[CALL TO ORDER]
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COUNCIL ON JUNE 16TH, 2026 TO ORDER AT 3:01 P.M. WELCOME TO THE WORK SESSION OF THE WACO CITY COUNCIL. WELCOME TO ALL THE PEOPLE GATHERED. NICE CROWD HERE TODAY. THANKS, EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE AT THE BOSQUE THEATER GALLERY IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN WACO. WELCOME TO ALL THE VIEWERS AT HOME WATCHING ON THE WACO CITY CABLE CHANNEL. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY. GOT A GREAT AGENDA OF BUSINESS. I'M MAYOR JIM HOLMES. I'M JOINED ON THE DAIS HERE TODAY BY OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS. ANDREA BAREFIELD, DISTRICT ONE. ISABEL LOZANO, DISTRICT TWO, ED COLE, DISTRICT THREE AND DARIUS EWING, DISTRICT FOUR, RIGHT AROUND HERE. GEORGE CHASE IS NOT GOING TO BE WITH US TODAY. OUR MAYOR PRO TEM IS OUT. ALSO JOINED ON THE ADJACENT DAYS BY OUR SENIOR CITY STAFF, OUR CITY MANAGER, RYAN HOLT, OUR CITY ATTORNEY KRISTEN HAMILTON, AND OUR CITY SECRETARY, MICHELLE HICKS. SO WE'RE GOING TO START THE MEETING TODAY WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE. OKAY. NOW, THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS TODAY IS THE
[WORK SESSION]
RECOGNITION OF WORK SESSION SPEAKERS. SECRETARY HICKS, IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE WORK SESSION AGENDA? IS ANYBODY FILED A CARD? WE DO NOT HAVE ANY CARDS. NO CARDS. IS ANYONE PRESENT HERE TODAY WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON A WORK SESSION AGENDA ITEM? THERE BEING NONE, WE WILL NOW RECESS THE REGULAR SESSION AND CONVENE INTO THE WORK SESSION WITH A REPORT FROM OUR CITY MANAGER, RYAN HOLT, CITY MANAGER, HOLT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AND WELCOME TO THOSE JOINING US IN THE AUDIENCE AND ONLINE. AND I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IN THE AUDIENCE IS LIBERTY HILL MAYOR CRYSTAL MENCIA JOINING US TODAY.SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE ALWAYS LOVE TO HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS. WE HAVE ONE CHANGE FOR YOU ON TODAY'S AGENDA. WE'RE ASKING TO PULL ITEM 2026-378, WHICH MIGHT COME BACK AT A LATER TIME IN OUR EMPLOYEE RECOGNITIONS. YOU KNOW, SUNDAY'S SEVERE WEATHER CREATED AN EXTRAORDINARY OPERATIONAL PERIOD FOR THE CITY OF WACO STAFF AND EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ACROSS WACO AND MCLENNAN COUNTY. BEGINNING EARLY IN THE DAY, THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CLOSELY MONITORED WEATHER CONDITIONS, PROVIDED UPDATES TO THE CITY AND COUNTY LEADERSHIP, AND ACTIVATED THE EOC TO COORDINATE RESPONSE RESPONSE EFFORTS COUNTYWIDE. THROUGHOUT THE EVENT, OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WORKED CLOSELY WITH DISPATCH, POLICE, FIRE, PUBLIC WORKS, AND STATE SEARCH AND RESCUE PARTNERS TO TRACK DEVELOPING SITUATIONS, DEPLOY RESOURCES WHERE THEY WERE NEEDED MOST, AND COMMUNICATE WITH VULNERABLE RESIDENTS AND RESPOND TO THE COMMUNITY AND MEDIA INQUIRIES. I KNOW WHILE I WAS IN THE EOC, TDM WAS ALSO IN THE EOC WITH US BRINGING BOAT CREWS. THE STORM'S IMPACT WAS SIGNIFICANT. WHILE WACO FIRE TYPICALLY RESPONDS TO APPROXIMATELY 64 CALLS FOR SERVICE ON A SUNDAY, CREWS RESPONDED TO 145 CALLS ON SUNDAY, MORE THAN DOUBLE THE DAILY AVERAGE, MOST OF THOSE OCCURRING BETWEEN 8 P.M. AND 10 P.M. ALONE. FIREFIGHTERS FIREFIGHTERS HANDLED 73 WEATHER RELATED INCIDENTS. I KNOW I LOOKED AT POLICE. CAD PD HAD 93 CALLS DURING THE TWO HOUR PERIOD, WITH 45 OF THOSE DEALING WITH HIGH WATER ALONE.
OTHER CALLS INCLUDED LIGHTNING STRIKES AND ELECTRICAL INCIDENTS. OVERALL, TEAMS CONDUCTED 40 WATER RESCUES, RESPONDED TO APPROXIMATELY 73 FLOODED VEHICLES AND ASSISTED WITH SIX BUILDINGS AND HOMES IMPACTED BY THE FLOODING. ANTICIPATING DANGEROUS CONDITIONS, WACO FIRE HAD PROACTIVELY STAFFED TWO ADDITIONAL SWIFT WATER RESCUE BOAT TEAMS BEFORE THE STORM ARRIVED, AND THOSE CREWS WORKED ALONGSIDE TEXAS TASK FORCE ONE AND TEXAS GAME WARDENS TO RESPOND TO MULTIPLE HIGH RISK RESCUE SITUATIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. PUBLIC WORKS WERE ALSO HEAVILY ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THE EVENT, RESPONDING TO FLOODING, DRAINAGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE CONCERNS ACROSS THE CITY, STREET AND DRAINAGE CREWS WORKED ALONGSIDE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO ADDRESS ROADWAY HAZARDS, INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL MANHOLE OVERFLOWS, ASSIST IN FLOODED AREAS AND HELP MAINTAIN ACCESS TO AFFECTED NEIGHBORHOODS AS CONDITIONS EVOLVED. I KNOW IN TALKING TO DIRECTOR CODY PATILLO, WE WERE ALSO DEPLOYING POTENTIALLY DEPLOYING DUMP TRUCKS AS HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES TO ASSIST RESCUE CREWS. THE COORDINATED RESPONSE CONTINUED INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, WITH OEM REMAINING ACTIVE UNTIL 2 A.M. RECOVERY EFFORTS ARE NOW UNDERWAY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PUBLIC WORKS PERSONNEL WILL CONTINUE SUPPORTING DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE EVALUATIONS AND RESIDENT RECOVERY OPERATIONS IN THE DAYS AHEAD. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, DISPATCHERS, PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT STAFF AND REGIONAL PARTNERS FOR THEIR PROFESSIONALISM, TEAMWORK AND DEDICATION THROUGHOUT THE EVENT. THEIR EFFORTS HELPED PROTECT LIVES, ASSIST RESIDENTS IN NEED, AND ENSURE A COORDINATED RESPONSE DURING RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS. I WILL NOTE I WAS LISTENING TO THE RADIO AND AT ONE POINT IN TIME YOU HAD FOLKS CALLING IN LITERALLY FROM ALL OVER, MOSTLY MID TO WEST WACO, STUCK IN THEIR CARS OR ON THE ROOFS OF CARS OR IN CREEKS, AND NOT A SINGLE LOSS OF LIFE AT THIS POINT. SO OUR TEAMS DID A TREMENDOUS JOB IN RESPONDING.
AND NOW, IF IT WILL PLEASE THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO OUR MADAM ATTORNEY
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TO INTRODUCE A NEW EMPLOYEE. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER HOLT, I AM VERY EXCITED TO INTRODUCE TO YOU ANDREA GILMORE, IF YOU WOULD STAND UP FOR US. ANDREA. ANDREA IS OUR NEWEST LAWYER TO JOIN OUR TEAM. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE HER ON BOARD. THANK YOU. AND ANDREA GRADUATED AFTER TWO AND A HALF YEARS OF LAW SCHOOL, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE IN AND OF ITSELF, AND CONTINUED ON AS THE DEAN ON THE DEAN'S LIST DOING SO. SHE GRADUATED IN 2021 FROM THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOOL OF LAW, AND SINCE THEN HAS HAS PRACTICED IN THE PRIVATE PRACTICE WORLD. SHE'S DONE DEFENSE WORK, AND SHE'S DONE SIGNIFICANT REAL ESTATE WORK AND MEDIATION. AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE HER JOIN OUR TEAM. SHE'S GOING TO BE WORKING WITH PARKS I T.COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, MUNICIPAL COURT, ANIMAL SERVICES. AND SO WELCOME, ANDREA. YEAH, WELCOME TO THE TEAM. IT'S A BUSY GROUP. WE'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON. AND I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE IN WACO AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. ANDREA, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. AREN'T YOU A NATIVE? YES, MA'AM. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. SHE'S A TROJAN. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. LAUNDRY IS A TROJAN. SO I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY WHEN I WAS A TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR AT UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL TO WORK ALONG WITH HER WITH THE WHAT WAS IT, THE VITA TECH SERVICE.
AND SHE WAS AMAZING. WOW. I ALWAYS LIKE TO SEE HOMEGROWN TALENT BRING THEIR TALENTS BACK HOME. SO I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU IN THIS ILLUSTRIOUS TEAM. I THINK WE HAVE CREATED A DYNAMIC SECOND FLOOR. SO PUT YOUR SKATES ON. AND AS WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, SHE'S A LEGACY. SHE HAS FELLOW FAMILY MEMBERS THAT ALSO WORK FOR THE CITY. WE LOVE TO SEE THAT AS FAMILIES ARE EMPLOYED HERE WITH THE CITY. FANTASTIC. HEY, BEFORE WE GO ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, CITY MANAGER HOLT, I DID WANT TO SAY JUST THE THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO THE FLOOD WAS REMARKABLE. AND IT WAS SUNDAY EVENING. AND, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKED LIKE THE WARNINGS WERE OUT AND EVERYTHING. IT DIDN'T REALLY LOOK LIKE IT WAS GOING TO DO THAT MUCH. BUT MAN, IT EXPLODED, WHAT, FOUR AND FIVE INCHES IN IN LESS THAN AN HOUR OR SO. AND PEOPLE WERE TEXTING ME A LITTLE VIDEOS OF LIKE ON FRANKLIN I DIDN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE. I'M SURE EVERYBODY WAS IN THE SAME BOAT. YOU COULDN'T RECOGNIZE WHERE THOSE FLOODS WERE BECAUSE IT WAS SO HIGH. SO REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND ACTUALLY OUR, I THINK OUR FORMER MAYOR, KYLE. DEAVER, HE SENT ME ONE. HAVE YOU SEEN THIS AT I FORGET WHAT INTERSECTION IT SAID. NO, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS QUITE THAT BAD. THAT WAS RIGHT WHEN YOU AND I WERE TALKING RIGHT BEFORE THAT. BUT ANYWAY, GREAT RESPONSE TO THIS EMERGENCY. THANKFULLY. THANKFULLY, NO LIVES WERE LOST AND THERE'S STILL SOME DAMAGE OUT THERE THAT WE'RE ASSESSING AND ALSO A GREAT FOLLOW UP.
CITY MANAGER HOLT AND HIS TEAM SENT A REPORT OUT TO ALL OF US YESTERDAY THAT KIND OF SUMMARIZED ALL THE ALL THE DAMAGE AND THE TAKEAWAYS. SO AGAIN, APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR RESPONSE AND YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE EMERGENCY AND COLUMNS FOR PUTTING OUT THAT THE NOTIFICATION AND IT'S BEEN CIRCULATED. I KNOW ALL OVER SOCIAL. IF YOU HAVE IF THERE IS DAMAGE OR THERE YOUR STREETS THAT NEED TO BE, THERE'S A QR CODE THAT YOU CAN SCAN OR ON THE MY WACO APP AND INPUT THAT INFORMATION. SO WE CAN DO OUR BEST TO GET IT ADDRESSED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. ALL RIGHT. AND ONE FINAL ITEM FROM THE MANAGER'S REPORT. ONE OF OUR KEY EMPLOYEES IS CELEBRATING A BIRTHDAY TODAY, MISS DEIDRA EMERSON. SO JEREMY WISHING HER A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. WE ARE CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH. HOW THANKFUL WE ARE TO HAVE HER AS PART OF THE TEAM AS OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. SUPER IMPORTANT FOR US. SO THANK YOU, DEIDRA. THANK YOU, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. EMERSON. I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO. EVERYBODY TURN AROUND. LET'S SEE. OKAY. I WANT TO SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I WON'T DO THAT. SHE LOVE THAT SHE IS FAN. DEIDRA IS FANTASTIC. GREAT LEADER FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CITY MANAGEMENT TEAM. AND THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO ON YOUR 29TH BIRTHDAY HERE TODAY. THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THERE'S ONE INFORMAL REPORT FOR YOU TODAY. ITEM 2026 364 FROM FINANCE PROVIDES YOU MONTHLY MANAGEMENT REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL. THERE ARE 39 RESOLUTIONS ON TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA. AND I'LL HIGHLIGHT JUST ONE. ITEM 400 APPROVES AN EXPANSION OF OUR EXISTING CLOUD GEN SERVICE CONTRACT FOR THE CITY'S ASSESSMENT, ASSET MANAGEMENT AND WORKFLOW WORKFLOW SOFTWARE AT A COST OF $275,000. THE CITY FIRST IMPLEMENTED IMPLEMENTED CLOUD GEN ENTERPRISE ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN 2023. IT HAS SINCE BEEN DEPLOYED TO I.T RADIO SHOP WATER INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING DISTRIBUTION AND COLLECTION AND FACILITIES. THE NEXT PHASE, WHICH THIS INCLUDES, WILL BE AN IMPLEMENTATION FOR STREETS, STORMWATER MAINTENANCE, PUBLIC WORKS, MAINTENANCE AND SAFETY.
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THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE ALLOWS FOR THE ADDITION OF STANDARDIZED BUSINESS PRACTICES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, AND IMPROVES THE COORDINATION BETWEEN FIELD AND ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS, ULTIMATELY IMPROVING OUR ASSET MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE RELATED DATA ACROSS THE CITY ORGANIZATION. THERE ARE JUST INTERJECT OUT OF THE 39 RESOLUTIONS TODAY. THAT'S THE ONE I PICKED OUT TO TALK ABOUT TOO, BECAUSE I'M I'M SUPER ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IMPROVING OUR PROCESSES. AND IN ORDER TO GET, YOU KNOW, BEST IN CLASS SERVICES. RIGHT. ANDREA. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING FOR. AND A LOT OF TIMES WE HAVE ALL THE RIGHT PEOPLE. WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE EQUIPPED PROPERLY AND WE'RE REFINING OUR PROCESSES AND LOOKING INWARD TO HOW WE CAN GET BETTER WITH WITH, AGAIN, PROCESSES, WORKFLOW REVIEW, BETTER SOFTWARE IN SOME CASES. AND THIS IS A COMMITMENT TO THAT ON HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, ESTABLISH MORE EFFICIENT PROCESSES, MEANING NOT ONLY JUST TIME WISE, BUT ULTIMATELY TAXPAYER DOLLAR WISE AND ABLE, THE ABILITY TO EXTRACT BETTER DATA AND MEASUREMENT ULTIMATELY. SO I'M A SUPER FAN OF THIS CLOUD GEN INITIATIVE, AND I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGER THINGS WE HAD GOING ON HERE TODAY. GREAT. APPRECIATE IT. THERE ARE FIVE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE AGENDA ITEM 2026 409 IS THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE DRAFT ANNUAL ACTION PLAN FOR OUR U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT FUNDING, AS PRESENTED AT THE JUNE 2ND COUNCIL MEETING. AN OVERVIEW OF THE REMAINING FOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL BE PRESENTED DURING WORK SESSIONS. THERE ARE FOUR ORDINANCES ON INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. ITEM 356 ESTABLISHES THE TEXAS COMBINATION TAX AND REVENUE CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION NOTE OF $200 MILLION FOR AUTHORIZED PROJECTS WITHIN THE BARONS BRANCH. PHASE ONE PORTION OF THE DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, AND IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS THAT WILL END THE MANAGER'S REPORT. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE MANAGER'S REPORT? NONE THERE. THANKS. GREAT. GREAT INFORMATION. CITY MANAGER HOLT, WE NOW MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. THE CONSENT AGENDA ON THE RESOLUTIONS INCLUDES RESOLUTION 2026, 370 AND 2026, 371 THROUGH 2026-408, EXCEPT FOR RESOLUTION 2026-378. THAT CITY MANAGER HOLT ALREADY MENTIONED THAT. WE ARE PULLING THAT FROM THE AGENDA TODAY. ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS AFTERNOON? I THINK THAT'S IT. I WAS GOING TO SAY I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING I WANT TO PULL, BUT I DID WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ITEMS 380 THROUGH 384, WHICH IS THE DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS FOR THE QUARTER BEAUTIFICATION GRANT PROGRAM. IT'S AN AWESOME PROGRAM WE HAVE. WE CAN MATCH UP TO $15,000 FOR BUSINESS OWNERS, STOREFRONTS THAT WANT TO REVITALIZE WHERE THEY'RE AT. IT IS ONE THAT THAT I THINK THAT STAFF, AT LEAST IN TALKING WITH OUR CITY MANAGER YESTERDAY, IS LOOKING TO SORT OF RETOOL IN TERMS OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS. BUT I WANT TO SUGGEST TO STAFF THAT WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, IF WE COULD LOOK AT HOW WE DEPLOY THESE FUNDS, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT IS IT'S NOT FULLY CITYWIDE, BUT THERE ARE MULTIPLE CORRIDORS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND I THINK THAT IF WE WERE TO TO TAKE A REALLY STRATEGIC APPROACH AND SORT OF IDENTIFY MAYBE ONE CORRIDOR AT A TIME ON A ON A BUDGET YEAR BASIS, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE SPEND COULD, COULD BE FELT AND SEEN. THE IMPACT COULD GO A LOT FURTHER. IF WE WERE TO SAY, LET'S PICK ONE, YOU KNOW, ONE SQUARE MILE OF 25TH STREET OR DOWNTOWN OR WEST WACO TO DEPLOY THESE FUNDS FOR THIS BUDGET YEAR AND APPLICATIONS THAT WAY, I THINK THAT WE COULD MOVE THE NEEDLE A LOT FASTER FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND, WHEREVER WE'RE SPENDING THAT MONEY. SO THAT WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION GOING FORWARD. I'M THRILLED THAT WE'RE WE'RE GETTING THIS MONEY OUT THE DOOR THIS YEAR.ANYTIME WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REINVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK IT PAYS DIVIDENDS THAT WE WILL SEE WELL ON INTO THE FUTURE. BUT IT IS I'M OF THE OPINION THAT THAT IF IF WHILE WE ARE RETOOLING THIS PROGRAM FOR NEXT YEAR AND HAVING BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, IF WE COULD LOOK AT, I SAY SILOING IN KNOW ZEROING IN ON SPECIFIC CORRIDORS THAT WE WANT TO DEPLOY FUNDS FOR ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. YEAH, I AGREE, COUNCILMEMBER EWING, THAT THAT THOSE WERE THE CORRIDOR BEAUTIFICATION INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. THERE WERE FIVE ITEMS ON THE RESOLUTIONS. AND AND THEY'RE NOT GIANT AMOUNTS EITHER, BUT THEY HELP THE BUSINESS AND THAT THEY'RE VERY MEANINGFUL TO THE TO THE TEN, $15,000. BUT YEAH, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROGRAM. THANKS FOR POINTING THAT OUT. GREAT. WE'LL MAKE THAT NOTE.
THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK. ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE RESOLUTIONS THIS AFTERNOON? OKAY. SO THE CONSENT AGENDA TONIGHT WHEN WE VOTE ON THIS WILL INCLUDE 2026-370 AND THEN RESOLUTIONS 2026-371 THROUGH 2026-408. EXCEPT FOR THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PULLED NUMBER 378. SO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS WORK SESSION. WE HAVE SEVERAL ITEMS TODAY 2026
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365 THROUGH 368. CITY MANAGER HOLT WILL MODERATE THIS SECTION OF THE MEETING. WILL YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE THE FIRST WORK SESSION? GREAT. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THE FIRST WORK SESSION, ITEM 365. WE WELCOME BACK. CINDY DECKER, DIRECTOR OF MARKET INSIGHTS AT TOURISM ECONOMICS, FOR OUR SEMIANNUAL TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MARKET UPDATE. LOOKING AT WINTER 2025 THROUGH SPRING OF 2026. THANKS FOR MAKING THE TRIP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER HOLT. SO GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M LISA BLACKMAN, CHIEF DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT OFFICER. AND TODAY WE'LL REVIEW OUR DESTINATION PERFORMANCE DATA FOR NOVEMBER 2025 THROUGH APRIL 2026. JOINING ME TODAY AS CITY MANAGER, HOLT SAID, IS CINDY DECKER, DIRECTOR OF MARKET INSIGHTS WITH TOURISM ECONOMICS. SHE WILL PROVIDE THE PRESENTATION FOR YOU TODAY. SO OUR AGENDA, WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT NATIONAL AND STATE CONTEXT, THEN DIVE INTO WACO'S HOTEL AND STR PERFORMANCE VISITOR INSIGHT, OUR STRONG GROUP SALES PIPELINE, AND THEN MAJOR IMPACT OF BAYLOR FOOTBALL. THIS DATA UNDERSCORES WACO'S RESILIENCE AND GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES AS WE MOVE FORWARD. IT'S MY PLEASURE TO REINTRODUCE CINDY DECKER, DIRECTOR OF MARKET INSIGHTS. CINDY HAS BEEN A TRUSTED PARTNER TO WACO SINCE 2024, HELPING US PRODUCE THESE VALUABLE TRAVEL AND TOURISM REPORTS THAT GUIDE OUR STRATEGY AND DECISION MAKING. WITH OVER THREE DECADES OF HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING 25 YEARS AS A REVENUE MANAGEMENT LEADER AT MARRIOTT AND SERVING AS VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE AND MARKET STRATEGY FOR HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION, CINDY BRINGS EXCEPTIONAL DATA DRIVEN EXPERTISE AND STRATEGIC INSIGHT.SHE IS A SOLUTION ORIENTED LEADER WHO DELIVERS ACTIONABLE BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE AND GUIDANCE THAT HELPS DESTINATIONS LIKE OURS ACHIEVE OUR GOALS. PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING CINDY BACK TO WACO, AND I WILL NOW PASS IT OVER TO CINDY. THANK YOU. THANKS, LISA.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME BACK. IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO BE IN WACO.
RIGHT NOW, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, THE US STRUGGLED A LITTLE BIT IN TOURISM LAST YEAR WITH SOME OF THE POLICIES, SOME OF THE GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS THAT ARE GOING AROUND THE WORLD AND OUR ECONOMY. BUT I'M GLAD TO REPORT NOW THAT TRAVEL HAS TURNED AROUND AS OF APRIL OF 2026, YEAR TO DATE, WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN NOT ONLY HOTEL DEMAND, BUT SHORT TERM RENTAL DEMAND. AIR PASSENGERS IS INCREASED, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE HAD TWO MINOR TSA SHUTDOWNS DURING THIS TIME FRAME. SO STILL OVERALL AND SPENDING YEAR TO DATE IS UP 3.5% NATIONWIDE. SO DEFINITELY SOME NICE INCREASES THAT WE'RE SHOWING. WHEN YOU LOOK AT AIR TRAVEL, AIR TRAVEL IS AT ITS HIGHEST RIGHT NOW WITH OVER 280, ALMOST 283 MILLION AIR PASSENGERS, ACCORDING TO TSA IN 2026, THAT IS THE HIGHEST THAT WE'VE SEEN, EVEN SURPASSING PRE-PANDEMIC TIMEFRAMES. SO DEFINITELY SOME NICE INCREASES IN TSA. NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE VERY MUCH CONSCIOUS OF IS THAT THERE IS INCREASES IN GAS PRICES. THAT INCLUDES JET FUEL CHANGES. AND SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT CONSUMER PRICING, WE ARE SEEING AIRFARES INCREASE. ALL ITEMS ARE INCREASING MORE. SO IT IS CURRENTLY, ACCORDING TO UNITED AIRLINES, IT IS CLEAR THAT CONSUMERS WILL CONTINUE TO SEEK ELEVATED EXPERIENCES. AND THERE'S NOTHING IN OUR BOOKINGS THAT SUGGESTS THAT THERE'S DEMAND DESTRUCTION, DISRUPTION. AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE THAT AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE SUMMER. WHEN YOU LOOK AT DOMESTIC FLIGHT BOOKINGS, DOMESTIC FLIGHTS ARE UP. MAY WAS UP ALMOST 5%. JUNE IS EXPECTED TO BE UP ALMOST 9%, AND JULY IS EXPECTED TO BE UP 8%. INTERNATIONAL INBOUND IS ALSO INCREASED. THE ONLY MONTH THAT WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN INTERNATIONAL INBOUND INTO THE US IS, OF COURSE, JUNE. AS WE ALL KNOW, FIFA IS OFF AND RUNNING IN THE US AND PRIMARILY IN TEXAS. WE HAVE THE MAJORITY OF THE GAMES IN TEXAS, SO WE ARE SEEING INCREASES OF INTERNATIONAL DEMAND. AS YOU GO THROUGH THE SUMMER, JUST AS WE LOOK A LITTLE BIT FORWARD AGAIN, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER ARE ALL SEEING INCREASES IN HOTEL BOOKINGS. THIS SUMMER IS STRONG. 2025, AS YOU CAN SEE, WAS A LOT LOWER IN TRENDS THAN WE'RE SEEING NOW. AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO A REALLY GREAT FALL. AND THEN HOW IS OUR TRAVELERS, HOW THEY'RE BEHAVING? YOU KNOW, CONSUMERS ARE STILL PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO RECREATIONAL GOODS SERVICES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS. WE KNOW THAT THERE IS STILL ECONOMIC DRIVERS THAT ARE AFFECTING SOME OF OUR FAMILIES AT HOME, INCLUDING SOME INCREASES IN PRICES, BUT THEY'RE STILL PRIORITIZING THE TRAVEL AND ALL OF THE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU CAN SEE. MARRIOTT HOTEL ON MAY 6TH SAID. WE CONTINUE TO SEE PRIORITIZATION OF TRAVEL AND EXPERIENCES OVER CONSUMER AND HARD GOODS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT RECENT IMPROVEMENTS NATIONWIDE, AGAIN, US REV PAR AS OF FROM THROUGH FEBRUARY AND MARCH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DARK BLUE AREA, YOU'RE LOOKING AT LAST YEAR INCREASES AND THIS YEAR IS
[00:20:05]
THE INCREASES THAT WE'RE SEEING IN ALL OF THESE SCALES. SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE CHANGES OF IN LUXURY, UPSCALE, UPPER UPSCALE, UPPER MID SCALE MIDSCALE. THE ECONOMY SEGMENT OF OUR HOTEL INDUSTRY IS THE ONE THAT IS STILL STRUGGLING. WACO IS MADE UP OF LARGELY UPPER MID-SCALE AND UPSCALE PRODUCT. AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE BIGGEST INCREASES RIGHT NOW SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. AND THEN TEXAS IS TRENDING AHEAD AS WELL, WHERE WE'RE SEEING TEXAS. SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A SHORTFALL IS IN AIR PASSENGERS. A LOT OF THAT IS SOME OF THE TSA SHORTFALLS THAT WE SAW EARLIER THIS YEAR. THE SHUTDOWN AFFECTED HOUSTON MOST OF ALL AND A LITTLE BIT OF THE INTERNATIONAL SIDE IN THE DALLAS MARKET. BUT WE ARE SEEING INCREASES IN LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY JOBS IN THE US AND IN TEXAS. AND WE'RE SEEING HOTEL DEMAND UP IN TEXAS BY ABOUT 1.5% YEAR TO DATE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT BY MONTH, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE US HAS REALLY GAINED GROUND SINCE FEBRUARY IN OUTPACING THE TEXAS HOTEL DEMAND. BUT YOU HAVE MARKETS THAT ALSO STRUGGLED LARGELY LAST YEAR MORE THAN TEXAS STRUGGLED. SO THEY'RE JUST REGAINING THEIR GROUND. AND WHAT THEY SAW LAST YEAR OVERALL, EVERYBODY'S DEMAND IS UP AND HAS BEEN UP SINCE JANUARY. THE ONLY SHORTFALL THAT WE SAW IN THE US WAS IN JANUARY, AND THAT WAS DUE TO A LOT OF MAJOR WINTER STORMS. SO HOW'S WACO? WACO IS DOING GREAT. I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE TO YOU ALL THAT AS OF SINCE OCTOBER, WE'RE SEEING INCREASES AND WE'RE SEEING THAT THE INDEX IS 138% OVER 2019. SO THAT'S 38% INCREASE FROM 2019 TIME FRAMES. AND AGAIN, TEXAS IS INDEXING AHEAD, BUT THEY'RE ONLY AHEAD BY 3%. SO WACO IS WELL AHEAD OF THE TEXAS INCREASES THAT WE'VE SEEN. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TEXAS TRENDS GROWING YEAR OVER YEAR, THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT YEAR FOR WACO. LAST YEAR, AS YOU REMEMBER IN SOME OF MY REPORTING, WE WEREN'T SEEING RATES INCREASE AT ALL. WE WERE KIND OF STRUGGLING ON THE RATE SIDE. THIS YEAR, YOU'RE SEEING DEMAND UP 1.4%, AND ADR IS PUSHING THROUGH AND INCREASING A LITTLE BIT MORE AT 1.8% OVERALL. SO THE REVENUE IS OVER 3%. HOTEL REVENUE INCREASES WHERE YOU'RE STILL SEEING SOME SHORTFALLS IS IN OCCUPANCY.THAT IS BECAUSE THERE IS NEW SUPPLY IN THE MARKET STILL. SO THE DEMAND, ALTHOUGH STRONG, IS STILL NOT ABSORBING ALL OF THE SUPPLY, BUT DEFINITELY SEEING SOME GAINS AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE YEAR. AND AS WE GO INTO THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS AND THEN HOTEL DEMAND, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT JUST NOVEMBER TO APRIL. SO ALL OF YOUR WINTER AND SPRING TIME FRAMES, WACO WAS UP 1.4%. AS WE SAW IN THE PREVIOUS CHART, TEXAS IS UP 0.9 AND THE US IS UP 0.9% AS WELL.
SO WACO IS STILL OUTPACING BOTH THE US AND TEXAS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOTEL DEMAND IN THE MARKET AND THEN RATE GROWTH AGAIN, ONE OF THE SHORTFALLS THAT WE SAW LAST YEAR WAS ON RATE, BUT IT IS NOW TRENDING AHEAD. SO WACO IS NOW OUTPACING THE TEXAS RATE GROWTH FOR THE STATE AS WELL AS KEEPING UP WITH THE US. THE US GREW 2% THROUGH THE SAME TIME FRAME. AND THEN LOOKING AT REVPAR. SO BECAUSE OF THE ADDITIONAL SUPPLY, YOU'RE ALMOST 4% AHEAD IN SUPPLY IN THE MARKET. THE REV PAR, WHICH IS REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM, IS ACTUALLY SHOWING DOWN JUST SLIGHTLY, ABOUT 0.3%. I CAN TELL YOU THAT LOOKING AT SOME STATISTICS RIGHT NOW FOR MAY AND JUNE, THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE AS YOU GO INTO FURTHER INTO THE YEAR, YOU'RE SEEING SOME NICE DEMAND GROWTH AS WE GO FURTHER. TEXAS IS GROWING IN REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM AT 1.4%, AND THE US IS UP 2.3. AND THEN COMPETITIVELY. SO THERE ARE TWO TEXAS MARKETS THAT ARE GROWING OCCUPANCY RIGHT NOW. THAT WAS FORT WORTH, ARLINGTON. THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS IN RECENT YEARS WITH JUST SOME ADDITIONAL MARKET DEMAND AND SOME FILM STUDIOS THAT HAVE COME INTO THE MARKET. HOUSTON IS GROWING BY 0.5%. THEIR SUCCESS IS NOT ONLY CONVENTION DRIVEN, BUT ALSO OIL AND GAS DRIVEN. SO THEY'RE SEEING SOME NICE BUSINESS TRAVEL INCREASES THERE. TEXAS IS UP ABOUT 1%, DALLAS IS DECREASING, AND AUSTIN IS DECREASING. BOTH OF THEM HAVE CONVENTION CENTER RENOVATIONS. AUSTIN ACTUALLY HAS NO CONVENTION CENTER CURRENTLY. DALLAS IS ABOUT LESS THAN HALF OF THEIR CONVENTION CENTER AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW. SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THE TRENDS. SO RIGHT NOW THAT GROWTH AND OCCUPANCY IS WHERE WE WILL NEED TO GAIN SOME GROUND. BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO RATE, AND YOU LOOK AT THE DOWNTOWN WACO MARKET, AGAIN, THAT RATE GROWTH THAT WE HAD BEEN LACKING IS NOW SURPASSING ALL OF OUR COMPETITORS. SO THE DOWNTOWN MARKET IS UP 3%, JUST BEHIND HOUSTON'S 3.3% GROWTH.
