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[1. Call to Order.]
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP TO ORDER FOR THE UTILITIES E E D A AND VISIT EDMOND.WE'RE GONNA, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE EVERYBODY HERE, WE'RE GONNA REARRANGE IT FOR HOWEVER NECESSARY SO WE CAN GET AS MANY DONE AS TODAY.
[3. Presentation and discussion of the FY2024 Water Resources department budget. ]
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE WATER RESOURCES COME UP FIRST NOW.UM,
LET'S JUMP RIGHT IN AND TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT DOES WATER RESOURCES DO? UM, FIRST, WE'RE, UH, HAVE 48 TOTAL IN THE DEPARTMENT, AND THAT'S THE WATER AND WASTEWATER FUNDS WATER PLANT BUDGET, WHICH COVERS OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND LABORATORY.
AND THEN ALSO OUR WATER WELLS, UH, WHICH WE HAVE A SEPARATE BUDGET FOR UNDER THE WATER FUND.
AND THEN WASTEWATER FUND, OF COURSE, THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AND LABORATORY DIVISION AS WELL.
UH, WHERE DOES OUR REVENUE COME FROM? IT'S WATER RATES, WASTE WATER RATES, AND CAPACITY FEES.
UH, WE DO NOT GET, UH, SALES TAX OR PROPERTY TAX, NONE OF THAT.
IT'S, IT'S ALL THROUGH USER FEES.
UM, AND THEN PROJECT FUNDING, UM, IS PRIMARILY THROUGH LOANS THAT ARE EITHER REVENUE BONDS OR STATE REV REVOLVING FUND LOANS.
UH, AND THEN CASH FUNDING FOR REOCCURRING CAPITAL EXPENSES.
UM, PRIMARILY THOSE ARE WATER AND SEWER LINE REPLACEMENTS.
WE DO A PROJECT AT LEAST EVERY YEAR, UH, SOMETIMES MULTIPLE PROJECTS DEPENDING ON OUR CASH FLOW TO OVERHEAD VIEW OF THE ONGOING WATER PLANT PROJECT.
JUST WANNA START THAT OFF WITH THE WATER FUND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE NEED FOR INCREASES AND, UH, WIRE, UH, CAPITAL BUDGET IS SO ENORMOUS.
SO, UH, REVIEWING THE CURRENT BUDGET AND PROJECTS THE WATER FUND REVENUE FOR 23.
BUDGET OF REVENUES 38.6 MILLION.
UH, WE'RE FORECASTING 41.4 MILLION, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 5% ABOVE 22 ACTION.
UH, PRIMARY DRIVER FOR THE INCREASES IS, UH, THIN DROUGHT.
UM, I THINK WE'VE ALL SEEN IT.
IT'S NOT SO MUCH SOUTH OF SOUTH AND EAST OF I 44, BUT MAINLY EDMOND IS RIGHT ON THE LINE OF HAVING DROUGHT.
AND WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT ARCADIA LAKES STILL FULL AND, UH, CAR WELLINGTON'S DOING REALLY WELL FOR US.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT HAS, UH, BROUGHT IN INCREASED, UH, WATER SALES ALONG WITH THE INCREMENTAL RATE ADJUSTMENTS.
OUR LAST, UH, RATE INCREASE WAS 7% BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 22.
AND THEN OUR CAPACITY FEES GENERATED 814 OR ESTIMATED, UH, UH, GENERATE 814,000 VERSUS 982,000 THAT IT GENERATED LAST FISCAL YEAR.
SO DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT'S CUZ CONSTRUCTION SLOWED DOWN FOR US.
UM, WATER FUND EXPENSES, UH, PERSONNEL COSTS 3.1 MILLION AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SPLITS WITH OUR PERSONNEL BECAUSE WE'VE COMBINED RESOURCES OVER THE YEARS, UH, WITH, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE MAINTENANCE AND LABORATORY STAFF SO THAT, UM, THEY'RE WORKING AT BOTH PLANTS AND ON BOTH SYSTEMS, UH, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR CROSS-TRAINING.
AND SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ONLY ONE PERSON THAT KNOWS THE SYSTEM.
SO, UH, SUPPLIES AND SERVICES FOR THE WATER FUND.
UM, ONE OF THE LARGEST INCREASES LAST YEAR, JUST FOR AN EXAMPLE, IS, UH, CHEMICAL COST INCREASING 50%.
UM, AND THAT WAS JUST, WE FOUND THAT OUT AFTER WE HAD, OR RIGHT AS WE WERE PUTTING THE BUDGET TOGETHER FOR LAST YEAR.
UM, SO ENORMOUS INCREASES AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST COMING IN, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT WAS LIME OR CARBON DIOXIDE, WHATEVER IT WAS.
UM, JUST, JUST HITTING US WITH, UH, BIG RATE INCREASES FOR CHEMICALS.
AND THEN EVERYTHING IN GENERAL HAS GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE.
JUST, JUST LIKE THAT FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, OTHER NOTABLE EXPENSES IN THE WATER FUND.
UM, OKLAHOMA CITY WATER, UM, NOT BUYING ANY, BUT IT'S COSTING US JUST OVER A MILLION, UH, 43,000 THIS YEAR VERSUS LAST YEAR, 9.9 HUNDRED, 46,000.
SO THEIR ADVERTISED, UH, 5% INCREASE FOR US WAS ACTUALLY A 10% INCREASE FOR WHOLESALE.
SO, UM, IT'S THE EASIER ONE TO PASS IT ON TO.
WHEN DO YOU EXPECT THAT WE CAN GET OFF OF THAT, CHRIS? UM, I GOT A
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SLIDE JUST FOR THAT.UM, CAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PULL THAT TRIGGER ON SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, ESPECIALLY TO STABILIZE THE BUDGET AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH MORE DEBT.
SO, UM, LOGAN COUNTY REAL WATER ROYALTIES, UM, HAVE WENT UP QUITE A BIT.
IT'S 203,000 WAS ESTIMATED THIS YEAR, AND IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA COME IN HIGHER THAN THAT.
AND THEN, UH, FISCAL YEAR 22 IS 173, UM, RIGHT AWAY USE FEES.
THAT'S, UH, 3.8% OF OUR REVENUES GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND, AND THAT'S WHAT THAT NUMBER IS.
SO NOW SOME OF THE DEBT IS STARTING TO KICK IN FROM THESE PROJECTS.
UH, SO FOR THIS YEAR IS ESTIMATED 10 MILLION, AND THEN LAST YEAR WAS APPROXIMATELY 4 MILLION.
SO, AND WE'LL SEE THAT NUMBER KEEP GOING UP OVER TIME.
SO LOOKING OUT OVER 10 YEARS, I'VE GOT A 20 YEAR SPREADSHEET AND I'LL SHARE IT WITH YOU, BUT IT, IT JUST GETS BIGGER AND BIGGER.
UM, BUT IT SHOWS US GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO REVENUES VERSUS EXPENSES.
BUT THE REASON THE REVENUES, AND WE CAN SEE IT EACH, UM, EACH YEAR WE'RE NOT BRINGING IN AS MUCH AS WE'RE SPENDING IS, UH, WE'RE DRAWING DOWN ON OUR RESERVES.
WE'VE GOT A LARGE RESERVE IN THE WATER FUND AND THAT WILL BE USED TO MAKE UP THAT SO THAT WE CAN INCREASE SMALLER INCREMENTS OVER TIME AND, UH, RIDE THAT OUT LONGER SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE LARGE INCREASES.
WE KNOW OUR CUSTOMERS ARE TIRED OF IT AND, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE IT OUT.
SO, UH, THIS IS LOOKING AT OUR RESERVES AND DAYS OF EXPENSES.
SO RIGHT NOW AND THEN NEXT YEAR, UH, LOOKING AT, UM, YOU KNOW, 350, BASICALLY A YEAR'S WORTH OF EXPENSES IN RESERVE AND THEN GOING HIGHER THAN THAT FOR A COUPLE YEARS, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE HOW IT STARTS TAILING OFF REALLY QUICK.
UM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE PLAYING THE CATCH UP GAME WITH ALL THE DEBT THAT WE'RE, UH, TAKING ON WITH THIS WATER PLANT PROJECT.
AND THEN, UM, UTILIZING OUR RESERVES TO STABILIZE.
SO 90 DAYS BEING OUR ABSOLUTE MINIMUM FOR EXPENSES AND CUTTING OFF OKLAHOMA CITY WATER.
UM, SO IF WE CUT IT OFF IN FISCAL YEAR 28, WHICH IS ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THE CHART, UM, THAT HELPS STABILIZE, IF WE GO BACK A SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE START DIPPING BELOW THAT 90 DAYS.
IF WE CUT THAT OFF IN 28 OR EVEN SOONER, THEN IT JUST HELPS STABILIZE US THAT MUCH QUICKER.
UM, WE, SO IT, IT'S, IT'S THERE FOR ADJUST IN CASE WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY GETTING ANY WATER FROM THEM.
IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTAND? CORRECT.
IT IT IS, IT'S, IT'S, AS WE START BRINGING THESE NEW WELLS ONLINE, NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE NINE OUT OF, UH, NINE OUT OF THE 10 THAT WE ANTICIPATED OKAY.
AND THAT'LL MAKE ABOUT 1.8 MILLION GALLONS A DAY.
WE WERE TRYING TO GET TO THIS 5 MILLION GALLON NUMBER, BUT LAST SUMMER WE ACTUALLY, UH, HELD OUR OWN PRETTY WELL, CUZ I THINK PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN A LOT BETTER AT CONSERVING WATER AND, AND JUST PAYING ATTENTION.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE COULD CERTAINLY MOVE TOWARDS CUTTING THAT OFF SOONER.
UM, NOW THAT THE WELLS ARE ON NOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT OPTION LAST SUMMER BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO GET OUR CONTRACTOR IN.
WELL, AND IF THEY'RE DOING 10% INCREASES, UM, WELL 5% FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.
YEAH, THAT'S, YEAH, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY, UH, FOR SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT USING.
SO THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT.
SO YEAH, I'M SEEING YOU BETTER LOOKING AT LIKE, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
SO, UM, WE'VE GOT SOME MORE WELLS TO DRILL, BUT, UH, THAT SHOULDN'T STOP US.
AND WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO GET OUR OWN, UH, CONSERVATION PROGRAM ACCORDING TO DIFFERENT TIERS AND, AND START RATCHETING OURS UP AS NEEDED, BASED ON OUR OWN NEEDS, NOT WHAT OKLAHOMA CITY'S TELLING US TO DO.
SO WE, WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN AND NOT JUST JUMP OUT THERE AND SAY, WE'RE DONE.
BUT YEAH, MAYBE OVER THE NEXT YEAR THEN THAT'S WHAT WE'LL START LOOKING AT.
SO, BUT EVEN IF WE, WHEN WE DO BREAK THAT, THAT TIME WITH THEM, UM, I'M ASSUMING WE'RE GONNA STILL DO THE ANALYSIS ABOUT THEIR CONSERVATION PLAN.
I MEAN, IF IT'S GOOD, UH, FOR EASE OF, OF ADAPTABILITY FOR EVERYBODY MIGHT LOOK AT KEEPING IT, KEEPING THE SAME ONE THAT THEY'RE USING.
AND WHEN I SAY THEIR CONSERVATION PLAN, WE DON'T WANT TO NECESSARILY, THEY'RE DOING ODD EVEN RIGHT NOW, AND SINCE THEY'RE
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DOING IT, IT'S EASIER FOR US TO KEEP DOING IT.BUT WHAT TRIGGERS OUR NEXT STAGE WOULD BE DIFFERENT THAN THEM.
SO, UM, IF, IF WE WERE FALLING BEHIND ON WATER, WE CAN'T MAKE ENOUGH, THEN, THEN WE'VE GOT A CALL FOR MORE RESTRICTIONS, UH, BEFORE THEY WOULD POTENTIALLY, SO.
UM, CURRENT ONGOING WATER FUND PROJECTS, UH, THIS IS JUST THE ONES THAT ARE ONGOING.
331 MILLION, ALMOST 332 MILLION IN PROJECTS.
THE WATER LINE, UH, JUST ALMOST COMPLETED.
UH, WE'RE DOING BASICALLY PAPERWORK TO CLOSE IT OUT.
UH, WATER WELLS AND TRANSMISSION LINES FOR THE WATER WELLS.
UM, THEY'RE WORKING ON THE LAST, WELL, AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF MITCH PARK.
IT'S ALMOST DONE, BUT WE'VE GOT ALL THE OTHER WELLS ONLINE AND, UH, UTILIZING THOSE CURRENTLY, UH, 33RD WATER TOWER AND WATER LINES, 15.4 MILLION THAT'S, UH, UNDERWAY.
UH, EVERYONE'S SEEN, IT'S IN OUR PROJECT UPDATE, UM, STARTING TO COME UP WITH A TOWER.
SO IT'S MOVED ALONG NICELY, UH, INTAKE AND PUMP STATION.
UH, VERY NEAT PROJECT TO BE A PART OF.
UM, IT'S THERE BY THE LAKE OFFICE AND THEY'RE CURRENTLY DOWN 81 FEET TRYING TO SET PUMP CANS AND GET READY TO POUR CONCRETE HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS AT THE VERY BOTTOM.
SO, UM, AND WATER PLANT OH ONE A, I'M ACTUALLY, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING PUNCH LIST WALKTHROUGH.
THAT'S WHERE WE WERE BEFORE THIS, THERE'S STILL OUR ENGINEERS AND CONTRACTOR OUT THERE.
SO DOING PUNCH LIST WALKTHROUGHS, START WORKING THROUGH THAT.
UH, THE, UH, SOLIDS PROCESSING'S BEEN WORKING FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW, SO IT'S, IT'S A NICE PROJECT AND IT'S WORKING VERY WELL.
SO, AND THEN THE SECOND PHASE OF THE WATER PLANT IS UNDERWAY.
THEY'RE TRYING TO COME UP OUT OF THE GROUND, BUT IT'S COMING ALONG REALLY NICE.
SO PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 24TH THROUGH 28.
UM, WE'RE BUDGETING FOR A DECREASE IN REVENUES, BASICALLY STAYING ON TARGET WITH, UH, WHERE WE WERE, UH, LAST YEAR, UH, LAST YEAR'S PROJECTION JUST BECAUSE OF THE DROUGHT.
