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MEETING MINUTES
PANAMA CITY – BAY COUNTY AIRPORT AND INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
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Opening:
The Board Meeting of the Panama City-Bay County Airport and Industrial District was called to order at 9:00 a.m., September 22, 2021 by Chair Glen McDonald.
The Invocation was given by Vice Chair Holly Melzer.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Chair McDonald.
The Executive Secretary called the roll and indicated all the Board members were present.
Chair McDonald asked if there were any Public Comments. Goodwill Big Bend Vice Chair Steve Roden and members of their Board called in virtually to thank the ECP Board for the 10-year relationship where 17 employees with disabilities have been allowed to work at the Airport. They expressed their gratitude for ECP supporting employees with handicaps, for supporting our community, and for supporting their mission. Chair McDonald thanked them for supporting our Airport and thanked them for the job they do.
An Amended Agenda was presented to the Board. Chair McDonald asked if there were any Items on the Amended Agenda, including the Consent Agenda, that any Board member would like to move, and if not, to make a motion to accept the Amended Agenda.
Vice Chair Holly Melzer made a motion to accept the Amended Agenda, and Mayor Mark Sheldon seconded the motion. The vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously.
Reports:
Mr. Parker McClellan presented the Activity Reports. Mr. McClellan reported the passenger count for August 2021 exceeded all other previous years for August, but the passenger counts are slowing down giving everyone a breather from the busy summer.
Mrs. Darlene Gordon presented the Financial Reports. Mayor Sheldon congratulated Staff for being far ahead in revenue and under in expenses and personnel. Mayor Sheldon added that Staff was a great asset to the Airport, and that Staff should be commended for a tremendous job.
Consent Agenda:
- Board Meeting Minutes – August 25, 2021
This Item provided for Board approval of the August 25, 2021 Board Meeting Minutes.
- Board Budget Workshop Minutes – September 1, 2021
This Item provided for Board approval of the September 1, 2021 Board Budget Workshop Minutes.
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- Ratification of Contract with Pioneer Production Services, LLC
This Item provided for Board ratification of the Contract between Pioneer Production Services, LLC and Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (The Airport) for a short-form documentary series
(VIEWPOINT) to be distributed to Public Television stations in all 50 states.
Pioneer Production Services contacted Staff proposing the production of one (1) 3 – 5‑minute educational segment (VIEWPOINT), a standalone short-form documentary for distribution to Public Television
stations (estimated reach for one year is 60 million households), with VIEWPOINT host, Dennis Quaid.
VIEWPOINT will maintain editorial control for the series format following Public TV Standards and will adhere to guidelines for Public Television’s official practices. The Airport agrees to be a content expert for VIEWPOINT and understands that the format of the segment is non-commercial and strictly educational in nature.
The products associated with this contract will provide the Airport with additional tools to enhance our marketing efforts and in addition provide us with the national outreach which is a goal of the Airport. The production will include our passenger, business and education focused efforts to enhance the Airport and the Region.
There are no fees associated with the Public Television portion of the project. A $28,000 fee covers the value-added production and distribution services as follows:
- One (1) broadcast 5 – 6‑minute educational documentary profile with expansive and detailed information documenting the issues and educational message that are applicable to the Airport target audience. It will be produced and edited on digital HD media with an educational and informational format, designed to promote the Airport’s educational message within the context of the feature story line. Production will include interviews, narration, program/set design, script writing, videography, graphics, music, editing, high-end computer-generated graphics, and 2‑D animation and/or graphics of the Airport logo, phone number, and website.
- One (1) high end one-minute educational commercial segment used for network distribution.
- Digitized segments into files for streaming on iflybeaches.com and delivered in a format for streaming on social media sites, as well as design and generate an email campaign to the Airport narrowcaster audience sending up to 1,000,000 video emails from VIEWPOINT’s email database.
Staff recommended Board ratify the Contract with Pioneer Production Services, LLC in an amount not to exceed $28,000.
