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GOOD FOR HIM. WE'LL CALL TO ORDER TONIGHT'S COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE FOR THE SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2025 AUBURN CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:08]

CITY COUNCIL HAS THE MINUTES FROM OUR AUGUST THE 19TH COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.

[2. MINUTES]

ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THOSE MINUTES? IF NOT, IS THERE A MOVE TO APPROVE? SO MOVED. MOTION SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? AND THE MINUTES ARE CARRIED FORTH.

[3. QUESTIONS ON THE AGENDA]

ANY QUESTIONS ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA? SPECIFICALLY ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT FOR THE CITY MANAGER.

ANY QUESTIONS? CITY MANAGER. ANYTHING FOR US? I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AGENDA. OKAY. MR. GRISWOLD.

THANK YOU. THE AUBURN OPELIKA TOURISM BUREAU HAS DONE TREMENDOUS WORK FOR OUR CITY.

AND THEY THEY PROMOTE US, YOU KNOW, COMING AND GOING.

IN THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET, THEY ARE BEING FUNDED IN EXCESS OF $700,000 IN ADDITION TO WHATEVER OPELIKA PROVIDES, AND THAT'S BASED ON AN ORDINANCE. 2356.

IT WAS WAY BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2005. SO I JUST WHAT THEY GET RIGHT NOW IS ONE SEVENTH OF OUR LOCAL LODGING TAXES. AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO GET AN EVER INCREASING AMOUNT AS OUR RENTAL REVENUES AND INCREASE OVER THE YEARS. SO BASICALLY YOU HAVE AN EVER INCREASING TAX BASELINE.

I WOULD LIKE TO COUNCIL TO CONSIDER HAVING A BRIEFING FROM THE TOURISM BUREAU SO THEY CAN DETAIL THEIR NEEDS AND THEIR BENEFITS TO THE CITY. I'D LIKE THAT TO HAPPEN AT A FUTURE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.

THIS IS NOT A PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE BUDGET THAT IS UNDER CONSIDERATION TONIGHT.

BUT I BELIEVE AFTER 20 YEARS, IT MAY BE TIME FOR US TO TAKE A LOOK AT TREATING THEM LIKE OTHER OUTSIDE AGENCIES.

WE JUST LOOKED AT A 20 YEAR UPDATE FOR THE SOLID WASTE FUND.

WE LOOK AT A 20 YEAR UPDATE ON THE SALARIES FOR THE CITY COUNCIL, AND THIS IS A DECEMBER 2005 ORDINANCE.

I JUST SUGGEST IT MAY BE TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.

SO A FUTURE MEETING IS WHAT I'D ASK THE COUNCIL TO TO CONSIDER.

WELL, I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH YOU, MR. GRISWOLD.

THEY DO OUTSTANDING WORK. MUCH OF WHAT THEY DO IS, IS PROBABLY NOT RECOGNIZED OR UNDERSTOOD WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.

I DO SIT ON THEIR BOARDS. I KNOW FIRSTHAND THE EFFORTS THAT THEY ARE MAKING TO ATTRACT VISITORS TO OUR COMMUNITY.

A LOT OF THINGS ATHLETICALLY, PARTICULARLY WITH CHILDREN, GETS RECOGNIZED AND NOTICED, BUT THEY'RE ALSO DOING ALL KIND OF WORKS BEHIND THE SCENE.

I THINK IN PARTICULAR, WHAT GOES ON AT THE AUBURN HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER, THEY HAVE TOUCHED A LOT OF THOSE VISITORS THAT ARE SPENDING NIGHTS IN THOSE ROOMS AND EATING AND HAVING BANQUETS IN THOSE LARGER FACILITIES.

SO I AM THANKFUL IF YOU LOOK AT OUR BUDGET YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT BUDGETED OVER $5.5 MILLION OF REVENUES THAT COME FROM HOSPITALITY, LODGING OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, WHICH IS SIZABLE AND CERTAINLY MEANINGFUL FOR THIS COMMUNITY AS WE CONSIDER PROVIDING THE THINGS FOR OUR CITIZENS THAT THEY WANT AND AND FRANKLY, NEED. SO I JUST I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THEY DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB AND CERTAINLY APPRECIATIVE OF THEM.

