TDC Minutes 02/18/2025MINUTES OF THE COLLIER COUNTY
TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETING
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION CHAMBERS
Naptes, FL - Feb . 18,2025
LET lT BE REMEMBERED the Cottier County Tourist Devetopment Councit, in and for the County of
Collier, having conducted business herein, met on this date 9:00 a.m. in REGULAR SESSION at 33299
Tamiami Trait East, 3'd ftoor, Naptes, FL 341 12 with the tottowing members present:
Commissioner Chris Hatt, Chair
Ctark Hitt, Vice Chair
City Councit Member Darrin Pa[umbo
Susan Becker
Laura Rad[er (excused)
Nancy Kerns
City Councit Member Michaet Mccomas
Councit Member Bitt Kramer (excused)
Edward (Ski) Otesky (absent)
ALSO PRESENT:
Jay Tusa, CVB, Tourism Director
Sandra Rios, CVB, PR and Communications Manager
Cotteen Greene, Cottier County Attorney Otfice, Managing Assistant County Attorney
Buzzy Fotd, CVB, Digitat and Sociat Media Coordinator
Andy Mitter, Cottier County, Coastat Zone Manager
Amanda Townsend, Cottier County, Museum Director
Erin Murphy, Lou Hammond Group, Account Supervisor, via ZOOM
Kristen Murphy, Paradise Advertising, VP Ctient Services & Partner Devetopment
Leroy Bridges, ADARA, Senior Vice President of Sates
Joseph St. Germain, Downs & St. Germain, President via ZOOM
Enriqueta Batandra, Mites Partnership, Account Manager via ZOOM
Any person who decides to appeal a decision of the Tourist Development Council will need a
record ofthe proceedings pertaining thereto, and therefore may need to ensure that a verbatim
record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon
which the appeal is to be based, Neither Collier County nor the Tourist Development Council
shall be responsible for providingthis record.
CALL TO ORDER
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL
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4. APPROVAL OF TODAY'S AGENDA
Susan Becker motioned to approve the Mlnutes
Nancy Kerns seconded
Motion passed unanimously 6-0
5. TOURISM DIRECTOR REPORT
Jay Tusa, CVB, Tourism Director
TDT cottection for December was $3,465,278, resutting in a year-to-date totat of $5,602,840. This
is 4.50/0 down from FY 2024.
Decembervisitor Numbers: occupancy increased 4.40/0 yeat overyear to 66.9%. The Average
Daity Rate decreased 0.9olo year over year, resutting in a revenue per avaitabte room of $234.14.
Direct spending by visitors and totat economic impact of tourism rose by 6.3o/o and 5.80/o
respectivety.
The totaI number of visitors increased by 5.'10lo compared to December of 2023 with visitors with
259,900 visitors. Visitors that stayed in hotets and resorts increased to 34% compared to 290lo
during the first qu artet ot 2023.
lnternationat visitation is up 140lo for the first q uarter of the year with Canada showing an increase
of 21 .90/o increase in Germany showing a 38.70lo increase in the number of visitors for the year.
The Board of county commissioners at their February 1 1th meeting approved the two contracts
for our internationaI rep. firms for the UK and Germany.
The Tourism Department recently moved under the direction of John Muttins, Division Director
for Communications, Government and Pubtic Affairs for Cottier County Government. The
departmentwas previous[y under Dan Rodriguez and have been transition ing with his retirement.
The 2 studies on Paradise Coast Sports Comptex and Sun and Fun Lagoon are forthcoming. Sun
and Fun in the next weeks and Paradise Coast Sports Comptex in a coupte of months.
The Paradise Sports Comptex is transitioning from the Tourism Department to parks and
Recreation.
CONSENT AGENDA
None
7. NEW BUSINESS
Andy Milter, Collier County, CoastaI Zone Manager
A. Recommendation to approve Change Order No. 2 for contract No.24-9292 with Eanh Tech
Enterprises, lnc., for the Park Shore Beach Renourishment, increasing the contract amount by
$2,739,153, apptying the Attowance of $254,000 and adding 30 days to the contract time;
approve necessary budget amendments; and make a finding that this item promotes tourism
(Project 50320 & 90067).
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Ctark Hill motioned to approve the Agenda
Susan Becker seconded
Motion passed unanimously 6-0
4a. APPROVAL OF M IN UTES JAN .21,2025, M EETING
6.
Item C. Recommendation to approve Change Order No. l, adding $33,7O2.4O and 137 days to
the Work Order under tibrary contract 1A-7 432-CZ wilh APTIM Environmental & lnfrastructure,
LLC for the Park Shore Beach Renourishment; and make a finding that this item promotes
tourism (Proiect 50320 & 90067).
Chairman Hatl moved to apprcve 7a and 7c
Darrin Patumbo seconded
Motion passed unanimously 6-0
This for the tast leg of the emergency berm. The projectthatwas 400,000tons ofwhat we catt the
emergency berm, which is essentiatty rebuitdingthe berms thatwere destroyed by Hurricane lan.
