5. Mayor Tate to present a proclamation recognizing the month of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

[7. Consider an agreement for a Convention Center Remodel and Expansion Feasibility Study with Johnson Consulting, and take any necessary action.]

PW MCCALLUM.

VERY GOOD. GOOD EVENING MAYOR, COUNCIL, COLLEAGUES AND CITIZENS.

OH, SO ON THIS SIDE OVER HERE.

SO WE HAVE BEFORE YOU A MARKET AND FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE GRAPEVINE CONVENTION CENTER.

THERE, THE EXISTING CENTER WAS OPENED IN 1988.

IT'S 25,000FT² AND IT IS A PRETTY MUCH A FULLY UTILIZED FACILITY.

THERE ARE GENERALLY IN EXCESS OF 300 BOOKINGS ANNUALLY, AND THOSE ARE MADE UP OF TRADE AND CONSUMER SHOWS.

AND THAT'S BEEN A STRONG TREND IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, ALONG WITH CORPORATE MEETINGS, CONFERENCES, CIVIC GROUPS AND PRIVATE EVENTS.

SO THIS YEAR IN 2023, SO SOME ALREADY CONSUMED, BUT WE HAVE 46 WEEK END DATES THAT ARE ALREADY BOOKED.

AND SO TO THAT EXTENT, YOU CAN SEE THERE REALLY ONLY SIX OPEN, AND WHEN WE DID THIS, THERE WAS SIX, THERE WAS ONE OF THOSE HAVE ALREADY GONE AS WELL.

AND SO, AGAIN, JUST TO SHOW YOU THE HOW MUCH IT IS UTILIZED AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, IN THE LAST LITTLE LESS THAN TWO YEARS, WE'VE TRACKED 110 PIECES OF LOST BUSINESS BECAUSE WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE AVAILABILITY IN THE SENATE.

THAT IS A LOSS OF 255,000 PLUS IN RENTAL INCOME.

MOST, THOUGH, IMPORTANTLY THAT I WANT TO FOCUS ON IS THAT THAT LOST BUSINESS.

THEY WOULD HAVE BROUGHT IN AN ADDITIONAL 56,000 PEOPLE INTO GRAPEVINE.

AND SO THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT WOULD HAVE ENDED UP IN RESTAURANTS AND IN ATTRACTIONS AND RETAIL AND SO ON. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT LETTING THAT GET AWAY HAS A CONSIDERABLE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON WHAT WE DO OUT THERE. OOPS.

SO YOU HAVE TO GO BACK ONE.

THERE WE GO. SO HENCE, AFTER 35 YEARS, WE ARE NOW PROPOSING THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY TO ESSENTIALLY DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE CONTINUE ON WITH THE FACILITY AS IT IS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IN AN UPGRADED AND UPDATED MODE, OR IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THE CENTER GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LIMITED REAL ESTATE IN SUCH THERE? SO THE COMPANY JOHNSON CONSULTING AND THEY'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 1996.

AND SO ACTUALLY IN TEXAS ALONE THEY'VE DONE 25 SIMILAR STUDIES HERE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

AND TO THAT I DRAW ATTENTION TO, BECAUSE YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THOSE, THE AUSTIN ANNOUNCED HERE A SHORT TIME AGO THAT THEY ARE, IN FACT, EXPANDING AND BUILDING AND SORT OF A WHOLE NEW AREA TO THEIRS.

AND THAT WAS BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF JOHNSON CONSULTING.

AND THEY DID A STUDY FOR SOUTH PADRE ISLAND ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO THAT LED TO PADRE ISLAND CONSIDERABLY

[00:20:05]

EXPANDING THEIR CENTER AND BROUGHT IT FROM AN UNDERUTILIZED FACILITY NOW TO A RIGHT SIZED FACILITY THAT IS VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE ISLAND AND A AND A MUCH STRONGER ECONOMIC DRIVER TO WHAT IS THERE.

SO WHAT THIS STUDY IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, THE SCOPE OF THE WORK, AND I'M GOING TO JUST SORT OF GO THROUGH RELATIVELY QUICKLY BECAUSE IN YOUR PACKETS YOU HAVE ELECTRONICALLY THIS STUDY IN THERE IS ACTUALLY PAGES AND PAGES OF IT.

BUT JUST AGAIN, FOR OTHERS THAT DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THAT.

SO WE'LL DO A MARKET DEMAND ANALYSIS WHERE THEY WILL IN FACT EVALUATE THE ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF GRAPEVINE AND THE GREATER DALLAS FORT WORTH MARKET WILL TAKE INTO ANALYSIS OF ALL COMMERCIAL ENTERTAINMENT AND HOSPITALITY AND OTHER RELATED DEVELOPMENTS IN GRAPEVINE AND THE SURROUNDING AREA AND HOW THAT MIGHT AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE AND DEMAND FOR THE GRAPEVINE CONVENTION CENTER.

