HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-24-25 Work Session MinutesDUBLIN CITY COUNCIL
WORK SESSION
5555 PERIMETER DRIVE
DUBLIN, OH 43017
FEBRUARY 24, 2025
MINUTES
Mayor Amorose Groomes called the Monday, February 24, 2025 work session to order at 6:00 p.m.
Council members present: Vice Mayor Alutto, Mayor Amorose Groomes, Ms. De Rosa, Ms. Fox, Mr.
Keeler, and Ms. Kramb. Mr. Reiner was absent.
Staff present: Ms. O'Callaghan, Mr. Hartmann, Chief Paez, Ms. Rauch, Ms. Weisenauer, Mr.
Hounshell, Ms. Willis, Ms. Wawszkiewicz, Mr. Earman, Mr. Barker, Ms. LeRoy, Ms. Gischel, Ms.
Lackey, Ms. Ritzler, Ms. Blake, Mr. Ament.
Also present were: Jamie Greene, Planning NEXT; and Kevin Wright (virtually via Webex), Brooke
Klejnot and Ed Sharrer, Yard and Co.
Mr. Keeler led in the Pledge of Allegiance.
West Innovation District Integrated Implementation Strategy Overview
Ms. O'Callaghan introduced the topic. She stated that this work is related to a Council goal for 2025
and a key priority for the City. This discussion is an important step in advancing that effort. Staff
has initiated the West Innovation District Integrated Implementation Strategy to bring together
multiple planning efforts and provide a clear roadmap for infrastructure, economic development and
land use in this area. To lead this effort, staff has engaged Planning NEXT, who has extensive
experience working with the City of Dublin in strategic planning and implementation. The team has
been working on assessing current conditions, identifying key stakeholders to develop critical
outcomes which will shape this strategy. Mr. Greene from Planning NEXT will provide an overview
of their work to date, share initial findings and outline the path forward. This is the opportunity for
Council to provide feedback on the desired outcomes and key considerations that will be
incorporated into the strategy.
Mr. Greene stated that this presentation will provide an orientation to how they will approach the
work, the timeline and where they see the starting point. He stated that Council providing feedback
on the desired outcomes is important to establish.
Mr. Green stated that this project is one of Council’s five visionary goals. A different Council goal
relating to the premier athletic complex is impacted in this area as well. The study area in this
strategy includes the West Innovation District (WID) which is about 2,252 acres, and West
Innovation District Plus (WID+) which is the Community Plan planning area and is about 7,091
acres.
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 2 of 15
There will be more of a level of detail within the WID but it will be studied in an integrated way.
The Integrated Implementation Strategy will:
Help realize the vision set forth in the Envision Dublin plan for the WID
Provide greater predictability in decision making
Address the WID surrounding areas
Incorporate water and sewer master plan information (concurrent but separate work) and
This strategy will be completed within 12 months, with elements of the strategy published
and utilized prior to finalization (as needed).
Mr. Greene described how they approached this project by exploring all the planning work and
guiding documents that have been done as a foundation. He stated these plans and documents will
be integrated into the implementation strategy and be incorporated into annual work programs and
budgets, development approvals, private development decisions, CIP, economic incentives and
internal organizational decisions.
The following critical outcomes have been identified through work with staff thus far:
Enhance connectivity and infrastructure through multi-modal transportation, passenger rail
integration, and key utility improvements.
Drive innovation, sustainability, and resilience by incorporating future-ready technologies,
advance stormwater management and utility solutions aligned with Envision Dubin’s goals.
Optimize land and resource planning by identifying key parcels for development and
transportation infrastructure, outlining land-use triggers and aligning service capacity needs
to support growth.
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 3 of 15
e Streamline development processes to ensure smooth regulatory implementation, attract
investment and improve regional cooperation.
Regarding roles and responsibilities, Mr. Greene stated that they are working with staff to identify
key stakeholders to make sure they are engaged in this process. He stated that because the
Community Plan was just finished, large scale public engagement was not anticipated in this process.
He shared that the consultant’s role will be to facilitate and provide technical expertise. Staff and
elected officials have important roles as well.