- Approve Updated Temporary COVID-19 Leave Policy (moved to Business Agenda)
Mr. James Johnson made a motion to accept the Consent Agenda, and Mr. Les McFatter seconded the motion. The vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously.
Business Items:
- Approve New Airline-Airport Use and Lease Agreement
This Item provided for the Board’s approval of the new Airline-Airport Use and Lease Agreement for the signatory air carriers serving the airport effective October 1, 2021.
On May 17, 2010, the Airport entered into an agreement with passenger air carriers establishing an interim signatory agreement to operate at the new airport and establish rates and charges that the air
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carriers would pay. These rates and charges were based on the old rates paid at the old airport. At the
September 28, 2011 monthly meeting, the Board approved new adjusted rates and charges based on the business model being negotiated with the air carriers. On March 28, 2012, the Board approved an Airline-Airport Use and Lease Agreement effective from October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2015.
On September 23, 2015, the Airport and the signatory airlines entered into another 5‑year agreement under similar terms and conditions as the previous one. Changes included giving the Airport the ability to build a capital reserve and made other accounting updates based on the historic performance of the
District. This agreement was for a five-year term ending September 30, 2020.
As a result of the Pandemic in early 2020, it was agreed by the District and the signatory airlines, which include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines, that the current 2015 Agreement would be extended for 6 months with an option for an additional 6 months. This extension was due to the many unknowns associated with the Pandemic. The current agreement expires September 30, 2021.
The framework of the Agreements, both the current and the proposed, entail charging two basic rates, one for the landing fee and one for the terminal rental rate. The landing fee rate represents the total costs associated with the airfield cost center and includes all operating and maintenance costs along with debt service costs for constructing the airfield, and it is calculated based on total costs divided by the total landed weight of the airlines in the fiscal year. The terminal rental rate includes both the debt service and operating and maintenance costs in the Terminal complex cost center and is based on a rentable square foot calculation. The agreements are hybrid-type, which calculate the Terminal rate utilizing compensatory methodology and the landing fee utilizing residual methodology. This business framework also calls for a settlement and revenue sharing program with the airlines. Each year when the annual audit is completed, the rental rate and landing fee are recalculated based on actual numbers rather than budgeted ones, after which time the Airport either refunds or bills the airlines for the difference in what was paid and what should have been paid (the settlement). Additionally, the revenue sharing calculation is determined based on excess revenues over expenses after all operating expenses, capital equipment, capital reserves and annual debt service have been paid. The airlines receive half of the excess revenues remaining after contractual deductions have been made.
The proposed 2021 Airline-Airport Use and Lease Agreement is a 3‑year term rather than a 5‑year term at the airlines’ request, and it offers two 2‑year options. The term of this Agreement has an effective date of October 1, 2021 and expires on September 30, 2024, if no options are exercised. The options require that both the District and the majority of the signatory airlines agree to exercise an option in order to extend. The significant changes in the Agreement include the elimination of the capital reserve contribution, the establishment of overnight fees, adding a non-signatory premium to rental rates and landing fees, the amortization of projects funded by the Airport greater than $150,000 over the life of the asset, and common use baggage claim. The proposed Agreement is mutually beneficial to both the Airport and the airlines and recognizes the success of the Airport and the partnership with the airlines.
The airlines that will be signatory to this Agreement are American, Delta, Southwest and United. As the Airport continues to grow, additional airlines can become signatory and are encouraged to do so. Airlines that do not become a signatory are considered non-signatory, and they do not gain the benefits of this Agreement, the most important of which are revenue sharing, settlement and no non-signatory premium on rates and fees.
Approval of this Agreement provides the basis in determining airline rates and charges on an annual basis for the budget process.
Chair McDonald commended Staff for the excellent job and many hours spent debating issues with the airlines to reach this agreement.
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Staff recommended that the Board approve the new airline agreement and authorize the Board Chair to
execute all documents. American, Delta, Southwest and United have all agreed to execute this Agreement.
