So I'm trying to have a virtual call this time with the American Football Association.

So I think you then might want to go line up.

So he'll present real quick to you guys about their event request.

They're expecting a lot of visitors, it looks like.

To our city.

You can probably change it so he can think of us.

Where do they have metrics?

I feel like these are easier to prove that they have to have stays to get reimbursed.

Yeah, maybe it might sound a bit good.

Yeah, we get a high five if you just get it.

Yeah.

Good.

All right.

Um call order for December 9th, 2025.

Visit BA.

There we go.

Dean?

Yes.

Yardie?

Present.

Bowie?

Yes.

Ford.

Here.

Hang in.

Muskrat.

Here.

Lop here.

Schneider.

Here.

Swanson.

All right.

Number three presentations.

Is that where we're starting right there?

Keep going.

What's that?

Keep going.

Okay.

Number four.

All right.

Number four.

General visit BA.

Business.

A 25-1713 consideration discussion of possible approval of meeting minutes for November 18th, 2025.

Motion to approve the minutes.

Second.

Who wants to be the second?

I heard the two.

Okay.

Okay.

Dean.

Yes.

Yardie?

Yes.

Bowie?

Yes.

Ford?

I'm gonna abstain since I was not here at the meeting.

Um Hagan Muskrat, yes.

Yes.

Schneider, yes.

Okay.

Action item B 251714 consideration discussion of possible approval for the American Junior Golf Association at Indian Springs Hotel Rebate in uh not to exceed the amount of 15,000.

Okay, so we have um James O'Brien with the American Junior Golf Association virtually today.

So a couple months ago, um, we started having conversations about an event that they wanted to bring to Broken Arrow.

Um Aaron worked hard on this and actually put them in contact with um a contact down at Indian Springs.

They were just like, where could we potentially play?

And that just happened to work out on our end very smoothly.

James can tell you more about that, but um, they are anticipating 300 to 350 hotel nights, um, and this will be held August 3rd through 6th of 2026.

So just a note, um, this is going to be the first hotel rebate that is being requested for fiscal year 26.

So obviously everything, you know, we still have full funds available for August or starting for fiscal year, I'm sorry, 27.

Um, and so just so that you guys all know that in advance, this would be um obviously pending those funds being available next year.

Um so I will let James tell you a little bit about his organization, why they chose broken arrow and kind of what they're expecting to see next year.

Yeah, definitely.

Thank you so much.

Can you all hear me?

Yes.

Okay, great.

So we'll know instead of virtually meet everyone.

My name is James O'Brien.

I'm the regional director of the South Central Region here at the AJGA.

Um been at the AJJ for about eight years now, and um my role here at AGJ is to schedule our events, work to find funding and sponsors and governors for our events, and then look to build local tournament committees to make our events successful locally.

We're based out of uh just outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

So just our you know, the mission statement at the AJA were a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn a college golf scholarship through competitive junior golf.

So really at the end of the day, we're trying to give a platform for junior golfers to go on um to get a college golf scholarship.

Um you know keep playing and uh pursue their dreams.

And secondary mission is we are a nonprofit, so um all of our events are fundraisers as well.

Um to get money back to uh back to charity.

So specifically for this event, you know, I know is mentioned Lance Allen, who's the head pro there at Indian Springs.

He was actually the GM, and you all might know if you if you know him at a at a tournament or a golf course in Jocklin, Missouri, where we had an AJGA event.

So I had I had a little bit of connection with him in the past, and then we were just looking to get an event in Oklahoma.

We we wanted to be in Oklahoma to serve our membership there.

So kind of made the connection there, then um reach out to Aaron Michaela.

Um and then it kind of just all worked out you know, smoothly that we're able to secure date that we're for the golf course.

Obviously, the funding from you all is very important to get the event off the ground.

Um Lance in the past, so um he kind of knows um knows the drill and knows what we're looking forward to to make our events successful.

Um, you know, I don't know if anyone has any questions.

I think I'll wrap it up with um, I don't know if it's Aaron or Michaela mentioned, you know, 300 to 350 total room nights.

Um we do have one host hotel and three preferred hotels that we'll be sending out to you know our participants to saying to drive that um you know those hotel room nights in Broken Arrow.

Um we'll have about it's it's about the same amount of people, about 300 to 350 people will be traveling to Broken Arrow.

It's uh it's a really an international event.