He provided an illustration of the process overview/timeline.
Process Overview
Jan-Feb Feb-Apr Mar-Aug Aug-Dec m Me mp Engagement
Collect data Conduct Prepare map of Define report Review stakeholder integrated build- structure
background meetings out Draft
materials Facilitate City Conduct analysis implementation Orientation Council work by discipline strategy
workshop sessions eSummary memos
He stated that the analysis portion of the work will be building upon the land-use plan that the City
already has adopted (Envision Dublin). Regarding project communications, Mr. Greene stated that
status updates will be provided to the public as the work unfolds through Dublin News Now updates
and the Tell Dubin Current Project webpage, but reiterated that there will not be specific public
engagement. He stated the stakeholders will be engaged and communicated with strategically. He
shared that other jurisdictions that are adjacent to this area will be interested in the potential impact
of this work and will be engaged.
Mr. Greene stated that Envision Dublin already provides guidance on this area regarding the intent,
future land uses, general roadway/trail alignments and significant developments. The intent of this
district is Economic Development while residential and commercial uses serve as amenities to
support employers and employees.
Mr. Greene provided a map of current and near-term planning that has been identified for rail station
area, sports complex master plan area, Ohio University properties and the Signature Trail. He added
that anchor institutions can make all the difference in whether or not the vision comes to fruition.
He stated that staff shared that there is additional development interest that is occurring in the area
which reinforces the need for an integrated implementation strategy.
Mr. Greene reiterated that the importance of connecting with the neighboring jurisdictions is critical
to the success of this strategy. He added there are three counties, three planning areas, four cities
and four townships. Almost 10% of the total land area is located in the WID. The WID has 738
acres and the WID+ has 2, 097 acres for the Flex Innovation land use category as provided for in
the Envision Dublin plan. The Industrial category is shown in the Envision Dublin plan with 888 acres
in the WID and 1,945 acres in the WID+.
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 4 of 15
City Council members provided the following feedback regarding the critical outcomes:
Ms. Fox stated that all the critical outcomes listed are important. She asked what would make this
different than a business park. She stated that if this is going to be an innovation district, most
innovation districts identify an authentic focus. She stated that even the Envision Dublin plan is very
general about this particular area. She stated that a particular concept for the area has not been
defined. She stated that the quality of place and with Ohio University and medical facilities, there
needs to be a place for people to interact and exchange ideas. She is concerned that only a business
park is identified and nothing more with this area. There is no real identity.
Mr. Greene stated that at the kick-off meeting with staff, they discussed what it means to have an
innovation district in Dublin. He stated that they use Brooking’s definition of an innovation district,
since they are the standard for what an innovation district would be if that label will be used. He
referenced a project he is working on in Dayton for the University of Dayton. He stated that they
are aware that the anchor institutions are critical to creating an identity and also knowing what the
marketplace of innovation districts looks like right now.
Ms. Fox added that as stakeholders are interviewed, it will be important to be able to talk about the
vision that they can participate in and identify it early on. Mr. Greene agreed that the geography is
large enough to consider many potential outcomes.
Ms. De Rosa stated that an identity would be difficult to identify without an anchor or two. She
would like to see some ideas for anchors, what is already in the region elsewhere and what might
be needed here. Mr. Greene agreed. He added that they are eager to meet with Ohio University and
explore their ideas and how they might be interested in participating. He stated that if we agree that
anchors are critical, then it will be important to know what opportunities exist.
Ms. Kramb stated that one of the critical outcomes would be to explore anchor opportunities and
define an identity. She stated those are not listed in any of the other outcomes. The last outcome
mentions, “affirm development processes”, and she suggested it read “to define and codify”
processes because that would be more accurate than the word affirm.
Mr. Keeler stated that we need to know the audience and what they want. This area was defined
eight years ago. He appreciates the timeline provided by Mr. Greene. By the end of the year we
will have all the answers, and he likes that. This is economic development driven, and finding out
what our audience needs is critical.
Mayor Amorose Groomes reiterated that the anchor institutions need to be identified. She stated
that OSU will likely not bring research out this way. She suggested that the US 33 Corridor is already
an anchor asset. She suggested starting with that anchor asset and drawing other anchors in with
it.