Mayor Sheldon made a motion to approve the New Airline-Airport Use and Lease Agreement, and Mr. Johnson seconded the motion. The vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously.
- Approve FY 2022 Operating & Capital Budget
This Item presented the Fiscal Year 2022 Operating & Capital Budget to the Board for adoption.
The FY 2022 Operating & Capital Budget includes operating revenues of $15,215,002 and operating expenses of $10,459,885. The budget incorporates the debt service requirements for principal and interest payments of $2,614,217 for the two SIB loans which is offset with funding from passenger facility charges of $1,359,393 and COVID-19 grant funds of $1,254,824, resulting in no net requirement from airport operating revenues for the payment of debt service. Also included is the use of COVID-19 grant funds for $750,000 of operating expenses and $5,845,211 for capital expenditures.
The FY 2022 Operating & Capital Budget was presented to the signatory air carriers and discussed at the Airline-Airport Affairs Committee Meeting on August 11, 2021. The air carriers reviewed the Rates and Charges calculations for FY 2022 along with the proposed Operating & Capital Budget. The airlines requested that the Airport review expenses for possible savings. As a result of the review, Staff adjusted the hire dates of some newly added positions in order to trim costs.
A Board Budget Workshop was held on September 1, 2021, where the Budget was reviewed in detail. It should be noted the rental rate is slightly lower than presented at the Workshop. The highlights of the budget include:
Overall revenues increased by $3,120,719, or 25.8%, over the FY 2021 Budget due primarily to additional airline landing fees and terminal rents, higher concession fees including rental cars, retail, food & beverage, and increased parking revenue; Personnel costs increased by $726,387, or 14.9%, over FY 2021 Budget, which includes the addition of six new positions (of which four are only partially funded for the year), and an increase to base pay of 5.0%, to all contract and non-contract employees, which will offset the current CPI rate of 5.4%; Total operating expenses budgeted reflect a $1,273,213, or 13.9%, increase from the prior year’s budget; and Rates and Charges are as follows:
Terminal Rental Rate increased $61.06 to $61.65 per square foot
Landing Fee decreased from $4.50 to $3.39 per 1,000 pounds
Signatory Cost per Enplanement decreased from $12.26 to $5.62
Approval of the proposed budget presented will also include authorization for the following:
- Capital Equipment Schedule
- Capital Expenditures (Projects) Schedule
- Staffing Levels and Pay Range Adjustments (all employees, contract and non-contract)
- Renewal of Property and Casualty Insurance
- Maintaining the fuel flowage fee at $.04 per gallon
- T‑Hangar rental rate for new tenants:
- Small — $451.53
- Medium — $610.14
- Large – $844.19
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- Land Rental rate of $0.38 per square foot
- Graduated Ground Transportation Rate Adjustment to Pre-COVID amount beginning in November 2021 through June 2022, at which time the rate will return to $135 per month.
The FY 2022 Operating & Capital Budget contains a 25.8% increase in operating revenues over the FY 2021 Budget and a 13.9% increase in operating expenses for the same period. This Budget produces $3,173,281 in net remaining revenues available after revenue sharing that may be used for funding the capital program and increasing reserves.
Mr. McClellan informed the Board that the economic development projects still alive include: The Aviation Center of Excellence (Project Gator, Project Venus, Project Ace, and Project Goodwrench); he described an overview of the Terminal Expansion concepts; and Ms. Gordon reported on our plans for using COVID Grants.
Staff recommended Board approval of the FY 2022 Operating & Capital Budget and authorization for the Board Chair to execute the Resolution adopting the budget.
Mr. Johnson made a motion to approve FY 2022 Operating & Capital Budget and Execute the Resolution Adopting the Budget, and Mr. Will Cramer seconded the motion. The vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously.
- Accept Selection Committee Recommendation – Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations Services and Award Contract
This Item provided for Board acceptance of the Marketing Services Selection Committee for the Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations Services for the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.
