[2. O-081-24 AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025 BUDGET FOR THE GREATER LOUISVILLE LODGING MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. 5/30/24 Budget Committee Held 5/9/24 Budget Committee Held Action Required By: October 2024 Sponsors: Phillip T. Baker (D-6) ]

WITH THAT? IS THAT IT? THAT'S IT. THAT WAS OFFICIAL AS WE NEED TO GET ITEM TWO IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 20 2425 BUDGET FOR THE GREATER. GREATER LOUISVILLE LODGING MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, YOUR MOTION . YOUR MOTION. AND SECOND IS BEFORE US. AND I HAVE THAT THIS IS SPEAKING TO US. I KNOW YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, MARIAH GRATZ, I'M THE SECRETARY FOR THE GREATER LOUISVILLE LODGING MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, WHICH WE HAVE RECENTLY DECIDED WE'RE GOING TO DBA AS THE LOUISVILLE HOTEL PARTNERSHIP, JUST FOR SAKE OF NOT HAVING TO SAY GREATER LOUISVILLE LODGING MANAGEMENT DISTRICT ON A REGULAR BASIS, SO I'M EXCITED TO PRESENT OUR BUDGET TO YOU TODAY, WE HAVE SPENT THIS HAS BEEN OUR INAUGURAL INAUGURAL YEAR. WE HAVE DEFINITELY SPENT THIS YEAR GETTING UP AND RUNNING FROM AN ORGANIZATIONAL STANDPOINT, HOW DO WE HOW DO WE COLLECT FUNDS AND ALL OF THAT SIDE OF THINGS, WE THROUGH THE MONTH OF MAY HAVE ALREADY COLLECTED $3 MILLION FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. SO COLLECTION IS GOING WELL NOW THAT IT'S UP AND RUNNING, AND WE HAVE BEEN HAVING VERY ROBUST CONVERSATIONS IN THE, OUR BOARD MEETINGS ABOUT HOW DO WE DEPLOY THIS MONEY IN ORDER TO MEET OUR MISSION OF DRIVING INCREMENTAL ROOM NIGHTS INTO JEFFERSON COUNTY AND IMPROVING TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE , SO I'M HAPPY TODAY TO PRESENT OUR BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR, THE BUDGET IS ENCOMPASSED AROUND WE ASSUME WE ARE ASSUMING THAT WE ARE GOING TO RAISE $7 MILLION THIS YEAR. THAT IS STILL A LITTLE SQUISHY. YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE A STARTUP ORGANIZATION. WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT 4 OR 5 MONTHS OF, HISTORY AND WHAT WE'VE COLLECTED SO FAR. SO OUR BUDGET INVOLVES ABOUT $5 MILLION THAT WE PLAN ON DEPLOYING THIS YEAR.

IN THE CASE OF INCENTIVES, MARKETING FOR THE AREA AND VARIOUS TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, IN ORDER TO REALLY PUT THAT MONEY INTO USE AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, WE DO HAVE ALSO A CONTINGENCY FUND THAT WE'RE HOLDING, AND THAT'S SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT IF, RAISING MONEY IS LESS THAN WE INTEND, WE PLAN IT TO BE THAT WE DON'T OVEREXTEND OURSELVES IN THIS INITIAL YEAR AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO ADDITIONAL FISCAL YEARS AND HAVE MORE OF A HISTORY , OBVIOUSLY, OUR BUDGETING IS GOING TO BE GETTING TIGHTER AND WE'LL BE DOING LESS OF THAT CONTINGENCY FUNDING AND MORE OF JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE GETTING MONEY OUT ON THE STREETS. SO AS A QUICK QUESTION. SO THE 3 MILLION THAT YOU HAVE THROUGH MAY. SO THAT INCLUDES DERBY TOM AND SO AND ALSO PGA OR NO. YEAH. WELL I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATES. IS THAT THROUGH. WE'LL GET BACK TWO MONTHS AGO. YEAH. BUT IT'S INCLUDED IN. NO IT'S NOT. OH IT'S THE FOLLOWING MONTH. SO THAT IS WHICH WON THE PGA OR THE DERBY OR BOTH. BOTH. OH WOW. SO THAT'S 3 MILLION

[00:05:03]

WITHOUT THOSE TWO THINGS. YES THAT'S IMPRESSIVE. TOURISM IS STRONG IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. WE HOPE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY. YEAH YEAH. AND HOPEFULLY THIS FUND HELPS US TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.

EXACTLY. AND GROW OKAY. DO I HAVE ANYONE? I DON'T SEE ANYONE IN THE QUEUE. SPEAKERS, QUESTIONS. I HAD A QUESTION, MR. CHAIR. OKAY, GO AHEAD. COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE. I I'M WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT YOU WORK DIRECTLY WITH TOURISM. I'M I'M NEWER. I DON'T KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION. AND THEN THE MONEY YOU COLLECT, WHERE DOES THAT GO? JUST JUST THAT SIMPLE. SURE. SO YES, WE WORK WITH LOUISVILLE TOURISM VERY CLOSELY. THERE ARE THERE ARE MANAGEMENT AGENT, SO WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH THEM. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. AND THEY ARE PRESENTING OPPORTUNITIES TO US FOR HOW WE CAN DEPLOY THOSE FUNDS IN ORDER TO GET, THINGS LIKE GAZEBO FEST UP AND RUNNING OR, OR OTHER, ATTRACT OTHER, MAJOR CONFERENCES AND EVENTS INTO THE CITY THAT ARE OTHERWISE LOOKING IN OTHER PLACES, AND THEN WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE HOW DO WE IMPROVE OUR, OUR TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE IN WAYS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THAT DIRECT KIND OF LINE OF DRIVING TOURISM? SO WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE AIRPORT ABOUT ARE THERE WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP DRIVE ADDITIONAL DIRECT FLIGHTS INTO THE AREA? ARE THERE OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DRIVING AS MANY PEOPLE INTO THIS AREA AS WE POSSIBLY CAN? OKAY, AND HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU HAVE ON STAFF? SO WE I DON'T HAVE MY NOTES IN FRONT OF ME. I'M SORRY. I JUST WE DON'T HAVE A DIRECT STAFF, WE ARE A BOARD. THAT'S APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR, AND THEN WE ARE UTILIZING LOUISVILLE TOURISM AS OUR MANAGEMENT. OKAY AND LAST QUESTION, MR. CHAIR. THE HOW A PROBLEM THAT I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE, NOT JUST, COLLEAGUES IN REFERENCE, THERE'S A LOT OF TOURISM THAT SHOULD BE CONNECTED TO BEYOND DOWNTOWN, BEYOND THE AIRPORT IS THERE IS ON THIS BOARD. DO YOU HAVE A DIVERSE REPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE BRINGING IDEAS THAT EXPAND TOURISM BEYOND THE USUAL SUSPECTS? YES. THIS, THIS ORGANIZATION IS SPECIFICALLY FOR ALL OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NOT JUST SPECIFICALLY DOWNTOWN. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT, HOW DO YOU DRIVE TOURISM INTO ALL AREAS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY? AND WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR ON THE BOARD THAT THAT HAVE HOTELS AND HOSPITALITY, LOCATIONS IN ALL AREAS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.

COUNCILMAN PIACENTINI, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. SO, I THINK I UNDERSTAND, AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED IT, THAT THIS BOARD. MAYBE YOU CAN CLARIFY WHAT IS THE ACTUAL REPORTING RELATIONSHIP FROM THIS BOARD TO LOUISVILLE FOR US? I DID THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR BOARD AND LOUISVILLE TOURISM MANAGEMENT COMPANY. YEAH. THERE ARE THERE ARE MANAGEMENT AGENT A SIMILAR, I GUESS, TO HOW, LOUISVILLE DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, THERE. MANAGEMENT AGENT IS THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WHICH CREATES THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP. SO IT'S A SIMILAR RELATIONSHIP TO THAT RELATIONSHIP. YEAH YEAH. AND HOW ABOUT IS THERE ANY FORMAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, NO, NOT IN WRITING.

YEAH. I THINK THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE. AND SO WHAT I WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR TODAY IS TO GIVE THE ADVOCACY FOR IS THAT SOMEHOW WE REINCORPORATE THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, INTO WHAT LOUISVILLE TOURISM AND YOUR ORGANIZATION IS DOING, BECAUSE I SEE COMPLETELY IF WE WERE TO DIAGRAM THIS, I SEE MASSIVE OVERLAP IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING AND WHAT LOUISVILLE TOURISM IS DOING. AND SO SINCE WE HAVE A FORMAL RELATIONSHIP WITH LOUISVILLE TOURISM, THERE'S CLEARLY A DECONFLICTION OF REDUCTION IN OVERLAP, A REDUCTION OF REDUNDANCY THAT'S GOING ON BETWEEN YOUR TWO ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT I SEE TOO MUCH OVERLAP AND NO REASON WHY WHY THE SPORTS AUTHORITY SHOULD BE ITS OWN SEPARATE ENTITY WHEN THE IDEA OF IT IS THAT THEY ARE DRIVING SPORTS TOURISM INTO THE CITY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, NOTHING TO HOLD UP THE VOTE. I'M GOING TO BE IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS TODAY, BUT GOING INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET CYCLE, THIS IS BOTH FOR CLEO AND LOUISVILLE TOURISM AS WELL AS FOR YOUR

[00:10:01]

