I said you make sure you were here tonight.

Well, I should already prepped me that a lot of this stuff was uh gonna be on here.

So I was just staying because if you guys asked him when you were in our need to be the terrorist.

Oh yeah, they used to say that we try to roll pay if I nominate you.

Well it's our second thing, it's our second item for I.

Are we ready?

All right.

Call to order for visit BA.

Tuesday, October 14th, 2025.

That's me today.

Okay.

Uh Schneider, here.

Ford.

Here.

Dean?

Here.

Yardie?

Here.

Swanson here?

Hey again?

Here.

Muskrat?

Here.

All right.

Action item I or A.

I.

Jeez.

251449 presentation by Clarity of Place.

Highlights of Broken Arrow's new five-year tourism strategic plan.

This is going to be a virtual presentation, and so we are hoping there she is.

Okay.

Tina, can you hear us?

She should be able to go.

Tina, can you hear us now?

I can.

Okay.

You are up.

Oh, cool.

I should have been more previously.

Let's see.

We can share.

You don't need to share your screen.

Oh, but except can you see?

I share.

Yep.

Okay.

Yeah, we should be able to go, so just let us know when you need to switch slides.

Sure.

Well, thank you for um giving me time on your agenda.

Um and it's it's great to at least hear your voices again.

Um we wanted to before we get any further on this tourism strategic plan.

We wanted to have the chance to brief you all on kind of what we've come up with.

Um as many of you know, and it's actually if you can go to the next slide.

Um we've been working with Michaela and uh Aaron uh since the spring uh to help them develop what we're calling a church and strategic plan.

Um with the idea of taking the information that you know about the destination.

Um let's see here.

But taking the taking the information that we know about the destination that is broken arrow and trying to find ways that we can help Michaela and Aaron and the team there at the city optimize what we call the visible part.

Um generating activity uh for the through the local hospitality industry.

Um and then also kind of with an idea of creating those um data points, uh the that information, those pre points um to help with future policy decisions.

Um and then ways to connect all the different assets that you have in Broken Arrow to uh encourage more visitation, um especially overnight visitation.

If you can go to the next slide.

And so we did this uh in the spirit or the understanding that uh whether it's visitors, we're whether it's residents, whether it's companies, we all share this place that's called Broken Arrow.

And so our goal um with visit broken arrow and optimizing the visitor economy is how do we use the assets that make broken arrow a great place to live, also a great place to visit.

Uh spend the night, spend their uh spend money and uh contribute to the city's tax base.

Um and so we did so in looking at kind of um reminding uh the different stakeholders within the city.

Um I'm sorry, next slide.

Um that tourism is about inviting visitors uh to come and experience our place, um, letting them enjoy the attractions, the assets, the the the great experiences that we have in Broken Arrow.

And to do this for the strategic plan, um, next slide.

We did so in um roughly five phases.

Um first phase really wasn't a phase, but it was kind of a kickoff meeting.

Um but we always want to make sure that you know we get the RFP that was issued was very clear and stated what visit broken arrow means.

Um but we wanted to make sure before we started any of the assessments, any of the data collection, that we're really understood what Michaela and Aaron needed to go forward and needed out of this strategic plan, uh, both on a uh to report back to you all as the board to report back to the city, but also as kind of implementing because they are the ones who are the day-to-day implementers, and so wanted to make sure that we understood kind of their needs before we jumped uh into the planning process.

Um but once we did, uh we did um we we work to get do a number of different assessments, comparisons to understand kind of where Broken Arrow is currently as a destination.

Uh we also always like to see what we call ground truths, kind of that data collection and what we see on paper or on a screen, uh, with engaging with your stakeholders, your hospitality partners, uh, the city leaders, to really understand and build a context around this thing that is the visitor economy in Broken Arrow.

Um, from that and comparing uh both what we saw on paper and what we heard when we had those discussions, kind of looked around and saw what else is going on in the travel market, uh understanding the travel behaviors have changed tremendously uh over the past five years.

Uh, this year has been a year of uncertainty.

So looking at kind of those flows of visitors and why they visit Broken Arrow, what causes them to want to uh make a trip, an overnight trip.

Um, and from from all of those assessments uh created uh the plan that we're about to summarize for you today.

Um you'll see in the plan uh that we've spent um next slide, um, a lot of time kind of just making the case for this is this is the product and these are the assets that broken arrow has because we know that to build uh build visitation, uh encourage visitor spending, we have to have product to sell.

And so spent some time in the situational assessment, looking at kind of broken arrow's competitive position uh within the market, its demographics, uh kind of how it competes with others, uh, and then as you'll see in a couple of slides, compare broken arrow to some peer cities and some inspirational cities of what um what we could do to increase visitation.

Uh we also looked at uh again those visitor assets, knowing that the amphitheater will be coming online, knowing that the Rose District is already a big draw.

But how do we connect uh those anchors along with the great um assets that you have in the museums in the city, uh the parks, the sports venues, uh the veteran heritage veteran heritage sites.

So, how do we pull together that tapestry of the destination so that we can continue to extend the brand of Broken Arrow as a small town, but also encourage folks to come and enjoy all of the different experiences that there are to be had in the city.

Let me be good to the next slide.

Um you'll see we spent a lot, not a lot of time, but we spent a good bit of time kind of looking at hotel lodging stock, uh, knowing that uh the way that uh visit broken arrow was spended and the way that they are able to rent visitation is through that collection of the lodging tax.

And so try to understand kind of where we sit as a city in terms of having that supply to generate uh those lodging taxes.

And so you'll see we did um some work uh on looking at kind of the surrounding cities in addition to that comparative set that I mentioned a little earlier.

Um, as we were doing that um assessment, uh we found that you know Broken Arrow is very competitive in terms of supply.

We also looked at the next slide, kind of the performance, um knowing that your visitation is seasonal, but that it's strong, and that you know, going over to uh post-COVID times and over the last three years, that we've been able to, there's been some spikes, but we've been able to both maintain that occupancy trend, uh, but then also that average daily rate because you know you you not only have to have folks coming and staying in your hotels, but is the more they pay for that hotel uh overnight uh it the more uh percentage of lodging types we get.

And so wanting to make sure that those are strong and those foundations were in place.

Um the next thing we did, as I mentioned, uh was looked at Broken Arrow in relation to, and next slide, uh in relation to three other what we called comp sets.

Uh, we know that as we try to attract visitors, whether they're day trippers or whether they're an overnight visitors, we have to attract them uh to come to Broken Arrow as opposed to other places.

And so we looked at Edmund, Rogers, and Franklin, Edmund and Rogers, mostly for that kind of peer-to-peer comparison.

So in full disclosure, how do we steal more of those people that are visiting Rogers and convince them to come to Broken Arrow?

And then Franklin was a little more of that aspirational look, wanting to understand Franklin just out outside of Nashville, a very fast growing suburb.

Wanted to kind of just get some ideas, thoughts, input from their experience as we try to grow visit Broken Arrows destination, but also keep that authentic feel that we we have in the city and make sure that as we grow the visitor destination, we're able to balance that need to grow those assets and have those assets as resident assets and attraction as your population continues to grow within the city limits.

So I said, as I said, we did those kind of all the screen on paper analysis, but wanted to make sure, and did you go to the next slide, that we ground truth those against what we heard on the ground.

You are the residents who are the leaders of Broken Arrow and you know your place much more intimately than we could ever.

And so we wanted to make sure that we got your inputs and your ideas and your thoughts on what you want this destination to become as it continues to grow and as we continue to optimize your visitor economy.

So we did this in two ways.

We conducted interviews with the city leadership, got a lot of great content and understanding of kind of how tourism fits within the larger city and the larger climbing.

But then also did a series of focus groups where my colleague Haley went and talked to different affinity groups, so hoteliers, folks involved in sports, uh, folks involved in the events and festivals, uh, to get kind of a 360 view of kind of what makes Broken Arrow special as a destination.

Um, and then also what your key stakeholders want to see as we grow in the future.

And so you'll see we've listed some of the key themes that kind of were most exemplary of kind of the conversations that took place.

Um what's not on there after I was um going over my slides, uh, should have uh called out more about the excitement of the amphitheater that are coming online, knowing that that is going to be a game changer uh in terms of the products of the uh city and wanting to make sure that uh we're able to leverage that asset, knowing that the surrounding area is going to develop over time.

But how do we link the amphitheater to the Rose District or to other places within Broken Arrow?

So when we have someone coming in for a show, that they don't just get in their car and go home, but they spend some time within the city and make an experience out of it.

Um the stakeholder survey is a different color because we had all great intentions uh to uh issue a stakeholder survey of hospitality businesses to kind of get a broader perspective beyond just the folks that were able to join us in the focus groups.

Um we found that the late summer uh we were asking, we uh collectively were asking your residents about a lot of things.

Uh so we wanted to hold off on that survey, and what we've done instead is created a survey for Michaela and Erin to be able, once the plan is adopted and it's got some traction going, to be able to set a baseline to make sure that your stakeholders, your businesses are pleased with the direction it's going in and are able to contribute uh even more input and thoughts as that implementation takes place.