THEY'LL LOOK AT KEY ECONOMIC INDUSTRY CLUSTER TRENDS AND ONCE AGAIN DETERMINE HOW THAT MIGHT APPLY IN THE GRAPEVINE SITUATION.

THEY'LL LOOK AT OUR COMPETITIVE AND COMPLIMENTARY MEETING VENUES ONCE AGAIN IN THE SURROUNDING AREA AND SEE HOW THAT GOES FROM THERE.

THEN THEY'LL TAKE A LOOK AT INDUSTRY TRENDS AND REVIEW AND ANALYZE RECENT STATISTICS.

THEN FROM THERE THEY'LL GO ON TO COMPARABLE CASE STUDIES AND WHERE THEY'LL LOOK AT SEVERAL CONVENTION CENTERS, EVENT AND MEETING FACILITIES AND ALSO SOME TRADE SHOW FACILITIES, ETCETERA.

SINCE AS SMALL AS IT IS, WE STILL HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF DEMAND NOW FOR THESE SMALL CONSUMER TRADE SHOWS.

AND SO THEY'LL LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT TEXAS TO SEE HOW THAT ALSO WORKS.

THEY'LL ALSO DO A SWOT ANALYSIS BASED ON THE BENCHMARKS, WHICH THAT'S THE STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS, BOTH FROM A QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE METRICS AS WELL.

AND THAT'S THERE ARE ABOUT 20 DIFFERENT METRICS THAT THEY'LL LOOK AT.

THEY'LL IDENTIFY USER GROUPS AND THEN THEY'LL CONDUCT SURVEYS AND INTERVIEWS WITH THOSE USER GROUPS.

SO THAT WHICH WILL GIVE US A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM THAT.

THEY'LL DEVELOP A DEMAND STRATEGY ALONG WITH SOME PROJECTIONS.

SO THE DEVELOPMENT OF LONG RANGE DEMAND PROJECTIONS, THEY'LL HAVE TWO ANALYTICAL METHODS ONE, A BOTTOM UP THAT WILL REFLECT THE CURRENT DEMAND AND ALSO WHAT THE LOST BUSINESS, AS I SHOWED YOU EARLIER, AND WHERE WE'RE LOSING IT TO AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO A TOP DOWN APPROACH, WHICH WILL LOOK AT THE AGAIN, THE ANALYSIS OF THE COMPARABILITY OF THOSE IN THE MARKET AROUND US AND WHAT FUTURE MARKET SHARE WOULD LOOK LIKE.

SO AND OUR FUTURE COULD WELL BE AN AS IS, AS I SAID EARLIER ON OR WHAT AN EXPANSION IN WOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE MARKETPLACE, THEN THEY'LL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FINANCIAL AND OPERATING ANALYSIS OF WHAT A TEN YEAR MODEL WOULD LOOK LIKE AGAINST A PROPOSED EXPANSION, OR IF THE SUGGESTION IS THAT IT REMAINS SOMEWHAT AS IT CURRENTLY IS, THOUGH, WE'LL HAVE THOSE PROJECTIONS.

SO AND THEN FINALLY, THEY'LL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE INFORMATION GATHERED.

AND FROM THERE THEY'LL DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THERE WE CAN EVALUATE YOU AS COUNCIL CAN DECIDE DO WE DO A CONSIDERABLE EXPANSION, WHICH AGAIN, REALISTICALLY GIVING OUR AREA THAT'S NOT A GREAT DEAL ANYWAY, OR A MINOR EXPANSION WITH MAJOR UPGRADES.

SO AND THAT IN TURN SORT OF BRINGS US TO REALLY WHAT THE DELIVERABLES ON ALL OF THIS WOULD BE. IT IS REALLY THERE WILL BE SORT OF TWO PARTS.

THE DRAFT REPORT WILL COME TO US IN 12 WEEKS AND THAT REPORT WILL HAVE A FULLY DOCUMENTED FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND BE ACCOMPANIED WITH ALL OF THE NECESSARY PRESENTATION MATERIAL AND SUCH.

FOLLOWING THE ISSUES OF THAT, THEY WILL MEET WITH THE STAFF TEAM.

ET CETERA. AND THEN TOGETHER WE WOULD WORK ON WHAT THE ABOUT IN A TWO WEEK PERIOD, WHAT THAT FINAL REPORT WOULD LOOK LIKE,

[00:25:09]

AND THEN AT THAT POINT, IT WOULD BE READY FOR A PRESENTATION TO YOU, THE COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, AT YOUR CONVENIENCE AND THEIR LEAD INDIVIDUAL WOULD COME AND MAKE THAT PRESENTATION TO THE COUNCIL.

SO YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON THAT.