ORGANIZATION. I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW WE CAN FORMALIZE A RELATIONSHIP AND BRING UNDER THIS WHOLE UMBRELLA THE SPORTS AUTHORITY. THANK YOU. MR. GOOD EVENING. GOOD AFTERNOON. THIS IS CLEO BATTLE, PRESIDENT OF LOUISVILLE TOURISM, COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI, I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION. LOUISVILLE TOURISM HAS A FORMAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SPORTS COMMISSION, WE DO, FINANCIALLY FUND THEM TO ABOUT 25% OF THEIR BUDGET ANNUALLY. WE, AS PART OF THAT AGREEMENT, IN ADDITION TO THEY ARE HOUSED IN OUR OFFICES AS, AND THERE'S OTHER PARTS OF THAT AGREEMENT AS WELL. SO THERE IS A FORMAL RELATIONSHIP, THE SPORTS COMMISSION, IT'S NOT A IT'S, IT'S A IT HAS ITS OWN BOARD. IT'S A SEPARATE ENTITY, IN TERMS OF LEGAL PURPOSES, BUT WE HAVE A VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP, A FORMAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT ORGANIZATION. MR. CHAIR, CAN I FOLLOW UP THERE? YES, SIR. AND I APOLOGIZE, CLEO, BECAUSE I'M NOT IN THE ROOM. I CAN SEE THAT YOU'RE THERE. SO I'M GLAD YOU CAME UP TO THE PODIUM. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU, I GUESS WE'RE GETTING TO MY POINT. THEN. WHAT IS? WHY WOULD WE HAVE SEPARATE, SEPARATE LEGAL ENTITIES AND SEPARATE BOARDS? THE SECOND YOU HAVE SEPARATE BOARDS, YOU CAN HAVE CONFLICTING PRIORITIES. AND THEREIN LIES MY PROBLEM. I DON'T SEE WHY, WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT BOARDS NOW. TOURISM, SPORTS AUTHORITY, AND NOW THIS ONE. WHEN THE CIVIL THREE IS SO OVERLAPPED AS TO BE ALMOST THE SAME. LIKE, THAT'S WHAT'S CONFUSING ME. WHY WOULD THEY BE A SEPARATE BOARD INSTEAD OF BE AT MAXIMUM A SUB BOARD OF LOUISVILLE TOURIST? WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? AND I THINK WE USED TO DO THAT ANYWAY AM I WRONG. YEAH I DON'T I DON'T THINK SO, COUNCILMAN, LOUISVILLE TOURISM WAS SET UP IN 1968, THE SPORTS COMMISSION, I THINK, WAS SET UP, IN THE EARLY 2000. AND AS YOU KNOW, THE, THE GREATER LOUISVILLE LODGING MANAGEMENT DISTRICT WAS, WAS LEGALIZED IN DECEMBER OF 22, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE COME ABOUT AND THERE ARE SOME THERE ARE SOME SIMILARITIES, BUT THERE'S ALSO A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL, JUST IN TERMS OF WHAT THEIR PRIMARY FUNCTIONS ARE. WELL, LET ME SUMMARIZE IT THIS WAY. THE SPORTS COMMISSION HAS COME TO, COME TO MEMBERS OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR FUNDING FOR THIS BUDGET CYCLE. AND AGAIN, I FIND IT VERY WEIRD THAT WE HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THEY DIDN'T WANT A BIG NUMBER, TO BE CLEAR, BUT WE HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FLOWING THROUGH YOUR ORGANIZATIONS, ROLLING THROUGH THIS ORGANIZATION, AND THEN EVEN FLOWING THROUGH THE SPORTS COMMISSION. AND YET THEY WANT EVEN MORE LIKE IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT BY DOING SOMETHING MORE EFFICIENTLY BETWEEN THE THREE OF YOU, THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON WHY ANY ONE OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE COMING TO THE CITY FOR ADDITIONAL GENERAL FUND DOLLARS. SO CONSIDERING, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU TWO HAVE TAX INFORMATION, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANKS, COUNCILMAN, I THINK SO. THIS BOARD IN THE SETUP HAS TO HAVE A SEPARATE CORRECT BOARD COMPLETELY BECAUSE OF THE AUTHORITY THAT WE'RE GIVING YOU TO DO TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THE TAX. YES, YES, THIS IS ESSENTIALLY SET UP UNDER THE SAME AGAIN AS THE LITTLE DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. IT'S A MANAGEMENT DISTRICT WHERE THE HOTELS ESSENTIALLY ARE SELF ASSESSING THEMSELVES TO PUT MONEY INTO THIS FUND FOR THE MISSION OF DRIVING TOURISM IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. RIGHT. WELL, I FOR ONE, AM VERY EXCITED THAT WE RARELY HAVE SOMEONE WHO COMES AND SAYS, HEY, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO RAISE THREE AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO RAISE SEVEN.

SO I'M VERY EXCITED THAT YOU THAT, WITH YOUR SUCCESS AND HOPE YOU LOTS OF YEARS OF MORE SUCCESS. YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS CONCERNS COUNCILMAN OWEN. THANK YOU. CHAIR, SO YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THIS I MAY ANSWER MY OWN QUESTION HERE, BUT, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE MIGHT LOOK LIKE? AND THEN RECENTLY WE'VE GOTTEN SOMETHING IN ACROSS OUR DESKS THAT'S, SIGNAGE THAT ASKING FOR SIGNAGE LOCATIONS. AND THAT'S FROM TOURISM. AND I ASSUME THAT THAT MIGHT BE RELATED TO THIS AND THAT THAT MIGHT BE SIGNAGE OR, OR, TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT. SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? SURE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US IS THAT WE'RE ADDITIVE. SO WE'RE NOT JUST LIKE WITH THE DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO BE REDUNDANT WITH THINGS THAT THE CITY'S ALREADY PAYING FOR, OR THAT LOUISVILLE TOURISM IS ALREADY PAYING FOR.

[00:15:01]

THE WHOLE GOAL OF THIS IS TO BE ADDITIVE TO THAT. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE, WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE PUT THINGS IN PLACE THAT AREN'T ALREADY, AREN'T ALREADY HERE IN ORDER TO DRIVE THAT. SO THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, THE DIRECT FLIGHT CONVERSATION COMES IN, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ABOUT A MINOR IN HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT BECAUSE ONE OF THE ISSUES WITH THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS, IS WORKFORCE. AND IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND IT, WE NEED WE NEED A BETTER WORKFORCE TALENT POOL. AND SO WE'VE HAD THOSE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS. SO THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE LOOKING AT IT NOW, ONE OF THE THING AGAIN, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, A YEAR IN ON THIS. SO WE'RE WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD AS A BOARD TO START SETTING UP THOSE PROCESSES FOR HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, JUDGE OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME OUR WAY. HOW DO WE GRADE THEM, FOR LACK OF A BETTER PURPOSE, AS FAR AS WHAT WHAT WE SHOULD PUT MONEY TO AND WHAT WE SHOULDN'T, AND THEN REALLY, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE OPEN THAT UP MORE TO A PUBLIC PROCESS FOR PEOPLE TO GIVE US IDEAS, BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE OF US SITTING IN THE ROOM ARE THE ONLY ONES WITH GOOD IDEAS. SO WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING THOSE PROCESS PROCESSES PUT IN PLACE NOW. YEAH. AND JUST AS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT, I MEAN, I THINK, I MEAN, IN MY HEAD JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I MEAN, THE COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS THROUGH LDP AND WHAT THEY DO TO HELP TOURISM. AND I THINK IF THERE'S A THOUGHT PROCESS WHERE YOU GUYS MAY BE ABLE TO ADD COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS IN OTHER PLACES OR DO SOME THINGS ALONG THAT LINE, I THINK IT'S VERY HELPFUL FOR BOTH TOURISTS AND FOR LOCALS.

BUT JUST IN MY MIND, THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT I THINK IS VERY HELPFUL. AND THEN ANOTHER JUST A QUICK QUESTION TOO. CAN YOU WHEN I LOOK AT THE, AT THE, AT THE BUDGET AND IT THE REVENUE AND THE EXPENDITURES, SO THE SALES, MARKETING AND PROGRAMS 5.9 MILLION. SO I THIS IS THE FY 2425 BUDGET. CORRECT. AND SO I KNOW YOU'VE HAD REVENUE COME IN. SO THESE ARE PROJECTED PROJECTIONS. YES OKAY. FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR OKAY. AND SO YOU'RE YOU'RE PROJECTING THAT MOST OF YOUR EXPENDITURES WILL BE IN THE SALES AND MARKETING BUCKET. YES. IN THIS DURING THIS. YEAH. WHICH IS ALL OF OUR MISSION ORIENTED NON ADMINISTRATIVE NON CONTINGENCY ITEMS OKAY. GREAT.

THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. COUNCILWOMAN PARKER. YES THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN ANTHONY BASICALLY ASKED, ONE OF HIS POINTS WAS WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK, BUT I WANTED TO JUST SEE WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WERE. THERE WAS 150,000 ASKED FROM THE SPORTS COMMISSION, WHICH THEY ASK US, WHICH WE THOUGHT A LOT OF US THOUGHT WAS KIND OF STRANGE, SINCE YOU GUYS HAVE A 29 MILLION BUDGET OR REVENUE INTAKE, AND THEN THEY'RE COMING TO US FOR 150,000. SO SO IF NONE OF THIS OR ONLY PART OF IT MAKES IT INTO OUR BUDGET, OR THEY GET FUNDED, WOULD YOU ALL BE WILLING TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE? YES, SO THAT THAT'S JUST A, I MEAN, IT'S JUST AN ASK. I KNOW YOU CAN'T REALLY FORMALLY COMMIT, BUT YOU KNOW, I'M NOT PART OF LOUISVILLE TOURISM, SO. SO THAT MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR, FOR THE NEXT. WELL, IT ACTUALLY WOULD BE FOR THE NEXT ITEM, I BELIEVE.

RIGHT. THEIR BUDGET COMES UP NEXT. LOUISVILLE TOURISM COMES UP NEXT. OKAY. YEAH ALL RIGHT.

WELL THEN WE'LL JUST ADDRESS IT THEN. THAT'S GOOD. ANY OTHER SEEING. NONE ORDINANCE CALLING FOR ROLL CALL. VOTE, PLEASE OPEN THE VOTING. COUNCILWOMAN PARRISH. RIGHT. YES.

CHAIR. BLACKWELL. YOU HAVE NINE YES VOTES. THANK YOU. ITEM PASSES. WE'LL GO TO CONSENT.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. ITEM THREE. YES. ITEM THREE IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO.