Um so next slide.

Um so we took the uh quantitative data and the qualitative data that we got from the stakeholder engagement and did your basic SWAT analysis.

Uh, so took some time to look at from the view of Broken Arrow as a destination, what are your strengths, what are your weaknesses, and kind of given those and given the trends that we saw, what are some opportunities for visit broken arrow to move the needle and really optimize that visitor economy and be able to contribute, uh make sure that tourism and visitation contributes positively to Broken Arrow in balancing the needs of preserving that uh genuine uh character that you have, that small town feel, the authenticity that broken arrow brings.

Um I should have mentioned as we were looking at the comparative set, um, you know, there are hundreds of cities around the US that have really great main streets.

There are hundreds of cities that have neat museums and different aspects that uh can bring to bear to a visitor.

Um there are not as many, but there are several that have those veterans assets and that are welcoming.

But what we saw is Broken Arrow's strengths is that you have a tapestry of those, and you have that unique mix of that character and the amenities and the accessibility, and the opportunity is to kind of leverage that and get into different markets to encourage more visitation, longer stays to be able to contribute to that overnight that lodging tax, but also the sales tax that is generated when people come through and enjoy the amenities that are in Broken Arrow.

And so the last slide just summarizes some of those imperatives.

So given the opportunities and the threats we uh uh identified for Broken Arrow, the next slide just summarizes those imperatives that we're suggesting to the visit broken arrow team can help move the needle and optimizing visit or coming and increasing visitation.

So if you'll just go to the next slide, is my next last one.

Um so you'll see that there are five of them.

Um again, as I mentioned in the beginning, what we tried to do was give give those, give that direction uh to the staff.

Um thing that we know with working with several destinations and helping them do these strategic plans is that the team on the ground are the true experts of the community.

And so what we what we didn't want to do was to be too prescriptive uh to uh Michaela and Aaron and the the city and and things like you must do this, but wanted to give them kind of the direction uh to go into.

Um, if these are your strengths is a destination, if these are your opportunities, here's some imperatives that you could take on either leading or partnering with others uh to move the needle and increase visitation and optimize a visitor economy.

Uh so looking at things like leveraging those strategic infrastructure investments.

Uh, the city has invested and continues to invest a lot in those quality of place assets, and so making sure that as people come to visit Broken Arrow for whatever reason, uh they make use of those anchors that you have, um and then hopefully use those anchors to extend those visits.

So instead of just a day visit, it's an overnight visit.

Um, so again, working at ways to increase visitor spending uh throughout the city and capturing that value that they bring.

Um, and in doing so, or to do so, uh leaning into those authentic experiences that only broken arrow offers.

Um, and so not selling kind of what you can do in broken arrow and the the tapestry of amenities, the other the various interest groups that will find uh great experiences in Broken Arrow as opposed to just selling uh Broken Arrow as a place to come visit.

Um looking at ways to what we call strengthening the visitor economy by getting more businesses engaged in this thing called tourism and being more visitor facing.

Um this came up a lot as we were looking at how do you how do you from the get-go leverage uh the amphitheater being online you're not gonna make the amphitheater any closer to the Rose District, but you can make it easier for a visitor to understand what they can do before or after the go-go show and again keep their dollars in the city.

Um the fourth imperative builds on that welcomingness that Broken Arrow has and that that genuine commitment uh to honoring our veterans and so leaning into veterans' heritage tourism, uh, making it a signature of the destination and uh offering programming, offering experiences to get more of those visitors coming through the city.

Uh, and then the last is building upon the creative, the cultural offerings, the great um initial impacts uh that we've seen from the film incentive uh and building on those, and so kind of taking that pilot project, recognizing the value that it has and bringing that uh film, that creative feel into the city and building on those going forward.

Um and as I said, uh we wanted to do so in a way that wasn't terribly prescriptive but gave direction.

Uh so as you'll see in the plan, we offer those imperatives and give the rationale for why these are imperatives that we believe uh visit broken arrow should pursue, um, give some recommended strategies of kind of here's the direction that you might want to go into, and then give some examples of initiatives, tasks, tactics uh that could help them understand kind of how to actually implement uh the plan going forward.

And so last slide, um our next steps are to get oh, and next to the last slide on my screen, not on their screen.

Um we receive some great impact uh input from the city leadership.

Uh so we will be integrating that.

Uh but our next step is to kind of take uh the draft that we've shared uh with Michaela and with the city leadership, um, put it together in a user-friendly document.

Uh so when someone asked Nikhaila next month, whatever happened to that strategic plan, she will have a nice glossy document to share that kind of brings the the high points and then gives kind of some of the background behind why we um are suggesting yeah, here it is uh going forward, and so that's kind of our next step.

Um happy to answer any questions you might have or um that's that's how the plan shaped up, and then uh the last slide is um that last slide is the team that helped.

Um we were very fortunate to be able to lean on our strategic partners at Human Horn, uh Jeremy Stolly uh was just a wonderful asset in helping us just really get to know the place that is broken arrow and kind of how it fits within the the greater region, uh, and then some of you were able to meet my colleagues Haley and David throughout the process.

Thank you, Tina.

Um, I'll just say really quickly that we just went through the first draft um with the city manager yesterday, and he just made a couple suggestions for changes, nothing major, just a few lines.

Um, and so once we get that back, um I'd like to share it with all of you so that you can actually read through it.

It's about 25 pages, right, Tina?

Um, but it has great great strategies that are realistic.

Um that Aaron and I feel confident um about being able to actually use it and it's a document that won't just sit on a shelf.

Um we're very excited about it and the direction that um this team has given us for the next five years.

So I think you guys can ask questions.

She should be able to hear you if you have any okay.

Tina, you did a great job.

Thank you so much.

Great, thank you.

And Mikaela, I'll get you the uh the updated draft, and then um, as you said, you can share it and then still open for for any feedback once you do uh read the plan uh and get some time to sit with it.

Thank you.

Great, enjoy the rest of your meeting.

All right, general visit broken arrow business A251413 consideration discussion of possible approval of meeting minutes from September 9th, 2025.

I'll make a motion to approve 25-1413.

I'll second.

Was that Tommy who seconded?

Yes.

Snyder, yes.

Uh Ford, yes, Dean?

Yes.

Yarty?

Yes.

Swanson?

Yes.

Hagan?

Yes.

Muskrat.

Yes.

Okay.

Action item B 251367.

Consideration, discussion, and possible approval of nominations for election of chairman and vice chairman of the visit BA board.

So uh I'll just say that at the last council meeting, actually, the past two council meetings, we had a reappointment of counselor Ford as our councilman on the board, and then we had uh reappointment of Kathy, Craig, and who was the other one?

Tommy.

Um lots of names to remember.

And then we do um we did have a new appointment of uh Miss Sarah Lopp who will be joining us at our next meeting.

So I just wanted to say that, and then after now that we have sort of our new board for the next two years, we do every year nominate a chair and a vice chair.

So that is up to you all to decide.

So is there like term limits or like if someone's serving now, they can continue to serve if we vote that way.

Yeah.

Well, I'll I'll make the motion to um have Brian Dean continue as chairperson and Tommy consider uh be the vice chair.

Is that two different motions?

No, that'd be one motion.

Let's keep them.

Yeah, keep them both.

Snyder, yes.

Ford, yes, Dean?

Yes.

Yardy?

Yes.

Swanson?

Yes.

Hagen?

Yes.

Muskrat.

Yes.

Congratulations.

Nice.

Thank you.

All right.

Action item C 251379, consideration discussion of possible approval and authorization of the 2026 regularly scheduled meetings for visit BA.

So on this item, every year, uh the clerk's office has to publish these dates by a certain date, it's probably in here.

Um by December 15th of each year.

So these are the dates we just stayed with the Tuesday every other Tuesday at 3:30.

So these are those dates.

Um last year we had to move our November meeting because of what the way Veterans Day fell, but this year we didn't have to do that, so they should all be the standard Tuesday.

I'll make a motion to um accept the schedule.

I second it.

Snyder, yes.

Ford, yes, Dean?

Yes.

Yardie?

Yes.

Swanson?

Yes.

Hagan?

Yes.

Muskrat.

Yes.

All right.

Action item D 251451.

Consideration discussion and possible approval for the Gatesway Pow Wow sponsorship request in the amount of 4500.

Pending required follow-up report submitted.

Okay, so we have a couple representatives from Gatesway, and they're going to be talking to you about their powwow that's coming up and their rebate request.

Yeah, but you can just pass it in.

Hi.

How are you?

Thank you.

Thanks.

Forgive me, I'm nervous.

Um basically this uh Powell was created to celebrate inclusion and to honor the strength and spirit of individuals with disabilities.

Um that is what we do.

We provide care and we wanted to bring awareness to the community.

Um around BA and surrounding areas.

Um so it provides a space where we can bring awareness to the community, come together, reminding us that every person, no matter the their ability, holds an important place in our circle.

This year is the second annual uh disability awareness pow out, and we're proud to host it right here in Broken Arrow.