COUNCIL, ANYBODY HAVE A THOUGHT OR OR COMMENT REGARDING THE REQUEST TO POTENTIALLY HAVE A BRIEFING AND AND TO EVALUATE THE METHODOLOGY THAT IS 20, 20 YEARS OLD. AS WE SIT HERE TODAY ANY COMMENTS ON THAT OR QUESTIONS? CITY MANAGER, CAN YOU. 2005 WAS ALL BEFORE ANY OF US WERE SITTING UP HERE.

SO DO YOU RECALL WHAT SET THE TONE FOR THAT DECISION THAT WAS MADE IN 2005, THE FUNDING MECHANISM AND HOW IT WAS DECIDED UPON? I MEAN, I THINK IT WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. I WAS DEFINITELY IN THE AUDIENCE WHEN THESE MEETINGS WERE GOING ON AS A STAFF MEMBER, BUT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED AT THIS LEVEL, SO THERE WAS A LOT OF COLLABORATION GOING ON ABOUT A LOCAL LODGING TAX VERSUS JUST THE STATE ALLOCATION.

THAT IS ALSO A FUNDING MECHANISM. FOR THE AUBURN-OPELIKA TOURISM FOLKS.

HOWEVER YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SOME DECISIONS MADE.

THE LODGING TAX WOULD IMPACT THE CITY POSITIVELY, WHICH IT OBVIOUSLY HAS.

AND SO I DO KNOW THAT THE FUNDING WAS SLATED PER THE ORDINANCE, FOR OPERATIONS.

AND SO THAT IS THAT IS ABOUT ALL THAT IT SAYS.

IT WAS ADOPTED IN DECEMBER OF 2005 AND BECAME EFFECTIVE IN EARLY 2006.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO MEGAN, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE NOT DONE TRADITIONALLY WITH THIS COUNCIL IS ALLOWED AGENCIES COME ENTITIES, ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE FUNDED TO MAKE WHOLESALE PRESENTATIONS AS PART OF OUR MEETINGS,

[00:05:01]

MR. GRISWOLD IS ASKING FOR A BRIEFING AND ASKING FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

JUST AS OUR CITY MANAGER, YOUR THOUGHTS ON CREATING THAT TYPE OF PRECEDENT AS WE MOVE FORWARD? I THINK THAT THE DIFFERENCE WITH THIS IS THERE'S AN ORDINANCE THAT EXISTS THAT THAT PROVIDES SIGNIFICANT FUNDING TO AN AGENCY.

THIS ORDINANCE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE BOUND TO DO REGARDLESS OF THE BUDGET.

IT WAS ADOPTED IN 2005, AND THERE IT STAYS. AND I THINK YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO ASK AN AGENCY TO COME SPEAK TO YOU.

IT'S WHEN WE GET VARIOUS AND SUNDRY GROUPS THAT WANT TIME IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL FOR VARIOUS REASONS.

THE COUNCIL IS NOT ASKING THEM. THEY'RE ASKING YOU.

AND I THINK THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE HERE. THIS IS AN AGENCY THAT WE HAVE A NEXUS TO THEY DO GREAT WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THERE'S ALSO A FUNDING MECHANISM THAT COMES DIRECTLY FROM LODGING TAXES.

SO IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO TOURISM ABOUT ALL THAT THEY DO AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT AND STUDY THAT AS PART OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS FUNDING WORKS AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO. I THINK THAT'S VERY APPROPRIATE AND IS ONE OFF.

IT'S NOT IT'S NOT A PRECEDENT. I THINK OBVIOUSLY THE DIFFERENCE ALSO IS THAT THERE'S ALREADY A MECHANISM IN PLACE THEY'RE NOT REQUESTING.

NO. THEY'RE EXPLAINING TO YOU WHAT'S GOING ON, EXPLAINING TO YOU. THAT'S CORRECT.

