was just

00:47:35.200 --> 00:47:41.200
 a little wonky, if you will, so I wanted to make sure those were trued up so the guidelines

00:47:41.200 --> 00:47:46.000
 and the application and the contract were all the same.

00:47:46.000 --> 00:47:47.000
 Okay.

00:47:47.000 --> 00:47:58.760
 One question or comment I have is on the sponsorship program guidelines on Item 3D, it's in the

00:47:58.760 --> 00:48:06.880
 red line portion, I think where it says report these to the city manager or his designee

00:48:06.880 --> 00:48:12.880
 by the end of the contract term, it has B, so it's just a typo, yeah.

00:48:12.880 --> 00:48:16.280
 And I just saw that as I was reading through it again, so I missed it the first time as

00:48:16.280 --> 00:48:17.280
 well.

00:48:17.280 --> 00:48:18.280
 Okay.

00:48:18.280 --> 00:48:25.760
 Any other comments or questions on these exhibits and for the sponsorship guidelines and application?

00:48:25.760 --> 00:48:29.160
 And if not, Chair would entertain action?

00:48:29.160 --> 00:48:30.160
 I move approval.

00:48:30.160 --> 00:48:31.160
 Okay.

00:48:31.160 --> 00:48:32.160
 Second.

00:48:32.160 --> 00:48:33.160
 All right.

00:48:33.160 --> 00:48:38.360
 So we have a motion and approval for Exhibits 3 and 4 of Agenda Item 1E.

00:48:38.360 --> 00:48:40.360
 Councilmember Armitage, I'll say you.

00:48:40.360 --> 00:48:41.360
 Aye.

00:48:41.360 --> 00:48:42.360
 Councilmember Davis.

00:48:42.360 --> 00:48:43.360
 Aye.

00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:50.080
 Mayor Watts is an aye, so the motion carries unanimously for Agenda Item 1E.

00:48:50.080 --> 00:48:55.640
 We'll move to Agenda Item 1F, receive a report, hold a discussion, and provide recommendations

00:48:55.640 --> 00:49:02.840
 regarding changing the name and duties of the Hotel Ecopsy Tax and Sponsorship Committee.

00:49:02.840 --> 00:49:06.560
 This item was from concluding items of the February meeting.

00:49:06.560 --> 00:49:12.520
 Councilmember Davis requested the committee to have a conversation in changing from the

00:49:12.520 --> 00:49:21.960
 Houghton sponsorship to a more open or all-encompassing name for what the activities that this committee

00:49:21.960 --> 00:49:29.600
 does because during that last meeting we also had an Agenda Item that resulted in this committee

00:49:29.600 --> 00:49:37.800
 overseeing the GDAC and the DCT contract as well in the auspices of the sponsorship program.

00:49:37.800 --> 00:49:41.160
 So that is the discussion that is before you today.

00:49:41.160 --> 00:49:42.160
 Okay.

00:49:42.160 --> 00:49:46.480
 Councilmember Davis, you want to give us sort of a summary of your discussion?

00:49:46.480 --> 00:49:49.320
 I wasn't present at that meeting, so that would be great.

00:49:49.320 --> 00:49:50.320
 Sure.

00:49:50.320 --> 00:49:54.840
 So my request in concluding items is kind of the classic example of the new guy asking

00:49:54.840 --> 00:49:58.640
 for something like five minutes after it's already been changed.

00:49:58.640 --> 00:50:03.680
 It had just become the Hot Funds and Sponsorship Committee.

00:50:03.680 --> 00:50:09.920
 That was also a meeting where, so we had taken on some additional responsibilities, and they're

00:50:09.920 --> 00:50:14.080
 right in the wheelhouse of this committee and the kind of things we talk about, but

00:50:14.080 --> 00:50:19.200
 we also had a conversation with some of our community partners that day that I think really

00:50:19.200 --> 00:50:24.800
 highlighted how much this committee, you know, where funding recommend, we make recommendations

00:50:24.800 --> 00:50:31.180
 to the council about funding, but that funding is really, it's the foundation of some really

00:50:31.180 --> 00:50:38.400
 important community events and community partnerships and, you know, call it semantics, but it just

00:50:38.400 --> 00:50:44.160
 made sense to me that if we had a name like Community Partnership Committee or something

00:50:44.160 --> 00:50:50.600
 along those lines, that it may be more aptly described everything we do because when those

00:50:50.600 --> 00:50:58.560
 funding questions almost invariably lead to kind of more, less tangible conversations

00:50:58.560 --> 00:51:02.720
 about, you know, what is the value of this in the community and what is the purpose of

00:51:02.720 --> 00:51:08.120
 that in the community and, so anyway, again, maybe it's semantics, but I thought it was

00:51:08.120 --> 00:51:13.040
 a more apt description to call us the Community Partnership Committee, especially since we're

00:51:13.040 --> 00:51:15.160
 taking on those additional roles.