Uh the event brings together dancers, drum groups, artists, families, um, native and non-native in share culture learning and uplifting one another.

Um we've also partnered with many, we have like 19 vendors, and it's so exciting.

They're from California to white Wyoming, so it we're bringing quite a few people to um Broken Arrow.

Many, many organizations uh that are supporting us.

Uh more importantly, uh we're celebrating advocacy in action and creating visibility and understanding in unity.

Uh we would love broken arrow to stand and support us together and show that what inclusion really looks like and uh bringing culture and community together.

Pass out of here and we welcome any questions.

Yes or so, in order to do this event, um, we are asking for a sponsorship from visit BA to help us fund this event as we go.

Since it's a second annual, it'll just continue to grow and and go and do so.

We're asking for $4,500 for sponsorship to recognize visit BA recognize the city and bring that in to help us fund this to make this possible.

Did we sponsor it last year?

No.

So this will be the first.

So what will you use the 4500 for?

What did you use that money for?

Um, so basically, um we've gotten some hotel rooms.

Um that's gonna be for the rebate.

Um we it might have we might have inclement weather, so we're gonna need um extra support like a tent and things like that.

Basically, just other things that we haven't accounted for to provide um contest um to provide uh food for the vendors, uh volunteers, um just to make it successful.

So this is like this weekend.

It is this weekend.

It is.

We've been working really hard.

We've done um some fundraisers, we did uh uh Indian taco dinner, we raised funds for that.

Um but right now if if you guys grant us this um sponsorship, it would just take us over to be very comfortable with what we have.

So we did work to put in some benefits that would be able to kick in fast, and if anybody has additional ideas, we would we would welcome them if uh if the board decides as a fundraiser for the last 25 years.

This event, I don't like events.

I told on this, but I love this event.

There are events I love, but um this is a unique event, it's a community event.

Um we believe um we had a visit with Oklahoma Arts Council two weeks ago, and they won't sponsor us this year, but they're uh they really express some excitement about it for next year.

Uh it's very unique.

The Gatesway Balloon Festival for years and years was known for decades, and um, and it we truly believe that this could be the next uh um the next Gatesway Balloon Festival in terms of community recognition and branding, and it's uh the it doesn't have as much delicacy and uh uh uh being as delicate in terms of weather related challenges with balloon festivals.

If the wind is off even a tiny bit, that's it.

And so um this uh really um can give Gatesway, and if you haven't been to Gatesway, please come out for a site visit.

But this gives Gatesway the the next open door to a really amazing unique community event, and Dawn uh being our our fearless leader of this and having uh really been the founder of this event.

Um we are embedded into the cultural community, which is you know, I mean that's super super exciting.

Friday night we plan on doing um like a uh honor special just for people with disabilities so they can come out to the circle and dance and enjoy and we just give honor to them and celebrate them because you know they are unique and we want them to know that they can do absolutely anything that they put their mind to.

So we're just really excited about this.

And this event was its first year last year, and it was unbelievably except successful.

It was much more people came out than we had any idea of.

We didn't think I well, I personally didn't think that we was gonna have that many people.

A couple hundred, well, not even a couple of hundred, but we we did have from room to room, we just had it, it was just packed.

Well, it was the estimated attendance of the event.

I think we had two about 275.

Yeah.

Last year, and it was only about a six or eight hour day, and so this one will be a full two days, uh, six six hours on Friday evening, and then Saturday will be about a 12 hour day.

So it'll expand over.

It's a baby.

This event is it's growing, and with events too, um, we're getting better and better in terms of with this one.

We already said we're gonna start planning the day after this one's over, because that's what you have to do.

It needs to be a 12-month process.

Um, but uh I mean, yeah, that's yeah.

It's very exciting though because um the native community has really like talked about it.

It's grown so much within the community.

Um and in the disability community, we have other agencies that are gonna come and uh support us and we support them.

So it's it's it's growing quite quick.

Yes, it's very exciting.

There's wraparound events.

We did a fundraiser, a taco sale, and more we sold out uh we just to raise funds so that we can put it on, and we sold out twice.

That's right.

That's right.

I did go to Walmart.

Um, but but um, but even that created excitement and community and people in the neighborhood came in when you posted on socials, and so there's there's things uh even around this event, whether it's fundraising up to the event or um or eventually donor recognition things that also um become uh a part of it growing and really taking some some deep roots just like Gatesway has.

How much money you guys raised so far?

25.

No.

Oh, the fish, the I mean.

No, we we've raised um 15.

Yeah, it's about 7500.

We count so far.

Yeah, there were yeah, we've got we've got a gap of about 4500 to complete this in total, yeah.

From start to finish.

So the including the hotel.

Is it an outdoor location?

Is it weather permitting, yes?

If not, we're gonna put it on our gymnasium on campus.

It will still be on this at the campus.

Yeah, yeah, it'll be on our property.

Okay, all right, gotcha.

So, and just for clarification, this does replace the hotter balloon festival that we had every year.

So we were trying to get away from that to diversify because it just Oklahoma weather, so we started this last year to be our annual fundraiser to replace that and bring in some culture and so community in a different type of way.

So that's how this was started.

And it was so successful that we're gonna keep it.

We do.

Um we've we've been in partnership with we haven't gotten sponsorship from them yet, but uh Creek Nation has expressed their um their support.

That's why we said we're gonna start much much earlier because everybody's budgets were kind of done whenever we started asking for support.

But everyone is um very intrigued, very excited about it, especially with it being within the disability community.

Um Creek Nation, they only support from children up to 18, which is opposite of us.

We do from 18 on up.

So that makes us kind of blend together.

Yeah, so they're they're very motion to approve the 4500.

Um I'll second that Snyder, yes.

Ford, yes, Dean, yes, you're already yes, Swanson, yes, Hagan, yes, muscrat.

Yes, thank you all.

Thank you so very much.

But next year, come to us sooner.

Y'all will probably see us in December.

Well, because there's a lot of things that we could have helped you with and our I mean on our side too to help with ticket sales and that type of thing.

Um, I think we probably missed a big opportunity by you coming just the week before it's so definitely come to us sooner next month.

Come see us, come come to the Power Out.

Yeah, sounds fine.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Good luck.

Okay, all right.

Action item E251462 consideration discussion and possible approval of film incentive rebate in the amount of 41,000.

Okay, so I'll just say real quick the next two items are both for this film, and um there's a representative here to talk about it.

Cassidy's here, and so um as you remember back in February we approved the 100,000 dollar film incentive rebate, and almost immediately after we got the request from the Horrified film, and we approved up to 59,000 for them.

Um we that went very well.

We're still waiting on them to come back and and obviously do a post-event summary um and verify all of the funds that we approve for them.

So in the um now we got the second request, um and their budget is much bigger, and so technically, if we're going by the 10% rebate, they would have qualified for uh above and beyond the 100,000, all of it.

And so um I let Cassidy know I'm like, well, unfortunately we don't have a hundred thousand dollars left yet.

Um so of that we have 41,000.

And then um I just uh you know, there they're in this it says 250 to 300 room nights.

I talked to her this morning and she said it's actually gonna be about 550 to 800 room nights, uh, which is a big um a big deal, and so we did a separate item that would be allowing them, which is up to you all, but it would be allowing them to use our hotel rebate for an additional um 12,500, and that was based on the number of 250 to 300 hotel room nights, and so that was just a way of you know they would qualify for just the hotel room rebate um if they were to just come for that, and so it's a way of giving them a little bit more for this investment that they're gonna make in our community.

So um I just wanted to explain that because there's two items that are gonna both be hers.

So if you want to come up and share.

Oh, that's okay.

Is there a made up plugin or do I just I can just I just made a presentation?

Can you can you hook up our presentation or no?

You have a mic or I don't have the email it to me.

I can do that.

Okay, I'm a very visual person.

I like to see stuff.

Just getting stuff too.

Well, and that last item I was gonna recommend like maybe 2,000.

Yeah, but since you I mean, I'm fine, but like, geez, the three days.

Yeah, I mean I love the concept, you know, of the powwow, and but three days before the event for however many not many.

Well big so far.

Yeah, but the 4500 is just theirs, like they don't have to do it's the hotel rooms that they get rebacks.

I know, I know, yeah, I know.

That's why it's fine.

But I'm not gonna give them the whole thing.

You're fine.

But I could have made that through.

Yeah.

I was just waiting for somebody.

I'm gonna sit in there praying about the time.

None of us wants to feel bad.

We all have a soft heart.

Don't let anyone know that.

Keep your poker very long.

Now it's not fashionable.

Electronics.

But that I wonder who that's tickets at the door.

So like maybe they'll still make more money.

You know what I mean?

Maybe they'll still make it.

I'll resend it.

That's what I was saying.

Thanks for having me.

We're really excited.

I moved to Tulsa about, you probably heard from Tally and Randy.

They tally and Randy who did Horrified are Randy's actually from here.

I'm not from Oklahoma.

I moved here in 2021.

I was what I call the LA pandemic baby, where like I came just to get out of Los Angeles.

