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Leon County
Board of County Commissioners Agenda Item#12 March 21, 2023 |
| To: | Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board |
| From: | Vincent S. Long, County Administrator |
| Title: | Approval of the Funding Recommendations for the Tourist Development Taxes Allocated Through the Community Redevelopment Agency |
| Review and Approval: | Vincent S. Long, County Administrator |
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Department/Division Review and Approval: |
Alan Rosenzweig, Deputy County Administrator |
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Lead Staff/ Project Team: |
Ken Morris, Assistant County Administrator Kerri Post, Director, Division of Tourism |
This item seeks Board approval of funding recommendations for the Tourist Development Taxes allocated through the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) for culture, visual arts, and heritage programs. The CRA Board is recommending, subject to Board approval, awarding three grants totaling approximately $2 million to be disbursed to LeMoyne Art Foundation, Challenger Learning Center, and a consortium of Indaba Inc., Florida Litfest, Inc, Tallahassee Symphony, Inc., and Southern Shakespeare, Inc (Attachment #1).
This item has a fiscal impact. Adequate funds are available to award $2,049,000 in Tourist Development Tax grant funding as recommended by the Community Redevelopment Agency and Tourist Development Council.
Option #1: Approve the funding recommendations for the Tourist Development Taxes allocated through the Community Redevelopment Agency.
Report and Discussion
This item seeks Board approval of funding recommendations for the Tourist Development Taxes (TDT) allocated through the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) for culture, visual arts, and heritage programs. Since 2014, Leon County has set aside TDT funds to be allocated by the CRA Board in accordance with a tri-party interlocal agreement between the County, City of Tallahassee (City), and CRA. The CRA Board is recommending, subject to Board approval, awarding three grants totaling approximately $2 million to be disbursed to LeMoyne Art Foundation, Challenger Learning Center, and a consortium of Indaba Inc., Florida Litfest, Inc, Tallahassee Symphony, Inc., and Southern Shakespeare, Inc (Attachment #1).
On July 12, 2022, a status report was provided to the Board describing the CRA’s efforts to allocate the remaining TDT funds which were set aside pursuant to the interlocal agreement (Attachment #2). At that time, staff anticipated the grant application and evaluation process to be completed by spring 2023. The CRA Board’s utilization of the TDT funds remains subject to final approval by both the County and City Commissions. The City Commission is expected to take up this item at its meeting on March 22, 2023.
Tri-Party Interlocal Agreement
On October 14, 2014, the Board approved the Third Amendment to the CRA Interlocal Agreement to reallocate TDT revenues that had been dedicated to a downtown performing arts center, which never came to fruition. At that time, the County had accrued a fund balance of approximately $5 million in TDT for a downtown performing arts center. Pursuant to the Interlocal Agreement, the CRA Board was charged with making recommendations for the utilization of the remaining TDT funds within the Downtown or Frenchtown/Southside CRA Districts, subject to final approval by both the County and City Commissions. These funds must be utilized in accordance with section 125.0104, Florida Statutes, which governs the use of TDT funds. Further, the CRA Interlocal Agreement specifically calls for the TDT funds to be utilized for projects, programs, and expenses:
related to culture, visual arts, and heritage programs; performing arts space, as part of the convention center project; or other performing arts projects.
In accordance with the Third Amendment to the CRA Interlocal Agreement approved in 2014, approximately $2.25 million of the TDT funds were allocated for capital improvements associated with the Amphitheater support space and redevelopment at Cascades Park. On May 25, 2017 the CRA Board approved the creation of a competitive grant program to solicit proposals and allocate the remaining $3 million of TDT. In July 2018, the County, CRA Board, and City each approved awarding the remaining TDT funds to three organizations as a result of the grant program. This included a proposal by TLH Arts, Inc. for a “Performance and Rehearsal Venue Renovation” which originally involved the renovation of a State-owned building located on West Van Buren Street into a multipurpose assembly and performance venue. TLH Arts, Inc. was awarded $1.8 million for its proposal which, over several years and multiple iterations, was unable to meet the required benchmarks (fundraising, securing a location, etc.) to receive funding.
On January 26, 2022, after several extensions and iterations of the project, TLH Arts Inc. provided a letter to the CRA stating that the organization had placed its plans for the venue on hold. On February 24, 2022, following the receipt of TLH Arts, Inc’s letter stating that it had put its project on hold, the CRA Board rescinded the grant previously awarded to TLH Arts Inc. and directed staff to develop a new application process for the remaining funds.