00:51:15.160 --> 00:51:16.160
 Okay.

00:51:16.160 --> 00:51:19.840
 Councilmember Armitage, any questions, discussions?

00:51:19.840 --> 00:51:25.040
 Yeah, I love the idea, I love the name change.

00:51:25.040 --> 00:51:27.040
 Okay.

00:51:27.040 --> 00:51:28.040
 Where is it?

00:51:28.040 --> 00:51:29.040
 I'm looking at it at the resolution.

00:51:29.040 --> 00:51:39.480
 Oh, wait, I'm looking at the old one, renaming, I'm looking at the old one is the, do we have

00:51:39.480 --> 00:51:40.480
 the new one?

00:51:40.480 --> 00:51:44.720
 No, we have not been given direction to actually make the change.

00:51:44.720 --> 00:51:48.160
 Okay, and say the name one more time, Councilmember Davis.

00:51:48.160 --> 00:51:51.040
 The Community Partnership Committee.

00:51:51.040 --> 00:51:54.600
 I think maybe officially it would be like the Council Community Partnership Committee

00:51:54.600 --> 00:52:00.880
 or something, but my recommendation was just Community Partnership Committee.

00:52:00.880 --> 00:52:06.920
 And would the duties as sort of described in our current exhibit, which is the current

00:52:06.920 --> 00:52:08.360
 ordinance, would they be similar?

00:52:08.360 --> 00:52:13.640
 I guess I want to make sure that we don't provide any confusion, because some people

00:52:13.640 --> 00:52:20.160
 might think Community Partnership Committee, we're limiting it to hot fund sponsorship

00:52:20.160 --> 00:52:24.560
 and these other duties, is that correct?

00:52:24.560 --> 00:52:30.500
 Yeah, I would say probably the best course would be to, you know, copy and paste what's

00:52:30.500 --> 00:52:36.040
 already in the existing resolution that added the co-sponsorship stuff, but then also loop

00:52:36.040 --> 00:52:43.280
 in what we discussed, what we are taking on at our February meeting, either in a specific

00:52:43.280 --> 00:52:51.080
 way or maybe even generally, you know, if it's anything that involves, I don't know,

00:52:51.080 --> 00:52:57.000
 the best language, where we can loop in those kind of organizational partnerships and maybe

00:52:57.000 --> 00:53:02.520
 exclude out public-private partnerships of a different nature, you know, we're investing

00:53:02.520 --> 00:53:07.840
 in a property together in our local agreement or something, that wouldn't come to this committee,

00:53:07.840 --> 00:53:13.880
 but some language that would kind of describe anything that comes up in the future that

00:53:13.880 --> 00:53:16.480
 would naturally come to this committee.

00:53:16.480 --> 00:53:25.240
 Okay, so you're saying that this would expand the role of the committee beyond the administration

00:53:25.240 --> 00:53:29.200
 of the hotel-motel tax and sponsorship funds?

00:53:29.200 --> 00:53:33.560
 No, not on purpose.

00:53:33.560 --> 00:53:41.120
 So the additional duties that we picked up last time are directly related, they were,

00:53:41.120 --> 00:53:47.480
 I guess, oversight, directly related to the expenditure of money, and...

00:53:47.480 --> 00:53:51.640
 And they were recommended by staff, so we didn't...

00:53:51.640 --> 00:53:52.640
 Right.

00:53:52.640 --> 00:53:54.680
 Yeah, we didn't just come up with that.

00:53:54.680 --> 00:53:55.680
 No, I understand.

00:53:55.680 --> 00:54:00.000
 But I guess what I'm talking about with the kind of more general language, and I mean,

00:54:00.000 --> 00:54:04.440
 I don't have strong feelings about it, would just be, if there was something like more

00:54:04.440 --> 00:54:09.040
 of a catch-all out there that described what we look at and what we do on a regular basis,

00:54:09.040 --> 00:54:14.120
 that when something like that comes up, it kind of has a natural home on a council committee

00:54:14.120 --> 00:54:18.200
 to look at it and consider it before it goes forward.

00:54:18.200 --> 00:54:22.560
 If we don't want catch-all language, if we want the council to kind of more specifically

00:54:22.560 --> 00:54:26.120
 allocate roles, that's fine with me too.