AND THE CITY OF WACO IS NOW THE SECOND HIGHEST, I'M SORRY, THE THIRD HIGHEST IN RATE GROWTH, WITH A 1.8% RATE GROWTH IN HOUSTON AND FORT WORTH, ARLINGTON. SHORT TERM RENTAL
[00:25:04]
MARKET. THE SHORT TERM RENTAL MARKET IS ACTUALLY SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF A TREND DOWNWARD.YOU HAVE LESS AIRBNB PROPERTIES THAN YOU DID AT THE PEAK IN 2024. THERE WAS ABOUT 709 UNITS BACK IN 2024. NOW YOU'RE AT ABOUT SEVEN 607. DEMAND FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS HAS DECREASED IN THIS WINTER SPR&NG TIME FRAME. YOU'RE DOWN ALMOST 16% IN DEMAND. BUT THEY'RE HOLDING THEIR RATES. THEY'RE UP ABOUT 5.5%. NOW. SOME OF THAT RATE INCREASE IS NOW AIRBNB IS INCLUDING THE FEES IN THEIR RATES. SO SOME OF THAT IS INCLUDED IN THAT 5% INCREASE SO THAT YOU CAN HAPPILY JUST BOOK YOUR SHORT TERM RENTAL AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL FEES AT THE END, BUT THAT IS DRIVING A LITTLE BIT OF THAT RATE INCREASE. AND THEN THE OCCUPANCY BECAUSE OF THE SUPPLY SHORTFALL IS UP 2.1%. SO IT'S STILL SHOWING THAT IT'S A HEALTHY MARKET. ON THE OCCUPANCY SIDE OVERALL. AND SO AGGREGATED LODGING REVENUE, THE SHORT TERM RENTALS MAKE UP APPROXIMATELY 15% OF OVERALL LODGING REVENUES. AND THAT IS FOR THE YEAR. THE AGGREGATED DEMAND IS SLIGHTLY DOWN. AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, HOTEL DEMAND IS UP. AND SO THE OVERALL REVENUE WAS UP ABOUT 0.8%, WITH INCREASES IN THE MARKET FROM THE HOTEL SIDE. AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ATTRACTIONS, THE ATTRACTIONS HAVE DONE REALLY WELL. LAST YEAR ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE MAGNOLIA WAS ABOUT 55% SPLIT OF ALL OF THE VISITORS THAT CAME INTO WACO WOULD GO TO THE MAGNOLIA SILOS.
ABOUT 23% WENT TO THE CAMERON ZOO. ALMOST 9% WENT TO WACO SURF. THIS YEAR. WE'RE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF A FLIP FLOP. SO CAMERON PARK ZOO IS NOW MAKING UP ALMOST 31% OF THE VISITORS INTO THE MARKET. WE STARTED TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT INCREASE AFTER THE PENGUIN EXHIBIT OPENED THE YEAR BEFORE, AND WE CONTINUE TO SEE THAT SHIFT OF TRAVEL FOR YOUR VISITORS FROM OUTSIDE OF THE AREA. THE DOCTOR PEPPER MUSEUM IS ALSO GAINING SOME GROUND.
THEY'RE NOW ABOUT 6.7% OF THE OVERALL MIX OF VISITORS THAT COME INTO THE AREA AND TO THE AREA. AND THEN WACO STILL MAKES UP ABOUT 5.4% OF THE VISITORS THAT COME INTO THE AREA. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE THEY'RE GOING, SO THE MAJORITY, 18% OF THE VISITORS THAT GO TO YOUR ATTRACTIONS, THEN GO TO BAYLOR UNIVERSITY OR GO TO BAYLOR UNIVERSITY AND COME TO YOUR ATTRACTIONS. SO THERE IS A BIG PERCENTAGE THAT ACTUALLY IS COMING INTO THE UNIVERSITY AND THEN TRAVELING TO THE ATTRACTIONS. BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT THE VISITORS THAT ALSO GO TO THE ATTRACTIONS ARE GOING TO CENTRAL TEXAS MARKETPLACE. THE THEY'RE GOING TO RIVER SQUARE CENTER, THEY'RE GOING TO THE RICHLAND MALL, CAMERON PARK, THE MAGNOLIA TABLE, MCLANE STADIUM. SO THERE IS A MIX OF VARIATIONS OF WHERE THEY GO WITHIN THE MARKET AND ABOUT 76% OR A LITTLE OVER 76% OF THE VISITORS COME FROM TEXAS. SO THEY ARE OUR REGIONAL TEXAS MARKETS THAT COME TO VISIT. AND THEN FOLLOWED BY SOME OUT-OF-STATE VISITORS FROM OKLAHOMA, FLORIDA, CALIFORNIA, MAINLY 65% OF THE PEOPLE THAT GO TO THE ATTRACTIONS ARE ACTUAL VISITORS FROM OUT OF WACO. SO IT IS A BIG DRIVER FOR VISITATION. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BREAKDOWN OF THAT IS MAJORITY ON SATURDAYS WITH ALMOST 20, WITH 24% OF THE VISITORS COMING INTO THE MARKET ON SATURDAYS TO ATTEND YOUR VISITOR ATTRACTIONS. AND LOOKING AT LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY JOBS, THERE IS NOT REALLY A CHANGE RIGHT NOW IN LEISURE, HOSPITALITY, JOBS, LABOR STATISTICS. CHANGES HAVE SOMEWHAT AFFECTED THE LABOR MARKET, BUT EVEN NATIONWIDE, UNEMPLOYMENT IS STILL ONLY AT 4.3%. THAT HAS NOT CHANGED IN OVER SIX MONTHS. AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE WACO IS ABOUT MIDDLE GROUND, WHERE STATEWIDE THERE IS MORE EMPLOYMENT. UNITED STATES IS RIGHT BELOW US. AND THEN WACO IS HOLDING AGAIN AT THAT FLAT TO LAST YEAR AND UP 13% FROM PREPANDEMIC TIME FRAMES. SO IT'S A GREAT MARKET TO HOST LABOR FOR LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY JOBS. AND THEN FISCAL YEAR TO DATE, JUST LOOKING AT OVERALL BOOKINGS ON THE SALES SIDE, THE TEAM HAS DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB OF BOOKING ADDITIONAL ROOMS INTO THE MARKET. YOU CAN SEE THERE'S ABOUT 26% INCREASE IN BOOKED ROOM NIGHTS. THAT IS AN ADDITIONAL 42% MORE EVENTS THAT ARE BOOKED INTO THE MARKET, AND THAT INCLUDES INCREASES WITH INCREASED ATTENDANCE OF 56%. SO THAT'S A REALLY GREAT CONVERSION RATE OF 69%. I CAN TELL YOU THAT I WORK WITH MARKETS WORLDWIDE. I USUALLY SEE CONVERSION AROUND 30%, MAYBE EVEN 25% IN THE LARGER MARKET. SO 69% CONVERSION RATE ON BOOKINGS IS ASTRONOMICAL. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEAM ON THEIR EFFORT. AND AGAIN, THAT IS UP SIX POINTS OVER LAST YEAR. YOU ALSO CAN SEE THAT MAJORITY OF BOOKINGS ARE IN THE YEAR.
[00:30:06]
FOR THE YEAR, THE BOOKING WINDOW IS STILL SHORT, BUT THEY DO HAVE A NICE BASE ALREADY WORKING OF BOOKINGS INTO NEXT YEAR AND THE YEAR AFTER. AND THEN LEAD VOLUME AGAIN. ONE OF THE MARKETS THAT WE'RE SEEING THE MOST SUCCESS WITH LEAD VOLUME, NOT ONLY ARE YOU CONVERTING 69% AND MORE OF WHAT YOU'RE GETTING, BUT YOUR LEAD VOLUME IS UP 138%. THAT'S OVER 96,000 UNITS THAT ARE STILL IN THE FUNNEL. AGAIN, IF YOU CONVERT 70% OF THAT, WE WILL BE IN REALLY GREAT SHAPE FOR THE COMING YEARS. THE MAJORITY OF BOOKINGS ARE STILL FOR THIS YEAR, BUT YOU DO HAVE A REALLY STRONG FUNNEL OF LEADS THAT ARE COMING IN FOR NEXT YEAR AND FOR 2028, AS WELL AS 2029. AGAIN, LOOKING AT LEAD VOLUME, LOOKING AT IT JUST WORLDWIDE WITH THE MARKETS THAT WE WORK WITH, I'VE NOT SEEN LEAD VOLUME THIS HIGH IN MARKETS. WE HAVE SOME MARKETS THAT ARE STILL SHOWING DOWNTURNS, LARGELY THE BIGGER MARKETS WITH THE LARGER CONVENTIONS. BUT WE ARE STARTING TO SEE INCREASES, JUST NOT OVER 100%. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEAM. ALSO ON THE LEAD VOLUME THAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE MARKET, IS THAT LEAD VOLUME OF 52. IS THAT SUBSUMED IN THE PREVIOUS 84, OR IS THAT 52 NEW ONES ON TOP OF THE 84 NEW ONES? THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. SO THESE ARE 96,000 ROOM NIGHTS OF THAT LEADS THAT HAVE NOT CONVERTED. THEY'VE NOT TURNED DEFINITE. THEY'RE JUST OUT THERE AND COMING IN FOR THE TEAM TO TURN. GREAT. THANKS. YEAH. AND THEN AGAIN, LOOKING AT THAT CONVERSION RATE, WHEN WE DIG A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO IT, IT COMES CLOSER TO 73%. THIS WAS AS OF ACTUALLY TWO WEEKS AGO. SO THE BIGGEST CONVERSION RATE THAT WE SEE IS IN THAT 300 TO 499 PEAK SIZE WINDOW, THE SECOND HIGHEST IN THIS IN THOSE LITTLE ONES THAT ARE LESS THAN 100 ROOMS ON PEAK, THOSE TWO ARE THE PRIMARY STRONGHOLDS FOR THIS MARKET. WITH THE HOTELS THAT YOU HAVE, THEY KIND OF FIT INTO 1 OR 2 HOTELS. YOU ALSO HAVE A REALLY STRONG CONVERSION ON LEADS THAT ARE OVER 1000 ROOMS. SO THOSE ARE WHAT WE WOULD CALL YOUR CITYWIDE BECAUSE THEY WOULD FILL MORE THAN ONE HOTEL PER PROBABLY 3 TO 4 HOTELS DEPENDING ON THE AREA. BUT OVERALL YOU'RE SEEING A NICE INCREASE. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TRENDS UP ABOVE, YOU'RE BACK TO 2024 TRENDS ON LEAD VOLUME AND WELL AHEAD OF PANDEMIC TIMEFRAMES. AND THEN LOOKING AT PACE, WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE. SO I AM GLAD TO SAY THAT THE OVERALL DMO BOOKING PACE, THESE ARE ROOMS DEFINITE. AND ON THE BOOKS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE TO COMPARISON TO WHERE YOU WERE AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR IS UP 51% OVER LAST YEAR. SO IT'S A REALLY STRONG VOLUME OF OVER 28,000 ROOM NIGHTS THAT YOU ARE AHEAD OF LAST YEAR. FOR NEXT YEAR, YOU'RE AHEAD BY ABOUT 2.8%. THE YEAR AFTER, YOU'RE UP ABOUT 0.5%, ALTHOUGH THAT'S ONLY 67 ROOM NIGHTS, THERE ARE 2000 ROOM NIGHTS STILL IN THAT FUNNEL, AND AGAIN, WITH A 70% CONVERSION ON THAT, WE SHOULD BE WELL INTO HITTING THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE DOING THIS YEAR. AS YOU GO INTO 2029, EVEN YOU'RE 41% AHEAD. SO AND WITH A REALLY STRONG FUNNEL RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY CHALLENGE IS 2030. YOUR BOOKING WINDOW IS ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF OUT. SO I'M NOT TOO WORRIED ABOUT 2030 FOR YOU GUYS. I THINK THE TEAM CAN GET THERE. AS WE GO FURTHER INTO THE NEW YEAR. BUT A REALLY STRONG LEAD VOLUME AS YOU GO FORWARD. AND THEN THIS IS FOR ALL FACILITIES. SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE BOOKINGS INTO THE DESTINATION, ALSO BY MONTH, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A REALLY STRONG MARCH. YOU'RE LOOKING AT A STRONG APRIL MAY AS WE GO INTO THE FALL, BECAUSE WE'RE NOW INTO JUNE, YOU CAN SEE THE DOUBLE DIGIT INCREASES IN BOOKINGS THAT THEY HAVE ON THE BOOKS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. JULY IS OVER 60% AHEAD OF PACE. AUGUST IS OVER 168% AHEAD OF PACE. I CAN TELL YOU. NATIONWIDE, CITIES ARE DOWN IN PACE FOR AUGUST FOR GROUP BOOKINGS, AND TEXAS IS A REALLY TOUGH MARKET TO GET BOOKINGS INTO IN AUGUST. WE'RE A LITTLE HOT IN THE SUMMER, SO BEING OVER 168% AHEAD OF LAST YEAR IS A REALLY GREAT NUMBER. AS YOU GO INTO SEPTEMBER, YOU'RE OVER 100%. OCTOBER YEAR, OVER 100% NOVEMBER. IT IS ONLY 3600 ROOM NIGHTS, BUT IT IS 400% AHEAD AND THERE IS STILL SOME OPEN BOOKINGS OUT THERE TO BOOK. AND THEN DECEMBER DOESN'T HAVE A PERCENTAGE INCREASE. BASICALLY, YOU'RE 1,000% AHEAD REALLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE BOOKINGS ON FOR DECEMBER, WHICH MAKES FOR A REALLY NICE FALL AND A REALLY GREAT WINTER. AS WE GO INTO THIS FURTHER INTO THE YEAR AND NOW LOOKING AT THE CONVENTION CENTER. SO SAME THING AS WE LOOK AT CONVENTION CENTER BOOKINGS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT CONVENTION CENTER, CONVENTION CENTER, AVERAGE BOOKING WINDOW[00:35:01]
OF ABOUT 1.2 YEARS. SO GIVE OR TAKE 14 MONTHS THIS YEAR, YEAR AHEAD IN CONVENTION CENTER BOOKINGS BY 43% NEXT YEAR. YOU'RE SLIGHTLY DOWN. WE'RE DOWN ABOUT 7.2%. THAT'S ABOUT 1700 ROOM NIGHTS. KEEP IN MIND THERE'S 9200 TENTATIVE OPPORTUNITIES OPEN. AND IF YOU CONVERT EVEN 50% OF THOSE, AGAIN, YOUR CONVERSION IS ABOUT 70%. BUT IF YOU CONVERT 50% OF THOSE, THAT BRINGS YOU RIGHT INTO PACE AND AHEAD OF PACE TO LAST YEAR. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF CONVERTING THOSE 28 AHEAD OF PACE BY 30%, 29 AHEAD BY 32%. AND AGAIN, 2030 IS BEHIND PACE.BUT THERE IS ENOUGH IN THE FUNNEL THAT CAN TURN THAT SHIP AROUND. AND AGAIN, THE BOOKING WINDOW IS A LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR AND A HALF. SO YOU SHOULD BE OKAY FOR 2030 AS WE MOVE FORWARD. AND BAYLOR FOOTBALL, THE PRIDE OF WACO. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS. A COUPLE OF COMPARISONS THAT WE DID. WE LOOKED AT WEEKENDS IN THE FALL WHERE YOU HAD NO GAMES. AND THEN WE LOOKED AT WEEKENDS IN THE FALL WHERE YOU HAD A GAME. AND YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE WAS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SAME SUPPLY, YOU HAD ABOUT 489 MORE ROOM NIGHTS ON WEEKENDS WHERE THERE WAS A GAME THAT IS AN 11 POINT INCREASE IN OCCUPANCY. THAT IS A $68 RATE INCREASE WHEN THERE WAS A GAME IN THE MARKET VERSUS THE WEEKENDS, THERE WASN'T A GAME IN THE MARKET THAT IS OVER $4 MILLION IN HOTEL REVENUE. THAT WAS IN THE MARKET ON THE WEEKENDS WHERE THERE WAS A GAME, AND THAT'S A 90% INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR, OR, I'M SORRY, 90% INCREASE FROM ONE TO THE OTHER WHEN THERE WAS A GAME IN TOWN AND LOOKING AT THE WEEKENDS THAT WERE THE STRONGEST, WE DID A LITTLE MIX OF DIFFERENT WEEKENDS, ALL OF THE FOOTBALL GAMES, OBVIOUSLY KENT STATE OCTOBER 2ND WAS THE BIG WINNER. IT DROVE ALMOST $2 MILLION IN HOTEL REVENUES IN THE MARKET, WHICH WAS GREAT. THE NOT NONE OF THE GAMES REACHED AS HIGH AS HOTEL REVENUES OVER GRADUATION WEEKEND OR MOVE IN WEEKEND, BUT STILL A STRONG SHOWING. THE ONES THAT WE SAW MAYBE A LITTLE BIT LESS REVENUE IN WERE LATER IN THE YEAR. SO AS THE YEAR GETS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, PEOPLE START COMING A LITTLE BIT LESS. AND ALSO THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, THERE WAS A LOT OF LOCAL ATTENDANCE TO THAT. AND ALSO THE REGIONAL ATTENDANCE JUST DROVE HOME. AND THEN SHORT TERM RENTAL, SAME IMPACT THAT WE SAW IN SHORT TERM RENTAL. THAT WAS SLIGHTLY LESS SUPPLY IN THE MARKET, BUT NOT A LOT. THERE WAS STILL AN INCREASE IN ROOM NIGHT DEMAND WHEN YOU HAD A GAME VERSUS WHEN THERE WAS NO GAME. OCCUPANCY WAS UP 13 POINTS, RATE WAS UP $65 IN SHORT TERM RENTALS WHEN THERE WAS A GAME IN TOWN. AND THAT'S OVER $868,000 MORE GAINED ON GAME TIME FRAMES VERSUS NON GAME TIME FRAMES FOR THE SHORT TERM RENTALS. SO OVERALL, THIS IS WHAT THE SEASON LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SHORT TERM DEMAND. ARIZONA ACTUALLY OPTED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER DEMAND TIME FRAME IN THE SHORT TERM. RENTALS CAN START ALSO SHOWED SOME AND THEN SAMFORD, SAMFORD, I THINK UNIVERSITY WAS THE OTHER ONE THAT SHOWED THE BIG HIKES. SO KENT STATE DID NOT JUST TAKE IT AWAY AND LEAD WITH THAT. AND AS YOU CAN SEE OF COURSE YOU OF WAS AT THE BOTTOM.