WHICH I, I BELIEVE AT YOUR AT YOUR REQUEST, IF THE MAJORITY OF YOU REQUESTED THEY DO SO.

ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANYBODY ELSE REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR DECISION AS FAR AS HAVING A BRIEFING? I THINK THE TOURISM BUREAU DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB, AND I CERTAINLY THINK THEY EARN WHATEVER THEY GET.

I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY THEY OPERATE. I'VE KNOWN THEM FOR YEARS AND HAD A LOT ACTUALLY HOSTED SOME CONFERENCES HERE FROM THE NARCOTICS DIVISION FOR THE STATEWIDE CONFERENCE WE HAVE HERE SOME AND THEY WERE JUST EXCELLENT PEOPLE TO WORK WITH.

AND SO I CERTAINLY THINK THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.

HOWEVER, I CERTAINLY WOULD NEVER VOTE AGAINST ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WANTING TO HAVE ADDITIONAL TIME TO TALK.

JUST LISTEN TO WHAT I THINK. IT'D BE VERY INTERESTING. ACTUALLY, I THINK WE'D BE VERY IMPRESSED. WITH WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY.

ANYONE ELSE? SO MY QUESTION IS, AND I SUPPORT ALWAYS LEARNING MORE ABOUT ANYTHING.

AND I ECHO EVERYONE. TOURISM DOES A GREAT JOB.

THEY ADVOCATE ON THE BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WE ARE A GREAT BENEFACTOR OF THAT OF THEIR WORK.

SO IS THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE THE BEST FORUM FOR THAT TYPE OF BRIEFING, OR IS IT A DIFFERENT TYPE OF FORUM? THAT'S MY ONLY QUESTION. SURE. KELLY, WOULD YOU HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT? YOU REQUESTED COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, BUT IF THERE WAS ANOTHER LIKE WORK SESSION OR INFORMATION SET UP AS A SIDE AS ANOTHER MEETING, WOULD YOU BE OKAY WITH THAT? SURE. I'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE ANOTHER WORK SESSION.

BUT AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER ANOTHER WHOLE MEETING THAT WE GOT TO GATHER ALL THE COUNCIL TOGETHER.

WE'RE ALREADY HERE FOR A COMMITTEE THE WHOLE EVERY OTHER WEEK. SO I BELIEVE WE COULD PROBABLY FIND A WAY TO FIT THAT IN WITHOUT HAVING TO HOLD A SPECIAL MEETING.

AND AGAIN, I HAVE I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE OF THE TOURISM BUREAU.

AND IN FACT, I SPOKE WITH ROBBINS BACK THERE. I SPOKE WITH HER TODAY ABOUT THE BUREAU AND UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY.

BUT I WANT TO FIGURE IT OUT A LITTLE BIT BETTER BECAUSE, LIKE I SAID, 700 K IS A PRETTY BIG NUMBER AND IT'S GOING TO ALWAYS BE INCREASING.

SO I JUST LIKE TO HEAR MORE. WE HOPE SO EITHER EITHER FORMAT.

YEAH. OKAY. ANY THOUGHTS COUNCIL. THIS ISN'T A HARD DECISION FOR US TO MAKE.

SO LET'S JUST. ALL RIGHT. WHY DON'T WE SET TIME INTO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE IN THE FUTURE.

AND YOU'RE NOT NECESSARILY SAYING TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, RIGHT? YOU'RE SAYING WE'VE GOT THIS BUDGET TO WORRY ABOUT RIGHT NOW, SO WE GOT THINGS TO DO. SO WE'LL SET TIME SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.

WE'LL TRY TO GET IT DONE THIS FALL. HOW ABOUT THAT? IS THAT FAIR? YEAH. THAT'S FINE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. GOOD ENOUGH. ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE FROM COUNCIL HAS QUESTIONS FOR THE CITY MANAGER. OKAY. IS THERE A MOVE TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.

ALL RIGHT, WE ARE ADJOURNED. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. AND WE'LL MOVE RIGHT IN TO OUR REGULAR MEETING.

I'LL CALL.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.