Um typically we average about 20 different states in five different countries for our ADGA um events.

So um there'll be some local people, but mostly out of town folks.

Um, and then typically we do an in-house fulfillment report, and um it's typically anywhere from with the type of event we're doing a 200 to 300,000 economic impact to the local community there.

So um I know those those statistics are are important for y'all, but more than happy to explain a little more about the event or if you have any questions.

Um I don't want to you know run too long, but uh there's a little background and um you know history of our event.

Anybody have any questions?

I I'm really excited that you picked Broken Arrow.

What made you pick Broken Arrow?

Just because your connection with you already had good connections with the Indian Springs.

Yeah, I mean that was definitely a factor.

I mean, a goal for us, we run 150 events a year.

So, you know, I oversee you know the South Sicher region, but we're the goal is to try to bring events to our members, and we have a lot of members in the state of Oklahoma, um, and we didn't have an Oklahoma event on the schedule.

So it was, you know, for myself with my role, let's say who do you know in the area?

Obviously, trying to reach out to a lot of times ABJ parents are our best lead, but also reaching out um, you know, to Michaela and Aaron, I think it was just you know, just seeing what kind of funding opportunities were available or what kind of support could happen.

We partner with a lot of CVBs because we are national events and bring um hotel nights and those types of things.

So it's kind of just a perfect storm of of all those things that that made it possible.

Thank you.

Can I ask him a question I thought of that I haven't asked him yet?

Um James, is this do you typically try to stay like it would it be an annual thing, or do you try and jump around to different locations every year, or do you have um spaces that you like to come back to each year?

Yeah, great question.

No, we we want to make it a multi-year event.

We don't want to just be uh a one and done.

Um I think in just being transparent with you, our our goals to raise $50,000 for our events because it's to it typically costs around 40,000 to operate one of our events when when everything's all said and done.

Um obviously your your all support is getting us to that goal, but you don't have a little work to do and Lance and members of the club and some ABJ parents are going to try to help with that as well.

So obviously we want the we want the event to be financially successful before we would commit to doing maybe a three-year deal or so be it.

Um but yes, I guess the the short answer would be yes, we want to continue.

We want to make it a multi-year event, but we want all the pieces in place before we would commit to them.

Thank you.

Yeah, that's cool.

Um yeah, I guess maybe the only other thing I would add, just like schedule events-wise, it is August 3rd through 6th.

Um, that's a Monday through Thursday.

That Monday is a qualifier practice round.

Um, so we actually had a separate qualifier of 78 different kids.

This is 78 firefield, 78 different kids and families that are traveling in about 10% of those kids will qualify to get into the actual people tournament each day.

Um Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.

So you know it's a four-day typically people will be in town for you know a minimum of two to three days.

Some get in, you know, a week early and stay a week.

So just a little more context there, but uh yeah.

Thank you.

I'll make a motion to approve American Junior Golf Association at Indian Springs Hotel rebound rebate request.

Um, and the amount not to exceed $15,000.

All right, James, thank you very much.

We'll be in touch with you.

Awesome.

Sounds great.

Oh, I'm sorry if they have I'm sorry they have to vote.

Hold on.

Let's see how they vote.

Uh Dean.

Yes.

Yari?

Yes.

Yes.

Ford?

Yes.

Muskrat?

Yes.

Lop?

Yes.

Schneider.

Yes.

Okay.

Okay, now congratulations.

Congratulations.

Now we will be unanimous.

Okay.

Thanks, James.

Okay, thank you guys.

Have a good day.

You too.

All righty.

Action item C25-172 consideration discussion of possible approval for proposed updates to the visit Broken Arrow community event sponsorship rebate program.

Okay.

I'm gonna get up here this time just for fun.

Uh, so I can see you guys better.

So the last meeting, actually, I think it was the meeting before last, we talked about needing better parameters around our event, our community event sponsorship because it's getting a little bit out of control, I feel like, um, or maybe has always been out of control.

Um, and so as you guys know, we have our hotel rebates, which is very black and white, it's very easy for us.

$500 for every 12 room nights, there's no no negotiation, it's just what it is.

We've we've done the research to know that that's worth it to us, you know, for the economic impact purposes.

So we also have been seeing an increase in these what we're calling community events, which aren't necessarily actually they're not bringing hotel room nights most of the time, not at least at least not 12.

And so we've just seen um right now there's no guidelines, it's just like request whatever amount you would like, and we usually say yes.