And I've really just had just a wonderful time.

I have two young daughters, and I'm you know, just getting out of the city and moving here has been like just wonderful for my family and my children.

I also have to say I moved from a tiny little like 1300 square foot house where we were all cramped to like a very large house where I'm kind of semi-regretting it.

I want a small house, but I got that that eyes are too big for your stomach moment.

Um like, what I can afford what?

No, anyways, just kidding.

So um, all right, so I've been producing films here in Oklahoma since I've uh been here.

Uh before I moved to Oklahoma, I um was at Sony Pictures Television, and so I work a lot with Sony Pictures.

Um since being here, I've produced uh four or five different films and two series.

Um one of the series was called A Thousand Tomorrows.

We shot in and around Tulsa.

We actually shot in some of the Roken Arrow as well.

Um it's on Netflix if anybody wants to see it.

So it was in the top 10, it was number five for like a month, like in September.

So it's still there, it'll be there for two years.

It's really really great.

A thousand tomorrow.

Yep, great show.

Um this one, that one was and the reason I'm bringing this up, is uh that one was with Sony Affirm.

Sonya firm is their faith-based arm.

Oh, thanks.

Yeah, cool.

Um, Sony Firm is their faith-based arm uh of of Sony Pictures.

This will be a theatrical release right now.

Our budget is 6.7 million.

Um we this is a true story uh about two pastors in Pomona, California.

Um, actually a youth pastor in in Pomona, California, who used to be part of the gang um community in that neighborhood and then became a youth pastor, and he ended up being gunned down, but before he was gunned down, he had a vision of creating unity between a lot of the gang members and bringing people into the fold.

And since that his parents kind of took over, they ended up finding the um uh the the the boy who had actually shot him and the his parents were pastors, and it was a it's a beautiful redemption story and forgiveness story about the parents forgiving the boy who actually shot their son who was a pastor and the community coming together, this very large community that never had been gotten together before in Pomona getting together and creating this unity on March.

And in Pomona, the true facts of the story is that the murder rate went down by 50% after this March.

So it's a very beautiful, like just amazing story.

And we're stealing it from California.

How cool is that?

So um Mucho Moss is the other production company.

They're an amazing, they do a lot of um, they obviously Mucho Moss, they do a lot of uh Latino uh based work.

They're actually producing Labamba, which I'm hoping to get here.

We'll see.

Uh in another year or so.

Um, Red Clay Studios, that's my company.

Um, I bring a lot of these stuff, these things here.

You can go to the next one.

That's we'll see what I have here.

Okay, that's just the story I kind of told you about.

Um yeah, I already told you about that.

So we can go to the next one.

All right, so um I anticipate about a million in local spending, 500 plus room nights.

I just changed that to make sure that things we're hoping to shoot in broken arrow for five to seven of our 25 shooting days.

Um I anticipate in anywhere between 15 to 20.

These numbers can go up because like I said, I started with 300, and I'm like, oh my gosh, we're bringing in so many more people.

We're gonna end up at 500.

Um, and then our casting crew is over a hundred people.

Uh I already know we're looking at the Broken Arrow Courthouse as a location, which is really exciting.

It sounds like everybody loves that, and everybody wants to go with the broken air courthouse.

But um so one of the other things, I work a lot with both all the film commissions.

I started a uh a nonprofit here in Oklahoma when I got here because there was no film community yet called Oklahoma Motion Picture Alliance.

Um we're a nonprofit that that creates avenues of uh networking and then also lobbies for uh film and tax incentives.

So we are very excited that Broken Arrows.

Like I live in Tulsa, so I'm very excited Broken Arrow is offering this because I think the city's offering these extra incentives is just a fantastic way to bring um dollars into the city.

Okay, we'll go to the next one.

Eight to one return.

That's my spiel for that.

You yeah, you can put it up as well.

Okay.

Um, this is the I you know, I know it's a hundred, so you know.

Uh obviously we're spending over a million dollars.

We're probably spend well over a million dollars with this within uh broken arrow with that five to save seven days spending.

There's a lot of um uh what would I call those costs?

Just costs that you probably don't even recognize that are spent in the in within the city within the restaurants when 200 people drop into your city and just have nothing else to do except for spend on entertainment and um you know movies and whatever, especially our crew who's you know, if we are housing 20 to 25 people, uh their weekends are filled with a lot of uh expenditures that we don't even kind of put out there and and are part of that.

Um I think what else can I tell you about our film?

I don't know.

Um I don't know.

It's it's uh let's see, let me see what it would the next slide I have.

Oh, okay, you can go to the next slide.

Um so this is I think it's a really great opportunity.

Um just for Broken Arrows logo because we're we are a theatre, it's it is going to be theatrical for Broken Arrows logo to be on a theatrical um uh stage.

Um, you know, Sony A firm has put out all of these a kind of you know, some of these larger films, heaven for real, Soul Surfer, love that one War Room, freaking amazing.

Um anyways, some of these to have Broken Arrow's logo be out there on this kind of theatrical basis, and I already know they're gearing up for a really amazing uh publicity campaign for this film.

So we would request and love to be able to shoot in broken arrow.

I know you probably like I shouldn't say this for my own self, we're probably gonna shoot here anyways.

Um but it will definitely push me to then push my my my location manager to make sure we find as much as we can of Broken Arrow.

Obviously, uh we're coming even with whatever rebate uh that you have, and um because I just believe in film and and I I um I think the film brings a lot to a community and really bolsters a community and I I think that again, even if um even if it was a smaller amount or a bigger amount, I hopefully hopefully this will also encourage and you can see from from our end how much it impacts a community.

So yeah.

Do you have any uh idea how many movie theaters that you're anticipating to open up into?

I don't yet, that hasn't been discussed, but I could probably you know it it's definitely gonna be at least a small theatrical.

That all kind of depends on the market.

Um, you know, if the market is the feeders then keep it longer if it if it has uh and then it goes to other theaters.

So I know definitely um we might it might be a 30 to 50 screen.

Um if obviously shooting in Oklahoma will we'll definitely do a premiere here, I would assume.

So yeah.

And when is the uh project looking to be filmed?

Oh yeah, sorry.

So we start shooting November 10th, we shoot for two and a half weeks, we go down for Thanksgiving, and we come back up uh and shoot two and a half weeks before the end of the year.

So we finish production our production shooting, and then we go into post.

It should be done maybe in August of next year to to hand over to the studio for their kind of publicity marketing campaign.

So unless anybody's got any other questions, uh make a motion to approve 41,000.

Second?

You can second it.

I'm excited.

I'm so excited.

Yay, me too.

Uh Snyder.

Yes.

Ford, yes.

Dean.

Yes.

You already swanson?

Yes.

Hagan?

Yes.

Yes.

We're so excited too.

We're so excited.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

On the second one, um, that's the next item.

He'll watch that movie tonight.

I don't know that she needs to present anything.

I think he just needs Brian just needs to present it to us, probably.

All right.

On that note, action item F 251469.

For something like that.

I guess just in addition to hotel tax.

I'll make a motion on item 25-1469 to reimburse 12,500 up to 12,500 for hotels.

Yeah.

Okay.

Snyder, yes.

Ford?

Yes.

Dean?

Yes.

Yardy?

Yes.

Swanson?

Yes.

Hagan?

Yes.

Yes.

I'll just say that I'm happy that our money's run out, but I'll be back to figure out how we can make this now a permanent permanent part of the budget.

So we'll talk about that.

But so when does our year run out?

Huh?

When does the year our hundred thousand dollar budget?

Yeah.

It's a July, right?

So I don't like my hand.

I thought that was the same schedule, but may have to bring some back to the council.

Well, maybe we bring some back to the council.

Yeah.

Has anyone else reached out in film industry between now and the budget cycle?

Not yet.

But I think based on what you'll hear from the next item, and um she talked about OKMPA.

Um they're having a an event this Saturday, and they this was actually the second invite we've gotten.

Um, but I'm gonna be on a panel that's talking about just coming back and listening.

Okay, right.

Oh no, you're just saying for the next item.

I was looking for my phone, so oh yeah.

I don't think you left it up, right?

Um to be on a panel that's talking about I mean, we're definitely and Brad, he's coming up next, but he'll talk about just the um just the attention that broken arrow's gotten, and so I think people are just hearing about it, so now we'll be like, well, we have this, but it's not anymore.

So I mean it's done better than we just had no idea even what to expect.

And so we'll just need to definitely talk about what's next.

Um but these are the two official applications um that this is the second one that's come through, even though we've had other conversations of interest.

Well, and it was a pilot program, which clearly it was a successful pilot program.

So yeah, I'm excited.

All right.

Action item G 251423 consideration discussable possible approval and authorized executive of professional service agreement with Broken Arrow Film Festival Inc.

Okay, so speaking of film, um since probably I don't know, the past six months.

Um, Mr.

Bradheath, who you will hear from, um, came to us and just kind of pitched this idea about a film festival because of you know, came from the incentive, and um we just loved the idea and um it's basically bringing a film film festival to Broken Arrow along with a convention side that nowhere else in Oklahoma is doing, and so kind of um what this will look like for us is kind of broke the city of Broken Arrow hosting it and using Brad as a consultant.