AND, UH, WE DON'T WANT TO COUNT ON DROUGHTS TO BUDGET, UM, OUR REVENUES CUZ IT'S NOT, NOT A GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE.
SO WE KIND OF RIDE, IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, WATER USAGE, IT GOES UP AND DOWN OVER TIME, BUT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO CUT THE MIDDLE OF THAT LINE.
AND SO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FIVE, SIX YEARS, WE'VE ACTUALLY COME OUT AHEAD.
SO GENERALLY WE'RE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND, UH, RATE INCREASE SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 1ST FOR 5%.
UM, THE RATE STUDY, WHICH WE'RE GONNA BRING BACK TO YOU ALL, UM, IS RECOMMENDING A 3% INCREASE INSTEAD OF A 5%.
SO ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU SPEND THAT, BUT, UH, DECREASING OUR INCREASE, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA PROPOSE.
SO AS WE'RE DOING BETTER, THE PRIMARY DRIVER IS, UH, INCREASING RESERVES AND INCREASED WATER CELLS.
SO WE'VE DONE WELL ON WATER CELLS AND, UH, MAKING MORE ON OUR INVESTMENTS IN OUR RESERVES, WHICH IS HELPING OFFSET THE NEED FOR INCREASES.
SO, AND, UM, POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT WHOLESALING WATER TO THE NORTH OF US.
SO, UH, LARGEST DRIVER FOR THE INCREASES IS CAPITAL AND DEBT EXPENSE.
THAT'S NOT A SURPRISE WHEN WITH THE AMOUNT OF PROJECTS I JUST SHOWED YOU.
AND THEN, UH, THE RATE PLAN, OF COURSE, COMING BACK TO COUNCIL, UH, EITHER THROUGH WORKSHOP OR AT A MEETING.
WE'LL FIGURE THAT ONE OUT LATER, SOMETIME BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER.
UM, UPCOMING PROJECTS CURRENTLY IN DESIGN, UH, THE LIST IS LONG, UH, TRANSMISSION LINES FROM THE PLANT.
I 35, I 35 GROUND STORAGES TANKS, WATER WELLS, UH, CALLERS TOWER, UH, 33RD STREET WATERLINE, WHICH IS BASICALLY FROM BROADWAY TO I 35.
AND THEN ANNUAL WATERLINE REHABILITATION.
AND THEN, UH, UPCOMING DESIGN, WE'RE WORKING ON A DESIGN CONTRACT NOW IS, UM, POTENTIALLY BREAKING THAT UP INTO TWO DIFFERENT PHASES.
AND, UH, SO WE WILL, WE'LL COME BACK TO PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL TO TALK ABOUT THAT ONE.
AND THEN FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK, LOOKING AT A NORTHEAST TOWER, UM, WHICH WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
WE BOUGHT LAND A FEW YEARS BACK, UH, JUST WITH THE GROWTH OUT THERE.
UM, IT'S DEFINITELY GONNA BE NEEDED.
AND THEN, UM, LEAD SERVICE LINE INVENTORY AND REPLACEMENTS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, ANNUAL WATER LINE REHABILITATION.
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GONNA BE ONGOING UNTIL AFTER MY RETIREMENT, SO.SO, UH, REVIEW CURRENT REVENUE.
UM, 23 REVENUES, 24.6 MILLION, FORECASTED 25.1, SO WE'RE DOING A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
AGAIN, SOME, SOME OF IT IS DROUGHT RELATED.
UH, INCREASED WATER USES DURING THE WINTER.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, RATE ADJUSTMENT LAST NOVEMBER.
UH, CAPACITY FEES GENERATE ESTIMATED 650,000 VERSUS 782,000 LAST YEAR.
JUST AGAIN, DECREASED BUILDING, UH, PERSONNEL COST 1.3 MILLION.
AGAIN, THE STAFF IS, UH, A LOT OF IT IS SHARED BETWEEN THE BUDGETS, SUPPLIES, AND SERVICES.
UM, I, I THREW GLEN IN THERE, UH, FOR THE ELECTRIC CUZ HE'S COSTING US A LOT FOR ELECTRIC.
BUT, UH, NO, IT'S COSTS A LOT TO RUN A WASTEWATER PLANT, UH, TO POWER IT UP.
UM, ONE, ONE NEAT FACT FOR YOU IS WE STARTED UP THE NEW BLOWER BUILDING AND, UM, WE WENT FROM 560 HORSEPOWER AND AERATION EQUIPMENT TO 140 HORSEPOWER AND THIS NEW, UH, BLOWER TECHNOLOGY.
SO JUST CALCULATING THAT OUT, IT WAS ABOUT 15,000 A MONTH LESSON POWER.
SO WE'LL START REALIZING SOME PAYBACK ON SOME KILLING YOU, ISN'T HE?
IT'S ROUGH, BUT, YOU KNOW,
YEAH, WE'VE GOTTA DO THE RIGHT THING.
SO, UM, AND THEN SLUDGE HAULING, UH, WILL CONTINUE, UH, EVEN IT'LL BE DIFFERENT WITH THE NEW PLANT, BUT STILL CONTINUE.
AGAIN, 3.8% OF REVENUES BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND AT 940,000.
AND THEN DEBT EXPENSE AND WASTEWATER IS PRETTY STABLE.
IT, IT'S SLOWLY INCREASING AS WE DO SOME OF THESE LARGE, UH, INTERCEPTOR PROJECTS, BUT NOT NEAR TO THE EXTENT OF WATER.
UH, AND THEN CASH FUNDED CAPITAL 5.9 MILLION.
IS THERE ANY OTHER GEESE FOR THE SLUDGE THAT WE HAUL OFF THAT'S, UH, CAN WE RECYCLE IT?
WE, WE APPLY IT ON FARMLAND AND, AND, UH, THEY USE IT FOR, UH, NEW TRANSFER CROPS.
SO, WELL, IT'S YET TO BE SEEN WHAT THE NEW REGULATIONS ARE GONNA LOOK LIKE FOR US, DEPENDING ON A NUMBER OF THINGS, BUT, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO SEE HOW THAT TURNS OUT.
SO, UH, WASTEWATER FUND PROJECTS CURRENTLY ONGOING, 184.2 MILLION IN PROJECTS.
THE LARGEST IS THE WATER RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY.
GOT TO SHOW SOME OF THAT OFF TO, UH, A GROUP A FEW WEEKS AGO AND, UM, GOT OUT TO A NEW BUILDING.
YEAH, I THINK EVERYBODY'S EYES WERE OPEN.
IT'S A LOT, LOT BIGGER DEAL THAN MOST PEOPLE WOULD THINK.
SO YEAH, YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB.
UH, COFFEE CREEK INTERCEPTOR PROJECT, UH, THAT ONE'S WRAPPED UP AND ONLINE.
THEY'RE JUST PUTTING SOME SOD DOWN AND, UH, FINISHING UP THE DETAILS.
AND THEN TWO DIFFERENT, UH, SEWER REHABILITATION PROJECTS ARE ONGOING.
HEY, SO FOR 24 BUDGET, UM, BUDGETING 25.6 MILLION IN REVENUE, 2% INCREASE.
UM, THE CURRENT INCREASE SCHEDULE IS FOR 3%, WHERE, UH, THE RATE STUDY'S GONNA RECOMMEND 2% INCREASES THROUGH THE FIVE YEARS.
AGAIN, WE'VE DONE BETTER ON REVENUE, WE'VE GOT GOOD RESERVES, IT'S PLAYING IN OUR FAVORS, AND NOW WE CAN START RATCHETING BACK THE INCREASES.
AND IF WE CAN WORK OUT SOME WHOLESALE DEALS, THEN POTENTIALLY START PASSING THOSE COSTS ONTO OTHER PEOPLE.
AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE POOL BIGGER SO THAT, UM, IT, IT SLOWS DOWN FOR US.
SO IT'S, IT'S THE LONG GAME AND IT'S PAYING OFF.
SO, UM, YEAH, LARGEST DRIVER FOR RATE INCREASES HAS BEEN CAPITAL AND DEBT EXPENSE, AND IT'LL BE MORE CAPITAL THAN DEBT EXPENSE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, WE'LL COME BACK AT A LATER DATE AND TALK ABOUT IT.
UM, SO OUR 10 YEAR OUTLOOK, OUR REVENUES DON'T QUITE COVER EXPENSES AND IT'S DEBATABLE ON HOW WE DO THIS, BUT IT'S A LOT OF CASH FUNDED CAPITAL.
SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WIGGLE ROOM TO, TO PLAY WITH THIS, BUT THAT ALSO EATS INTO OUR RESERVES,
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WHICH IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO IN INSTEAD OF INCREASING RATES.WE'VE, WE STRIKE THAT BALANCE AND SHOW IT TO YOU A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
UM, WE WON'T, WE WON'T GO THIS EXTREME WITH IT, BUT THAT'S WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, OUR GOAL IS STILL BEING 90 DAYS OF EXPENSES.
UH, UPCOMING WASTEWATER FUND PROJECTS THAT ARE IN DESIGN, UM, PHASE TWO OF THE COFFEE CREEK INTERCEPTORS, UH, WHICH IS BASICALLY FROM SOONER ROAD, UH, NORTH OF COVE BACK TO BASICALLY BRYANT AND COVELL IN THAT AREA.
AND SPRING CREEK INTERCEPTOR GOING FROM SECOND I 35 BACK OVER TO, UH, COLTRAN AND SOUTH OF SECOND HUNTERS CREEK, INTERCEPTOR NEAR COFFEE CREEK IN KELLY.
AND THEN CHISHOLM CREEK FOREST MAIN, UM, GOING FROM BASICALLY WESTERN AND COFFEE CREEK OVER TO, UH, BRYANT AND COBEL.
AND THEN SEWER LINE REHABILITATION, UH, EVERY YEAR.
UH, FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK DOING SOME, WE'RE STARTING TO GET INTO REPLACING EVEN STUFF WHENEVER I FIRST GOT HERE.
SO I'VE BEEN HERE A WHILE NOW, UM, 18 YEARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK AND DOING ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRICAL UPGRADES, THINGS LIKE THAT SO THAT WE DON'T GET BEHIND ON MAINTENANCE AND, AND GET THINGS IN THE STATE OF DISREPAIR.
SO, AND THEN SOME, UH, ITEMS AT THE ORFF THAT, UH, NEED SOME UPGRADES AND REHABILITATION, NAMELY THE CLARIFIERS AND FILTERS.
WELL, WHEN WE STARTED DESIGN 10 YEARS AGO THAT WE, THEY WEREN'T THAT OLD, BUT 10 YEARS LATER SURE ENOUGH.
SO, UH, AND THEN CONTINUED SEWER LINE REHABILITATION AND THEN INTERCEPTOR PROJECTS.
NEXT PHASES, UM, JUST GO INTO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN OPPORTUNITIES, THREATS FOR BOTH FUNDS, UH, ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SOME OF THE LARGER, LARGER ITEMS FOR US AS LEAD SERVICE LINE INVENTORY, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE THAT, HAVE IT AND MAINTAIN IT.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT IN THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND THEN MAINTAINING NEW EXISTING AND NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T MAINTAIN WHAT WE'RE PUTTING IN THE GROUND AND BUILDING NOW, THEN UM, YOU KNOW, WE JUST WOULDN'T BE DOING OUR CUSTOMERS SERVICE.
SO, UH, OPPORTUNITIES, INCREASED WHOLESALE WATER CELLS, UM, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT TO GENERATE SOME REVENUE AND, UH, HELP SPREAD THE COST AMONGST OTHERS.
SO, AND THEN THREATS FOR US, O OBVIOUSLY ARE NEW REGULATIONS.
WE, WE KNOW WHAT'S COMING UP THAT'S ON OUR RADAR, BUT WHATEVER I THOUGHT 10 YEARS AGO IS THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE FACED WITH.
AND THEN INFLATION PRIMARILY WITH THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS AS WE'VE SEEN FOR A WHILE.
SO, UH, WASTEWATER FUND, UH, OUR PRIMARY STRATEGIC PLAN IS, UH, MAINTAINING EXISTING AND NEW INFRASTRUCTURE OPPORTUNITIES, INCREASED EFFICIENCIES, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE BLOWER EXAMPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SAVING A LOT OF MONEY ON POWER, NOT TRYING TO CUT THE POWER OFF, JUST SAYING, UM, AND POTENTIALLY PARTNERING WITH THEM ELECTRIC FOR EITHER SOLAR OR SOME OTHER ONSITE GENERATION TO GENERATE POWER ON SITE.
AND THEN AGAIN, UH, THREATS BEING NEW REGULATIONS, WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE GONNA BE.
QUESTIONS WE HAD, I THINK THIS IS INTERESTING TO TALK ABOUT AND THINK ABOUT.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE, THE POSSIBILITY OF RECYCLING TREATED WATER BACK TO ARCADIA LAKE MM-HMM.
HOW, HOW REALISTIC IS THAT? IT'S VERY REALISTIC.
AND SO THE CURRENT, UH, WHARF EXPANSION HAS PIPING WHERE WE COULD PULL THAT OFF.
AND, UH, WE JUST NEED WHATEVER THE TREATMENT, WHATEVER THE REGULATIONS TELL US WE'LL NEED AT THAT TIME.
BUT THERE'S PROVISIONS IN PLACE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO KNOCK WALLS DOWN IN BUILDINGS.
WE CAN BUILD THE STRUCTURE OFF TO THE SIDE, OPEN A VALVE, AND THERE IT'S ON.
SO WHAT WOULD THE STRUCTURE BE? UH, RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, POTENTIALLY A SMALL SIDE STREAM, REVERSE OSMOSIS JUST TO KEEP SALT FROM BUILDING UP IN THE LAKE.
UH, THE WATER IN COMING OUT OF THE PLANT IS CLEANER THAN THE LAKE WATER.
UH, BUT DEPENDING ON WHAT WE HAVE TO MONITOR, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET SO FAR IN THE WEEDS WITH WHAT WE MONITOR, BUT ON OUR GENERAL POLLUTANTS, UH, IT'S CLEANER THAN WHAT'S IN THE LAKE.
SO WE DON'T WANNA GET YOUR LAKE WATER BACK FLOW INTO OUR SEWER PLANT.
DON'T, DON'T TRY MAKE THE LAKE CLEANER TRYING TO DO SO, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL FOR
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THE ECOSYSTEM AT THE LAKE TOO.WELL, THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF STUDIES THAT HAVE TO BE DONE.