Ms. Fox reiterated that an identity must be defined and the objective identified. It would be wise to
have an understanding of what objective the district is going to accomplish and then construct the
vision (what it looks like, how it feels, amenities, etc.). Mr. Greene stated that there will be
conversations of the future potential and how to attract people and businesses that are not yet
familiar with the area.
Vice Mayor Alutto stated that she appreciates the “yes and” approach. There are not a lot of places
that have the amenities available that this area has, whether they already exist or could in the future.
She stated that the identity could become defined through a conglomerate of entities coming
together with the anchor asset that is already there.
Mr. Greene reviewed the next steps in the process. He thanked Council for the conversation and
stated he looks forward to continuing the process.
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 5 of 15
Community Events Roadmap Update
Ms. O'Callaghan stated that this topic is also in furtherance of a Council goal, which is to
“Reimagine and Launch Dublin’s Community Events Program.” The City engaged Yard and Co. last
year to lead this effort and guide the process toward developing a strategic roadmap for events. At
the November 12 work session, Yard and Co. reported on their progress and provided preliminary
recommendations. Council provided feedback to direct the remainder of that work. Since then,
Yard and Co. has completed a thorough budget analysis of the City-run events, examined best
practices, and explored opportunities to enhance the impact and efficiency of the City’s
programming. Particularly, they were exploring maximizing the potential of the Riverside Crossing
Park amenity. She stated that Yard and Co. will present their preliminary findings with all the
analysis to date. Council requested an external review of community events; therefore, Yard and
Co. will be leading the discussion. Staff has reviewed the recommendations from Yard and Co. and
Ms. Blake is prepared to discuss staff’s perspective. General speaking, staff is supportive of many
of the recommendations and can provide further explanation if needed on the recommendations
on which staff feels additional consideration is needed. She introduced Kevin Wright, who was
joining via Webex, and Brooke Klejnot and Ed Sharrer who were present from Yard and Co.
Mr. Wright shared the agenda for the discussion. He stated the importance of events in general
because they focus on building community.
Ms. Klejnot provided a recap of the project and specifically, the discussion from the Council work
session on November 12. She shared that in November, the Summary of Understanding was
reviewed, place-based findings were presented and event management models were discussed.
They provided recommendations at that meeting regarding the annual scheduling tempo of events,
the permitting process and some of the improvements that could be made on both the front and
back ends. She stated that since November, they have been working on the budget analysis of
Signature Events. She shared that the broad objectives for the work are to:
e Achieve better return and/or reduce net costs of City-run events;
e Ensure a programming strategy for Riverside Crossing Park;
e Prepare for more destination districts and places to program;
e Leverage existing local operators in programming; and
e Provide a tailored approach to local vs. regional/national events.
Mr. Sharrer stated that these recommendations are not considered final, and he looks forward to
Council’s feedback on the direction. He complimented the City’s events staff on their expertise.
Given the expertise of the City’s staff, Mr. Sharrer stated that continuing to produce signature
events in-house is recommended as the path forward for Dublin. He added that they do not think
the Events Division needs to grow any bigger to respond to current and future challenges and
opportunities. Fine-tuning should suffice.
Mr. Sharrer stated that investing in civic events and not getting a monetary return on investment
(ROI) is normal for cities, however the scale of the investments made without direct monetary
return should be intentional. It is totally within a city’s purview to invest in things that have a
positive ROI based on quality of life and quality of place.
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 6 of 15
For example, parks and playgrounds don’t make money, but they have a positive effect on building
community.
Budget Analysis: Signature Events
Mr. Sharrer stated that they looked at big picture financial reports on revenue versus expenses,
including staff time. They conducted a year-over-year line item expense analysis for five signature
events: Dublin Irish Festival (DIF), Independence Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Spooktacular and the
Tree Lighting. He stated that the data used for the analysis was from years 2018-2019 and then
2022-2024 (post-COVID years). Mr. Sharrer shared the following charts and graphs to illustrate
the cost to the City and the cost of the event versus the ROI.