[3. O-105-24 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 080, SERIES 2023, RELATING TO FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024 CAPITAL BUDGET BY ACCEPTING $8,920 FROM THE ASHBROOKE GARDENS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION TO FUND A NEW PROJECT TITLED GARDEN TRACE DRIVE SPEED HUMPS. Action Required By: December 2024 Sponsors: Jeff Hudson (R-23) ]

AND SO. YEAH. ONE, TWO WAS A MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. ORDINANCE AMENDING. RIGHT. AND THEN WHERE

[00:20:07]

IS THE. SO WHERE IS THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTING? OH I APOLOGIZE, I SAID THE TOURISM WAS THE NEXT ONE UP, BUT IT ISN'T. IT'S DOWN. IT'S ON ITS FIFTH. SO ITEM THREE IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 80, SERIES 2023 RELATING TO FISCAL YEAR 2323, 24 CAPITAL BUDGET BY ACCEPTING $8,920 FROM ASHBROOK GARDENS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION TO FUND A NEW PROJECT TITLED GARDEN TRACE DRIVE SPEED HUMPS SECOND PROPERTY MOTION A SECOND COUNCILMAN HUDSON. THANK YOU, CHAIR, SO DISTRICT 23. IS KNOWN FOR OUR INNOVATION. THIS IS A NEW ONE ON ME. WE HAD A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND THE ASHBROOK GARDENS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO DO ALL THE PAPERWORK TO GET THEIR SPEED HUMPS, AND THEN PAID FOR IT ALL THEMSELVES. AND THIS IS THEM GIVING US THE MONEY TO PAY FOR IT. THAT'S AWESOME. IT'S A BEST PRACTICE. YES. I HOPE IT STARTS A TREND. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU.

YES, VOTE ON THIS. THANK YOU. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. ANY QUESTIONS? CONCERNS I SEE NOBODY IN THE QUEUE ORDINANCE CALL FOR ROLL CALL VOTE. PLEASE OPEN THE VOTING. COMMITTEE MEMBER PEARCE.

RIGHT. YES YES. CHAIR BLACKWELL, YOU HAVE NINE YES VOTES. THANK YOU. ITEM PASSES. WE'LL GO TO CONSENT. TO QUOTE MY COLLEAGUE KHALIL BACHON, WE WOULD WELCOME THIS IN DISTRICT EIGHT. REALLY IN DISTRICT EIGHT FOR YOU, ITEM FOUR IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 20 2425 BUDGET

[4. O-124-24 AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025 BUDGET FOR THE TRANSIT AUTHORITY OF RIVER CITY (TARC). Action Required By: December 2024 Sponsors: Rick Blackwell (D-12) ]

FOR THE TRANSIT AUTHORITY OF RIVER CITY. MARK YOUR MOTION. MOTION. MOTION A MOTION AND A SECOND IS BEFORE US. I DON'T KNOW IF, WHO'S HERE TO SPEAK. I HAVE OZZY GIBSON AND TANYA CARTER OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF. GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M TANYA DAY. I'M HERE FOR OZZY. IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. I'M THE CFO AT TARC. GREAT I WANT TO WALK US THROUGH A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, THE REVENUES AND THE CHANGE OF. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE, IT'S BEEN FAIRLY WIDELY PUBLICIZED, SOME OF THE CHANGES, BUT IF YOU JUST WALK US THROUGH SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AND THEN WE'LL OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS. OKAY. YOU WANT REVENUES FIRST? I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU. SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT, WE ARE PLANNING ON USING ABOUT $77 MILLION OF THE MASS TRANSIT TRUST FUND, WHICH OBVIOUSLY, METRO IS THE TRUSTEE. OVER. AND THEN 38 MILLION OF OTHER AGENCY REVENUES, WHICH ARE BASICALLY SUBSIDIES. SO IT COULD BE FEDERAL. IT COULD BE STATE, OR IT COULD ALSO BE, FAREBOX REVENUE. IN PERSONNEL, THERE'S ABOUT $60 MILLION BUDGETED AND THEN IN, CAPITAL IS ABOUT $7.6 MILLION. AGAIN, THE CAPITAL CAN BE ELIGIBLE REIMBURSEMENT. I KNOW THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, THE USE OF FEDERAL FORMULA DOLLARS SO WE CAN USE FEDERAL FORMULA DOLLARS AS REIMBURSEMENT. WE'VE DONE THAT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. I'VE BEEN THERE FOR LIKE 22, AND WE HAVE USED THOSE DOLLARS TO KEEP SERVICE ON THE STREET, MOST OF THE, SO WE GOT $140 MILLION IN COVID FUNDS TO KEEP SERVICE ON THE STREET, AND WE DID HAVE TO USE THOSE FUNDS. AND THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AROUND THAT. WE DID HAVE TO USE THOSE FUNDS FOR PAYROLL. SO IF YOU FURLOUGHED ANYBODY, IF YOU FURLOUGHED ANYBODY IN AN ORGANIZATION, YOU HAD TO USE THOSE DOLLARS FOR PAYROLL, SO NOW OBVIOUSLY THAT MONEY IS DWINDLING AWAY LIKE IT HAS FOR MOST TRANSITS. AND SO THIS IS WHY WE TALK ABOUT THE FISCAL CLIFF. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE OVERALL SHORT STORY. I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD A LOT. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS. WE'VE RESPONDED, SO I'M OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, OR IF YOU WANT ME TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL, JUST LET ME KNOW. SO WE HAVE SO THE BUDGET INCLUDES, THIS BUDGET INCLUDES THE SERVICE REDUCTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN THE SATURDAY PLUS SATURDAY PLUS. SO SATURDAY PLUS. AND KEEP IN MIND, WHEN WE WERE STARTING THIS, THE SATURDAY PLUS WAS GOING TO BE IN JANUARY. NOW WITH EVERYTHING, IT'S GOING TO BE IN JULY JULY. SO YOU'RE GOING TO START FROM THE BEGINNING. YES, SATURDAY PLUS FROM THROUGHOUT. IT'S SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, PLUS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE FISCAL YEAR. THAT IS CORRECT. THE PICKS GOING ON RIGHT NOW. GOTCHA. OKAY

[00:25:05]

AND THAT AND THE SAVINGS FROM THAT IS APPROXIMATELY. WELL, SO KEEP IN MIND WE'VE HAD ALL THESE CHANGES WITH G.P.S. CORRECT, OBVIOUSLY, TALKS GOING TO HAVE TO EAT SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES.

SO HONESTLY, I COULD NOT TELL YOU, LIKE, RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW. WE DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOING WHO'S NOT GOING, SO BASICALLY WE, I'M HOPING NOT TO HAVE TO COME BACK OVER HERE IN MARCH OR APRIL, SO I'M HOPING SINCE WE STARTED IN JANUARY, HOPEFULLY WE WILL BREAK EVEN, BUT THERE'S NO I MEAN, I REALLY DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF IN LAST MINUTE. AND I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE OVER HERE. LAST WEEK WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT. WE JUST HAD OUR BOARD MEETING, SO HONESTLY, I'M HOPING BUT 4 OR 5 MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD, I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU SOME BETTER PROJECTIONS. BUT RIGHT NOW, I REALLY DON'T HAVE A GOOD ESTIMATE ON HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST US. HOW MUCH THAT PARTICULAR PIECE IS GOING TO COST YOU. THAT'S CORRECT. YES. YES SO BUT THE WAY THIS BUDGET WAS PRESENTED TO YOU GUYS IS STARTING. IT WAS STARTING IN JANUARY. SO AND YOU'RE THE SATURDAY PLUS OR THE SATURDAY.

OKAY. BUT NOW WE'RE NOT DOING THAT. NOW WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE NOW YOU'RE STARTING EARLIER.

SO THAT'S CORRECT. YOU ONE WOULD PRESUME THE COS WELL AGAI WE'RE STILL GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE SOME EXPENSES CORRECT. WITH THE AGREEMENT WITH JC. YES. SO RIGHT IN ORDER TO SHOW A BALANCED BUDGET THEN YOU HAVE TO BE PROJECTING THAT THE, THE SAVINGS THAT YOU HAVE FROM GOING IMMEDIATELY INTO SET, SATURDAY PLUS WOULD BE MORE THAN THE EXPENSES THAT YOU'LL HAVE IN THE JC AGREEMENT. I HOPE SO OKAY. AGAIN, WE'RE STILL LIKE YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO WORK THROUGH ALL THAT INFORMATION. SO HONESTLY, LIKE I YOU KNOW, WHAT WE PROJECTED WAS THAT 10 TO 14, BUT AGAIN, SO DOES THIS BUDGET ACTUALLY DOES IT PROJECT COST FOR THE JC. YES OR NO. SO THIS WAS THIS WAS PREPARED BEFORE WE KNEW WE WERE GOING INTO THAT AGREEMENT. OKAY. SO KEEP IN MIND WHEN WE'RE WHEN WE'RE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE IT APPROVED BY OUR BUDGET. SO WE STARTED YOU KNOW, WE GO TO OUR BOARD IN MARCH AND WE HAVE TO HAVE IT FINALIZED IN APRIL. WE GET IT TO YOU ALL BY MAY 1ST. GOTCHA. SO AND OBVIOUSLY THIS WE OUR BOARD JUST APPROVED THIS STUFF LAST WEEK OKAY. SO THIS IS SO THE BUDGET AS IT'S PRESENTED IS NOT SATURDAY PLUS STARTING IN JANUARY RIGHT. YES. SO THAT IS CORRECT. SO NOT REALLY ACCURATE.