NORMAN'S DOING THAT WITH THUNDERBIRD MM-HMM.
IT'S EXCITING THAT THEY'RE DOING IT FIRST.
SO THAT
WE, WE TALK QUITE A BIT AND IT'S A BIG DEAL IN THE STUDY.
SO IT, IT'LL, IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THEY, UM, THEY'VE GOT MORE COMPLICATIONS WITH MIDWEST CITY AND DEL CITY BEING PARTNERS IN THE LAKE, SO THAT, THAT ADDS COMPLEXITY TO HOW YOU GET THROUGH THOSE.
BUT DEFINITELY, UH, PUTTING THE WATER BACK INTO THE LAKE TO KEEP IT FULL, THAT IS, BECAUSE RECREATION IS SUCH A BIG DEAL AT ARCADIA MM-HMM.
AND I, AND I AM CONCERNED, WE'VE GOT NEIGHBORHOODS IN EAST EDMOND AND MY WARD THAT ARE COMPLETELY ON WELLS, AND, UH, AND THEY'RE LIKELY NOT DEEP ENOUGH.
A LOT OF THEM, I STARTED GETTING CALLS LAST SUMMER AND, AND THEY WERE STARTING TO TRIP OFF.
AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT NECESSARILY THE AQUIFERS IN HORRIBLE SHAPE, IT JUST MEANS THAT WELLS AREN'T RESIDENTIAL WELLS AREN'T DEEP ENOUGH.
AND SO I DO THINK Y'ALL CAN PROBABLY EXPECT THAT TO COME UP A LOT MORE THIS PROBABLY THIS SUMMER.
MAYBE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT, UM, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THAT EITHER NEED TO GO DEEPER OR, OR TRY TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING ELSE TO DO.
BUT AS WE PROGRESS IN THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR YEARS, IF THE TREND STAYS HOW IT IS AND WE CAN'T RECHARGE THE AQUIFER AS MUCH AS IT, IT SHOULD BE, UH, THEN WE MAY BE GETTING LOW ON THE LAKE.
AND WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF CALLS FOR, YOU KNOW, RUNNING WATER LINES INTO NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ASSESSMENT DISTRICTS, BUT 51% AT THAT TIME HAVE TO AGREE TO IT.
AND IT'S NEVER 51% OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE, WELL, I THINK IT'D BE CHEAPER FOR THEM TO JUST GO TOGETHER AND, AND WORK ON EACH OTHER'S WELLS AND GO DEEPER.
BUT IT IS, WE'RE KIND OF IN THE, WITH THE CYCLE SHOWING IS THAT WE'RE YEAR ONE, ONE OR TWO AND PROBABLY A, A FOUR OR FIVE YEAR TREND HERE.
NO, I, I REMEMBER 20 11, 20 12, THOSE, THOSE WERE OUR ROUGH YEARS AND YEAH.
UM, YEAH, IT WAS, IT WAS DIFFICULT.
SO, WHAT, LAST QUESTION, WHAT, HOW ARE WE DOING ON JUST OVERALL, WE TALKED ABOUT THREATS, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT COMING DOWN, NEW GUIDELINES AND ALL THAT, BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR COMMON MAN THREAT OUT THERE? UH, YOU KNOW, OUR BADGES DON'T ALLOW US TO GO THROUGH THE GATE, BUT, UH, HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT HOW WE ARE PROTECTING OUR, UH, OUR, OUR JEWEL OUT THERE THAT PROVIDES US OUR WATER WITH THE, WITH THE LAKE AND THE PLANT? OR WITH THE PLANT ITSELF? WELL, WITHOUT GIVING ANYTHING AWAY, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY GOOD.
WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE DONE MASTER PLANS TO PUT THINGS IN PLACE AND MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE IMPLEMENT NEW BUILDINGS AND EVEN WITH OUR CYBERSECURITY, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE SO WALLED OFF.
UM, AND THIS ISN'T TRYING TO ATTEMPT ANYBODY TO, YOU KNOW, HACK OUR SYSTEM, BUT, UH, TRYING TO STAY OFF THE, UH, WORLDWIDE WEB AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE THINGS, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF CONVENIENCE THINGS WHERE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF SYSTEMS COULD SEE THEIR SYSTEM FROM A HOUSE.
WE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TO, WE DON'T WANT TO OPEN IT UP LIKE THAT.
AND, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE GOT GOOD SECURITY MEASURES, WHETHER IT'S FENCES, CAMERAS, WHATEVER IT IS.
UM, KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF BUILDINGS AND, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE TO KEEP IT SAFE.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S ARTICLES ALL THE TIME AND WE DON'T, WE DON'T PLAN ON BEING THAT, SO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, SIR.
MAYBE IT'S KRISTEN FOR CASEY, CAN YOU COME UP AND REMIND US WHAT DID WE RECEIVE FROM OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS IN THE PAST? AND I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY SUBMITTED RECENTLY FOR ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.
I THINK ONE THING FOR CHRIS, AND CHRIS AND I AND OTHER WORKS ABOUT THIS DISCUSSION, TO YOUR POINT CUSTOMER MORE ABOUT WELLS AND USAGE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO STRIKE A BALANCE IS, IS PROTECTING THE OVERALL AQUIFER.
UH, VERSUS, I'LL CALL IT THE DESIRE FOR SOME PEOPLE TO HAVE WELLS FOR LANDSCAPE AND OTHER NATURE OF, OF WHAT'S THAT PROPER BALANCE AND WHAT'S THE PROPER BALANCE OF DROOLING WELL, TO SERVICE YOUR HOME.
UH, THAT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY IMPACT THE AQUIFER FOR CERTAIN SIZES OF, OF RESIDENCES, I WANNA SAY RESIDENCES
[00:30:01]
OF ACREAGE.THERE MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE WELLS FOR THAT.
BUT IF YOU'RE SMALLER AND YOU'RE WANTING CITY SERVICES AND, AND CITIES ONLY, AND THERE MIGHT BE A DISCUSSION, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK AND SAY, FOR THESE TYPES OF HOMES, AND THESE TYPES OF LOTS ARE SMALLER, THE GOAL IS YOU, YOU CONNECT TO CITY SERVICES VERSUS PROLIFERATION OF MORE AND MORE WELLS.
I, IT WOULD, I PROBABLY WON'T BE A PART OF THAT DISCUSSION.
BUT I DO, I THINK IT, IT CARRIES OVER INTO MORE OF A PROPERTY RIGHTS DISCUSSION.
AND I, I UNDERSTAND THAT I'LL JUST DIE FROM LIKE 20 PLUS YEARS OF THE WEST.
AND THE OVERALL WATER SECURITY OF, OF CITIES, NOT JUST US, BUT ANY CITY IS WHAT IS THAT PROPER BALANCE? AND, AND HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE WHAT AQUIFER YOU DRAWING FROM VERSUS THE GENERAL AQUIFER.
UH, CAUSE IT'S NOT JUST WHAT YOU PULL OUT, BUT IT'S WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING BACK IN.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO HAVE DISCUSSION WITH SOME, FROM SOME OF OUR WELL PROVIDERS ABOUT WHAT'S THE PROPER BALANCE AND WHAT NEEDS TO OCCUR.
BUT WE, WE'LL HAVE MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS, BUT CASEY WANTS TO KIND OF BRIEF US.
CAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY ACTIVE ON OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS OF IS THERE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO HELP WITH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS.
AND, AND AS YOU'VE SEEN, CHRIS IS TRYING TO BE REALLY MINDFUL ABOUT OFFSETTING COSTS FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND SO WE'RE OUT THERE WORKING AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO FIND ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO HELP WITH, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, AS THE COSTS HAVE SKYROCKETED BASED UPON THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE.
SO, UH, WE DID RECEIVE 5 MILLION, UH, FROM A COUPLE FI A COUPLE CYCLES AGO, UH, THROUGH SENATOR IN HOFF'S OFFICE, UH, THIS LAST YEAR, WHICH THOSE FUNDS WILL BE COMING IN SOON.
UH, REPRESENTATIVE VICE, CONGRESSWOMAN VICE, UH, WE'VE GOT 5 MILLION THROUGH HER OFFICE, ALSO 13 MILLION THROUGH THE STATE ARPA, UH, FUND THIS LAST YEAR.
WE HAVE REQUESTS IN THROUGH, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN VICE'S OFFICE AGAIN THIS YEAR.
UH, AND THEN WE ALSO, EXCUSE ME, WE ALSO HAVE A REQUEST IN THROUGH SENATOR MULLIN'S OFFICE AS WELL.
SO WE'RE HOPEFUL, WE'RE WORKING HARD, WE'RE TRYING TO BE GOOD PARTNERS WITH OUR, OUR FEDERAL OFFICIALS.
UM, THEY SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER, THEY UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO OUR AREA.
UM, AND THEY ALSO SEE THAT AS A COMMUNITY, WE'RE TRYING TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND TRIED TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY AND EVEN EVEN DOING IT THAT WAY.
UM, THE COSTS HAVE HAVE JUST BEEN CRAZY.
SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN, UH, TO HELP FUND, ESPECIALLY THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE FOR WATER.
COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POWER GENERATION AND LOOKING AT THE SOLAR AND THAT, THAT JUST DROPPED THIS LAST MONTH.
THAT WAS IT 45 BILLION? IS THAT WHAT THEY CONGRESS APPROVED FOR THAT THAT POT? HAVE Y'ALL HEARD THIS YET? FOR, FOR SOLARS EVER? SHUN MOUNT? IT'S FOR, YEAH.
IT'S, THAT WOULD BE A, THAT WOULD BE A POTENTIAL GRANT, CORRECT.
FOR TO, UH, TO POWER PLANTS OR TREATMENT PLANTS.
AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AT THAT TIME.
SO I, I REALLY THINK THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A POSSIBILITY THERE.
AND I KNOW GLEN WILL TOUCH ON THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH O M P R POWER PROVIDER, AND I KNOW THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT EVEN SOME LOCAL GEN GENERATION AS WELL, WHEREAS RIGHT NOW WE DON'T GENERATE ANY, ANY POWER.
I THINK SOLAR IN THE FUTURE WILL PROBABLY BE A PIECE OF THAT MIX HERE LOCALLY THAT WE'LL GENERATE.
SO OTHER QUESTIONS? THIS IS THAT GRANT THROUGH ACO.
SO THIS IS THE, FOR THE DESIGN AND THEN FUTURE PROJECTS FROM I GOT YOU.
ANYTHING ELSE RELATED TO THAT? OKAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR WATER? SO
[2. Presentation and discussion of the FY2024 Edmond Electric department budget. ]
WE CAN DO ADMIN ELECTION NOW.GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
UM, I'M GLENN FISHER, DIRECTOR OF EDMOND ELECTRIC.
I WANTED TO START OFF FIRST OF ALL, TALKING ABOUT OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, BECAUSE I WILL BE BACK BEFORE COUNCIL, UM, PROBABLY RIGHT AFTER THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, UM, ABOUT WHOLESALE POWER PRICES.
AS A REMINDER, UH, OKLAHOMA, THE OKLAHOMA MUNICIPAL POWER AUTHORITY BUYS, UH, POWER FROM THE S P WHOLESALE POWER MARKET ON OUR BEHALF.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS, UH, FISCAL YEAR, JULY AND AUGUST, WAS A 14 YEAR HIGH IN NATURAL GAS PRICES WITHIN THAT SOUTHWEST POWER POOL COMPETITIVE MARKET.
NATURAL GAS TYPICALLY SETS THE MARGINAL PRICE FOR ELECTRICITY.
SO, IF YOU REMEMBER JULY AND AUGUST VERY HOT, WE HAD REALLY HIGH LOAD PLUS HIGH GAS PRICES MEANT THAT OUR WHOLESALE POWER PRICES WERE EXTREMELY HIGH FOR THOSE TWO MONTHS.
UH, THEY'RE ACTUALLY HIGH FOR SEPTEMBER AS WELL.
SO WHAT WE ARE ESTIMATING FOR THE END OF YEAR IS ABOUT 78 MILLION OR 79 MILLION IN WHOLESALE POWER PRICES.
UH, AND LIKE I SAID, THAT IS BOUGHT THROUGH THAT SOUTHWEST POWER POOL COMPETITIVE MARKET.
WE BUDGETED 62 MILLION BASED UPON ABOUT THREE TO $4 GAS, WHICH IS WHERE IT WAS PROJECTED TO GO THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR.
THERE ARE MULTITUDE OF REASONS WHY NATURAL GAS PRICES WENT HIGH.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THAT, BUT IT DOES REFLECT ON OUR WHOLESALE
[00:35:01]
POWER COSTS.WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT OUR WHOLESALE POWER COSTS ARE A PASS THROUGH.
WE DON'T GO OUT AND TRY TO MAKE A PROFIT ON THIS.
WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT EACH MONTH WHAT WE, WHAT WE, UM, COLLECTED FOR WHOLESALE POWER, WHAT, UH, UH, NEXT MONTH'S WHOLESALE POWER IS.
I MAKE A PROJECTION, IT GOES THROUGH, UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR FINAL APPROVAL BEFORE WE IMPLEMENT A NEW FUEL COST ADJUSTMENT TO RECOVER THOSE.
UM, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THAT 16 MILLION SHORTFALL THAT WE HAVE, UM, IF I TRIED TO RECOVER THAT IN ONE MONTH, LET'S SAY JULY'S WHOLESALE POWER BILL, IF I TRIED TO RECOVER IT ON AUGUST RETAIL SALES, WE WOULD'VE HAD TO ADJUST OUR FUEL COST ADJUSTMENT FROM 1.70 CENTS TO OVER 11 CENTS.
SO WHAT WE DO IS WE ACTUALLY PULL FROM OUR RATE STABILIZATION RESERVES, WE KEEP RESERVED BALANCES JUST FOR THIS SCENARIO.
SO WE PULL FROM THAT AND THEN WE REPLENISH THAT OVER TIME THROUGH THE FCA.
