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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-08-25 - Minutes -Fayetteville A&P Commission Meeting Minutes – August 25, 2025 Location: Fayetteville Town Center, 15 W. Mountain St. Commissioners Present: Chair Elvis Moya, Elliot Hunt, Chrissy Sanderson, Sterling Hamilton, Sarah Bunch, Mike Wiederkehr Absent: Katherine Kinney Staff: CEO Ryan Hauck I. Call to Order • Meeting called to order by Chair Moya at 3:00 p.m., delayed one hour due to UA lockdown. • Roll call: all commissioners present except Kinney. II. Administration • Approval of July Minutes – Motion: Hunt, Second: Bunch. Approved unanimously. • Agenda Changes (Hauck): Town Center office survey results added; Walker Stone House address corrected; DFC item moved to September agenda. • Visitor Guide Invoice – Invoice ~$7,000 higher than initial approval due to addition of a detailed map. Still under the total project budget. Motion: Hamilton, Second: Hunt. Approved unanimously. III. Reports • CEO Report (Hauck): EF event calendar redesign (AI), 'Favoriteville' trademark filed, sales funnel data added. LinkedIn +163 followers; hotel occupancy down, ADR up. Several new restaurants announced. Town Center secured 5 events, strong revenue. Griffin Stroupe in Leadership Class 39. HMR +3%. • Finance Report (VP Walker): Revenue +1% over, expenses -6% under July targets; overall 1.7% above seasonal budget. Operating income $412,137. Cash & investments $5.2M. TC unearned revenue: $272K (2025), $334K total. • Updated FOIA Overview (Blake Pennington, City of Fayetteville attorney): Clarified polling rules, remote participation requirements, roll call identity checks. Reviewed prohibited scenarios • Clinton House Museum (Joshua Youngblood, Clinton House Museum board president): Avg. 60–65 weekly visitors (120+ summer). 10K social followers, 15K website visits. Partnerships: Shiloh Museum, UA Special Collections, FHS. Current exhibit by Andrew Kilgore. Open Wed–Sun with intern/board coverage. Preparing fundraising campaign, diversifying board. Request for continued A&P funding. Youngblood was asked about the museum being used as event space, what the UA does for maintenance, and grants (being explored). Commissioner Bunch asked if the A&P funded this request if the museum planned for this to be the last request for funding and Youngblood affirmed that. • Ozark Folkways (Abby Hollis, incoming board president): $60K in free programming, strong music/arts history. Transition plan with Folk School Fayetteville & Experience Fayetteville includes visual arts and expanded programming. Community support expressed through several letters/testimony. Request: (1) favorable lease terms in 2026, (2) below-market lease + revenue share + signature event beginning 2027. IV. Old Business • Bylaws Update presented at July meeting (CEO Transition policy + FOIA language) – Motion: Wiederkehr, Second: Sanderson. Approved unanimously. • Favoriteville Festival Fund – Discussion: unused funds roll to next year; fund supports sustaining large events; cap at 30% event budget; staff recommend events to commission. Motion: Sanderson, Second: Hunt. Approved unanimously. • Walker Stone House – Hauck reviewed appraisal ($975K value, purchased for $750K in 2016). Total investment to date ~$1M; expected maintenance $500–600K over 5 years. Tax credits have not been pursued. Renter makes minor repairs only. • Ozark Folkways Letter of Intent (Walker Stone House) – Year 1–2 lease $1/year; Years 3–5 below-market rent + event requirement. Motion: Wiederkehr, Second: Bunch. Approved unanimously. V. New Business • Clinton House Museum Funding – Hauck recommended $17,500 for FY2026. Motion: Sanderson, Second: Hamilton. Approved unanimously. • FTC Office Lease Renewal – Lease up Oct. 29; new rate $19/sq ft (+$20K, still below market). Commissioners supported 3-year renewal. Conflict noted in property offerings: alternative property owned by Hamilton would not be considered. Motion: Wiederkehr, Second: Hunt. Approved unanimously for CEO to negotiate and execute 3-year lease. VI. Good of the Order • Updates: FTC mural and ballroom airwalls. • Baum Walker 'Party Animals' event: Fri – 10,600 tickets (9,200 scanned); Sat – 10,200 tickets (9,200 scanned). VII. Adjournment • Motion: Sanderson, Second: Hamilton. Approved unanimously. • Meeting adjourned at 5:28 p.m.