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Home My WebLink AboutHotel Motel Tax Board Meeting Minutes 5-13-24ST. JOSEPH COUNTY HOTEL MOTEL TAX BOARD MONDAY, MAY 13, 2024 INDIANA DINOSAUR MUSEUM, 24820 U.S. 20, SOUTH BEND, INDIANA 8:30 A.M. Members Present Members Absent John Anthony Carmen Piasecki Becky Fletcher Rob DeCleene Gary West Micki Kidder Mark McDonnell Kyle Willis Jenny McNeil Ron Zeltwanger Paul Phair The meeting was called to order at 8:30 a.m. by President Anthony. Mary Ellen Smith conducted roll call of board members. APPROVAL OF MINUTES President John Anthony entertained a motion to approve the minutes of the 2-27-24 meeting. Gary West moved to accept; Mark McDonnell seconded; and motion carried. TREASURER’S REPORT Ron Zeltwanger reviewed the Financial Report ending 3/31/24. The Mishawaka Sports Complex/Fund 4926 had a cash balance of $663,390.54. The Potawatomi Zoo Capital/Fund 4927 - $1,117,851.18; Morris PAC Capital/Fund 7403 - $904,918.01; Tourism Capital Investment/Fund 7404 - $1,722,578.34. No disbursement was made to the Morris Performing Arts Center. The Hotel-Motel Tax/Fund 7304 started 2024 with a cash balance $6,606.445.88 plus Q1 receipts of $1,248,435.73 minus Q1 disbursements of $2,416,505.26 which leaves a net cash balance of $5,438,376.35. There remains $4,122,931.74 to be disbursed. The year should end with $5.5-$6 million in the account. PRESIDENT’S REPORT President Anthony thanked the Indiana Dinosaur Museum and Mark Tarner for hosting the meeting. He reported the need to work on having more Sunday to Thursday business travelers. Phase I of the yet unnamed trail connecting Notre Dame to downtown South Bend starts this week and the work is to be completed by September. AGENCY REPORTS VISIT SOUTH BEND MISHAWAKA Jeff Jarnecke, Executive Director, reported the entire state of Indiana hotel occupancy is down 1%. The STR forecast report is now published on a quarterly basis and the Q1 report shows that overall demand is down 6%; however, the average daily rate is up 1%. A new marketing campaign “Bend the Rules” is ready to launch in summer with billboards and digital ads and toll road presence. St. Joseph County projects include the trail connecting Notre Dame to downtown South Bend; the Indiana Dinosaur Museum opening mid-June; and digital boards in the airport baggage claim area, hotel lobbies and major attractions with scrolling VSBM website. The CSL Tourism Master Plan for St. Joseph County had more than 2,70 surveys returned. The steering committee will meet 5/20/24 and a draft report will be presented 7/7/24. POTAWATOMI ZOO Josh Sisk, Executive Director, reported that new The Bear Café Lodge is open. The April 2024 number of visitors was up 12,000+ compared to April 2023. Three Fort Wayne, Indiana, schools visited because prices are lower than the Fort Wayne Zoo. The McGann Funeral Home building was purchased for zoo administration and groundbreaking will be Spring 2025. Hotel Motel Tax Board Minutes 5/13/24 Pg. 2 MISHAWAKA SPORTS FIELDHOUSE Tony Stearns, General Manager, introduced himself as the former City of South Bend Golf General Manager for the past 7 years. He gave a construction update and invited board members for a hard hat tour. Wood floors will be installed mid-June followed by turf and pickleball courts. Nick Kleva, Director of Events, Marketing and Sponsorship, and formerly with VSBM, reported that the Fieldhouse will be the home of the Northern Indiana Volleyball Association for camps and tournaments. The South Bend Raptors Hockey Club is holding practices. Canes Baseball will use batting cages and turf field for all teams and has a January to June season. Discussions are taking place with soccer clubs. Pickleball tournaments are being looked at which John Anthony encouraged pursuing as indoor space is needed. More positions will be hired, the website will be live by the end of May, and a soft opening is planned for 8-1-24. The temporary Fieldhouse logo which features a basketball hoop will be used until a naming rights