Tree Light Spooktac St Pat IND DIF
20 2? 4 REVENUE
= t Sponsorships : 12,000 7,500 44,500 333,100
vents Ticket Sales : : : 45,770 683,590
Other Revenues : : 3,750 102,717 1,125,690
Total Revenue $0 $12,000 $11,250 $192,987 $2,142,380
EXPENSES
Entertainment/Culture : 18,613 14,090 262,929 400,640
Stage/Sound : . : 139,941 332,726
Tents/Tables/Chaits : : . 9,818 248,882
Other Rentals/Services : 15,407 8,590 115,626 1,003,356
Supplies 18,056 5,817 6,630 10,090 362,630
Direct Costs 18,056 39,837 29,310 538,404 2,348,234
Staffing 23,479 39,224 67,248 171,207 §84,999
Total Costs 41,535 79,061 96,558 709,611 2,933,233
Net Cost to City $41,535 $67,061 $85,308 $516,624 $790,853
The events are being presented in this chart from left to right from the least cost event to the
highest cost event.
He reiterated that in the chart below, the cost in red is inclusive of staffing as well as all other
direct expenses having to do with each event. He also noted that Independence Day is a half day
event versus DIF is a three-day event. He stated that Independence Day is out of scale for costs
versus ROI, including soft ROI, which are those community building, feel-good returns.
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 7 of 15
Cost ROI
>$im National
>$750k High Regional
>$500k Med Regional
»$250k High
Local
>$100k Med Local
>$50k Low
A 0 -
Tree Spooktacular St, Patrick’s Independence Dublin
Lighting Day Parade Day trish Fostival
Mr. Sharrer presented the analysis and recommendations on each of the five events as follows:
Holiday Tree Lighting Observations:
e 1,533 average attendance,
e Low total cost ($41,000),
e Move to Coffman Park in 2023 reduced the potential for economic impact.
Holiday Tree Lighting Recommendations
e Continue investing at this level, and
e Explore ways to coordinate/combine efforts with a future Holiday Market.
Halloween Spooktacular Observations:
e 8,550 average attendance,
e This event grew from a small Parks and Recreation community event and was expanded
to two days in 2022. This resulted in direct costs doubling, but it is a popular event.
Event revenue grew from $0 in 2023 to $12,000 in 2024, and
Total cost for event is around $67,000.
Halloween Spooktacular Recommendations:
e Work to bring total cost down to around $50,000,
e Continue growing sponsorship dollars,
e Consider partnering with local organizations to co-produce event in the future and/or
consider reducing the scale of the event from two days back to one day, and
e Weigh the benefits of locating the event at Riverside Crossing Park.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade Observations:
e 12,500 average attendance,
e On-brand event for Dublin with merchants embracing the event and the parade is a
regional draw,
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 8 of 15
e Direct costs have decreased slightly since 2018,
e The event team manages the budget well, and
e Total cost to the City is around $85,000.
St. Patrick's Day Parade Recommendations:
e Continue investing at this level,
e Continue growing sponsorships and in-kind donations to offset costs, and
e Continue exploring ways to generate positive economic impact with downtown Dublin
merchants.
Independence Day Observations:
e 12,000 parade attendees; 24,000 evening attendees (10,500 in-stadium),
The execution and production value of the event is top-notch,
Direct costs are $500,000-$600,000 and staffing costs are around $175,000,
Event revenue barely covers staff time, and
Total cost to the City is $505,000 on average. Net cost is due to booking headliner
entertainment at a significant subsidy to attendees.
o Example: Martina McBride played a concert in Lancaster, PA in 2023 where ticket
prices cost attendees $89, $99 and $109. In July 2024, Dubliners paid $5-$10
for a wristband to see the same act.
Independence Day Recommendations:
e Make changes in order to free up funding for programming Riverside Crossing Park and
future destination districts.
e Annual total cost of $500,000 is out of scale. Municipalities usually pay for the parade
and/or fireworks, but not headline entertainment at this level of subsidization.
e Options to consider:
o Continue as-is with $500,000 annual cost to the City,
o Consider reducing costs by booking less expensive acts/smaller stage,
o Keep the big name headliner, and offset costs by increasing wristband prices, or
o City keeps fireworks and parade as the municipal investment and the concert
portion of the event is handed off to a private operator.