And when we got to the finat teg of the project, which was Port Royat, South Naptes, we didn't
have a[[ the easements required to do the project for right of access.
Since it was occurring in the heat of sea turtte nesting season, we told the contractor to stop. We
did a separate bid because so much time had expired between the originat stop work and start
construction that we had to rebid the item.
Susan Becker moved to approve
Nancy Kerns seconded
Motion passed unanimously 6-0
8. OLO BUSINESS
8. A Recommendation to accept the report from the City of Naptes Tourism lmpact Study for the
Stormwater Outfatt Pipe Removat and Water Quatity Proiect and make a finding that this project
promotes tourism.
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The survey on the Park Shore renourishment indicated that the Engineer's time and quantity of
sa nd needed adjustmentto fitt the deslgn temptate beca use ofthe Hurricanes. The change order
for Earth Tech, the contractor, needed atmost dou bte the amount of sand and the Engineer needs
to stay on board doubting the amount of time.
The first recommendation is for the contractor and it's a recommendation to approve change
order number two for the contract number 24-82 92 with Earth Tech Enterprises for Park Shore
Beach renourishment and increasing the contract amount by $2,739,153, apptying the
altowance of $254,000 and adding 30 days to the contract time, approve the necessary budget
amendment and make a finding that this item promotes tourism.
B. Recommendation to award lnvitation to Bid ("lTB") No. 24-8323, in the amount of
$1,178,500, to Earth Tech Enterprises, lnc., for the CoL[ier County South Naples Emergency
Berm truck haul & construction project, approve all necessary budget amendments,
authorize the Chairman to sign the attached Agreement, and make a finding that this item
promotes tourism. (Project 50280)
Bob Middteton, Pubtic Works Director, City of Naples
Those are 10 stormwater outfatt projects that this project witl remove. Eight of them are owned
by the City, the othertwo witt be removed as part offuture development as these areas develop.
The area we're tooking at is Gutf Shore Boutevard between Second Avenue South and Oteander,
which is just north of the current Beach Ctub project. lt witt atso include a section atong Third
Street.
Our current proiect is a gravity ftow system. As storm water is cottected off the streets and the
properties in this area, it flows to the gutf through these outfa[[s by gravity. The probtem with that
is, is not as etficient during high tides during a period of high tide, they drain stower.
The main design of this proiect isto constructtwo outfatt pump stations, one at SthAvenue North,
and one at 3rd Avenue North. Att that water woutd be cottected and diverted to those pump
stations. And instead of having the outfatt gravity outfatt pipes that discharge into the Gutf, there
would be two outfatt pipes.
One from each pump station that witt discharge 1500 feet out into the Gutf of Mexico. There'tt be
diffuser systems on both of those pipes to attowthe water to be ditfused over a targe area, which
is preferred by the Army Corps of Engineer and DEP, atong with the improvements that we witt be
adding storm water in the boxes 78 to be exact. And those witt inc[ude water quality features that
witt remove a particutar matter that witl reduce the nitrogen and nutrients from the, from the
cottected water before it's discharged into the Gutf of Mexico.
It was determined that by improving water quatity and ftood protection will also increase foot
traffic along Gutf Shore Btvd. and increase the resitiency. lt witt atso increase the road etevation
between 6" and 12".
The removal of outfatt projects, that's gonna be the big one to remove the outfatts. lt'tt be more
attractive, more aestheticatty pteasing to the residents that tour the beach.
BREAK
No break was taken
10. PRESENTATIONS
A. Downs & St. Germain
Joseph St. Germain, Downs & St. Germain, President via ZOOM
r The visitor metrics, with the exception of the average daily rate for December, were up year over
year. The number of days in market was the biggest increase because the tength of stay of the
typicat visitor in December was tonger than the previous year. Overalt direct spending of visitors
to the area was over 260 mittion resutting of an economic impact of nearty 360 mittion.. Occu pancy was up even with more un its avaitabte. That's why the room nights are u p more than
the occupancy. I know this is something that we wanted to point out because it's stitt one of our
concerns. We have so many more hotets ontine. So, how do we increase occupancy when you
have more units avaitable. So that was good to see.. Overatt, the biggest increases year over year were sports retated.
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Chairman Hatl motioned to approve
Susan Becker seconded
Motion passed unanimously 5-1; Michaet McComas opposed
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. First time visitation was down stightty.
. Stight decrease in peopte that woutd definitety recommend the area which is hard to keep high
when your average daity rate is $350.00. That comes with a high Levet of expectation.
B. ParadiseAdvertising
Leroy Bradges, ADARA, Sr. VP of Sates
. We report on the tax cottections, on who's coming, where they're coming f rom, on the attribution
from the various media channets and partners.
. ADARA is a gtobat entity, working and representing with h undreds of destinations. l'm a Ftoridia n
and my roots are in tourism marketing with the county government entity. l've been at ARA for a
tittte overthree and a hatf years, but presented to Councit, simitar to this for manyyears.
. We bring gtobat consumer travet data together into one ptace to attow destinations to understand
their marketing performance. We can't do what we do without withhotding a very high privacy
standard that is GDPR comptiant, which is the highest tevet of, of privacy in the world.