IF YOU'VE SEEN THE FC IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, I'VE, I'VE RAISED IT UP, I SUSPECT WE'LL PROBABLY KEEP IT AT THAT LEVEL ABOUT 16 TO 18 MONTHS AND THEN START DROPPING IT BACK DOWN UNLESS THERE'S SOME OTHER EVENT THAT WARRANTS, UH, KEEPING THAT.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE THINK WE'RE GONNA SIT AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
LIKE I SAID, I'LL BE COMING BACK BEFORE COUNCIL LATER ON TO ASK FOR A TRANSFER FROM OUR RESERVES INTO THAT LINE ITEM SO WE CAN COVER THOSE ADDITIONAL COSTS AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT PIECE? ALL RIGHT.
OUR REVENUE STREAM, WE EXPECT TO COLLECT 100 AND ROUGHLY 107 MILLION IN REVENUE.
IF YOU NOTICE, WE ARE VERY HEAVY ON RESIDENTIAL.
39,000 OF OUR 43,000 CUSTOMERS ARE RESIDENTIAL.
SO WE RELY UPON A RESIDENTIAL CLASS FOR A LOT OF OUR REVENUE.
UM, THEY, THEY ARE THE LARGEST PORTION OF OUR KILOWATT OR RETAIL SALES AS WELL.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE FUEL COST ADJUSTMENT LINE, YOU'LL SEE THAT, UH, HIGHER FUEL COST ADJUSTMENT, PURE AND SIMPLE REVENUE STREAM REFLECTED IN THAT INCREASED FUEL COST ADJUSTMENT AND PURE AND SIMPLE, RIGHT? SO THAT THAT WILL HELP COVER THOSE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR WHOLESALE POWER.
IF WE LOOK AT EXPENSES FOR 2024, UM, OR ONCE AGAIN 107 MILLION WORTH OF EXPENSES, COUPLE OF I WANT TO POINT OUT, FIRST OF ALL, WHOLESALE POWER.
THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THE BIGGEST PIECE OF OUR BUDGET.
UH, THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE EXPECTING 72 MILLION.
THAT'S BASED ON A, UH, STUDY THAT O PA DOES WITH ZI.
THEY LOOK AT THEIR RATES AND NEEDS FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR AND PROJECT OUR WHOLESALE POWER PRICES FOR ALL 42 MEMBERS.
OURS TURNS OUT TO BE 72.5 MILLION.
UH, THE OTHER ONE I WANT TO POINT OUT IS CAPITAL OUTLAY.
THAT IS KIND OF A BIG BUCKET FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
EVERYTHING FROM ROAD WIDENING PROJECTS, WE HAVE TO RELOCATE OUR FACILITIES OUT OF THE WAY SO THAT THEY COULD DO A ROAD WIDENING PROJECT, ANY UNDERGROUND CONVERSIONS, ANY EXTENSIONS FOR NEW SUBDIVISIONS, ANY IMPROVEMENTS ON A DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
SO IT'S A SMALL NUMBER FOR A BIG BUCKET.
UM, SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT TO SUPPORT IN 2024, AS I MENTIONED, ROAD WIDENINGS.
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW OF 'EM COMING UP.
TWO OF THE ONES IN THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR WILL BE, UH, SOONER IN COVE.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA WIDEN BY THE NEW CREST, AND SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO RELOCATE SOME FACILITIES THERE.
THE ONE THAT'S ONGOING RIGHT NOW, DANFORTH AND KELLY OG AND E IS CURRENTLY MOVING THEIR TRANSMISSION LINES, THEIR TRANSMISSION POLE.
WE ESTIMATED THAT WHEN WE FIRST LEARNED ABOUT THE PROJECT ABOUT 1.2, IT'S LOOKING LIKE WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO TAKE SOME OF THAT UNDERGROUND, WHICH WILL PROBABLY JUST ABOUT DOUBLE THAT PRICE.
WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT ABOUT TWO, 2.4 MILLION FOR THAT PROJECT.
SEVERAL MORE THAT ARE COMING UP IN AN OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
THERE'S QUITE A FEW ROAD WIDENING PROJECTS, AND THOSE ARE THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
THOSE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE FUNDS FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
THAT IS STRICTLY OUT OF ELECTRIC FUNDS.
AND THAT COMES OUT OF THAT CAPITAL OUTLAY THAT I MENTIONED.
I, UH, SUPPORT DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THERE'S GONNA BE, IF YOU REMEMBER FROM THE LI STUDY, THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THEY HAD IS TO START TAKING, UH, ELECTRIC FACILITIES UNDERGROUND.
UH, I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES WITH THE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX AND THE ROADS AND ACCESS IN THERE, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH OUR FACILITIES AS WELL.
AND THEN WE ALSO GOTTA LOOK AT THAT WHOLE AREA AS A, AS A WHOLE AND HOW WE'RE GONNA SERVE THAT NEW HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT IN THAT AREA.
SO WE ARE DOING SOME INTERNAL WORK TO SEE WHAT CHANGES WE NEED TO MAKE ON OUR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM TO SUPPORT THAT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WHITE SUBSTATION, WE'VE BEEN DOING A MULTI-YEAR, UM, SUBSTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
WE'VE REPLACED SIX TRANSFORMERS ACROSS OUR SYSTEM THAT WERE AGING OUT OF THEIR USEFUL LIFETIME, ABOUT 50 YEARS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN UPGRADING ALL OF OUR, UH, DISTRIBUTION OR OUR SUBSTATION RELAYS.
UH, WE HAD SOME OLD ANTIQUATED, REALLY NICE 1970S VINTAGE EQUIPMENT IN THERE THAT WE'VE BEEN CHANGING OUT.
[00:40:01]
PART OF ANOTHER STEP IN OUR MODERNIZATION PROJECT.UM, THIS IS JUST THE POWER TRANSFORMERS ARE FILLED OF MINERAL OIL.
WE DO NOT WANT THAT IF THERE'S EVER A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE TO SPREAD.
SO WE WE'RE UPGRADING THAT CONTAINMENT SYSTEM.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE CONTINUING, LIKE I SAID, TO REPLACE THE OWNER RELAYS AND OTHER SUBSTATION DEVICES.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE OF COURSE WITH NEW DEVELOPMENTS, AS I MENTIONED, CAPITAL OUTLAY ALSO COVERS DISTRIBUTION EXTENSIONS FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
WE FEEL THAT THERE'LL BE FEWER DEVELOPMENTS AND IN THE NEXT YEAR, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THE, UM, BE ABLE PREPARED TO EXTEND THOSE FACILITIES TO SERVE THOSE NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
SO SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES, I'M GONNA KIND OF REPEAT MYSELF.
ROAD WIDENINGS, UH, WITH THAT, AS I MENTIONED, EVERYTHING COMES OUT OF THAT.
CAPITAL OUTLAY LINE ITEMS. THE MORE EXPENSIVE THE ROAD WIDENINGS ARE, THE MORE FREQUENT THEY ARE.
THAT'S LESS MONEY TO DO EVERYTHING ELSE ON OUR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
SO IT'S, THERE'S A LIMITED POT JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
UM, DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE FOR MULTIPLE REASONS.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT BUILDING AN OVERHEAD CIRCUIT IS ABOUT 75 TO A HUNDRED DOLLARS PER FOOT.
TAKING AN UNDERGROUND, ESPECIALLY IN AN OLDER AREA, WHICH HAS A LOT OF STUFF UNDERGROUND THAT YOU CANNOT SEE UNDER THAT PAVEMENT, IS ABOUT FOUR TO $600 A FOOT.
SO THERE'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OVERHEAD AND UNDERGROUND.
UM, CAPACIT CAPACITY IS ANOTHER ISSUE.
ALL OF THE CIRCUITS COMING INTO DOWNTOWN, WERE DESIGNED TO SERVE SINGLE FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL AND LOW IMPACT SINGLE STORY RETAIL.
AS YOU START BUILDING THOSE MULTI-LEVEL, UH, HIGHER DENSITY DEVELOPMENTS DOWNTOWN, WE'VE GOTTA LOOK NOT ONLY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA AT THAT PIECE OF PARCEL THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED, BUT WE'VE ALSO GOT TO MOVE BACK AND LOOK AT ALL THE FEEDER COMING IN FROM THE SUBSTATION.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE SOME REBUILDS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
WE, WE, WE'VE ACTUALLY HAVE ALREADY STARTED SOME PROJECTS.
WE, WE STARTED 'EM BEFORE, BUT WE'RE GOING, WE'RE DOING A, UM, WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING AT AN INTERNAL, UM, WE GOT AN INTERNAL GROUP THAT'S LOOKING AT WHAT WE NEED IN THAT DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, THERE ARE SOME DEVELOPMENTS JUST SOUTH OF EDMOND, UH, ROAD.
THAT'S GONNA BE A MAJOR CHALLENGE FOR US TO FEED, UM, THAT WE ARE WORKING ON HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BECAUSE THAT WILL OUTSTRIP THE CAPACITY OF THE CIRCUIT THAT'S THERE NOW.
UM, AND THERE'S TWO COMPONENTS TO THIS.
FIRST OF ALL, WHEN YOU ST, I MENTIONED A SPACE UNDERGROUND.
WE HAVE A REQUIRED SEPARATION FOR THE, FROM OTHER FACILITIES.
WE HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF FEET AWAY FROM COMMUNICATION FACILITIES, FROM WATER LINES, FROM SEWER LINES, UH, FROM GAS LINES, ET CETERA.
WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT MOST OF THAT IS BACK LOT EASEMENT.
AND IF WE START TALKING ABOUT TAKING AN UNDERGROUND, UM, IT'S A REAL CHALLENGE TO, TO PUT IT IN THE EXISTING SPACE AND KEEP THAT SEPARATION.
UM, IF WE START MOVING IT AROUND THE FRONT, AROUND UH, FRONT OF THE PROPERTY, YOU STILL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE.
CUZ THERE'S LIMITED RIGHT OF AWAY THERE AS WELL.
SECOND COMPONENT TO SPACE IS THAT WHEN YOU START THINKING ABOUT TAKING THINGS UNDERGROUND, YOU'RE TRADING A POLE THAT IS ABOUT 12 TO 13 INCHES WIDE WITH A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT IS 10 FOOT BY 10 FOOT IN SOME CASES.
SO THAT'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE SPACE REQUIRED TO SERVE THESE DEVELOPMENTS.
MOST OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS ARE VERY CRAMPED, VERY TIGHT.
THERE'S VERY LIMITED SPACE FOR ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE'RE FACING AS WE GO FORWARD ON THESE.
I SUSPECT SOME OF THE NEWER DEVELOPMENTS WILL PROBABLY BE ALMOST ZERO LOT LINE WITH ZERO SPACE FOR ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.
SO SOMETHING'S GONNA HAVE TO, IT'S GOTTA GO SOMEWHERE AND IT'S NOT FEASIBLE.
IF YOU GO DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY, YOU DON'T SEE ANYTHING.
BUT THEY HAVE A TUNNEL NETWORK THAT SUPPORTS ALL THEIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
AND THAT IS NOT FEASIBLE HERE BECAUSE IT WASN'T DESIGNED YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AGO.
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN DO HERE.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS.
I'VE TALKED ABOUT SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES BEFORE.
I HAVE BEEN FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
WE STILL HAVE MULTIPLE YEAR LEAD TIMES FOR A LOT OF EQUIPMENT, ESPECIALLY DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMERS.
SOME OF OUR LARGER THREE PHASE TRANSFORMERS ARE TWO AND A HALF TO THREE YEARS OUT.
WE HAVE SOME THAT WE ORDERED WITH A SIX MONTH LEAD TIME THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DELIVERED SIX MONTHS AGO AND WE'RE A YEAR OUT FROM GETTING THOSE STILL.
SO IT'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGE GOING FORWARD IS KEEPING MATERIAL IN STOCK AND IT KIND OF GOES, EVERYTHING ELSE KIND OF GOES, YOU KNOW, METER BASES WE'RE IN SHORT SUPPLY FOR A WHILE.
CABLE HAS NOT BEEN TOO BAD, BUT IT'S BEEN, LEAD TIMES HAVE STRETCHED OUT ON THAT.
SOME OF OUR JUNCTION CANS HAVE WENT FROM ABOUT SIX WEEKS TO ALMOST A YEAR AND IT KIND OF FLUCTUATE.
DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMERS IS GONNA BE THE BEAR CONTINUING.
UH, DOE HAS SOME NEW EFFICIENCY STANDARDS STARTING UP IN JANUARY THAT, UH, CHANGES THE, UH, EFFICIENCY LEVEL OF TRANSFORMERS.
THERE'S A PREDICTION BY MULTIPLE GROUPS THAT IT'S GOING TO EXTEND THE LEAD TIMES EVEN FURTHER.
SO WE WILL KEEP ON TOP OF THAT AS BEST WE CAN.
[00:45:01]
ANYTHING WE CAN GET OUR HANDS ON AND STORING IT JUST TO HAVE 'EM AVAILABLE.BUT IT WILL POSE A CHALLENGE SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.
VEHICLE ACQUISITION IS ANOTHER ONE.
UM, I THINK YOU'LL HEAR THIS FROM ALMOST EVERY DEPARTMENT.
OUR LARGER EQUIPMENT HAS ALSO STRETCHED OUT ON LEAD TIMES AND OUR AVAILABLE OPTIONS ARE DIMINISHED.
THEY'RE BASICALLY BUILDING A STOCK UNIT SAYING TAKE IT OR LEAD.
SO WE'RE ORDERING NOW, WE'RE ORDERING FOR A 10 YEAR REPLACEMENT CYCLE.
WE'RE ORDERING A NEW VEHICLE IN YEAR SEVEN, KNOWING THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE THREE YEARS TO GET THAT VEHICLE.
UM, AND OF COURSE CHRIS MENTIONED THIS AND WE'RE NO DIFFERENT INCREASED COST FOR ALL OUR MATERIAL.
EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP IN PRICE AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW, UH, WE NEED TO ACCOMMODATE THAT GOING FORWARD.
SO THE FUTURE, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR? UH, FIRST OF ALL, I HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT AMI, SO I WILL TALK ABOUT AMI, OUR SMART CHOICE PROGRAM.
WE'RE LOOKING TO FINISH THE ELECTRICAL SIDE, UM, OF THE INSTALLATION PROBABLY IN DECEMBER WE WILL, IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL COMPLETE WATER, WHICH WAS BEHIND, UH, THE ELECTRIC IN PROBABLY MAY, JUNE OF NEXT YEAR.
SO WE SHOULD BE WRAPPING UP THAT PHASE OF IT.
