Okay, so we have um Sarah Lop is a new nomination and we welcome to your first meeting.

This is everyone.

Um and then Kathy is a reappointment, and Mr.

Dean, you're a reappointment, and Trevor, you're a reappointment, and then we also have Tommy, but he was unable to make it today.

So Graham will just take you through those two forms for oath of office.

And you're yes.

Oh, okay.

So you I guess you'll just sign that.

I thought they had to say something out loud.

Okay, you can just sign those.

Okay, if you could just sign those, that would be great.

I was thinking I don't remember saying it on mine.

I must have missed something.

If you could just sign both of those, that would be great.

Thank you.

Sign them first.

I'm gonna say anybody.

And we have our notary here that will sign them after the meeting.

So presentations.

We have uh some presentations.

No.

Perfect.

Right on to number five.

General visit broken arrow business.

A 25-1584 consideration discussion of possible approval of meeting minutes from October 14th, 2025.

Make a motion to approve the meeting, the minutes.

Second.

Is that mascarp?

All right, Lop.

Just vote.

Oh, I guess you could abstain.

Oh, you could abstain since you weren't here for it, or you could vote yes.

Yes.

Okay.

Snyder.

Yes.

Bowie?

Yes.

Dean?

Yes.

Swanson?

Yes.

Muscra.

Yes.

Action item B 25-1585 consideration discussion of possible approval for Gatesway powwow sponsorship.

Requested an amount of $4,500.

Just a reminder at the last meeting.

Um Gatesway representatives came where it's and told us about their first annual powwow, and they're here just to give a recap of that event.

Um Christina and Dawn.

Hello, hello.

Hi.

It's a little recap for thank you.

Just some highlights over the weekend events.

Okay.

Thank you for having us.

I'm Christina Watkins with the Gatesway Foundation.

This is Don Lee Ryder.

Um we came and presented to request a sponsorship for 4,500 for this event that we had in October, and we just wanted to kind of go over its success and how it was.

So this is our annual fundraiser that we had that replaced the balloon festival that we had for many many years.

Um so this is the second annual event that we had.

We had it for two days, and we had a very surprising turnout.

So across the two days, we had almost 500 people show up on our campus and show up to this this fundraiser, even with the weather.

It was still great.

We moved it the second day inside the gym.

We had a good old time.

We had vendors out there.

We had 20.

We signed up, we were gonna sign up 10 vendors for this event and bring them into town.

We ended up with 22.

So we had an a huge amount of people come out to support this event and just show up and be part of the culture of people with disabilities and the Native American culture here in town and just around the state.

There were multiple tribes, there were about a dozen tribes that showed up, and they all came out and they danced and they celebrated.

We have people with disabilities that are part of Gatesway that showed up to this, and we have people in the community that showed up to this as well, and they were out on the floor dancing and celebrating, and it was just it was a beautiful thing to see.

Um we have some of the attendees that were there, including some of the tribal members that were part of the head staff that were part of the event planning as a whole that have agreed to help us plan this one next year because this will be an ongoing event that we have every fall, October, November.

We're looking at November 14th for next year to have this over that weekend.

And so they've agreed to help us to just start pre-planning this and get it going a little earlier than we than we did this last year because our request was made a week prior to the event that happened, but hey, it worked.

And so we spent almost 10 grand to pull this event off.

We raised about 11,000 with everybody that came in.

So it was a good turn of events that met 11,000.

Two one of some.

You netted 11,000.

Uh yes.

Okay.

After the expense, if that takes into account all the sponsorships and the vendor fees and everything, if this if the $4,500 sponsorship comes through as well, it will be a net of 11,000 that came in for us for this year to support the friends.

Are you guys done completely with the balloon thing?

Yes.

Yeah.

Oklahoma weather does not work well for we tried for our 60th anniversary three years ago, and it we could not even get balloons off the ground, and then we got rained out the second day.

So we lost about 30 grand on that event.

It hurt.

So we decided to shift it to something else.

We have about 10% of our staff and um our friends that are tribal members, and so it was like let's incorporate some culture into here as well.

So now it's the disability awareness power that we're I think we're we've grown so much in that in the short two years that we are going to look somewhere at MBA for better location, bigger, because I think we're almost outgrowing our campus.

Yeah, very much so.

Especially if we need to have it indoors in the fall, because we had people come in from two other states, two or three, and here in Oklahoma.

So we had people come in from all over.