SO WE WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU APPROVE THIS JOHNSON CONSULTING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE GRAPEVINE CONVENTION CENTER.

I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT ANY OF THE OTHER CONSULTING FIRMS THAT YOU SPOKE WITH AND WHY YOU THINK THIS IS THE BEST CHOICE OF A CONSULTING FIRM TO DO THIS ONE? THERE THERE'S CERTAINLY NOT THE SMALLEST FIRM OUT THERE.

THEY HAVE TEN FOLKS ON CONSTANT RETAINER, BUT THEN THEY CAN ALSO HAVE A REACH GREATER THAN THAT.

THE OTHER TWO OUTFITS THAT WE LOOKED AT WERE CONSIDERABLY LARGER AND WE FELT LIKE THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY END UP WITH A KIND OF A CANNED VERSION OF SOMETHING ELSE DONE.

AND, YOU KNOW, INSERT GRAPEVINE WHERE IT SAYS SOMETHING ELSE.

AND IN TALKING WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS, IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THEY WERE GOING TO COME AND MAKE A COMPLETE STUDY.

THEIR ONE OF THEIR LEADS ACTUALLY LIVES IN TEXAS.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THAT.

I KNOW A COUPLE OF THOSE PEOPLE AND I KNOW THAT THE RESULTS THAT THEY HAVE.

I ALSO SPOKE WITH PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN SOUTH PADRE AND IN AUSTIN, AND THEY GAVE TREMENDOUS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEM. GOOD.

WELL, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY SMART IN THE EXPANSIONS WE'VE DONE ON OTHER FACILITIES, CITY FACILITIES HERE IN TOWN, AND WE'VE SPREAD IT OUT.

AND THAT'S A GOOD THING TO DO.

AND THIS PROBABLY WASN'T ON THE HIGHEST PRIORITY LIST.

AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE NOW LOOKING AT IT NOW.

BUT IT'S VERY DATED AND IT JUST IS NOT UP TO GRAPEVINE STANDARDS.

SO I'M ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT THEY COME BACK WITH.

AND AND, YOU KNOW, SHE'S SHE NEEDS A FACELIFT.

SO I THINK IT'S ABOUT TIME.

SO THAT'S GOOD. WELL, WE HAD SORT OF DONE SOME WORK ON THIS IN 2019 WITH THE IDEA OF COMING BEFORE YOU IN 2020.

AND OF COURSE, WE KNOW IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY MAKE, NOT JUST HOW MUCH TO EXPAND IF IT IS TO EXPAND ANY AT ALL, BUT LOOKING AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND THE OTHER POTENTIAL BUSINESS THAT IS OUT THERE AND BEING ABLE TO ANALYZE THAT, IT'LL PROVIDE A LOT OF GOOD DATA.

SO I THINK THE REPORT WE GET WILL BE VERY VALUABLE TO YOU.

SO THANK YOU. MY ONLY QUESTION, AND I'M ABSOLUTELY FINE WITH IT, I THINK IT'S IT'S A GOOD IDEA AND I COMPLETELY SUPPORT IT.

MY ONLY QUESTION IS, AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS PART OF JOHNSON'S EXPERTISE, I DON'T THINK FROM THE WAY YOU'VE DESCRIBED WHAT THEY DO.

BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IN RELATIVELY SHORT ORDER, WE SHOULD ALSO BEGIN TO LOOK AT SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO UPDATE IT THAT AREN'T OVERLY BECAUSE THIS IS A LONG TERM DECISION. AND WE ALL KNOW HERE BECAUSE WE'RE HERE FOR WE GO THERE FOR MANY DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT JUST EVEN LOOKING AT THE PICTURE, YOU CAN TELL HOW DATED IT IS.

SO IT SEEMS TO ME THERE'S PROBABLY SOMETHING IN THE ARCHITECTURAL AREA THAT COULD BE AT LEAST STUDIED AND LOOKED AT TO GIVE IT.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S PAINT ON THE WALL, BUT SOMETHING THAT GIVES IT A LITTLE BIT OF AN UMPH THAT IT'S BEEN NEEDING FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

SO I HOPE THAT ALTHOUGH THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY'RE BEING ASKED TO DO, THAT PART OF THIS PROCESS, YOU WOULD REACH OUT TO SOMEONE THAT COULD GIVE US SOME MODEST EXPENSE OF WHAT WE COULD DO TO MAKE IT MORE HIP.

WELL, AND IT'S VERY DULL LOOKING, ESPECIALLY IN THE BIG ROOM, AND IT'S JUST RATHER BORING TO LOOK AT.

SO. BUT YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT.

YES. SO BUT JUST TO RESPOND.

THEY'RE WITHIN THEIR FIRM.

THEY ALSO HAVE THEIR THREE ARCHITECTS THAT THEY DO HAVE ON STAFF.

WELL, LET'S LOOK AT HAVING. THAT'S NOT.