Well we're planning to be involved um every step of the way and working with him and his team and committee that we put together in um making this something that's hopefully an annual event and just kind of again um taking advantage of the momentum that we have and pushing it forward in using it as a way to continue to get people to visit here and hear about broken arrow.

So with that, I will let Brad come up and kind of tell you a little bit more about uh what the plan is for this event and why and all of that stuff.

Thank you.

Yeah, you might want to um actually introduce yourself because I didn't know.

Sure, sure, sure.

Cassidy's fantastic, by the way.

Um I've had opportunity to work with her.

Uh I was in a thousand tomorrow's, so I encourage you to go watch it.

Not that I get a check if you watch it, but it is a good show.

It is a good show.

You might see me somewhere floating around in there.

Um my name is Brad Heath.

For those of you that I have not met.

I'm actually uh from Broken Arrow, class of 1990, so go tigers.

And uh, like Michaela said, Um, the film festival or the film industry here in Oklahoma is rapidly growing.

No surprise that the incentive in Broken Arrow is already cashed out.

There are multiple films coming to Oklahoma over the next 12 months.

Red Clay's film is just one of them.

It's actually one that's going to be filming first.

I produce for Bricktown films out of Oklahoma City, but I live in Jinx.

Don't hold that against me.

Um media production for 30 years, from everything from writing to producing.

I've worked for Fox Sports Southwest, I've worked for FX, Disney.

Um, in fact, the lowdown that's being shown now.

So prior to the pandemic, most of the people who work in the industry were just kind of floating around, just grabbing jobs wherever they can.

In fact, one of my mentors, Scott Clark was a location manager for Breaking Bad, the TV show in New Mexico.

And so we were always working in town when we could, or Oklahoma City, or traveling out of town, and so in doing so, there are a lot of things that you pick up, and there are a lot of things you learn along the way, and one of them is there are places that exist, towns that exist that are known as a film town.

And one of the things that a lot of those towns have in common is that they host an annual film festival.

And so kicking this idea around now for about the last decade.

Um I never really got the opportunity to approach Jinx where I live, and they weren't really structurally set up for it.

Owaso was interested, and we had a brief chat, but that's about as far as it went.

And I thought, you know, Broken Arrow, it makes sense.

So I was actually working Horrified and helping them out a little bit, and I thought, let me meet with Michaela and Aaron and let me see if there's some interest here and what we could do.

And so by doing so, we began to formulate this plan on how we could implement a film festival right here in Broken Arrow.

And what does that look like?

Is it just locals and they bring their independent films that they make and we show them at a theater and that kind of thing, or do we go bigger?

Well, if you're familiar with film in Oklahoma, you know that Dead Center Film Festival, which is in Oklahoma City, and it's called Dead Center because it's Dead Center of the map.

They've been around for 25 years, they're entering their 26th year now.

They're an Academy Award qualifier, they're part of the uh film festival association, and they're kind of the top dog.

Everyone else is really kind of vying for that second position within Oklahoma.

And the reason why they're the top dog is longevity.

They've been at it for a long time and and uh rightfully so.

But we believe that there's a place at the table for everyone, and we think that there's enough distance between us and them that we can host one that is not only uh competitive with Dead Center and what they offer, but could possibly take that spot one day.

So this would be the first year of it, and there are some unknowns, obviously.

Marketing and and and getting the word out and having um having filmmakers submit their their work is a priority, obviously.

But what we're asking for is help from the city to help us grow this in the first year, and we want to make the film festival a yearly event every year, same date every year in October, early October.

But we don't want to have to come back to the city over and over and over with an ask.

We want the ask now, we want you to help us get it off the ground, and then once we get it off the ground and get it going, we just want you to come enjoy and be a part of it.

One of the things that I know is on everyone's mind is how many people?

What's the attendance gonna be?

How many hotels are we talking?

All great questions and all questions that we definitely want to uh try to try to answer for you.

The problem is, as you well know, is that events can be up and down, and nailing a number down is near impossible.

So we looked at some other film festivals around Oklahoma and in Oklahoma and gauge their attendance.

Annual film festivals, about 200 people a day.

Of those 200 people, a percentage of them, about 30%, are coming from out of town.

That's for Oklahoma City.

If you look at Stillwater or Paul's Valley, who both host their own film festivals, one's called Red Dirt and one's called Red Brick, which just happened last weekend.

Their average attendance is a little lower because it's not as big.

And so they don't have as many categories, they don't have as many people submitting to the film festival.

Whereas what we would do is we would open up many categories and invite in as many people as possible.

We would also be international.

So we would open it up to people from overseas who wanted to submit to the film festival.

Now there are special requirements that have to happen for that and for them to submit.

But the idea is we not only want to bring people from Oklahoma City to Broken Arrow, but we want to grab Fort Smith.

We want to grab Wichita, Dallas.

We want to start grabbing people regionally and bringing them here to Broken Arrow to enjoy a weekend of film festivals.

And while they're here, they can obviously visit the Great Rose District, eat at some of the great restaurants.

Of course, stay in our hotels.

And make this a film destination location for not just film goers and filmmakers, but for people like Cassidy who own a production company and want to come here and spend millions of dollars, which is fantastic.

And when I saw that, I knew of the film because we're all kind of connected.

I didn't know the budget was 6.7 million, which is fantastic.

That's great for them.

And who knows?

Like with Horrified, maybe uh Live Like That could be one of the films that uh we premiere at the film festival and bring in all of those people who were a part of it.

I can tell you that the film industry is on a rocket trajectory in Oklahoma.

LA struggling.

Hollywood is not doing very well.

And like Cassidy, people are moving out to other areas.

And what that means is they're creating companies that are going to make film, and they need a place to show them.

Not every filmmaker has the opportunity to have a 30 to 60 theater release.

Most filmmakers are making the movie and then begging for distribution or trying to sell it via film festivals to places like Tubi or Netflix, a streaming service.

And that's a part of what film festivals do is that they give independent filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their work, to enjoy a red carpet night, to have breakout sessions at businesses around town, and pitch their their work.

It's a great opportunity for that.

I know personally myself.

And screenplays as well.

And I have two screenplays in development right now with Buffalo 8 and Bondit, big companies.

And they want to turn those into massive productions.

Now, where do you think I want to film those?

Of course, I want to film them right here in Oklahoma.

Specifically right here in Broken Arrow would be fantastic.

I brought reservation dogs here for the promos and filmed one of the promos here in Broken Arrow before the incentive.

But back to the film festival.

We think that this is tagged along to this great incentive that you've approved.

This community that you're building.

I think that this is one of those pieces of the puzzle when in a year, two years, five years you step back and look.

This is one of those items that completes that picture for you.

And it becomes Broken Arrow becomes a destination location for filmmakers.

Any questions?

Well, and this may be more of a question for Michaela too.

So he's asking for $50,000, and I know the after the fact he'll bring us a lot of um documents and how he spent the money and that type of thing.

But would it be um I feel like it would be a good steward to see like what his budget is beforehand, like before like what he's thinking because we've never done this before.

I mean, but is that his question or is that your question?

Like as well.

No, I know that's a question.

I mean, I just he's given it to us, we've looked at it.

I just I failed to attach it to this for you all to see.

Um, I mean the ask is for, I mean, the budget was probably more than 50,000, but really the ask is for us to foot the bill this year.

I mean, if he's going to, and he can talk to you about his ideas for sponsors and stuff, but just like he said, this is kind of get us off the ground, and then he's um like not planning on us paying every year moving on, but yes, this first year will be that.

Um, but I didn't include the budget.

And the hard costs associated with hosting a festival, obviously is the venue, and we would love to host it at Regal.

We think that's the best place to do it.

Um that they're corporate owned, there is a few hoops you have to jump through to make that happen, but it's not impossible.

And uh Chuck, the the director there, I've met with him and we've had some discussions, and we do believe it's the right place to do it.

The convention side of it is something that I've not really discussed, and it's unique.

Oklahoma doesn't really host a film-centered convention, and now I say film only, but we're also talking about music, um, theater.

There are a lot of different uh fingers, branches that this can have.

Um I know that um hard costs are you know, they are what they are, they're hard cause.

So paying for that venue is one of them.

We'll have a VIP uh host, so there's a hard cost there as well.

Discussions on who that host will be are still kind of up in the air.

We don't want to get too far ahead of our skis on this.

But certainly it would be a name everyone would recognize.

And that host would do a few things for us.

Open the festival, for example, host a VIP-only kind of gathering, and be available to to meet some of the filmmakers and that type of thing.

So hard cost there, of course, we've got a panel of judges, and it's a big ask because we could have 300 entries, and it's a big ask to say, hey, could you watch 300 films and determine which ones are going to be part of the festival, right?

So we want to compensate them for their time.

So that's that's one thing there.

I've left my compensation out of this.

Um I only get paid if we're profitable at the end.

So I could put in a year's work and break even and not make a dime off of this.