They stayed in the Hilton Garden Inn.

Hilton and um Hampton, okay.

So we had people come in and stay in town and in hotels and stay the weekend as well, which was was really nice.

So they got to see BA while they were here and out and about instead of just hanging the gatesway, they got to hang around town.

So that was really cool too.

So that's where we are at for the event this year.

For the second annual, we're really proud of how well it went.

All things considered for this being a very, very new venture for us compared to a 20, 30 year old balloon festival that we had quite a bit of experience in.

So we're we're proud of it.

So part of the uh job of this board is to help events like yours get off the ground, right?

So while you don't really fit our criteria for your room nights to get off the ground, like toward that amount of money that you're asking for.

Like we technically should be like, no, you get $500, you know what I mean?

Gotcha.

So just going forward, know that you're going to be held to the same standards as everybody else.

Of course.

It's kind of up to this board to be like, okay, well, we're gonna help you here, but don't expect this to be part of your general revenue going forward.

Right, absolutely.

Of course.

Okay, of course.

Thank you.

Does anyone have any questions for I'll make a motion to approve the 4500 for Gatesway?

I'll second.

Uh Law?

Yes.

Snyder, yes.

Bowie?

Yes.

Dean?

Yes.

Swanson?

Yes.

That's correct.

Yes.

Thank you all so very much.

I appreciate you guys.

All right.

Action item C25-1595 consideration discussion of possible approval for American Junior Golf Association.

Junior at Indiana Springs Hotel Rebate.

The quest uh not to exceed 15,000.

So we're very excited about this event.

Um this is a very large junior golf tournament that's planning to come in August of 2026.

Um, unfortunately, the organizer that was going to present today is was unable to come or present virtually, so he just asked if we could table this until next month.

Um we have time, it's not until August.

Um, it's it's gonna be a great event, but he just wasn't unable to make it unfortunately last minute.

Okay.

Motion to table.

Second.

There we go.

Lopes, yes, booy, yeah.

Dean, yes, Wanson, yes, that's correct.

Yes.

All right.

Action item D251608 consideration discussion uh discussion of possible approval of film incentive rebate in the amount of 35,172.94 cents.

Okay, so we have Mr.

Randy Wayne here today to just give us a summary of the film and how everything went.

Um, as you guys know, they were originally approved for an amount not to exceed 59,000.

We just kind of go by estimates.

Um, and after all of the receipts and everything came back, um, they qualified for 35,172 94.

Yeah, yes.

Thank you so much.

Uh we had a really good experience in Broken Arrow.

Uh the support was incredible.

Um the hotels were incredible, and the filming location looks great.

So uh we we are now currently in post-production, and you know, without this rebate that you guys provided for us, the film wouldn't have happened.

Um, and or we still be trying to raise money for it.

So thank you again for for allowing us to film here, and and we had a really good time.

And I'm happy to answer any questions about it.

Where was the filming location?

I'm just curious.

Stony Creek.

Yeah.

So we filmed Stony Creek, we filmed at uh a gas station.

Um the name is escaping me right now, but it's just uh it's outside of town in Broken Arrow, but outside of town.

Um and then a bunch of driving stuff.

So we you know, we we also hired a drone operator to come in and like highlight broken air as well.

That was a big thing for us.

Originally it wasn't written that way, it was like hotel, uh gas station hotel.

And that felt claustrophobic to us.

And then when I met with you guys last time, it was like let's show off the town more.

So we had the journal operator come in and do the main street and some different businesses, and so that'll be fun to see in the movie as well.

When's it released?

Well, we're working on uh post-production now, that's typically about six months.

Okay, and then after that we say about another six months.

So I'd say maybe like ten months from now.

Okay.

Yeah.

And was this um due to be a theatrical release or we'll see, you know, it it's in it's our industry is interesting, and uh the buyer market fluctuates rapidly, like day to day.

And so some days they pay a lot for movies, some days they pay nothing for movies.

So it just depends where the market's at at the time, and you know, because we have you know, we're a comedy horror, um, horror films do sell well, you know, fear travels the world, and so that helps.

Um we're hoping for theatrical.

I don't know.

As you know, this is a pilot program for us, and you are our first film.

Um, is there any feedback or anything that you could share to make our program better or more competitive or feedback?

I think the only I actually kind of enjoy meeting with everybody and talking about what we're doing, you know, face to face.

It usually is not so it's more impersonal.