YES, THAT'S NOT INSIDE THIS BRIEF.

I UNDERSTAND THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL AND WE FELT LIKE THAT YOU ALL NEEDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE WHICH WAY WE GO WITH IT.

AND SO EVEN WITHIN THIS GROUP, WE COULD THEN HAVE THEM MAKE A SEPARATE PROPOSAL.

I WOULD LIKE YOU TO LOOK AT THAT AND IT SORT OF SIMILAR TIMING SO THAT WE AT LEAST KNOW WHAT KIND OF COSTS WE COULD INCUR TO UPDATE IT DURING, BECAUSE WHATEVER WE DO IS GOING TO BE TWO YEARS FROM NOW BEFORE ANYTHING IS DONE.

[00:30:02]

SO THAT WOULD JUST BE SOMETHING I THINK WOULD BE WORTHWHILE TO CHECK..

IS I ASSUME PART OF THEIR STUDY WILL BE TO TELL US IF IT'S A MAJOR FACELIFT, MAJOR UPGRADE.

THAT'S A LOT OF LOSS OF REVENUE BECAUSE THE BUILDING WOULD NOT YOU KNOW, IF IT GOES UNDER SOMETHING MAJOR, THEN I'M SURE I'M SURE YOU'VE CONSIDERED THAT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IF WE HAVE TO SHUT IT DOWN FOR A WHILE TO TO DO THAT.

SO. RIGHT. AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT, AGAIN, THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT WITH THESE FOLKS.

IF IT INVOLVED AN EXPANSION, YOU WOULD DO IT IN A WAY AS TO PHASE IT, RIGHT? SO YOU'D BEGIN ON AN EXPANSION, WORK ON IT, GET IT FINISHED, THEN GO BACK TO SO MOVE EVERYTHING FROM THERE OVER INTO THE NEW PIECE AND THEN REWORK THE OLD PIECE OF IT.

AND, AND THEN AT THAT POINT YOU WOULD BEGIN HOSTING THE LARGER EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES.

BUT THERE COULD BE A POSSIBILITY IF THAT IT'S ONLY MINOR EXPANSION TO IT, THEN TO BE ABLE TO DO THE JUSTICE TO US THAT IT NEEDS, WE WOULD HAVE TO CLOSE IT DOWN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.

YES. WELL, I WOULD MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY.

I'LL SECOND. GOT A MOTION.

A SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

ANY DISCUSSION? THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL.

THANK YOU, SIR. ALL OPPOSED.

MOTION CARRIES. IT WAS A FOUR.

WELL, THAT WAS A YES.

CONSENT AGENDA ITEM EIGHT THROUGH 11 ARE NOT SCHEDULED FOR ANY COUNCIL DEBATE.

[CONSENT AGENDA]

ANY GUESTS PRESENT CAN ASK THAT ANY ITEM BE REMOVED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME.

YOUR HONOR, IF WE COULD PULL ITEM NINE, WHICH NUMBER? NINE. NINE.

ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHERS? ALL RIGHT. EIGHT, TEN AND 11 ARE THE CONSENT OF MOTION IS IN ORDER.

MOVE FOR APPROVAL. SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR.

ALL OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES, CONSENTS APPROVED.

ITEM NINE.

[9. Consider Ordinance No. 2023-020 appropriating the funds for the surface restoration and tree mitigation from the TRA Wastewater Project. Parks and Recreation Director and Public Works Director recommend approval.]

CONSIDER ORDINANCE 2023-020.

APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE SURFACE RESTORATION AND TREE MITIGATION FROM THE TRA WASTEWATER PROJECT.

YES, YOUR HONOR IS OKAY.

KATHY IS GOING TO COME ON UP AND TALK ABOUT THIS.

OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE GETTING TO THE END OF THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.

THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS, OBVIOUSLY, AS WELL.

WE HAVE FUNDING THAT WAS MADE AVAILABLE FOR THIS PROJECT FROM TRA TO GO BACK AND AND MITIGATE AND TO BE ABLE TO PUT BACK THE PUBLIC AMENITIES THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THIS PROJECT.

SO WE THOUGHT KATHY MIGHT WANT TO GIVE US A QUICK UPDATE ON THAT BEFORE YOU VOTE.

YES. THANK YOU. HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL.

AGAIN, MY NAME IS KATHY NELSON.

I AM THE PARKS AND RECREATION PLANNING MANAGER.

AND IF I MAY JUST GIVE YOU JUST A BRIEF LITTLE BACKGROUND OF HOW THIS ALL BEGAN ABOUT THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY WASTEWATER PROJECT AND STAFF'S COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH TRA TO MINIMIZE THOSE DISTURBANCES AND MAXIMIZE TREE MITIGATION AND FACILITY RESTORATION IN OUR PARKS.