Title
Tourist Product Development Interlocal Agreement with Alachua County (B)
This is a request to enter into an agreement with Alachua County to administer the new Tourist Product Development Program.
Explanation
For the past eight years the City Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs has administered County funded programs for the expenditure of tourist tax funds to arts and eco-heritage agencies. For the past five years the City also created new programs under a tourism tax funded agreement. These contracts expired on September 30, 2006.
In April 2006, the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners approved the Tourist Product Development Program and voted to ask the City to administer the grant funding. As a draft Interlocal Agreement was being prepared, cultural agencies concerned with fiscal timelines requested that the Destination Enhancement Program be extended for an additional year and that the Tourist Product Development Program begin in August of 2007. This was approved by the County Commission. Therefore, the Department of Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs drafted an agenda item for September to extend the Destination Enhancement Interlocal Agreement.
On September 26, 2006, the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners responded to concerns by the eco-heritage agencies and reversed their earlier decision to extend the Destination Enhancement program and voted to initiate the process for the Tourist Product Development Program.
An Inter-local Agreement was approved for a period of three years, to begin retroactively from October 1, 2006 through September 30, 2009, with up to two (2) one-year extensions.
The City would enter into agreements with agencies awarded grants by the Tourist Development Council, review requests for reimbursement, and disburse funds for authorized expenditures on a monthly basis. In addition, the City would create marketing and/or tourist programs with the New Programs/Marketing portion of the funding as outlined in the backup materials, Exhibit A.
Fiscal note
The City would be paid 9% of the annual allocation for its administrative costs. Additionally, 10% of the annual allocation for costs will be used for New Programs/Marketing.
Recommendation
The City Commission authorize the City Manager or designee to sign the Interlocal Agreement on behalf of the City.
Alternative Recommendation A: The City Commission reject specific items in the Interlocal Agreement and ask the City Manager to renegotiate the agreement.
Alternative Recommendation B: The City Commission refuse to enter into the Interlocal Agreement.