So all the other the center programs around the world, we've used several in other countries and and domestically.

Uh it's as simple as like an application online.

You fill out, you send your budget in, you fill out everything like that qualifies, and so then the the state or the city like Tulsa would pre-qualify you for X amount, which you guys did do.

Um, and then you know, in the end, we we send ourselves to an auditor and then they send it to the state.

Um, I like that this is more cut and dry, it's real simple.

It's like, what did you spend here?

Show that you had the proof, and and that was all great for us.

It's much more simple for us.

Um I think uh what could be improved is bylaws to know exactly what qualifies.

Uh and we could work with you guys.

We worked with the city of Tulsa, we work with the state of Oklahoma to refine their program because you know, we've done um 18 movies here with the incentives, and they've all you know, we're more experts on the incentive than the state really is.

You know, they they they're doing a great job, but like we know it fine with the fine-tooth comb.

Every single thing we buy and purchase, we try and say, like, does this qualify for the spend?

Because even if it's ten dollars more, that adds up, you know.

So we care, we have investors that will, you know, my brother actually was the one that he he monetized this incentive.

And so, you know, we got qualified for $59,000.

I'll have them come in and invest like $50,000 against that.

We got approved for $35,000, so I hope I owe him some money from my from my bank account.

But um, typically, like with the state and like the other cities, we know exactly what qualifies.

We're a little unsure here, and some things we thought we could rent here or buy here we couldn't because they're specialized, and so we you know, we're like, okay, well, we're still understanding the infrastructure in Broken Arrow for filmmakers, is not here yet.

But there is one company that we used, and uh we normally would not rent from them, but we did on this movie, and so you know, he made some money and and uh we we found a new vendor, so that was great.

So I think just the more vendors, the more crew members that are aware that they help production by being based in Broken Arrow, uh, is good.

I think just to get the word out.

But the bylaws are the one thing I would I'd recommend of saying like these qualify, these don't qualify, and then uh it's easier for the production to understand what uh what works.

Okay, cool.

Yeah, so like for example, Amazon, right?

Amazon has brick and mortar in Oklahoma, so that qualifies in Oklahoma for the rebate.

But some other if I buy things online from other companies or vendors, they won't qualify because they're not based here.

Gotcha.

Cool.

Thank you for the feedback.

Of course.

Make a motion to approve.

I'll second.

Yes.

Snyder, yes, Bowie?

Yes.

Dean?

Yes.

Swanson?

Yes, Muscar.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thanks for I'll just add that I agree with him.

As we, you know, when we put this together, I mean, I don't neither of us are experts in that industry.

So we did the best that we knew, and we were like, we want to make it simple for us as far as staff goes.

But we did learn a lot, like, you know, there's some some we just said spend in broken arrow, but there's some things that are services, for example, where sales tax isn't generated.

So is that something that we want to make sure it's you know, a spend would be it would be a sales tax generating spend, or do we care if there's an employee if there's a resident making money?

I mean, that still is a there's an economic impact for us.

So there's you know, some things that we need to definitely clarify um on our end too.

So I totally agree with him.

Like it was just our first learning experience, but uh overall it was better um than we had originally expected, and um, just with them using Stony and having that the 20% boost in using the production space, Stony kind of proved that um the point of you know, there's it's hard to find production space, and I don't know, it just it's ended up being really good, but there's some things that we could definitely add, change, improve on as we continue if we continue this.

So action item six, uh board members opportunity to address visit BA on any general topics related to city business or services.

Lights on look like a really big success.

Yeah, um I knew we grew from last year.

Um I haven't perfectly put all the numbers together, but it was bigger than last year, which is always the goal.

So yeah, it's awesome.

Who came out?

Thank you.

We appreciate the support, but I think everyone's really happy with how it went.

So I walked up Dallas, and my daughter was performing on commercial and it took like 10 minutes to walk the block to commercial.

Yeah, we we had a lot of discussion today about like how can I move things around so that you can move down Main Street.

So I mean it was the density was there.

Yeah, yeah.

They were in our store.

Our sales were like dramatically more than they were last year.

Awesome.

Yeah, it was crazy.

I way understaffed to a level that was stupid.

So it was a it was a good problem.

The weather was super nice, I'd probably help too.

Wasn't cold.

Yeah, it was fortunate.

Yeah, can you keep that for next year?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'll put it in an order.

I think that was the warmest one we've ever had.

Yeah, yeah.

I think the ice rink was like barely working, but that's okay.