And if that's the case, that's fine.

Because I want this to carry over and move forward.

I want to grow it.

Sunset Amphitheater is just one place that I'm in my mind.

I'm thinking, film festival, convention, concert, put it all together, make one big package eventually down the road.

Um, but my my goal, and then talking to your city manager.

My my goal is really not to have to come back and make another ask.

My goal is to make this self-sufficient, it is feeding itself.

We can sell sponsorships, obviously, we would do that.

Um Broken Arrow is obviously going to be a sponsor.

So City logo and visit BA would be on everything.

So before a movie shows, your logo would run solo, and then the city logo would run, or vice versa.

Before every block of short films, so short films are used to are typically under 20 minutes, and you run those in blocks.

So instead of just showing one and then everybody goes home, you show four or five, right?

So logos run for that.

Of course, you'd be on all of the VIP passes, logos on that, logos on any merchandise or t-shirts or anything like that that we had available.

And any uh social media posts or any print advertising that we do would visit BA and the city would be on that as well.

So the goal obviously is to host a great film festival and to uh get you guys out there and maybe let you present an award or something to the best director or whatever, let you walk the red carpet and all that, and all that's the flashy fun stuff.

But the goal is to get people to Broken Arrow and to get them to stay here.

If if 90 independent filmmakers from Tulsa came, I don't know that I'd be that excited.

I'm pulling convention goers from Oklahoma City and Fort Smith.

I'm pulling filmmakers from Dallas and other areas, getting them here to Broken Arrow, and that's the goal is to take that that percentage of what we think could be out-of-towners, rise it up, get it up to a good number so that the businesses in the area are seeing some type of a result from the film festival.

Sure.

Just so I'm clear, is the festival and convention one and the same, or are those two different events?

Great question.

So initially we thought, you know, this is probably two separate things, and then we thought that through and and came to the conclusion that wouldn't it be great to have that in one place all together.

So your convention goers are there with the film festival, and you're boosting festival numbers as well as convention numbers.

And so we think, and in talking with uh Chuck at Regal, I don't know if you are familiar with the upstairs area at Regal.

There's uh four theaters upstairs, they're smaller, about 40 seats, but there's an upstairs area that could host, I think we counted around 30 booths, so we could bring in 30 different vendors to set up during the film festival and be there for the festival.

And that's great if you're a filmmaker or you're an actor or you work crew, uh, whatever it is you do because now you're gonna be meeting different vendors.

And I know for me, I'm I I'm a registered location manager.

So for me, I love meeting new people because I never know what business I might call on, what what place of uh what restaurant or what hotel I might need one time?

So that's that's the whole point is to get all of those people together in one spot.

We think Regal's a great place for that.

We even have a larger theater that that'll hold much more than 40 that um will probably be the the feature theater, and that's where our our host will likely kind of open the film festival, but upstairs is where our VIP and everyone will will be mingling together, yeah.

So it's right now it's together, and I think it should probably stay that way.

Now, if it grows and gets really big, we could potentially be looking at maybe moving that convention to Stony Creek, for example, and boosting their hotel stays with convention goers and having the film festival at Regal.

The distance, I don't really care for too much, but Rose Dictor Rose District is right in in between those two.

So, you know, funneling people to the rows would be would be a goal as well.

Yeah.

If you guys are interested on page 43 of your packets, is exhibit B, which includes all of the benefits that were listed.

Um basically all of the places and things that are kind of um that we'll see city specific.

October, October 2026.

Give us just a minute to look at this.

So my understanding, right?

Like just the general public can come see the film.

That's that's correct, yeah.

So we'll sell passes on the city, uh, city employees will get a discount on on passes.

That's right.

And you'll also get 20 VIP passes.

Okay.

Um, but yeah, the general public, so we'll have a poster at the Regal, we'll be advertising with local businesses.

Anyone that's a VIP sponsor will also get a poster if they want to put that in their window.

We'll have social media posts, we'll have someone who will make an actual post at the business, and we'll be encouraging uh people to attend just the general general population.

We'll also do we we also have a student piece that's part of this.

I don't know that you guys are too worried about the student uh side of it, but there is a there is a student piece to this, so uh any student filmmakers can submit at a much cheaper cost, and uh we'll have it theirs will either be Thursday night or Friday during the day, but we'll also have a student uh part of this, and so I'm sure families and and friends will want to come see their their students film in a theater.

You talk about high school, college would high school, it's that's where we want to start.

Um college, we kind of consider adults.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

And and so I do work with ORU.

We have a we have a movie coming to uh ORU to film in their studio in December.

Uh Profound Studios out of Los Vegas is coming to Oklahoma to film there.

They got the uh Oklahoma rebate.

And their their director, David, was asking me about you know students submitting to film festivals, and I said, well, you know, it's usually high school, it's not uh necessarily college uh kids.

And I do have a film that we're producing at OU with their green light program uh next June.

And so that's about an 18-day shoot at the University of Oklahoma with their students, but they would have to submit as adults.

The student is really for the 18 and under.

When Brian and I and Michaela and Aaron met with you, it's been several several months ago now.

Um we were really excited about this idea, but definitely I felt like it was like way over my head, like I had no idea.

So for you to be able for you to step up and organize it, because this is your this is what you do, um, that made me very comfortable.

Well, I can tell you uh having attended many film festivals and having submitted to many film festivals, you get you get as many no's um, you get more no's than you get yeses, right?

Because there's a lot of competition out there, and there's a lot of people making independent film, and this is kind of what gets lost in in the shuffle.

Not everybody has the money to do a Marvel movie, not everybody has the money to do a red clay studios film.

Most people are doing you know, 10,000, $8,000 films because the equipment is so advanced now, and the editing is so great, they can get away with only spending that that amount of money to make a film.

But they make it and then what?

They could post it on YouTube, and who knows if anybody sees it, or they can submit it and maybe start to get their name out there.

And that's how I grew my own name was through the writing and through submitting to film festivals.

And once you get recognized in New York and Hollywood and LA and Santa Monica and Tokyo and Hong Kong, and you get invites to go to all these places, then you start to pick up other things and other emails start coming in, and people start reaching out to you to say, hey, we would like to represent you, or we'd like to know more about your film.

I spent half the morning on the phone with someone that I won't mention because it doesn't matter, but it they want to be uh a character in one of my screenplays, and they want to shoot it here in Oklahoma, which is great because they have the money to do it.

So these film festivals, they seem um to someone who's not very familiar, they seem like uh just a difficult task to do.

The great thing is there's a website.

I encourage everyone to go look at it.

It's called Film Freeway.com, film freeway, one word.

And it is where you post your festival so that independent filmmakers can find it and they can submit via that website.

So if we post a broken arrow film festival uh website on Film Freeway, of course, Visit BA logo would be there with the city logo, but we would also have our own logo for the film festival, and that's where they find out what exactly it costs to submit and what categories you have that they can submit to.

And it's really easy, it's quick, it's easy.

You scroll through there.

I've caught myself like spending you know 60, 80 bucks like that just because I was like, oh, that would be cool to go to San Bernardino and and and go to that festival.

Um so yeah, it it that they make it so easy now for people to submit their work.

Um their work is logged on their page in film freeway.

So what happens is we get the notification that someone submitted, and we just go to their page and download their movie or a screenplay.

So it's really super simple.

And then, of course, we have a panel of judges, and I believe you met PJ Sosco, so he's probably gonna be our lead judge.

PJ Sosco is uh uh a gentleman from New York who, like Cassidy moved here during the pandemic, and he's been in everything from the black list to uh he played Hunter S.

Thompson on HBO's Girls on the Bus.

Um he's prolific.

He works nonstop, and he does film festivals nonstop because he does a lot of independent film as well.

And so he's probably gonna head up our judge panel, and he's great.

He's great to have on board because he has a wealth of knowledge and someone who is respected in the industry.

And I am gonna lean on him a little bit for for a potential uh VIP guest or at least somebody that we can bring in for one of our breakout sessions because that's another draw for filmmakers is that you host these breakout sessions where if I have three great directors and I've got you know a room full of uh people who want to be great directors, then they give you know their testimony, and then it's the QA session with these great directors and lasts about an hour, and it's it's great.

And and that's one of the draws, one of the things that people who attend film festivals, that's why they go.

I just feel like this is another further commitment for Broken Arrow to show that we are serious about the film industry coming to Broken Arrow.

So um I would be honored to make a motion to approve item 25 1423.

That's sick.

Snyder?

Yes.

Ford?

Yes, Dean?

Yes.

Yardie?

Yes.

Swanson?

Yes.

Hagan?

Yes.

Yes.

How many days are you hoping for this first festival?

We know two for sure.

Two days.

Thursday.

We're thinking that we'll probably do Thursday night, Thursday evening, and then roll into Friday, Saturday.

Gotcha.

So travel days, uh, we want to give everyone Sunday as a travel day to get back home.

But we definitely want uh vendors and and uh people to be able to come and set up Thursday night.

We may have a block of films that we show Thursday night.

Um we have a what's called a programmer, and that person basically like a TV guide will make uh we'll make a program for the entire weekend.

