[00:00:02]
DO WE HAVE TO TURN? UH, SO, HI,
[I. Call to Order]
SARAH OSBORNE, CITY OF LEAGUE CITY.HEY, COLTON TROUT FROM THE BAY AREA.
HOUSTON, CBB, JODY CALUSA MILLIONAIRE, JACOB PRATT.
STEPHANIE COT, LEAGUE CITY CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU.
JUDY BURLESON, RETIREE
ARE THERE ANY CITIZENS WITH A REQUEST TO ADDRESS THE BOARD? OKAY.
[IV. Approval of April 2024 Minutes]
UM, AND NOW WE NEED TO APPROVE OUR MINUTES FROM APRIL.WE DID NOT HAVE A MEETING IN MAY I MOVE TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED? I'LL SECOND.
[V. HOT Grant Application Presentation: Wings Over Houston 2024 Airshow – Bill Roach and Natasha Avery]
UH, NOW WE HAVE A GRANT APPLICATION PRESENTATION FROM MR. BILL ROACH WITH WINGS OVER HOUSTON.UM, I JUST COULDN'T TALK 'CAUSE I, YEAH.
THIS HERE MAYBE WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD SHOW LINED UP FOR THIS YEAR.
UH, WE'VE GOT THE BLUE ANGELS.
THEY'RE GONNA STAY IN, UH, CENTRAL HARBOR HOTEL.
SO WE, UH, HAVE A LITTLE VIDEO.
UH, STEPHANIE, DO YOU WANT TO YEP.
IF YOU NOTICE, OUR LOGO THIS YEAR CHANGED TO GOLD.
OUR, OUR YELLOWISH, IT MATCHES BLUE ANGELS.
IT'S OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY, SO IT'S A KIND OF A SPECIAL YEAR FOR US.
UM, 2022, WE HAD A RECORD YEAR.
UH, AND WE, WE ARE ALREADY SURPASSING THAT SO FAR.
RIGHT NOW I'M TOTALLY OUT OF PRIVATE CORPORATE CHALET SPACE, SO THAT'S A LEADING INDICATOR OF WE HAVEN'T SOLD AND BOOKED OUT THAT EARLY.
EVERYTHING'S LEADING UP TO A GREAT EVENT.
UM, WITH THE BLUE ANGELS, THEY ALWAYS DRAW A LOT MORE PEOPLE AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO PUT 'EM IN SOUTH SHORE HARBOR.
UM, THE HO THE TEAMS NOW SINCE, UH, UH, COVID, THEY SELECT THEIR OWN HOTELS AND THEY LIKE STAYING THERE.
SO
UM, IN 2023, WE HAD ABOUT 916 PURCHASES FROM LAKE CITY RESIDENTS.
UH, I DON'T HAVE THAT TOTAL YET OF HOW MANY ACTUAL TICKETS THAT WAS, BUT THAT WAS 916 PURCHASES FROM, UH, LAKE CITY ZIP CODES.
UH, WE CAN DRILL DOWN AND FIND THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, IN OUR APPLICATION TO Y'ALL, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAD A MISTAKE IN THERE REQUESTING 10,000.
I'D LIKE TO AMEND THAT VERBALLY WITH A REQUEST FOR 15,000, WHICH WAS WHAT WE DID IN, UH, 2022.
SO LIKE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER THAT.
UM, UM, OUR TICKET SALES LAUNCH, ACTUALLY OUR PRIME VIEW RESERVE SEATING IS ON SALE NOW.
UM, THAT'S AHEAD OF OUR INSIDER TICKET LAUNCH.
LIKE I SAID, THE INSIDERS, THEY SIGN UP ON OUR WEBSITE, UH, WITH THEIR EMAIL.
THEN WE, THEY GET FIRST CHANCE AT THE CHEAPEST PRICES.
ONCE THAT THAT GOES ON, IT GOES ON SALE.
I BELIEVE IT'S JULY 8TH IS WHEN IT GOES ON SALE TO THE MASSES.
SO WE'LL KNOW THEN COMPARED TO YEARS PAST HOW IT'S GOING.
BUT, UH, EVERYTHING'S ON PAR TO, UH, SURPASS 2022.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. ROACH? CAN YOU GET US SOMETHING TO PUT ON OUR WEBSITE TO ADVERTISE IT, PLEASE? WE CAN.
WE CAN SHARE THE VIDEOS WITH YOU.
AND, UH, A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER STUFF, WE'D JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT ON THERE.
[00:05:04]
LET'S SEE.FOR THE, THE TICKETS AND THE ZIP CODES THAT YOU SENT OVER, UH, I WAS ABLE, AS PART OF YOUR FOLLOW UP REPORT LAST YEAR, Y'ALL SENT LIKE, THE LIST OF ALL THE TICKETS THAT WERE BOUGHT FROM OUTER TOWN AND THE LIST WAS VERY, VERY BIG.
I WISH I WAS ABLE TO LIKE, COMPILE THAT AND MAKE IT IN A DIGESTIBLE FORMAT, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE FROM ALL OVER.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A SUMMARY IN HERE THAT PEOPLE CAME FROM.
HOW MANY DIFFERENT COUNTRY? ACTUALLY WE HAD THAT, UH, 48 STATES AND 21 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES FROM LAST YEAR.
AND THEN THE, YOU SAID THERE WAS LEAGUE CITY RESIDENT TICKET SALES ABOUT, I WAS COUNTING ON THAT LIST THAT WAS SENT TO ME ON THE EXPEL EXCEL SPREADSHEET.
ABOUT 37,000 TICKETS, INDIVIDUAL TICKETS FROM LAKE CITY.
SO, UH, YOU'RE SAYING THERE WAS NINE 900 SOMETHING TRANSACTIONS? UH, YES.
AND I'M SORRY, I GOT THAT REALLY JUST RIGHT BEFORE THIS MEETING AND I WAS ON ANOTHER CALL SO I WASN'T ABLE TO, UH, DRILL DOWN ON THAT REAL QUICK.
BUT I CAN HAVE TASHA FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, MORE EXACT NUMBERS ON THAT.
ANYWAY, I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE, THE NUMBER OF STATES AND THE OUT OF TOWN ATTENDANCE AND STUFF.
I, I FORGET 'CAUSE THE TWO STATES THAT DIDN'T COME FROM, I THINK IT WAS WASHINGTON STATE AND THEN SOMETHING ELSE, MAYBE UTAH OR SOMETHING.
BUT I, UH, THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.
DIDN'T SOMEBODY COME FROM HAWAII? I WAS GONNA SAY YOU WOULD THINK OF HAWAII, MAYBE ALASKA.
IT MIGHT'VE BEEN ALASKA THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE SOMEBODY.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS ENJOY IT TOO WITH YEAH, THE TICKET SALES FROM LAKE CITY, 30,000 TICKET SALES WERE FROM LAKE CITY.
THAT WAS IN IMPRESSIVE WITH THAT MANY PEOPLE COMING FROM OUT OF THE REGIONAL AREA.
TYPICALLY THEY'LL STAY IN A HOTEL SOMEWHERE.
ARE YOU PROVIDING ANY KIND OF LIKE, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOTELS FOR THE TEAMS? I KNOW THEY GET TO PICK THEIR OWN, BUT YES, WE DO.
SO WITH, WITH OUR, UH, PARTNERSHIP WITH LAKE CITY AND THE CVB, UH, WE PROMOTE THOSE ON OUR WEBSITE AND PROMINENTLY AND UM, WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STAY IN THE AREA.
HOTELS AND MOST OF THE HOTELS WE PARTNER WITH HAVE SPECIAL RATES FOR GUESTS.
WE ONLY CAN QUANTIFY HOW MANY PEOPLE WE PAY FOR.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T GET ANY OF THAT DATA.
BUT IT'D BE INTERESTING TO FIND OUT, UH, WITH THE HOTELS OFFERING A SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO, UH, OUR PATRONS OR FANS COMING IN FROM OUT OF TOWN.
YOU KNOW, THAT ENCOURAGES THEM TO STAY IN THOSE HOTELS.
WE ALSO DID A LOT OF COMBINED PROMOTIONS TOO.
UM, AND SOME DIFFERENT, LIKE WE HAVE A LANDING PAGE ON THE WEBSITE THAT SAYS IF YOU'RE, HERE'S THE WAY TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR WEEKEND WHENEVER YOU COME INTO THE AREA SHOW.
SO WE'VE DONE SOME CONTENT MARKETING BEFORE.
I EXPECT WE'LL DO THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR.
WE JUST NEED TO GET THAT SCHEDULED.
AND THEN, AND AMENITIES AND RESTAURANTS WE HAVE HERE.
THEY HAVE A, HAVE A GOOD TIME.
HAVE Y'ALL SEEN THAT ANGEL? I HAVE.
UH, 2022 WE GOT, WE FALL ON THE TAIL OF UH, TOP GUN MOVIE THAT HAD BEEN POSTPONED AND POSTPONED.
WELL UH, THIS YEAR THE MOVIE, THE BLUE ANGELS, THE DOCUMENTARY, WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME A BLUE ANGEL HAS BEEN OUT.
SOME OF THE PILOTS HERE, LIKE ABOUT HALF THE TEAM WAS IN THAT DOCUMENTARY.
AND AMANDA LEE WILL BE FLYING.
SHE'S THE FIRST DEMONSTRATION FEMALE PILOT.
MM-HMM?
APPRECIATE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY.
DOES EVERYBODY HAVE A COPY OF THEIR YEAH.
[VI. Discuss and Vote on Wings Over Houston Airshow HOT Grant Application]
SHOULD WE VOTE ON IT? YES.LAST, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT ANY, YOU KNOW, RAISE THE AMOUNT TO 15 FROM THE 10 THAT'S IN WRITING.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WE ONLY GAVE HIM FIVE.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE, WE DID 10, 15, AND FIVE LAST YEAR.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE HOTEL, RIGHT? SAYS YEAH, EXACTLY.
THAT'S WHY WE DROPPED IT TO FIVE BECAUSE THEY WERE STAYING AT THE OTHER HOOK HOTEL.
SO THIS YEAR THERE'S A, HE SAID 200 AND SOMETHING.
IT'S CLOSE TO 300 ROOM NIGHTS.
[00:10:01]
A GOOD SIZE GROUP.WE SHOULD GET SOME PICTURES WHILE YEAH.
WHILE THEY'RE AT SOUTH SHORE AND DOING ALL THAT.
THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES.
GET 'EM ON THE DAY OF ARRIVAL.
OUR MAX, OUR CAP IS $10,000 AT, NOT ACCORDING TO THIS.
I MEAN THE BOARD CAN MAKE, THAT'S WHAT'S IN OUR APPLICATION PROCESS.
IF THE BOARD WANTS TO, DID WE INCREASE OUR HIGH TAX FUNDS FOR NEXT YEAR TO 1 25? WE, WE, WE, UH, YES WE DID.
AND I WILL SAY THAT, UM, I PULLED, LET ME FIND IT.
THE HISTORY AND BUDGET INFORMATION.
I THINK ACTUALLY IT MIGHT BE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
FOR THIS YEAR, OUR 2024 BUDGET, WE HAVE BUDGETED 73,000.
WE HAVE A REMAINING FUND BALANCE RIGHT NOW OF $43,008.
THIS WOULD BE IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, WOULD IT NOT? NOT IT'S TRUE.
WE COULD DO HALF OF IT MS. YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT THE OTHER HALF WOULD COME OUT THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
'CAUSE DON'T YOU PAY 'EM HALF UP FIVE YEAR? WE PAY HALF AN HOUR AND HALF.
7,500 NEXT YEAR IF WE DID THE 15.
I MOVED TO APPROVE 7,500 FOR THIS YEAR AND 75 FOR A HUNDRED FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET FOR WINGS OVER HOUSTON.
15,000 TOTAL WITH 75 THIS YEAR AND 7,500 NEXT YEAR.
THAT'S A GREAT EVENT FOR OUR WHOLE AREA.
SO IT'S NICE TO BE PARTNERED AND BE LISTED.
THEY DO A GOOD JOB OF LISTING LAKE CITY ON ALL THE STUFF THEY DO AND THEY WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH PROMOTIONS AND UM, YOU KNOW, NATASHA'S REALLY, SHE'S GREAT TO WORK WITH.
SO WE CAN DO SOME EXTRA PR AND OKAY.
YEAH, IT'D BE GREAT TO DO SOME KIND OF CONTEST OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHERE YOU CAN GET TICKETS, WIN TICKETS MM-HMM.
AND DO THAT ON THE CITY'S PAGE JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A HIGH NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT GO OUT.
SO THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO DO SOMETHING.
UM, EVEN SOMETHING LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, TAG YOURSELF WHILE YOU'RE AT THE AIR SHOW.
I OF LAKE CITY SIGN AT THE AIR SHOW.
LIKE HOW CAN WE MAKE IT LIKE A LAKE CITY EVENT IN
TAKE TAKE MILBY TO THE AIR SHOW.
ALL THESE IDEAS ARE GREAT AND DOWN.
MY KIDS WILL DEFINITELY TAKE MILBY.
THEY LOVE THE AIR SHOW, SO I NEED TO GET THEM ONE A MILBY.
[VII. Communication Update – Sarah Osborne]
SARAH'S COMMUNICATION UPDATE.SO I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN A WHILE, SO I HAVE QUITE A BIT TO UPDATE.
UM, I KNOW WE PROBABLY, UH, DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE JAZZ NIGHT BEFORE I GET TO WHITE LINE AT NIGHT, BUT THAT WAS A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
WE DID HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CAME FROM OUTTA TOWN.
UNFORTUNATELY THEY DIDN'T STAY OVERNIGHT JUST BECAUSE IT WAS OVER IN TIME.
SO IF IT WAS BY OVER BY NINE, MOST PEOPLE COULD DRIVE, COULD DRIVE HOME.
UM, WE'LL KIND OF STRATEGIZE A LITTLE BIT BETTER NEXT TIME.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING MORE CONCERTS, POSSIBLY AS EARLY IN, IN THE FALL.
WE'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE JUST DOING ONE AS OPPOSED TO THREE IN A ROW.
THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO HAVE A JAZZ FESTIVAL DAY WHERE THERE'S BANDS THAT PLAY ALL DAY LONG.
OR I THINK THAT COULD BE MORE OF AN ATTRACTION FOR VISITORS FROM OUTTA TOWN BECAUSE THAT COULD BE A LONG DAY WHERE YOU WOULDN'T WANNA DRIVE HOME.
MAYBE YOU DRIVE IN THE NIGHT BEFORE, OR MAYBE YOU STAY THE NIGHT AFTER JUST BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A LONG AND, YOU KNOW, A LONG DAY OF EVENTS IN THE SUN.
UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING THAT MAYBE EVEN THE SPRING OF NEXT YEAR.
SO WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME, UM, TO PLAN FOR THAT.
MOVING OVER TO WHITE LINE AND KNIGHTS HIGHLY, HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL.
IT SEEMS TO GET BIGGER EVERY YEAR.
UM, WE, WE DID SOME CHANGES THIS YEAR WHILE WE FACED THE TENTS A LITTLE FURTHER APART.
SO IT WASN'T, SO IN YEARS PAST, IT HAS BEEN LIKE HARDER THAN HARD TO LIKE PASS, PASS EACH OTHER.
SO WE, UH, WE DID A LITTLE BIT LESS AT LEAGUE PARK AND KIND OF EXTENDED, UH, THE BOOTHS ALONG THE STREETS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
UM, BUT WE HAD THE ART CARS THIS YEAR, SO WE'RE TRYING, OF COURSE, THIS IS A PUBLIC ART INITIATIVE EVENT THAT WE DO.
UH, SO WE HAD THE ART CARS THIS YEAR, WHICH WAS A GOOD, GOOD FUN.
[00:15:01]
WE'LL PLAN ON, UH, PARTNERING WITH THEM NEXT YEAR.UH, BUT ALL IN ALL, WE THINK IT WAS A GOOD EVENT.
THERE'S, THERE'S NO DOUBT PEOPLE CAME FROM OTHER CITIES LOCALLY TO ENJOY IT.
FROM WEBSTER, FROM FRIENDSWOOD, FROM DICKINSON.
AGAIN, I DON'T THINK IT LED TO HOTEL ROOMS 'CAUSE AGAIN, IT WAS AN EARLY, EARLY EVENT.
BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SALES TAX DOLLARS, UM, BRINGING INTO THE CITY, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT'S SOLD WITHIN THE CITY OR SALES TAX DOLLARS GO TO US.
SO I KNOW BETWEEN AMBER'S AMBER'S SELLING OF HER JUICE PACKS, THAT G THAT WENT OUT PRETTY EARLY.
AND THEN WE HAD MAIN STREET BISTRO THAT WAS THERE.
WE HAD GALVESTON BAY BREWING AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE LIKE GALVESTON BAY'S NOT BASED IN CLEAR LAKE, IT'S IN, OR EXCUSE ME, NOT BASED IN LAKE CITY.
IT'S CLEAR LAKE SHORES, WE STILL GET THE SALES TAX REVENUE FROM THAT, FROM WHATEVER THEY'RE SELLING IN OUR CITY ON THAT DAY.
SO IT'S STILL BRINGING IN REVENUE TO THE CITY, NOT NECESSARILY HOT TAX REVENUE.
OUR ART CONTEST, UH, THAT WE HAD LAST, UH, WE LAUNCHED IT LAST YEAR IN LATE 2023, WHERE WE HAD FOLKS SUBMIT WRAP IDEAS FOR THE BOXES.
IT'S IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF BEING WRAPPED ON 10 BOXES ALL OVER TOWN.
SO THESE ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
THEY'RE NOT BEING PAINTED, THEY'RE BEING WRAPPED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT OUR WINNERS OUT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD PAINTING A TRAFFIC BOX, PARTICULARLY
AND IT'S ALSO DANGEROUS IF YOU'RE NOT A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST USED TO PAINTING THOSE TRAFFIC BOXES.
SO WE HAVE 10 WRAPPED MURALS THAT'LL BE COMING, UM, BY THE END OF THIS SUMMER.
SO THAT'S ADDING TO OUR ART INITIATIVE.
WE'VE HAD SOME NEW MURALS, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OVER TO HOMETOWN HEROES PARK IN THE GARDEN TO SEE THAT BEAUTIFUL MURAL.
IT'S WORTH, YOU KNOW, TAKING SOME INTERACTIVE SHOTS OVER THERE.
UM, AN UPDATE ON THE MURAL ON THE BUILDING AT FIVE 18 THAT IS BEING PAID BY HOT FUNDS.
UNFORTUNATELY, POOR ADAM IS GONNA HAVE TO PAINT IN THE SUMMER HEAT OF AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER.
UH, MAINLY BECAUSE THE OWNER OF THAT PROPERTY IS PAVING THE, YOU KNOW, IS REPAVING THE ASPHALT AND REDOING THE ENTIRE PARKING LOT.
AND IT'S TAKING THEM A LOT LONGER THAN THEY, THAN WE WOULD LIKE.
UM, THEY SHOULD BE ASPHALTING IT RIGHT NOW IN THE MONTH OF JUNE AND EARLY JULY.
SO, LIKE I SAID, POOR ADAM'S GONNA BE PAINTING IN AUGUST,
UM, SO THAT SHOULD BE UP AND READY TO GO IN THE FALL.
AND SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROMOTE THAT HEAVILY AND BE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF STORIES AS HE'S PAINTING, PAINTING THIS HUGE MURAL ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
AND AS A REMINDER, IT'S AT FIVE 18 RIGHT THERE AT THE CORNER OF FIVE 18 AND THE 45 FEEDER ROAD.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME FUN PROJECTS WHERE WE'RE BRINGING IN SOME ART SCULPTURES AT SOME OF OUR PARKS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT HERITAGE PARK TO DO SOME BIRD ART SCULPTURES.
UM, WE ACTUALLY BAYTOWN, UH, HAS AN ART CRAWL AND THEY HAVE THAT UP FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.
THEY BRING IN SCULPTURES FROM ALL OVER THE US TO BASICALLY PUT UP THEIR SCULPTURES AND PEOPLE CAN WALK AND ENJOY THEM.
BUT, AND THEN OF COURSE THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS WELL.
AND WE FOUND TWO THAT ARE PRETTY ECONOMICAL.
WE THOUGHT PUTTING THOSE OVER HERITAGE PARK WOULD BE, UM, WOULD BE BENEFICIAL THAT WILL NOT USE HOT TAX DOLLARS BECAUSE IT IS A PARK THAT'LL USE CITY PARK DOLLARS FOR THAT.
THIS IS ALSO GONNA USE CITY PARK DOLLARS AND NOT HOT FUNDS, BUT IT BRINGS MORE ART TO OUR CITY.
WE HAVE FOUND THIS COMPANY THAT MAKES RECYCLED BENCHES OUT OF WIND TURBINE AIR BLADES.
UM, THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY COOL LOOKING.
AND THEY ACTUALLY PROVIDE SHADE WITH THESE WIND TURBINE AIR BLADES AND THEY ACTUALLY CAN BE PAINTED.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE OUR NEW, UM, AND WE'RE GONNA PUT THEM AROUND TRAILS, UH, THAT DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SHADE THROUGHOUT LAKE CITY, KIND OF THAT CLAREMONT CONNECTOR TRAIL REGION.
UM, AND SO ONCE WE GET THEM ALL IN, UM, WHICH WE'RE GET, WE'RE PURCHASING SEVEN OF THEM.
ONCE WE GET THEM ALL IN LATER THIS SUMMER, THEN WE'RE GONNA BRING IN OUR ARTISTS TO KIND OF GET A FEE AS TO WHAT THEY THINK THEY WOULD CHARGE TO PAINT THEM AS OPPOSED TO IT, IT'D PROBABLY BE PRETTY SIMILAR TO TRAFFIC BOX, LIKE ABOUT $3,000.
UM, BUT I WANT, THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME IN THE REGION THAT THESE, THESE ARE REALLY IN THE STATE.
WE'LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO DO THEM.
UM, SO WE NEED TO GET IN AN IDEA FROM THEM AS TO HOW MUCH THEY THINK IT'S GONNA CHARGE TO PAINT.
'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING TOTALLY NEW, UM, THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE WHERE THERE'S KIND OF A STANDARD FEE FOR THE TRAFFIC BOXES.
BUT THESE BENCHES WILL BE NEW.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL WORK TOGETHER ON A PRICE.
UM, BUT THEY'RE SUPER, SUPER COOL.
I WISH I WOULD'VE BROUGHT A PICTURE, BUT YOU IMAGINE THAT THEY SLICE THE WIND TURBINE BLADES AND THEY MAKE PART OF THE BENCH, BUT THEN THEY ALSO MAKE A COVERING SO PEOPLE WILL ENJOY, UM, WILL ENJOY THE SHADE.
SO WE'RE DOING A LOT ON OUR PUBLIC ART INITIATIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE BUDGET THEY TYPICALLY GIVE US ONE 50, UH, IN, IN ART IN THE HOT BUDGET.
SORRY, I'M THINKING OF THE PARKS BUDGET.
WE'RE THINKING OF SOME PROJECTS THAT WE WANNA DO FOR NEXT YEAR.
THE KEAP LEAGUE CITY BEAUTIFUL ART COMMITTEE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING IS IMPROVING THAT ENTRANCE RIGHT IN FRONT OF DEBORAH BLY,
[00:20:01]
UM, WHERE SHE HAS THAT BEAUTIFUL, UM, LONGHORN MURAL.WELL THAT IS A TYPICAL KIND OF EYESORE FOR THE CITY AS YOU'RE, AS YOU'RE COMING IN.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING SOMETHING MAYBE TO CREATE IT AS A GATEWAY TO THE CITY.
WE HAVE THE OLD GATES FROM THE BUTLER LONGHORN RANCH THAT ARE STILL, STILL SITTING OVER AT THE BUTLER, FORMER BUTLER LONGHORN MUSEUM.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT INCORPORATING THOSE GATES AND POSSIBLY A BIG BRONZE SCULPTURE OF A LONGHORN.