WE REALLY PROBABLY DO NEED TO BRING YOU BACK IN IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS. AND JUST AND THAT'S FINE. OR YOU CAN SEND OVER THE QUESTIONS IN WRITING LIKE Y'ALL BEEN DOING AND WE CAN RESPOND BACK. HOWEVER YOU ALL PREFER THAT WORK. YEAH. COUNCILWOMAN PARISH RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE. I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, YOU'RE PART OF THE BUDGET TODAY. IS COMING OUT OF THE RESERVES AND NOT US GIVING ADDITIONAL MONIES AT THIS TIME. THAT IS VERY CORRECT AND ACCURATE. SO ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS, 76.8 MILLION, THEY'LL STILL BE BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN USING THE COVID FUNDS. THEY'RE STILL ABOUT 55, 56 MILLION IN THE MASS TRANSIT TRUST FUND, AND WE WILL NOT BE GETTING INTO THOSE FUNDS UNTIL, THE INTO TO THE END OF 25. IF THEN AND THIS APPROVAL. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED FOLKS TO BE CLEAR BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE THINKING, OH, METRO COUNCIL IS DOING THIS. THIS IS US GIVING YOU APPROVAL TO GET THAT MONEY AND USE IT THE WAY YOU NEED IT. BUT, THE OVERALL ISSUE IS THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A BETTER PLAN FOR TARC, AND THESE DECISIONS HELP YOU BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN WHAT YOU CAN WORK OUT THE DEAL WITH JC OR WHATEVER HAPPENS WITH THAT, BUT ALSO BE ABLE TO WORK OUT A BETTER LONG TERM PLAN AND GOAL FOR TARC. SO THIS WILL GET US THROUGH THIS YEAR AND THROUGH NEXT. AND THEN AT SOME POINT, YOU'LL COME BACK FOR AN ASSESSMENT ON HOW THINGS ARE GOING. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY THANK YOU FOR THAT. I APOLOGIZE MY QUEUE ISN'T LOADING. I'M HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LOAD IT UP HERE. SO, COUNCILMAN WEBER, I HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS BUDGET THAT I WON'T GRANDSTAND HERE ABOUT THEM, THANK YOU. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE IMPACT ON PARATRANSIT OF THE DECISIONS AROUND. SO PARATRANSIT WILL NOT BE AFFECTED WITH SATURDAY, PLUS JUST CAN YOU SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME? BECAUSE I'VE GOTTEN 1000 VERY APPROPRIATE EMAILS ABOUT IT, AND I JUST WANT TO BE SURE EVERYBODY HEARS THIS LOUD AND CLEAR. SO SATURDAY PLUS WILL NOT AFFECT PURCHASE TRANSPORTATION AS IT STANDS TODAY. THANK YOU. I WILL SAY THAT WHEN YOU DO COME BACK, AS I HAVE SAID IN WRITING IN ATHER SETTINGS, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING SOME THOUGHTS AROUND HOW WE PARTNER WITH OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS HERE, HOW WE HAVE ENGAGED FURTHER AROUND STUDENTS, HOW WE DEAL WITH SOME OF THE ISSUES OF RIDERSHIP. AND I WILL TELL YOU, AS A PRETTY

[00:30:05]

REGULAR TARC BUS RIDER, AND I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF TARC AS AN INSTITUTION. ONE OF THE THINGS I HEARD THE OTHER DAY ON MY WAY DOWN HERE WAS FROM A WOMAN WHO SAID, I LOVE THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN DOWNTOWN, BUT WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO DO? IF I CAN'T GET DOWNTOWN TO WORK FOREFRONT OF OUR CONVERSATIONS AND WHAT IOOK FORWARD TIS SOME REALLY PROACTIVE PROBLEM SOING AND H AT IS SOITAL TO OUR CITY? AT IS ALL THE GRANDSTANDING I'LL DO. THANK YOU. I WAS GOING TO POINT OUT THAT THERE WAS A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF GRANDSTANDING THERE. COUNCILMAN HUDSON. THANK YOU. CHAIR. SO WHEN THE DISCUSSION INITIALLY STARTED SOME SIX, EIGHT WEEKS AGO, THERE WAS A $15 MILLION GAP THAT NEEDED TO BE CLOSED. DOES THIS BUDGET THAT GAP? IT DOES NOT FULLY CLOSE IT, NO. HOW CLOSED DOES IT GET? I'M GOING TO SAY RIGHT NOW, NOT HAVING FINAL NUMBERS WITH, LIKE I SAID, THE JSPS I'M GOING TO SAY LIKE CLOSER TO TEN. OKAY. INSTEAD OF THAT 14 TO 15. SO WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION TO CLOSE THE REMAINING TEN? AGAIN? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. THE TARGET 2025 PLAN. AND I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD OZZY TALK ABOUT THAT. ALEX HAS TALKED ABOUT IT. SO THE THING IS, IS THAT WHAT TARC HAS DONE FOR YEARS IS USED FEDERAL FORMULA DOLLARS TO KEEP SERVICE ON THE STREET. SO WE'VE TRIED TO BE AS EFFICIENT WITH THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE TO USE. SO WHEN WE WERE THE MASS TRANSIT TRUST FUND STARTED IN 1974, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THE PARATRANSIT REGULATIONS WERE NOT ESTABLISHED. AND PARATRANSIT IS A VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE FOR US. AND WE WERE TRYING TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH THAT. BUT THAT THAT DOES NOT GO AWAY. AND EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN THERE, YOU KNOW, WE CARE. WE YOU KNOW, WE NEED WE KNOW WE NEED MORE SERVICE. BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT TAKES DOLLARS TO DO THAT WITH. AND WE'RE LIMITED. SO WHEN YOU WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT THAT YOU CAN USE FOR ELIGIBLE REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENSES, WHEN YOU USE FORMULA FUNDS, YOU CAN ONLY USE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE AND CAPITAL COST OF CONTRACTING. LUCKILLY. OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE GOTTEN ARRA FUNDS TO HELP US. WE'VE GOTTEN THE COVID FUNDS, AND YOU COULD DO THOSE AT 100. ANY OTHER FORMULA DOLLARS THAT YOU USE, YOU YOU ONLY CAN USE 8020. SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A 20% MATCH. SO THAT ALSO TAPS INTO THE MASS TRANSIT TRUST FUND. AND THIS IS WHERE IT GETS HARD. AND WE'RE EVERYTHING'S REIMBURSABLE. SO WE HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY BEFORE WE GET THE MONEY. THE CITY THEY GET THE MONEY UP FRONT AND YOU SPEND IT. AND IF YOU DON'T SPEND IT, YOU GIVE IT BACK. THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS FOR TRANSIT. YOU HAVE TO YOU HAVE TO SPEND IT AND THEN GET REIMBURSED WHEN IT WHEN IT COMES TO ELIGIBLE REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES. SO I'M, I DON'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF. NO. YOU'RE FINE, BUT I'M, I'M A PRETTY SIMPLE MINDED PERSON. WHEN WE GOT WHEN WE HAVE TO CLOSE THAT GAP, THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO DO IT. YOU EITHER INCREASE REVENUE, DECREASE EXPENSES, OR A COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO. DO YOU HAVE A FEEL FOR. AND MY GUESS IS IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. DO YOU HAVE A FEEL FOR WHAT THE PROPORTION IS OF INCREASING REVENUE THROUGH ANY OF THE AVENUES YOU JUST ARTICULATED? AND SO IF WE RUN SHORT WHAT WHAT WE HAVE, OBVIOUSLY WE STILL HAVE MONEY IN THE MASS TRANSIT TRUST FUND, BUT I BUDGETED BASED ON USING 76 MILLION OF THAT FOR THE FIRST FOR 2025. IF I NEED MORE OF THAT MONEY AND THERE'S MONEY IN THERE. SO I WOULDN'T BE ASKING YOU ALL, I'D BE ASKING YOU ALL TO USE OUR OWN MONEY. I'D HAVE TO COME BACK OVER HERE AND DO AN ORDINANCE TO USE THAT MONEY AND I'VE HAD TO DO THAT IN THE PAST, BECAUSE KEEP IN MIND, THESE ARE PROJECTIONS. SO I COULD, LIKE I COULD BE OFF, OUR STAFF COULD BE OFF. SO YOU COULD DO THAT. OR IF THERE'S MONEY IN THE FORMULA, FUNDS AND YOU HAVE THE EXPENSES TO BE, REIMBURSED, YOU CAN USE THOSE, THOSE DOLLARS. SO, SO MAYBE I'M RUNNING FROM A BAD ASSUMPTION THEN. SOUNDS LIKE THE WAY TO CLOSE THE GAP IS OPTION ONE INCREASE REVENUE THROUGH THE AVENUES. YOU JUST ARTICULATED.

WELL, YOU'RE NOT INCREASING. YOU'RE USING WHAT YOU HAVE THERE SO IT WOULDN'T BE SUSTAINABLE REVENUE SIDE INSTEAD OF THE EXPENSE SIDE. RIGHT. BUT THAT WOULD NOT BE SUSTAINABLE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE RAN INTO. WE'VE USED EVERY PENNY. SO WHEN BARRY BARKER WAS HERE, WE USED EVERY PENNY OF THE FEDERAL FORMULA DOLLARS FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES. AND THEN THEN YOU HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS AND STUFF BECAUSE YOU'RE USING YOUR FORMULA DOLLARS TO KEEP SERVICE ON THE STREET. BUT THAT'S WHAT WAS DECIDED. THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

BUT THAT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE GOING FORWARD. SO YOU HAVE TO BALANCE THE TWO. IS THERE ANY EFFORT TO LOOK AT IT FROM THE EXPENSE SIDE. SO WE'VE SHOWED YOU THOSE GRAPHS AND CHARTS ARE. AND AGAIN THAT'S SO YOUR MAIN YOUR MAIN EXPENSES IS YOUR LABOR AND YOUR PURCHASE TRANSPORTATION.