BUT AGAIN YOUR U OF H. I'M A COUGAR MYSELF. I, I WOULD JUST DRIVE HOME. SO IN SUMMARY TOURISM AND TRAVEL PERFORMANCE FOR THE SUMMER AND FALL REFLECTS DIFFERENT THAN THE MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT. WE ARE SEEING TRENDS INCREASE NATIONWIDE, BUT WACO IS DEFINITELY STILL STRIVING AHEAD OF THE TEXAS TRENDS AND THE US TRENDS. THE TEXAS TRAVEL SECTOR IS SHOWING SOFTER TRENDS THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE TRENDS, AND WACO IS OUTPACING ALL OF IT.
DOWNTOWN WACO MARKET IS OUTPERFORMING THE TEXAS COMP SET AS WELL, WHICH IS GREAT TO SEE. GROUP PACE IS STRONG THROUGH 2029. I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT 2030. I HOPE TO BE HERE IN 2029. TELLING YOU GUYS HOW GREAT 2030 LOOKS AS WELL. AND BAYLOR FOOTBALL DEFINITELY DROVE SOME DEMAND. AS YOU CAN SEE IT DRIVES OVERALL ALL THE WEEKENDS. PARENTS WEEKEND MOVE IN WEEKEND, THE GRADUATION WEEKEND AND OF COURSE THE GAMES AS YOU SAW OVERALL. SO OVERALL YOU HAVE A THRIVING TOURISM INDUSTRY STILL IN WACO. I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THIS YEAR WILL BRING. I KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME CHANGES IN WHO'S VISITING. HOPEFULLY SOME OF OUR FIFA FRIENDS GOING TO HOUSTON WILL TRY AND CHECK OUT WACO WHILE THEY'RE HERE IN TOWN, MAYBE COME BY FOR A DAY OR SO, BUT WE'LL. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN. WE'LL KEEP AN EYE ON THAT.
SO OUR FUTURE UPDATE COUNCIL, WE WILL BE BACK IN DECEMBER TO SHARE MAY THROUGH OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR. THIS CADENCE HELPS US KEEP YOU IN US ON TRACK AND ADJUST OUR STRATEGIES AS NEEDED.
BEFORE WE GET TO THE THANK YOU SLIDE, I. I JUST WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONGRATULATE THE SALES AND MARKETING TEAM AND THE DMO. THEY'VE WORKED REALLY HARD THIS YEAR. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TRANSITION, A LOT OF CHANGE. AND I KNOW, AS YOU REMEMBER FROM THE LAST UPDATE WE DID, YOU CAN SEE THAT AS AS CINDY SAID, THE SHIP'S MOVING. SO I
[00:40:02]
JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE THEM ON THEIR HARD WORK. SO WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.AND THANK YOU, CINDY, FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FOR LISA AND CINDY? YES. THANK YOU, CINDY, FOR THE PRESENTATION ALWAYS. AND THANK YOU, LISA, FOR LEADING THESE TOURISM EFFORTS. I GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. SO JUST IN YOUR CRYSTAL BALL OF IT ALL, WHAT HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE WILL LIKE FIFA TRAVEL BE TO COMPARED TO THE ECLIPSE? MAYBE. YEAH.
BECAUSE THOSE ARE MAJOR. YEAH. THINGS. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE NOTICED IN FIFA IS THE GAMES ARE PRETTY HIGHLY PRICED. AND SO THE MARKETS THAT HAVE FIFA IN THEM HAVE ACTUALLY STRUGGLED TO SELL OUT. AND THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH SOME DEMAND TRENDS. AS WE GO THROUGH SOME OF THE BOOKINGS FOR FIFA WITHIN THE BLOC ACTUALLY FELL THROUGH AND FELL OFF A LITTLE BIT. SO WE'RE SEEING REALLY HUGE SPIKES FOR GAMES AND NOT THE EXPECTED LIKE 5 TO 10 DAY WINDOW AS THEY WERE EXPECTING. BUT THE THE THING ABOUT FIFA IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN FIFA GOES TO, LET'S SAY DUBAI, IT'S IN DUBAI. WHEN FIFA GOES TO EUROPE, IT'S IN, YOU KNOW, THE UK WHEN IT CAME TO NORTH AMERICA, IT IS SPLIT BETWEEN THREE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND WE HAVE OVER NINE DIFFERENT CITIES PARTICIPATING IN IT. SO WE ARE EXPECTING INCREASED DEMAND. WE'RE EXPECTING AN INCREASE IN INBOUND TRAVEL. WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING A DROP OFF OF OUTBOUND TRAVEL. SO AMERICANS WHO HAD BEEN TRAVELING OUT FOR THE YEAR, NOT ONLY IS THERE A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED, PROBABLY WITH THE CONFLICT THAT WE'RE SEEING OVERSEAS, BUT ALSO THAT FIFA IS HERE. PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT IT AND STAYING. DECIDING TO STAY CLOSER TO HOME. GAS PRICES MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT AS WELL. SO I DO EXPECT THAT THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE. IT'S JUST IT'S GOING TO BE A SOFTER HIKE. SMITH TRAVEL RECENTLY WORKED WITH OUR TEAM TO DO A FORECAST FOR THE YEAR. THEY'RE EXPECTING, I THINK, REV PAR INCREASES IN THE US THIS YEAR TO BE ABOUT 3.5%. AND ABOUT 1.5% OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF FIFA. SO ABOUT HALF OF WHAT YOU WOULD SEE OVERALL. GOT IT. THANK YOU. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION WHEN WILL. BECAUSE I ASSUME THE STEAM CENTER IS MARKETED TO OUR VISITORS AS WELL. WHEN THEY COME INTO THE VISITOR CENTER OR WHATEVER, WHEN WILL IT BE LISTED IN AS OUR. OR WILL IT BE LISTED AS ONE OF OUR ATTRACTIONS? ABSOLUTELY. WE WILL GET IT OUT AS A POINT OF INTEREST. I MEAN, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE'S A THERE'S A LITMUS OF HOW YOU IF YOU MAKE THE CUT FOR. IF WE'RE STUDYING YOUR VISITS. BUT I KNOW YOU KNOW, AND I'M. EVEN THOUGH THE FACILITY ITSELF IS COMMUNITY FOCUSED, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE IN AND OUT AND THE ONE DAY AND THE, YOU KNOW, AMAZING PLAY PARK. I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS CONSIDERED IN, IN OR MARKETED TO OUR VISITORS. AND IF SO, HOW ARE WE TRACKING THAT? WE'RE DEFINITELY INCLUDING IT IN THE MARKETING, ESPECIALLY ON THE EVENT SIDE AND CONFERENCE SIDE. WE DID WORK WITH CINDY AND HER TEAM ON TRYING TO IDENTIFY HOW WE CAN GEOFENCE THE LOCATION, AND IT'S REALLY HARD BECAUSE OF THE PARK AND BECAUSE OF THE WALKING TRAIL AND THE DORIS MILLER GOT IT MEMORIAL. SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT. I THINK MAYBE WE'LL GIVE AN UPDATE AT THE CVB MEETING, IF THAT'S OKAY. BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY IT'S ON OUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN TRACK AND THANK YOU. AND LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO ECHO YOUR CELEBRATION OF YOUR AMAZING STAFF AND TEAM.
YOU KNOW, THOSE CONVERSION CONVERSION RATES ARE JUST A TRUE REFLECTION OF HOW HARD THE DMO STAFF WORKS TO, TO CLOSE THE DEALS. AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAVE AN AMAZING DMO STAFF. YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A WONDERFUL CONVENTION CENTER AND WE'RE DOING THE THINGS THAT THAT KEEP PEOPLE WANTING TO, WELL, GET PEOPLE TO WANT TO COME HERE BUT KEEP PEOPLE COMING BACK. SO I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE AND APPLAUD THEM FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO FOR WACO AND THE DMO. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I'LL JUST SAY LISA AND CINDY. GREAT PRESENTATION. CINDY. THANK YOU. YOU TALKED VERY FAST, AND I THINK I PICKED UP MOST OF IT, BUT THE DATA WAS FANTASTIC. AND WE'VE GOT HAVE A LEVEL OF FAMILIARITY WITH HOTELS. YOU WENT A LOT DEEPER THAN I NORMALLY LOOK, BUT THIS IS GREAT. I LIKE WHERE YOU WHERE YOU SAID WACO IS DOING GREAT. YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS YOU KEEP SAYING THAT, YOU CAN KEEP COMING BACK. OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S GOOD. BUT MACRO IN US TRAVEL IS UP. I MEAN, THAT'S A GOOD TREND. AND I REMEMBER WHEN YOU HERE LAST YEAR YOU SAID THAT THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT 80 HOURS AVERAGE DAILY RATES. AND YOU SAID OUR OCCUPANCY OCCUPANCY IS RELATIVELY STABLE. SO THERE'S REALLY NOT A GOOD REASON FOR THAT ADR TO DROP.
AND SO I'M PLEASED TO SEE IT COME UP ALMOST 2%, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT LOCAL HOTELIERS KIND OF GOT TO FEEL OUT THE MARKET AND THE LOCAL COMPETITION AND ALL THAT. SO THERE WAS A LITTLE
[00:45:04]
BIT OF A DIP THERE. BUT NOW THAT IT'S KIND OF COMING BACK, IT'S IT'S ENCOURAGING. AND YOU KIND OF YOU CALLED THAT ONE, I'LL GIVE YOU A CREDIT FOR IT. THE. AGAIN, THE ADR COMING UP IS GREAT. I LIKE HOW I'M JUST GOING THROUGH YOUR PRESENTATION HERE. NOW, THE WHERE HAVE YOU SEPARATED DOWNTOWN WACO FROM THE REGULAR. THAT'S KIND OF A COOL THING BECAUSE WE. WE'VE ALL BEEN VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT MAKING DOWNTOWN WACO, YOU KNOW, AS THE BEST IT CAN BE. AND IT KIND OF SHOWS IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN INDICATOR THAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO PAY A LITTLE MORE TO GO DOWNTOWN TO DO ALL THE STUFF RANKED SECOND. CAN I POINT THAT OUT? DOWNTOWN WACO RANKS SECOND IN RATE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS BEHIND AUSTIN. AUSTIN HAS FOUR 150 YEARS. FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, I'VE NOT 150 YEARS OLD. BUT FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, AUSTIN HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE HIGHEST RATED MARKET IN TEXAS, SO TO BE SECOND BEHIND AUSTIN IS A BIG FEAT.CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT. THAT'S GREAT. AND I LIKE HOW YOU'RE THE PIER OR THE CITY, THE COMPETITIVE MARKET TRENDS. YOU'RE YOU'RE YOU'RE PUTTING US UP AGAINST DALLAS. YOU KNOW, HOUSTON, YOU'RE PUTTING US UP AGAINST THE BIG BOYS. AND WE LIKE TO SAY WE PUNCH ABOVE OUR WEIGHT. SO I'M GLAD TO SEE US KIND OF TRENDING TOWARDS THE TOP ON, ON THAT ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU JUST SAID. I ALWAYS LOVE SEEING THIS ONE ABOUT WHEN THEY COME TO WACO, WHAT DO THEY GO SEE? AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THAT GIANT BOTTLE OF DOCTOR PEPPER, EVIDENTLY, YOU KNOW. YEAH. THAT IS THAT'S KIND OF GONE UP. WE GOT GREAT MANAGEMENT TEAM OVER THERE. SO THAT THAT IS ALWAYS SUPER INTERESTING. I GOT TO GO BACK AND FIGURE OUT THE PACING THING, AND I'M NOT GOING TO BOTHER EVERYBODY WITH IT TODAY, BUT I'LL I'LL STUDY IT SOME MORE. BUT IS THAT PACING OR IS THAT, DO YOU PICK OUT A BASE YEAR LIKE LAST YEAR'S, THE BASE YEAR? SO IN THIS CASE WE'RE LOOKING AT LAST YEAR WE CAN LOOK AT ANY YEAR. BUT WE LOOK AT LAST YEAR AND WHAT WE LOOK AT ON PACING IS YOU LOOK AT YOUR CURRENT DEFICITS THAT ARE ON THE BOOKS FOR THOSE MONTHS OR THOSE YEARS, AND WE COMPARE IT TO WHERE YOU WERE AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR. SO IN IN THE YEAR FOR THE YEAR, ONE YEAR OUT, TWO YEARS OUT. SO WE CAN DO A COMPARISON OF HOW YOU'RE DOING YOUR OVER YEAR FOR THOSE TIME FRAMES. AND AGAIN, IF, IF WE NEED TO BREAK IT DOWN TO A DIFFERENT YEAR, IF WE NEED TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, PRE-PANDEMIC, I HAVE MARKETS IN TEXAS AT 2023 WAS A BASELINE FOR THEM. WE CAN ALWAYS COMPARE TO 2023. THAT TAKES OUT THE ECLIPSE OUT OF THE EQUATION, RIGHT? SO WE CAN DO PACING IN ANY WAY YOU LOOK IN THIS CASE, WE WERE LOOKING AT IT TO LAST YEAR. OKAY, THAT'S FAIR ENOUGH. AND AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ONE ALREADY. WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING THE, THE BOOKS AND THEN THE PIPELINE, WHICH I GUESS IN MY BUSINESS, YOU LOOK AT THE PIPELINE, WHAT'S UP THERE. AND THAT'S SUPER STRONG AND WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE. AND I KNOW SOME OF THE DMO TEAM, I SEE THEM OVER HERE. AND LISA, THANKS FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE IN, IN GETTING THIS SORT OF ACTIVATED AND BRANDED. AND THE EARLY RESULTS ARE VERY GOOD. SO POINT THIS OUT. SO FOR THE PIPELINE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT BOOKINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN WACO AND YOUR LEAD VOLUME IS UP 168%, BOOKINGS ARE UP OVER LAST YEAR. WHEN I LOOK AT NATIONALLY, THE DMOS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE LOOK AT 250 DMOS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I THINK DECEMBER WAS THE FIRST TIME WHERE WE SAW HOTEL OR GROUP BOOKINGS INCREASE FROM 2019 TIME FRAMES, AND THEY'RE UP 7%. SO TO BE 7% OVER UP IN BOOKINGS FOR FOR THE TOP 200 DMOS AND FOR YOU GUYS TO BE UP DOUBLE, WHAT, 60% IN BOOKINGS. IT'S A HUGE NUMBER PIPELINE AS WELL. THERE'S A LOT OF MARKETS THAT ARE STILL RECOVERING, ARE NOT UP YEAR OVER YEAR, AND YOU'RE UP 168% IN NEW LEADS THAT YOU'RE SEEING THIS YEAR VERSUS LAST YEAR. THAT'S A THAT'S AN EFFORT ON THE MARKETING SIDE AND ON THE SALES SIDE, BOTH OF DRIVING NEW BUSINESS INTO THE MARKET AND COLLABORATION COLLABORATION WITH LEGENDS GLOBAL WITH THE TEAM. THERE'S A LOT OF WORK GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES WITH ALL THE TEAMS PULLING TOGETHER, AND I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD. SO THANKS, LISA, AND THANKS, CINDY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, GUYS? GREAT JOB. APPRECIATE YOUR WORK AND JUST KEEP COMING BACK. THE GOOD NEWS, I WILL, WHEN IT TURNS SOUTH, I'LL TELL HER LISA WILL BE DOING THAT ONE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NEXT ITEM, CITY MANAGER HOLT IS WORK SESSION 2026-366. SOME 4TH OF JULY STUFF, RIGHT. THANK YOU MAYOR. UP NEXT IS ITEM 2026 366 AND THE INTREPID DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION, JONATHAN COOK, WILL PREVIEW OUR PATRIOTIC SUMMER ACTIVITIES AS WE HEAD TOWARDS THE FOURTH ON THE BRAZOS AND AMERICAN 250 CELEBRATION. MR. COOK, THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER HOLT MAYOR COUNCIL, HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY TO ONE TALK ABOUT AMERICA. 250 AND FOURTH ON THE BRAZOS. AND THERE IS NO DOUBT OUR NATION
[00:50:05]
AND WACO IS ON DISPLAY. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WORLD CUP. YESTERDAY I WAS AT A MEETING AT THE WELCOME CENTER AND WHO WAS SHOPPING FOR T SHIRTS, PEOPLE WITH WORLD CUP SHIRTS ON. AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE, PEOPLE ARE HERE IN THE STATE AND NO DOUBT LOOKING FOR ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS. AND WHAT DO WE DO GREAT IN WACO IS WE LOVE TO PUT ON A GOOD EVENT AND WELCOME NOT ONLY OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT REALLY ON A STATE WIDE SCALE. SO WE'RE EXCITED TO TALK TODAY. A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW, A KICKOFF TO AMERICA. 250 I KNOW WE'RE SEEING IT EVERYWHERE, FROM BAGS OF CHARCOALS, FLAGS ALONG THE ROADWAYS AND HOUSES, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO REALLY CAPITALIZE ON WHAT WE'RE DOING LOCALLY. AND WITH THAT, GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE HISTORY OF JULY 4TH IN WACO. OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A PREVIEW AT WHAT WE'VE GOT PLANNED FOR OUR ANNUAL FOURTH ON THE BRAZOS CELEBRATION, AND LOOK AT SOME OTHER ACTIVITIES GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. NOW. AMERICA 250 THIS HAS BEEN REALLY A NONPARTISAN EFFORT THAT HAS TAKEN FLIGHT OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS. A SUPER LARGE CELEBRATION, THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY SINCE THE SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, AND REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR NATION TO SHARE OUR HISTORY, OUR DIVERSE STORIES, AND REALLY THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE THE BACKBONE OF AMERICA. AND SO ONE OF THOSE INITIATIVES IS WHAT'S CALLED AMERICA'S BLOCK PARTY.AND THIS IS A SERIES OF LARGE SCALE, NEIGHBORHOOD SIZE, JUST EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE NATION THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO REGISTER FOR, BECOME AN OFFICIAL EVENT OF AMERICA'S BLOCK PARTY AND REALLY LARGE CELEBRATIONS. AND SO WE'RE HAPPY TO SAY THAT OUR FOURTH ON THE BRAZOS IS AN AFFILIATE OF AMERICA TWO 50TH. AND WE'RE EXCITED TO BRING A GREAT EVENT TO YOU THIS YEAR AS IT IS OUR CHANCE TO HIGHLIGHT OUR HISTORY, BUT THEN ALSO HOW WACO COMES TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY. NOW, I MENTIONED A LITTLE HISTORY AND COMING TOGETHER, AND THERE'S NO DOUBT WE LOVE EVENTS HERE AND ALWAYS HAVE, AND YOU CAN LOOK BACK IN HISTORY AND REALLY SEE BACK TO THE FORMATION. EARLY DAYS OF CAMERON PARK. 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS TAKING PLACE IN THE EARLY 1900S. CAMP MACARTHUR. HERE THEY WERE DOWNTOWN PARADE MARCHES. AND SO JUST REALLY THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, WACO IS CELEBRATED JULY 4TH. AND THAT REALLY BEGAN IN EARNEST WITH COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS, WITH THE FREEDOM FROLIC, WHICH BEGAN BACK IN 1980, REALLY CORRELATED WITH THE OPENING OF INDIAN SPRING PARK AND THE REDEVELOPMENT OF DOWNTOWN. AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THOSE WERE THE DAYS WHERE YOU COULD PULL UP YOUR PICKUP TRUCK AND JUST SIT ON THE TAILGATE IN FRONT OF THE BRIDGE AND WATCH THE FIREWORKS. SO THINGS HAVE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, AND THAT EVENT HAS EVOLVED AS WELL, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE 1980S AND 90S, IT WAS HELD IN THAT LOCATION. EVENTUALLY IT WAS TRANSFORMED INTO OUR BRAZOS NIGHTS AND FOURTH ON THE BRAZOS CELEBRATION IN THE LATE 1990S.