SO IT KIND OF CREATES AN ENTRY GATEWAY AND THEN HAVING DEBORAH'S SCULPTURE RIGHT BEHIND IT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AS USING HOT FUNDS IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, UM, FIVE, WHICH SOUNDS CRAZY, BUT THAT WILL START OCTOBER 1ST,
SO JUST SOME IDEAS OF, UH, KEEP LEAGUE CITY BEAUTIFUL COMMITTEE ARE STILL, UM, LOOKING AT IDEAS.
BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO WE COULD CREATE A GATEWAY TO THE CITY AND, AND WE CAN USE HOT FUNDS FOR THAT OF COURSE.
UM, 'CAUSE IT IS PUBLIC ART AND IT ACTUALLY ADDS HISTORY AS WELL TO OUR CITY.
SO, SO THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE UNLESS YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, IT'S GONNA BE COOL.
[VIII. CVB Manager Report – Stephanie Polk]
STEPHANIE.SO YOU HAVE A LITTLE HARD COPY OF MY REPORT HERE.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, MAY, EVERY MAY WE HAVE NATIONAL TOURISM WEEK.
AND IT'S A NATIONAL EFFORT WHERE US TRAVEL INITIATES IT AND ALL THE STATES PARTICIPATE.
AND TEXAS EVERY YEAR RELEASES THE ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR ALL OF THE CITIES THAT HAVE HOT TAXES IN THE ENTIRE STATE.
SO, UH, LEAGUE CITY IS, IS DOING PRETTY GOOD.
UM, WE SAW A 2.7% INCREASE IN TRAVEL SPENDING.
DIRECT TRAVEL SPENDING WAS $137 MILLION FOR A LEAGUE CITY TRAVEL, UH, SUPPORTS 850 LOCAL JOBS AND GENERATED $21.4 MILLION WORTH OF TAX REVENUE.
UM, IN TERMS OF HOT TAX COLLECTIONS LAST YEAR WE SET A RECORD, IT EXCEEDED $889,000, WHICH WAS BIGGER THAN THE PREVIOUS RECORD WE SET IN 2022, UH, FOR $789,897.
AND THEN THIS YEAR I'M LOOKING AT THIS YEAR'S NUMBERS AND WE ARE, WE'RE DOING VERY, VERY WELL.
IT'S UP, UP, UP, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, AS PART OF THAT, WE HAD TWO BIG EVENTS.
UH, ONE WAS THE STATE OF THE BAY.
COLTON, DO YOU WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STATE OF THE BAY? I SAW THAT YOU BROUGHT ME MY GOODIE BAG, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
YEAH, I BROUGHT YOU YOUR GOODIE BAG.
UH, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
WE DID A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, UH, COMPARED TO KIND OF YEARS PAST.
WE BROUGHT IN SOME AMAZING SPEAKERS, KIND OF GIVING SOME ECONOMIC, UH, UPDATES ON THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.
SO WE BROUGHT IN LIKE SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, KEAH, BOARDWALK, UH, DAN SEALE FROM BAY A, UM, I THINK HE'S FROM BAY HALF, SORRY.
AND SO WE HAD ABOUT A HUNDRED PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE, UM, FROM ALMOST EVERY SINGLE CITY IN THE BAY AREA, HOUSTON.
SO IT WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
UH, AND THEN SHE, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK OVER BY STUFF YEAH.
AND SHE'S GOT HER LITTLE MUG THAT WE GOT AND SOME KEYS.
WE HAD MUGS, MUGS FOR EVERYBODY.
AND YOU'RE WEARING THE SHIRT THAT WAS GIVEN OUT AS WELL.
SO, AND THEN WE HAD S MATES, THIS IS GOOD.
SO, BUT NO, IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE BLAST.
WE HAD SOME REALLY CUTE DISPLAYS, UH, AND WE JUST HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH IT.
SO THE THEME WAS LAUNCH YOUR ADVENTURE.
AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE LOCAL, UM, IMPACT FOR PARTICIPATING CITIES.
AND SO THOSE NUMBERS WERE RELEASED AND THEN ALL THE, YOU KNOW, YEAH.
WELL IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE 137 MILLION FOR THE DIRECT TRAVEL SPENDING, BUT IN OUR AREA FOR FOUR OF THE FIVE CITIES THAT ARE PART OF BERRY HOUSTON, IT WAS 416 MILLION, UM, IN VISITOR SPEND.
SO WE, WE'D LOVE TO SEE THAT NUMBER AND WE'RE EXCITED TO KIND OF CONTINUE TO SEE IT GROW.
AND WE LOVE HOW MUCH LEAGUE CITY IS GROWING, SO.
AND I THINK WE HAD SOME POSSIBLE LEADS.
I THINK THAT WAS THE MOST PROMISING.
SO AT LEAST THAT'S THE NEXT PHASE IS TO TRY TO GET MORE CITIES TO JOIN THE, THE REGIONAL, UH, CBB, WHICH EVENTUALLY WHAT HELPS US IN THE END, YOU KNOW, LOCALLY AS WELL AS WE TRY TO PROMOTE ALL OF OUR REGIONAL ATTRACTIONS.
WE HAD A COUPLE OF CITIES THAT WERE NOT IN ATTENDANCE THOUGH, THAT ARE STILL INTERESTED IN, IN COMING ON BOARD.
WE'RE STARTING THOSE KIND OF FOLLOW UP AND MEETINGS AND TALKING AND NEGOTIATIONS.
WE SHOULD SEE ALMOST A TOTALLY DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, BAY AREA, HOUSTON CBB FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
ANOTHER THING THAT WAS HELPED, WE HAD THE CLEAR EIGHT CLEAR LAKE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON.
AND WE BROUGHT IN, UH, GEORGE FRANZ WITH, UH, HOUSTON FIRST.
AND HE TALKED ABOUT THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR HOUSTON AND HOW IMPORTANT THE BAY AREA IS IN TERMS OF THE BIG PICTURE THERE.
SPEAKING OF BAY AREA, HOUSTON, WE PARTNERED TOGETHER TO HOST A VERY, VERY, A BIG PRESS TRIP.
I SAY BIG, THE FIRST ONE THAT WE'VE DONE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, AND SINCE COLTON'S BEEN HERE TOO.
[00:25:01]
THE NORTH AMERICAN TRAVEL JOURNALIST ASSOCIATION HAD THEIR ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN GALVESTON.SO GALVESTON REACHED OUT AND SAID, WOULD YOU GUYS LIKE TO DO A PRE OR POST-CONFERENCE, FAM TOUR FOR, FOR JOURNALISTS? AND I SAID, YES.
HOW MANY DO YOU WANNA HOST? I SAID, UP TO FIVE.
WE HAD FIVE REALLY GOOD JOURNALISTS.
UM, THEY WERE ALL VETTED AND QUALIFIED.
THEIR A UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITOR COUNT WAS OVER 20 MILLION, 21 MILLION, $21 MILLION, UH, NOT DOLLARS.
A UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS THERE.
SO THEY HAD REALLY GOOD REACH AND OUTLETS.
IN YOUR REPORT, I CAN KIND OF GIVE AN UPDATE ON, UM, ALL OF THEIR OUTLETS AND WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE, UH, THAT WAY YOU CAN READ ABOUT THEM LATER.
BUT THEY WERE ALL EXCELLENT JOURNALISTS.
WE SHOWED THEM A VERY GOOD TIME.
UM, WE STARTED OFF, WE PICKED THEM UP, FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS RIGHT AFTER THE CONFERENCE.
SO THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAD DONE GALVESTON AND THEY SAW THE GALVESTON AND THEN WE PICKED THEM UP ON, UH, FRIDAY MORNING, UH, FROM MOODY GARDENS.
AND THEN WE TOOK THEM TO TEXAS CITY.
WE STOPPED AT, UH, BRICK AND SPOON.
UH, AND THAT'S A PICTURE IN THE TOP LEFT HAND CORNER THERE OF EVERYBODY.
AND THEN WE WENT OVER TO SPACE CENTER HOUSTON.
AND WE HAD A WONDERFUL TOUR, UH, COORDINATED BY SPACE CENTER HOUSTON.
THEY GOTTA SEE MISSION CONTROL AND EXPLORE AND, UH, SEE THE LONG, THE LONGHORN PROJECT OVER THERE, WHICH IS REALLY NEAT, HAS THAT TIE IN INTO LAKE CITY'S LONGHORN HISTORY.
UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT WE TOOK THEM BACK.
THEY STAYED AT THE SOUTH SHORE HARBOR RESORT.
AND THEN, UH, THEY CHECKED IN THE HOTEL.
AND THAT NIGHT WE DID A, UH, CLEAR LAKE AREA PUP CRAWL, SO TO SPEAK.
SO WE STARTED OFF WITH, UH, SCHAFFERS AND WE SHOWED THEM THE WATER AND THE AREA FROM THE WATER, UM, LOOKING AT THE WATER THAT FIRST NIGHT.
SO WE WENT TO THE GALVESTON BAY BREWERY AND THEY GOT A TOUR OF THE BREWERY THERE.
UM, WE HAD DINNER AT SHAFER'S, AND THEN WE JUST SHOWED, THEN WE ALSO WENT TO BARGE.
SO THEY GOT TO THAT SUNSET SHOT, I BELIEVE.
NO, THAT'S FROM NO, THAT WAS FROM CLEAR LAKE SHORES.
AND THEN THE NEXT MORNING WE GOT HIM DOWNTOWN TO THE NEW VISITOR CENTER.
WE MET 'EM, UH, THE LAKE CITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MET US THERE, AND THEY WERE GONNA DO A WALKABOUT.
SO THEY WERE ABLE TO SEE THE VISITOR CENTER.
UM, THERE WAS A MAKER'S MARKET GOING ON THAT MORNING, SO IT SHOWED REALLY WELL.
UM, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO WALK AROUND AND JUST KIND OF GET A GOOD FEELING FOR THE SPACE.
AND THEN WE, SEVERAL OF 'EM BOUGHT STUFF AS WELL.
AND THEN THE HISTORIC SOCIETY GROUP, AMBER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING A PART OF THAT.
UH, WE TOOK A BUTLER'S COURTYARD AND WE WALKED DOWN TO THE MUSEUM.
THEY WENT TO THE ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE, GOT A LITTLE BIT OF LESSON, UH, THEY SAW THE LIO SOUTHERN SETTINGS AND TALKED ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE TJ DICK HOUSE.
AND, UH, ANYWAY, IT WAS JUST A REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYBODY THERE.
AND THE MOSQUITOES WERE LIKE, IT WASN'T THAT BAD THAT DAY BECAUSE THAT WAS RIGHT AFTER ALL THE RAIN THAT WE HAD.
AND THEN AFTER THAT WE WENT TO THE CHANDLER AND WE, UM, THEY GOT TO MAKE A CANDLE, WHICH THEY REALLY ENJOYED THAT.
UM, AFTER THAT WE HAD LUNCH AT, UH, RISA IN LAKE CITY.
AND THEN THAT EVENING WE DID A, UH, SIP AND CELL CRUISE ON CLEAR LAKE.
SO THE NIGHT BEFORE THAT, THEY SAW THE WATER, AND THEN WE WERE ON THE WATER THE NEXT NIGHT.
AND THEN WE ENDED THE TOUR, UH, WITH LION IN SEABROOK.
UM, AND SHE SENT US A COPY OF THAT JUST THE OTHER DAY.
SO THAT QR CODE, IF YOU WANNA SCAN THAT WITH YOUR PHONE, THAT WILL TAKE YOU AND YOU CAN DO THE SEGMENT THERE.
I WAS EXCITED TO SEE IT BECAUSE OUR LITTLE LEAGUE CITY SHIRT IS IN THE LOWER, UH, CORNER THERE.
UM, ANYWAY, SO THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ONE, UH, PLACEMENT THAT WE'VE HAD FROM IT, AND WE'RE MONITORING TO SEE WHAT OTHER ONES WE GET.
SO IT'S, IT HASN'T BEEN QUITE A MONTH YET, SO WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TOO MUCH.
AND SHE POSTED A COUPLE OF REELS AS WELL ABOUT BEING IN OUR AREA.
THEY COVERED IT A LOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA THE WHOLE TIME IN VIEWERSHIP AS WELL.
AND, UH, THANK YOU COLTON FOR ALL YOUR HELP WITH THAT.
UM, IT WAS RAISED ABOUT SOUTH SHORE HARBOR RESORT TOO.
AND D'S IN THE SEGMENT ADMIT RESORT, APPARENTLY
SO, YEAH, OTHER THAN THAT, WE HAVE LAUNCHED OUR SUMMER TOURISM CAMPAIGN.
I HAVE A BIG PROGRAM RUNNING RIGHT NOW THROUGH HOUSTON CHRONICLE.
THAT INCLUDES, UM, CONNECTED TV AND STREAMING PLACEMENT.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SOME SPONSORED POSTS AND SOME DIGITAL BANNER ADS THAT ARE TARGETING.
AND I INCLUDED ALL THOSE REPORTS FOR YOU THERE.
UM, THE IMPRESSIONS ARE GOING VERY WELL.
THE VIDEO COMPLETIONS ARE OVER 125,000 RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THERE ALL THE NETWORKS THAT THEY'VE BEEN PLACED.
WE DID SOME GEO TARGETING WITH THAT SPECIFIC CAMPAIGN.
SO WE'RE TARGETING DALLAS, SAN ANTONIO OF FORT WORTH, AUSTIN AND ARLINGTON ALSO HAVE, UM, SOME THE SOCIAL POSTS RUNNING THERE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA DO ANOTHER ONE NEXT MONTH.
SO THAT WILL BE CHANGING AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE MORE ENGAGEMENT ON THAT PART OF IT.
UH, WE HAVE A DIGITAL CAMPAIGN RUNNING WITH ORANGE 1 42.
SO THAT RIGHT NOW HAS LED, UH, TO OVER 300,000 IMPRESSIONS AND OVER A THOUSAND CLICKS TO OUR SITE.
UM, AND THEN ANOTHER PART OF THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE IS A, UH, STORY, A STORY PROMOTION THAT WE HAVE IS LIKE SPONSORED CONTENT.
AND IT'S A WHOLE PRESENTATION OF
[00:30:01]
WHY LEAGUE CITY SHOULD BE YOUR NEXT BUCKET LIST.AND THAT'S MARKETED, IT WAS MARKETED ALL THE WAY THROUGH MAY, SO THEIR GOAL WAS 5,000 ENGAGEMENTS AND A 1.5 MILLION IMPRESSIONS.
UH, IT EXCEEDED THAT WE HAD OVER 7,000 ENGAGEMENTS AND, UM, OVER 3 MILLION IMPRESSIONS, WHICH WAS REALLY GOOD.
SO IT OVERDELIVERED, UH, DALLAS, SAN ANTONIO, FORT WORTH AND AUSTIN WERE SOME OF OUR TARGET AREAS.
AND YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE PIE CHART TO THE RIGHT.
SHOWS YOU THE BREAKDOWN OF ALL THOSE MARKETS THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY VIEWED THE, THE AND INTERACTIVE WITH OUR, WITH OUR STORY THERE.
ANOTHER PROGRAM WE HAVE IS RUNNING, UH, WE'RE RUNNING WITH, UH, HOUSTON, UH, CULTURE MAP HOUSTON, AND WE DID A PROMO FOR WHITE LINEN KNIGHTS.
WE ALSO HAVE RUN SITE BANNERS FOR, UH, FOR WHITE LINEN KNIGHTS RUNNING.
BUT THEN AFTER THAT WAS OVER WITH, WE CHANGED IT TO THE WATER STARTS HERE, CAMPAIGN FOR SUMMER.
AND I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE REPORTS YET ON THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT IS RUNNING RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN OUR TOUR TEXAS.COM PROGRAMS RUNNING, WE HAD OVER 4,600 ENGAGEMENTS, UH, WITH THE CONTENT ON THAT.
UH, WE DID, UH, MAIL OUT OVER 70 VISITORS.
GUYS, JULIANA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING WITH THAT LOVELY MAIL MERGE
IT TAKES ME LIKE 45 MINUTES TO DO ONE AND SHE CAN JUST WHIP IT OUT.