I'M I'M FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THE EXPENSES ARE. MY QUESTION IS THERE AN EFFORT ON CUTTING THOSE EXPENSES? WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERY SINGLE THING, EVERY AVENUE OKAY. WHERE WE CAN. AND WE'VE DONE

[00:35:04]

THAT FOR YEARS, LIKE CUT BACK ON THINGS. SO WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS. BUT YOU CAN ONLY YOU CAN ONLY GO SO FAR WITH THEM WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A 30 TO $40 MILLION GAP. IS IT THE SATURDAY PLUS IS ONE OF THOSE. YES. SATURDAY PLUS IS ONE OF THOSE. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PARK 2025 PLAN AND THE RESTRUCTURING AND THE REORGANIZATION. ALL THOSE ARE ALL PART OF THOSE. FOLLOW UP TO ONE QUESTION. YOU SAID THAT THE GAP, THAT YOU THOUGHT THE BUDGET AS IT IS IN FRONT OF US HAS NOT CLOSED THAT GAP ENTIRELY, BUT THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US ALSO DIDN'T START SATURDAY PLUS UNTIL JANUARY. JANUARY SO YOU SO YOU'RE ASSUMING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE THAT GAP WILL BE CLOSED MORE THAN WHAT THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET SHOWS. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS I'M HOPING IT BREAKS EVEN. BUT NOT KNOWING THAT WHAT PARK IS GOING TO HAVE TO COVER WITH THE EXPENSES, IT MAY NOT CLOSE THE ENTIRE THING. AND I MAY HAVE TO COME BACK OVER HERE, BUT THE WHOLE POINT OF STARTING WITH THE SATURDAY PLUS NOW, AS OPPOSED TO WAITING UNTIL JANUARY, IS TO CLOSE THAT GAP, CORRECT? YES. SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT DOES THAT. WE'RE HOPING YES. YEAH AND CHAIR, I HAD ONE MORE QUESTION. SURE. I'M SORRY. ANYBODY ELSE IN THE QUEUE. SO YOU'RE GOOD IF I CAN. THANK YOU. SO I'M CONFUSED ON THE EXPENSES WITH THE JSPS PROGRAM. I THOUGHT THAT WAS TO GENERATE REVENUE OR CUT EXPENSES, NOT GENERATE EXPENSES.

SO WHEN THEY'RE DRIVING THE JSPS BUSSES, JSPS WILL COVER THE COST, RIGHT? SO KEEPING KEEP IN MIND THAT WE ARE CONTRACTS, GUARANTEES ARE OUR WORKERS 40 HOURS A WEEK. SO THERE'S SO YOU'RE PAYING 48 HOURS A WEEK NOW. BUT IF THEY START DRIVING JSPS BUSSES YOU'RE PAYING SOMETHING LESS THAN 48 HOURS SAID, I'M SAYING THAT IT'S GOING TO COVER IT WILL COVER SOME OF IT, BUT IT'S NOT IF, IF JSPS WAS GOING TO COVER EVERY SINGLE THING THAT WHEN WE HAVE OUR DRIVERS, THAT WOULD BE ONE THING. BUT THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT THE SITUATION. I GET THAT RIGHT.

SO THERE'S GOING TO BE SO WE'RE I SAID THAT STARTING IN JANUARY. SO KEEP IN MIND SO IN JANUARY, IF WE WERE GOING TO LAY OFF DRIVERS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A COMPLETE SAVINGS. RIGHT SO NOW WE'RE STILL HAVING TO PAY OUR DRIVERS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT LAYING THEM OFF. SO WE STILL HAVE TO PAY THEM. AND SO ANYTHING THAT'S NOT COVERED THROUGH THE JSPS CONTRACT PARK'S GOING TO HAVE TO COVER. OKAY. SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE COMPLETE SAVINGS. THAT WAS THE BASE ASSUMPTION WAS THERE WERE GOING TO BE LAYOFFS, AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ZERO EXPENSES FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES, EXCEPT FOR EXCEPT FOR THE UNEMPLOYMENT AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. AND THEY'RE BEING SUBSIDIZED BY JSPS. CORRECT. AT SOME PERCENTAGE LESS THAN 100. YES. OKAY THAT'S EXACTLY CORRECT. THANK YOU, ALL RIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN, PARKER. COUNCILMAN HUDSON EXPRESS QUESTION. OKAY.

COUNCILWOMAN MAKANI. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS . I JUST NEED A CLARIFICATION. I SUSPECT, ON IF YOU'RE REDUCING THE SERVICES FOR THAT SATURDAY, WHY, IF YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW THE PROJECTION AND WHERE IT'S GOING TO FALL, ARE YOU DISCONTINUING IT? WHY DON'T WE CONTINUE IT AND TRY TO WORK ON FUNDING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN IT? IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE CUTTING BECAUSE WE THINK IT MIGHT HAPPEN, THAT WE NEED TO, INSTEAD OF MAINTAINING IT AND FIGURING OUT A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK. SO WE'RE MOVING TO SATURDAY PLUS, BECAUSE WE HAD A GAP. SO EITHER WAY, WE WERE DOING THAT. SO JUST LIKE MR. HUDSON SAID, IS THAT JC IS GOING TO SUBSIDIZE SOME OF THAT. SO EITHER WAY, WE WERE GOING TO LIKE WE HAD TO CUT SERVICE AND THEN WE'RE DOING THE 2025 PLAN OR OR WE COULD BE IN A WORSE SITUATION. SO YOU HAVE TO YOU HAVE TO GET SAVINGS OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU WHEN YOU REDUCE SERVICE, WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED AND LIKE WE WERE DOING IN JANUARY. SO YOUR SAVINGS, IF YOU STARTED IN JANUARY, YOUR SAVINGS WOULDN'T BE FOR A FULL YEAR BECAUSE WE END IN JUNE, SO YOU WOULD ONLY HAVE A PORTION OF IT. I UNDERSTAND. SO EITHER WAY WE WE'RE HAVING TO FILL A GAP. SO, SO WE HAVE TO CUT. SO EITHER WAY WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO CUT. SO THOSE PROJECTIONS WERE IN THERE.

BUT MY QUESTION IS WHERE IS THE PLAN. INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR A 2025 PLAN WHERE IS THE PLAN TO MAINTAIN THE SERVICE? SO NO ONE WOULD BE WITHOUT SERVICE? WHERE IS THE PLAN TO MAKE IT WORK? I UNDERSTAND YOU, YOU'RE CUTTING TO SAVE, BUT WHAT? WHAT IS THE CONVERSATION THAT WE COULD HAVE THAT COULD CLOSE THAT GAP? WHAT OTHER FUNDING SOURCE ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? WHAT OTHER STREAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE FEDERALLY OR STATEWIDE, OR WHAT ARE YOU ASKING METRO COUNCIL SO AGAIN,

[00:40:05]

RIGHT NOW WE KNOW WE HAVE A GAP. WE KNOW THERE'S FEDERAL. I MEAN, THERE'S WE'RE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THIS SITUATION IN TRANSIT. SO THE TOP 2025 PLAN IS, IS TO ONE LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS AND THEN THE OTHER THE GROWTH PLAN, WHICH THEY'VE SHOWN IS HOW MUCH IF WE DO THE GROWTH PLAN, HOW MUCH EXTRA IS GOING TO NEED. SO THAT'S THAT'S THE PLAN TO GET TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS IT THAT WE DO NEED, HOW MUCH DO WE NEED. SO YOU'RE SAYING YOU DON'T KNOW TODAY HOW MUCH YOU NEED TODAY? WE KNOW WE HAVE A GAP. 30 TO $40 MILLION IS WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE. THE SERVICE WE HAVE TODAY. RIGHT? DO YOU KNOW WHAT BROUGHT THAT GAP ABOUT AND WHAT ARE WHERE IS THE CONVERSATION TO GET THAT FUNDING TO CLOSE THAT GAP? SO THE WAY THAT THE GAP, THE GAP HAS BEEN COMING FOR YEARS. RIGHT. SO IT'S BEEN COMING FOR YEARS AND TARC HAS CONTINUED TO CUT SERVICE, AS MOST OF YOU ALL KNOW, THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME. WE'VE CUT SERVICE WHEN WE'VE GOTTEN MONEY, WE'VE WE'VE PUT SERVICE BACK IN. SO DURING COVID WE WENT TO SATURDAY SERVICE. YOU KNOW, THE MONEY WAS THERE. WE PUT THE SERVICE BACK TO KEEP SERVICE ON THE STREET. WE'VE USED FEDERAL, LIKE I SAID, ELIGIBLE REIMBURSEMENT. WE'VE USED EVERY PENNY THAT WE CAN TO KEEP SERVICE ON THE STREET. BUT THAT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. SO THEY YOU KNOW, THEY THE STATE THEIR STATE FUNDING, WHICH WE ALREADY KNOW THAT KENTUCKY STATE FUNDING HAS NOT BEEN CONSISTENT. IT'S NOT LIKE INDIANA. SO RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, THAT'S THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE GOING ON NOW. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYBODY ABOUT WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED? WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT? HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO COST US. BUT RIGHT NOW WE KNOW WITH THE MONEY THAT WE RECEIVE NOW, WE CANNOT PROVIDE THE SERVICE AT THE LEVEL IT IS TODAY. YES, THAT'S WELL UNDERSTOOD. IT'S JUST SAD TO HEAR THAT IN THAT ALL THESE YEARS IT'S BEEN HAPPENING OVER TIME. BUT NO ONE HAS HAD THE HARD CONVERSATION TO PUT A STOP TO IT SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE SERVICING THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE. THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, BUT WE HAVE ALLOWED IT TO CONTINUE OVER TIME. SO IF YOU KNOW WHAT HAS CAUSED THE GAP, ALL I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND IS WHERE'S THE CONVERSATION TO TRY TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO MAINTAIN THESE ROUTES SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PAY OUR PEOPLE AND SERVICE OUR RESIDENTS, AND THEN WE WILL WORK OUT THE DETAILS WHEN WE DO THE 2025 PLAN. PERFECT. AND THAT'S THE PATH THAT WE'RE ON TODAY. COUNCILMAN OWEN. YEAH DID THE BOARD APPROVE THE 20 2025 PLAN? DID THE TARC BOARD APPROVE THAT PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT? YES. WHEN WAS THAT APPROVED? DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE TARC 2025 PLAN WAS APPROVED? THE PROCESS FOR THE PATHWAY YOU NEED TO COME UP. IF YOU'RE GOING TO TESTIFY, PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD. AFTERNOON. COUNCIL MEMBERS ALEX GORSKY, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR. THERE IS NO TARC 2025 PLAN YET. THE PROCESS IS TO CREATE THAT PLAN.