Mr. Sharrer encouraged Council feedback regarding the recommendation options that were
presented.
Ms. De Rosa stated that she would like to hear more about how Yard and Co. benchmarked. She
asked Mr. Sharrer to share data on the conclusions reached on what is to scale and what is not
according to other municipalities. Mr. Sharrer stated that more additional research data will be in
the final report. He stated they benchmarked across several states and included private events and
municipal events. Ms. De Rosa stated she would like to see comparison numbers. Mr. Wright stated
that it is a challenge to find comparisons to Dublin because of the events that the City does in-
house.
Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that the Tree Lighting is probably the easiest to benchmark because
a lot of the surrounding communities do some type of tree lighting event.
Mr. Keeler stated that he believes no two tree lighting events are the same. Mr. Keeler commented
on the caliber of the Dublin tree lighting and some of the amenities that are included in the event.
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 9 of 15
Mr. Keeler stated that he tends to look at the economic impact of these events and found the analysis
helpful. He noted that the DIF had not yet been discussed, but he stated he appreciated the analysis
showing that even through the City might lose money on the DIF, it still has the biggest economic
gain. Expenses are going up faster than we can raise revenue. Mr. Keeler stated that he agrees
with the recommendation to continue the Tree Lighting event as it is today. He stated that he
agrees increasing sponsorships for Spooktacular makes sense and he agrees with the
recommendations for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Regarding the recommendations for
Independence Day, Mr. Keeler was supportive of increasing wristband sales. He added that many
variables would have to change in order to make a dent in the cost. He stated the cost could be
whittled away with increased sponsorships and ticket prices, but it is an amenity to the residents so
it may just be something we have to live with. Mr. Sharrer stated that what is incumbent upon
Council is determining the proper investment. Mr. Wright stated that the benchmarking helps, but
ultimately, Council knows the residents and what they want. The ROIs, soft or hard, may be worth
it to you.
Ms. Fox stated that she does not want to devalue the fun atmosphere that is created that contributes
to this unique quality of life. She appreciates the analysis, but she would not want to fix something
that is not broken. She noted that other municipalities do similar events, but have more sponsors.
She stated there are opportunities for Independence Day could be an even bigger event that lasts
all day to generate more economic benefit. She complimented staff on their handling of these
events. She suggested that maybe more dynamic ticket pricing options could have an impact. She
agreed with the assessment that the ROI is not based strictly on monetary value. It is about quality
of life and building community.
Ms. De Rosa clarified that her questions around data and ROI were not to suggest that we shouldn't
be doing any of these events; rather, it is an opportunity to see what other communities are doing,
how they are doing it and the impact it makes. Benchmarking is not an act of cutting, it is an act of
learning. She stated that we cannot say we do it the best when we have not experienced any other
event but our own. She stated that this exercise was supposed to be about learning more and getting
recommendations, not pinching pennies. Mr. Keeler stated that numbers are quantitative. The soft
ROT is not shown in the numbers. Mr. Sharrer stated that it is a good point to say that going through
this exercise allows Council to say that these decisions will be made with intentionality.
Ms. Kramb agreed with the recommendations around the Holiday Tree Lighting. She also agrees
with the recommendations for Spooktacular with respect to reducing costs. She expressed that
there is nothing unique about that event in her opinion. She stated there are other opportunities
around the City with similar events for kids to go trick-or-treating. Ms. Kramb stated that she is
supportive of the St. Patrick’s Day recommendations. Regarding Independence Day, she would like
to reduce the entertainment costs. She stated the parade and fireworks are great. Mr. Sharrer stated
that artists make their money touring, so the City is fighting an uphill battle in that regard.
Vice Mayor Alutto stated that she agrees with the Tree Lighting recommendations. She is in favor
of reducing the cost to the City for Spooktacular. She would like to see how the new ticket structure
works for this year. She agrees that St. Patrick's Day is a great event. She is supportive of growing
sponsorships and in-kind donations. Regarding Independence Day, she would be supportive of
looking at the price structure or having a headliner every other year and local bands in the off years
to reduce costs. She would not be supportive of a non-profit handing the entertainment portion.