On August 4, 2021 the Airport issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations Services for the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. The contract is a three-year non-exclusive contract with the option to extend for an additional two years, subject to annual review and approval by the District.
Although, two companies participated on the Pre-Proposal Non-Mandatory Zoom Meeting on August 12, 2021, and two others emailed inquiries regarding the RFP and were directed to the Business Opportunities page on iflybeaches.com, The Moore Agency was the only company that submitted a proposal for the September 8, 2021 due date.
A Marketing Services Selection Committee was established to review the submittal, and included the following persons: Jason Cutshaw, Parker McClellan, Richard McConnell and Darlene Nelson. The Committee less Richard McConnell met on September 15, 2021 and reviewed the submittal for compliance with submission instructions, as well as presentation, form and content.
The Committee members were provided a copy of the firm’s submittal for review and comment. The comments included discussion of overall presentation design, previous airport experience, experience with print, digital and social media marketing and monitoring, web design and content, and other related items.
After review and discussion by the Committee, the Committee determined that The Moore Agency provided a proposal that met the needs of the Airport. The Committee recommended awarding the contract for Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations Services to The Moore Agency; however, should the Board desire to review their presentation, an invitation to provide a presentation at the October 20, 2021 Board Meeting will be extended to the firm.
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The retainer for this Contract will remain at $98,400 annually or $8,200/month. The expenses for
continued marketing services has been programmed in the FY22 Budget and will be programmed in
future budgets. Staff recommended the Board Accept the Committee recommendation to award the Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations Services Contract to The Moore Agency.
Mr. Jason Cutshaw commented that tourism marketing is key in our area, and said he felt it was paramount that the Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations Services Agency see the vision of the company, the long-term plan, and the strategic goals of the organization, which he believed was obvious in The Moore Agency’s proposal. Mr. Cutshaw added that he enjoys their local campaigns, they have been doing a good job, and that user-generated content is very popular now and they seem to be trending and have a pulse on that really well.
Mr. Cramer made a motion to accept the Selection Committee Recommendation – Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations Services and Award Contract to The Moore Agency, and
Mr. McFatter seconded the motion. The vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously.
- Approve One-Year Extension on Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Inc. – Janitorial Services Contract
This Item provided for Board approval of a one-year extension to a contract with Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Inc., known as RESPECT of Florida (Respect) with Goodwill Industries – Big Bend, Inc. (Goodwill) as the service provider for janitorial services at the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.
In September 2010, the Board awarded a contract for janitorial services at the Airport with Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Inc., (RESPECT of Florida). The initial term of the contract was for a five-year term and expired on September 30, 2015.
In 2015, the Board awarded a contract with Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Inc., (RESPECT of Florida) for a term of five additional years with annual approvals of fees as part of the annual budgetary process.
Respect of Florida was established in 1974 by the Florida Legislature as a 501©3 non-profit organization to administer Florida’s State Use Program under guidance of Florida Department of Management Services. The goal of Respect is to create employment opportunities for blind and persons with disabilities to achieve personal independence though useful, productive and gainful employment. The State Use Program allows exempt governmental entities from having to obtain informal quotes and the competitive solicitation process.
Under the terms of the contract, RESPECT will furnish all services, labor, materials, equipment, tools, insurance, permits, fees and supplies necessary to perform the scope of services detailed in the contract.
As we review the ever-changing environment that exists at the Airport today, it was determined it would be in the best interest of the Airport to review the contract with Respect and Goodwill to ensure the Airport is receiving the best service and expected level of cleanliness.
Over the last several months Goodwill, as well as many employers around the Region have had a challenge maintaining adequate staffing levels. Following Hurricane Michael and the Pandemic, our Region saw an increase in the labor rate and a lack of qualified employees. Goodwill was no different and as a result we saw a reduction in the staffing levels, which resulted in a reduced level of service.
