Visitor Impact Task Force Regular Meeting of the Visitor Impact Task Force - This meeting will be located at the Austin Convention Center in Meeting Room 5abc
Visitor Impact Task Force April 11, 2017 3:00pm Austin Convention Center Meeting Room 5abc 500 E. Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78701 CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Gavin Garcia - Music Industry Representative Catlin Whitington - Music Industry Representative Lulu Flores - Arts Community Representative MariBen Ramsey - Arts Community Representative James Russell - Special Events Industry Representative Julie Niehoff - Special Events Industry Representative Tom Noonan - Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau Representative Shelly Schadegg - Hotel Industry Representative Bill Worsham - Public Safety Community Representative Alyson McGee - Preservation Community Representative Dan Keshet - Parks Community Representative Mark Tester - Convention Center Representative Dewitt Peart - Downtown Commission Representative Ashwin Ghatalia - Tourism Workforce Representative Stephen Sternschein - Tourism Workforce Representative Jonathan Mahone - Community Member Representative Pam Thompson - Environmental Community Representative Skeeter Miller - Restaurant Industry Representative Richard Mendoza - Public Works Department Representative (ex-officio) Gordon Derr - Transportation Department Representative (ex-officio) AGENDA 1. CALL TO ORDER: 3:00pm 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. From the March 28, 2017 meeting 3. STAFF BRIEFINGS a. Discussion and possible action in response to concerns expressed to the Task Force related to the scope of the task force, process in which the task force has undertaken matters and information that has been shared with the Task Force by City staff. b. Presentation and discussion of the City’s Financial reporting and the Austin Convention Center Department Cash, Financial Position, Capital Project Financing and Debt (Diana Thomas, City Controller and Carla Steffen). c. Presentation and discussion on pending legislation before the Texas Legislature related to Hotel Occupancy Tax (Brie Franco, Government Affairs). 4. OLD BUSINESS a. Discussion and possible action to make recommendations from initial ideas (post- it notes exercise) from each Task Force member on recommendations to deliver to City Council in future report. 5. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL a. Citizens wishing to speak will need to sign up ten minutes before the meeting calls for Citizen Communications at 5:30pm. Citizen communications will be limited to the first ten speakers and each citizen communicator will be given three minutes to speak. 6. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS a. Discussion and possible action to make recommendations on items for future agendas 7. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring …
Visitor Impact Task Force April 11, 2017 3:00pm Austin Convention Center Meeting Room 5abc 500 E. Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78701 MINUTES In Attendance: Gavin Garcia - Music Industry Representative Lulu Flores - Arts Community Representative MariBen Ramsey - Arts Community Representative James Russell - Special Events Industry Representative Julie Niehoff - Special Events Industry Representative Tom Noonan - Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau Representative Shelly Schadegg - Hotel Industry Representative Alyson McGee - Preservation Community Representative Dan Keshet - Parks Community Representative Mark Tester - Convention Center Representative Dewitt Peart - Downtown Commission Representative Ashwin Ghatalia - Tourism Workforce Representative Jonathan Mahone - Community Member Representative Pam Thompson - Environmental Community Representative Skeeter Miller - Restaurant Industry Representative Richard Mendoza - Public Works Department Representative (ex-officio) Absent: Catlin Whitington - Music Industry Representative Bill Worsham - Public Safety Community Representative Stephen Sternschein - Tourism Workforce Representative Larry Schooler, CPIO, Facilitator Staff and Others In Attendance: Mark Washington, ACM Carla Steffen, Austin Convention Center Department Diane Thomas, City of Austin, Controllers Office Felicia Ojeda, Austin Convention Center Department Bill Manno, City of Austin, Austin Center for Events Gary Keller, All ATX Danny Gillespie, intricate Reenie Collins, Donated time to Gary Keller Heather Alden, Donated time to Gary Keller Kurt Wheeler, Donated time to Gary Keller Staff and Others In Attendance: (con’t) Sharon Blythe, Cemeteries Rodney Siebels, Austin Convention Center Expansion Charles Betts, Austin History Center Rosgaldo Gomez, Crossroads Events Bill Bunch, Save Our Springs Alliance Mike Mardecai, Elephant Room, BBA Clifford Gillard, East Austin Black Interest George Cofer, Historic/ Parks/ Preservation Scott Joslovz, Texas Hotel & Lodging Association Rebecca Melancon, ABIA IBIZ Districts – Local Businesses Steve Berco, Local Businesses Lorri Turner, Local Businesses Leonard Davila, Musician/ Promoter John Bernardoni Peter Helf, Donated time to John Bernardoni Dr. John Butler AGENDA 1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER a. Meeting called to order at 3:03pm by Chair James Russell 2. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL (Split-3:04pm) a. Gary Keller- The Austin Music Plan b. Sharon Blythe, PARDs comment on cemeteries c. National Instruments, Rodney Siebels, Austin Convention Center Expansion d. Charles Betts- Chair Austin History Center Association e. George Cofer- Historic/ Parks/ Preservation 3. Approval of Minutes from March 28, 2017 Meeting, all voters approved minus Chair James Russell (due to absence of March 28, 2017 meeting) and the absence of Task Force Members, Catlin Whitington, Bill Worsham, and Stephen Sternschein. 4. STAFF BRIEFING …
A Proposal for the Development and Expansion of Local Business Programs and Events for Tourism Presented by Rebecca Melan�on Executive Director Austin Independent Business Alliance 512-441-2123rebecca@ibuyaustin.com www.ibuyaustin.com • www.austinibiz.com April 11, 2017
Presentation to Visitor Impact Task ForceApril 11, 2017 Review of Financial Information and Resources While a common phrase is“Numbers don’t lie”…# $ % It’s important to know…Numbersby themselves don’t tell the whole story.The # of ______ results in $, an increase of % over the previous year, which was a result of _______.Informed users of financial information put numbers in context. 3 ACCD has previously provided links to budget and financial statement information ACCD has provided information about outstanding debtComplex financial information requires a methodical approach to evaluating resultsA review and understanding of that information provides a clear picture of ACCD’s financial position and approach to strategic financial planning4 LinksVisitor Impact Task Force websitehttp://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=270179ACCD Responses to Questions –January 31, 2017http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=270179Budget Pages https://www.austintexas.gov/financeonline/finance/financial_docs.cfm?ws=1&pg=1oOperational BudgetoCapital Budget and Capital Improvement Project (CIP) PlanoDebtFinancial Statements https://www.austintexas.gov/financeonline/finance/financial_docs.cfm?ws=1&pg=1oStatement of Net Position (Balance Sheet)oStatement of Revenues, Expenses and Changes in Net Position (Income Statement)oStatement of Cash FlowsoNotes to Financial Statements5 Review of Cash Balance in context of ACCD’s financial position and approach to capital project financing. Note: The financial statements are for the Austin Convention Center Department, which includes Palmer Events Center. The following slides in this section of the presentation will walk through this reconciliation and show where the amounts are found in the various financial documents published by the City and found online on the City’s Austin Finance Online webpage. The information comes from financial reports presented from both an “accounting basis” and a “budget basis”. The various reports are also published at different points in time, but all amounts represent Fiscal Year 2016 financial information. Due to the differences in reporting basis and timing, there are reconciling differences that come into play, but as shown on a later slide, those differences are considered “immaterial” for the purpose of this analysis. Such differences are common in financial analysis and do not represent issues with the information. 7CAFR –Comprehensive Annual Financial ReportCIP –Capital Improvement ProjectACCD –Austin Convention Center DepartmentAustin Convention Center DepartmentSummary Reconciliation of Financial Position Cash reported on financial statements is at a point in time, in this case, as of September 30, 2016.Just like a personal bank account, a cash balance on any given day doesn’t represent an amount that’s free and clear to spend –such things as encumbrances/commitments reduce the “free and clear” cash balance.Restricted cash and other assets (blue arrows) represent assets that are restricted by an external source for a purpose …
March 30, 2017 Elaine Hart, Interim City Manager Mark Washington, Assistant City Manager James Russell, Chair, Visitor Impact Task Force City of Austin, Austin, Texas Via Email RE: Complaint on management and direction of the Visitor Impact Task Force process Dear Ms. Hart, Mr. Washington and Mr. Russell: I respectfully submit that the Visitor Impact Task Force process has drifted off course from the charge given to it by City Council Resolution No. 20160818-075 of August 18, 2016. I ask that each of you take steps immediately to redirect the process to fully, fairly and openly address the charge from council and to make the process accessible to the interested public. The August 18 resolution describes the Task Force’s scope of work to include seven points. The seventh point – to make “recommendations to the City Council about how to best utilize all hotel occupancy revenue to