. We bring att of this data together into one ptace to help understand that consumer and then
provide measurabte resutts on the other side. Literatty, any traveter goes to a particutar data
partner site tike Kayak, Marriott, wyndham, any of these targe groups and every brand that sits
u nder those groups makes a search. We then see that data in reat time.
Kristin Murphy, Paradise Advertising, VP Partner Development and Ctient Services
. We detivered ads during the disaster recovery campaign, that was about nine weeks [ong.
December gth through.,anuary 31st. This was the part ofthe add itionat fund ing that the TDC and
the Board of County Commissioners approved for about $SSO,OOO to remarket after the
Hurricanes and hetp mitigate that impact.
. There are six media vendors that made up our ptan based on the day that this report was
generated. The ADARA impact shows $970,000 in hotel revenue.
. We are tooking at providing a return on ad spend that's directty attributed to the ads and these
are just the digitat ads.
. Expedia atso guaranteed transactions after exposure to the ads. You are tooking at a totat
revenue of $9,257,61 1 with a spend of $335,000 on advertising. That's a $28 to 1 return on ad
spend that is observed data, direct transactions that we can guarantee happened. But keep in
mind how much bigger that number reatty is when you think about what's not tracked. We are
very pteased with this campaign resutt.
. I want to commend Sandra and John for their strategy and cottaborative support.
11. AGENCY PARTNER REPORTS
Lou Hammond Group, PR Agency
Erin Murphy via ZOOM
. ln December, the media impressions were 52,550,055 which translated to a media vatue of
$91,49s.38.. This is equating this to advertising what you woutd've spent for these ptacements that are earned
tor free because it is a vatue for both the pubtication and the destination.. An example of a coupte of the ptacements that we had beginning with Forbes. There are nine
hotet packages "We wish we got for Christmas" and "On Fifth" is inctuded with severat direct
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tinks to both the Forbes travel guide reviews and their guides, but also to the website itself to
book that speciat offer Southern Living.
We atways love working with Miami Heratd. This was pubtished at the beginning of December,
and it hightights the Ritz-Cartton and the JW Marriott, Marco lsland.
Amanda Townsend, Museum Director
o At the Cottier county Museum at Government Center we have the art of Phit Fisher. Phit's been
painting in Naptes for 53 years. We have severat of his works in the museum cottectlon, so we're
reatty happy to feature his works. He has about 35 new paintings on disptay as wetl as some of
the pieces that are in the museum cottection.
o Our second Tuesday, Aprit tecture, l'tt be doing a deep dive into artifact spottight, if you witt, into
his painting of Jim McMutten's Paint Panther Tracker, which is a painting that is in the museum
cottection.
. Roberts Ranch in connection with the upcoming cattte drive perspectives from Southwest
Ftorida Ranch Life, Megan Watkins is a rancher and works and tives the tife every day and is a
photographer as wett. The cattte drive is March 8th, and we are lookingforward to anotherfun day
that you just don't get to see very often anymore. We witt bunch as many originat Ftorida and
ittusionary oriented cattte that we can get our hands on, and we't[ bring them to the rodeo
grounds and march them up Main Street onto Roberts Avenue and onto Roberts property.
. Kateidoscope Beer Company is brewing an orange btossom speciat beer and we'tt be having a
retease of on Saturday. They witt be donating a portion of the proceeds from every pint sold to the
Friends of the Cottier County Museum to benefit the Depot.
12. TOURISM STAFF REPORTS
13. COUNCIL MEMBER DISCUSSION
Michael McComas
It sounds tike that project is a proiect, tet me put it to you this way. I f tood in Evergtades City atmost
on a regutar basis. And when these dottars go into a project, which I took at as being part ofthe City
councit's responsibitity out of their tax base, not sort of the generat pubtic's tax base, then I have
concerns that we're watking into an area that I don't want to be in.
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Miles Partnership
Enriqueta Balandra, Miles Partnership, Account Manager, vaa ZOOM
. Over 140,000 website sessions and over 67,000 engaged sessions. We had increases in the 500/0
ptus, month over month, which is following our historicat trend.
. Our top pages across the trafiic types; homepage coming in at number one, fottowed by
beaches, events, arts and cutture and hotiday events in our top five. We atso had the Snow Fest
event page in there for the hotidays in December.
Chairman Halt
I encourage anyone with an opposing view to share it so we can att work together. So with the nay
vote today, I wanted to hear why.
I don't think that when the State attocated these funds and to find the use of them, I mean we put the
tagtine for that it promotes tourism on everything we ever see. lt sort of toses some meaning
somewhere atong the line. But to your point, that was the reason for the nay vote.
14. NEXT MEETING
March 18, 2025
15. ADJOURNED
There being no further business for the good of The County, the Tourist Development Council
meetingwas adjourned at 10:43 a.m.
COLLIER COUNTY
TOURIST DEVELOPM ENT COUNCIL
The Minutes were approved
Chairman Chris Hall
ondate 3 - \<-+5
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as presented or amended
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