Um, and so we are the word about our funding is getting out there.

Aaron and I are doing more work on promoting our conferences and events, especially next year after our strategic plan came out.

You know, we're gonna be focusing on that, and I think there's gonna be more interest in the funding that we do have.

Um, so as you all know, we have $90,000 right now every year.

Um that renews every year.

We start over, it doesn't matter if we only spent $50 last year, we just that goes into reserves and then we just have 90 again.

So um while we haven't technically run out um since I've been around or that I know of, um, I think there's high potential for that.

So just wanting to make sure that we're aware of our spending.

So um we did have a committee that's that set aside and we had a meeting and we kind of talked through some ideas.

It was um Lisa, Trevor, Sonia.

I think that's it.

Brian, you couldn't make it right.

Um, and so we just went through some ideas and then Aaron and I kind of sat down and made it.

Um we wrote it down to where it would kind of make sense to us, but also be kind of easy still.

Um so this is a summary.

It looks confusing, but it's really not.

Um the biggest part of this is so you know, when we have events come in, we have to have some sort of goal.

And for us, our ultimate goal is that we have when we have events that they're um we get sales tax from it.

Um, and so that is ultimate.

Um, even if they're not have bringing hotel nights, we want to make sure that the people they're bringing in are spending spending money.

And so um, here's kind of what we came up with, and I want um feedback on this, and then ultimately, you know, even if there's a couple changes, just approval for us to add this to our guidelines that we can use when we get requests um, so it's easier for us to know yes, you qualify or no, you do not.

Um so minimum attendance of 300.

And um, what was kind of difficult for us, but we decided we just have to do it is um that we use um attendance verification based on placer.

It's the only software we have right now that is gonna verify attendance because an event can come and say, Oh, we have 5,000 people, when actually they were just looking around and guessing and they only had a thousand.

It's very hard to guess crowd sizes.

So placer has been very um very dependable for us.

If we use the same, you know, it's not obviously gonna be exact, they may have a thousand fifty and it says a thousand or maybe the opposite.

Um it does have uh metrics, whatever their calculations are in there, they do account for children to be there and you know, all of the things.

So if we just make that standard for everyone, no matter what, it's gonna be that's the only fair way we know of unless somebody's out there counting people because the problem is that not problem, it's a good thing, is that most of these events that we're giving money to are free admission, but then there's no way to count the people.

So we're going to be using place or data that the requester of the funds has to know that that's how we're we're counting people, um they have to be okay with that because otherwise they're gonna say, Oh no, we we know you know, unless they have some other verifiable way, if they do take tickets, you know, that would be fine.

Um so the other thing that we've seen a lot of in the past is that they will come and ask for sponsorship for us, and then they're going to Krista in community development and asking for city in kind services.

So sometimes the um police use of the security, our police officers, the barricades, the stage, all those things add up to thousands of dollars worth of in-kind services that we're giving them.

So we call it double dipping, they're actually getting a lot more than it looks like.

Um, and so we're saying in this, which we kind of say in the guidelines now, but not very strictly, is that you can't get both.

So you can go, you can get the stage for free, or you can come and not get the stage for free and then pay the city back the 300 or 500 or however much stage costs.

Um, and that's something that our department and Krista would work on together and just make sure there's not double dipping.

Um, but we're gonna make it very clear in the application too, so that that does not happen.

Um because ultimately these are all taxpayers' dollars, and so they're getting double what they're saying.

Um, and vice versa.

So if they go to Krista and ask for it for in-kind waive fever fee waivers, they're not coming to get a sponsorship from us.

Um the funding tiers.

So if you go to tier four, that's like the smallest event, it's a thousand dollars if it's between three hundred and a thousand attendees.

You guys, you guys should have this.

We do package a thousand dollars and then the and then it moves up based on attendance.

So we thought that this was, you know, we honestly kind of did the 7500 based on the amount that like chalk it up gets.

Um, we kind of knew that that was going to be, you know, what it was gonna be because it's been that way for a long time.

And so we kind of based it on that anything over 10,000, like 7500 is our our max amount for an event.

However, I did put additional provision, like if there's a big event that's gonna have over 30,000 people, we can they can come and talk to you guys, and you guys can decide if the if it's worth giving them more than 7500 because there's always those things that um you know we want bigger events, so we may support them more.

Um, so those are just some things that we came up with based on what we know and kind of the events that we know happen and may come our way for funding tiers.