UM, WE WILL THEN, UM, WE'RE LOOKING, WE'RE DEALING WITH OUR SOFTWARE VENDOR ON A WEB PORTAL.
UM, I SHOULD HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF A TIMELINE AFTER NEXT WEEK.
WE HAVE A CONFERENCE CALL WITH THAT VENDOR, TALK ABOUT WHERE THEY ARE IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS FOR SOME OF THE PIECES OF IT.
UM, WE'RE ALSO GONNA UPDATE OUR, OUR BILLING SYSTEMS SOFTWARE TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW VERSION.
UM, SO THERE'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, UPDATES MAKE ME NERVOUS AS THEY DO.
SARAH, OUR IT DIRECTOR, UM, YOU'LL HEAR FROM ME COMING UP THIS NEXT YEAR AS WE ROLL, FINISH THE ROLLOUT HERE ABOUT A RESIDENTIAL TIME OF USE RATE THAT BASICALLY SIMILAR TO THE SMART ERRORS THAT OG AND E OFFERS, WE WANT AN OFFER AT THE SAME TYPE OF PRODUCT TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
WE ARE LOOKING AT STARTING SOME DISTRIBUTION AUTOMATION, UM, THAT BASICALLY, UM, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE'VE UPGRADED A LOT OF OUR SUBSTATION EQUIPMENT, WE'VE ADDED ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.
WHAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO IS AUTOMATE SOME OF THE SWITCHING ON OUR SYSTEM SO THAT IN SOME CASES WHERE WE HAVE OUTAGES, IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH AND PICK A CUSTOMER UP.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING DOWN THAT PATH.
THAT'S GONNA BE A MULTI-YEAR PROJECT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE STARTING TO LOOK AT NOW.
THE, THE AMI WAS KIND OF ESSENTIAL IN THAT TO TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT WAS OFF, WHAT WAS ON WHERE YOU NEEDED TO SWITCH.
SO IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE STARTING NOW.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO START A FEEDER EFFICIENCY PILOT WITH O MPA.
AS I MENTIONED, WHOLESALE POWER COSTS ARE OUR BIGGEST COST.
ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO SHAVE THAT IS JUST TO PASS THROUGH TO THE CUSTOMER.
SO ANY SAVINGS WE CAN GET, IT SAVES MONEY ALL ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A, UM, PILOT PROJECT WITH O MPA THIS YEAR THAT WILL HELP SHAVE OFF OUR, UM, ON, WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE GONNA START WITH ONE DISTRIBUTION FEEDER AND SEE HOW WELL THAT WORKS.
UM, THE SMART CHOICE PROGRAM AND OUR AMI METERS WAS ESSENTIAL TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND SUCCESSFUL.
SO WE'RE GONNA START THAT PILOT PROGRAM.
UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHAVE SOME OF OUR, UH, DISTRIBUTION LOSSES OFF OF OUR SYSTEM.
AND THAT JUST REFLECTS BACK IN OUR WHOLESALE POWER COSTS.
UM, WE'RE ALSO STARTING UP A DEMAND ENERGY REDUCTION PROGRAM.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME INTEREST IN THIS, UH, FROM A, UH, BUSINESS HERE IN TOWN.
AND THEN WE EXPECT THIS TO WILL BE GROWING.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU AGGREGATE A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT LOADS AND THEN YOU BID THAT INTO THE WHOLESALE POWER MARKET, WHICH REDUCES YOUR OVERALL SYSTEM PEAK AND THEY GET MONEY BACK FOR DOING THAT.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT WITH O M PA AS WELL.
AND FINALLY, CASEY MENTIONED THIS.
WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT SOME GRANT MONEY FOR SUBSTATION SOLAR BATTERY INSTALLATION.
THERE'S MULTIPLE REASONS FOR THIS.
UM, PRIMARILY, UM, WE WANTED TO TRY TO START A COMMUNITY SOLAR TYPE PROJECT BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE CAN, CAN AFFORD TO PUT SOLAR ON THEIR HOUSE.
WE WANT THEM TO HAVE A SOLAR OPTION, THEY'VE GOT A WIND OPTION.
WE WANT TO OFFER A SOLAR OPTION AS WELL.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT SEEKING GRANT FUNDS TO PURSUE THIS WITH THE WHOLE PA.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA PARTNER WITH THEM AND WE'RE GONNA PUT OUR FINGERS OUT THERE AND SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME MONEY.
SO WITH THAT I'LL ASK IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH.
UH, CAN WE DO, CAN I DO THE NEXT CASE? UH, TOM ROBBINS 1000 PROSPECT COURT AT IN OKLAHOMA.
UH, SO MY QUESTION IS ALONG, UM, IN TALKING TO RESIDENTS AS FAR AS BUDGETING, MOST OF OUR RESIDENTS, UM, INTERACT WITH UTILITIES EITHER WHEN THEY'RE HOOKING UP OR MOVING OR HAVE AN ISSUE OR WHEN THEY GET THEIR UTILITY BILL.
SO UTILITY KIND OF BIG YOU INCLUDING ALL OF IT, LIKE WASTEWATER, WATER, ELECTRICITY, UM, THEY KIND OF LUMP TOGETHER.
MY QUESTION IS POST COVID, WHAT DOES THE BUDGET LOOK LIKE OR CALL FOR AS
[00:50:01]
FAR AS FACE-TO-FACE, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR, UM, UH, FOR RESIDENTS.UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IF SOMEONE'S 72 YEARS OLD AND THEY GET THEIR BILL, THEY'RE CONFUSED BY IT.
WHAT'S THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW? AND THEN WHAT'S BEING BUDGETED FOR? UM, FUTURE KIND OF CUSTOMER SERVICE ON THE ADMIN UTILITY SIDE.
MAYOR, IF YOU WANT WANT, WE CAN HAVE ANDY RESPOND TO THAT.
YEAH, APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.
SO, UH, AS MANY PEOPLE KNOW DURING COVID WHAT WE DID IS WE WENT AWAY FROM UH, BEING OFF OFFERING FACE-TO-FACE SERVICE TO UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING OUR, OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR EMPLOYEES SAFE.
AND SO POST COVID, WHAT WE FOUND OUT IS THAT, UH, VAST MAJORITY OF OUR CUSTOMERS CHANGE THEIR HABIT.
SO CURRENTLY PEOPLE THAT, UM, WE HAVE KIOSK SET OUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND SO PEOPLE USE THOSE KIOSKS.
SO CURRENTLY ABOUT 1% OF OUR CUSTOMER BASE CHOOSES TO USE THOSE KIOSK.
SO WE FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THAT FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION THAT WE PREVIOUSLY HAD IS NOW TAKING PLACE THROUGH THE KIOSK.
SO WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS A INTERACTIVE KIOSK.
SO WHERE, WHEN, AND THAT SHOULD BE LIVE, MAY 1ST.
SO THE KIOSK THAT CURRENTLY GETS THE MOST USAGE IS IN OUR CITY, UH, IS IN OUR, UH, CITY FIRST BUILDING LOCATED AT 24 EAST FIRST.
AND SO FOR RESIDENTS THAT ARE ABLE TO COME IN AND WISH TO PAY THEIR UTILITY BILL, UH, WITH US IN PERSON, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO PUSH A BUTTON, A FACE WILL POP UP ON THE SCREEN AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST THEM WITH THEIR UTILITY BILL.
SO THAT IS CURRENTLY WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED SO FAR.
AND ASSUMING THAT THAT WORKS WELL, THEN CURRENTLY OUR UTILITY CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS MOVED TO, UH, NEAR I 35 IN COVELL.
THEN WE WILL ROLL THAT OUT OUT THERE.
SO THAT IS THE PLAN RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION FOR SOMEONE WISHING TO PAY THEIR UTILITY BILL, I'M GONNA GUESS THAT'S NOT THE ANSWER THAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR, TOM, AND THAT'S NOT GONNA BE THE ANSWER YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE LOOKING FOR GOING FORWARD AND I WOULD WELCOME YOU TO TRY TO GET SOMETHING DONE FOR THOSE PEOPLE.
WHAT THE PUBLIC SETTING SO GREAT THAT IT CAME UP AND STAFF IS ALWAYS WILLING TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR THAT IF THAT IS NOT WORKING.
UM, AGAIN, WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE CHANGED THEIR HABITS AND AGAIN, WE HAVE, UH, INCREASED OUR TECHNOLOGY PERFORMANCE ONLINE FOR MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO PAY THEIR BILL.
BUT WE DO REALIZE THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH OUR KIOSK AS WE WORK TO WORK THROUGH THOSE.
IF THEY'RE AGAIN, TRYING TO FIND THAT BALANCE BETWEEN, UM, MAKING IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO PAY THE UTILITIES WHILE KEEPING OUR EMPLOYEES SAFE.
CUZ WE HAVE, WE DID HAVE INCIDENTS PREVIOUSLY.
UM, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE STRIKING THAT BALANCE AND IF WE'RE NOT AS STAFF, THEN UH, THEN WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT FEEDBACK.
I, THIS GONNA BE A CONVERSATION THAT'S GONNA GO ON FOR THE FUTURE.
IT'S, WE, WE GOTTA FIND A BALANCE AND UH, I AGREE ON BOTH SIDES THAT WE NEED TO GET AS TECHNICALLY SADLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT THEN THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WE, WE NEED TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF FACE-TO-FACE AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
UM, AS WE GO INTO THE FUTURE, BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS CHANGING QUICKLY, I SENT THE CITY MANAGER A NOTE WHERE ONE OF THE LARGER CITIES IN, UH, THE COUNTRY, I THINK IT WAS CHICAGO, THEY HAVE LIKE 73 KIOSKS THROUGHOUT THEIR CITY AND THAT'S HOW YOU PAY YOUR BILLS IN CHICAGO NOW.
AND SO WE JUST GOTTA FIGURE OUT THE BALANCE.
UH, IT'S AN EDUCATIONAL PROCESS.
UH, AND AS JUST LIKE WE WENT THROUGH IN THE VERY BEGINNING WITH OUR PHONES, WE, WE USED TO HAVE, WELL SOMETHING BRICK PHONES AND NOW WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S SO SMALL IT'S GONNA BE A, SOMETHING WE CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT.
MAYOR, UH, WE ARE STARTING THE INTERNAL DISCUSSION ABOUT, WHAT'S THE PROPER WORD, KATHY ONE.
WHAT'S THE BURSAR? WHAT'S THAT? BURSAR? I DON'T KNOW THAT ONE, BUT IT'S THE OPPORTUNITY THAT IF YOU WANT TO PAY A BILLING PERMIT FEE, A TRAFFIC FEE, WHAT IS IT? CENTRAL CASH.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT EITHER.
IS THERE A, A VALUE OF HAVING A, I'LL CALL IT A TELLER SPOT.
WHEN I THINK OF A TELLER, I THINK OF THE OLD BANK TELLERS WHERE SOMEBODY'S SITTING THERE OR STANDING THERE EITHER AT THE NEW, UM, OR IT MIGHT BE BOTH.
EITHER AT THE NEW CITY HALL AND OR OUT AT, WHAT DO WE CALL IT? CROSS TIMBERS, NORTH TIMBERS, EAST TIMBERS, NORTHEAST TIMBERS, NORTH TIMBERS.
[00:55:01]
TOO MANY TIMBERS OUT THERE HAVING SOME TOR SOME SORT OF TELLER OPPORTUNITY.UM, NOT JUST FOR UTILITIES FOR EXAMPLE, BUT IF I WANT TO COME IN AND PAY MM-HMM
WHETHER I WANNA, I'LL CALL IT ITEMIZE, I WANNA PAY MY GAS BILL OR WHATEVER IT IS.
THAT'S MY PREVIOUS CITY WATER, WASTEWATER ELECTRIC.
I HAVE A TRAFFIC CITATION, WHATEVER I CAN PAY IT IN ONE STOP VERSUS MOVING EACH OTHER.
RIGHT NOW, I THINK YOU HEARD IN THE LAST WORKSHOP ABOUT WE HAVE DIFFERENT BANKING SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THE GOAL IS TO KIND OF MERGE THOSE INTO MORE OF A, A FINITE NUMBER AND THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE MORE OF A CENTRAL CASHIER SYSTEM TO HANDLE ALL THIS.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
SO I THINK ANDY, WE HEARD SOME FEEDBACK THERE ON AND I THINK THE KEY IS NO MATTER WHETHER IT'S 97, 98, 90 9% OF PEOPLE DO THINGS WITH THEIR PHONE, THERE'S STILL ENOUGH PEOPLE.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, THERE'S ALWAYS A NEED TO HAVE A HUMAN INTERACTION.
UM, AND, AND SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT, UH, NOT JUST FOR THE HUMAN INTERACTION, BUT IS THERE A BETTER, BETTER WAY TO DO, UH, CASH MANAGEMENT INSTEAD OF GOING TO VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO GO TO A CENTRAL LOCATION AND SAY I CAN HANDLE ALL THINGS.
IT'S ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE FEW PLACES THAT WE CAN HAVE A REAL IMPACT WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO A LOT BETTER THAN WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING AND IT'S A BIG OPPORTUNITY FOR US GOING FORWARD.
IT'S ALSO QUESTION, IT'S ALSO GOOD FOR OUR CASH MANAGEMENT HANDLING VERSUS, HEY, I WANNA GO PAY JUST FOR EXAMPLE, SOMETHING OVER AT PARKS AND RACKS.
WELL THEY HAVE TO CASH HANDLE THAT AND THEY MAY NOT, NOTHING THINK AGAINST THEM OR ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT IS, THAT'S NOT THEIR CORE FUNCTIONS HANDLING CASH.
I HAVE A PROPER CASH HANDLING SYSTEM THAT FITS THE AUDITING SYSTEM.
WELL, THERE'S NO QUESTION WHERE TO GO.
IF YOU WANNA PAY A FINE A BILL OR SOMETHING OF ANY SORT, YOU GO TO ONE PLACE AND AT THE KIOSK, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE VISITED WITH SEVERAL ELDERLY PEOPLE AND THEY'RE NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT
HOWEVER, I WALKED IN THE BUILDING AND A LADY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE MACHINE.
SHE WAS A LOVELY LADY AND SHE STAYED HAPPY THE WHOLE TIME I SAT WITH HER AND KIT.
ZOOMED OUT FROM COVELL AND I 35 AND WE SAT THERE AND WAITED AND HE WAS FANTASTIC.