00:54:26.120 --> 00:54:36.160
 Yeah, and I don't think I have really any concerns with it, except for just trying to

00:54:36.160 --> 00:54:41.840
 understand, because, and maybe I just misunderstood you, but when you said something about a public-private

00:54:41.840 --> 00:54:44.720
 partnership, that that might come to this committee.

00:54:44.720 --> 00:54:53.840
 So right now, the hotel and motel tax, our committee looks at funding, allocating funds

00:54:53.840 --> 00:55:00.120
 pursuant to the hotel and motel tax statute, and then administering the funds for the sponsorships,

00:55:00.120 --> 00:55:04.720
 which we used to not do, we used to not do that, but we brought them in.

00:55:04.720 --> 00:55:09.680
 So you're saying that there may be some other things out there similar to the sponsorship

00:55:09.680 --> 00:55:12.480
 committee that this committee could be looking at.

00:55:12.480 --> 00:55:17.440
 I'm okay with it, I just really need to see what exactly is spelled out for the duties,

00:55:17.440 --> 00:55:23.420
 because I just, when people look at our list of committees, I mean, hotel, motel tax taxes

00:55:23.420 --> 00:55:28.880
 are a large revenue source, and just want to make sure that they can understand where

00:55:28.880 --> 00:55:33.200
 that can be found, if they look at it quickly.

00:55:33.200 --> 00:55:36.720
 But if we're going to expand it, then yeah, we wouldn't want to limit it to that name,

00:55:36.720 --> 00:55:41.380
 if within the scope of that committee, there might be some things that we're doing besides

00:55:41.380 --> 00:55:47.680
 just making sure that we're allocating funds pursuant to the statute and allocating sponsorship

00:55:47.680 --> 00:55:48.680
 funds.

00:55:48.680 --> 00:55:50.440
 Does that make sense?

00:55:50.440 --> 00:55:52.600
 Yeah, no, that makes perfect sense.

00:55:52.600 --> 00:55:59.680
 What I was saying about public-private partnerships is there's a large category of those that

00:55:59.680 --> 00:56:03.080
 would not be this committee's wheelhouse.

00:56:03.080 --> 00:56:08.960
 There's all sorts of things that would be a "community partnership," but is really outside

00:56:08.960 --> 00:56:10.640
 the scope of what we do.

00:56:10.640 --> 00:56:14.360
 So what I was saying is that if we use kind of general catch-all language, we want to

00:56:14.360 --> 00:56:22.120
 be careful not to accidentally loop in all of those other things, some big facility investment

00:56:22.120 --> 00:56:25.200
 or something like that, that's not this committee.

00:56:25.200 --> 00:56:31.800
 But there could certainly be, when someone, an organization, this is maybe a bad example,

00:56:31.800 --> 00:56:37.800
 but we had an organization, right now a private entity that's interested in maybe some public-private

00:56:37.800 --> 00:56:41.400
 partnerships, but they gave us a presentation about a big arts venue that they want some

00:56:41.400 --> 00:56:49.000
 money for, including maybe some of the funds that this committee handles on a regular basis.

00:56:49.000 --> 00:56:50.000
 Right.

00:56:50.000 --> 00:56:55.080
 There may be some future project like that that is not that same scale, but needs looking

00:56:55.080 --> 00:56:58.160
 at in a deep dive, and this may or may not be the committee for that.

00:56:58.160 --> 00:57:04.920
 So if there's language out there that lets us have those kind of conversations, I don't

00:57:04.920 --> 00:57:08.000
 know, I don't think we're going to be all that limited, if the council wants to refer

00:57:08.000 --> 00:57:11.120
 something back down to a committee, it certainly can.

00:57:11.120 --> 00:57:12.120
 Sure.

00:57:12.120 --> 00:57:13.120
 No, no, I understand.

00:57:13.120 --> 00:57:14.120
 Yeah.

00:57:14.120 --> 00:57:18.080
 And I don't have any objection to it, I just need to see exactly, I certainly don't have

00:57:18.080 --> 00:57:22.680
 an objection to the name, I just need to see the substance of the resolution to understand

00:57:22.680 --> 00:57:24.720
 what exactly we're trying to include in that.

00:57:24.720 --> 00:57:28.080
 So no, I don't have an issue with that.

00:57:28.080 --> 00:57:35.360
 So do we need a recommendation, do you need a motion for the recommendation or?

00:57:35.360 --> 00:57:36.360
 I think so.

00:57:36.360 --> 00:57:37.360
 Okay.

00:57:37.360 --> 00:57:41.400
 We'll go ahead and redline it and come back to you.

00:57:41.400 --> 00:57:42.400
 Okay.