SO WE DID GET THOSE IN THE MAIL, SO THAT WAS VERY GOOD.
SO WE HAVE OUR VISIT WIDGET APP.
WE LAST MONTH HAD, UM, 394 TOTAL USERS.
WE HAD OVER 2000 PAGE VIEWS AND 49 BRAND NEW DOWNLOADS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT REPORT THERE.
SOME OF OUR TOP CONTENT WAS ABOUT WHITE LINEN NIGHTS FOR LAST MONTH.
UM, AND THEN OUR, FOR OUR WEBSITE, OUR TOTAL USER COUNT WAS 3,856, BUT OUR PAGE VIEWS WERE 8,252.
WE DID HAVE THOSE CAMPAIGNS RUNNING, BUT THE TRAFFIC FOR WHITE LAND AND KNIGHTS WAS ACTUALLY BEING SENT TO THE WHITE LAND KNIGHTS WEBPAGE,
SO I'M NOT SEEING A HUGE JUMP FROM THAT ON MY SITE.
BUT WE DID SEE A BIG BOOST TO THE CITY SITE IN ALL OF OUR, UH, WEEKLY MEETINGS FROM THOSE, UH, THOSE CAMPAIGNS THAT WERE RUNNING FOR THAT.
UM, SO THE WEBSITE'S PERFORMING VERY WELL.
WE ARE WORKING ON SOME UPGRADES RIGHT NOW TO THE SITE.
UM, THAT WILL BE PUT IN PLACE PRETTY SOON.
I THINK MAYBE IN AUGUST I'LL BE ABLE TO SHOW THOSE TO YOU.
UM, WE HAVE SOME UPGRADES HAPPENING WITH A COMPANY CALLED ITI DIGITAL THAT WE JUST HAD AN ONBOARDING CALL WITH THE OTHER DAY TO GET, UH, IT'S, IT WILL BE EMPOWERING OUR EVENTS CALENDAR AND OUR PLACES THAT WILL ACTUALLY INTEGRATE WITH FACEBOOK PAGES.
SO PULLING EVENTS AND AGGREGATING CONTENT FROM GOOGLE LISTINGS AND FACEBOOK LISTINGS FOR OUR LOCAL PARTNERS.
SO THAT'S GONNA MAKE OUR WEBSITE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, ABLE TO KEEP IT VERY CURRENT AND FULL OF INFORMATION.
AND THEN ONCE OUR NEW SITE, WE'RE GONNA MIGRATE OUR PLATFORM FROM WIX TO WORDPRESS THIS FALL.
SO IT'S, IT'S A PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN LIVE WHEREVER OUR SITE IS CURRENTLY POWERED.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET THAT RUNNING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA.
LAST MAY, WE HAD 64 POSTS TOTAL IN ALL THE CHANNELS.
OUR TOTAL REACH WAS OVER 10,000 AND WE HAD 60 NEW FOLLOWERS.
UM, OUR, WE'RE ON ACTIVE WITH FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER.
UM, AND WE ARE, SO OUR TOP POST LAST MONTH, YOU CAN SEE THOSE.
THERE IS, UH, I CAN'T READ ACTUALLY TOO SMALL FOR ME TO SEE IT FROM HERE.
WE HAD WHITE LINEN KNIGHTS WAS A VERY POPULAR POST INTERNATIONAL E WHAT YOU WANT DAY? YES.
SO YOU CAN SEE ALL THE, THE TOP THREE POSTS THERE.
UM, NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK.
SOUL FREAK CAFE WAS NUMBER TWO WITH THEIR MONTHLY MAKERS MARKET.
AND THEN MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND WAS NUMBER ONE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S FOR FACEBOOK AND FOR INSTAGRAM.
UM, FOOD DOES REALLY WELL ON INSTAGRAM.
AND THEN UPON GARDENS BLOOMS, SPRING BLOOMS AND CRAFT BREWS, THAT DID PRETTY WELL ACTUALLY.
AND THEN THE WHITE LINEN NIGHTS ON INSTAGRAM.
AND THEN OUR CURRENT FINANCIALS, UM, KIND OF ALLUDED TO THE PERFORMANCE THERE.
OUR COLLECTIONS RIGHT NOW COMPARED TO LAST YEAR ARE UP ABOUT 13%, WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
SO OUR QUARTER ONE AND QUARTER TWOS ARE, UH, IN, UH, QUARTER TWO CAME IN AT $228,974, WHICH WAS UP OVER 16% FROM LAST YEAR QUARTER.
THAT SHOULD BE QUARTER TWO, 2023.
SO WE ARE TRENDING, TRENDING UP, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD.
UM, LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE WERE WE DOING ON THAT? I DID GET OUR STAR REPORT, SO I INCLUDED THAT IN YOUR PAPER COPY FOR, FOR THE PERCENT CHANGE AND EVERYTHING IS JUST TRENDING UP.
WE'RE, WE'RE ENTERING OUR VERY, VERY BUSY HOTEL ACTIVITY, OUR TOURISM MONTH.
UH, EVERYTHING IS, IS RIGHT WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
UM, AND WE'VE ALREADY HAD OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP, SO WE'RE KIND OF WAITING TO SEE THEY HAVE, THE CITY HAS CHANGED THE WAY, WE DON'T HAVE THE, UM, HEARINGS, PUBLIC HEARINGS, LIKE WE DID THIS IN YEARS PAST.
NO, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING IT THROUGH COUNCIL AND SO THINGS SHOULD BE
[00:35:01]
YEAH, THEY'RE DOING IT THROUGH WORKSHOPS.SO THERE'LL BE REVIEWING THE BUDGET AT FIVE O'CLOCK WORKSHOPS BEFORE THEIR REGULAR COUNCIL MEETINGS.
UM, SO WE WON'T BE HAVING ALL THESE EXTRA MEETINGS THAT WE'VE KIND OF DONE IN THE PAST.
SO THEY'RE KIND OF TRYING TO STREAMLINE, STREAMLINE THE PROCESS.
WE'RE TALKING DRAINAGE, TRAFFIC, PARKS AND REC, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, BUT WE'RE DOING IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THIS YEAR TO TRY TO SPEED THINGS UP.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING? GOOD STUFF.
THANK YOU FOR BEING SO DETAILED.
UM, CURRENT PROJECTS LISTED THERE, UH, THEY'RE NOT IN YOUR PAPER REPORT, BUT THE DECKER TECHNOLOGY, SHORT-TERM RENTAL MANAGEMENT PLATFORM.
THEY'RE BUILDING THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND I JUST GOT TO SEE MY BRAND NEW DASHBOARD ON THAT I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
IT'S GONNA MAKE THINGS SO MUCH EASIER WORKING ON THE WEBSITE, THE NEW INTEGRATION.
UM, AND THEN MARKETING MATERIAL ALSO IS BEING DEVELOPED FOR THE BALLPARK AT LEAGUE CITY.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE WORKING ON JULY AND, UH, WE JUST PUBLISHED SOME BRAND GUIDELINES AND, UH, ALSO THERE'S A LOT OF GROUPS COMING IN TO, FOR CONVENTIONS AND REUNIONS THIS SUMMER.
AND SO I'VE BEEN BUSY BRINGING BAGS AND PUTTING BAGS TOGETHER AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, AND ALSO, UH, LAST MONTH OR THIS MONTH RECENTLY, WE JUST FOUND OUT WE WON FOUR TAMMY AWARDS FOR THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AND ONE OF THOSE THANK YOU.
UH, TWO FIRST PLACE AWARDS, UH, FOR CITY MATTERS AND THEN ALSO FOR THE LEAGUE CITY LISTENS WEBSITE.
AND WE ALSO HAD TWO AWARDS OF HONOR.
ONE WAS FOR THE LEAGUE CITY VISITOR CENTER.
AND THEN, UH, EDUCATIONAL PSA FOR, UH, JOIN THE FAMILY AT LCPD.
IS THERE, UM, AN UPDATE ON THE BALLPARK? ANYTHING NEW? SO I KNOW THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING AN EVENTS PLANNER.
