 But I call the meeting to order. So due to the provisions of the governor's executive orders in dash 25 dash 20 and in dash 2920, which suspend certain requirements of the Brown Act and order of the health and the order of the health officer of the County of Sonoma to shelter in place to minimize the spread of COVID-19. The Santa Rosa Tourism Business Improvement Area Board Committee will be conducting today's meeting in a virtual setting using Zoom webinar. Committee members and staff are participating from remote locations and or practicing appropriate social distancing. Members of the public may view and listen to the meeting as noted on the city's website and as noted on the agenda. Members of the public wishing to speak during item three public comment or during our public hearing items will be able to do so by utilizing the raise hand feature and pressing star nine on their phones. They can be given the ability to address the committee that way. All right. Madam Secretary, if you can please take roll. Absolutely. Member Rumble. Member Anderson. Member Rinteria. Oh, thank you. I see that you raised your hand. Member Riverao. Present. Thank you. The record reflected all members are present. All right. So we'll move on to item two, which is public comments. Do we have any comments from the public either written or sent via email or are there any members of the public online? We do have a number of the public online but there are no hands raised at this time nor do we have any voicemails or emails for this meeting. All right. So since there aren't any comments we'll go ahead and move on to item number three which is event support applications. And under 3.1 we have the item listed as synthetic ice brink holiday markets and tree lighting event support application. I don't know if anybody, everybody had a chance to review that application. We'll go ahead and open it up for discussion. This is the winter lights and skate nights from November 19th through January 9th. It's gonna be this time a synthetic ice cream brink actually for the first time which seems a pretty exciting deal held at or placed at Old Corja Square. It's a new event and the total cost of the event is approximately $100,000. The amount of the request is $15,000 and it's to again fund and set up the rink and the event area within Corja Square. So it seems like a very exciting event. The chamber is raising a total of $80,000 locally from businesses and from in-kind support given by volunteers and such and other groups. And then I also see something related to overnights. So over the course of the event, there's an anticipated 100 rooms that will be taken by local tourists and families, people from out of town and perhaps even local folks. So yes. Anyway, we'll open it up for discussion and then make a motion. I get just really quick question about balance. How much money do we have? I should remember at this point or track it on my own but just so everybody knows. Yeah, we have plenty left. We have 13,000 and only one more meeting that would be taking place in November. And then thank you, Brent. Two comments from me. The first is I wanna be careful because this is technically a chamber event about how much I engage in the conversation and sort of technically if I can even vote, I just wanna be careful about that. And also I just wanna acknowledge that this is not the typical event that we would see. It's not the monster truck event. It's not a one morning or one day kind of an event or a race, something like that. It's not the cheese festival. Get all of that. I do think that this falls in line with other comments that I've made throughout my tenure at the chamber that it is an event that builds sort of the brand of potentially builds the brand of Santa Rosa as a destination. If you think about ice skating rinks and in other towns that sort of bring people to that town, sort of promotes tourism in a very direct way, I would say. So while not necessarily the typical event that we would fund, I do think that this has a positive benefit to the overall tourism and attractiveness of Santa Rosa. And I'm biased, I understand. Well, thank you for your comments, Peter. I'm also excited to see something like this, especially because over the years, of course, we've done a lot of work to bring people, folks downtown, including folks from out of town. So I think this definitely falls within that category. It is extended over a period of time from November 19th through the January 9th and people are just so desperate to again, get back into normality. I think this would be a prime event that sort of does that as long as people continue to wear their face coverings and such. So I mean, I'm excited to see it and I mean, I guess I could be somewhat biased too, but we helped form that community benefit district for, I mean, this is one of the primary reasons is just to bring activity to downtown. So, Todd, can you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stuff on you there, Roque. I agree with both of you guys. I think it's a great event. I think it will bring people downtown. I think it presents a good image for the city. My concern is one, $15,000 is a lot of money. And I'm not convinced that it's gonna bring that many people from out of town for overnight stays, which is what this funding is for. I think we should give it some money. I do think it's a great event and I think it's great for our image and for getting people downtown and stuff. I think it's great for all that. But I don't necessarily think people are gonna come from far away and spend the weekend or spend the night. Some will I would imagine, which is why I think we should give it some support. But I don't, I