THE BOARD APPROVED THE CONTRACT. I BELIEVE IN THE FALL OF 2023 AND GAVE US THE GO AHEAD IN FEBRUARY WITH THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY ON. OKAY I THINK WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM US IS WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS ANGER AND THEY'RE SAYING, WHY IS METRO COUNCIL CUTTING THE FUNDING FOR TARP, RIGHT. WHICH DOESN'T WHICH WHICH PUTS US IN A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SPOT BECAUSE WE EITHER FILL THE GAP OURSELVES, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO, OR WE LOOK AT OUR CONSTITUENTS AND KIND OF SO I THINK YOU YOU PROBABLY HEAR FROM WE'RE SUPPORTIVE. I MEAN, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, YOU CANNOT HAVE A, A FIRST CLASS CITY UNLESS YOU HAVE FIRST CLASS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. SO I WANT TO SAY THAT VERY CLEARLY. THANK YOU. BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S WE'RE IN A VERY, VERY TOUGH POSITION AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WHEN OUR CONSTITUENTS REACH OUT TO US AND SAY, WHY ARE YOU CUTTING THE FUNDING TO OUR TARP? AND WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU GUYS AND SAYING, YES, WE KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN COMING FOR A LONG TIME, BUT WE'RE JUST NOW DOING A PLAN, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD. WE'RE JUST NOW AND WE ALSO FELT LIKE A FEW A 6 OR 7 WEEKS AGO THAT YOU GUYS PUT THE BUDGET IN OUR LAP AND SAID, THAT'S IT.

THAT'S WHERE WE ARE, AND WE WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS LIKE, HAVE YOU TALKED TO YOUR CORPORATE PARTNERS? HAVE YOU TALKED TO OTHER PLACES TO SEE IF YOU CAN FIGURE IT OUT BEFORE PUTTING A $15 MILLION, YOU KNOW, CRAP SANDWICH IN OUR LAP? SO THAT AGAIN, WE'RE SUPPORTIVE. WE WANT TO FIGURE THIS OUT, BUT WE'RE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE WE'RE HEARING IT FROM VERY CONCERNED

[00:45:02]

CONSTITUENTS. I'M SORRY TO DROP IT ALL ON YOU. THAT'S OKAY. BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

COUNCILWOMAN FOWLER, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE TARC RATE HAS NOT INCREASED SINCE THE 70S. YOU CANNOT HAVE A TOP NOTCH TRANSIT SYSTEM WITHOUT FUNDING IT. PERIOD THAT'S JUST ALL I HAVE TO SAY. AND UNTIL WE DO, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DRAG BEHIND THE OTHER PEER CITIES. THANK YOU. LET ME I'M GOING TO CHECK MY QUEUE HERE ONE MORE TIME. I SEE ANYBODY ELSE'S. WE HAVE COUNCILWOMAN PARKER. YES. I KNOW SOME CITIES HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ENTER INNOVATIVE WAY, SINCE WE'RE 20, 25. TO EXPAND ROUTES WITH THE USE OF, SOME OF THE, LIKE THE UBER RIDES. HAS THAT EVER BEEN A THOUGHT OR A CONVERSATION? MALIK'S POZORSKI AGAIN. WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING TWO PILOTS FOR ON DEMAND SERVICE , WHICH IS THE BASICS OF THE SORT OF UBER OR LYFT LIKE THING WHERE YOU'RE ABLE TO USE YOUR CELL PHONE TO SUMMON A RIDE. ONE IS IN J TOWN, ONE IS IN NEW ALBANY, SO WE'RE TRYING TO EVALUATE RIGHT NOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS FEASIBLE LONG TERM. THE PROBLEM THAT YOU SEE WITH ON DEMAND IS IT'S A BIT OF A BALANCE, BECAUSE IF IT'S TOO POPULAR, YOU'RE GIVING JUST 1 OR 2 PEOPLE ON A VEHICLE, WHEREAS IN A FIXED ROUTE BUS YOU'RE TAKING TEN, 20, 30. SO IT'S NOT VERY ECONOMICAL IF IT'S TOO POPULAR, IF IT'S NOT POPULAR ENOUGH, WHY PROVIDE THE SERVICE? SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR US AND DECIDE IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH. SO IF THERE IS THE UBER SUBSIDIZED FOR THOSE RIDE SUBSIDIZED AND THEY ARE, THERE ARE $5 A RIDE WITHIN THE ZONES RIGHT NOW, $2 A RIDE IF YOU'RE GOING TO A FIXED ROUTE BUS STOP.

OKAY. AND THEN HOW DOES IT WORK WITH THE UBER, SAY THE UBER IS A SHORT RIDE TO LIKE A ANOTHER STOP, LIKE A MAIN STOP. WOULD THAT BE MORE ECONOMICAL? IT COULD BE. THAT'S ONE THING WE'RE TRYING TO EVALUATE WITH THE PILOT RIGHT NOW. OKAY ALL RIGHT. I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.

THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN PURVIS. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, MA'AM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, WHY IS IT THAT THERE AREN'T ANY BOARD MEMBERS WHO WITH YOU TODAY? WHY ISN'T THERE ANY BOARD MEMBERS HERE WITH YOU TODAY, I CANNOT ANSWER THAT. I MEAN, I WAS TOLD TO COME OVER HERE IF ANYONE HAD ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HERE TO DO THAT. SO I CAN'T. I CAN'T ANSWER THAT. WERE THEY AWARE OF THE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS THAT WAS GOING ON WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION PRIOR TO US BEING AWARE? YES. EVERY MONTH I REPORT OUT, THE FINANCIALS I HAVE FOR YEARS, AGAIN, THIS IS TARC HAS BEEN IN A SITUATION, OF FINANCIAL ISSUES FOR MANY YEARS, AND WE HAVE CUT SERVICE, WE'VE GOTTEN GRANTS. WE'VE ADDED SERVICE BACK IN, THE DIXIE RAPID IS ONE OF THOSE, WE USED TO HAVE THE TWO AT 15, ON BROADWAY. SO ANYTIME WE CAN GO OUT AND GET THE FUNDING, YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT FUNDING. ANYTIME WE CAN GET THE FUNDING, WE DO IT. LIKE WHAT ALEX WAS TALKING ABOUT. THERE'S FUNDING FOR THAT, KEEP IN MIND, FUNDING ONLY LASTS THREE YEARS, AND THEN AFTER THE FUNDING IS GONE, YOU GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP. WE KNOW OUR RIDERS LIKE, RELIABLE, FAST SERVICE. SO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S WE TRY TO WE TRY TO PROVIDE THAT. BUT AGAIN, IT'S REALLY HARD, AND IT'S HARD FOR US LIKE WE DON'T WE DON'T WANT TO REDUCE SERVICE. WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE FUNDING TO DO THESE THINGS. AND IT'S HARD WHEN YOU WHEN YOU ADVERTISE SOMETHING NEW AND YOU GET IT OUT THERE AND EVERYBODY LIKES IT AND THEN YOU CAN'T FUND IT. SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO DO WHAT WE CAN FOR THE COMMUNITY. I KNOW IT'S HARD, I HATE TO BE UP HERE SAYING, THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, I CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, I CARE I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYBODY BEHIND, YOU KNOW, I HAD FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WERE OUTSIDE THE SERVICE LEVEL WHO NEEDED, DISABILITY SERVICE TO GET TO JAMES BROWN AND STUFF.

AND MY DAD WAS ONE OF THOSE. AND I HAD TO PAY FOR IT. AND I EVEN WORK AT TARC, AND I COULDN'T GET THEM THERE, SO I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE PAINS, AND IT'S NOT EASY. NONE OF THIS IS EASY, AND WE'RE DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN, AND WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. THAT'S WHY WE'RE OUT

[00:50:04]