UM, SO THAT PERSON SHOULD BE, UM, BRINGING IN MORE TOURNAMENTS, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE LOOKING AT, AND THIS IS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, IS THAT THAT EVENTS PLANNER WILL BE PAID FOR PARTLY IN HOT FUND DOLLARS.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER IN ADDITION TO CITY FUNDS, BECAUSE NOW THE BALLPARK AT LEAGUE CITY IS OF COURSE A CITY FACILITY.
UM, SO CLEARLY THAT PERSON WOULD BRING IN, BE FOCUSED ON BRINGING IN MORE EVENTS, BUT BUT ALSO BE FOCUSED ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WOULD BE FOCUSED ON THE WEBSITE, UM, TO REALLY MARKET, UM, THE FACILITY.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A WEBSITE ON IT, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT BRINGING IN PEOPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE CONSIDERABLY BUSY OVER THERE AND BUSINESS IS GOING REALLY, REALLY WELL.
UH, SO WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY HITS SINCE WE'VE TAKEN OVER THE FACILITY.
IN FACT, WE'RE ACTUALLY MAKING MORE REVENUE THAN WE WERE, UH, WITH THE LAST, UM, MANAGEMENT COMPANY THAT, UH, IS NO LONGER THERE.
SO, UH, SO THINGS ARE GOING PRETTY WELL.
I KNOW WHEN WE, A COUPLE OF THE HOTELS MET WITH THEM, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, OUT OF THE AREA TOURNAMENTS AND THAT THE MAYOR DIDN'T SUPPORT THAT AS MUCH AS HE SUPPORTED LOCAL TOURNAMENTS.
SO I WOULD BEG, SINCE WE'RE PUTTING SOME OF THE SALARY OF THE EVENT PERSON IN OUR BUDGET, UM, THAT THEY HAVE, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THE WORD.
THEY HAVE A DIRECTIVE TO PURSUE TEAMS OUTSIDE OF THE AREA.
SO THEY DO STAY IN OUR HOTELS.
AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY PART OF THE, UM, PART OF WHAT THIS PERSON WILL BE DOING BECAUSE THE LOCAL ONES AREN'T REALLY HARD TO ATTRACT.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF BOOKING THEM.
YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THEM AT ALL TO, TO DO THAT.
SO YEAH, THEIR JOB WILL BE TO BRING IN OUTSIDE, UM, TOURNAMENTS, BUT NO, NO ONE IS STOPPING THAT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THERE'S A BALANCE TO HAVE, RIGHT? OF COURSE.
SO CERTAINLY DURING THE WEEK THERE'S NOT A LOT OF KID TOURNAMENTS GOING ON.
SO WE CAN BRING IN THINGS DURING THE WEEK AND THERE'S A CERTAIN BALANCE TOO, OR ROUTINE BUILDING EVENTS AND EXACTLY.
THE INDOOR FACILITY, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING SOME MOVIE NIGHTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT AS WELL.
SO TRYING TO EXPAND JUST THE USE OF THE FACILITY BESIDES JUST THE, THE BASEBALL SOFTBALL FIELDS.
YOU DID VERY WELL POINT ADDITIONALLY, LIKE IF SOMEONE IS WORKING FOR A BALLPARK LIKE THAT, BUT THAT IS THEIR JOB TO BRING IN.
WELL, AND IT, YES, WE WOULD HOPE THAT'S IN WRITING IN THEIR JOB AGREEMENT TOO, TO BASICALLY KEEP PAYING THEIR SALARY TO KEEP REPLENISHING THE HOT FUNDS RIGHT.
AND, AND THE LATEST I'VE HEARD IT'S ONLY 25% OF THEIR SALARY WOULD BE HOT FUNDS, BUT AGAIN, THE COUNCIL SOMETHING.
I'M SURE THEY'LL COME UP WITH WAYS TO MEASURE IT.
A QUESTION, WHERE IS, IS IT JUST
CAN YOU TURN ON YOUR MICROPHONE? OH, SORRY.
[00:40:01]
BAD.UM, IS IT JUST, ARE THEY JUST HIRING FOR THAT ONE, LIKE SENIOR POSITION OR IS THERE LIKE A TEAM THAT THEY'RE LOOKING INTO AS WELL? IT'S JUST ONE POSITION AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
UM, IS THERE, IS IT LISTED ON THE CITY WEBSITE? THE, THE JOB POSTING? THEY'RE STILL, THEY HAVEN'T POSTED IT YET.
BECAUSE WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT HOW IS THIS PERSON GONNA BE PAID? MM-HMM.
THAT'S ALL WE'VE DEALT WITH IN THE PAST.
TO HAVE A REAL SALES PERSON OUT THERE.
WE, WE DO NEED THAT FOR LEAGUE CITY.
[IX. Board Member Comments and Update]
ANY BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS OR UPDATES? UH, ANYTHING? OKAY.I, IF I CAN JUST SAY A FEW WORDS.
UM, ALSO, GIRL, FIRST OF ALL, I'M SO SORRY FOR BEING LATE AGAIN.
I PROMISE I'LL GET THIS SQUARED AWAY BY THE NEXT MEETING.
I WILL FIND, I'LL HIRE A ROBOT IF I HAVE TO BECAUSE
WE ALL KNOW HOW HOSPITALITY IS THESE DAYS.
BUT, UM, I JUST, UH, YESTERDAY WAS, UH, OR WE JUST CAME OFF OF THE THLA BOARD MEETING, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY IN HOUSTON.
AND SO, UM, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU, UH, WHO, WHO DON'T KNOW.
SO I SERVE ON THE BOARD AND I REPRESENT THE BAY HOUSTON REGION.
UM, AND, UH, JUST ALL IN ALL LEGISLATIVE UPDATE WISE, ANYTHING THAT HAD TO DEAL WITH HOSPITALITY TOURISM, UM, THAT WOULD'VE HURT THE INDUSTRY.
UH, THLA WAS ABLE TO NIX ALL THOSE BILLS, SO IT'S ALL IN OUR FAVOR.
UM, THEY ARE ANTICIPATING THAT THIS LEGISLATIVE SEASON'S GONNA BE A BIT VOLATILE JUST BECAUSE OF ALL THE CANDIDATES AND ELECTIONS AND STUFF.
AND SO, UM, I THINK, UH, IN PARTICULAR OF THINGS THAT WOULD AFFECT US, UH, IS THAT TO, UH, THEIR, AS WE ALL KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES THE MUNICIPALITIES, THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT THE HOT TAX CODE.
SO THEY ARE ANTICIPATING A LOT OF FOLKS COMING IN AND TRYING TO OPEN UP THE TAX CODE FOR THE HOTEL TAX TO PAY FOR THINGS THAT AREN'T REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE PAID FOR UNDER THAT FUND.
UM, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, THEY ARE ASKING TO, UM, KEEP OPENING UP THE, THE BRAND TEXAS, NOT BRAND TEXAS VISIT TEXAS OR TOUR TEXAS.
SO INCREASING FUNDING FOR THAT.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, THEY ARE TRYING TO, UH, PROPOSE SOME AMENDMENTS TO THE EVENT TRUST FUND, WHICH IS BASICALLY WHERE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS OR, UM, THEY CAN ASK FOR, UH, FUNDING TO BRING LARGE EVENTS TO THAT AREA.
SO THAT'S KIND OF JUST BASICALLY IT, BUT IT WAS A GOOD MEETING.
AND, UM, ALSO, UH, CAROLYN FROM THLA, SO COLTON, SHE GAVE YOU A SHOUT OUT.
SHE WAS INCREDIBLY FASCINATED WITH YOUR WORK.
UH, SHE LOVES EVERYTHING THAT THE BAYER CBB IS DOING.
AND, UM, GREAT EVENT WITH THE RECEPTION.
SHE WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT IT.
SHE, SHE WAS, SHE DEFINITELY LIKE, WAS LIKE, I LOVE COLTON SO MUCH, SO I HAD TO LET YOU KNOW.
THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
UM, AND THEN JUST WHAT BUTLER'S COURTYARD HAS, UH, OUR OPEN HOUSE NEXT MONTH WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS HAVE A MINI ENGAGEMENT SEASON IN THE SUMMER, SO PLEASE SEND PEOPLE TO YOUR LOCAL VENUES,
UM, WE'RE STILL SLOW MOVING TO BOOK 2025, BUT OPEN HOUSE WILL BE A BIG TELL.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US TO GET THESE WEDDINGS BOOKED BECAUSE THEY DO, THEY STAY IN THE HOTELS, YOU KNOW, THEY EAT AT THE RESTAURANTS.