Um we are asking more specifically for a match, so we're not paying for anybody's entire event.

Um, they have to have matching funds.

Um, one thing that Aaron actually mentioned today when we were talking with Krista is, and I think it's a great idea is when we're saying cash expenditures that we're asking them to spend that they have to prove they spent the dollars in broken arrow.

Um we didn't ever we don't ever really specify that, but I think it's a great idea.

We do that with our film incentive, so why not just add that as you know the doll, whatever your event ideas are or your event expenditures, they need to be spent in BA.

So if you guys are good with that, I thought that would be a good ad that I didn't put on here.

I think that's a great ad.

Yeah, and I I guess I kind of assumed that it would be spend in BA, but specifying it is um, I think a great idea.

Nice work.

Um, so and then in here it just says things that you can't use as a match, um, last year's expenses, um, last year's expenses, um, other things that you are uh maybe getting for free.

This is just kind of re repetitive as far as you can't use other services from broken arrow.

Um, and then also the um number four is the maximum percentage of event budget.

So I we put 30% of the total operating budget.

Um and that means that they have to have 70% coming from somewhere else.

And this just prevents us from being the only sponsor, because I think that happens a lot too, is that people come in and they say the community wants this.

Well, nobody came, and nobody and nobody else supported it.

So who told you, you know, and so this way it's proof that more than just you, the event organizer wants it.

Um, and so I don't know if anybody has thoughts on that as well.

Um, that was just a way of us saying we're not paying for the whole event.

Um then the next one is what we've we've kind of again said out loud, but we've never really enforced is the the step down every year.

So they get a thousand dollars a first year, then 750, then 500 or whatever I said 75%, 50%, and then after the third year, um we put that you have to sit out a whole year, um, unless they show a huge attendance growth of 20%.

And so that again makes us we always say, well, we're not meant to be your, you know, to be here every year, but then we've had events that ask for a thousand last year and then come back and ask for five when last year they said in a pub in this public meeting that you know they wouldn't ask for this as much next year.

Um, but it's just not been a guideline that we have before you know when they apply.

So um we added that in there, and then um really just that they need to come within 60 days, which is already a guideline.

Um, and then lastly, which is just internally for us, we have um that we really want to make sure that at least 60% of all of the funding that we have, the 90,000 is going to hotel rebates.

We don't want to get to a point where we're only you know, we're using most of our money on community events that aren't generating hotel nights.

We are using lodging tax dollars, it just makes sense that at least, and I think that's kind of nice, honestly.

Um, current split on that.

There's no split, there's no, it's just whatever whoever comes, it's kind of first come first.

Like, what are we currently trending at?

I guess.

Oh, um, right now it's the opposite, it's like 60% 40%.

60% hotel or 60% community.

60% community.

Okay.

And that's you know, Scott Fest, I count that as a community event.

Um, and they've been one that's you know, I don't know what they're gonna be in the future.

Um, they've been one that did, but you know, we give um when we added Tuesdays in the park, that added that's $10,000 of our 90.

That's that was a big expenditure.

Um, and so what I also will do, and I've kind of mentioned this to some of you, is before every request, I'm gonna remind everybody, or you know, it'll be in the agenda of like here's what we spent so far, here's where we're at, here's how much left we have of this on this side and this side, so that you guys know, because I know it's hard to keep track.

Um it's hard for me to keep track too.

But then when it's gone, it's gone.

Yeah, yeah.

But we've already seen we already have three hotel events pending for next fiscal year that we're already talking to.

And they're gonna be kind of like the junior golf.

We just had a women's golf request, it's gonna be 15 grand too, and then we have a Grange convention and they're gonna be bigger than that, and so quickly it could be gone.

Um, you know, the only thing is I would maybe say, just thinking out loud, is if the hotel event came and spent over 60, I think we should allow that.

Like if it's first come, first serve, and the hotel rebate takes it all, and we don't have any money left for the smaller events, we could still dip into the event.

But not the other way.

Not the other way around, is what I would recommend.

Yeah, at least we're getting some back on the hotels on the yeah, and you know, it's hard to we're not ever gonna be able to prove that these events spent sales tax.

Um we can kind of guess that events that are not held in the Rose District or in a center, um, are not gonna be the same.

Like certain events, you just know that there are people are not coming in to spend money in town.

