Okaloosa County BOCC — April 24, 2014 — reading text

Tourist Development Council 1540 Miracle Strip Parkway Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 Regular Meeting http://www.okaloosafl.com ~ Agenda ~ Thursday, April 24, 2014 2:00 PM Emerald Coast Convention Center Council Members & Staff Dale E. Peterson Chairman Thomas Rice Vice-Chairman Daniel Empson Owner, Harry T's Lighthouse Restaurant Thom Gossom Owner, Best Gurl, Inc. - Mktg & Comm. Firm Joe Guidry Manager, Ramada Plaza Beach & RV Resorts Rachel Joyce General Manager, Hampton Inn Honorable Kelly Windes Commissioner District 5 Honorable Tuffy Dixon City of Destin Representative Honorable Charles Rigdon City of FWB Representative Ed Schroeder Director, Tourist Development Department Lynn Hoshihara TDD Attorney Greg Stewart TDD Attorney Pledge of Allegiance and Welcome (Dale Peterson - Chairman) Public Comments Related to Current Agenda (Dale Peterson) Councilmember's Minute I. Consider Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council Meeting Minutes (Dale Peterson) a. Tourist Development Council - Regular Meeting - Mar 27, 2014 2:00 PM II. Director's Update (Ed Schroeder) a. Introduction of new Marine Economic & Tourist Development Resource Coordinator b. March Month End Lodging Reports from Smith Travel Research c. UWF NWF Bed Tax Analysis d. Restore Act Update e. Chart of Authorized Uses of TDT Funds Tourist Development Council Page 1 Printed 4/22/2014 Regular Meeting Agenda April 24, 2014 III. Financial Update (Charlotte Dunworth) a. February Month End Tax Revenue Reports from Okaloosa Tax Collector b. April Financial Update IV. Convention Center Update (Bill Leaman) a. Bayview Plaza Grand Opening Update b. Porte Cochere Update V. Marketing Update (Kendra Nixon) a. Industry Partner Strategic Marketing Plan Follow-Up b. Ad Agency Last Minute Deals - Peter Mayer TO 136 c. Agency Update (Peter Mayer) - Presentation VI. Old Business (Dale Peterson) VII. New Business (Dale Peterson) a. MSBU Ordinance Repeal b. Strategic Marketing Plans Revisions c. Tourism Week Proclamation d. National Marine Fisheries Resolution VIII. Next TDC Meeting (Dale Peterson) a. Budget Discussion - Thursday May 8, 2014, 9:00 a.m. Emerald Coast Convention Center (Tentative) b. Regular Meeting - Thursday May 29, 2014, 2:00 p.m. Emerald Coast Convention Center (Tentative) IX. Public Comment (3 minutes each) X. Adjourn Tourist Development Council Page 2 Printed 4/22/2014  1.a Okaloosa County Tourist Development Department 1540 Miracle Strip Parkway Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32548 Minutes Acceptance: Minutes of Mar 27, 2014 2:00 PM (Consider Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council Meeting Minutes (Dale Regular Meeting http://www.okaloosafl.com ~ Minutes ~ Thursday, March 27, 2014 2:00 PM Emerald Coast Convention Center Tourist Development Council Members Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Departed Chairman, Dale E. Peterson Present - - Dale E. Peterson Vacations Vice-Chairman, Present Thomas Rice - - Magnolia Grill Rachel Joyce Hampton Inn FWB Present - - Daniel Empson Harry T’s Restaurant Present - - Thom Gossom Best Gurl, Inc. Present - - Joe Guidry Ramada Plaza Resort Present - - Tuffy Dixon Destin Councilman Present - - Charles Rigdon FWB Councilman Present - - Kelly Windes Commissioner District 5 Absent - - Ed Schroeder TDD Director Present - - Lynn Hoshihara TDD Attorney Present - - Mr. Peterson called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. Public Comments Related to Current Agenda The chairman opened the floor to public comment related to the current agenda. Rebecca Sherry/Condo Alliance of Okaloosa Island shared concerns that resulted from the last Board of County Commissioners meeting. David Sherry/Condo Alliance of Okaloosa Island asked that the TDC not repeal the last two years of the Holiday Isle beach restoration MSBU that cost $700,000 plus legal fees. Mr. Sherry is concerned about TDC money being given for an obligation that the public gets nothing for. No one at Holiday Isle spoke against the MSBU. Some Commissioners suggested a future repeal if the money wasn’t needed. No one at Holiday Isle would have supported the MSBU without the potential, not promise, for a repeal. Mr. Sherry requested that the TDC vote NO when the repeal comes up. Okaloosa County Tourist Development Department Page 1 of 16 March 27, 2014 Packet Pg. 3  1.a Guy Tadlock/Holiday Isle objected to the Sherry’s comments regarding the MSBU. Mr. Tadlock reiterated that it was supported and beach restoration was needed. He also added that Minutes Acceptance: Minutes of Mar 27, 2014 2:00 PM (Consider Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council Meeting Minutes (Dale the project costs less than what was originally designated and his members have never objected to the MSBU. Mr. Tadlock further explained that if there is a chance that the MSBU can be rescinded this year or next year, then it will be greatly appreciated. If funds were not needed for beach restoration, members understood that the MSBU would be used only for the Destin beaches and not used for other projects. If there are MSBU funds that were collected that are not necessary it would go a long way in establishing the credibility of TDC members and County Commissioners to rescind the MSBU. I. Consider Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council Meeting Minutes (Dale Peterson- Chairman) Motion to Approve February 27, 2014 TDC Meeting Minutes RESULT: MOTION APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Dixon SECONDER: Rice AYES: Empson, Gossom, Guidry, Rigdon, Peterson, Joyce II. Director’s Update (Ed Schroeder) a. February Month End Lodging Reports from Smith Travel Research Mr. Schroeder reported that the Committee appointed in the last meeting to take the right path on this item has met and the reports are included in this meeting’s packet distributed to everyone. A determination was made to not spend the $10,000 for republication rights and further explanation and information is presented in this document. Mr. Schroeder further added that the hotel list in the report included about ten properties in the Sandestin area and those areas have been scrubbed, along with the hotels that are outside the bed tax collecting area. Mr. Dixon asked that Mr. Schroeder make sure the 32550 area code properties scrubbed are not in Destin (could possibly be a post office box) due to it being close to the County line. Mr. Schroeder agreed to verify these properties. Mr. Peterson verified with Mr. Schroeder that the cost to review is $9,190 instead of $22,645 and further asked Ms. Hoshihara, TDD Attorney, if we overcame our issues with the publication. Ms. Hoshihara replied that their contract only requires that we would not archive any old data or disclose it if requested (although the law requires that we do that regardless). Okaloosa County Tourist Development Department Page 2 of 16 March 27, 2014 Packet Pg. 4  1.a Mr. Schroeder reported that the tax collector helps us with our marketing efforts; where bed taxes are coming from, grouping of condos, hotels, and individual beach homes, Minutes Acceptance: Minutes of Mar 27, 2014 2:00 PM (Consider Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council Meeting Minutes (Dale and also segregates collection data by Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Okaloosa Island, also giving us the number of units from each area. This data will be provided in future meetings. Mr. Peterson recommended that the only conflicts with tax