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Following several meetings between Respect and Staff, it was determined that the best approach moving
forward was to have Respect solicit bids from other Respect Employment Centers. Three Employment Centers participated in the site visit and two submitted responses. Respect utilized an internal review
panel, reviewed the responses, and it was determined the best response was that of Goodwill. The Goodwill proposal addressed the wage rate which included addressing the increase in the minimum wage and other service issues discussed during the solicitation process.
Staff met with Respect and the leadership of Goodwill to address concerns of the past several months, to ensure the Airport was going to maintain its appearance and cleanliness standards. Goodwill assured the Staff and Respect that budget was not going to be an issue and they were committed to continuing this Contract and would ensure the Airport would continue to receive the expected service and cleanliness. Goodwill is also partnering with other Employment Centers including ARC of the Bay for support and logistical services.
Based on the discussions with Respect and Goodwill, Staff recommended the Airport continue with its contractual relationship with Respect and their sub-contractor Goodwill for an additional year for janitorial services at the Airport. The cost for janitorial services for FY22 is estimated to be $862,519, which is a 16% increase over FY21 and the addition of portions of the Public Safety Building.
This cost for the janitorial services provided by RESPECT has been included in the proposed FY22 Airport Operating & Capital Budget.
Staff recommended the Board approve an extension of the contract with Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Inc., (RESPECT of Florida) for a term of one year with annual approvals of fees as part of the budgetary process.
Vice Chair Melzer made a motion to approve the One-Year Extension on Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Inc. – Janitorial Services Contract, and Mr. Cramer seconded the motion. The vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously.
- Approve ZHA Task Order #56A – TSA Screening Checkpoint Expansion – Design Services
This Item provided for the Board’s approval of Task Order #56A to ZHA as the Airport’s continuing engineering consultant to perform required design services to add a roughly 12,000 SF expansion with 6,000 SF of new first floor building space to the east of the existing TSA Security Checkpoint and 6,000 SF of shell space on the 2nd floor at the Airport.
The Airport has been experiencing increased passenger traffic trending toward Passenger Activity Level 1 (PAL 1) identified in the recently completed Master Plan Update. Based on these activity levels, the Airport has initiated several projects to increase Terminal passenger capacity as recommended in the Master Plan Update. One such project is the North Concourse Expansion Design.
This proposed expansion of the TSA Screening Checkpoint design services is one of several work tasks included in the North Concourse Expansion design project and includes the design of a 12,000 SF two-floor expansion (6,000 SF on each floor) and demolition and renovation of roughly 7,100 SF existing finished space. The project intent is to create a larger space for a newly configured TSA Security Checkpoint that will increase the number of scanning lanes from three to five. Additionally, the existing TSA suite will be reconfigured to accommodate the TSA administrative offices adjacent to the Checkpoint. The total TSA Checkpoint and offices will encompass approximately 13,100 SF. The 2nd floor space will be shell space to accommodate future expansion of the Airport’s administration offices. The design team will coordinate with TSA to size and locate existing and/or new screening equipment. A phasing plan will be developed for constructing the buildout and to minimize impacts to the facility operations.
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This Task Order will not include bidding and award, construction administration, CEI or materials testing services associated with the construction phase, which will be authorized under a separate task order.
The overall cost of this task order is $457,440 and it is contained in the FY22 Operation & Capital Budget. This project is also part of an existing State of Florida Public Transportation Grant Agreement of which fifty (50) percent of the task order amount will be reimbursed to the Airport.
Staff recommended Board approval of the Task Order for engineering consulting services as discussed above for the TSA Screening Checkpoint Expansion design services.
Vice Chair Melzer made a motion to approve ZHA Task Order #56A – TSA Screening Checkpoint Expansion – Design Services and Mr. Cramer seconded the motion. The vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously.
- Approve Updated Temporary COVID-19 Leave Policy
This Item provided for Board approval of the Updated Temporary COVID-19 Leave Policy.
In April 2020, the CARES Act provided for additional leave in the event of COVID-19 impacts to employees and their families, through December 31, 2020. The impacts of the Pandemic continue to have adverse impacts on our employees and their families.