Um, but yeah, we don't really have any way to prove the sales tax where hotels it's on paper.

Here's the people that stayed here.

So those are kind of those are the main points of the change.

Um, you know, I'm doing it to protect Aaron and I, but also to protect you guys from us just we have to right now just bring you everything that comes, and you guys don't always know the whole story or how much money is left or what the event, you know, even before you come, like who's coming to talk to us.

And so, in a way, it's like when they do get here, you we know they've already gone through these things.

Um, it makes sense, and so your decision is a lot less there should be a lot less pressure on you all as well.

But we just basically need the authority to say from the beginning, you don't qualify.

I'm sorry, we're not gonna go to a BBA meeting.

Where right now everybody just comes.

These are still reimbursements, right?

Yes.

Okay.

Yeah.

Where the the rebate, so the the uh rebate would come after the event, we get our place or data, and that's the attend that number is what we're gonna be using to give the rebate.

And I know it's I can already tell in advance that it's not gonna be the easiest way just because everyone's opinion on how many people came to an event is different.

Um, but we have the ability now if we start this starting January 1st, you know, everybody that's been pre-approved is okay, we'll you know, continue with that, but um just make it very clear in the guidelines.

Like you have to click yes.

Do you understand that it has place your data we're using to verify attendees, and it's the same for everybody.

I like too that we're having a stronger gatekeeper before it comes to us.

Like she's already vetted everybody, so we don't get into another situation where our event's Saturday and we need money today on a Wednesday.

Yeah, and it's it will still be 90 days that yeah, we kind of let go through, but um, shouldn't have hindsight.

Um but right now we ask them the questions, we're just like how much of your budget is, and if they say 100%, I'm like all I can do is just share it with you guys.

But it's a lot to think about and go through just without knowing kind of the whole picture as you guys sitting there.

So this will just give us more authority to kind of gatekeep, as we're trying to get more, you know.

I would love a hundred percent of the dollars to go to our hotel events, um, or even some of these community events to turn into hotel events.

Um and you know, there's value in the community events, like we don't want them to not happen.

It's just I think the requests have we just need a little bit more control over the requests, like we're not just we don't just have endless dollars.

So well, I like this tier too, because it's like okay, we're gonna give you this much this year, but it's gonna be less next year because the goal is for them to be successful without all of our money going into it.

Yeah, but when they come back next year, I can say, okay, you know, even if they request a thousand, I can say no, you only qualify for 750, whatever the number is, before they even come if before it even comes to you guys and remind them and yes.

But we know we think about for like chocolate up and Tuesdays in the park and things like that also.

It should be it sounds fair.

Most businesses plan on about three years to succeed generally, so it takes a while for them to get on their feet, but once they're there, they should be there.

Yeah, and there's events that we always you know just want our name on, we want it to support, uh, but this is three years, and then without us for a year, but knowing this in advance, they will be able to plan, okay.

We're not getting the thousand from the city this year, so we need to figure it out, but then the next year they can come back and I mentioned those events specifically because I sit on that board, and they're those are hard to monetize, like it's hard to make money on those two things.

You know what I mean?

And I think you mean the chalk it up like chalk it up and the Rose Festival.

There's not there's not a lot of money to be made on either one of those things.

And Tuesdays in the park, also we've looked at like selling booze, and like, and there's just no there's not really a market for it.

People like it and it's cool, and I don't want to see it go away.

Yeah, so I'm gonna do it.

Well, and I know they work really hard.

Yeah, and I know they work hard to get other sponsors.

I mean they all do.

I think people are you know like businesses also get fatigue from giving and I understand that as well.

Yeah.

On both of those two events, though, can't they go to her for the it would be one or the other, yeah.

Yeah, could so if they so like last year they chose, and that we did enforce it this year, they chose to get our rebate, and then they got um they paid back the all the services from the city.

Is that limited to three years for them on that?

I mean, because if if it's not limited on that, they could continue to get that.

Or that next year, yeah, that's a good point.

So they switch back and do city services.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, or it still saves them a lot of money.

Yeah, that's a good point.

So, really, though, if you guys don't have any other changes, the only thing was the making sure it was BA spend for the expenditures that I added.

Um, and then I'll change the wording on which isn't which is really just an internal the allocation of uh percentages, the 60 percent.

I might even say leave that and just say 40 percent up to 40 percent is the community events, but otherwise, like if it's available.