sponsor is secured. MORRIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Andrew Schreiber reported that there were 103 events held in 2024; 96 events on the 2024 calendar and 62 events on the 2025 calendar. The first annual South Bend Music Festival was held 4-15-24 with 275 students from South Bend public high schools performing for 500+ guests. The South Bend Latin Dance group has been holding events at the Palais Royale and has now added ballroom style dancing. Broadway 2024-25 shows announced include: The Addams Family; The Cher Show, Chicago and Les Miserables. Upcoming free Movies at the Morris include Singin’ in the Rain 6/7/24; Jaws 7/5/25; and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 8/2/24. Jeff Dunham is coming for two shows 8/7-8/2024. The South Bend Symphony Orchestra Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets events 10/26-27/24 are expected to be sold out. Morris 2024 Q1 Revenue was $378,972 less Expenses of $381,91 left a Net Loss of $-2,945. 2024 Q3 and Q4 will be strong and the 2024 budget is Revenue of $1,535,803 less Expenses of $1,435,802 with a Net Profit of $100,000. Revenue is counted once the show is finished and is reconciled with promoters. Morris 2024 Capital Projects include the Palais floor ($88,000) and ceiling ($46,000) refinish which were completed in January; a new projector and screen ($118,000) for the free community Movies at the Morris; restroom fixtures and repairs ($40,000); front awning replacement ($25,000); and external wall digital screens ($100,000.) CENTURY CENTER Schreiber reported Century Center 2024 Q1 Revenue was $1,271,413 less Expenses of $1,115,427 with a Net Profit of $155,985. The 2024 budget is Revenue of $4,900,740 less Expenses of $4,782,128 with a Net Profit of $118,612. Upcoming events include the 2024 Scrabble Player Championship (1160 Room Nights); Indiana League of Municipal Clerks & Treasurers (730 Room Nights); and 5 wedding receptions with over 1,100 guests total (600 Hotel Room Nights.) Bids are out for Unicorn World with 25,000 guests over two days. There were 2,496 hotel room nights actualized thus far in 2024 and 13,591 projected for the remainder of 2024 and 10,368 projected for 2025. The Civic Center Board of Managers at the 5-9-24 meeting approved the ASM Global Century Center 2023 Incentive Fee of $39,000 to be paid. The fee calculation includes the following criteria: Criteria #1 Total Room Nights in 2023 was 16,879 which is 2,186 or 15% over the benchmark of 14,693 room nights and allows Hotel Motel Tax Board Minutes 5/13/24 Pg. 3 $30,000 incentive. Criteria #2 Net Promoter Score was 76 as of 12/31/23 which was 11 or 16.92% over the benchmark of 76-60 and allows $9,000 incentive. Criteria #3 Net Operating Income 12/31/22 was $60,788 which was $207,373 or 77.33% under the benchmark and, therefore, no incentive. OLD BUSINESS TOURISM CAPITAL INVESTMENT FUND COMMITTEE (TCIF) UPDATE Paul Phair reported that the TCIF Committee met a month ago to review applications. There were a total of six applications received. An update will be given at the 8/1/24 meeting. NEW BUSINESS NOMINATING COMMMITTEE The Nominating Committee will meet and report at the 8-1-24 meeting. ALLOCATION COMMITTEE The Allocation Committee will meet and report at the 8-1-24 meeting. ADJOURNMENT Before the meeting adjourned, Mark Tarner, owner of the South Bend Chocolate Company, welcomed everyone to the Indiana Dinosaur Museum and said that he appreciated the tourism grant money for the site. The 90-acre site will be an all season tourist attraction including the Dinosaur Museum, Chocolate Museum, tours of the Chocolate Factory Co., South Bend Public House restaurant/pub, Continental Divide Park, bison, farm market and hiking trail system to nearby Lydick Bog. President Anthony thanked Mark Tarner for hosting the meeting. With no further business Anthony entertained a motion to adjourn the meeting. Ron Zeltwanger moved to adjourn the meeting; Jenny McNeil seconded; and the meeting adjourned at 9:20 a.m. JA:mes