mean, $15,000, I don't think we're gonna get that many room nights out of it. This is my thought. Yeah, and Todd, we don't even have the 15 to give, right? So, that's sort of why I wanted a level set on what balance we had. So, we only have 13, so it's gotta be 13 or less for the funding amount. So, yeah, we gotta do what's reasonable and again, I, well, just let the conversation go. Yeah, Donna, do you have anything to add? Can Donna hear us? Yes, she can hear us and she has raised her hand. Let me just see for previous comments. I don't see Donna raising her hand now. Let me just see if I can send her a message. I do just as we're waiting for Donna's financial comment or input. Do you want to just put on the table something that I know that I've spoken with Raphael and certainly Brad before similar comment that I've made in the past of wanting to at least have the conversation more broadly about how directly we tie funding. I'm not seeing any response from Donna. You know, you're frozen and we cannot hear you. I don't have any additional comments to add. All right, am I back? Can you go back and say what you were saying? Yeah, sorry. No, no, it's fine. I'm sorry that I froze. Just wanted to reiterate the point that I know that I've made in the past and Raphael, you and I have had the conversation along with Brad and I about how directly we tie or absolutely we tie funding support to a one for one room night. Not suggesting that we have that full on conversation here in this moment, but it's one of those topics that I keep on coming back to. Appreciate that, thank you. Well, while we're waiting to, I named any luck with Donna. I don't see any additional comments or any comments coming in from member Venturia. Well, we'll need to make a motion to, I would make a motion to support in the amount of 5,000. Just to be super careful, I'd ask that Raphael, either you or Donna, make the second and maybe I should abstain from the vote. Again, just since it's an event tied to the chamber, I just don't wanna call any question, on this committee's decision making. I think that's. Before you second, can I ask a question? Usually, I mean, we have 13,000, so we have more money. We only have one more meeting left in November. I don't see many coming up, so I don't know if Todd, if you're thinking like 5,002 for general funding to be spent, we always require it to be spent in the city of Santa Rosa, which I don't think will be a problem. So I think usually in a contractor going up to Cloverdale and then some money also going to market outside Sonoma Marin Lake Napa. So there can be some money given for marketing outside the area. Do you suggest when we do more than five with any additional going to marketing or the five being used for marketing outside of the area? I think it can be a combo on this one because this is a larger expense and it is a long time and we have created, it hasn't gone live yet because it's too early, but a specialty box, it's gonna be a premier point of our website for the whole winter lights because it is a month long promoting the area. So I think it's definitely worthwhile. That's why I think some money to help because it is a big cost to do it. So it's some money to help offset the cost, but also just, and I understand Peter, we need to be careful. So I think we also need to have some money set aside specifically for marketing outside the area because that's what we do with almost everyone. And that would be consistent with what we're doing as far as that portion. So yes, more than 5,000 and just bringing on how you split that out. So I can amend it to five for costs and then maybe add an additional 2,500 for marketing outside of the area or 3,000 or something like that. Yeah. So that's better for as far as you guys are concerned. I think that gives us both opportunities and still gives us a little bit left over should we need it for November and then we'll have a good start again come. We'll be in good shape come January. We'll be able to look at a new budget altogether. And I don't think there's many events that are happening before the January meeting. So anything between now and the end of January. That's it. Again, a motion to approve the Winter Lights and Skate Nights $8,000 event support. With three of it designated for marketing outside of the Sonoma County area. Okay. Very well. I'll go ahead and second that motion. And before we vote, do we have any comments from the public? There are no hands raised at this time. All right. So we'll go ahead and approve the motion. All those in favor say aye. Any opposed? And then one member, did you say you're Peter? Yeah, I should probably abstain. Could we get a affirmative vote from Donna. Donna. If you can raise your hand as a way, thank you for raising your hand. We'll take that as an affirmative. Okay. All right. So motion approved to provide $8,000 for Winter Lights and Skate Nights with the $3,000 specifically that we spend on marketing. All right. So motion approved. Thank you so much. And that pretty much concludes our meeting. I look forward to seeing you very soon and have a good fall and I'll see you at the Skating Rink. And just as a reminder for everyone, the fourth Thursday would be Thanksgiving. So we always move it up to, we cancel the regularly scheduled meeting and moving it up to the week prior. So the third Thursday. So Eileen, we'll just need to note that as we get closer, canceling the regular meeting and calling a special date. Yeah. Thank you, Fred. And keep in mind that we still have a vacancy. So. Yes. And neither at this point, two of the three full service hotels do not have a GM or DOS. Correct. Okay. Very well, gentlemen. And Donna. See you next time.