The County’s Director of Tourism coordinated with CRA staff to ensure the grant guidelines and applications met the statutory requirements for TDT expenditures. On September 8, 2022, the CRA Board approved a grant solicitation process to reallocate the remaining funds in a manner consistent with the Interlocal Agreement. Approximately $2.0 million of TDT funds remains in the County’s interest-bearing account pursuant to the CRA Interlocal Agreement at this time. The analysis section summarizes the CRA’s grant solicitation process and funding recommendations to allocate the remaining TDT funds.
Consistent with the Interlocal Agreement, the CRA solicited grant applications for projects, programs, and expenses related to culture, visual arts, and heritage programs. All funding allocations of TDT under the Interlocal Agreement must be utilized within the Downtown or Frenchtown/Southside CRA Districts and requires the approval of the CRA Board and the County and City Commissions. These funds must also be utilized in accordance with Section 125.0104, Florida Statutes, which governs the use of TDT funds. Should the Board approve the funding recommendations presented herein, the City Commission is anticipated to take up this item at its meeting on March 22, 2023 for final approval.
On September 8, 2022, the CRA Board approved a grant solicitation process to reallocate the remaining $2.0 million in TDT. The CRA’s grant application window opened on October 1, 2022 and closed on November 30, 2022. Three applications were deemed eligible under the statutory criteria for authorized expenditures of the TDT funds. After the application window closed, staff from the Council on Culture and Arts (COCA) reviewed the applications to evaluate how each application would meet the goals of the Capital Area Cultural Plan for funding. Applications were then forwarded to the Arts & Culture Review Committee to be scored at a public meeting. The Arts & Culture Review Committee was comprised of the following members: Kyle Phelps (Downtown Redevelopment Commission), Cynthia Tunnicliff (Downtown Improvement Authority), Russell Daws (Tourist Development Council), Betsy Couch (Knight Creative Communities Initiative) and LaRoderick McQueen (Greater Frenchtown/Southside Citizens Advisory Committee). The Committee’s scoring evaluations and rankings were forwarded to the Tourist Development Council (TDC) as required by the Interlocal Agreement.
On February 2, 2023, the TDC reviewed the applications and unanimously recommended the three grant awards as proposed by the Arts & Culture Review Committee. On February 23, 2023 the CRA Board approved the following funding recommendations:
LeMoyne Art Foundation, Inc.: “Art for Always – Crossing the Finish Line”
This is the final phase of a multi-year, multi-phased improvement, expansion, and enhancement of the facilities owned and operated by the LeMoyne Art Foundation, Inc. This project calls for renovations to LeMoyne’s art education building to improve and expand the studio art education facilities which will enhance student and teacher experiences and attract tourists to special weekend workshops and events. This project will also provide for a new large event gazebo, expansion of the sculpture garden and enable ADA accessibility, and create art studio space for artists.
Recommended Funding: $765,000
Challenger Learning Center: “S.T.E.A.M. Among the Stars”
This project calls for upgrades and improvements to the Challenger Learning Center’s 128 seat planetarium auditorium.
The Downtown Digital Dome Theatre and Planetarium is a 50’, high-definition theatre with a 26,000-watt Dolby 5.1 surround sound system operating on an outdated digital platform. Grant funds would be utilized for the purchase and installation of a Digistar 7 digital presentation and projection system. The Digistar 7 platform would also allow the Challenger Learn Center to host and broadcast live seminars and well as access new content through a cloud-based resource library to diversify its programming.
Recommended Funding: $713,450
Indaba Inc., Florida Litfest, Inc, Tallahassee Symphony, Inc., and Southern Shakespeare, Inc: “Capital Cascades Amphitheater Improvements…”
This project calls for capital and programming improvements at the Adderley Amphitheater at Cascades Park, however, the funding recommendation provides only for the proposed capital improvements. The capital improvements call for the purchase and installation of video screens alongside the Amphitheater to enhance performances, the purchase and installation of a digital sign to be visible from Monroe Street to promote Amphitheater events, and the purchase and installation of Amphitheater stage curtaining to facilitate more daytime events. The design and installation of these features would be coordinated with the City which manages the venue and the Division of Tourism which manages the County’s Concert Series.
Recommended Funding: $570,550
The grant application packets for each project are included in Attachment #1. All three of the projects recommended for funding are within the CRA boundaries and meet the statutory requirements for the expenditure of TDT funds. Therefore, this item recommends approval of the funding recommendations provided by the CRA Board. Should the City Commission approve these funding recommendations, the grant applicants will contract with the CRA to begin the implementation of these projects.
Option #1
Attachments: