##VIDEO ID:KK1lAJwuL3c## [Music] [Music] [Music] h [Music] e e they look beautiful by order if we could please um would you call the roll call please yes sir that would be great thanks so much okay um commissioner Jason steel I'm here okay um Vice chair Mr Tom hermeson pres M Julie brag here Mr Alex litus present thank you uh Mr Mayor Rob Medina present okay I have Mr delish F absent I have Mr Wayne SAR here yes sir I have Mr Keith Winston present thank you and I have Miss Andrea young here so we have a quorum thank you very much okay um before we get started I'd like to know if any board members have uh a requ anything to disclose in regards to potential business coming before the TDC that may be in conflict with uh your position as a board member uh any anybody got anything okay hearing nothing we'll move right on director's report Peter can we do the minute uh absolutely we can um I need a motion to approve the minutes of the Council of the commission meeting on July 24th 2024 so move second there's a motion on the floor by the mayor and the second by Andre young uh any discussion hearing none all in favor signify by saying I all opposed May the motion carries back to you Peter thank you sir uh yes just a quick report um June uh tdt came in uh we were off just a little over 1% from from the prior June so you know last year was an all-time high uh summer for us and uh so June is kind of that first month of of three that we track for the summer and uh and we you know we just barely missed that number uh looking for forward July actually looks like we might beat last July so that that will be exciting uh to see that and um if we could end up a little bit up over the summer I think that'll be a big win for the destination overall um other than that uh unless there's any questions on uh on anything else that's in in my report I I don't have anything else sir okay good uh marketing committee report anybody on a marketing committee report no report that's a good report you go okay yeah I and I will say thank you to the board um our marketing plan for fiscal 2425 was appr approved yesterday so that was nice to get that hurdle past us and we're going to be um you know working on a lot of contracts and task orders for our agency and various media companies as we get into the fall campaign so we're we're moving forward now with all of that all right uh cultural committee we don't have there there is no report our last meeting was canceled our next meeting is November 7th okay thanks Andrea appreciate [Music] it okay then Capital facilities committee report so uh we had three applicants for the capital facilities committee uh grants uh scoring sheets are attached unfortunately I had a conflict I was out of town for the actual meeting so I'm going to let Peter chime in um but effectively as you can see from the reports to the applicants did not score at the requisite threshold uh that's established by the policy of 75% in the third applicant which I see is in attendance with a lot of nice blue shirts uh uh came Within uh a uh a hair of that 75% and the recommendation of the voting members of the committee recommended to give the lighthouse Foundation their full requested Grant of $775,000 um do you want to add anything to that and I'm at the chair's pleasure if you want to ask the applicant to say anything yeah I'm absolutely going to do that yeah do you have anything to add uh the only thing was you know there was a discussion I think the um committee was unanimous in wanting to award uh something and it was just there was a lot of discussion about what that amount should be and it ended up being 5 to two for the full amount so that's that's how it got to that okay any response Tom none you good uh no I have additional thoughts on it but maybe after the presentation W you take comments okay Rocky you want to come on up and uh and talk about the lighthouse sure um I'm Rocky Johnson hi uh I am a past president of the cape canaver Lighthouse foundation and um been there a while and uh my thanks to all these wonderful people um with the lighthouse Foundation but in short um we actually came just to answer your question so I'll give the the the 30,000 foot um summary right now thanks to you all we have gone from when I started with the lighthouse Foundation maybe one tour a month I'd say Jenny that's about to now we have thanks to you all uh and to the State of Florida grant that weeded to build the museum Cottage and the uh restrooms there we have every day but Sundays we offer tours usually two and even three tours a day so it's it's phenomenal success ESS uh we did phase one you all gave us $500,000 for phase one the state gave us $250,000 we built the primary Keepers cottage which is the museum and public restrooms so that now people can come and see the historical keeper Cottage and uh and the lighthouse the lighthouse a lot of people don't understand the the sign the historical significance of the lighthouse here it's the reason that essentially we're all here it's the reason that Aerospace is here it's the reason that Port canaval is here they're looking for they were looking for a place they could launch or blow up their Rockets without hurting too many people and there was this obscure lighthouse out here uh on the cape and so verer Von brw and his buddies actually came and watched the their their Rockets launch from the lighthouse so fast forward the ability for us to bring that hisor torical significance of this area what started the heart and soul of Bard County to not just bravard County to Florida to the United States and to the world as is evidence as evidence and you can see from the um the guest logs that we have uh the exponential success is just beyond comprehension again you all helped us get that started with phase one phase two is to complete the second half there were four Cottages you all helped us build the first two again phenomenal success these two Cottages that we want to do now will complete the original footprint and the historical uh original historical value of the lighthouse and the keeper Cottage Arrangement will be there to show rard County residents Floridians uh other other Americans who come and even foreign Nationals who come so phenomenal uh opportunity and we sincerely thank you for that we're looking now to complete it and uh hence our application so okay really here for questions all right Tom did you have questions you wanted to ask uh no no I I will say that last time around you know my I think this is a great historical place okay the record will uh wasn't finished I that was pause for effect that was a well it affected me yeah yeah it's a great historical asset I struggle with the fact that and I said this the last time around that it is on restricted Air Force Space which limits the number of attendance which limits the tourism impact and uh and you know we're here as as um you know Advisory Board to the commission to advise them on the most prudent use of Tourism Capital facilities and other dollars in order to maximize tourism impact and those two things are in Conflict the fact that it's behind the gate and while you've gone from one tour a week to two or three tours a day I think is great and commendable I still have issue with the fact that it is behind uh the closed Gates and would have liked to have seen after the first initial round I do look at Capital facilities projects as being a good source for seed money for um for projects but we do have a tendency of seeing the same applicants come back time and time again like the tika warbird Museum the band shell and others uh now now this project as well so um am I supportive of some support yes um I'd like to hear additional comments from the other members as to whether or not we should support the full Grant which you know comes to 75% of this projected project cost or whether or not we should support at some level and ask them to uh find additional funds from other sources that's it can can I comment to uh Vice chair hermanson's yeah briefly please so I I agree uh with with Tom as I do on almost everything that Tom brings up but I would point out that the fact that it's restricted is actually one of our greatest strengths now it hurts in terms of our ability for fundraising but the fact that this Li house is behind restricted lines in the heart and soul of the not just American Aerospace Community but worldwide The Cutting Edge of Aerospace in the world there are people who come from all over that would love to see a lighthouse but even more so to see a lighthouse in the heart and soul of the American space program and it's phenomenal when you I if if if any of you have not been on this tour I urge you please talk to me we'll get you a tour they they sign up because it's behind the lines it's they get a chance to go out there and see these things and they're from all over you can see from the uh the studies that we've done and the visitors they want to go there even more because it's behind the line so yes it's a weakness but it's also a sincere sincere strength a lot of people want to see a lighthouse a lot of a lot of people want to see Aerospace there are a lot of people that really want to see both okay so thanks let me ask Peter uh I guess this goes to the County Commission or do we yes sir there's already been a recommendation to approve the budget correct at the last meeting is that correct uh no the the TDC would have to make a recommendation now and then today and then we would bring it uh in September okay yes sir let me make a few comments myself Tom I appreciate your comments and it's very diff ult when you're sitting here with with something that is so historic and so heartfelt and so emotional uh but I too have the same issues that Mr Hermanson has uh I I see a potential for us putting a bunch of money into this thing and before you know it the Space Center decides that okay no more access period so it concerns me tremendously that we would put any kind of funds into this at this particular point in time it saddens me that I'm even saying this but at the same point in time Our obligation here today is is to get heads and beds and and without that access specifically since you're going to have well over 150 to 175 launches next year which will curtail your tours because they won't let you on that base when that happens so you've already cut yourself in half with days that you might potentially be able to open and we have no idea who else is going to come in and how many more other launches are going to go so I I reluctantly cannot support this and will not support it for those reasons and uh and I'm going to listen to what the rest of the the board says but uh I'm very very concerned about that on on that point um for the launches we are not closed just because there's a launch it depends on whether or not we're in the restricted area so you can actually take a t on a launch day depending on where the launch is yeah Rocky I I appreciate your comments but guess what we do not have control over NASA and when you have more launches there you're going to have more restrictions there and and the potential for sabotage and other people sneaking in and getting lost and things of that nature is a very main security issue for me because I can tell you right now one tour comes in and somehow or another we don't catch the right person and they decide to sneak off and try to sabotage something that's uh a potential for the defense of the United States of America it's a problem so God I I love this Lighthouse and I think everybody on the board loves it but I I just can't do this mayor so Mr Rocky if you will um walk me through the the process of getting access to the lighthouse today do that sure Becky yeah I probably have more of the knowledge of the dayto day how things happen so you would speak to the microphone that would be great I'm Becky zingarelli the museum director um what we do today is that we have various tours that people can take and they have to sign up at least 2 or 3 days ahead of time depending on the type of tour they have to provide their driver's license their social security number and everything all of that information is given to the space force days ahead of time and they vet everybody they are accompanied by people constantly while they were there they cannot deviate from from where they're going um and so we've we've never had an issue with any of these tours here and and just real quick to to some of the comments about um the restrictions going forward I mean it's certainly what you're saying could happen the space force commanders are very much behind keeping the the tours going in any way they can they've directed everybody out there to make it make it happen and and don't inhibit it we've also been working with the space force Heritage Foundation and with we've talked with case Winston about uh getting together when the aquarium comes out there and the space force experience Builds an a building outside of the gate they are going to start doing just like Delaware North does and they're going to have big bus tours come constantly all day and then be taking them out to the the lighthouse and other areas and so then we'll get a huge bump we're just trying to get ahead of the curve so that we can be there ready to go when that big bump in tourism starts and and I would add to that um I'm a contractor with my real hat on that I have to do to make a living and we do millions of dollars at work of work at the for the space force and for NASA at Kennedy Space Center and Cape canaval space force station millions of dollars work and we badge thousands of people and those people actually go to the badging station get their badge drive in and I share your concern for risk in terms of for National Security I've of you know a guy or girl's a drywaller or whatever they get their badge they drive their own car in there the you know there's there's a lot of risk and and they they have to work the the government has to work around that risk and and understand and grasp that risk for our people that badge in advance to go out on the tour is just not even a drop in the bucket compared to the contractors that badge and every day you know go out there Mr chair I I'd like to follow up yes sir go ahead mayor so so let's go ahead and have an open conversation just sure thank you sir appreciate that Mr chair so part of that discussion right is you just you just hit on that is how many commercial entities do go in and out of base and have base access my question is more on the lines of how do you get those driver's license so they actually petition you to come on for the tour and then you gather that Intel which driver's license and Social Security if if I if I listen correctly and then you pass that on to the Department of the space force the department of the Air Force United States space force and in that turnaround time how many days do they Grant those access it's two to seven days ahead of time when we do large group tours where people are driving their own Vehicles out there where we do a caravan with escorts on on both ends and in the middle uh they have to give us the information seven days ahead of time when they're coming out on the commercial tours where they get getting in the van uh not driving their own vehicles they do that two days ahead of time and give that to space for security so it's very much like the badging of of any other tour tour buses as well right so part part of that um vetting process you get that information directly from the space force we get the information and we give it to the space force so this is we re back and say what yes they come back and say you're good to go for the tour yay or nay yes have they ever declined anym no so Mr chair part of the discussion right is uh when it comes to that type of Espionage um sometimes you know the vetting process is complicated I I do agree that we can't compromise our national security but I I we also have to rely on the space force uh in that regard as well so those were my comments thank you yeah and it's very much like if you get your tickets to the to The Bard Zoo online or something you know most people get things online now so they sign up online and then it gets vetted online you know I'm very apologetic when I say this I'm not being disrespectful at all I served on that space Florida Board and it's not that simple this is a complex problem with a lot of launches going to be coming into play and with a major hindrance of being able to get into the lighthouse so as much as I like it Julie did you have something you wanted to say I did but I did not raise my hand or anything I could it's es it's called ESP ex perception um good afternoon um my question is I didn't see in the data and I don't know if you're tracking how many people are is there is there a source of related to cruising like is it a Shore Excursion or anything like that is there any partnership there with attendees or future that's something that is uh we've been pursuing since uh for for as long as I've been involved and that's something that we really are working to build um way back we had a a partnership with u one of the tour companies that provided excursions and it was it was a it was a challenge now when you look at the increase in Cruise operations uh both homeported vessels and Porta call there's obviously a huge opportunity for additional activities associated with those folks coming uh the aquarium you know Etc and that's another near and dear item to me the aquarium but uh we're working hard on building that and Becky had mentioned we have a couple different uh tour providers um that have gone through the vetting process Etc and one of those is working hard on building that market share I think you know uh knocking on the door of 150 portol vessels you know this year Etc so very much interested in taking advantage of that market as well and we're aggressively pursuing it thank you that's the reason we brought that company on as a matter of fact it's because they have those relationships with the Cru industry already and that we were looking to capitalize on that so that's what you meant by tour is when you come in by Caravan that's what you were describing as like a by Caravan is a separate tour it's a it's it's a separate thing where the community or larger groups can come in in their own vehicles and we and but not one by one they have to be escorted the whole front to back um the other the commercial tours that we have the vehicle they have to get on the vehicle of the tour provider outside the gate and they have no ability to deviate from anything there and that that speaks sort of on there are two sides of that one is to you know the chair's concern about a total shutdown no one is going out there to see the lighthouse ever again that that you know certainly that that we we we can't argue with the the United States government on that but as far as someone slipping off a significant percentage of these people are coming out on a bus and they're counted for and they're actually getting back on the bus and yeah I believe Mr Winston has a comment so I have I have two questions two quick questions and a comment all from an attraction point of view um why no tours on Sunday there we don't have a a a reason for no tours on Sunday we just it's Fallen it's the cards have fallen such that we don't H we haven't had a big need for or a lot of requests for tours on Sunday I said when when you all gave us the 500 $1,000 seed money initially and the state gave us the $250,000 we will have tours 7 days a week okay but we need the we need the people to express an interest in having those tours and we will have tours seven days a week if if the demand is there for I'm just I'm going to point out the obvious Saturday and Sunday are the busy attractions day so there yes there's some hole there second quick question and then a comment um length of stay when you ask the second Cottages what's your current average length of stay how long is a tour and how will that impact the length of stay when you add the new features currently what we have is we've got the lighthouse in the museum and right next to it is hanger SE which is a a the largest of hanger still out there and it's got the uh rockets that are um refurbished from throughout the space program the the space force museum has has got that as their Annex we currently H spend about people spend about an hour and 15 minutes out there doing the lighthouse and the hanger we anticipate that going to um maybe an hour and 40 okay I mean I think it's just an important measure the last one I'm just throwing this out there as an attraction guide that might address some of your fears or not um there's different ways to run attractions um one way is high volume you're never going to be super high volume the other end is is high-end right so it's entirely possible you said something I thought that was really intriguing which is I can go to any lighthouse I want most of the time I can drive out to con and walk in there's nothing exclusion about it it's not expensive it's not hard to get to if you ever did face limitations you could make it a very high-end piece so for example there's a little zoo in Wheeling West Virginia it's the only place you can do panda red panda encounters people fly in from Europe all the time look at Julie's face they pay a lot of money and they bring a lot of economic dollars for very low volume so it just the one thing that's really intriguing to me just as someone who wants to see you succeed is if you are squeezed down you can Market it as a very exclusive very expensive thing for somebody you know staying in the West in or another highend there there it's not always volume it can be price point to have economic impact and if this is a sticking point for this group you might want to run your economic analysis and what happens if you say we're only seeing 2 200 people 25 people a week but they're each paying $1,000 and I don't know what the price point is but that is both ways you can run I know that's not your first desire you want as many people through but it is possible to do a high-end premium experience that does contribute to tourism because people have to come here just for that if it's exclusive so just a thought as you guys move forward thank you Keith uh who else has comments Alex you got anything you want to say well my thought is that the capital committee took the time to vet this project and it met the threshold right the 75% or or close to it and other projects were considered and they didn't float to the top like this one did so I mean a lot of work went into bringing these people to this board today okay so I mean I I I I think there's that's a very postive comment I understand that and I think it's a good point okay and and I wonder if some of the concerns that are being broached are are more wh IFS since I mean the project does fit at this time okay thank you Andrea yes I'd like to make a comment please um I like that it's behind the um um closed doors that you have to actually make a plan and and you have to you you have to show that you're worthy of going there so I kind of like that I think it's a plus um I don't like the idea that yes that you have brought up that there's always a um safe issue but I think we have that most of the places that we have in our entire country not not just here although this certainly is a key place with all the launches going off um but this has been a big hit people love coming here they love coming down to the launches and this is just part of it so I I don't have a problem supporting this um and I know that this doesn't you don't need a motion when this is coming out of committee you just need a second for that is that correct Peter yes ma'am so I'll make a second for this thank you okay there's a motion from uh any any any more comments Wayne a question um it says that uh room nights 9,000 room nights last year and looks like most your forward look is based on that uh that number but how was that 9,000 determined well it was determined uh first of all by the um third party that that was recommended To Us by by you all so um we we are skeptical that that number is uh realistic we actually think it's far too low when we look at the people that visit the lighthouse they're coming from West Virginia they're coming from New Jersey they're coming from New York they're they're from all over the place and you go out there and you spend you know by the time you drive out and go and a half a day you have to be spending the night uh you know you you're you're not driving down from West Virginia and going to the lighthouse and going back home so I I think that those numbers are low I I I think that actually the heads and beds are better than um than the projection that was provided by the third party that you recommended okay and because my comment was going to be I don't know if we have anything from the past that shows we spent this much money on Project X and it got us an average of this many room nights because this room room night number just seemed low compared to some of the other stuff we SE we agree it's low that it way Tom go ahead you'll have heard me say this before we don't systematically look at the validity of projects relative to room kns and it's a problem I've always had you know we'll we'll give $5 million to a project that I won't bring up in Titusville that will probably generate as many heads in beds as this project and then you know we'll absolutely bend over back backwards to deny an air show that brings in 200,000 people over a weekend so no there's no Rhyme or Reason to it you know and I've been here and watched and consternated over it the whole time so yeah eventually we can look at history but we don't have that now whether or not this projection is is is high or low for the specific project thank you Mr chair yes sir I just wanted to share my thoughts on this you know there's been some great comments Alex uh hit the nail on the head and and I love what Keith said about that exclusivity right that can go along the way since you're behind the fence as you said um part of the discussion is there were it was 5 to2 and I think the discussion was Tom uh the limit the amount of funding for it my my concern through all of this is those of us that want to be supportive uh we need the board of County Commissioners to be supported and what would it take to get uh our chairman to see where we could balance that out whether it's a funding exercise that we could talk about whether that's yes sir we have in the past uh reduced recommended funding just like the board of County Commissioners can tell this board to pound sand yes or no or change the funding that happens all the time so there is a there's an absolute precedent for that by you know cutting down the commitment so I'm just looking for an opportunity where the chairman can can rally around this as well because he's the one that's could pretty much you're sitting on the board of County Commissioners today sir and and uh this it's going to weigh in it's going to factor in your sentiments regarding this request unfortunately I'm not going to support this issue at the County Commission so there's your answer copy that sir all right is there any more discussion hearing no discussion did you have something else yes I just want one more comment if I please if this should pass and you do go before the board I would suggest that you bring someone from the space force with you to support the security issue that may help because you are going um before five and you already have you know one that is not going to support it so most likely there'll be at least two so I would definitely bring someone with with you to that meeting if it passes here that's my comment good point all right is there any more discussion hearing no discussion all in favor of sending this to the County Commission signify by saying I I all oppose nay nay okay the motion carries uh thank you very much for your presentation thank you thank you all I really appre you are now forewarned I I don't mean to be disrespectful in any way because I love this I love this place it's just a very big concern of mine no offense taken whatsoever in fact I appreciate that we thank you all so much for for what you do what you do for all the county so thank you thank you can I just get a count I'm sorry I get a count on the N it was Tom and Jason and Wayne and Wayne three against correct thank you okay okay Tom I is that all the uh Capital Improvement funds that we have on on your report today that's all for the committee's report okay um Wayne do you have anything on uh oh the beach committee uh no we have uh no report other than a thank you um for supporting the commission for supporting the KBB contracts uh both were passed so we really appreciate that and keeping the trash off of the beaches and the roads thank you that was a fun fight but we won all right uh the next speech committee is October 1st okay thank you Wayne I think you're up for the Sports Committee yes only that there's the next meeting is uh October 24th okay is there anybody from the general public that would like to make a comment today hearing no comments uh I have no report Tom do you have a report no sir Julie how about you no report Alex nothing to report mayor well yes sir I I would appreciate the opportunity to share just a few thoughts uh we lost an Airman uh in operation resolve uh staff sergeant Tristan Wright his services will be September 14th at Macedonia Baptist Church in Melbourne and I welcome the public to go in honor the service of this sermen uh and honor the family the Goldstar family uh in this regard I also want to take this opportunity to say since this board uh was very successful in passing uh the grant for uh sacrifice Park we have removed with reverence honor and dignity the names the plaques of the names of our fallen uh First Responders in Bard County chairman uh really appreciate your support in this regard and we're moving forward uh so I anticipate by April 23rd 1987 or was the date that we lost those two lives of Grogan and Johnson but I anticipate by April 23rd 2025 uh we'll have the new sacrifice Park in place to honor and uh the the sacrifices that were laid on our alter of Freedom so thank you Mr been an honor to be involved with that good work mayor thank you uh okay um delici is not here Keith do you have anything you'd like to say um yeah did you you're good Wayne okay um yeah I just want to give you updates um it's event season at the zoo so just so you know for your constituents um in September kids are free uh three free kids with every pain adults so folks who are looking you know work with you who would appreciate that economic break that's a great time AO at the zoo is weekends in October um and then jazu is is November 2nd it sells out every year so if you haven't been to the best party we're not the best city but we're the best we're the best party in Bard County it does sell out every year and it is our 30th Anniversary so get your tickets early because they will be gone soon thank you thanks Keith Andrea do you have anything do not thank okay Peter got anything more uh just that our next meeting is September 25th sir that's okay uh do I hear a motion to adjourn so Move Motion to adjourn by mayor and seconded by Keith so all in favor signify by saying I I all oppose nay there you go there's one rule you have to take a cookie with you when you go all right the opinions expressed by any member of the public during any period of public comment do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the board of County commissioners of bard County Florida Space Coast government television or the program sponsor and are solely those of the presenter the board of County commissioners of Revard County Florida Space Coast government television and the program sponsor hereby expressly disclaim any in all responsibility or liability for any defamatory or slanderous statements expressed by any member of the public during any such period [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]