This can be tweaked with sponsorships and tickets.
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 10 of 15
Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that she has only ever been to Dublin’s Tree Lighting. She is
supportive of moving Spooktacular back to a one-day event and increasing sponsorships. She stated
the lines tend to be very long at the event, so she is supportive of looking at creative ways to
mitigate that. She suggested offering the residents tickets first for a longer period of time. Ms.
LeRoy stated that they did make that change this year. Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that St.
Patrick’s Day is an on-brand event. Regarding Independence Day, she stated that it is nice to have
a headliner but it does change the dynamic and it becomes a regional event. She stated that Council
needs to determine if the event should be a community event or a regional event. She stated that
a case could be made for either type of event. She stated she would need more data to be able to
determine the impact of removing a headliner.
Dublin Irish Festival (DIF)
Mr. Sharrer stated that the DIF is different than the typical civic event produced by a municipality.
It has grown from a community event to a global event that is intimately tied to Dublin’s identity
and produces a large economic impact. Mr. Sharrer complimented City event staff on the expertise
and ability to execute an event to this magnitude. He stated it is unusual for a municipality to have
that kind of talent and expertise related to their events.
Dublin Irish Festival - Economic Impact
$14,000,000
$12,000,000
$10,000,000
$8,000,000
$6,000,000
$4,000,000
$2,000,000 =
$0
2003 2006 2013 2018 2023
Mr. Sharrer stated that DIF should be looked at differently than any other City event.
Dublin Irish Festival Observations:
e DIF has reached maturity and likely will not see exponential attendance growth,
e Year-over-year, it is getting more expensive to produce the same experience while what
attendees are willing to pay for that experience does not keep pace, and
e Direct costs outpacing revenue growth at this rate means that financial issues are in danger
of becoming structurally baked in.
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 11 of 15
Dublin Irish Festival - Revenue/Direct Cost Trendlines
$2,900,000 “
$2,700,000 =e
S2IBOOIG 00m an RG En gi
$2,300,000
$2,100,000
$1,900,000
$1,700,000
$1,500,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2048 2019 2022 2023 2024
——Revenue -——Costs «+» Trend(Revenue) +++ Trend (Costs)
Mr. Sharrer stated that the trends are showing an escalation in costs. The DIF is likely to cost the
City around $300,000 most years and much more in years that are impacted by the weather.
Dublin Irish Festival Recommendations — Increase Revenue:
e Keep producing DIF in-house,
e The Events Division has created something special
o It’s special for the volunteers who come back year after year,
o It’s special for the nonprofits who fundraise by selling drinks,
o It's special for generations of residents who have built a tradition on attending or
performing and
o It's special for the staff themselves who are passionate and invested.
Mr. Sharrer noted that 59% of volunteers have been volunteering at the DIF for more than six years
and volunteering is multi-generational.
He stated that in order to bring the DIF to a break-even point within reach (most years) would
require reducing costs by $150,000 and raising revenue by $150,000. He also shared that the City
should have a “rainy day fund” or weather backstop so weather events don’t affect the bottom line
so dramatically.
He stated that some ways revenue could be increased are:
e Grow the size of the audience — likely only to be incremental
e Raise prices — incremental changes only. Council and staff have been wise to be cautious
because at some point, attendees will opt-out if it becomes too expensive.
e Raise fees — incremental changes only. Tweak the Sharing O’ The Green agreement so the
City is carrying less risk.
e Growing sponsorships is the most likely area to grow revenue. Hire a consultant to develop
sponsorship strategy.
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 12 of 15
Dublin Irish Festival Recommendations — Revenue Backstop:
e What: Create an Endowment Fund for DIF. Dublin’s corporate and philanthropic community
can ensure DIF's viability for decades.
e How: Start up a separate 501(C)(3) for Sponsorships & Endowment Fund. This could
potentially open up grant/gift/sponsor opportunities not currently available.
e How Much: “400 by 40”. Set an initial campaign goal of raising $400,000 for the endowment
by DIF’s 40" Anniversary. The 7-10-year goal could be a $1 million backstop revenue for
shortfalls up to $200,000 for five years. He suggested that for years when DIF turns a profit,
the City could invest a portion of proceeds back in the endowment.