HE HELPED HER, HE HELPED HER WITH THE MACHINE AND SHE STAYED PLEASANT THE WHOLE TIME.
HOWEVER, THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE WITH SOME OF THESE FOLKS.
AND SHE SAID, I DON'T CARE WHERE I HAVE TO GO, I DON'T CARE CUZ I SAID IT PROBABLY WILL BE AT COVE ON I 35.
I JUST, I DON'T CARE WHERE I GO.
I'M RETIRED, I JUST WANT TO GO AND SEE A PERSON.
[4. Presentation and discussion of the FY2024 Edmond Economic Development Authority budget. ]
E E D A.I DID USED TO GO TO THE FIRST THERE.
I HAD TO GO THERE IN PERSON AND THAT WAS FUN.
I'M JANET YK WITH THE EDMOND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS TODAY.
IT'S OUR MISSION TO ASSIST BUSINESS THAT'S ALREADY IN TOWN AND TO BRING IN NEW BUSINESS OF DIFFERENT KINDS.
BOTH, BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY, SO RETAIL AND NON-RETAIL.
UM, AND IT'S ALSO OUR MISSION TO CREATE A KIND OF CLIMATE FOR BUSINESSES TO SUCCEED.
WE DON'T CREATE JOBS, BUT WE HELP MAKE THAT HAPPEN FOR THE BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO MY REQUEST FOR THIS YEAR WOULD BE 753,614.
UH, OTHER REVENUES THAT WE DO HAVE COMING IN, WE HAVE ABOUT 5,000 COMING IN FROM OUR RESERVES, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT OUR RESERVES IN A MINUTE.
WE RECEIVE ONE EIGHTH OF 1% FROM BOND ISSUANCE FEES THAT WE HAVE DONE OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND WE HAVE THREE PROJECTS THAT WE STILL RECEIVE THAT FROM.
TWO ARE, UH, FROM UCO COMMONS, WHAT WE CALLED COMMONS ONE AND TWO, MULTIFAMILY, UH, LIVING UNITS OVER THERE, AND THEN THE JAZZ LAB.
SO WE WERE A PASS THROUGH ENTITY FOR THEM AND NOTHING THAT WAS EVER HELD ON OUR, OUR
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STATEMENTS, BUT WE RECEIVED ONE EIGHTH OF 1% OF THE BALANCE OF THOSE LOANS ON THOSE THREE PROJECTS.UH, WE RECEIVE SPONSORSHIPS FOR EDMUND ABSTRACT, OUR ECO ECONOMIC PREVIEW.
AND THEN, UM, REGISTRATIONS TO OUR EVENTS.
SO TOTAL COMES OUT TO 783,000 ROUGHLY.
WE HAVE FOUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
UH, OVERHEAD EXPENSES INCLUDE THINGS LIKE AUDIT AND ACCOUNTING AND MEMBERSHIPS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS.
I'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS IS EVERYTHING FROM OUR WEBSITE, SUBSCRIPTIONS, UM, PHONES AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
CLIENT ASSISTANCE AND RECRUITMENT.
UH, THIS IS A BIG CATEGORY FOR US.
THIS INCLUDES THINGS LIKE OUR, UH, STATEWIDE MEMBERSHIP TO SELECT OKLAHOMA, WHICH IS A STATEWIDE GROUP OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS WHERE WE ASSIST THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE IN THE RECRUITMENT OF COMPANIES ACROSS TO, UH, OKLAHOMA, JUST ACROSS THE STATE.
WE DO SITE SELECTION VISITS, AND WE DO RECRUITMENT TRIPS OR TRADE SHOWS, AND I DO THOSE AS IT RELATES TO EDMUND.
SO THE ONES THAT DON'T PERTAIN TO US, LIKE AUTO, THE AUTO INDUSTRY, UH, THERE ARE SOME THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT DO PERTAIN TO US.
UM, ALSO MEMBERSHIP IN THE GREATER OKLAHOMA CITY PARTNERSHIP.
IT'S A 10 COUNTY REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION THAT MARKETS A 10 COUNTY LARGER THAN THE SIX COUNTY M MSA.
UH, AND WE MARKET THAT, UM, NATIONALLY ALSO, THINGS LIKE COSTAR, IT'S THE LARGEST, UH, REAL ESTATE DATABASE AND PLATFORM.
SO WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND THEN WE CAN PUT INFORMATION ON THERE FOR PROPERTY IN EDMUND WHO MAY NOT BE AFFILIATED WITH THE REAL ESTATE COMPANY.
UH, WE MAINTAIN THAT AND ACT AS KIND OF AS AN AGENT, BUT WE GIVE THEM VISIBILITY FOR THAT.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE THINGS WITH, WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH UCO FOR PRESIDENTIAL PARTNERS, EDMUND FINE INSTITUTE, EDMUND FINE ARTS INSTITUTE FOR ART AND SCHOOLS.
UH, WE HAVE DONE RESTAURANT REBATE PROGRAMS WITH THE CHAMBER.
AND, UM, WE HAVE IN THIS CATEGORY A $50,000 MISCELLANEOUS INCENTIVE LINE ITEM FOR THINGS THAT REALLY WHAT THEY SAY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MISCELLANEOUS REQUESTS THAT COME THROUGH THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE ANTICIPATED.
WE ADDED THIS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
WE STARTED IT WITH THE STREETIES PROGRAM.
WE HAVE DONE 10 STREETIES WHERE WE PARTICIPATED IN ASSISTING RESTAURANTS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SEMI-PERMANENT STRUCTURE.
AND SINCE THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL, WE KEPT THIS LINE ITEM IN OUR BUDGET.
AND WE'VE DONE THINGS LIKE, UH, THE HOTEL DOWNTOWN BOUTIQUE HOTEL STUDY, AND, UH, ASSISTED WITH THE WATERLINE, PARTNERED WITH THE CITY ON THAT FOR A DOWNTOWN BUILDING.
AND WE WERE SPONSOR ONE OF THE SPONSORS FOR THE ULI PROGRAM.
AND SO IT'S BEEN A REALLY GOOD, UM, SMALL INCENTIVE THAT OUR BOARD LOOKS AT.
WE EITHER HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT LOOKS AT THINGS OR THE ACTUAL APPLICANT COMES IN AND, UH, COMES TO MY BOARD, AND THEN WE REVIEW THAT.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S A TOTAL LINE ITEM OF $50,000, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS SMALL ENOUGH THAT IT WOULD NEED TO COME TO COUNCIL.
SO THE OVERVIEW ON THAT IS, UH, THAT MY TOTAL BUDGET WAS ABOUT 783,000.
WE DO HAVE ALMOST $30,000 OF NON-CITY REVENUE BRINGING US TO A BUDGET REQUEST OF ABOUT 753,000.
UH, NOW I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE ABOUT $600,000 IN OUR RESERVES.
AND OVER THE YEARS WE'VE USED THAT FOR THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE COMING IN FOR OUR BUDGET, INCLUDING, UH, A MICRO GRANT PROGRAM.
DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE ENDED UP SPENDING, UM, A LITTLE BIT OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OUT OF OUR RESERVES.
WE DID GET THAT PAID BACK THROUGH THE FIRST ROUND IN THE CARES MONEY.
UH, WE'VE DONE A, AN AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE LOAN OUT AT THE GUTHRIE EDMOND AIRPORT, AND WE HAVE HAD THAT PAID BACK.
AND THEN WE'VE DONE THINGS WITH THE GOLF TOURNAMENTS AS THEY'VE COME INTO TOWN AND ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE ORIGINAL STUDIES FOR THE HOTEL CONFERENCE CENTER.
SO WE DO HAVE A HISTORY OF USING THINGS THAT COME UP THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF USING THAT MONEY AND NOT COMING BACK TO COUNCIL OVER AND ABOVE THE BUDGET REQUEST.
UH, SOME SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THIS YEAR, UH, IS CALLED PLACER AI.
SO WE IN THE PAST HAVE HAD A COMPANY CALLED BUXTON, AND THEY DO A VERY COMP,
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UH, COMPREHENSIVE, UM, DEEP DIVE DEMOGRAPHICS.SO WE HAVE A COMPANY CALLED ESRI THAT WE DO OUR, WE GET OUR MAIN DEMOGRAPHICS FROM PLACER.
AI IS AN AGGREGATED CONSUMER MOBILELY PLATFORM THAT PROVIDES LOCATION ANALYSIS FOR RETAIL AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS FOR EMERGING TRENDS AND BRANDS BY CATEGORY AND BY REGION.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO WITH THIS ARE RETAIL RECRUITMENT.
SO WE CAN LOOK AT OUR RETAIL DEMAND POTENTIAL IN CERTAIN CATEGORIES AS WELL AS LEAKAGE INFORMATION.
UH, WE ARE GETTING READY TO GO THROUGH SOME EXTENSIVE TRAINING WHEN THIS CONTRACT STARTS IN A MONTH AND, UH, DEEP DIVE INTO THESE DIFFERENT THINGS, SALES TAX ESTIMATION, WE CAN DO A CORRELATION FROM SALES IN DIFFERENT NEXT CATEGORIES TO VISITOR, UH, VISITATION INFORMATION ON KEY SECTORS AND GET INFORMATION FROM THAT, UH, WORKFORCE.
WE CAN, UH, REVEAL OUR WORKFORCE POTENTIAL ANALYSIS OF OUR CURRENT WORKFORCE.
AND THEN CHANGES IN TRENDS FOR COMPANIES THAT NEED SPECIFIC KINDS OF EMPLOYMENT AND EVENT ANALYSIS.
WE ARE GETTING ASKED MORE AND MORE TO DO ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORTS, AND, UH, JENNIFER AND I HAVE LOOKED AT AND INTERVIEWED FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT COMPANIES TO SEE WHAT THE BEST SOLUTION ON THIS WOULD BE.
AND A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THERE WAS NO COMPANY AT ALL THAT DID THIS.
WE WERE DOING A VERY BASIC IMPACT REPORT, UH, FROM A COMPANY THAT WE GOT THROUGH THE OKLAHOMA, THE GREATER OKLAHOMA CITY PARTNERSHIP.
NOW WE'LL BE ABLE TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE AND SHOW ECONOMIC IMPACT DOWN TO WE CAN GEOFENCING AREA.
SO WE CAN DO GEOFENCING BLOCK OR FIVE BLOCKS OR A MILE AND DETERMINE HOW MANY VISITORS WERE IN THERE.
WE'RE GONNA SET SOME REQUIREMENTS.
SO WHEN SOMEONE ASKS US TO DO ONE OF THESE REPORTS, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GIVE US CERTAIN PARAMETERS AND LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY KNOW THAT ARE STAYING HERE IN OUR HOTELS, HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE, UH, FOR SPECIFICALLY FOR GOLF TOURNAMENTS.
AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO A, A VERY IMPACTFUL REPORT SHOWING A BENEFIT WHEN WE PUT MONEY INTO AN EVENT.
SO WE'RE VERY ENCOURAGED BY THIS, AND I THINK, UM, AS LONG AS EVERYBODY CAN PROVIDE US THIS INFORMATION, AND I'VE TALKED TO BRIAN SORENSON, JENNIFER AND I HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS, SO WE'RE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ON WHAT WE CAN, UH, WHAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO WITH THAT ONE.
UM, AND THEN OTHER MARKETING REPORTS.
WE CAN CREATE TARGETED AUDIENCE REPORTS FOR JUST DIFFERENT KINDS OF, OF NAS CODES.
SO, UH, IF IT IS IN THE GENERAL MERCHANDISE OR HOME IMPROVEMENT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ANALYZE THAT AND THAT SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS SO WE CAN PROVIDE INSIGHTS AND REPORTS ON CUSTOMER INFORMATION AND HELP US DETERMINE RIGHT, RETAIL MIXES BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE COMING IN AND WHAT WE COULD UTILIZE IN THE FUTURE IN OUR MARKET.
AND THE ONE THING THAT THIS COMPANY DID THAT WE WERE VERY HAPPY WITH WAS THEY COMPLY WITH ALL PRIVACY, UH, REQUIREMENTS FROM DIFFERENT STATES.
APPARENTLY CALIFORNIA HAS SOME VERY, VERY STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS ON PRIVACY, AND THEY HAVE A SPECIFIC, UH, REALLY WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR EACH STATE.
WE ARE, UM, DETERMINING HOW WE CAN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DEVELOP THEIR PROPERTY COMMERCIALLY ALONG THE I 35 CORRIDOR.
UM, WE KEEP INFORMATION ON LARGE PARCELS, BUT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO WE'RE GOING DOWN TO FIVE ACRES ALL OVER TOWN.
UH, AS YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT IN YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN, YOU WANT ENCOURAGED, UM, DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AS WELL, AND AS WELL AS IN THE TIFF AREA.
WE'RE DOING THAT ALL THE WAY UP TO LARGE PROPERTY OWNERS ALONG THE I 35 CORRIDOR.
SO WE HAVE CREATED A DATABASE OF DETAILED PROPERTY OWNERSHIP.
WE KNOW THIS CAN CHANGE FROM TIME TO TIME.
SOME OF THE PROPERTIES OUT THERE, UM, HAVE BEEN OWNED BY THE SAME OWNER FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS, WHICH IS AN, CAN BE A CHALLENGE IN SOME INSTANCES.
WE ARE MEETING ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH PROPERTY OWNERS.
WE'LL ROTATE THAT, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE MEETING WITH THESE PEOPLE TO TRY AND GET THEM INTERESTED OR OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO DEVELOP THEIR PROPERTY ALONG THE INTERSTATE.
[01:10:01]
RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE PEOPLE ALL THE WAY ON UP TO WHEN WE HAVE SITE SELECTION, PEOPLE COMING IN, EITHER WITH THE GREATER OKLAHOMA CITY PARTNERSHIP OR WITH THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.AND WE'LL MARKET THAT AND, UM, WE'LL SPECIFICALLY TRY AND SOLVE PROBLEMS ON WHY THINGS AREN'T DEVELOPING OR GET A GOOD FEEL OF WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UH, HERE IS A MAP AT THE I 35 CORRIDOR, AND I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT, UH, WHERE'S MY, WHERE'S MY POINTER? OH, IT'S IN THE MIDDLE.
WE'LL START HERE AT I 35 IN COBELL.