THEY, I CATER LOCAL RESTAURANTS.
SO, AND I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A GUY YESTERDAY WHO OWNED SEVERAL SHORT TERM RENTALS IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THAT WAS THE FIRST QUESTION I ASKED HIM.
I, HE SAID, HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT? I WAS LIKE, WELL, UM, AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS AN OVERSTEP, BUT I DID MENTION TO HIM THAT WE COULD USE HIS VOICE ON IN OUR GROUP AND WE HAD SOME SEATS OPEN AND, UH, HE SAID HE WOULD THINK ABOUT THAT.
SO I GAVE HIM STEPHANIE'S INFORMATION IF HE HAD QUESTIONS, BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SPEAKING FOR YOUR PEOPLE AND DEFENDING YOU AND, YOU KNOW, MM-HMM.
HE WAS A VERY NICE DYNAMIC GUY.
THIS IS KIND OF A SIDE HUSTLE FOR HIM.
SO I THINK HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE TIME COMMITMENT.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, JUST IF, IF A GUY CALLS YOU AND IS LIKE, AMBER TOLD ME TO CALL YOU, THAT'S FINE.
WE HAVE LIKE 27 NOW IN COMPLIANCE.
IT WAS LIKE SEVEN A FEW MONTHS AGO.
SOUTH SHO HARBOR HAS THEIR WINE DINNER TOMORROW NIGHT AND WE STILL HAVE SOME SEATS AVAILABLE.
SO CALL THE HOTEL IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.
AND IT'S NOT REALLY A WINE DINNER TOMORROW NIGHT.
[00:45:01]
IT'S UM, BLUE CHAIR RUM SUPPORT HORSE MEAL.I THINK SARAH AND I WENT TO IT A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
I THINK WE DID THE PINEAPPLE RUM IS REALLY GOOD.
BUT ANYWAY, THEY DO A TASTING AND A PAIRING PER ENTREE, UM, AND IT'S REALLY CUTE AND GOOD AND WHATEVER.
SO IT'S A DISTRIBUTOR, SO THERE YOU GO.
UM, WE STILL HAVE OUR SIP AND SALES THAT THE TRAVEL WRITERS WENT ON.
A LITTLE BIT HOT IN THE SUMMERTIME, BUT GO ONLINE TO THE WEBSITE.
IT'S GOOD FOR THE FIRST 49 PASSENGERS AND THEY SELL OUT QUICKLY AND THEY FEATURE DIFFERENT, UM, ADULT BEVERAGES EACH TIME THAT THE BOAT GOES OUT.
AND THEY HAVE SAMPLES OF THAT PLUS WINE, BEER AND FOOD.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, JUST GOING AND BELOW AND WE'RE GETTING READY FOR A BIG GROUP TO COME IN STARTING FRIDAY.
UM, THE TEXAS CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY ASSOCIATION AND IT'S 350 PEOPLE ALL WEEK, SO WE'RE, WE'RE GEARING UP FOR THAT.
ONE THING I DRIVING HER CRAZY WITH, WE ALSO HAVE THE HIBISCUS GROUP COMING IN I THIS WEEKEND.
I'VE GOTTA GET BAGS READY FOR THEM.
A QUESTION ABOUT GROUPS, ANYTHING ABOUT BIRDING PEOPLE THIS SUMMER? THE BURNING FOLKS
SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE HAD A SUCCESSFUL ART EVENT HERE AT THE CIVIC CENTER WHERE WE HAD UM, A HUNDRED BIRDS OF GALVESTON COUNTY.
SO WE HAD A HUNDRED CANVASES HANGING IN THE NOT REAL BIRDS.
WELL, BUT WE DID HAVE REAL BIRDS AT THE EVENT.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE HUNDRED, UM, CANVASES THAT WERE HANGING ON THE WALL, WE HAD LIVE, LIVE BIRDS THAT WERE BEING LIVE PAINTED BY ARTISTS AT THE EVENT AS WELL.
UH, SO WE HAD THESE MEETING ROOMS OPEN AND THERE WAS A HAWK AND AN OWL.
UH, AND IT WAS QUITE FASCINATING.
PEOPLE WERE TAKING PICTURES AND, AND THEN THEY WERE PAINTING THE BIRDS AS WELL.
NOT WE HAD ALL BIRDS ON A CANVAS.
THEY WEREN'T PAINTING THE BIRDS.
THE YES, NO BIRDS WERE HARMED IN THIS EVENT.
UH, SO IT WAS A FUNDRAISING EVENT FOR THE PATRONS OF THE PARKS AND THE ARTS.
SO ANYBODY THAT BOUGHT ONE OF THE CANVASES FOR A HUNDRED DOLLARS, UH, IT WENT STRAIGHT TO THE PATRONS.
UM, WE DID HAVE SOME LEFTOVER CANVASES, SO THEY WERE SELLING THEM AT WHITE LINEN KNIGHTS.
AND IF WE HAVE ANY LEFTOVER, WHICH I BELIEVE WE STILL DO, WE'RE GONNA PUT 'EM IN THE LOBBY BECAUSE I CONSTANTLY GET COMPLAINTS IF THERE'S NOT SOME ART HANGING IN THIS LOBBY.
PEOPLE, PEOPLE WANT SOMETHING, PEOPLE EXPECT IT NOW.
SO, UM, BUT UH, WE HAD SEVERAL FOLKS FROM FEATHER FEST THAT CAME ON OUT AND THE WOMAN THAT HOSTS FEATHER FE OR STEPHANIE, SHE TALKED TO YOU, THEIR BOARD CHAIR.
YEAH, THEIR BOARD CHAIR CAME AND SHE WAS JUST BLOWN AWAY BY THE EVENT.
SHE THOUGHT IT WAS VERY, VERY NICE.
AND SHE LOVED THAT LEE CITY DID THIS AND THEY'RE REALLY ENCOURAGING US TO GO FOR OUR BIRD CITY CERTIFICATION.
GAL WANTS US TO BE BIRD'S FRIENDLY CERTIFIED.
AS LONG AS THEY CHANGE THEIR APPLICATION PROCESS, IT'S VERY, BECAUSE IT'S LIKE A FULL-TIME PERSON'S JOB.
BUT I KNOW THEY WERE GOING BACK TO KIND OF THE DRAWING BOARD 'CAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE BOARD APPLICATION OPEN IN 2023.
SO I THINK THEY KIND OF WENT BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD REALIZING LIKE, THIS IS A LITTLE MUCH FOR A CITY.
SO, BUT UM, BUT I KNOW THE FEATHER FEST FOLKS WERE LIKE, OH, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO NEXT YEAR? WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU AS PART, PART OF, AS OUR EVENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD DO A HUNDRED BIRDS OF GALVESTON COUNTY AGAIN, BUT WE'LL FIGURE OUT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO FOR, UM, FOR THE FEATHER FEST FOLKS NEXT YEAR IT WENT REALLY? THAT WAS A IN WITH SPRING BIRDING.
UH, FOR SUMMER BIRDING, WE HAVE OUR SUMMER BIRDS HERE, BUT AS FAR AS TRACKING INDIVIDUAL BURGERS THAT ARE COMING IN TO DO SUMMER BIRDING, IT'S REALLY HARD TO DO.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY LIKE, MAJOR CAMPAIGNS RUNNING RIGHT NOW.
OUR CAMPAIGN, THIS SUMMER'S MOSTLY ABOUT COMING HERE FOR THE SUMMER TOURISM SOMETIMES.
SO, UM, WE'RE NOT TRACKING THE BIRD WATCHERS INDIVIDUALLY.
ANYTHING ELSE? ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, UH, ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO MENTION? NO.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO SAY THIS FOR THE RECORD 'CAUSE WE DID ATTENDANCE, BUT TASIA PATEL, UM, WAS PRESENT HERE FOR THE LAST HALF.
SO OFFICIALLY ON RECORD SHE WAS HERE.