And so Thursday night's definitely a possibility for us, and then Friday, Saturday are the two two big nights.

And I wasn't joking about presenting awards.

I'm serious about that now.

So, Craig, get your get your suit out and get ready to announce.

Well, and one of the things he told us when we met with him uh several months ago was like, so if someone, you know, 10 people win things while they're in broken arrow for the broken arrow film festival, then they put that on their resume too.

Absolutely.

And then I also think it just exposes us to all those people that are making films, they're like, oh, broken arrowplace.

And we have we we have an idea for a custom where I don't mean to take up more of your time.

Look, I used to be in broadcasting, I've never met a microphone I didn't like, so um we have a a mock of a custom trophy to have made where it's a film reel with the broken arrow in it, and then there's a plate in the middle of the film reel that says what they've won.

And we've got two styles, one that's a standalone and one that's a wall hanger that can hang up on the wall.

So these are things that they're gonna be taking home with them that they're gonna be able to see, their families will be able to see, and they'll go.

And then they're gonna tell them, and we're gonna get them back again next year.

So when you get the ticket, you can just go see several different movies or absolutely.

So we'll sell passes.

We'll sell a a complete pass for everything, and then you can buy individual tickets, and we work that through Regal.

But they they can show up and and and have uh if they just want to see the one film, they can go see that.

And then city employees will have a a discount code.

So they just bring the code to the ticket office at Regal and just give them the code and they type in the discount.

I'm an unlimited member though for there already.

Oh nice, okay.

Great, great.

Awesome.

Thanks, Brad.

That'd be fun.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, I just want to add a couple quick things.

So Brad is the film expert, and I just want to say that Aaron and I are gonna be involved every step of the way.

We're gonna be on the committee.

Um, there's wording in the contract about that, and obviously um my Brad's goals are kind of the same, but my goals are obviously hotel nights and sales tax.

And so my job is going to just be making sure that the decisions that are made are going to obviously benefit that.

We I understand where our dollars are coming from, and this is what you know that that's the measure of my personal success.

So um, and you know, Aaron's gonna be helping with the marketing and just making sure we're gonna be involved every step of the way.

So I just want to say, like, I we love the film stuff, it's all kind of I'm learning a little bit more, but it's not my world.

Um, I'm just like, okay, how many hotel nights and how much sales tax are we gonna get from this?

And so I just wanted to make sure that that's known.

Um, and then secondly, um this item because it's $50,000 will go next to the council meeting for final approval.

So that's gonna be on next Tuesday night's meeting, and then it will be officially official.

But thank you guys for your support and um trust in this event.

So okay.

Right.

You already did.

Yeah, we did.

It passed.

You didn't second.

You did second.

That's a that's why.

It was so long ago.

So many words.

So many words.

You can't change the vote either.

It's too much.

All right.

Action item H251452 consideration discussion of possible approval of forming a temporary working committee to discuss possible updates to sponsorship grant requests.

Okay, so I'll be quick on this.

So before I arrived, um, I guess it was in 2023-ish.

Aaron, I don't know if you guys remember, most of you were on the board at the time, um, created working committees to talk about changing how the grant sponsorship went.

I think it changed from 10 hotel nights to 12.

Um, and then we changed it from the hotel night grants to our sponsorship grants.

So we're those are more of our community events.

And so kind of what I've been seeing, and it's kind of a it's honestly kind of a frustration for me, but I just think there needs to be clarification is the hotel night grant is very strict.

Where's we say $500 for every 12 room nights?

There's not really any leeway there.

The sponsorship requests are getting more popular, which is great.

We love supporting the community, but there's no parameters.

So we could have an event that costs ten thousand dollars and they're asking for eight thousand dollars.

They just ask for a random amount, and I think you know, we have the reputation of being very nice and sharing money, and soft.

I think that I personally would love to just be able to say to people that come in whether we base it on, and I haven't really thought through this, I just think there's a better way of just letting them come in because we have to be very protective.

I mean, this year we're potentially have used all of the grant money that we have, and like looking at it, we've used almost $30,000 on community events, and if that's what we want to do, that's fine.

But I think just being very aware of kind of what we're spending and who's getting money and why are we giving money and you know, knowing we're using hotel tax dollars, um, I think there's just a balance there, and so I just want to talk about that and update it a little bit if you guys are in agreement in agreement.

So um I think the best way to do this is just have a work rather than sit here for an hour and discuss, just um three three of you being on a committee with Aaron and I to just sit down.

I think it'll just take one meeting an hour or so.

Um we'll do our research and maybe how other communities are doing it, um, and then just get some input, and then we can come back with that recommendation for a vote.

But I just feel like it's a little bit loose, and we are getting more, you know, there's more people that are saying, Oh, just go to visit Broken Arrow and ask for money, and I love it, and we love to support the community, and there's a benefit for us to support the community, obviously.

But I just think there just needs to be a lot of people.

I I totally agree with that.

I think there needs to be c checks and balances.

And when we just write these checks and don't ask for anything in return, like even like what did you spend on the event?

Oh, we spend a thousand dollars.

Oh, but you gave we gave them 4500.

So then where does that extra money go?

And I don't really have any power to say when it comes in and I'm like, oh, I wouldn't support this necessarily, or I think we should only give them.

I have to just present to you what they give.

So it just gives a little bit more whether we say you have to come back and we use placer numbers and you get it by how many visitors there were, or how much like it can't be more than X amount of your total budget or something, something.

I don't know exactly what it is, but I'd love to have that conversation.

No, I'm I agree.

So do we so I would tell you if there's three of you who want to do it, um we can be flexible with time.

Um and then we can see if anybody else wants to be on it.

I'll boot.

I'm very free.

I have no job now.

I've got plenty of time for it.

I'll be I I'll be on it.

Okay.

Because I do, I agree.

I think there does need to be checks and balance instead of it.

It's really tough when the uh you know these three ladies are sitting in front of us and we're so soft, and they're not gonna be able to afford their budget.

Yeah, I can help too.

Okay.

Yeah, I mean we can have yeah, we don't have to have well, we can just post it.

Yeah, I mean, if we have more than well, I don't know, but it's our quorum.

Under five, so four would be great.

Oh, more than three, I guess thought they were only two.

But we but it's no we can make we can make four happen.

Yeah, we're easy.

It's no big, I mean so we just need somebody to make the motion.

We want you to come.

Okay, yeah.

Somebody to make the motion for the four of you to serve on the committee.

I make a motion for two five one four five two.

I second can you can you say the names on for the record as to who will be serving on the committee?

You'll say your name.

Sonia, say your name.

Okay, Sonya Schneider.

Lisa Ford, Brian Dean, Trevor Swanson.

Does that work?

Okay, that works?

Okay.

Snyder.

Yes.

Uh Ford?

Yes.

Dean?

Yes.

You already?

Yes.

Swanson?

Yes.

Hagan?

Yes.

Yes.

All right.

Uh action item five, board members' opportunity to address visit BA for general topics related to city business or services.

Okay, I will be brief because Aaron's gonna give you an update on Christmas.

Um the S TR data is not available yet for some reason this month, so I don't have an update on that.

Um, you'll see just the the significant spending for the month.

Um, we paid Clarity of Place again.

We paid out that $20,000 scholarship to our um performing art center, and then paid for our truck wrap.

Um, our September collection was up um a little bit from September last year, and then also year to date is up, so we love to see that.

It's been a strong start for um this fiscal year.

Um we do have confirmation for um AJ G A, which is American Junior Golf Association, and we're very excited about that because it was a very random um outreach that Aaron did one day when we're like we should do some more outreach, and she's like, okay.

So she emailed this golf tournament and said you guys should come to Broken Arrow, and they kind of said, Okay.

And it was it's this great national company, and so they're gonna actually come to the next meeting and it'll be a another um request.

But it's hundreds of junior golfers um that travel all over the country, and it's gonna be a great thing at Indian Springs.

So wanted to mention that.

And then we have another um uh gray National Grange conference that is gonna be in August, I believe, of 2026.

So eventually in a couple months we'll hear from them.

Um it's a huge conference, probably 500 uh people.

So that'll be a big hotel night um win.

And then I mentioned I'm gonna go to the Guthrie um film incentive panel and just talk to them about um uh cities doing film incentives, so um that'll be fun.

Don't give away all of our secrets, okay?

I know I kind of I'm kind of torn about it.

I don't want to share with everyone, but um and then you I won't go through all the event updates.

You guys can see that coming up.

Um our next meeting is the 18th, and then Sarah Lopp who was just appointed, she'll be at the next meeting.

And then I did send you guys an email.

The city manager has personally invited you all to come to State of the City.

We have a table available for you, but we need to know ASAP because we need to make sure we know how many tables to reserve.

So I think I heard from you, Trevor and Brian.

So the city will purchase their ticket, but we need to know that they want to get it.

Yeah, we'll purchase a ticket.

We just need to know who can come.

It's uh December 10th, I believe.

I think it is December 10th.

Um so if you can look that email or just tell me now if you can or can't come.

