Downtown Development Authority-Special Called Meeting

TYRONE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY- SPECIAL CALLED MEETING MINUTES April 17, 2023 at 9:00 AM Billy Campbell, Chairman Jeni Mount, Vice-Chairman Luci McDuffie, Treasurer Brandon Perkins, Town Manager Ernie Johnson Phillip Trocquet, Asst. Town Manager John Kaufman Ciara Willis, Secretary Nathan Reese E. Allison Ivey Cox, Town Attorney Adam She Also Present: Krista McClenny, Recreation Assistant Lynda Owens, Recreation Manager I. CALL TO ORDER II. INVOCATION III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS: The first public comment period is reserved for non-agenda items. Comments are limited to three (3) minutes. Please state your name & address. Comments that require a response may not be answered during this time. The DDA or staff may respond at a later date. V. APPROVAL OF AGENDA A motion was made to approve the agenda. Motion made by Board Member Kaufman, Seconded by Board Member Johnson. Voting Yea: Chairman Campbell, Vice-Chairman Mount, Treasurer McDuffie, Board Member She, Board Member Reese. VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approval of minutes from March 13, 2023. A motion was made to approve the minutes from March 13, 2023. Motion made by Vice-Chairman Mount, Seconded by Treasurer McDuffie. Voting Yea: Chairman Campbell, Board Member She, Board Member Johnson, Board Member Kaufman, Board Member Reese. VII. PRESENTATIONS VIII. OLD BUSINESS Downtown Development Authority-Special Called Meeting Page 1 of 5 April 17, 2023 2. Consideration to approve a Request for Qualifications of 935 Senoia Road (RFQ#: DDA- 2023-001). - Phillip Trocquet, Assistant Town Manager Mr. Trocquet discussed the final draft, Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for 935 Senoia Road. He highlighted two items in the document, including the schedule outline and the evaluation factors for the redevelopment project. Additionally, he further detailed the actions that would take place on each date. The main dates of the RFQ included the publish date, the short-list notification, the intent to select, and the approval date. The RFQ process would tentatively occur between May and September 2023. However, the schedule did not include a completion date because the project scope and funding source still needed to be confirmed. Treasurer McDuffie asked if a funding source would be chosen after selecting a development partner. Mr. Trocquet stated that a development partner would be chosen first so that a partner could be involved in the process from the onset. He also emphasized that the financial planning and the project would take time to complete. Chairman Campbell asked why the DDA could not immediately start applying for loans and grants. Mr. Trocquet specified that the first step in the planning process would be acquiring quotes on the project's cost to fund. He shared that the Georgia Cities Foundation and the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) would require that information before application approval. In addition, he stated that an application approval would also be contingent upon the board’s partnership with a development partner. Chairman Campbell shared that DDA members were interested in participating in the selection committee interviews. The board concurred with that statement. Mr. Trocquet stated that Board Members and Town staff would participate in the selection committee interviews. However, staff would not have a vote in selecting a development partner. Subsequently, Board Member Johnson asked if the discussions would occur in an executive session meeting. Mr. Trocquet stated that applicants would present in an advertised open forum if a quorum of members were present. Attorney Cox added that scheduling the applicant interviews for a DDA meeting would be prudent for transparency. Mr. Perkins inquired why it was necessary to delay the advertisement of the RFQ for a month. Mr. Trocquet stated that the current schedule consisted of a conservative timetable, but the date could be modified if the board deemed it necessary. Chairman Campbell asked if the board had any other questions for Mr. Trocquet. Treasurer McDuffie asked if a general contractor would need to be approved by the town. Mr. Trocquet stated that the decision would be entirely the board’s selection. However, the board could choose to select a contractor for the redevelopment project with input from a development partner. Board Member Kaufman asked Mr. Trocquet a question about financing terms for the project. Mr. Trocquet shared that the rates were at 10 years and around 3%. Mr. Trocquet shared that the Georgia Cities Foundation would be the most appropriate loan to apply for financing, and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) would Page 2 of 5 be the last. Therefore, there were currently more viable options than the Fayette County Development Authority (FCDA). Board Members discussed architectural plans for the redevelopment property. In addition, Vice-Chairman Mount asked if the board could provide architectural design input for the building. Mr. Trocquet agreed and stated that elements from the Town Center Plan and the Town of Tyrone’s Downtown Overlay requirements would guide the DDA’s final design. Mr. Perkins added that a development partner would collaborate with the DDA on architectural proposals, and thus, it would allow feedback from a development partner regarding their requests and requirements. Board Member Reese asked about the roof design. Mr. Trocquet stated that the design elements would be up to the DDA. However, it could be costly if the DDA altered the roof’s structure. Therefore, keeping the current roof structure and replacing it with innovative roofing materials could benefit the bottom line. Board Member