AND EVEN IN MY FIRST YEAR IN 2001. AND MAN, THAT PICTURE LOOKS DATED OVER THERE.
SOMEBODY PUT A FILTER ON IT. IT'S LIKE A YELLOWED POLAROID. I KNOW THAT IS A LITTLE TOO MUCH ARTISTIC CREATIVITY, BUT HEY, WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN AHEAD OF THE TIME. SO THAT'S THE FUTURE SIDE OF BARONS BRANCH IN THE DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AND SHOWS THAT THAT SPACE HAS OFTEN SERVED AS A GATHERING PLACE ALREADY. AND WITH THE WORK THAT EVERYONE IS DOING TO MAKE THAT A SPECIAL PLACE, JUST A GLIMPSE AT THE HISTORY THAT'S BEEN THERE. BUT SINCE 2015, WE WENT BACK TO INDIAN SPRING PARK AFTER BEING IN THAT AREA. I KNOW CITY MANAGER HOLT REMEMBERS THESE DAYS WELL. THE CROWDS GOT SO LARGE IN THAT AREA THAT YOU WOULD SEE THE SUSPENSION BRIDGE SWAYING JUST FROM THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ON IT. IT WAS A WONDERFUL LOCATION. I POUTED FOR SEVERAL YEARS WHEN WE DECIDED TO MOVE BUT YOU TALK ABOUT A GOOD DECISION AND REALLY GOOD FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND THAT OPPORTUNITY CAME IN 2015 WITH THE OPENING OF TOUCHDOWN ALLEY NEXT TO MCLANE STADIUM. WE'VE BEEN THERE SINCE A COUPLE YEARS AGO. BROUGHT A RENEWAL OF AN AGREEMENT WITH BAYLOR UNIVERSITY TO HOSTING JULY 4TH IN THAT AREA. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE TODAY. WHY DO WE DO IT AND WHAT HAVE WE'VE DONE? IT IS ABOUT WE LOVE GIVING FIREWORKS, LIVE MUSIC, FAMILY FUN, JUST A TRADITIONAL WAY TO REALLY HAVE THE COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER AND SHOW SOME PICTURES HERE. WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING IN JUST A MOMENT, BUT A LONG HISTORY OF LASER LIGHT SHOWS IN DOWNTOWN, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING BACK. OBVIOUSLY THE PATRIOTISM. I LIKE TO SHOW THE PICTURE IN THE MIDDLE. REMEMBER I JUST TALKED ABOUT BEING AT BARONS BRANCH.
THAT WAS A YEAR. BLAKE SHELTON ONLY WITH A FEW NUMBER ONES IN PERFORMED. HE STILL HAD HIS MULLET IN THIS PICTURE, BUT JUST A LOT OF GREAT ENTERTAINMENT. WE'VE HAD SOME BLUES HALL OF FAMERS, GRAMMY AWARD WINNERS, AND SO GIVING PEOPLE SOMETHING SPECIAL IS ON
[00:55:04]
JULY 4TH. YOU WANT SOMETHING EVERYONE CAN SING, EVERYBODY CAN NOD THEIR HEAD TO. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALWAYS SHOOTING FOR. AND YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT, JUST THE DRAMATIC VIEWS AND THE SCENIC ELEMENTS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BRING INTO THIS EVENT. BEING A DOWN ALONG THE RIVER OUTSIDE OF MCLANE STADIUM, BUT WITH ALL THE GOOD THERE, THERE'S ALWAYS SOME CHALLENGES. AND I MENTIONED MOVING A LARGE SCALE, 152000 PERSON EVENT, MOVING. IT'S NEVER EASY. WE WENT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC LAST YEAR. WE WERE READY TO ALL DANCE AROUND AND SING WE ARE FAMILY WITH SISTER SLEDGE. WE GET OUT THERE AND AS YOU MAY RECALL, JULY 4TH, JUST A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RAIN CAME DOWN HERE IN WACO. BUT WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE. AT THE SAME TIME, WE WERE TRYING TO SEE IF WE COULD PUT ON THIS EVENT. WE HAD FIRST RESPONDERS GETTING CALLED DOWN TO THE HILL COUNTRY WITH THE TRAGEDIES THAT TOOK PLACE DOWN THERE, WITH THE FLOODING AND FRESH ON OUR MINDS AS YOU BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, COMING BACK WITH THIS YEAR, WITH IT BEING AMERICA TWO 50TH, NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE THIS CELEBRATION LAST YEAR, WE WANTED TO MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT WACO COULD REMEMBER FOR THIS YEAR. HOW DOES THAT START? I MENTIONED THAT WORD SAFETY FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION JUST THE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT COME TOGETHER. WE HAVE A GREAT CITY TEAM IN OUR INTERNAL DEPARTMENTS, A LARGE AMOUNT OF OUR PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF PITCHES IN TO MAKE THIS EVENT A SUCCESS. BUT AS WACO PD, WITH 80 PLUS OFFICERS ON SITE, WACO FIRE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, BAYLOR IS A GREAT PARTNER AS WELL IN PUTTING THIS ON IN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF HELP. SO IT IS A MULTI-AGENCY COORDINATION EFFORT. PLANNING MEETINGS HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE REALLY. WE START IN EARNEST ABOUT SIX MONTHS OUT, BUT OVER THE PAST 2 TO 3 MONTHS, JUST A LOT OF COORDINATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE SET FOR THIS YEAR'S FOURTH ON THE BRAZOS. SO WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, A QUICK SUMMARY. FOURTH ON THE BRAZOS IS A CELEBRATION OF LIVE MUSIC, OF COURSE, GREAT FOOD TRUCKS, PATRIOTIC FESTIVITIES.AND I MENTIONED THAT WORD SHOWCASE. IT IS A TIME NOT ONLY TO TAKE PRIDE IN OUR CITY, BUT IT'S ALSO CREATE A HOLIDAY DESTINATION. WE WANT PEOPLE TO SAY WHEN THEY SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, LET'S GO TO WACO FOR THE WEEKEND. AND THIS YEAR BEING ON JULY 4TH, WE'RE SEEING THAT REALLY STRONG RESPONSE. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ACTIVATING FROM 6 TO 10 P.M. OR OUR HOURS AT TOUCHDOWN ALLEY. WE TYPICALLY WILL DRAW OVER 15,000 PEOPLE TO THAT CONCENTRATED AREA. BUT LET'S NOT FORGET, A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST COME OUT FOR FIREWORKS AND THOSE STREETS ON THE OUTSIDE TRYING TO CATCH A VIEW, MAYBE FROM A PARKING GARAGE OR OTHER AREAS. SO IT IS A WIDESPREAD EVENT AND THAT'S WHERE THE TRAFFIC CONTROL AND THE COORDINATION COMES INTO PLAY, BUT ALSO A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM OUR PARTNERS. I'VE MENTIONED BAYLOR UNIVERSITY.
H-E-B IS OUR TITLE SPONSOR OF THE FIREWORKS EXTRAVAGANZA THIS YEAR. WE'RE HAPPY TO BE WORKING WITH LOCALLY WITH TEXAS TF AND MB BANK SPONSORING OUR LASER LIGHT SHOW AND THEN DOCTOR PEPPER KEEPING US HYDRATED AS WELL. SO HERE'S A QUICK MESSAGE. WHAT DO WE GOT? WE GOT THE JACKSONS. ALL RIGHT. WE GOT MARLEY AND MARLON AND JACKIE ARE GOING TO GET A SPECIAL MESSAGE. AND WELCOME EVERYONE. IF WE CAN GET THIS ONE TO PLAY JACKSON AND JACKIE JACKSON, WE'RE COMING TO TEXAS. THAT'S RIGHT. WACO, TEXAS. THAT'S RIGHT. 4TH OF JULY. MARLON. THE 4TH OF JULY. MY FIRST TIME COMING TO WACO, RIGHT? YEAH, THAT'S INDEPENDENCE DAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A JACKSON PARTY. WE'RE COMING TO PERFORM FOR YOU GUYS IN WACO, TEXAS.
WE'RE GOING TO BE SINGING ALL THE HITS. I WANT YOU BACK A, B, C CAN YOU FEEL IT? I'LL BE THERE. SHAKE YOUR BODY DOWN TO THE GROUND. THAT'S RIGHT. WACO, TEXAS. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A JACKSON PARTY. SO COME ON OUT. JOIN US. HAVE FUN. ALL THE SONGS THAT YOU MADE. NUMBER ONE, LIKE JACKIE HIT RECORDS FOR US. THAT'S JULY 4TH. THAT'S RIGHT. WACO, TEXAS. DON'T MEET US THERE. BEAT US THERE. SO WE ARE DEFINITELY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE WILL HAVE A LIVE CONCERT FROM THE JACKSON FAMILY, WITH MARLON AND JACKIE LEADING THE WAY. THIS IS A LARGE ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE. OF COURSE, THEY PLAY ALL THE HITS. MICHAEL JACKSON FIVE. WHEN YOU THINK OF AMERICAN SONGS THAT PEOPLE KNOW, THESE ARE SONGS THAT EVERYONE SINGS ALONG WITH AND ALSO JUST A REALLY LARGE SLICE OF AMERICANA AND AMERICAN MUSIC, AND SO HAPPY TO HAVE HIM. WE'VE HAD A GREAT RESPONSE. I MENTIONED THAT I WAS SHARING IN A MEETING THE RESPONSE FROM THE DALLAS MARKET, JUST REALLY STRONG IN A COUPLE OF OUR PROMOTIONS. AND SO IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY. YOU GET SOMEBODY LIKE THE JACKSONS COMING TO WACO. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WILL SHARE STORIES AND RELIVE MEMORIES FOR THEMSELVES. SO HAPPY TO HAVE THE JACKSONS.
WE'LL BE HAVING THE H-E-B FIREWORKS EXTRAVAGANZA. OBVIOUSLY, EVERY YEAR, THE WACO COMMUNITY BAND I MENTIONED, WE'RE ADDING IN A LASER LIGHT SHOW, REALLY A SKY SPECTACULAR OF WHAT WE'RE THEMING, AND WE WANTED TO PLAY OFF THE LIGHTS AND THE CELEBRATION. AND SO
[01:00:02]
THAT'S AN ADDED FEATURE AS WE LIGHT UP THE NIGHT AT TOUCHDOWN ALLEY, MORE THAN 20 LOCAL FOOD AND DRINK MERCHANTS AND OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES. WE KNOW IT'S HOT, BUT THERE'S WAYS TO COOL OFF AND IT IS ALWAYS A GREAT TIME. DOWN BY THE RIVER AT FOURTH ON THE BRAZOS. WANT TO MENTION A COUPLE OTHER ACTIVITIES GOING ON AROUND WACO? BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ONE EVENT IN JULY. FOURTH IS ABOUT EVERYONE COMING TOGETHER, BUT OUR STAFF DOING A LOT OF WORK WITH CAROL AND THE GROUP AT KEEP WACO BEAUTIFUL AS THEY'RE TAKING PART IN THE RED, WHITE AND BEAUTIFUL CLEANUP CAMPAIGN. ALSO, TEXAS RANGER MUSEUM HAS A TRAVELING TEXAS AMERICA 52 50TH EXHIBIT RIGHT NOW, AS DOES THE MAYBORN MUSEUM, AS THEY'RE SHOWING DIFFERENT SCREENINGS AND ACTIVITIES. I MENTIONED THE NATIONAL SQUARE DANCE CONVENTION. THAT ONE, AS I WAS LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT CALENDARS, IT MIGHT BE A STRETCH, BUT HEY, THIS IS 4000 PEOPLE COMING IN TO WACO FILLING OUR CONVENTION CENTER NEXT WEEKEND, AND THEY'RE ON THE OFFICIAL REGISTRY OF AMERICA TWO 50TH. SO IT'S BEEN QUITE SOME TIME FOR THE SQUARE DANCERS. I'VE BEEN HERE, BUT IF YOU WANT SOME GOOD ENTERTAINMENT, NO DOUBT GO WATCH THEM AS THEY'RE. THAT'S A LARGE CROWD COMING INTO TOWN.ART CENTER WACO'S IN ON IT. AND THEN ALSO, I ALWAYS LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT MULTIPLE NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT WACO IN THE YEARS HAVE PUT ON DIFFERENT JULY 4TH PARADES, ONE OF THE LONGEST RUNNING AND JUST A GREAT COMMUNITY EVENT THAT CASTLE HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD PARADE. AND SO THAT'S ALWAYS ONE OF THE CHERISHED EVENTS AND THAT WE TAKE PART IN AS WELL WITH THAT EXCITING TIMES AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EVENT COMING UP OR ANYTHING. AMERICA TWO 50TH. BUT I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY TALK ABOUT THESE GREAT EVENTS, BUT ALSO BRING THESE GREAT EVENTS TO OUR WACOANS TO MAKE SURE THAT 4TH OF JULY IS CELEBRATED IN PROPER FASHION. GREAT REPORT JONATHAN. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR JONATHAN STAFF? YES. THANK YOU. I'VE REALLY ENJOYED THE BRAZOS NIGHTS. I'VE BEEN GOING WITH MY FAMILY AND THE LAST ONE WAS AMAZING. I THINK I DANCED ALL NIGHT, I COULDN'T EVEN WAKE UP THE NEXT DAY AND WALK RIGHT, BUT IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. THANK YOU.