Dublin Irish Festival Recommendations — Reducing Expenses:
e Explore outsourcing specific aspects to reduce staffing costs,
e Continue to big services for lowest possible cost,
e Continue path toward being a cashless event (this reduces staffing needs), and
e Explore subtle tweaks to entertainment scheduling, such as extending set times by 15
minutes which would allow scheduling one less band that day.
As a last resort, Mr. Sharrer stated that discussions could be held regarding geography, the number
of stages and entertainment to trim costs while maintaining the unique experience.
Mr. Sharrer welcomed Council feedback regarding recommendations surrounding the DIF.
Ms. Fox stated that these are great observations. She noted that this is such a great event with
such expertise. She asked Ms. LeRoy to comment on the recommendations from staff’s perspective.
Ms. LeRoy stated that she will be bringing recommendations regarding ticket pricing to the next
Council meeting. She stated that they were able to consider some of these recommendations as
they prepared to have ticket discussions. Many of the recommendations will not be able to be
implemented this year.
Ms. Fox stated that she is curious about the non-profit aspect of it, or using the Dublin CIC and how
that would come together.
Ms. O'Callaghan clarified that the memo that Ms. LeRoy was referring to will be in Council's packet
tomorrow for the meeting on March 3.
Mr. Sharrer stated that these recommendations are for 2026.
Mr. Keeler complimented staff, adding that it is nice to hear a third party talk about the great work
they do. Mr. Keeler stated that regarding the endowment idea, he sought clarification on the size of
the endowment. Mr. Sharrer stated that he would recommend about a $1 million dollar endowment
and then have limits on how much can be drawn out in any given year. Regarding benchmarking,
Mr. Keeler asked about the Irish Festival held in Milwaukee and asked what their numbers look like.
He also asked about declining alcohol sales that he has been hearing about. He believes that a good
amount of revenue comes from alcohol sales. He asked how to address that issue. Mr. Sharrer
stated that offering more non-alcoholic beverage options, more so than just soda, could be explored.
Mr. Keeler expressed concern regarding the cost of the non-alcoholic beverages; if their cost is less,
that would decrease revenue as well. Mr. Sharrer stated that benchmarking this can be difficult,
because these other private entities do not have to share their numbers and there is usually little
transparency.
Ms. LeRoy stated that she speaks with the Milwaukee event staff routinely, and they are experiencing
the same things that Dublin is experiencing.
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 13 of 15
Ms. De Rosa stated that this is where data would have been helpful. To provide direction on
recommendations without the data and benchmarking is difficult. She stated that when she was
investigating the holiday markets, one thing she learned is that vendors usually are not charged a
flat fee; rather, they are charged a percentage. She requested the analysis and benchmarking on
vendor information. Regarding the endowment idea, she stated that most endowments have
earmarks on what is spent and how, so that would need to be figured out. She stated that it is
worth exploring.
Vice Mayor Alutto agreed that benchmarking information would be helpful. She is supportive of
exploring endowment avenues, and increasing sponsorship is something for which we should always
be striving. She was supportive of cutting costs where possible and noted that the cashless system
is a step in the right direction.
Ms. Kramb stated that she has nothing different to add that has not already been said. She is
supportive of exploring an endowment and a consultant who could grow sponsorships.
Ms. Fox stated that if a consultant is hired to look at sponsorships, then it should not be limited to
just the Dublin Irish Festival. She asked if when the City raised the prices recently, we lost families
and kids due to the cost. She suggested looking for opportunities for programming during the
daytime that would speak to families.
Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that having the festival in August may not be the greatest time of
year. August can be a volatile month with extreme heat or pop-up storms. She suggested looking
at a different time of year such as September or October. She agrees with controlling expenses and
asked about the possibility of investing in permanent facilities. She used pickleball courts as an
example of an amenity that could be installed and then covered and used by the DIF. 2023 is
probably not the best data to use because we were still coming out of COVID. She suggested having
one ticket price to get into the festival and then an additional ticket required for the bands to increase
revenue (similar to the State Fair). The endowment idea is interesting, but she is not sure if this is
where we would want to spend it. The City has struggled to have endowments in the past.
