Coral Gables Golf and Country Club Advisory Board

City of Coral Gables 405 Biltmore Way Coral Gables, FL 33134 www.coralgables.com Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 4:00 PM https://coralgables.zoom.us/j/82882960727 Coral Gables Country Club Coral Gables Golf and Country Club Advisory Board Coral Gables Golf and Country Club Meeting Minutes January 24, 2024 Advisory Board CALL TO ORDER A MOTION TO CALL TO ORDER AT 4:10 P.M. WAS MADE BY PETER IZAGUIRRE AND SECOND BY ALBERT SANCHEZ. ALL IN FAVOR; PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. ROLL CALL a. Roll Call and Excusal of Absences Present: 4 - Board member George Navarro, Board member Peter Izaguirre, Board member Don Slesnick III,and Board member Albert Sanchez Excused: - Board member Ruben Rodriguez A MOTION TO EXCUSED RUBEN RODRIGUEZ WAS MADE BY PETER IZAGUIRRE AND SECOND BY ALBERT SANCHEZ. ALL IN FAVOR; PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES a. Approval of December Meeting Minutes A MOTION TO APPROVE DECEMBER’S MEETING MINUTES WAS MADE BY PETER IZAGUIRRE AND SECOND BY ALBERT SANCHEZ. ALL IN FAVOR; PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. DIRECTORS REPORT City of Coral Gables Page 1 Coral Gables Golf and Country Club Meeting Minutes January 24, 2024 Advisory Board a. General Updates Country Club Division Director Mitch mentioned that the holiday members mixer, which many of board members attended, was a success. Santa had a good time. The Le Parc café served a seasonal delicacy called Buche de Noel, which we filmed in a beautiful video. Wonderful occasion. There were just a few kids' activities offered. We save them for Cars and Santa. Unfortunately, it began to rain early, but that did not deter the events crowd. I'm thrilled with the attendance of the event. They were all having a good time. We had a terrific time with everyone that came. Mitch then informed the board members that, due to the event getting rained off, it's an event he'd happily relive. He may alter the music, volume level, and scheduling of the event. However, vehicles and coffee are often associated with Sunday mornings. Our goal is to attract attention to the country club. We opened the interior for guests to walk through. They wanted to go on excursions. We had representatives from both the athletic club and the restaurant on hand, and customers were able to go to the restaurant. We are overjoyed since the restaurant had one of its best days. We had many happy customers, clients, and orders. I suppose this resulted in a few special orders for the holiday. December is busy at the Country Club, according to Division Director Mitch. On Friday they have a wedding and other corporate holiday parties are coming up. What number of parties and events did they host? A report was requested for submission by Chair Don Slesnick III at the conclusion of each month or season. He is interested in Country Club facility usage. Director of the Division Mitch replied that the production of a monthly report had begun. At the end of each month, the revenue charts are generated by the staff. It could be examined by the board. It displays the entered information, monthly revenues, and earnings, and more. Chair Don Slesnick III said that he’d want to be informed of the number of users and the way it is being utilized to have a better understanding of the club. Director Couceyro continued with where they seem to be landing in terms of memberships is an area of emphasis; nevertheless, we must make further efforts to secure additional venues. Our present state is not commensurate with the progress that we hope to have achieved. We acknowledge that these accommodations are considered long-term. 18-month rental agreements are uncommon. We maintain the possibility of attaining a marginally elevated standard. Mitch, the city manager and head of the finance department, and I have worked together. Currently, we are making efforts to assemble with the purpose of formulating a business plan that differs from our initial approach, considering our present stage of establishment. Specific enhancements have been implemented to the degree that we are now obligated to assess facets of our sales strategies. In addition, we intend to solicit the involvement of our communications department in a marketing strategy to initiate the procurement process for a portion of the aforementioned items for the venues. In addition to having accomplished our initial goal of drawing attention to this structure, we have recently been honored with a commendation from the Miami New Times. We City of Coral Gables Page 2 Coral Gables Golf and Country Club Meeting Minutes January 24, 2024 Advisory Board consider ourselves to be the third-best wedding