The Airport developed a Temporary COVID-19 Leave Policy for employees that were employed for more than 30 days. This Policy provided for time off from work without charging vacation or sick leave. The employee had to meet the eligibility criteria and there were numerous employees that benefitted from this Program. The Program expired in June 30, 2021.
As we moved into the next phase of COVID-19, we have had to adapt to the Delta Variant and other variants, as well as the ever-changing information available.
The well-being of our staff is and has been a guiding element as we continue to navigate the Pandemic. As we reviewed alternatives, it became apparent that the mitigation of the effects for COVID-19 may be achieved with the vaccine.
The decision to get the COVID-19 Vaccine is a personal one and not to be taken lightly. As we hear of the reports of hospitalized patients and the ratio of vaccinated versus unvaccinated, as well as the health impacts of vaccinated versus unvaccinated, they point toward the vaccine providing health benefits.
Based on information received from our insurance carrier, legal counsel and others, Staff proposed the following measures:
- Should an employee test positive for COVID-19, they must have a negative COVID-19 test prior to returning to work.
- Should an employee not have sufficient unused leave (sick, annual or personal) available and they test positive for COVID-19, Leave without Pay will be authorized in accordance with the existing Policy.
- If an employee chooses to get the COVID-19 Vaccine, they will not be charged for the time to get the vaccine and up to one day off, if there are adverse effects from the vaccine.
- If a COVID-19 vaccinated employee tests positive for COVID ‑19, they will not be charged sick or vacation time for an equivalent of one pay period.
- If an employee has chosen or chooses to get a CDC approved vaccine, the employee will receive a $500 incentive. The incentive will be issued following proof of complete vaccination process, i.e. one or two doses depending on the approved dosage.
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- The Updated Temporary COVID-19 Leave Policy would expire April 30, 2022, unless amended, extended or rescinded.
Any financial impacts related to COVID-19 will be incorporated into the Airport’s Operating & Capital Budget, and CARES Act funding may be requested in accordance with the Grant Assurances.
Staff recommended the Board approve the Updated Temporary COVID-19 Leave Policy for the Airport’s 70 employees.
A discussion ensued that included following issues: the incentive amount, if the federal government was still reimbursing for sick time, if it would help our insurance costs, if an employee could not take the vaccine due to a health-related reason how would they be affected, if we would be discriminating against those who do not want to take the risk of possible future long-term effects, and could the incentive push persons who should not get the vaccine into getting one.
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- There were motions with lack of seconds.
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- Mr. McClellan was asked to continue with the existing policy, and he informed the Board that since federal COVID funding expired in June, the practice has been:
- · Should an employee test positive for COVID-19, they must have a negative COVID-19 test prior to returning to work.
- Should an employee not have sufficient unused leave (sick, annual or personal) available and they test positive for COVID-19, Leave without Pay will be authorized in accordance with the existing Policy.
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- Vice Chair Melzer made a motion to approve leaving the existing COVID-19 Leave Policy in place, and Mr. James Johnson seconded the motion. The vote was taken and the votes were as follows: Mayor Sheldon, Mr. Cramer, and Chair McDonald voted “no,” and Mr. Cutshaw, Mr. Johnson, Mr. McFatter, and Vice Chair Melzer voted “yes.” The motion passed.
Construction Update
Entrance Roundabout and State Road (SR) 388 Realignment (information only):
Mr. McConnell reported the S.R. 388/Airport Entrance Roundabout project has been making a lot of progress, and the initial design of the Roundabout has begun. Mr. McConnell explained that the Roundabout detour is expected to be implemented in January, and at the time, they will work on finishing the Roundabout itself. He said there has been a lot of activity improvements from the bridge to the entrance at Margaritaville with a basecoat of slurry down, but because the bridge is not in yet, they cannot get to this section as much as they would like to.