All right.

Uh tourism director report.

Okay, so you all have this in front of you.

Um, our significant spending in October, we paid our final payment for the strategic plan.

So that was approved.

Um, the final draft of that was approved last night at the council meet council meeting.

Uh so next steps for that are our team to now get together and kind of make an action plan.

Um, and what does that look like?

So we're gonna get to work on that.

I'm glad that process is over.

Um, but now you know, obviously the work um can begin.

So we're glad to have that three year sort of direction for us.

So we'll keep you guys updated on that um as we get going.

Uh, we paid for the our portion of the Tulsa chamber membership.

Um Uber was 506 dollars and in-house um eighty-six hundred dollars for their monthly what they worked on for the month.

Um, I did add a new line here just um for clarification purposes.

Um last month we talked about or we created the um committee that's gonna talk about maybe making some updates to our sponsorships, and uh in that meeting it came up.

Hey, it would be helpful when we're approving grants and things if we know how much money we have left, which makes total sense.

So um in starting next grant request we get, I'll put this in the on the page the RF RFP that you see um RFA, and so for right now we have 36,500 left in for the year that's unencumbered, which means that we haven't promised it to anyone yet for grant funding, and this is our hotel night funding as well as our sponsorship grant funding.

And then for the film incentive funding, we have about 23,000 left that has been adjusted because Horrified took less than what we thought.

Um we don't have anything else in the pipeline on the film incentive yet, right?

Um we've had some a couple others that are going to be filming here that we've been working with, but they have not requested funding.

So we're kind of just hanging on to that for the next six months or so.

But we do need to start having conversations about is this something that we want to replenish next year and how to if so, how do we make it part of our permanent budget?

Do we need to move numbers around?

Are we putting less somewhere?

Are we going to take money out of reserves for another year or two and see if we're getting what we want?

Do we want do we want to give less?

We just need to have that conversation.

Um so we'll see what that looks like.

I'm probably gonna have conversations with um leadership with the city manager and see kind of if he has any thoughts and then uh bring a recommendation to the board, and if you guys have thoughts as well, um, please share.

But we were kind of just seeing how it we've got to kind of see how these work that we have in the works or how it how it works, um, see if we see any um positive impact from them, which I think we will, um, but we've kind of have to see how those go before we give even put more money in the in the bank.

So um October hotel tax collection was up.

Uh this is the like fourth or fifth month so far where it's been up, which is good.

Uh fiscal year to date is up this time up from this time last year as well.

Uh we have our first film festival committee tomorrow night, and so we'll keep you guys updated on how that goes.

Um, we've put together uh a committee with uh Brad Heath, who's gonna be the director of the the festival, and he's got some industry professionals that he's put together.

Um and I'll share the names of those people and whatnot as I meet them and find out who's doing what strategic plan finalized.

I mentioned that already.

Um the Christmas parade is December 6th, that's coming up.

Uh state of the city is this says December 11th, but it's actually December 10th.

And in on the papers, who has confirmed.

So if there's any changes, if you can or can't come and you're not on this list, please let me know because we do have to, we have tables and we are very specific about how we fill them.

So right now I have Trevor, Brian, Tommy, Kathy, Sonia, and Lisa that will be there.

Since it's the 10th, I'll be good now.

Yeah, sorry.

I printed it that it's on the 10th.

I'm going to Chicago.

Yeah.

And then um below is the occupancy rate.

These numbers have changed from I used to share Oklahoma and broke and um national numbers, but the data source that I used to get these from now no longer provides that.

So I think um in January we're gonna be getting this data is switching over to use another software which is called CoStar.

And I think I'll have access to the national and state data again because it just gives us a good um, it's a you know the only way I have to compare how we're doing compared to them.

So um, but right now it shows you know, we're up uh from 53.5% in September of last year up to 59.8% occupancy.

So again, we're doing better than we did last year at this time.

Um that's about all I have as far as updates go, unless anyone has any other questions.

Um we did have the committee meeting for talking about sponsorships.

Um for those that weren't here last month, we were just talking about how difficult is because we have the hotel sponsorship, which is very black and white.

You have 12 rooms, you get $500.

It's very easy to say yes or no, you don't qualify, sorry.