00:57:42.400 --> 00:57:43.720
 All right.

00:57:43.720 --> 00:57:44.720
 Okay.

00:57:44.720 --> 00:57:48.440
 Then we have, I believe that brings us to concluding items.

00:57:48.440 --> 00:57:52.200
 The concluding item that I mentioned early on was if we could put on the next meeting

00:57:52.200 --> 00:57:59.800
 agenda the election of a board chair.

00:57:59.800 --> 00:58:00.800
 Okay.

00:58:00.800 --> 00:58:01.800
 Anybody else?

00:58:01.800 --> 00:58:06.960
 Right now we have on the agenda, or the council approved tentative timeline for a June 18th

00:58:06.960 --> 00:58:12.080
 meeting and a June 25th, because in the new process we have to put our full year up there.

00:58:12.080 --> 00:58:16.080
 So those two dates are held for our next meetings.

00:58:16.080 --> 00:58:17.320
 Okay.

00:58:17.320 --> 00:58:19.080
 Any other comments or questions?

00:58:19.080 --> 00:58:22.920
 Yes, council member Davis.

00:58:22.920 --> 00:58:30.640
 This is a quick one, I think, but on that last item, you know, we have in our policies

00:58:30.640 --> 00:58:35.800
 and guidelines the current name of the committee, which is just fine.

00:58:35.800 --> 00:58:40.520
 I don't see a need necessarily to change that right now because there hasn't been any action,

00:58:40.520 --> 00:58:41.520
 right?

00:58:41.520 --> 00:58:44.800
 There's been no change to that.

00:58:44.800 --> 00:58:50.320
 But to kind of, I guess, keep the timeline moving, does this committee necessarily need

00:58:50.320 --> 00:58:57.320
 to see the red line resolution if we kind of have consensus, at least as the name goes?

00:58:57.320 --> 00:59:01.960
 Or can that go right to council as a work session item?

00:59:01.960 --> 00:59:08.520
 Or do we need to see that resolution before it goes to council and make a recommendation?

00:59:08.520 --> 00:59:14.960
 I mean, so I want to make sure I'm understanding, so you've made a proposal to simply change

00:59:14.960 --> 00:59:17.640
 the name, correct?

00:59:17.640 --> 00:59:19.680
 Correct.

00:59:19.680 --> 00:59:24.320
 And then, you know, if we have the opportunity while we're doing that to describe what we

00:59:24.320 --> 00:59:30.680
 took on in February, I think what we took on in February is within the description that

00:59:30.680 --> 00:59:36.920
 we already have, you just have to stretch your mind just a little bit.

00:59:36.920 --> 00:59:42.920
 But if we have the opportunity to add that easily into our enabling resolution, into

00:59:42.920 --> 00:59:47.080
 the code, then that's a good opportunity to do it.

00:59:47.080 --> 00:59:48.080
 Yeah.

00:59:48.080 --> 00:59:52.960
 I mean, I don't have any objection for the red line just coming back to council because

00:59:52.960 --> 00:59:56.400
 eventually the council is going to have to talk about the scope of the duties anyway.

00:59:56.400 --> 00:59:59.640
 And there's three of us and four others.

00:59:59.640 --> 01:00:05.920
 So it just, especially if we're going to expand potentially the scope and duty.

01:00:05.920 --> 01:00:06.920
 Yeah.

01:00:06.920 --> 01:00:09.000
 So I think it would just be more efficient.

01:00:09.000 --> 01:00:17.600
 Councilmember Davis, how soon would you like to see that come to fruition?

01:00:17.600 --> 01:00:21.560
 To me, if we're going to do it, it makes sense to do it expeditiously, but I'm not in any

01:00:21.560 --> 01:00:22.560
 particular rush.

01:00:22.560 --> 01:00:27.780
 There's plenty of other things going on today than, you know, changing the name and the

01:00:27.780 --> 01:00:29.800
 code.

01:00:29.800 --> 01:00:36.560
 All right, anybody else have concluding items councilmember Armitage?

01:00:36.560 --> 01:00:37.560
 No.

01:00:37.560 --> 01:00:38.560
 Okay.

01:00:38.560 --> 01:00:44.040
 Well, then we will adjourn this meeting of the Denton Hotel Motel Tax and Sponsorship

01:00:44.040 --> 01:00:48.120
 Committee at 2.02 on Thursday, May the 14th.

01:00:48.120 --> 01:00:49.480
 Thanks, everyone.

01:00:49.480 --> 01:00:50.480
 All right.

01:00:50.480 --> 01:00:51.480
 Good to see you all.

01:00:51.480 --> 01:00:51.480
 Bye.