Additional Operational Considerations:
e Create a New Nonprofit,
e Issue an RFP for Riverside Crossing Park Activator/Operator,
o City-run process,
o Would provide a path to realizing near-term priorities,
= Expand Summer Fun Series,
= Launch an Arts Festival,
= Cultivate existing and new cultural events, and/or
= Curate past artistic activities.
o Encourage partnerships with City-funded organizations, and
o The activator/operator would be responsible for inventorying existing events/activities,
identifying gaps in programming and producing programming.
e Round-out the City’s programming (Holiday Market and Summer Fun Series are already in
progress).
e Strategically implement initiatives for improved outcomes such as: develop a sponsorship
strategy, adjust the event permitting process and unify the City’s roster of cultural events
under a cohesive umbrella brand and marketing campaign.
e Address any policy gaps (Food Truck Policy and permit structure).
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 14 of 15
Ms. Kramb stated that she would like to hear why it was suggested that an RFP be issued for an
operator of Riverside Crossing Park when the recommendations earlier in the discussion said there
was no need to expand staff.
Mr. Wright stated that the City Event staff has indicated that they would need to grow their team to
take on Riverside Crossing Park. The park needs intentional programming without putting more on
the Events Division as it is today.
Ms. De Rosa requested industry ratios of cost to revenue specifically for the DIF be provided for the
final report. She would also like to see what an RFP would look like if it were determined that an
RFP would be done for DIF. She clarified that she is not suggesting that the City needs to issue an
RFP, but there is much to learn from that process.
Ms. Fox asked if the City did not wish to issue an RFP and use the expertise of staff, how that would
be accomplished. Could it be absorbed? What are the pressures it would put on staff? Could we use
partners to assist with programming?
Mr. Wright stated that the concern is that some of the partners have not executed events to this
scale which would need oversight.
Ms. Blake summarized the feedback from the discussion. She stated that Council consensus
regarding the recommendations were the following:
e Recommendations accepted for the Tree Lighting event and St. Patrick's Day,
e Spooktacular — Council was supportive of the recommendations to increase sponsorship,
reduce expenses, fine-tune the operations and consider decreasing the days in future years,
e Independence Day — Council was supportive of increasing wristband fees and also expressed
interest in reducing the entertainment quality and providing benchmarking.
Ms. Kramb stated that it would be helpful to have data and numbers. Assuming the data and
numbers support the recommendations, then she is supportive. She also stated it would be helpful
to know what we could get if we were to reduce the entertainment.
Ms. O'Callaghan stated that the entertainment budget has been flat for years. The cost for
entertainment has kept rising but the budget has not. Ms. O’Callaghan stated that the budget is
$150,000.
Ms. De Rosa stated that the way the evening is structured, it is built around the entertainment. She
would welcome options on altering the structure and what the experience would be.
Ms. Blake summarized Council’s consensus as being generally supportive of the DIF
recommendations, but specifically requested: .
e A deeper dive in financials, ratios and vendor analysis, and
e To explore the endowment fund more closely.
Regarding the Additional Operational Considerations, Council consensus was to provide additional
information and then additional benchmarking regarding RFPs.
Mr. Keeler stated that endowment funds are hard to come by. He stated he would not spend any
more time researching that. Ms. Fox stated that she agrees with Mr. Keeler’s comments. Discussion
was briefly held regarding the emotional connection for some in the community to the DIF.
Council Work Session
February 24, 2025
Page 15 of 15
In response to Ms. Blake’s question regarding in what format Council would like additional data
(work session or Council meeting), Ms. Kramb stated that she doesn’t need another meeting or work
session presentation by the consultant. Mayor Amorose Groomes asked about her infrastructure
comments or charging additional fees for concerts and considering other dates.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:42 p.m. (AA
Presiding Officer - Mayor
re of Youncil 0