APPRECIATE IT. AND WE WILL. JUST A SHAMELESS PLUG. WE DO HAVE A BRAZOS NIGHTS THIS FRIDAY NIGHT, A JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION AND EXCITED TO BE BRINGING THE ZAP BAND, LOCAL DJ PRECISE AND THEN ALSO MC LYTE, ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE AS AN INSPIRATIONAL FEMALE RAPPER AND PIONEER. SO HAPPY TO BE CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH THIS FRIDAY NIGHT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? JONATHAN. YOU'RE AMAZING. I ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATIONS AND YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB OF GETTING THIS ORGANIZED ONCE EVERY 250 YEARS.
BUT WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT ROUND. YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT. BUT PERSONALLY, I MEAN, WE'RE SO LUCKY TO HAVE YOU IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. YOUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT IS SUPREME. YOUR I LIKE YOUR HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. YOU GOT. IF ANYBODY KNOWS JONATHAN, YOU GOT A WIDE RANGE OF MUSICAL APPRECIATION. AND I. AND I LIKE TO SEE THAT THE RECORD COLLECTION SHOWS IT TO TAKE UP A LOT OF SPACE. THE RECORD COLLECTION IN YOUR. HOW MANY ROCK AND ROLL, HOW MANY CONCERTS HAVE YOU BEEN TO? I MEAN, I CAUGHT THE SIDE STORY.
I WENT DOWN TO THE HOUSTON ROLLING STONES CONCERT, AND I HAD NO IDEA WHO WAS THERE FROM WACO. THIS HAS BEEN SEVERAL YEARS AGO, BUT I'M IN THE BEER LINE AND OBVIOUSLY JONATHAN IS THERE. I MEET JONATHAN THERE. SO IT'S AND THAT WAS LIKE THE 20TH STONES CONCERT YOU'VE BEEN TO OR SOMETHING. YEAH, YEAH. SO AND THAT'S PART OF IT. AND I REMEMBER THE MOMENT, YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT JIMMIE VAUGHAN DOWN HERE. BUT WHAT THESE EVENTS, MUSIC BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER AND ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING MUSIC TO WACO. FOR YEARS, WACO HAS BEEN SORT OF SKIPPED OVER A LITTLE BIT IN REGARDS TO MUSIC. BUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY IS DOING A GREAT EFFORT, A LOT OF PRIVATE VENUES, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO PLAY A PART AS WE'RE REALLY PUSHING A STRATEGIC TO MAKE WACO A MUSIC CITY. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR ENTHUSIASM. IT'S GENUINE. I CAN I CAN ATTEST TO THAT. SO ANOTHER GREAT FORTH ON THE BRAZOS. APPRECIATE THAT 5000 PEOPLE.
I'VE FORGOTTEN THAT THAT WAS THAT MANY FOLKS SHOW UP. AND THAT WAS COOL. MARLON AND JACKIE TO DO THAT. THAT WAS THAT WAS REALLY. I'M A HUGE FAN FROM. YOU GOT TO GO BACK INTO THE 60S FOR THE INITIAL EXPERIENCE OF THE OF THE JACKSON FIVE. SO IT WAS IF THEY'RE GOING TO DO A, B, C AND I WANT YOU BACK AND ALL THOSE, IT'S GOING TO BE IT'S GOING TO BE A FUN NIGHT, FUN NIGHT VIDEO SCREENS. AND THEY'RE THEY'RE REALLY SOLID PERFORMANCE AND HAPPY TO HAVE THEM HERE. YEAH. OKAY. SO DO YOU KNOW IF CAN YOU FEEL IT IS ON THE PLAYLIST.
THAT'S ALL I NEED TO KNOW. COME ON. WE GOT IT ON JONATHAN'S PLAY, MAN. I MEAN, IF YOU EVER WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S IN THE MORNING MOTIVATIONAL TRACK FOR ANDREA BAREFIELD THAT IS IN THERE. AND MAYOR, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW THE, THE THE SOCIAL MEDIA POST THAT ZACH PUT OUT
[01:05:02]
BECAUSE THEY DID A VIDEO LIKE THAT. AND I, I JUST CAN'T EVEN WAIT TILL THIS WEEKEND. I ALMOST CAME WITH MY AUTO TUNE. LISTEN, IT'S GOOD. SO THANK Y'ALL. THANKS, JONATHAN.APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, THE NEXT ITEM IS WORK SESSION 2026-367. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES. ALL RIGHT. MAYOR COUNCIL, OUR THIRD WORK SESSION, ITEM 2026 367 IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE. WE HAVE A FEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT. AND JEREMY PACINI, OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECTS AND PROPOSED INCENTIVES. YOU'VE GOT A BIG SHOES TO FOLLOW. YEAH. I DON'T LIKE FOLLOWING. JONATHAN. YEAH, IT'S A DISADVANTAGE.
WE'RE EXCITED. JEREMY, THIS IS GOOD STUFF. ALL RIGHT. SO AS CITY MANAGER HOLT MENTIONED, MY NAME IS JEREMY PESINA, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND I HAVE FOR YOU THREE PROJECTS THAT WERE CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD ON FRIDAY THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY. SO THE WE HAVE TWO OF THEM IN TIF ONE AND ONE IN TIF FOR. THE LAST ITEM WAS THE ONE THAT WAS WITHDRAWN FOR POTENTIAL FUTURE CONSIDERATION. SO THE TIF ONE PROJECTS I WAS GOING TO START WITH AN OVERVIEW OF TIF ONE. SO TIF ONE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1982, MAKING IT ONE OF THE OLDEST TIF ZONES IN TEXAS. I WILL NOTE THAT I WAS BORN IN 1986, SO THIS TIFF ZONE IS OLDER THAN I AM, BUT IT IS ALSO A MILLENNIAL. SO IT'S IT'S FINDING OUT YOU CAN GET HURT IN YOUR SLEEP. SO CREATED TO SPUR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE RIVER DOWNTOWN AND ELM AVENUE. IT'S FUNDED THROUGH INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS WITH MCLENNAN COUNTY, MCLENNAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE CITY OF WACO, THE FIRST PROJECT THAT WAS CONSIDERED.
AND ALL OF THESE PROJECTS, I'LL NOTE, WERE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED AND SUPPORTED BY THE TIF BOARDS.
BUT THE FIRST PROJECT IS CORNERSTONE CAREGIVING. IT'S A HEADQUARTER MOVE. SO THEY ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING IN WACO, BUT THEY ARE MOVING THEIR GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS INTO THE HISTORIC INSURERS OF TEXAS BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN WACO. IT'S IT'S ONE OF THE NATION'S LARGEST CENTRALLY OWNED HOME CARE COMPANIES, SUPPORTING OVER 30,000 EMPLOYEES ACROSS 400 LOCATIONS IN 43 STATES. AND THEY ARE ACTUALLY CURRENTLY CONSIDERING A MOVE TO CANADA TO SPUR INTERNATIONAL GROWTH FOR THE COMPANY. AND IN THE MAP, YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT IS LOCATED NEAR THE DOCTOR PEPPER MUSEUM AND AC MARRIOTT HOTEL. THE PROJECT DETAILS THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE A $12 MILLION INVESTMENT. THE PHASE ONE WILL COMPLETE THE RETROFIT AND REMODEL OF THE BASEMENT FLOOR ONE AND FOUR TWO. SO IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE BUILDING, YOU KNOW THAT THE TOP TWO FLOORS ARE CURRENTLY WHAT'S CONSIDERED DARK SHELLS, WHICH MEANS THEY ARE COMPLETELY UNUSED. AND SO THIS INCENTIVE IN THIS PROJECT WILL ACTUALLY ENABLE THE FULL USE OF THAT BUILDING. SO RIGHT NOW, THE PROJECT WILL RETAIN THE 82 JOBS THAT ARE CURRENT.
AND THEY WILL CREATE 218 MORE JOBS BY YEAR FIVE. AND SO I WILL NOTE THAT THE COMPANY IS GROWING SO FAST THAT WHEN THEY APPLIED, THEY HAD 82 EMPLOYEES AND THEY'RE OVER 100 EMPLOYEES NOW. AND SO THAT'S JUST THE SPEED AT WHICH THEY ARE GROWING. THE SALARY RANGE IS APPROXIMATELY FROM 70 TO $300,000 A YEAR. AND THE INCENTIVE REQUESTS WERE FROM TIFF ONE AND FROM THE WACO MCLENNAN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TOTALING $4.5 MILLION. SO THIS PROJECT IS AN EASY ONE FOR THE TIFF BOARD TO SUPPORT BRINGING JOBS INTO WACO, INCREASING OUR DAYTIME POPULATION. I WILL ALSO NOTE FOR YOU THAT THE FORMER TENANTS OF THE BUILDING FOUND NEW SPACE IN DOWNTOWN, SO WE DIDN'T DECREASE THE DAYTIME POPULATION. SO IT IS IN LINE WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, STRATEGIC PLAN AND OUR PLANS FOR DOWNTOWN WACO AS A WHOLE. AND SO CONSIDERING THAT THE TIFF BOARD DID APPROVE FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OR RECOMMENDED FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $500,000 TO SUPPORT THE IMPROVEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE BUILDING INTO CLASS A OFFICE SPACE. AND SO SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS ARE INVESTING A MINIMUM OF $12 MILLION 300 EMPLOYEES LOCATED AT THE PROJECT SITE BY YEAR FIVE, AND THEN THEY WOULD COMMENCE IN Q3 OF 26 AND COMPLETE BY Q3 OF 27. AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THEY DID MAKE A REQUEST TO THE WEB MAG OR WACO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WACO, MCLENNAN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. AND THAT WAS APPROVED BY THAT BOARD YESTERDAY. SO IT WILL HIT AN AGENDA FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN AUGUST. THE NEXT PROJECT THAT I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT IS THE WACO HIGH LOFTS. SO IT WAS THE WACO HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS, LOCATED AT 815. COLUMBUS AVENUE, WAS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED IN 1912, AND IT SERVED AS THE PRIMARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION FOR A LONG TIME. IN 2008, A REDEVELOPMENT WAS STARTED THAT CONVERTED IT INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IN 2010 IS WHEN IT OPENED. TODAY, IT HAS 104 UNITS. IT'S AFFORDABLE COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S IN NEED OF REINVESTMENT. IT NEEDS TO BE REMODELED AND REVITALIZED. IT'S STRUGGLING WITH FLOODING, SOME ROOFING ISSUES, LEAKS, AND EVEN SOME SAFETY CONCERNS. AND SO THIS
[01:10:05]
PROJECT, THEY HAVE COME TO US WITH A NEW OWNERSHIP GROUP UNDERTAKING A COMPREHENSIVE $23.5 MILLION REHABILITATION OF THE PROJECT, INCLUDING ALL OF THE THINGS YOU SEE LISTED. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY'RE GOING TO THERE WAS A LARGE INVESTMENT WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY REDEVELOPED, BUT SOME OF THE CAUSES WEREN'T ADDRESSED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT. AND SO THIS REDEVELOPMENT, THEY ARE SPENDING THE WATER ON ON STORM SEWER, SOME OF THE WINDOW LEAKING ISSUES AND THE ROOFING. AND SO THEY'RE TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE CAUSING THE ISSUES THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING. THE TIFF BOARD, AGAIN UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED FUNDING IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $500,000 IN TIFF FUNDS. AND SO I WILL NOTE FOR THIS THAT THESE TIFF FUNDS ARE THE FUNDS THAT WERE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL IN OCTOBER 2022 THAT ARE SET ASIDE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, IN PARTICULAR WITHIN THE TIFF ZONE.AND SO AT THAT TIME, COUNCIL APPROVED $2.5 MILLION TO BE SET ASIDE FOR THIS. AND SO THIS $500,000 IS PULLING DOWN FROM THAT FUND IN SUPPORT OF THE REDEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT. AND SO, AGAIN, THEY WILL INVEST A MINIMUM OF $20 MILLION.
THEY'LL RETAIN A MINIMUM OF 100 AFFORDABLE UNITS. THEY WILL COMMENCE BY THE END OF JUNE, AND THEY WILL BE COMPLETE BY THE END OF DECEMBER 2027. SO I WILL NOTE FOR YOU AS WELL, THEIR REDEVELOPMENT PLAN DOES HAVE A SYSTEM IN WHICH THEY WILL NOT HAVE. TENANTS HAVE TO FIND A NEW PLACE. THEY WILL MOVE TENANTS FROM UNIT TO UNIT AS THEY REDEVELOP, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE CAN STAY HOUSED IN THE BUILDING WHILE THEY REDEVELOP AND MAKE THE SPACE BETTER FOR THEM. NOW I HAVE A COUPLE OF OR I HAVE ONE TIFF FOR PROJECT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON. SO TIFF FOUR WAS CREATED IN 2023. IT'S A LITTLE MORE EXPANSIVE THAN TIFF ONE.
AND THEN WE ACTUALLY EXPANDED THE BORDERS OF IT IN 2024. AND THIS ONE WAS CREATED TO SPUR DEVELOPMENT WITHIN OUR INDUSTRIAL PARKS, BUSINESS CORRIDORS, AND KEY UNDEVELOPED AREAS. IT'S FUNDED THROUGH AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY, WITH MCLENNAN COUNTY, WITH MCLENNAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND THE CITY OF WACO. SO I WILL MAKE THAT DISTINCTION IN TIFF ONE. THE CITY AND MCLENNAN COUNTY ARE BOTH AT 100% COMMITMENT OF THE INCREMENT, AND THIS ONE, THEY ARE BOTH AT 70%. AND MCLENNAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS AT 50 IN BOTH TIFS.
SO THIS PROJECT IS AT 3400 BOSQUE BOULEVARD. AND SO THIS IS A IS A BIG ONE. IT'S KIND OF A BANNER PROJECT FOR A TIFF ZONE, WHICH IS FOCUSED ON REDEVELOPMENT AND BLIGHT. AND SO THIS IS A REDEVELOPMENT OF THE BROOKVIEW HILLS SHOPPING CENTER. AND YOU CAN SEE IN THOSE PICTURES TO YOUR TO THE RIGHT THAT IT IS INSIGNIFICANT NEED OF RENOVATION. IT SUFFERS FROM DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, BLIGHT, DETERIORATED FACADES. THEY EVEN HAD A BUILDING THAT WAS CONDEMNED AND NEEDED TO BE DEMOLISHED. BUT IT'S EIGHT PARCELS, OVER 50,000 SQUARE FOOT OF EXISTING COMMERCIAL SPACE ACROSS MULTIPLE BUILDINGS. AND SO THIS GROUP HAS PROPOSED A PROJECT THAT WILL ENHANCE THE SAFETY, CREATE WALKABILITY, RESTORE ECONOMIC VITALITY. BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT IT IS, IT'S A PROJECT THAT IS AIMED AT REVITALIZING THE SHOPPING AREA, MAKING IT WHAT IT USED TO BE TO THAT COMMUNITY, TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. IT WOULD STRENGTHEN THAT. IT WOULD INCLUDE PUBLIC SIDEWALKS, SITE LIGHTING, DRAINAGE, NEW FACADES, NEW BUILDINGS, UPGRADED PARKING, AND A GREEN SPACE THAT WILL BE MAINTAINED BY THEM. SO JONATHAN OR CODY DON'T HAVE TO BE UPSET ABOUT IT. THEY WILL MAINTAIN THE GREEN SPACE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT. SO THIS PROJECT IS A BIG ONE AND IT'S LOCATED, LIKE I SAID, ON 34TH AND BOSQUE, IT'S A PLACE THAT WE HAVE NEEDED TO SEE THIS KIND OF REDEVELOPMENT FOR A LONG TIME.