RIGHT NOW WORKING ON, ASKING THE COMMUNITY, LIKE, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU NEED? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO PAY? WHAT TYPE OF TRANSIT DO YOU WANT IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, BUT IT ALL IT IT TAKES IT TAKES DOLLARS AND NOBODY LIKES TO TALK ABOUT THAT, AND IT'S HARD AND IT'S HARD TO MANAGE, YOU KNOW, I PARTICIPATED ON SOME OF THE CITY STUFF. I UNDERSTAND IT'S HARD. IT'S HARD TO OPEN THE POOLS, THAT THE KIDS WANT TO BE AT. SO, WE'RE JUST IN A HARD SITUATION, BUT WE HAVE TO PULL TOGETHER. SO YOU'RE HERE TRYING TO GIVE US ANSWERS ON THE DOWNFALL. THE FINANCIAL DOWNFALL OF TALK ALL BY YOURSELF? WELL, OZZY WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE BEEN HERE, AND HE WOULD HAVE CALLED IN IF YOU ALL NEEDED HIM TO. BUT WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IS, IS WE'VE TRIED TO PROVIDE AS MANY ANSWERS AS POSSIBLE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, WE GIVE THE BUDGET. LIKE I SAID, IT'S USUALLY OVER HERE BY MAY 1ST TO OMB. SO WE DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN TO TRY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE, TO ASK ALEX OR CALL US, WE'LL REACH OUT. THEY'RE REACHING OUT NOW, TO ANSWER ANY MORE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. SO, YOU KNOW, OZZY IS REALLY THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK, BUT I'M SURPRISED THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE AREN'T ANY BOARD MEMBERS HERE WITH YOU. AND I ALSO LIKE TO KNOW AND I UNDERSTAND, I'VE HEARD TALKERS ON THE STREET THAT, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE A FINANCIAL PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, YOU ALL HAVE ADDED SOME UNNECESSARY POSITIONS AS YOU ALL NOW HAVE ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, WHEREAS YOU DIDN'T HAVE THEM BEFORE. AND SO I LIKE TO KNOW WHO WHO APPROVED THESE POSITIONS THAT ADDED TO THE FINANCIAL STRAIN. THAT TALK WAS ALREADY HAVING. SO OBVIOUSLY IN EVERY ORGANIZATION, YOU HAVE AN HR DEPARTMENT AND YOU HAVE AN EXECUTIVE OFFICE, NO POSITIONS GET APPROVED WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS. SO SOMEBODY FROM HR SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE WITH YOU AS WELL TO JUSTIFY THE NEED FOR ADDING ALL THESE POSITIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M HEARING FROM PEOPLE, EVEN DOWN TO BUS DRIVERS, AREN'T NEEDED. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TALKING ABOUT LAYING OFF. BUT THEY'VE ADDED THIS POSITION, THAT POSITION, WE'VE NEVER HAD TO HAVE THIS. WE'VE NEVER HAD TO HAVE THAT. WHY ARE THEY ADDING ALL THESE NEW POSITIONS? WE'RE GETTING STILL TO TALK ABOUT LAND US OFF. BUT THEY NOW HAVE A, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER THIS DEPARTMENT. IN THAT DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY FROM HR NEEDS TO BE HERE TO JUSTIFY THIS SPENDING. SO KEEP IN MIND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ALSO IS. AND OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS AN AUSSIE. OUR OUR HR DIRECTOR IS ALSO HASN'T WORKED AS THE HR DIRECTOR. SO AGAIN YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER ALL THE TURNOVER WE'VE HAD AT TARC. AND SO SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS CAME FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE NO LONGER THERE. CAN YOU GIVE US, CAN YOU GIVE US CAN YOU SEND US BACK OVER? MAYBE YOU HAVE ALREADY, I DON'T KNOW, SEND US OVER. WHAT, ADDITIONAL POSITIONS WERE ADDED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AND THEN AND THEN AND THE ORG CHART. SO YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT. YOU ALL HAVE A COPY OF THE BUDGET AND THERE'S ORG CHARTS IN THERE. OKAY. AND YOU CAN EVEN SEE LIKE YOU CAN SEE LIKE THERE'S LAST YEAR'S AND THIS YEAR'S IN THE BUDGET. AND YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE THOSE DOCUMENTS. I'D LIKE TO GO BACK TO THE LAST THREE YEARS AND, AND AS, AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE ARE BEING ATTACKED. IF IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE NOT GOING TO SUPPORT TARC WHEN THIS IS A TARC MESS, NOT A COUNCIL MESS. SO SO, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE LAST THREE YEARS OF ALL THESE ADDED POSITIONS. YEAH. VERY GOOD.

COUNCILWOMAN. PERISH RIGHT? AND BLAME IT ON ME BECAUSE I'M NEW, BUT I THINK THIS IS A COUNCIL MESS. I THINK THAT ANYBODY THAT'S BEEN ON THE COUNCIL FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF TERMS AND SEEING ALL OF THIS HAPPENING, YOU COME WITH YOUR BUDGET EVERY YEAR THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE COME UP. BUT TODAY'S DECISION IS NOT ABOUT THE COUNCIL INVESTING IN TARC. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE COUNCIL FUNDING TARC. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE COUNCIL BRINGING TARC INTO OUR BUDGET. I ACTUALLY DO THINK WE HAVE THE MONEY, BUT WE PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE ON SO MANY OTHER THINGS AND WE, MANY OF US DON'T VALUE OR SEE THE NEED FOR CART BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO USE IT. SO I THINK THAT IT HASN'T BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS. THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. MY MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, HAS THE CONVERSATION EVER I THINK COUNCILWOMAN FOWLER BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT ABOUT THE TAX RATE, HOW IT HASN'T CHANGED. EVERYTHING ELSE HAS.

INFLATION HAS WAGES. DON'T MATCH THE RATES. PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY HOUSES. PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR METRO GOVERNMENT DEPEND ON TARC. SO HAVE YOU ALL HAD A CONVERSATION ON WHAT TO DO TO. I KNOW YOU ARE THE CFO AND ALL THAT OTHER DECISION MAKING WASN'T YOURS, AND I DON'T BELIEVE PUNISHING PEOPLE TWO AND THREE TIMES BASED ON SOMEBODY ELSE'S DECISIONS, ESPECIALLY

[00:55:02]

THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DEPARTED. BUT HAVE YOU TALKED ABOUT THE COST ON WHAT IF WE HAD AN IDEA TO BRING TARC IN AND THE COST, VERSUS ON WHAT? I KNOW THE PLAN IS BEING WORKED OUT, BUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BECAUSE WE ARE NOT CONTRIBUTING ANYTHING TO YOUR BUDGET RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GIVING YOU PERMISSION TO USE MONEY THAT'S IN YOUR RESERVES. SO I JUST FEEL LIKE, WHAT WHAT CAN WE DO TO SUPPORT? I'M DEFINITELY SUPPORT YOU ALL BEING ABLE TO ACCESS THE MONEY YOU NEED FOR YOUR RESERVES. BUT WHAT CAN WE REALLY DO AS A COUNCIL RIGHT NOW TO HELP? AND I THINK IT'S THAT WE NEED TO STEP UP AND DO MORE. BUT I JUST WANTED TO HEAR YOUR OPINION ON THAT. SO I AGREE THAT, THE FUNDING IS A COMMUNITY PROBLEM, WE HAVE STRUGGLED FOR YEARS, WE CAN WE CAN LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, POSITIONS WE CAN LOOK AT AND YOU ALL HAVE SEEN OUR BUDGET, EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS. AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT. BUT IT'S STILL NOT GOING TO TAKE OUT IF YOU LOOK AT, JUST LOOK AT OUR MARKETING DEPARTMENT, OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT. IF YOU WIPED ALL OF US OUT, LET'S JUST SAY THAT'S NOT GOING TO SOLVE OUR GAP. WILL IT HELP SOME? YES BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW WE GET THROUGH EVERYTHING ELSE. SO THE THING IS, IS ABOUT, LEARNING, GETTING EDUCATED ON HOW TARC, HOW WE GET REIMBURSED, HOW THE FUNDS COME IN, HOW WE DO THINGS, A LOT OF IT IS ABOUT EDUCATION. AND THE THING IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME TO ME TOO. I'VE HAD NEIGHBORS KNOCK ON MY DOOR, SO I KNOW WHEN WE'VE CUT ROUTES, YOU KNOW, I USED TO LIVE OVER IN BELMAR. AND WHEN WE STOPPED RUNNING THROUGH FINCASTLE, PEOPLE WERE BANGING ON MY DOOR.

SO I UNDERSTAND THE PAIN. I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED, I'VE BEEN THERE WHEN WE'VE HAD THE PROTEST RIGHT OUTSIDE MY OFFICE WINDOW. AND I WISH, LIKE IT'S A COMMUNITY ISSUE. IT'S A COMMUNITY PROBLEM. WE HAVE TO PULL TOGETHER JCPS. GETTING OUR KIDS TO SCHOOL IS A COMMUNITY PROBLEM. WE NEED TO PULL TOGETHER. WE DON'T NEED TO POINT FINGERS AND WORK TOGETHER ON SOLUTIONS BECAUSE WE KNOW AGAIN, IF I'M ASKING FOR $76 MILLION, MY BUDGET'S 114 MILLION, THE MATH DOESN'T WORK. THE NUMBERS ARE THE NUMBERS, AND AGAIN, WE TARC HAS WORKED REALLY, REALLY HARD TO USE THE FUNDS WE HAVE TO KEEP SERVICE ON THE STREET AND EVEN WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF CHANGES, I WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, CUSTOMERS SAY, WELL, WHY DON'T WE HAVE A NEW BUS? I'M LIKE, DO YOU WANT YOUR ROUTE OR DO YOU WANT A NEW BUS? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE AT, AND THAT HAS BEEN THAT HAS BEEN THE SITUATION. I MEAN, I CAME IN 2002, WE HAD $10 MILLION IN THE MASS TRANSIT TRUST FUND. THAT IS NOT ENOUGH TO COVER TWO MONTHS WORTH OF PAYABLES. IT'S JUST NOT. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DEALT WITH. WE'VE CHANGED, WE'VE MOVED, WE HAVE KEPT, WE'VE KEPT THE SERVICE, AS MUCH AS WE CAN. AND I KNOW, I KNOW THIS IS HARD, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN THERE. I'VE SEEN IT, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THE DIRECTORS, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THE MAYORS, YOU KNOW, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, KEEPING KEEPING EVERYTHING INSIDE THE WATTERSON. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE USED TO BE TOLD ALL THE TIME. SO, AGAIN, NONE OF THIS HAS BEEN EASY FOR ANYBODY STANDING HERE. AND I WISH I HAD THE ANSWERS. I WISH I COULD, YOU KNOW, I WISH I HAD THE WON THE LOTTERY LIKE THAT LADY DID, TO HELP OUT, BUT THE THING IS, IS LIKE, IT IS WHAT IT IS, AND WE.

SO WHAT WE NEED IS EVERYBODY TO HELP AND TO SUPPORT. WE REALLY CAN'T. I MEAN, WE CAN GO BACK AND REHASH. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY. WE CAN SAY, WHAT IF WHAT IF WE DID THIS PLAN THREE YEARS AGO, EIGHT YEARS AGO, OR WHATEVER? WE DID NOT WRITE, AND SO MOVING FORWARD, I MEAN, REALLY, I MEAN, AT THIS POINT, WE'RE KIND OF THE HORSE IS DEAD. WE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO MORE RABBITS IN THE HAT. ALL WE CAN DO AT THIS POINT, ALL WE CAN DO IS LOOK FORWARD. THAT'S RIGHT.

WE HAVE A BUDGET IN FRONT OF US THAT TRIES TO BE TO LOOK FORWARD IN A VERY SHORT TERM. AND THEN WE HAVE THE PLAN THAT'S GOING TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE LONG TERM SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM.