It's just for you, it's during the day.

It's like 11.

Um it's like the chambered luncheon.

I'll be there.

You'll come.

Okay.

Um Brian.

I'm on an airplane, so Kathy, will you be available?

Yeah, I'll go.

I'll take a personal day.

You gotta have lunch.

Oh, it's lunchtime.

It's lunchtime.

It's just an hour.

Well, maybe two.

It'll probably be a long it's supposed to only be.

It'll be longer than an hour.

Okay, so that's all I have, and I'm gonna let Aaron talk to you guys about Christmas.

And you got Sonya.

Sonia wants to.

I'll miss the next week.

Next meeting.

Oh, yeah.

Hampton Inn ribbon cutting, yes.

Yeah, yeah.

Christmas is back.

I'm always here talking about Christmas.

Um the tree lighting and the Christmas MBA kickoff is gonna be on November 13th, and I brought lots of flyers that you can take everywhere you go and give to every person you see to come to our Christmas kickoff.

And then I also have um I always like these posters that has the list of all kind of city sanctioned events that there will probably be more happening, but these are the ones that are like definitely I know about it ahead of time and their standards, you know.

So, like the parade, the city doesn't necessarily put it on, but it's a standard, right?

Can you send all those to us in digital form?

Yes, okay.

I would love to.

Um, and so the tree lighting, it's gonna be a lot of what we did last year.

Um, Grady Nichols will be there.

We'll have the student singers, we'll have Santa.

Um, we'll have Mrs.

Claws with Santa this year, so that will be very fun.

Um, but my two editions that I'm really excited about is we got the Oakley Oaky Igloo Village, um, and they're going to be set up right outside Arts at 302 in that little green space, and they'll be running like a you can rent out an igloo for an evening and bring in dinner and have a bottle of wine or whatever it is you do.

And so it'll be that kind of situation happening over there, and that'll open the night of the tree lighting.

And then I'm also really excited I'm gonna have a live reindeer at tree lighting.

Oh my gosh!

I'm very excited about it.

Are we gonna have snow?

Yeah, well, maybe the forecast is looking pretty good.

Okay, great.

I like it.

But the fun kind of snow, not the cancel my event kind of snow.

Yeah.

And so um not God made.

Yeah.

Aaron made.

Aaron made.

Um, and so that's where did they find a reindeer?

I think I I just googled it.

She just googles things and finds it.

I find them everywhere.

I have dreams, and I'm like, I need a live reindeer.

That might that's awesome.

So I'm excited about that one.

Um, and then the second major event we'll have.

Um, it's the second year we've done it.

I'm trying to grow it more than it was last year.

That's Carol's and Coco.

That's gonna be December 12th.

Um, and I haven't fully contracted him yet, but we will probably have Justin Eccles at that, um, who is another saxophone player.

He filled up the Broken Arrow PAC last year, and so he'll hopefully pull in some stuff.

He's gonna have a band.

Um, and so we'll have the same choirs we did last year.

Like Rahma's gonna sing again, um, Arts at 302 and the senior citizen, senior center choir.

They're gonna sing, and then Justin's gonna follow them.

So you get the young ones, the regular adults and the old adults, and then you get Justin.

So I think that'll be a really nice event.

It's free for everyone to come, obviously.

We'll have food trucks with like cookies and hot chocolate and sweets and that sort of thing, and it'll be down by the plaza, so it's just kind of the ambiance of it all, is kind of what we're selling for that one.

Um, and then we have some smaller stuff going on.

We have the sensory sensitive Santa event again, that'll be at Arts 302.

We partner with them.

We're gonna do wedding Wednesday with Santa again, and then various free carriage rides throughout the district, and then various times that Carolers will just be walking around and singing, just you know, creating that Hallmark atmosphere.

So do you have any questions?

I I have a Christmas question.

Yes, and um I and I wanted to wait until Graham got back because he may have to help us with this.

So um so welcome back, Graham.

Um, so for those of you that may or may not know the song Have Yourself a Little Merry Little Christmas is from a broke someone that lived in a broken arrow.

And it it's kind of a big deal.

And our mayor for many many years has been wanting our Christmas theme to be that because it's broken arrow connected.

And I know Graham, you were kind of maybe concerned about it being like copyrighted or that type of thing, but Brian thinks that maybe that's expired.

So is there could you all check that out?

In the 50 years of 758, 75, 75.

And and if it still is intact, then let's see what we tell us what we need to do to reach out to whoever's in charge of letting us use that theme.

Oh, well, that will usually cost them less.

We we got some money.

And they may still live in broken arrow.

I mean, like, who knows?

We may be able to like introduce them at our Christmas and they have an exhibit at the museum on that.

Did you know that?

I did not know that.

What I've done, because I I have had this request before.

What I've done is gone around the laws in some way of like putting Aaron.

I haven't come broken a lot.

Okay, good.

But I've kind of yet that we know of Graham's like, yeah, I'm gonna go back.

And so I put it like in text of things, because I know there's like some gray area that you can do with that.

Like is there though?

Is there really?

He's like, stop talking, Eric.

And so during a deposition, this is usually where I kick you under the table.

Yeah.

And so it's kind of like pretend it's a subtitle.

It's kind of a subtext situation here.

It's not the title of my event.

It is just in the poster.

Um and so I'm kind of doing is it hard to say have yourself a Merry Christmas and a broken arrow?

I mean, what what's wrong with that?

If I have yourself a Merry Little Christmas part, I would Merry Little Christmas part.

Yeah, I would a little town.

So this is what I'd like to request, because obviously we're not gonna be able to do it this year.

But I would like to, I would like to do the research.

And you weren't here when I was telling some of the people up here, but like I ran into this when I was at the police department and we had the hip hop cops and we had words, but we used someone else's music, and I reached out to see if we could use their music, but they were in jail and they did not like the police, so we weren't able to do it.

But Tulsa Tech was able to create something with the same beat, that same thing, so we could still use our same lyrics with that.

So I know there's ways, but hopefully these people won't be in jail and they still love broken arrow.

So we we use Josh Grovin on a video.

Oh yeah that we um but we didn't get permission.

So so we we wanted to go get permission.

So Josh said yes.

The problem is the person that wrote wrote the song didn't really like us.

Right.

And so she said no.

So I wish I wouldn't ask that we kept playing because once I said no, then we couldn't.

I'd rather get a seasons assist letter from somebody and we weren't making it was like a make money, it was just like a video that we showed.

Um, I'm a role follower, but I know it's not gonna be an easy ask, but I wanna ask I want to do the ask.

So however we need to do that, I'd be glad to help.

I'm not an attorney, however.

But whatever I need to do footwork, if you can just guide me while we can play the music just by you know just paying whatever.

But I just want people to know it's from someone from Broken Arrow that wrote it.

Like that's the whole point.

Yeah.

Can we do it to their family?

Isn't it Ralph?

That's what I'm saying.

I mean we can find out in a few.

There's likely a copyright holder listed.

It's Ralph Plain, right?

That's Ralph Blaine.

That's who wrote it.

This old house is in my neighborhood.

Yeah, yeah.

It's also kind of assuming if you follow the Taylor Swift thing, it's kind of assuming that they do actually own that.

Yeah, you can you can sell your rights to your song.

Yeah.

But to receive copyright protection now, they have to have some listed with the United States government in order to enforce it.

So I'm sure there's somebody that can be contacted.

Yes.

And if it doesn't work out, at least we've used every exhausted every avenue, and I could tell Deborah, Deborah, I tried.

Right.

It's like the Hallmark thing from a few years ago.

We wanted to like say we were like a Hallmark Christmas.

We tried to contact Hallmark, and then at some point you just have to give up, you know.

So we can try.

But it might be a cost, and they might say no.

So and and either one of that, let's do it.

You could do something like we did.

We actually someone used we had Dion Sanders speak at the church.

And they used a picture and put it in paper.

So the person who took the picture wrote us and wanted money for that.

Yeah.

What if you do have yourself a little have yourself a Merry Little Christmas at Broken Arrow?

That's still too close to Merry Big Christmas.

Merry Big Christmas.

Change the inflection.

So trying to break the laws.

Yeah, but now I'm a role follower, you're not wanna break the wall.

Anyway, so whatever um we need to do.

And I'll still try to work out to Hallmark too.

Okay.

Okay.

So any questions for me before we all get to leave.

Okay, dokie.

Um and then we are to action item six, a director report.

Um item two five one four one four.

I already did it.

I think she did it during the board members opportunity.

No, I didn't do it during the board members.

Oh, okay.

I jumped ahead.

Sorry.

So maybe we should see board members want to speak at this moment.

Okay, on that note.

Yes.

I make a motion to adjourn.

Second.

Snyder?

Yes.

Fourth?

Yes.

Dean?

Yes.

You already?

Yes.

Swanson?

Yes.

Hagan?

Yes.

Mascar.

Yes.

Thank you.

Are you going to let us know when we're going to meet?

I know.

This was a long meeting.

Okay.

No, it does all run together.

I mean, it really does like it's stuff.

You're like