Okaloosa County BOCC — May 29, 2014 — reading text

Tourist Development Council 1540 Miracle Strip Parkway Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 Regular Meeting http://www.okaloosafl.com ~ Agenda ~ Thursday, May 29, 2014 2:00 PM Emerald Coast Convention Center Council Members & Staff Dale E. Peterson Chairman Thomas Rice Vice-Chairman 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 Councilmember's Minute - Gaetz letter I. Consider Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council Meeting Minutes (Dale Peterson) a. Tourist Development Council - Regular Meeting - Apr 24, 2014 2:00 PM b. Tourist Development Council - Budget Meeting - May 8, 2014 9:00 AM b.1. Package for minutes May 8th II. Director's Update (Ed Schroeder) a. April Month End Lodging Reports from Smith Travel Research b. Film Commission Monthly Report – April c. Destin Chamber Quarterly Report – January - March d. Fort Walton Beach Chamber Quarterly Report – January - March Tourist Development Council Page 1 Printed 5/27/2014 Regular Meeting Agenda May 29, 2014 III. Financial Update (Charlotte Dunworth) a. March Month End Tax Revenue Reports from Okaloosa Tax Collector b. May Financial Update IV. Convention Center Update (Bill Leaman) a. Bayview Plaza Grand Opening Update V. Marketing Update (Kendra Nixon) a. Visit Florida InState Magazine Advertising b. Food Traveler Magazine Advertising c. FY 2014-15 Strategic Marketing Plan (Peter Mayer) – Presentation VI. Old Business (Dale Peterson) VII. New Business (Dale Peterson) a. Okaloosa Island Dune Walkovers Grant & Transfer from Reserve b. FY 2014-15 Budget Proposal to County Administrator c. TDT Reserves Policy d. Genesis Task Order 2 – 4th, 5th, & 6th Beach Park Developments VIII. Next TDC Meeting (Dale Peterson) a. Thursday June 26, 2014, 2:00 p.m. Emerald Coast Convention Center (Tentative) IX. Public Comment (3 minutes each) X. Adjourn Tourist Development Council Page 2 Printed 5/27/2014  Tourist Development Council Meeting: 05/29/14 02:00 PM 1540 Miracle Strip Parkway Department: Tourist Development Council Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 Category: Information Prepared By: Aida Wilkinson SCHEDULED Initiator: Aida Wilkinson Sponsors: TDC ITEM (ID # 2884) DOC ID: 2884 Councilmember's Minute - Gaetz letter Updated: 5/27/2014 5:22 PM by Aida Wilkinson Page 1 Packet Pg. 3  a Packet Pg. 4 Attachment: Councilmember's Minute - Gaetz letter (2884 : Councilmember's Minute - Gaetz letter)  a Packet Pg. 5 Attachment: Councilmember's Minute - Gaetz letter (2884 : Councilmember's Minute - Gaetz letter)  1.a Okaloosa County Tourist Development Department 1540 Miracle Strip Parkway Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32548 Minutes Acceptance: Minutes of Apr 24, 2014 2:00 PM (Consider Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council Meeting Minutes (Dale Regular Meeting http://www.okaloosafl.com ~ Minutes Amended~ Thursday, April 24, 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 Present - - Ed Schroeder TDD Director Present - - Lynn Hoshihara TDD Attorney Present - - Chairman Dale 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 comments related to the current agenda. David Sherry/Condo Alliance of Okaloosa Island shared his concern with the MSBU repeal item, stating once again that it would deplete already insufficient hurricane recovery fund and take money used to preserve our beaches. Mr. Sherry brought two new items before the TDC: 1) The extension to the inter-local agreement between the City and the County for same beach restoration recently passed by the Destin City Council obligates the TDC to pay another $354,277 for monitoring same Holiday Isle beach project. 2) Regarding the Tourist Development Department Memorandum data on Page 99 of the meeting packet, Mr. Sherry commented that the figures greatly overstate the Holiday Isle/MSBU contribution for this project ($4.3M), money collected by the MSBU to date. Okaloosa County Tourist Development Department Page 1 of 12 April 24, 2014 Packet Pg. 6  1.a Mr. Sherry recommended the TDC vote No to the MSBU repeal. Minutes Acceptance: Minutes of Apr 24, 2014 2:00 PM (Consider Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council Meeting Minutes (Dale Matt Walbargus/Association Manager-Holiday Isle Improvement Association commented that when the Commissioners passed the MSBU, they agreed to repeal it when they could. He also stated that there are 1900 members paying the MSBU tax, so if another beach restoration is needed, the community will support another MSBU. Mr. Walbargus would appreciate the TDC rescinding the tax, if economically feasible. Ron Johnston/Holiday Isle Association member added that in addition to paying the MSBU tax, he paid a special homeowners tax in 2010 for emergency beach restoration and had understood some of the assessment money would be refunded. Therefore, he felt the MSBU tax had served its purpose and should be repealed. Mr. Johnston also commented that the TDC would have more money today if the Holiday Isle Association members had not brought legal action. Commissioner Dave Parisot/Shalimar, FL commented that he didn’t hear anyone in past meetings say “tax me, tax me” and said that past discussions of the commissioners included a priority sequence for expending funds – 1st priority was Okaloosa Island beach restoration, 2nd priority was Annuity Imposed Penny for beach restoration, and following that, if needed, the MSBU funds. He further stated the priority for Destin was to be the Bed Tax Penny, followed by the MSBU. In reference to the previous statement by Mr. Sherry regarding the wrong figures on Page 99, Commissioner Parisot stated that there is only one MSBU and clarified that Mr. Schroeder reported the actual MSBU funds that were paid into the County for each year paid, further stating that following the January 2014 Board of Commissioners Meeting, all funds paid into MSBU by Okaloosa Island residents and businesses were refunded. He stated that the FY2013-2014 data reports funds paid only by Destin’s remaining portion of the MSBU. Commissioner Parisot also addressed Mr. Sherry’s concern about the cost to have another hurricane destroy our beaches and added that the Destin beaches are termed “Engineered Beaches” which gives them much higher priority for funding from FEMA, but beaches on Okaloosa Island are not Engineered Beaches. Rebecca Sherry/Condo Alliance of Okaloosa Island corrected four statements previously mentioned. 1) In reference to Commissioner Parisot’s statement regarding funds paid, Ms. Sherry stated the correct litigation funds paid was