THAT'S CORRECT. AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR WORK ON THAT. COUNCILWOMAN FOWLER. YES, JUST ONE SHORT QUESTION ON THAT PLAN. CAN CAN YOU COME UP WITH A NUMBER, A RATE INCREASE TAX? OH MY GOD, THAT WORD, WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO BRING US TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE ON A REFERENDUM. I'M GOING TO LET ALEX, BECAUSE ALEX IS OUR EXPERT ON THE NEW PLAN, THE INTENT WITH TARC 2025 IS THAT WE WILL BE PRESENTING TWO PROPOSALS. ONE WILL BE WHAT TARC WOULD LOOK LIKE IF WE CANNOT FIND ADDITIONAL FUNDING, ONE WILL LOOK LIKE TARC. IF WE CAN FIND ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND THERE WILL BE A NUMBER SPECIFICALLY ATTACHED TO THAT, WHAT WE CALL THE GROWTH SCENARIO. AND I'M SORRY, WHEN WOULD DO WE EXPECT THIS? CURRENTLY WE'RE LOOKING AT FEBRUARY MARCH OF 2025. IN THERE . THANK YOU. COUNCIL UPDATED IF THAT CHANGES AT ALL. ALL RIGHT.

THANKS SO WE HAVE THE ORDINANCE BEFORE US PLEASE. ORDINANCE COME FOR ROLL CALL. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE OPEN THE VOTING. PLEASE COUNCIL MEMBER PARRISH. RIGHT YES.

[01:00:15]

CHAIR BLACKWELL, YOU HAVE NINE YES VOTES AND ONE PRESENT. THANK YOU. ITEM PASSES. WE'LL GO TO

[5. O-125-24 AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025 BUDGET FOR LOUISVILLE TOURISM. Action Required By: December 2024 Sponsors: Rick Blackwell (D-12) ]

CONSENT ITEM FIVE IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 2425 BUDGET FOR THE LOUISVILLE TOURISM. YOUR MOTION, MR. CHAIR. MR. CHAIR. POINT OF ORDER. YES, SIR. I BELIEVE WHAT I BELIEVE THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS TO GO TO OLD BUSINESS. OKAY, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO SAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ITEM GOES TO OLD BUSINESS. HEAR A MOTION ON THAT ITEM FIVE.

THANK YOU. MOTION AND SECOND. AND I'M GOING TO GO TO. IF YOU CAN COME FORWARD. AND COUNCILWOMAN PARKER HAD A QUESTION THAT I MADE HER WAIT ALL THIS TIME TO ASK YOU. SO I'M GOING TO GO TO HER FIRST. SURE HI, DIRECTOR RIDDLE, JUST, JUST I'LL JUST RESTATE IT BRIEFLY.

THE LOUISVILLE TOUR, I MEAN, LOUISVILLE TOURISM, YOU JUST SAID THE SPORTS COMMISSION IS STILL UNDER YOUR PURVIEW, CORRECT? IT'S NOT UNDER OUR PURVIEW. WE FUND THEM. OKAY? SO YOU FUND THEM, AND YOU ARE ABLE TO FUND THEM. THAT'S CORRECT. SO IF WHATEVER WE DON'T MAKE MAKE OF THEIR ASK IN OUR BUDGET IF THAT HAPPENS, COULD YOU PROMISE TO THEM OR US THAT YOU WILL GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED FOR THEIR VERY SMALL ASK FOR THEIR PROGRAMS? NO I CAN'T PROMISE THAT YOU, COUNCILWOMAN, WE PROVIDE $530,000 TO THE ORGANIZATION ANNUALLY.

LOUISVILLE TOURISM HAS ALWAYS FUNDED THE LOUISVILLE SPORTS COMMISSION. AND I THINK WHAT THEIR LEADERSHIP IS LOOKING FOR IS THAT THE CITY METRO COUNCIL OR THE CITY'S BUDGET FUNDED THEM AT ONE POINT AS WELL. IN ADDITION TO LOUISVILLE TOURISM. AND SO I THINK LOUISVILLE TOURISM, WE HAVE INCREASED THEIR FUNDING ANNUALLY THERE. THEY HAVE THEY ARE IN OUR OFFICE SPACE IN KIND, AND WE CERTAINLY HELP TO SUPPORT A LOT OF THE SPORTING EVENTS THAT COME THROUGH THROUGH OUR OWN BUDGET. SO WE ARE FUNDING THEM AT A HIGH LEVEL, AND THEIR BUDGET COMES BEFORE OUR BOARD EVERY YEAR TO BE CONSIDERED, AND WE'VE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THEM. OKAY.

I THINK I GUESS THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION. SO I THINK TO THE REQUEST THAT THEY HAVE BROUGHT TO US, AND I THINK THIS MIGHT BE THE DISTINCTION, THOSE THINGS THAT YOU FUND WITH THE SPORTS COMMISSION ARE WORKING ON THOSE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BRING TOURISM DOLLARS BACK, OR AT LEAST THAT'S THE HOPE, AS YOU HAVE A TOURNAMENT, YOU HAVE WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU BRING IN AND THEN THOSE BRING THOSE FILL BEDS, AND I THINK THE REQUEST THAT THEY MADE OF THE COUNCIL IS FOR DOING ACTIVITIES THAT ARE IN METRO PARKS FOR, FOR, FOR ESSENTIALLY FOR LOCALS. OKAY, SO I THINK THAT'S THE DISTINCTION. I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK ANYTHING IN THE REQUEST THAT THEY HAD WAS GOING TO DO ANYTHING IN TERMS OF FILLING BEDS. YEAH. AND I AND COUNCILMAN , HE, THE SPORTS COMMISSION DID NOT COME TO US IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY TO, TO ASK FOR THOSE FUNDS, IF THAT'S WHAT THEY IF THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE NOT. YEAH. THEY'RE DIFFERENT. OKAY.

UNDERSTOOD OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PIACENTINI. I'LL TRY NOT TO KEEP BEATING ON THIS, BUT LET ME PUT IT TO YOU THIS WAY. IF IT'S FOR STRICTLY LOCAL ACTIVITY, THAT'S ONE THING, BUT I WANT TO BE SUPER CLEAR ABOUT THIS. WHICH ONES, DON'T CARE ABOUT, PASSING OUT ALL THESE PASSES? WE JUST VOTED ON A TAXING DISTRICT THAT WE CREATED LAST YEAR. SO IT'S A TAX INCREASE FOR PEOPLE THAT USE HOTELS LOCALLY. NOW, LARGELY THAT'S GOING TO BE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN. BUT THERE ARE LOCALS THAT USE HOTELS HERE AS WELL, FOR A VARIETY OF PURPOSES. AND THAT'S BRINGING IN A LITTLE OVER 7 MILLION, CLEO, YOUR BUDGET IS I'M READING HERE TOTAL REVENUE 28.7 MILLION. SO BETWEEN THE TWO ENTITIES, WE ARE SOMEWHERE IN THE 35 TO $36 MILLION RANGE. AND YET WE GOT THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, THE SPORTS COMMISSION COMING TO US FOR 150,000, RIGHT? WHEN WE HAVE GIVEN MORE INDEPENDENT TAXING AUTHORITY TO THIS BROAD BRUSH

[01:05:03]

STROKE THAT WE CALL TOURISM, WHETHER IT'S THE HOTEL DISTRICT OR, LOUISVILLE TOURISM. BUT MY POINT IS, HEY, THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY HERE THERE. THEIR OBJECTIVES LARGELY OVERLAP.

OKAY. AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE IT WOULD OVERLAP. I DON'T SEE A LOT OF STATE HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITIONS IN SPORTS HAPPENING IN LOUISVILLE. I SEE THEM HAPPENING IN LEXINGTON, FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD ARGUE LOUISVILLE IS A BIT MORE CENTRAL, MAYBE LIKE EASTERN KENTUCKY, BUT ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE, WE'VE GOT SOME WORLD CLASS FACILITIES HERE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE WEST END TRACK, RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S A PHENOMENAL FACILITY THAT WE COULD BE HAVING IN KENTUCKY STATE, ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION HIGH SCHOOL, STATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS . BUT WE DON'T WE GO TO LEXINGTON. SO MY POINT IS JUST SAYING WE NEED TO TAKE A SECOND LOOK AT THIS. IF THEY NEED. I GET WE HAVEN'T FUNDED THEM TO THE LEVEL THEY ASK FOR IN ALMOST TEN YEARS. SO IT'S NOT AS THOUGH WE WERE JUST DOING THIS FIVE MINUTES. THEY HAVEN'T ASKED AND WE HAVEN'T DONE IT IN A LONG TIME. AND THE MORE THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS WERE GETTING INCREASING TAXING AUTHORITY TO IN $45 MILLION A YEAR AND INCORPORATE THEM IN A MORE DIRECT MANNER, I THINK THAT'S A BENEFIT. AS I THINK THERE'S EFFICIENCIES TO BE GAINED AS OPPOSED TO HAVING THEM BE A SEPARATE BOARD WITH A SEPARATE MISSION. THAT'S REALLY ALL I'M ASSUMING. COUNCILMAN, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND AS I SAID TO COUNCILWOMAN, COUNCILWOMAN PARKER, THE LOUISVILLE THE SPORTS COMMISSION HAS NOT COME AND PRESENTED THIS TO LOUISVILLE TOURISM OR TO THE GREATER LOUISVILLE LODGE AND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND IF THEY WANT TO PRESENT THIS, THEN I THINK THAT'S THAT'S THE STARTING POINT. AND THAT'S WHY I SAID I COULDN'T PROMISE YOU BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T COME BEFORE MY BOARD OR COME BEFORE THE GREATER LOUISVILLE LODGE OF MANAGEMENT DISTRICT BOARD TO MAKE THAT REQUEST. SO LET ME JUST WRAP ON A POSITIVE NOTE BY THE WAY, I WAS SORT OF FOCUSING ON THIS SPORTS COMMISSION THING, TOURISM AND, HAS BEEN BOOMING. IT'S BEEN TERRIFIC, IT'S GREAT TO SEE IT.