venue in Miami. Consequently, individuals are becoming aware of the location's appeal. However, translation is required currently. Our next step is to get there. Director of the Country Club Division Mitch apprised the board of the current membership count of 1101. He said we are currently seeking to expand that. Throughout the month of January, we will be actively promoting and selling marketing. We intend to make our presence known at the farmers market in January. We were fortunate that the department of community recreation granted us two opportunities to be active. We decided to attend one of the busiest weekends, the carnival on the mile. The Country Club Division Director Mitch went on to say that at the athletic club, they've had several new instructors join their staff. Some instructors leave just due to staffing issues or changes in their own schedule. Our new instructor has piqued our interest. As he indicated before, Lewis is doing well, gaining more and more clients, which is beneficial to us. Personal training is one of the goods that we actively offer, so it's excellent, and we want to expand further. We've activated the kids' club. It only happens on Saturdays from eight to noon. It was well received. We haven't really blown it out yet since we're still tinkering and seeing what works. But come January, it'll be four to eight throughout the week and eight to twelve on Saturday for those parents who want to go get a workout in, drop the kids off for a little, and then go have lunch or breakfast or whatever else is going on, or if it's nice, spend time by the pool. So that's what we're after. According to Vice-Chair Ruben Rodriguez, this is likely the busiest or largest month for sign-ups. He is unsure whether they have made any progress in considering a lead management system to track individuals as they arrive, collect information, or perhaps send out an email blast. Memberships often rise at the start of the year. Carlos has been following up with some of the members that departed at the end of October, according to Mitch, the Country Club Division Director. That was our thought. To find out what we're searching for, we're going to conduct a survey that will be sent to our whole database. However, there has been no lead management that we do not presently have. Board member Albert Sanchez inquired to reiterate the importance of finding out why folks don't renew. Deputy Director Vester responded that when we lose a member, a distinct survey will be distributed to inquire about the reasons for non-renewal. Additionally, the examination will consist of five pivotal inquiries that are analytical in nature. Following that, a free-form question will be presented for further commentary. The public membership survey will resemble a transactional inquiry. It will suffice, much like a status update. How have we been? How are things proceeding? There will thus be two different types of surveys. One is for those who don't re up and we've lost them, or we're not sure what happened. Additionally, for those who are consistently present. Everything we care about is how we are doing. Country Club Division Director Mitch continued to disclose operational hours. He City of Coral Gables Page 3 Coral Gables Golf and Country Club Meeting Minutes January 24, 2024 Advisory Board stated that the adjustments were made in consideration of daylight-saving time. We want to extend swim lanes by a few hours, given that leisure swimming no longer entails performing laps and exercising. Therefore, we are trying to help determine this so lap swimmers may get a few more hours at the start or end of the day. It depends on the weather. Some people like warm water, while others prefer cold water. Albert Sanchez, a member of the board, inquired as to how revenues and non-revenues are mixed. Director of the Country Club Division Mitch replied that he would have to obtain that data in preparation for the subsequent meeting. Board member George Navarro reported attending dinner recently. There was a large crowd, and he overheard a few individuals discussing a shortage of hot water in the gym, both here and at the Biltmore. They claim that Biltmore has the same issue. They say you have to go in and turn the hot water on for. Mitch, Director of Country Club Division, said that the club switched from a tank system to a tankless system, which is more ecologically friendly. Water flows from the tankless water heater in the basement to the upper level. Heating up takes time, particularly if you're among the first to arrive in the morning. I'm considering adding a booster seat in both restrooms. However, I still have a cost and a project. We are now addressing this with the plumber. As water rises, it