impact tourism by April 1, 2017”—is based on carrying out the previous six points. The resolution’s “whereas” clauses also give direction to the Task Force process, especially the last one: “Whereas, providing public oversight and input regarding both the use of and the effect of the City use of hotel occupancy tax revenue would ensure public confidence in the City use of tax dollars.” City staff has largely failed to provide essential and accurate information to the Task Force members on the points charged to them by the council resolution. The meetings have all been tucked away in obscure meeting rooms, difficult to access by the public, and with no video-recording or live streaming capabilities, making it difficult for the community to follow along or revisit the content of the meetings. To my knowledge there has been virtually no effort to connect the process to the community or interested stakeholder groups save and except the hotel industry. Thus, the goal of “public oversight” has thus far been almost completely lost. Rather than providing clear and comprehensive information on the six points charged to the Task Force, the Task Force process has consisted almost entirely of an extended sales pitch for expanding the convention center. This sales pitch is woefully lopsided, obscuring critical information, providing misleading information, and completely leaving out other critical information. I will address this more completely below, but first I want to address the council resolution topics that have been ignored or otherwise given short shrift. Page 2 of 3 …
The Census is available at: http://www.austintexas.gov/department/atxmusic-census-and-needs-assessment-survey They nonprofit offering to funnel HOT funds to music orgs is ALL ATX, headed by Gary Keller.http://allatx.org
Visitors Impact Task ForceFinancial Reporting in GovernmentController’s OfficeApril 11, 20171 Sources of Financial InformationThere are several sources for financial information about City operations including:oComprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR): oReport prepared by the Controller’s Office annuallyoBased on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)oMuch of the report is audited by the City’s external auditoroApproved Budget: oReport prepared by the Budget Office for Operating and Capital budgetingoBased on budgeting principles focused on current available resources and spending (this is consistent with other municipalities and governments across the country)oOnce CAFR is complete, Controller’s Office provides prior year actual beginning balance, available funds, requirements, and ending balance amountsoProposed budget amounts are initially provided by departments and modified as needed by managementoCapital improvement plan:oReport prepared by the Budget OfficeoFocuses on longer term capital needs of the CityoProposed budget amounts are initially provided by departments and modified as needed by managementoOther financial reports not listed separately2 Report FrameworkKey items included in each report:oComprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR):oStatement of Net Position (Balance Sheet)oStatement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Net Position (Income Statement)oStatement of Cash FlowsoPlus footnotes and other disclosuresoApproved Budget: oDepartment Budgets include an overview, mission and goals, message from the director, budget highlights, significant changes, budget details by activity, and other summary informationoFund Summaries (income statement-like budget-basis report)oPlus other information about the City’s operations oCapital improvement plan:oSpending plan (when will the City need funds to pay for improvements)oAppropriation summaries reflect current funding levels and planned future requirementsoDepartment narratives explain their program and highlight major planned projectsNote: Although these reports may be prepared for the same period of time –a fiscal year –there are differences in the basis of reporting for each. 3 CAFRoStatement of Revenue, Expenses and Changes in Net PositionoFull accrual basis accountingoIncludes depreciation (use of capital assets over their useful life)oAcquisition of capital does not impact income statementoDebt payments -only reflect interest expense (paid and due as of statement date)oOne column for enterprise activity (i.e. Convention Center)oRecognition of current period costs for long term liabilities associated with employee benefits -net pension liabilities and other postemployment benefits (medical, dental, life, etc.)4https://assets.austintexas.gov/financeonline/downloads/cafr/cafr2016.pdf BudgetoBudget: Budget is “income statement” focusedoCloser to cash basis accounting, but includes some accruals like payroll, receivables, etcoExcludes depreciationoIncludes acquisition of capital (full purchase price is an expenditure of the period)oDebt payments include both principal and interest dueoMultiple fund summaries (10+) that make up one column on CAFR including: Convention Center (CC) HOT Revenue Bond …