Kaufman stated that the schedule outline might need to allow the board more time to execute a contract. He also inquired about a development partner’s monthly rent to lease the building. Mr. Trocquet stated that the monthly rent was unknown because the board did not know the project’s final cost. Mr. Trocquet noted that the schedule was flexible and that it would take time to define the terms of a lease agreement. Chairman Campbell encouraged the board to take the necessary steps and due diligence during the RFQ process since it would be a long-lasting partnership with a tenant. Treasurer McDuffie asked if the advertisement date should be adjusted and the contract date extended. Attorney Cox stated that the board had the most flexibility legally and would make the final determination. However, Ms. Cox shared that it would be prudent to negotiate the contract’s terms and structure in an appropriate time frame. Attorney Cox also emphasized that the DDA should anticipate delays for legal review to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the contract and lease agreement. Mr. Trocquet specified that the dates could be modified, but the schedule was organized around the DDA’s regular meeting schedule. Thus, he noted that a special-called meeting could be added to the document. Board Member Reese asked if the publishing date could be moved to May 1 instead of May 17. Mr. Trocquet stated that he would analyze the current dates to see if they would be feasible to modify. Attorney Cox indicated that there was limited flexibility in the schedule outline except to adjust the notification of the intent to select date. Therefore, she stated that on July 24, the board and the development partner chosen could begin to confirm the contract terms. Lastly, Mr. Trocquet indicated that he would review the schedule to see if moving up the advertisement date would be practical. A motion was made to approve a Request for Qualification of 935 Senoia Road (RFQ#: DDA-2023-01). Motion made by Board Member Kaufman, Seconded by Board Member Johnson. Voting Yea: Chairman Campbell, Vice-Chairman Mount, Treasurer McDuffie, Board Member She, Board Member Reese. Page 3 of 5 IX. NEW BUSINESS 3. Consideration to approve a contract from The Motowners for the May 5th, First Friday event. - Phillip Trocquet, Assistant Town Manager Mr. Trocquet shared that the contract with The Motowners had been signed and was ready to be approved by the board. He asked the board if they had any questions regarding the agreement. Chairman Campbell noted that the total performance fee was $4,700.00, and the deposit of $2,350.00 had been paid. However, Ms. Owens clarified that the deposit would be paid once the board approved the contract. Board Member Johnson asked if a rain date policy was included in the contract in case of a cancellation. Ms. Owens stated that the agreement did not have a rain date. She also asked the board if they wanted a rain date included in the contracts in the future. Mr. Trocquet suggested an agreement could include a rain date within the same month. Ms. Owens reiterated that a rain date could be added to future contracts. After reading the contract, Mr. Perkins noted language regarding cancellation terms. The agreement stated that The Motowners would agree to perform on an alternative date in the event of inclement weather. Thus, Attorney Cox asked the board what portion of the performance fee should be included in the contract for event cancellations, and the board agreed to compensate 10% of the contract total to performers. A motion was made to compensate bands 10% of the total contract amount due to inclement weather cancellations. Motion made by Board Member Reese, Seconded by Treasurer McDuffie. Voting Yea: Chairman Campbell, Vice-Chairman Mount, Board Member She, Board Member Johnson, and Board Member Kaufman. A motion was made to approve a contract from The Motowners for the May 5th, First Friday event. Motion made by Vice-Chairman Mount, Seconded by Board Member Kaufman. Voting Yea: Chairman Campbell, Treasurer McDuffie, Board Member She, Board Member Johnson, and Board Member Reese. X. PUBLIC COMMENTS XI. STAFF COMMENTS Mr. Perkins inquired about an event cancellation policy and shared that it needed to be a written guideline. He asked the board about a timeframe to cancel an event due to imminent inclement weather. Treasurer McDuffie stated that 24 hours in advance should be adequate; however, a decision should be based on many factors. Town staff added that they would consult with the board before making a final decision. When deciding to cancel an event, Ms. Owens asked the board to consider other rental costs, such as tent rentals, stages, and tower lights. She also shared that the press release for The Page 4 of 5  Motowners would be sent to radio and local newspapers this week. Ms. Owens also added that banners for the First Friday series would be displayed at Shamrock Park within the next few weeks. Vice-Chairman Mount thanked the Tyrone Recreation staff for their hard work assisting the DDA with the First Friday events. XII. BOARD COMMENTS Chairman Campbell mentioned that he and Vice-Chairman Mount attended the advanced downtown training in Athens at UGA last week. He also shared a few topics that were discussed and knowledge that was gained from the training. In addition, he thanked Mr. Perkins and Mr. Trocquet for their leadership in supporting the DDA since its inception. XIII. EXECUTIVE SESSION XIV. ADJOURNMENT A motion was made to adjourn. Motion made by Board Member Reese, Seconded by Board Member Kaufman. Voting Yea: Chairman Campbell, Vice-Chairman Mount, Treasurer McDuffie, Board Member She, Board Member Johnson. The meeting adjourned at 9:55 am. By: Attest: Billy Campbell, Chairman Ciara Willis, Secretary Page 5 of 5