So there is also a point on there that they can ask for money again if they have significant programming expansion or attendance increase.

So we're also trying to encourage them to change it up, you know.

Don't get static with your events, so that's another point that is in there.

I mean, we would love if in a community an event starts out as a community event, a barbecue event, and then they start, you know, bring in people from all over town, and then it switches over to a hotel grant.

Um, you know, I think we were giving 10 times the amount that people would get for hotel, just attendance-wise, it just wasn't a good combination.

But yeah, we want the events to grow, so you know, eventually if they did grow, um, they could could get a hotel rebate or one of these higher higher amounts if they're which is what we want them to do, if they really are you know wanted by the community and become a success, like that's what we ultimately want them to do.

But I'm glad you took the time and the committee took the time to look this over.

I think it was definitely time to kind of revamp some of it for sure.

Yeah, and this is just a preview at this time.

You'll present the final document and then we'll vote on it.

Um if you want, I mean, there's really that one change, so you can approve with that one change.

Um, and then I can just go ahead and say it's effective January 1st.

Or if there's something else that you want to see, I can make more, I can adjust.

Um, but really it'll be Aaron and I revamping the application and the guidelines on our website.

And we actually don't we have the our hotel rebate on our website, but the community event application we don't have on our website.

We just that's kind of been word of mouth, and we just kind of share it as people ask.

Um, and we'll probably leave it that way unless you guys think differently.

But really, our the VBA website is really for like the conference page is really for these out of town and hotel events.

So I think it'd be fine to even do maybe a tab for events or whatever.

I kind of like it being in black and white so people know before you know, so they're not calling you and asking you a lot of questions.

It's already posted and black and white, and then if they have questions, then they can reach out to it.

And that's easy.

It's just we can add that link on there.

But then I'll I'll make a motion to accept what you have submitted.

Um, plus the revision, the one revision, which I forgot what that was.

Broken arrows broken arrow expenditure.

Yes, oh yeah, to spend money on broken arrow.

Yeah, yeah, I'd like to already?

Yes.

Yes, board, yes, muskrat, yes.

Yes, Schneider, yes.

All right.

Action item five.

Uh board members opportunity to address the visit BA on general topics related to city business or services.

We still paying our influencers.

No, good question.

I think it was just three months, I think.

We asked that that one time.

Yeah.

We tried it.

Yep.

We didn't hear what you asked.

Are we are we still paying the influencer that we had for three months?

Oh, okay.

The answer is no.

Okay.

Hey, we tried.

I mean, yeah.

Throw it out there, see what sticks.

Yeah.

All right.

Uh action item six tourism director report.

I'm just gonna stay up here because I like it.

Okay.

Um so this month, um, so this is your last page on here.

Um, significant spending for November was OSAE membership, which is Oklahoma Society of Association Executives.

I actually love this group.

Um, it's all the associations have a group.

Um, and so that we I really like um that we're part of that because we can get our name in front of them because they're all the ones that have conference, they all have conferences.

Um we paid out the horrified rebate.

We approved that at the last meeting.

Um, I think it was 51 that they were approved for, and they only took 35, so that puts a little bit more back into our film incentive rebate.

Um, and then we paid our wedding officiant, we pay her monthly um to do wedding Wednesdays.

I did add our remaining grant funding for this year is 36,500.

Um, and then the film incentive that is remains is 23,827.

Um our hotel motel tax collections um was up from last year, so I'm kind of I'm crossing my fingers every month because we've been since July 1st, we've been up every month, so I'm gonna see how long that lasts.

Um fiscal year we're also up, so that's good.

Um we are working on the board book um for 2026.

We actually have it done, we just need to print it and get it to you guys with the new information in it.

Um, and we I don't know if you guys know, but Leanne or admin left, so we're in the process of hiring a new one, and so we those types of things are just a little slow right now.

Um we've had various event and film rebate inquiries.

I've been talking to some smaller films that have just been asking about the rebate.

You know, I get a call every week, um, and they their projects for next year, so I think that's gonna continue.

Um, we will very soon need to talk about continuing our film incentive rebate and what we want to do moving forward.

Um I have not had a chance to talk to city manager about what that looks like.

You know, we took money from reserves to do this.

Um, and so whether we need to move money around in our current budget or if we want to I don't know.

I don't know what that looks like yet, but we'll we'll need to talk about that soon.

Um because we are getting even more requests as for next year.