But then we have this other sponsorship where we're just saying it's a community event and how much do we give, and it's very hard to you know, whoever's a requesting can just request whatever amount they want to, and there's no parameters around it, and so to try and help it make sense and where we're spending money wisely, if it's do we do it by and we've had this conversation about is it based on how many people come or based on what your budget is, or um just putting some parameters around that because a I don't have any way of saying no, you don't qualify or not, I just have to bring the request to you all, and that's not really fair sometimes when we know that you know this particular event shouldn't be getting five thousand dollars when they have two hundred people or whatever it is.

Um the gatesway thing is a good example of that.

Like we won't give them money for that next year.

Yes, we're 10 million.

If you're here well, I'm just saying like I mean, it's a good cause, and I get it, but you gotta get your shit together and do it on your own, you know what I mean?

Eventually.

Yes, and that's kind of I mean, that was kind of what's another one.

Like where I'm like, okay, we have to put some parameters around this.

But we have, you know, we love these events like the barbecue event, but they were one that came last year for a thousand, and then the next year and they said, Oh, we're not gonna ask as much, and then they're you know, we've we approved five thousand, which is fine if that's what we want to do, but right now there's not any parameters, and so it's hard to if you all don't know how much money's left, who who have we given money to already?

Can we just say it's based on how many people come?

For example, I keep using that, but if you if they're saying, Oh, the community wants this, the community wants it, and we're doing it, that's great.

But if there's only 10 people there, then does the community want to, or are you just doing an event because you want to?

Um, and if so, if there's some proof of some kind, right, and then also some sort of economic impact.

And um, if we had the data to show a spend, you know, what was a credit card spend, or um, but events that are way out of town, and did anybody even come into town and spend money?

Or um I don't know, there's just a better way to do it, and so that's what we were made the committee to talk about it.

We talked once, we're gonna need to meet again, or just have another conversation about what the best way is to do that so that we're making sure because I think this past year we've spent like 60 percent on community events and 30 so far on a hotel, and is that really what we're wanting to do?

Um it's just not sustainable if we're not holding them to the rib knives, which is our primary funding source.

Yeah, I agree.

Um, so just so those of you that weren't here know that that's kind of something that we're looking at because it's the word is getting out, um, and it's been you know, I think we're gonna be getting more and more of those, and of course we want to support the community, but it's not just free money that we have just to give.

I mean, there's a reason our money is very specific.

So we talked about too like the three-year thing, too.

Yeah, just you know, we kind of say it, oh, next year you're gonna ask for less, but it's just said out loud, there's not any like is there a percentage less so that you know if they do come three years in a row, it's next year you only get 75% of this, the year after it's 50, if that's what we want to do, or if it just is based on how many people you come, it's more incentive to make them have to do a better job, or you know, you could keep improving.

Um, you have to do the marketing for it, you have to make sure your event is getting better.

Um, versus us just saying, Oh, for sure you get 75% next year, and it could do well and you know they're they're not us asking for city services, like that we're actually giving them dollars, yes, and that's the difference in like some community events because I I think that's pretty I think that's fine to keep kind of asking for that.

That's kind of the city's job to help, you know what I mean?

But like to actually give them dollars, yes.

I know there's language in there that says like we can't be your final your primary revenue stream or whatever, like you're well, and there also is um something that I didn't consider, but there's also wording there that says if you get city services or the opposite, you don't get both.

So you either get your city services waived or you get money from us.

The problem now I see it's I didn't realize it.

Um, but so chalk it up and rose festival for one is a good example of they did get their fees waived for the stage and things like that, and that's great.

So, but this year we said, well, you don't get your fees waived now.

So now we're taking money from our budget to give them instead of having their fees waived, where we would have had more in our left in our bank account if we just waive those fees.

So for us, it's better if we just waive the fees.

And so Aaron and I have talked about we need to make sure that if they're if it's a city event that's gonna be using city stages and there's fees that are gonna be waived, we talk with the community development department, we waive as much as possible and use that as the credit, and then the cash from VBA is second choice instead of first, because it doesn't make sense for us to be giving cash for something that could be way a waived fee um for a stage that we already own, and it just doesn't make sense.

So I'm learning, um, but we're we have some thoughts to sort of structure that better.

That's what makes more sense.

Um, because I feel bad when um you guys are kind of up there like knowing, but not you know, not having all the information that you guys need to have to make a decision.

So I'm I have a plan, so just FYI and that.

Other than that, that's all right, make a motion to adjourn.

Second for a motion.

Yes, yes, Bowie, yes, Dean, yes, Swanson, yes, mascara.

Yes, thank you.