will be heated again. Chair Don Slesnick III acknowledged Joe's public statement. Resident Joe said, "He thinks the team has done an excellent job with the athletic club." Clean, well-kept, and great value. He's not sure how the city feels about more advertising, but he'd support it since it's a good bargain. He also wanted to swim. Saturdays and Sundays, the gym opens at 8 a.m., while the pool opens an hour later. He swims with others as the water warms. Why is the pool open later than the gym? Division Director Mitch said, "Based on previous usage, we discovered that many people were not coming early on Saturdays and Sundays." If usage changes, we may reevaluate. Joseph, a resident, said that his final comment would be about Sunday's event. Three streets away on Soroya, he walks his dog every day. He heard music from home but didn't know what it was. He thought it was his neighbor since she had holiday music, but when he got there, there was a car event. Have you attended the event? Do you have experience? b. Special Events The Daddy-Daughter Dance is scheduled to occur on Saturday, February 10, 2024, as announced by Deputy Director Vester. Each dance participant is required to possess a ticket, which is sold on an individual basis. For more information, please contact us at parks@coralgables.com and The Coral Gables Farmers Market - Saturday, Jan 13 - Mar 30 at 8 a.m. c. Administrative Updates Director Couceyro began the report by informing the board about when they last met, City of Coral Gables Page 4 Coral Gables Golf and Country Club Meeting Minutes January 24, 2024 Advisory Board they were working with Bonjour Cafe, which supplied the meals. The front of the house was handled by staff. A 90-day interim contract with a 90-day option was approved by the commission. Six months is a possibility. They finally signed the contract. On November 27, they'll go full stock and barrel without us. The Monday following Thanksgiving. City officials notified him that after six months, they'll start specifying longer-term RFPs to see whether we can compete. If those six months are beyond our wildest dreams, the city administration may request a Bid waiver from the commission in order to negotiate long-term. Directors Couceyro and the city manager have maintained their collaboration regarding the development of a business plan for the upcoming years. During the initial 18 months, we encountered numerous challenges and growing difficulties while attempting to establish our foundation and solidify certain aspects. It was during this time that we discovered the true nature of this structure. It is my belief that we will develop a business strategy to determine how we can increase venue rentals. Our ultimate objective is for this endeavor to become profitable. NEW BUSINESS The subject of discussion was raised by Chair Don Slesnick III, who stated that he was uncertain as to why the pool was closed during specific hours or in the nighttime. "He simply figured, he was like, why can't we go on swim nights?" He believes it would be beneficial to understand that. Director Couceyro responded that an examination would be conducted, and the website would be updated. OLD BUSINESS a. Selection of Board Member at Large Director Couceyro mentioned that the board must select a new Board-as-a-whole member and that they must submit a résumé or a paragraph explaining why they want to serve on the board. Director Couceyro suggested that potential nominees submit their resumes before the next meeting, after which we will disseminate resumes to the whole board, who will then analyze and choose their seventh member. According to Deputy Director Carolina, the City Clerk's office advised applying online and sending applications through the portal, which we would then distribute to the board. Deputy Director Carolina encouraged the board members to share the Boards and Committees link with the possible nominees. DISCUSSION ITEMS a. Marketing discussion Deputy Director Vester proceeded to present the Coral Gables Golf & Country Club Athletic Club Brand, Variations, Colors, Assets, and Merchandise to the board of members. She also indicated that they would offer a presentation of the Coral Gables Golf & Country Club Venue Brand, Variations, Colors, Assets, and Merchandise at the following meeting. City of Coral Gables Page 5 Coral Gables Golf and Country Club Meeting Minutes January 24, 2024 Advisory Board ITEMS FROM THE SECRETARY Next meeting date February 28, 2024 at 4 p.m. ADJOURNMENT A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 5:00 P.M. WAS MADE BY PETER IZAGUIRRE AND WAS SECONDED BY ALBERT SANCHEZ. ALL IN FAVOR; PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. NOTE City of Coral Gables Page 6