Um and then we did have our first film festival committee meeting that's coming along.

Um that's gonna be in October of next year.

Uh we're still planning on having it at Will Warren.

They're a little bit slow right now, it's our busy time of year with a lot of events and stuff.

So uh we have to always talk through their corporate office, which is very difficult.

They're in Knoxville.

Um, I guess they have no control here over events or anything.

Um, so it's been a little bit difficult.

But um very excited about the film festival and we'll keep you guys up to date with stuff that's happening um so far that we're just kind of meeting each other and um there's about eight of us on that committee, some really great people that are in the film industry um that know what they're doing, and then Aaron and I just making sure the marketing looks great and that they are um that we're gonna be making as much sales tax and hotel tax as possible.

Um State of the City is tomorrow for those of you going.

Just look for Eric and I.

The seating is kind of confusing sometimes, so they said just double check your table, but Erin and I will be sitting with you guys if you're going.

So uh we will see you guys there.

Um I'm gonna present about tourism for LBA government day on Thursday.

Um, just in FYI and what time is your because I'm going, but what time is your presentation?

Right before lunch.

Oh, okay.

I may not be there that long.

But it starts at 11, right?

Um the state of the city I think eleven fifteen is registration, but it's sold out.

So there's like last year there was like 325 people that attended, and it's like over 500 this year.

So you'll want to get there closer to 1115, 113 to get situated.

Yeah.

But I think I'm sitting with the city table.

Am I sitting with you all?

I think you're sitting at the city table as well.

Okay.

I just want to make sure they're running empty seated there.

Um Carol's and Coco's December 12th.

Do you have anything you want to say about that?

Y'all are welcome to come on Friday.

Um, it's much smaller than the kickoff, but it's growing.

It's the second year we've done it.

Um, and so it's just gonna be some music, a bunch of local choirs like the seniors, uh, Art 02 and Rhema.

And then I also have vote performing this year, the second hour of the evening, which is a acoustic band out of Tulsa.

They're small.

They have a new Christmas song, which I'm excited to hear.

It's called Home Oklahoma for Christmas or something like that.

Um, and then you know, we'll have Santa and the Grinch and some princesses and that sort of thing.

So very family fun, friendly, all that kind of stuff.

So Friday at 6 30, 8 30.

We have our quarterly hotel years luncheon planned for January 7th, and then we are hosting a crime prevention and overnight lodging class for the hotels.

Um, they're very excited about this.

I think I don't know if you were around when he did it before.

Um, but we haven't done it in a long time, and so he brought it.

He's like, Can we please just have this conversation?

Because um, you know, there's not a lot of things going on, but there is some.

Um, and so we're gonna have that class, which is for their staff and whoever they want to come.

It's just kind of informational.

Uh I think we're gonna offer it twice, once in the in the day and once in the evening, just so that there's more of the staff can come.

Um occupancy rates, uh, these numbers look a lot um less than I have been providing because we lost access to the state and national information right now.

We're hoping to get it back, but um we're up occupancy percentages a lot higher than last year, which is great.

Um, and otherwise the numbers look good.

So that's all I have for this month, unless anybody has any questions.

Um people may all know Krista and her new position, but do you want to officially introduce her so everyone will know who she is and what she does.

Krista Mooney Shea, she is the new events liaison.

Events coordinator.

Events liaison.

So she's in the community development department, and so do you want to come up and talk about what you do?

She we work very closely with their team on on different events, but she touches events that we have nothing to do with, so it's nice to meet all of you.

Uh I've been here about two months and I've uh been able to get reacquainted with sort of all of the regular events and bring in some private events that I just kind of help people facilitate.

Uh they don't really need us for very much, but I kind of walk them through it of what uh good practices are.

And I'm looking forward to 2026 and the uh the new calendar.

A lot of the events are the same, but we'll be moving back into the events park um for several of the events and kind of make some changes that direction, and I'm just getting still acquainted with how all of this works.

It's a great team.

I've got the city workers are all fantastic.

And your office is just like right now.

I am in community development, yes, permitting.

Yeah, there's my little bubble.

Welcome, we're glad you're here.

Thank you.

Thanks very much.

All right.

Yes.

Yes.

Do we have a second?

I thought I thought that was the motion.

Oh, okay.

Just want to make sure.

Okay.

We're good.

Uh Bowie.

Yes.

Four.

Yes.

Lop?

Yes.

Schneider?

Yes.