OBVIOUSLY THIS HAS BEEN A BIG INVESTMENT AREA FOR THE CITY OF EDMOND.
I REMAIN OPTIMISTIC ON WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH THIS PROPERTY AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A SPORTS FACILITY HERE.
UH, ONE THING THAT CAME OUT OF THE WILLAN STUDY THAT THEY SUGGESTED FOR EDMUND SPECIFICALLY WAS THAT WE TRY AND ATTACK, ATTRACT DESTINATION, UH, RETAIL PROVIDERS.
WE THINK THERE'S A GOOD, GOOD OPPORTUNITY ALONG WITH THE SPORTS FACILITY TO BRING IN A COUPLE OF THOSE AT THAT SITE.
AND WE ARE WORKING TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, SECOND AND I 35, THE NORTHEAST CORNER, UM, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THAT PROPERTY OWNER AND WITH THE POTENTIAL OF WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UH, ONE PROPERTY OWNER OWNS ABOUT 35 ACRES RIGHT THERE ON THE HARD CORNER.
EVERY ONE OF THESE HAS A STORY AND A REASON WHY THINGS ARE WHERE THEY ARE AND, AND WHERE THEY STAND RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY I 35 IN COVELL.
UH, BUT AT SECOND AND I 35, WE KNOW THAT, UH, THERE COULD BE, THERE COULD BE SOME CHANGE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
WE'LL WORK WITH THEM TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AS FAR AS ACCESS ROADS AND RIGHT OF WAY ALONG THERE.
UH, THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF SOUTHEAST CORNER, EXCUSE ME, OF 15TH AND 9 35.
THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN HELD FOR QUITE A NUMBER OF YEARS BY AN EX-WIFE OF THE PERSON THAT OWNS THE NORTHWEST CORNER, OR SOUTH, EXCUSE ME, SOUTHWEST CORNER BY 33RD AND I 35.
UM, BOTH OF THOSE HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR GOOD DEVELOPMENT.
THEY'RE BOTH, THIS ONE OVER, THERE'S A HUNDRED ACRES THERE.
SOME OF IT HAS TERRAIN CHALLENGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THEN THIS ONE DOWN HERE IS ABOUT 66 ACRES, MINUS THE 33 FIELDS RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL TAKE, UH, THE WESTERN HALF OF THAT PROPERTY THAT CUTS OFF FROM THE RIDGE LINE AND
AND SO THOSE ARE THE MAIN PIECES ALONG I 35.
UM, UP AND DOWN HERE, I'LL JUST SAY GOING A MILE, ALMOST A MILE EITHER WAY.
WE HAVE ABOUT 150 COMPANIES, ABOUT 2,500 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEES.
AND SO WITH THE POTENTIAL TO GROW AND DEVELOP SOME OF THE REST OF THIS LAND, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT SOME POTENTIAL.
WE'VE GOT SOME ROOM FOR GROWTH THAT DOESN'T EVEN COUNT THE TWO MEDICAL FACILITIES ALONG I 35 THAT BOTH HAVE ADDITIONAL ROOM FOR GROWTH AND PLANS FOR GROWTH, FRANKLY.
AND THEN FINALLY ARE 19 ACRES NORTH OF THE NORTHEAST CORNER AT I 35 IN COVELL.
SO THIS IS THE LAND THAT THE CITY PURCHASED BACK AROUND 2014, 2015 FOR AN INDOOR SPORTS FACILITY THAT NEVER MATERIALIZED.
UH, THE WORST THING THAT HAPPENED WAS THAT NOW WE OWN 19 ACRES OF LAND THAT WE CAN PROMOTE TO, UH, AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROSPECT.
SO WE HAVE PUT THIS UP ON, ON COSTAR.
WE'VE NOW PROVIDED IT TO THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
IT IS NOT ABLE TO BE QUALIFIED YET AS A CERTIFIED SITE, WHICH THOSE PROPERTIES GET MARKETED HIGHER AND FASTER AT THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE BECAUSE THERE'S NOT AN ACTUAL ROAD.
WHOOPS, THERE'S NOT AN ACTUAL ROAD THAT GOES BACK TO THE TRASH TRANSFER STATION, AND THIS WOULD GO BACK TO HERE.
SO WE WOULD NEED A ROAD GOING THE OTHER WAY A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT WE COULD PLAN FOR THAT.
AND WE HAVE HAD INTEREST IN THIS PROPERTY, UH, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO, WE'RE NOT GONNA FLIP IT.
WE'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE WANNA HOLD IT FOR A PROSPECT THAT CAN EITHER, UM, BRING IN JOBS OR SOME KIND OF SUBSTANTIAL RETAIL.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME PARAMETERS THERE, BUT WE ARE MARKETING IT.
SEE WHAT KIND OF INTERESTS WE CAN GET.
UM, I THINK THAT IS, THAT IS MY PRESENTATION, SO I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
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ONE QUESTION WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LEAKAGE IS IN THE DEFINITION OF LEAKAGE, IS DOES IT ALSO INCLUDE BUSINESS LOSS HERE THAT ONE DAY WE HAVE A BUSINESS HERE, AND THE NEXT DAY IT'S GONE AND, AND UNDERSTANDING THE WHY OF WHY THEY EITHER MOVED FROM US OUT OF EDMOND OR CLOSED DOWN AT ALL.IT, DO WE DO ANY OF THAT TYPE OF ANALYSIS OR IS THAT, THAT IS, THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN WHAT I'M CALLING AS RETAIL LEAKAGE? THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE JUST SITTING DOWN WITH PEOPLE, CONTACTING THEM, DOING THAT ONE-ON-ONE FACE-TO-FACE.
UM, I WOULD NOT EVER WANT TO TAKE THE WORD OF A, A PROGRAM, A PLATFORM.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT THAT DESERVES MUCH MORE PERSONAL CONTACT TO FIND THAT OUT.
AND HOPEFULLY WE, WE CAN, IF WE KNOW SOMEBODY'S IN TROUBLE, THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING BEFORE THAT.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THE WILL DAN STUDY DID MENTION WAS THE POTENTIAL TO INCENTIVIZE EXISTING RETAIL.
AND THEN THAT ONE, I HEARD HIM SAY IT, I TALKED TO HIM AFTERWARDS.
AND NOT SURE HOW WE WOULD DO THAT UNLESS WE SIT DOWN AS A GROUP AND HAVE SOME KIND OF VERY FORMAL POLICY ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT AND HOW WE PICK AND CHOOSE.
UM, JUST KNOWING OUR SHOPPING CENTER OWNERS, IF THERE'S AN ISSUE THERE, THEY USUALLY CONTACT US AND SAY, HEY, WE'VE GOT AN ISSUE WITH THE CENTER.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING WITH INFRASTRUCTURE OR, OR SOMETHING THEY COULD COME BACK AND ASK US.
BUT, UM, MAYBE THAT GOES BACK TO YOUR POINT OF IF WE KNOW THAT SOMEBODY IS, UM, IN JEOPARDY OF CLOSING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE COULD STEP IN AND AGAIN, REALLY JUST FIND THE SOLUTION THAT IS SO MUCH OF WHAT COMES OUT OF MY OFFICE THAT WE TRY AND DO EVERY DAY.
PARTICULARLY AFTER FAMILIES OWNED COMPANIES GETTING THEIR THIRD GENERATION OR, OR WHATEVER THE FOUNDER GETS OLDER OR WHATEVER.
YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE, ARE DIFFICULT TO TO CHANGE, THEY'RE DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH, BUT IT HAS A BIG IMPACT ON YOUR COMMUNITY.
WHENEVER YOU DO, YOU SEE THAT IN A LOT OF COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT THEY LOSE EMPLOYERS BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
SO WE'VE LUCKY ALWAYS GOTTA BE RECRUITING.
WE'VE BEEN LUCKY IN THE CASE OF AT LEAST PECO PECO, YEAH.
UH, TO MAINTAIN THAT LOCAL OWNERSHIP.
AND, UH, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THE OWNERS OF PECO, UH, ARE STILL INVOLVED ON THE BOARD, BUT THEY HAVE SOLD, AND FRANKLY, THE COMPANY'S DOING VERY WELL.
THEY'RE NOW, UH, KIND OF ON A STRATEGY TO PURCHASE SOME OF THEIR SUPPLIERS, AND THAT IS HELPING THEIR BUSINESS AND THEIR BOTTOM LINE.
UM, WE TRY AND STAY UP AND, AND HAVE BUSINESS VISITS AGAIN TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IF SOMEBODY IS IN FACT, IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY THINK THEY NEED SOME HELP.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COUNSEL? OKAY.
[5. Presentation and discussion of the FY2024 Visit Edmond department budget. ]
VISIT ED.HELLO, I'M JENNIFER SETON WITH VISIT EDMOND.
I GET TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TOURISM.
SO OUR MISSION, AS YOU CAN SEE, IS TO PROMOTE, UM, EDMOND AS A DESTINATION, AND WE ARE A RESOURCE FOR NEWCOMERS AND RESIDENTS.
UM, OUR GOAL IS TO, UM, HAVE PEOPLE ENJOY OUR, UM, OUR CITY, AND THAT'S BY DINING, SHOPPING AND PLAYING AND, AND STAYING IN EDMOND HOTELS AND VACATION HOMES.
UM, WE DO HAVE FOUR STAFF, AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY WITH, UH, ME HERE TODAY.
UM, THESE ARE KINDS OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO, AND I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU, UM, SOME EXAMPLES OF TOURNAMENTS AND SWIM MEETS, UM, HOW WE SELL EDMOND THROUGH TRAVEL SHOWS.
UM, WE HAVE AMAZING, UM, SPORTS DESTINATIONS LIKE THAT, U U C O, BOATHOUSE, UM, GOLF.
WE ARE A HUGE DESTINATION FOR GOLF.
I'M, I DON'T, I'M NOT SAYING EVERYTHING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU A FEW THINGS THAT REALLY IS EXCITING IN EDMOND.
UM, OUR EDMOND CONFERENCE CENTER IS ATTRACTING MORE AND MORE CONFERENCES AND, UM, SOCCER RODEOS.
SO WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS ATTRACTING PEOPLE FROM, UM, HONESTLY, ACROSS THE NATION.
SO OUR FUNDING COMES FROM A 4% LODGING TAX, AND THAT HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE 1994.
[01:20:01]
AS YOU CAN SEE, I THOUGHT THIS FIVE YEAR TREND WAS INTERESTING.UM, I INCLUDED OCCUPANCY FOR HOTELS AND THEIR AVERAGE DAILY RATE, WHICH IS, UM, WHAT THEY MAKE FROM THEIR ROOMS AND WHAT THEY SELL THEIR ROOMS. SO IN 19 AND 20, YOU COULD SEE A DIP, BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT WE'RE COMING, WE'RE COMING BACK STRONG.
AND FROM ALL INDICATIONS, UH, PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING RIGHT NOW, WHETHER IT'S BY CAR OR BY AIR.
AND, UM, ALONG ROUTE 66, WE ARE, UH, A DESTINATION FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO EDMUND AND STAY HERE.
I DID BUDGET, UM, SO WE'RE ON TRACK TO BE 775,000 THROUGH LODGING TAX THIS YEAR.
I DO WANNA SAY, UM, THAT WE GENERATE ABOUT $30,000 IN SPONSORSHIPS.
AND, UM, THAT'S OUR GROUP SALES MANAGER, AND THAT'S FROM WEBSITE.
AND, UM, OUR DESTINATION GUIDE SALES, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY NICE SURPRISE, HONESTLY.
SO IN 2021, WE DECIDED TO CHANGE OUR ORDINANCE AND, UM, I WORKED WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, CITY CLERK AND CITY ATTORNEY TO CHANGE OUR WORDING AND, UM, ALSO HOW WE COLLECTED IT.
SO INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH THE CITY CLERK, UM, WE WORK WITH OKLAHOMA TAX COMMISSION, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO GET REVENUE FROM VACATION HOMES.
AND EVEN JUST THIS YEAR IT WAS AIRBNB, AND NOW IT'S V R B O, I'M EVEN GETTING SOME DOLLARS FROM EXPEDIA AND SOME OTHER ONLINE SOURCES.
SO THAT IS COMING IN AUTOMATICALLY.
HONESTLY, I THOUGHT MAYBE WE'D MAKE 50,000 A YEAR AND WE MADE 72 AND WE'RE TRENDING TO MAKE EVEN MORE.
SO I'M, I'M PROJECTING ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND IN 2023.
SO THAT MEANS THAT PEOPLE LIKE CHOICES AND, UM, THE FACT THAT OUR VACATION HOMES ARE ALSO, UM, THEIR GUESTS ARE PAYING THAT 4%.
IT DOESN'T REALLY, I'VE BEEN SURPRISED THAT IT'S NOT A COMPETITION BETWEEN OUR HOTELS AND VACATION HOMES.
THEY, IT'S DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE LIKE THE VACATION HOMES BECAUSE THEY CAN COOK THERE, THEY CAN BRING THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR PETS, OR IT'S JUST, UM, UH, HAVING A CHOICE IN EDMOND.
AND ACCORDING TO OUR RESEARCH, WE HAVE, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S GETTING TO BE MORE LIKE 200 VACATION HOMES IN EDMOND.
SO I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THAT TREND.
UM, WE HAVE LOTS OF PROJECTS THAT I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU ABOUT.
IN ADDITION TO, UM, ATTRACTING PEOPLE TO EDMOND, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ARE, WE FOCUS ON THIS ROUTE.
AND EDMUND HAS 13.4 MILES ON ROUTE 66, WHICH IS MORE THAN LOTS OF OTHER CITIES.
SO THERE IS GOING TO BE A HUGE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION IN 2026.
UM, WE SAW THIS COMING, SO THAT'S WHY ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WE STARTED CYCLE 66 IN 2020.
SO IN ITS THIRD YEAR, UM, WE PLAN TO HAVE A A THOUSAND CYCLISTS, UM, ON THAT ROUTE.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT BIG EVENT, WHICH IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE, UM, HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE CENTENNIAL, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ARCADIA LAKE, WE HAVE OUR DOWNTOWN EDMOND IS CONSIDERED ON ROUTE 66.
WE HAVE LOTS OF ART AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, ICONIC BLUE HIPPO.
PEOPLE LIKE QUIRKY THINGS WHEN THEY TRAVEL ON THE ROAD.