Bay EDA Update:
Bay EDA President Ms. Becca Hardin was excited to report that yesterday Bay County, Florida received the Foreign Direct Investment Certification from Transatlantic Business Investment Council at the Bay County Commission Meeting. She said many present in today’s Board Meeting and her leadership team spent 2 ½ days touring the international site consultants through Bay County giving them a mock prospect tour, along with strategic planning on how we can enhance our foreign investment recruitment efforts. She said we are the first and only county in the State of Florida to receive this designation and the consultant presented the certification and award to the Bay County Commission. Ms. Hardin explained her economic team can now add that certification to their marketing tools proving they meet the criteria of having the knowledge, resources and assets to be able to recruit international companies, that they know cultural differences and how to make a project work in our area.
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Ms. Hardin reported that Bay EDA Vice President Ben Moorman just returned from a marketing trip in Austria and Germany where he met with 10 different companies and had some really good project activity. Ms. Hardin reported the Bay EDA will be attending the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) tradeshow in Vegas in October; and the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Europe Show in Amsterdam.
Ms. Hardin showed a project tracking sheet with 12 prospects looking at the Airport, nine of which are active right now – not counting the ones Mr. McClellan touched on in his FY22 Budget Report. Ms. Hardin reported that Project Lightning Strike is very close to signing the lease at the former GKN Aerospace facility at Venture Crossings, and would bring 200 jobs and $21M capital investment.
She said Project Life, a medical manufacturing company, is looking at multiple structures in Venture Crossings. She said they went to nine different states, but we are the only one in the State of Florida still in the mix. Ms. Hardin said they would bring 500 jobs and $450M capital investment.
Ms. Hardin reported that last week Project Tiger was in town and Mr. McClellan is working with them on layouts of what their site plan could look like. She said Project Air, and advanced manufacturing project is looking at the Infield.
The Moore Agency Update:
Ms. Jordan Jacobs of The Moore Agency thanked the Board for their continued partnership and wanted to assure them that they are truly passionate about this account and are committed to bringing fresh, new ideas each year.
Ms. Jacobs reported – per Mr. McClellan’s request for a change in the way The Moore Agency presents at the Board Meetings – as an “under-the-hood-look” at channels they market to with this meeting’s report focusing on Facebook/Instagram.
Ms. Jacobs began by describing why Facebook/Instagram is an important part of their media mix. She said that brand awareness keeps ECP top of mind among target audiences, competitive advantage informs passengers of what sets ECP apart, and building brand loyalty retargets past ECP website visitors or those who interacted with the ECP Facebook page.
Ms. Jacobs explained what the success looks like: 3.4 million impressions since we started using them for advertising; over 480,000 people reached; videos running with over 480,000 views; over 30,000 links clicked in our advertisements; over 2,000 page followers and growing; 9,500 page likes; and 4,500 comments.
Ms. Jacobs described what some of the agency’s backend activity looks like: driving followers to our website; targeting locations, demographics, gender, languages; setting goals or key performance indicators for campaigns; and analyzing performance.
Executive Director Report:
Mr. McClellan assured Mayor Sheldon that Staff reached out to other airports to find out what they have done regarding lobbyists, and bodycams – something the mayor brought up at the Budget Workshop – and as a result, Staff is developing a lobbyist RFP, and looking at trying to get the costs down for bodycams.
Mr. McClellan added to Ms. Jacobs’ report on brand awareness informing the Board he hears more people saying “our” Airport instead of “the” Airport, something he has been pushing for the last 10 years.
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Mr. McClellan also reported on how the Wounded Warriors make this their first stop when they come into town and to kick off the Wounded Warrior Retreat, either he or Mr. McConnell board the airplane, make an announcement, and a group heartily greets them on the first floor of the Terminal, just outside the Exit Lane.
Mr. McClellan finished his report by inviting the Board to Friday’s “Airport Employee Thank You Lunch,” where all the Airport employees will be treated to a to-go bag lunch to show the Airport’s appreciation for all they did to help make this a record-breaking year.
Public Comments:
There were no Public Comments.
Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 10:38 a.m.
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Kathy Gilmore, Executive Assistant Glen McDonald, Chair