THE INCENTIVE THAT IS PROPOSED AND WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE TIFF BOARD IS NOT TO EXCEED $1 MILLION. SO IT WOULD BE KIND OF A COMBINATION INCENTIVE. SO IT WOULD BE TEN YEARS, 100% OF THE TIF INCREMENT THAT'S CREATED. IT'S ESTIMATED AT $739,991. AND THEN FIVE YEARS OF SALES TAX REIMBURSEMENT AT 50%. AND THE NOTE THAT WE MADE ON THIS IS IT ONLY APPLIES TO SALES TAX GENERATED OVER $40,000 A YEAR. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE SALES TAX AVERAGE, THEY AVERAGE ABOUT $40,000 OUT OF THAT COMPLETE SHOPPING CENTER. AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE MONEY THAT WAS ALREADY BEING COLLECTED INTO THE GENERAL FUND. SO WE'LL GIVE THEM 50% OF WHAT THEY MAKE OVER THAT. THE DEVELOPER WILL INVEST A MINIMUM OF $4.5 MILLION, CREATE NEW GREEN SPACES AND COMMERCIAL SPACES. THEY WILL COMMENCE THE PROJECT BY JUNE 26TH AND COMPLETED BY THE END OF DECEMBER 2028. SOME PEOPLE WOULD CONSIDER THIS PROJECT A MIRACLE ON 34TH. OH ALL RIGHT, I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS A MILLENNIAL. I DIDN'T KNOW IF Y'ALL WOULD. AND WITH THAT, I WILL TAKE ANY. I'M GETTING A HEADSHAKE OF SHAME OVER THERE. I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU
[01:15:01]
MAY HAVE PANDERING TO THE. BUT YEAH, THE BOOMERS LOVE THAT ONE FOR SURE. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR JEREMY JEREMY IN. CAN YOU SPEAK ABOUT THE THE WACO HIGH LOFTS INCENTIVE SPECIFICALLY? I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT $500,000 ARE UP TO. IS FROM THE POOL OF MONEY SET ASIDE IN 2022 FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN TIF ONE. ARE THEY ABLE TO ACCESS ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS OUTSIDE OF THAT SPECIFIC ALLOTMENT? I'M JUST LOOKING AT TOTAL INVESTMENT ACROSS THE THREE PROJECTS THAT WERE PRESENTED, AND THERE'S OBVIOUSLY IS THE HIGHEST TOTAL INVESTMENT FOR A REALLY WORTHWHILE CAUSE. SO BECAUSE OF THE STRUCTURE, SO THEY ARE THEY ARE PURSUING THE AFFORDABLE TAX CREDITS AND WHICH WILL TAKE DOWN THE TAXABLE VALUE. AND THEN I BELIEVE THEY EVEN HAVE A PARTNER THAT THEY BROUGHT IN THAT IS GOING TO HELP KEEP THE SPACE ACTIVE AND DO AFTER SCHOOL AND OFFER THOSE KINDS OF PROGRAMS. AND THEY ARE A NONPROFIT. AND SO THAT DECREASES THE TAXABLE VALUE AGAIN. SO IF WE LOOK AT JUST THE TAXABLE VALUE INCREASE, IT'S NOT IT'S PRETTY MARGINAL, IT'S PRETTY SMALL. AND SO WE LOOKED AT OFFERING A TIF INCREMENT ONE. IT WOULD TAKE IT WOULD TAKE IT A WHILE TO OFFER ANYTHING SUBSTANTIAL. SO THE 500,000 OUT OF THAT FUND SEEMED TO BE THE BEST FIT. AWESOME.GREAT. THANKS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? OH, ACTUALLY I DO HAVE ONE MORE COMMENT IF YOU HAVEN'T DRIVEN BY 34TH AND BOSQUE. CREATIVE WACO AND ART APPRENTICESHIP JUST WRAPPED. HAD THE RIBBON CUTTING LAST SATURDAY. THE REVITALIZATION OF THE MURAL. SO THAT IS WHILE THEY'RE WORKING ON IT. BUT IT IS PRETTY SPIFFY RIGHT NOW IF YOU DRIVE BY IT LOOKS GORGEOUS. I THINK I SENT A PICTURE TO OUR CITY MANAGER AND DEPUTY CITY MANAGER YESTERDAY ON THE WAY HOME. DEFINITELY AN ASSET TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, EVEN JUST WITH THAT LEVEL OF UPLIFT THAT IT'S THAT IT'S HAD IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. I MEAN, IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IS KIND OF GROWING BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT MORE A COUPLE MORE RETAIL SPOTS, SOME COFFEE SHOPS IN THAT BLOCK OR TWO AREA. SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE ADVANCEMENT OF THIS.
YEAH, I'LL JUST ECHO THAT. 34TH AND BOSQUE. IT'S KIND OF A CROSSROADS FOR A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS IN A MOUNTAIN VIEWS KIND OF NEARBY. BROOKVIEW, DEAN, HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, ALL KIND OF RIGHT IN THERE. AND WE'RE SEEING KIND OF SOME, A COUPLE OF COFFEE SHOPS ARE DOING WELL THERE. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS, THIS ONE, AND SEEING THAT $4.5 MILLION INVESTMENT. AND I SEE IN THE IN THE SOME OF THE RENDERINGS WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO PRESERVE, TRY TO PRESERVE THAT COOL SIGN, WHICH IS THAT SHOP. BROOKVIEW HILLS IS REALLY ICONIC. I HOPE THEY FIGURE OUT A COOL WAY TO INCORPORATE THAT. AND THIS IS FOR, FOR IN EXCHANGE FOR THE 4.5 MILLION IN INVESTMENT, WE'RE GIVING OR REIMBURSING 50% OF THE SALES TAX INCREMENT ABOVE WHAT THEY MAKE, WHICH I THINK IS FAIR FOR FIVE YEARS. YES, SIR. AND THEN TEN 100% OF THE TIF FOR TEN YEARS. AND I COULDN'T TELL IS THERE A CAP ON THE TIF. SO THE TIFF WITH THE TIF, WE HAVE THE ANTICIPATED OR ESTIMATED VALUE THAT IT WOULD HIT, BUT I DID NOT PUT A CAP ON IT BECAUSE WE HAVE THE $1 MILLION CAP. SO IF THEY INVEST MORE IN THE TIF GENERATES MORE, THEY STILL WILL NEVER GET MORE THAN THAT, THAT MILLION. SO MAYBE THEY GET A YEAR OF SALES TAX. BUT THAT WAY THEY HAD THE. IT'S KIND OF A WAY TO INCENTIVIZE THEM TO INVEST. THEY CAN POUR MORE INTO THE FACADE AND THE OVERALL. BECAUSE OF THAT OVERARCHING CAP.
GOT IT. THANKS, JEREMY. I JUST I JUST REMEMBER THIS. I APOLOGIZE, MAYOR, I ALSO WANT TO IMPLORE STAFF, TO THE EXTENT WE'RE ABLE TO STAY IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE DEVELOPERS ON THIS SPECIFIC TO THE BOSQUE AVENUE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING WITH TXDOT. AND I THINK THAT THAT INTERSECTION IS ON TRACK FOR NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR IF EVERYTHING STAYS ON TRACK. BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT TIMELINES HAPPEN. AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S GOING TO NOT NECESSARILY INTERFERE, BUT CERTAINLY OVERLAP WITH THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AS THEY'RE REDOING THAT INTERSECTION RIGHT THERE. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO BE OFFERING ANY MONEY TO A PROJECT THAT IT'S NOT HINDERED ON ITS TIMELINE BASED ON WORK THAT'S HAPPENING WITH TXDOT IN THE CITY RIGHT NEXT TO IT. YES, SIR. AND NOW YOU MADE ME THINK OF IT, DARIUS, BECAUSE I KEEP GOING BACK AND FORTH. I NOTICED YOU AND I CAN RUN THE REST OF THIS, BUT I DRIVE BY THERE TO AND FROM SCHOOL EVERY DAY, DROP MY KID OFF. BUT THAT 34, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE IT AWAY. BUT THAT 34TH STREET, VERY LITTLE USED FOR ANYBODY THAT LIVES IN THE MOUNTAIN VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR WHERE I LIVE. IT'S KIND OF A SHORTCUT AND HARDLY ANYBODY IS ON 34TH STREET. SO WHEN YOU'RE COMING DOWN BOSQUE, TAKE THAT RIGHT ON 34TH, NO TRAFFIC AND YOU GET TO STOP AT THIS COOL NEW SHOPPING CENTER. JUST MAKE SURE YOU'RE GOING THE SPEED LIMIT BECAUSE THE ROAD IS REALLY SMOOTH. THAT'S RIGHT. AND I'VE HAD MORE THAN ONE EMAIL FROM CONSTITUENTS LIVING UP AND DOWN THERE. SO I THEY DIDN'T SAY IT WAS A JAGUAR, BUT THEY HAVE MENTIONED A SPORTS CAR. YEAH, YEAH. MY CAR IS WELL KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE CITY FOR NO. SO YEAH. EXCITED ABOUT THAT ONE. WACO HIGH LOFTS JUST THAT'S A $20 MILLION INVESTMENT.
[01:20:03]
SO I MEAN, THAT'S THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR MONEY ON THE TABLE HERE FOR THIS AND PRESERVING 100 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS THAT ARE KIND OF GETTING RUN DOWN. SO THAT IS A SUPER IMPORTANT PROJECT TO. AND THEN THE FACT THAT WE'VE ALREADY SET THAT MONEY ASIDE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IT SEEMS LIKE THE FIT THERE IS PERFECT. AND THEN LASTLY, THE THAT CORNERSTONE PROJECT, IT'S SUCH A GREAT TEAM OVER THERE. AND THEY'VE DECIDED AND THEY'VE GOT OFFICES ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THAT THEY'VE DECIDED TO KIND OF PUT THEIR OFFICE DOWNTOWN HERE WITH 300 MORE PEOPLE WALKING AROUND DOWNTOWN AND ENJOYING WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE ALL COME TO, TO LOVE DOWNTOWN, I THINK IS FANTASTIC. AGAIN, THAT'S A $12 MILLION INVESTMENT THAT THEY'RE MAKING 300 JOBS, WAGES, UP TO 300,000. AND SO THAT LEVEL OF WAGE IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR DOWNTOWN. AND THAT'S JUST $500,000 OUT OF TIFF AS WELL.OKAY. GREAT JOB. WE LOVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S I LOVE THAT PART OF THE THAT PART OF WHAT WE DO UP HERE ON COUNCIL IS A LOT OF FUN. AND I APPRECIATE YOU MANAGING IT AND KIND OF WELCOMING YOU KIND OF NEW ON THE ON THE SCENE IN THAT DEPARTMENT. AND I APPRECIATE YOU JUMPING IN AND TAKING OVER AND BRINGING THESE KIND OF PROJECTS TO COUNCIL. THANKS, JEREMY. OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM IS WORK SESSION 2026-368. WE HAVE DO WE HAVE TIME FOR CLINT TODAY? WE DO. LAURA WAGSTAFF, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, WILL PROVIDE OUR LAST WORK SESSION COVERING TONIGHT'S PLANNING, PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA ITEMS. LAURA. HELLO. FULL DISCLOSURE, I DO NOT HAVE ANY JOKES OR TAGLINES IN MIND. I APOLOGIZE AND YOU'RE BETTER FOR IT. I DID DID NOT DO MY HOMEWORK, SO THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER HOLT, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS. ON TODAY'S AGENDA, WE DO HAVE FOUR PLANNING PUBLIC HEARINGS. I AM PREPARED TO GO OVER TWO OF THOSE ITEMS. IF WE HAVE EXTRA TIME. AND AT THE WILL OF COUNCIL, I CAN GO OVER THE OTHER TWO IF YOU SO CHOOSE. THE ONES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW THIS AFTERNOON. FIRST IS PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA ITEM F THREE, WHICH IS 2026 411. THIS IS A REQUEST FROM CARLOS DIAZ ON BEHALF OF G. C PRASHANT KG CORPORATION. THE REQUEST IS FOR LAND USE CHANGE FROM MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL OFFICE FLEX TO MIXED USE FLEX AND REZONING FROM OH THREE, WHICH IS OUR OFFICE LIMITED COMMERCIAL DISTRICT TO C TWO COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL. THE PROPERTY IS ADDRESSED AS 1839 NORTH 25TH STREET AND CONSISTS OF 0.633 ACRES LOCATED IN THE NORTH WACO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION COUNCIL DISTRICT FOUR. JUST AS A SUMMARY, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, JUST A REMINDER THAT THIS ITEM WAS ACTUALLY CONTINUED AT THE MAY 19TH COUNCIL MEETING. THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS LEFT OPEN ON THIS ONE AT THE REQUEST OF THE APPLICANT. SO JUST A GENERAL SUMMARY OF THE AREA. THE PROPERTY I HAVE WITH THE STAR ON IT IS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY. YOU CAN SEE MOST OF THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SINGLE FAMILY OR DUPLEX RESIDENTIAL. I HIGHLIGHTED A FEW THAT ARE NOT DIRECTLY ACROSS NORTH 25TH STREET. YOU DO HAVE THE FAMILY WORSHIP CENTER ACROSS THE CONVERGENCE OF 26TH AND 25TH STREET. YOU HAVE THE HIGHLANDS NURSING AND REHABILITATION FACILITY, AND THEN DIRECTLY ACROSS MAPLE AVENUE. THERE IS CURRENTLY A VACANT STRUCTURE THERE. WE DO HAVE AN APPLICATION FILED FOR CONSIDERATION AT A FUTURE MEETING TO REZONE THAT PROPERTY FOR RESIDENTIAL USE AS WELL. SO THE PROPERTY DOES SIT AT THAT CONVERGENCE POINT BETWEEN THE ONE WAYS OF NORTH 25TH STREET AND 26TH STREET. ZOOMING IN A LITTLE BIT TO THE LEFT HAND OF THIS PICTURE IS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY. THE CURRENT PERMITTED USE IS A DEFINED AS A NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE. AND I'LL GO INTO THAT DEFINITION ON THE NEXT SLIDE. BUT HERE YOU CAN SEE ACROSS NORTH 25TH STREET IS THE THE FAMILY WORSHIP CENTER. MOVING ON. HERE IS THE HIGHLANDS NURSING AND REHABILITATION ACROSS THE INTERSECTION OF MAPLE. AND THEN HERE IS LOOKING AT THAT CONVERGENCE BETWEEN THE TWO ONE WAYS AT THE INTERSECTION. AND THEN LOOKING DOWN MAPLE, YOU CAN SEE THE RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER. SO FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES, I PREPARED THIS SLIDE JUST TO SHOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE O3 AND THE PROPOSED
[01:25:03]
C2 ZONING. YOU CAN SEE THAT FOR THE RESIDENTIAL USES, THERE IS QUITE A DENSITY INCREASE BETWEEN THE O3 AND THE C2, BUT FOCUSING IN ON THE NONRESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES OFFICE, PERSONAL SHOPS ARE PERMITTED IN BOTH THE DISTRICTS. GENERAL RETAIL SALES, SUCH AS IN NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE, IS PERMITTED IN O3 DISTRICT, WHICH IS THE CURRENT USE. SO THAT IS CURRENTLY ALLOWED. HOWEVER, IN THE O3 DISTRICT, THERE ARE LIMITED HOURS FOR.RETAIL TYPE USES. 7 A.M. TO 7 P.M. HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE A PROCESS FOR A SPECIAL PERMIT IN WHICH THOSE HOURS CAN BE EXTENDED WITHIN THAT, AND THEN RETAIL IN GENERAL. I'M SORRY.
I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT. YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY ON THIS ONE. SO 7 TO 7, IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID 7 A.M. TO 7 P.M. UNLESS GRANTED, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, A SPECIAL PERMIT TO EXTEND THOSE HOURS FOR GROCERY RETAIL? NOT IN RETAIL, NOT, BUT NOT FOR A GAS STATION. CORRECT.
GAS STATION WITH CONVENIENCE STORE IS NOT A PERMITTED USE IN AN O3 DISTRICT, BUT THAT IS A PERMITTED USE IN THE C TWO ZONING DISTRICT. AND I ASSUME A NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE IS JUST A CONVENIENCE STORE WITHOUT A GAS STATION. YEAH, IT HAS A LITTLE TRICKY DEFINITION.
SO I'M GOING BEAR WITH ME. I'M GOING TO READ SOME OF THE DEFINITION. SO A NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE IS DEFINED AS BEING NO LARGER THAN 20,000FTā !S IN AREA ENGAGED IN THE RETAIL SALE, PRIMARILY OF FOOD, NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OR HOUSEHOLD ITEMS FOR CONSUMPTION.
OFF PREMISES BEER AND WINE MAY BE SOLD FOR OFF PREMISE CONSUMPTION ONLY. AND THEN IT GETS INTO IN DETERMINING WHETHER IT IS A NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE, THE BUILDING OFFICIAL SHALL INSPECT THE ESTABLISHMENT. IF HE CANNOT MAKE HE OR SHE CANNOT MAKE THAT DETERMINATION, THEN DOCUMENTATION MUST BE PROVIDED, PROVIDING AN AUDIT OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR SHOWING THAT AT LEAST 75% OF THE GROSS SALES OF THE ESTABLISHMENT WAS DERIVED FROM FOOD, NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OR HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. ONE OF OUR BIGGEST DEFINITIONS, I THINK ZONING ORDINANCE, VERY DETAILED. SO YES. SO RIGHT NOW THAT CURRENT USE DOES FIT UNDER THAT DEFINITION. SO FROM A ZONING MAP PERSPECTIVE, YOU CAN SEE RIGHT NOW EVERYTHING IS DESIGNATED ON THE LAND USE. SORRY. THIS IS THE LAND USE PLAN AS MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL OFFICE FLEX WHICH DOES PERMIT MORE OF THE RESIDENTIAL SCALE ZONING DISTRICTS SUCH AS. 010302 AND THEN OUR R3 A THROUGH C, WHICH ARE MULTIFAMILY, IF APPROVED, IT WOULD BE REDESIGNATED AS MIXED USE FLEX. FROM A ZONING PERSPECTIVE, O3 IS THE CURRENT ZONING. THERE IS O3 ZONING ACROSS THE STREET, ACROSS MAPLE. THERE ARE ALSO SOME LEGACY O2 ZONINGS IN HERE. EVEN THOUGH THEY DO NOT MATCH OUR LAND USE PLAN, THE USES WITHIN THOSE FALL WITHIN SUCH AS ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, A DAYCARE. THERE'S STILL LIMITED USES. AND THEN DOWN HERE WE DO HAVE SOME O3, BUT THOSE ARE RESIDENTIAL USES AS WELL, SO I'M NOT SURE THE SITUATION THERE. AND THEN IF APPROVED, THIS IS THE C2, HOW IT WOULD LOOK IN THAT AREA. AND THE NEAREST C TWO IS SEVERAL BLOCKS UP. YES, YES, THAT IS CORRECT. ACROSS FROM SAINT LOUIS, CORRECT. SO SO THE PLAN COMMISSION, I'M SORRY, THE QUESTION. NO, NO, NO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT IT WAS. OKAY. SORRY. THE PLAN COMMISSION DID SUPPORT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION FOR DISAPPROVAL UNANIMOUSLY 8 TO 0 FOR BOTH DISAPPROVAL OF THE LAND USE AND THE REZONING.
THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS FOR THE LAND USE IS THAT THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, BASED ON OUR REVIEW AND STAFF REVIEW, IS NOT ADEQUATE TO PROVIDE FOR ZONING DISTRICTS ALLOWED WITHIN THAT MIXED USE ZONING DESIGNATION OR LAND USE DESIGNATION. I'M SORRY. AND THEN ALSO THAT THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS ADJACENT TO MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL OFFICE FLEX AND URBAN RESIDENTIAL USES, WHICH ARE GENERALLY INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF USES THAT ARE PERMITTED WITHIN THE ZONING ALLOWED IN THE MIXED USE FLEX. AND THEN FROM THE ZONING SIDE, DISAPPROVAL UNANIMOUSLY BASED ON THE FINDINGS THAT THE PROPOSED ZONING IS NOT IN KEEPING WITH THE LAND USE COMPONENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. EXISTING AND PLANNED PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT ADEQUATE TO PROVIDE FOR THE EXTENT OF THE USES ALLOWED IN THE C-2 ZONING DISTRICT. THE PROPOSED C-2 ZONING IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE SURROUNDING AREA AND OTHER USES LOCATED ALONG MAPLE AVENUE, AND THAT THERE IS EXISTING UNDEVELOPED COMMERCIAL ZONING APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER MILE FROM THE SUBJECT PROPERTY. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS
[01:30:04]
ON THAT ONE? ANY QUESTIONS ON THE FIRST ONE? NO. A NICE LAYOUT OF THE ISSUES THAT. THE NEXT ITEM I'D LIKE TO REVIEW IS PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA ITEM FOR PUBLIC HEARING 2026 412. THIS IS AMENDMENTS TO THE RIVERWAY OVERLAY ORDINANCE. AND THAT IS FOR SOME REASON A TONGUE TWISTER TO ME. AGAIN, THESE ARE DESIGN BOOK AMENDMENTS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID RECENTLY WITH FLOYD CASEY. THE REQUEST IS CITY OF WACO ON BEHALF OF CALDWELL COMMUNITIES, AS THIS IS A LANGUAGE AMENDMENT REQUEST IS TO MAKE AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 28 ZONING OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES. ARTICLE FOUR, DIVISION 31, SPECIAL DISTRICT RIVERWAY OVERLAY DISTRICT FOR THE CITY OF WACO AND AMENDING THE DESIGN BOOK PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN THE NORTH LAKE WACO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE. SO IN GENERAL, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS OVERALL ARE INTENDED TO FINE TUNE THAT DESIGN BOOK AS DEVELOPMENT PLANS PROGRESS AND BECOME MORE REFINED INTO. AS THEY MOVE CLOSER TO CONSTRUCTION. TO GET EVERYBODY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROPERTY. IT IS LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF NORTH NORTH MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR BOULEVARD AND EAST LAKESHORE DRIVE, AND THEN ADJACENT TO THE BRAZOS RIVER, WHICH IS A KEY ELEMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT. AND I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THESE TWO PARCELS IN THE MIDDLE. JUST KEEP AN EYE ON THOSE. AND AS I GO THROUGH THESE HERE. SO THE FIRST JUST TO SUMMARIZE SOME OF THE THE AMENDMENTS IN HERE. THE FIRST IS TO THE LAND USE PLAN. THIS IS REALLY HARD TO SEE, BUT THE EXISTING LAND USE PLAN IS ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE. THE C TWO ACTUALLY EXTENDS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER IN THE ORIGINAL THAN ON THE PROPOSED. AND THAT IS TO MAKE IT MATCH THE UNDERLYING ZONING OF THE C TWO ZONING. AND ALSO, AS YOU'LL SEE IN A FUTURE SLIDE, SOME PROPERTY IN HERE FOR FUTURE FIRE STATION AS WELL. OVERALL THE TOTAL ACREAGE DOES NOT CHANGE. IT IS STILL 520.8 ACRES. AND THEN ALSO THE UPDATED PLAN DOES PROVIDE SOME LANGUAGE IN HERE REGARDING ADDRESSING THESE CALL THEM OUT PARCELS. CURRENTLY THEY ARE PRIVATE OWNERSHIP COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY THE DEVELOPMENT. THERE IS LANGUAGE IN THE PROPOSED CHANGES THAT STATES THAT UPON APPLICATION OF FOR OVERLAY AND ZONING DESIGNATION THAT THEY COULD IN THE FUTURE INCORPORATE INTO THE OVERLAY. OF COURSE, THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS AT THAT TIME. JUST SO EVERYBODY CAN SEE IT MORE CLEARLY. I'M JUST SHOWING THE PROPOSED CONCEPT PLAN HERE AND I'LL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE AREAS. SO FIRST OF ALL, HERE, THIS GRAY AREA IS THE PROPOSED LOCATION OF THE FIRE STATION, 2.5 ACRES, SIMILAR TO FIRE STATION 15. USING THAT TEMPLATE FOR DEVELOPMENT, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE PODS. THIS IS SUCH A LARGE PROPERTY THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE ALL DEVELOPED AT ONCE. SO THEY ARE SHOWING DIFFERENT PODS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. ANOTHER ITEM THAT IS CHANGED ON THIS ONE IS THESE LITTLE STARS. THESE ARE THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS SHOWING THEM AS MORE DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPMENT. AND THEN THESE PURPLE AREAS ARE ALSO AMENITY AREAS WHICH PREVIOUSLY WERE CONSOLIDATED DOWN CLOSER TO THE RIVER. SO BY DISTRIBUTING, DISTRIBUTING THEM THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY JUST PROVIDES MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO INTERACT WITH THOSE DEVELOPMENTS. ANOTHER CHANGE IS DOWN HERE. AND REGARDING THE STREET LAYOUT, AND I'M GOING TO TURN TO THE NEXT SLIDE HERE.THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGER CHANGES. SO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE YOU SEE THE PINK LINE.
THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL DIVIDED COLLECTOR THAT WAS SHOWN AS THE PROJECT IS PROGRESSING. IT WAS NOTED THAT HAVING THIS STREET AT THIS LOCATION REALLY CREATED A BARRIER FROM THE RESIDENTS OF THIS DEVELOPMENT, BEING ABLE TO ACCESS OR ANYBODY ELSE FOR THAT MATTER, ACCESSING THE RIVER AND THE AMENITIES THERE. SO THE PROPOSED PLAN MOVES THIS UP CLOSER TO LAKESHORE DRIVE.
THERE WILL STILL BE A DIVIDED COLLECTOR COMING INTO THIS AND ENDING AT THIS AMENITY SITE IN HERE, AND THEN IT JUST KEEPS THIS MORE OPEN FOR FOR ACCESS. AND I'LL GET INTO THE PUBLIC TRAIL SLIDE IN THE NEXT SLIDE. BUT JUST ALSO A NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE MANY, MANY OTHER ROADS
[01:35:01]
IN HERE. THESE ARE JUST THE BIG BACKBONE SYSTEM OF THE DEVELOPMENT. AND THOSE ROADS WILL BE DETERMINED DURING THE PLANNING PROCESS. THERE'S ALSO A NOTE IN HERE THAT THEY'RE ADDING REGARDING BLOCK LENGTHS. SO THE INTENDED INTENTION BEHIND ALLOWING A BLOCK LENGTH TO EXCEED OUR STANDARD BLOCK LENGTH REQUIREMENT IS TO KEEP A QUIETER NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME AGE RESTRICTED DEVELOPMENT WITHIN EACH POD. SO RATHER THAN HAVE A BLANKET, YOU CAN EXCEED ROAD LENGTHS. IT WILL JUST ONE ROAD LENGTH CAN BE EXCEEDED WITHIN EACH POD THAT. THAT JUST SPREADS IT OUT A LITTLE BIT THROUGHOUT THE THE DEVELOPMENT.SO THE TRAIL SYSTEM. SOME CHANGES IN HERE YOU CAN SEE ON THE THE LEFT, AGAIN, THIS IS THE ADOPTED BOOK. A LITTLE BIT OF CHANGE WITHIN THE RIVERFRONT PUBLIC TRAILS. IT HAS DROPPED DOWN 400 LINEAR FEET. HOWEVER, INCREASING THE LINEAR FEET OF THE TRAILS WITHIN THE THE NEIGHBORHOOD TRAILS PROVIDING THAT CONNECTIVITY WITHIN THAT AREA. AND THE RED IS THE 12 FOOT PUBLIC TRAIL SYSTEM. AND THEN THE BLUISH GREEN IS SIX FOOT NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC TRAILS.
ANOTHER SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IS THE SIGN PLAN. THIS IS A WHOLE NEW CHAPTER WITHIN THE BOOK.
THIS IS VERY CONCEPTUAL. IT'S FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES, BUT IT OUTLINES POTENTIAL LOCATIONS FOR, OF COURSE, THE COMMUNITY SIGNS. BUT THEN BREAKING DOWN INTO NEIGHBORHOOD SIGNS FOR EACH POD FACILITY, SIGNS FOR THE AMENITY CENTERS, ETC. AND THEN SOME LIFESTYLE AND DIRECTIONAL SIGNS LOCATED WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT AS WELL. SO WE WORKED WITH THE APPLICANT BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THEY ADDRESSED ALL THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES THAT WE HAD.
SO THE DOCUMENT THAT DID GO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION WAS A FINAL DOCUMENT. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED VOTE OF 10 TO 0 TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENTS AS PRESENTED. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT ONE THAT THIS ONE'S SO SUPER EXCITING. IT'S LIKE 1800 UNITS ALTOGETHER, ROUGHLY RIGHT WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF DOWNTOWN WACO. AND THIS IS IS GOING TO BE PRETTY COOL. AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE CALDWELL GROUP HAS DONE. THIS IS GOING TO BE A FIRST CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S GOING TO BE NEW, A NEW PART OF THE DOWNTOWN. SO FANTASTIC.
DOES THE NEW STREET LAYOUT AFFECT THE TIMING OF THE MARINA AT ALL? IT LOOKED LIKE IN THE OLD ONE AT THE MARINA HAD A STREET ACCESSING IT. NOW IT MAYBE DOESN'T. NO, AGAIN, THERE THERE WILL BE OTHER STREETS WITHIN HERE. I DON'T BELIEVE SO. I HAVE NOT HEARD THAT THAT WOULD CAUSE AN ISSUE. BUT THIS IS A LONG PROCESS. GETTING THIS MARINA BUILT. YOU'RE DEALING WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT REGULATORY ITEMS WITHIN THERE, SO I'M HONESTLY NOT SURE ON THAT TIMELINE. I APOLOGIZE, COUNCILMEMBER COLE, WE'LL GET YOU AN ANSWER. YES, AND GET IT BACK TO YOU. ONE, JUST THIS IS JUST A NIT, BUT THE WE WERE REFERENCING IT IN OUR REPORT AS ZA2603 AND AS I WATCHED THE PLAN COMMISSION, THE REFERENCE WAS Z 2602. I JUST DON'T WANT TO APPROVE IT TODAY AND HAVE TO COME BACK AND APPROVE IT. THE SITE INCORRECTLY BEFORE WE VOTE ON IT TONIGHT. CAN YOU LOOK AT THAT? YES, ABSOLUTELY. DO YOU WANT ME TO GO OVER THE OTHER TWO? I THINK WE'VE GOT TIME FOR ONE MORE. OKAY. I'M NOT USED TO HAVING TIME. ALL RIGHT. THE THIRD ITEM I HAVE ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR AGENDA ITEM F TWO.
THIS IS THE FINAL PUD PLAN FOR HADLEY'S PLACE PUD. THE PROPERTY IS 1.466 ACRES. THE CITY COUNCIL DID APPROVE THE CONCEPT PLAN ON JUNE 2ND, 2026. LOCATED IN THE OAKWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE. SO IF YOU RECALL THAT THIS IS THE PROPERTY, IT SITS ALONG SOUTH SECOND STREET. IT'S A. AND THEN THIS IS GRADUATE ROW BACK HERE.
THE CONCEPT PLAN ADDED THIS CONNECTION BETWEEN HIS MULTIFAMILY PHASE AND THEN THE PUD PHASE. THIS IS LOOKING AT THE PROPERTY BACK BEHIND HERE. THIS IS ACTUALLY A SINGLE FAMILY HOME. AND THEN THE MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY IS THIS, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDER
[01:40:02]
CONSTRUCTION. IT IS ZONED MULTIFAMILY. SO IT DID NOT HAVE TO BE INCLUDED WITHIN THE PUD LAND USE DESIGNATION ON THIS PROPERTY IS URBAN RESIDENTIAL, WHICH THE PROPERTY THE PUD CONFORMS WITH. AND THEN HERE IS THE APPROVED ZONING THAT WAS APPROVED EARLIER IN THE MONTH.THE GREEN R3 B IS THE EXISTING PHASE ONE AND THEN THE BLUE UPSIDE DOWN UTAH SHAPED PARCEL IS THE PUD. AND THEN HERE IS THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN. SO THERE ARE NINE DUPLEX BUILDINGS, ONE SINGLE FAMILY BUILDING FOR A TOTAL OF 19 UNITS. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE HERE THAT THIS ROAD WILL ACTUALLY LOOP TO AND THROUGH THE PHASE ONE DEVELOPMENT, PROVIDING THAT CONNECTION THROUGH THEIR PRIVATE PRIVATE STREETS. THIS IS THE LANDSCAPING PLAN. THERE IS A LARGE LANDSCAPED AREA BEHIND THE SINGLE FAMILY. I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS IN A PLAN, BUT THEY ARE WORKING OUT SOME MORE AMENITIES FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN THIS AREA AS WELL. AND THEN AGAIN, THIS ITEM WAS RECOMMENDED. VOTE 9 TO 0.
WE DID HAVE ONE ABSTENTION. WITH THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS AND THEN SOME FOR CONDITIONS THAT ARE STANDARD CONDITIONS THAT THEY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ALL OF OUR DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS.
DRAINAGE COMPLY WITH THAT MUST THE PROPERTY MUST BE PLATTED PRIOR TO THE BUILDING PERMITS BEING ISSUED. THEY HAVE MET THAT CONDITION ALREADY. AND THEN ALSO, AS I MENTIONED, CONDITION NUMBER FOUR IS ALSO MET AS THE COUNCIL APPROVED THIS EARLIER IN THE MONTH. AND COUNCIL MEMBER COLE, THE ENGINEER WORKING ON THE PROJECT, ASSURES ME THAT IT WILL NOT IMPACT THE TIMING OF THE MARINA. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FOR LAURA ON THESE? THE LAST ONE WAS JUST AN ABANDONMENT IN THE DEAL. OKAY. YEP. I'LL JUST PULL UP A. THERE YOU GO. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THESE PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE VOTING ON TONIGHT? I THINK THAT'S IT, LAURA. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. IS THAT IT, CITY MANAGER HOLT? THAT'S IT. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL. NOW I WILL ASK IF THERE ARE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS. IF SO, BRING IT UP AT
[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
THIS TIME. ALL RIGHT. SINCE THERE'S NONE, WE'LL NOW RECESS THE WORK SESSION AND RECONVENE THE REGULAR SESSION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION, AS READ INTO THE RECORD BY THE CITY SECRETARY AT 4:43 P.M. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WILL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS. REAL PROPERTY TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 551.072 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 551.087 ATTORNEY BRIEFING TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071 CITY OF WACO VERSUS THE CAMERON COUNTY HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION CLAUSE NUMBER 2025-3131-4 107. 70TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT AND ATTORNEY BRIEFING TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071. STATE AND LOCAL LAW GOVERNING THE CITY'S EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION. WE ARE NOW* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.