AND, UM, EVEN THE SCHOOLHOUSE IS, IS A, IS A GREAT PLACE.
WE'VE REALLY ARE ONE OF THE FEW TOWNS THAT HAS DONE SUCH A GOOD JOB MAINTAINING OUR ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS TO COME TO EDMOND ISLAND, ROUTE 66.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WE USE OUR FUNDING IS TO GIVE SPONSORSHIPS AND GRANTS.
SO LOTS OF TIMES WHEN PEOPLE COME TO EDMOND, THEY NEED A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA MONEY.
SO WE LIKE TO GIVE GRANTS AND SPONSORSHIPS TO THESE NEW EVENTS, THESE NEW TOURNAMENTS.
AND THEN WE ALSO LIKE TO INNOVATE THE AWARENESS OF EDMUND.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS WE USE OUR DOLLARS.
UM, WE ALSO LIKE TO LEAD TOURISM PROJECTS LIKE THE ARCADIA LAKE MASTER PLAN.
SO, UM, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF REALLY WORKING WITH JOSH ON THIS AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
AND OH, IT WAS JUST SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE TO HAVE THIS DREAM TEAM.
UM, THESE ARE ENTHUSIASTS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE THAT USED THE LAKE, AND THEY GAVE US THEIR DREAM AND THEN WE MOVED THAT TO THE NEXT LEVEL, WHICH WAS, UM, A MASTER PLAN.
AND SO WE HAVE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS NOW, NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT THE, UM, FINANCIALLY HOW MUCH THAT'S GOING TO COST, AND THEN WE CAN DO SOME PRIORITIES.
BUT THIS IS THE KIND OF, UM, VISIONARY PROJECTS THAT VISIT EDMOND REALLY ENJOYS LEADING.
AND WE HAVE WORKING COMMITTEES ON OUR BOARD THAT GET D DIVE DEEP INTO THESE A WAY FINDING INITIATIVE IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD WITH LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS.
AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO TOURISM
[01:25:01]
IN MY OPINION, IS WORKING WITH LOCAL PEOPLE SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND IT, THEY KNOW IT BEST.SO WE DO NOT HAVE A, A SYSTEM IN EDMOND FOR, FOR WAYFINDING.
AND THIS IS GOING TO, I THINK, ELEVATE IT TO LIKE AN EDMOND STANDARD.
SO WE TOOK THE, UM, GATEWAY SIGNAGE THAT YOU CAN SEE THERE AND USED IT AS LONG AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR HISTORY LIKE WITH RAIL YARD.
AND WE CAME UP WITH A SCHEMATIC DESIGN THAT IS ATTRACTIVE AND VERY EASY TO READ, TO POINT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I BELIEVE THE SIGNS WILL BE UP IN 2023, WORKING VERY HARD ON THAT.
ANOTHER ONE THAT'S IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW IS A SPORTS FACILITY ASSESSMENT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE FACILITIES THAT WE ARE, UM, LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
BUT, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE, UM, A BOARD MEMBER FROM PARKS AND RECREATION AND A BOARD MEMBER FROM TOURISM TO SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE TO SELECT, UM, VIC AND VICTUS ADVISORS IS, UM, WORKING ON THIS RIGHT NOW.
THEY HAD LOTS OF INTERVIEWS WITH STAKEHOLDERS, LOCAL AS WELL AS REGIONAL.
AND UM, THEY'RE COMING BACK ACTUALLY THIS MONTH TO GIVE US AN UPDATE.
SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE ARE OPPORTUNITIES INCREASING OUR LODGING TAX IS AN OPPORTUNITY.
OUR BOARD BELIEVES IT IS, UM, A GOOD THING TO BRING TO THE PEOPLE.
SO THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE FOR A CITY COUNCIL TO PICK THE RIGHT TIMING.
UM, I THINK TIMING IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO BALANCE, UM, LODGING TAX VOTE WITH OTHER POTENTIAL TAX VOTES, BUT I FEEL LIKE THIS NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED AND WE WANNA WORK WITH CITY COUNCIL TO FIND THE BEST TIME TO DO THAT.
SPORTS TOURISM, I FEEL LIKE IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY, UM, AS WE UPGRADE OUR FACILITIES.
UM, JANET AND I WORK REALLY CLOSELY TOGETHER ON SOME THINGS.
ONE OF THAT IS THIS INDOOR SPORTS COMPLEX THAT MIGHT BE COMING.
AND ALSO, UM, ADDING A SALESPERSON IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP WITH, WE WOULD DO FOR THE LODGING TAX TO REALLY FOCUS ON SPORTS.
AND THAT WOULD ALSO GIVE US MORE FUNDING TO ENTICE THESE TOURNAMENTS TO COME TO EDMOND.
I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU JUST A FEW THINGS OF, OF WHAT WE DO TO, UM, SHOWCASE EDMOND.
I THINK WE HAVE TO WORK REALLY HARD TO RISE ABOVE ALL THE, ALL THE COMPETITION, BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, IN DIFFERENT PUBLICATIONS AND IN DIFFERENT, UM, DIGITAL MEDIA TO SHOW HOW, WHY, HOW, AND WHY EDMOND SHOULD BE A PLACE TO VISIT.
SO WE DID A PARTNERSHIP AD WITH POPS, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF, UM, ADAPT OR I SHOULD SAY ADOPT ARCADIA AS IT'S KIND OF RIGHT, YOU KNOW, IT'S EDMOND CITY LIMITS AND IT'S ARCADIA, THEN IT'S EDMOND CITY LIMITS.
BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT GREAT ATTRACTIONS WITH POPS AND THE ROUND BARN.
UM, SO WE JUST USE THAT TO OUR ADVANTAGE AND WORK TOGETHER.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, MORE AND MORE CONFERENCES COMING TO THE CONFERENCE CENTER, ARE YOU ABLE TO MEASURE EITHER CURRENT OR FUTURE IMPACT THAT WILL HAVE TO US? BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THEY JUST COME THERE, THEY DON'T TRAVERSE THE CITY BECAUSE THEY'RE SEQUESTERED FOR THOSE NUMBER OF DAYS.
BUT IS THERE, ARE THERE ANY WAY YOU ABLE TO FIGURE OUT FROM YOUR MARKETING, UM, EITHER CURRENT OR FUTURE IMPACT TO OUR CITY WITH THEM COMING HERE? YEAH, WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE CONFERENCE CENTER.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE HOUSED THERE, SO WE GET TO SEE WHAT COMES IN.
UM, I'VE BEEN IMPRESSED WITH THE OVERFLOW, SO WE HAVE HAD SOME REALLY BIG CONFERENCES THAT COME AND THEY STAY THE NIGHT AND THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT THEY NEED TO LEAVE THE HILTON SO THEY GO TO OTHER HOTELS.
UM, I HAVE SEEN IT, I GET NUMBERS FROM GABBY EVERY UM, MONTH AND I KEEP SEEING THAT INCREASE.
A LOT OF TIMES IT'S FILLED WITH COWBOYS.
UM, WE HAD A, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD OF REALTORS COME, WE'VE GOT STATE CONFERENCES, LIKE THE CITY MANAGERS.
I DO KNOW THAT THEY OVERFLOW TO OTHER HOTELS AND UM, I CAN TELL BECAUSE I'M THERE HOW BUSY THEY ARE.
I THINK IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE THERE'S BEEN A PAUSE OF NEW CONSTRUCTION IN HOTEL MOTEL JUST THROUGH PRICE CRAZINESS.
SO EVENTUALLY THAT HAS TO START BACK UP AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, THE BOUTIQUE STUDY WAS VERY INTERESTING TO US.
I THINK THAT IS A, UM, UM, A NICHE THAT I THINK PEOPLE WOULD COME TO EDMUND FOR CUZ THERE'S REALLY ISN'T A BOUTIQUE EXPERIENCE.
AND THEN AS WE GET MORE FACILITIES AND UM, UH, WITH SPORTS AND OTHER THINGS, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE SOME HOTELS COME SOON.
AND WE DO HAVE KIND OF DIFFERENT
[01:30:01]
DISTRICTS FOR THAT MM-HMM.AND SO I WOULD, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO YOU BEING INVOLVED IN BOTH OF THOSE.
CUZ IF WE DO HAVE PROPERTY THAT WE COULD RF, RFP OR RFQ DOWNTOWN AND A BOUTIQUE, I, I HEAR IT ALL THE TIME FROM PROFESSIONALS AND THEIR CLIENTS COMING INTO EDMUND AND MM-HMM.
I, I THINK THE STUDY SHOWED THAT THE DEMAND IS THERE, BUT, UM, MAN, THAT WOULD BE SO NEAT TO HAVE IT DOWNTOWN, BUT I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE, THE ROOM FOR GROWTH IN YOUR REVENUE AND TO BE ABLE TO PUMP THAT BACK INTO MARKETING MM-HMM.
I THINK THERE IS SO MUCH POTENTIAL THERE.
I THINK IT'S GONNA MATCH UP WITH THE REVENUE GROWTH THAT'LL COME FROM, WHETHER IT'S THE, UH, THE THE TAX ADJUSTMENT OR JUST, OR JUST NEW NEW ROOMS. TRUE, TRUE TOO.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE REALLY HEALTHY AND AS FULL AS THEY STAY AS MANY CONVENTIONS, THEY CAN'T FEED EVERYONE RIGHT.
SO EVEN IF THEY'RE THERE THE WHOLE TIME FOR THE CONVENTION, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE TO EAT.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE SPILLING INTO OUR CITY AND THEY ARE, AND WE HAVE A, A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH CITYLINK.
SO THEY WILL TAKE PEOPLE FROM THE CONFERENCE CENTER TO DOWNTOWN.
WE'RE USING IT FOR AT THE, UM, ARTS FESTIVAL FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A TEST.
SO THEY DO NEED TO HAVE A WAY TO SPEND DOLLARS WHEN THEY'RE AT THE CONFERENCE CENTER WITHOUT, THEY LIKE TO NOT DRIVE IF POSSIBLE MM-HMM.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING THE NUMBERS ON THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, THE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT ARE GONNA GONNA BUY AND GOING TO RENT IN DOWNTOWN EDMOND.
AND TURNS OUT WHAT WE'RE FINDING OUT IS THAT IT'S, UM, IT'S YOUNG PEOPLE AND IT'S OLDER PEOPLE.
AND SO EITHER ONE OF THOSE THEN WE CAN BACK IN TO THE NUMBERS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA COME VISIT THEIR YOUNG KID.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE LIKE, I GO TO BROKEN ARROW TO VISIT MY DAUGHTER.
UM, MY DAUGHTER COMES HERE TO VISIT ME.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, IT GIVES ME CHILLS AS TO THE AMOUNT OF VISITORS WE'RE GETTING READY TO SEE TO OUR DOWNTOWN BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOVING DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE OF GLEN PROVIDING US WONDERFUL INFRASTRUCTURE,
UM, IF HE CAN FIND A PLACE
UM, BUT IT IS, IT'S GETTING TO BE REALLY, REALLY EXCITING.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE READY FOR A YEAR TO TWO OUT MM-HMM.
BUT WHEN THEY DO, IT'S GONNA KICK A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER THINGS, UH, FOR OUR STAFF TO CONSIDER THAT WE'RE, LOOK, WE'RE TRYING TO PREDICT RIGHT NOW.
AND SO WE'RE BUILDING THIS FOUNDATION, UM, THAT ONE OF, THAT, ONE OF THE WAYS WE'RE DOING THAT IS WITH A SIMPLE VIEW.
IT'S A CRM, A CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO HAVE ALL OF OUR CONTACTS IN ONE PLACE.
SO THAT TAKES A LOT OF STAFF TIME.
BUT THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS WE CAN DO NOW BEFORE THE BIG BOOM.
I ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, SIR.
I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, JENNIFER AND JANET FOR BEING HERE AND DOING THIS.
AND I THINK SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE, WHY ARE YOU HAVING THEM SPEAKING AS A CITY THAT IS SO DEPENDENT ON SALES TAX AND BED TAX, UH, EVEN MORE, UH, CRITICAL THAN OKLAHOMA CITY OR AUSTRALIAN PARTNERS? CAUSE WE'RE TOTALLY FUNDED BY SALES TAX, THE STRATEGIES THEY'RE DEVELOPING FOR, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE LIMIT SALES TAX LEAKAGE? I MEAN, IT'S, I MEAN, I LIVED IN PHOENIX FOR 25 YEARS AND WE CALLED 'EM A SALES TAX WAR WHERE YOU'D SET UP BUSINESS RIGHT OUTSIDE ANOTHER CITY AND SAY, HEY, I'LL GIVE YOU THIS AND GET THEM ACROSS, ACROSS THE STREET.
MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE A YEAR, BUT I, I KNOW A LOT OF FRIENDS THAT GO OTHER PLACES AND THEY SAY, OH, I'M EDMOND, AND I'D LIKE, NO, YOU'RE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM EDMOND.
SO WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT A WAY, A STRATEGY TO, TO KEEP THOSE THAT WE HAVE.
AND I, I HEAR FROM CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS, LIKE, WE'VE GOT THE FAST FOOD MARKET CORNERED, WE WANT SOME MORE SIT DOWN.
RIGHT? IS THAT WHAT SHE'S KICKING YOU UNDERNEATH THE TABLE? AND, UH, AND THEN WITH THE SPORTS TOURISM, YOU KNOW, IF THE DEVELOPER IS SUCCESSFUL AND, AND SECURING THAT INDOOR FACILITY UP THERE, YOU KNOW, SPORTS, TOURISM, A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE DO NOT STAY IN THE THE HYATT.
[01:35:01]
RIGHT.IT'S JUST NOT, YOU WANT 12 KIDS RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE MM-HMM.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE SIDE BENEFITS.
THE MAIN BENEFITS OF THOSE IS OTHER RESTAURANTS AND HOSPITALITY OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT DOWNTOWN IT'S A DIFFERENT NICHE, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM.
SO WE'VE GOTTA BE COMPETITIVE AND PROVIDE A UNIQUE AMENITY, UM, TO, TO TRACK MM-HMM.
SO I I THANKS FOR THAT REPORT.
WELL, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE COMING TODAY FROM ELECTRIC WATER, E E D A AND, UH, VISIT EDMOND TO GIVE US AN UPDATE, UH, GIVE US MORE OVERSIGHT, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, SCENE NONE.