HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 23-238RESOLUTION NO. 23-238
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT:
THAT the City Manager be and he is hereby authorized to review and approve
funding for the Hotel Occupancy Tax applications for the Hotel Occupancy Tax Grant
2023 cycle.
The meeting at which this resolution was approved was in all things conducted in
strict compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter
551.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL of the C
August, 2023.
of Beaumont this the 29th day of
- Mayor Roy West --
Hot Grant Review Committee Recommendations
FY 2024 (October 2023 - September 2024)
Applicant
Amount Requested
FY'23
Staff Recommends
Review Committee
Council Approved
8/29/2023*
409 Family
$5,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
Art Museum of SETX
$80,000
$80,000
$75,000
$70,000
$70,000
Beaumont Children's Museum
$76,202
$45,000
$40,000
$40,000
Beaumont Heritage Society
$25,900
$47,000
$20,000
$20,000
$20,000
Boomtown Film Society
$9,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
Downtown Beaumont Cultural Arts District
$30,000
$30,000
$22,000
$28,000
$28,000
Lamar Research Foundation
$20,000
$10,000
$10,000
$9,000
$9,000
Mardi Gras of SETX
$40,000
$20,000
$20,000
$20,000
Min Dai
$50,000
$25,000
$25,000
$25,000
SETAC- Southeast Texas Arts Council
$30,000
$27, 500
$0
$0
$0
Texas Energy Museum
$95,000
$95,000
$80,000
$85,000
$85,000
Totals
$461,102
$289, 500
$300,000
$300,000
$300,000.00
• *Per Christina Lokey, Marketing Director, Beaumont CVB:
"What the Review Committee suggested is what was approved by City Council at their Beaumont City Council meeting on August 29, 2023"
HOT GRANT APPLICANT SUMMARY
1. 409 Family
Event: 409 Day
Requested: $5, 000
Funding will be primarily
used for a one -day event that
highlights the offerings of the
409 area, inviting families,
residents, business owners within
the area to the event, which is
free for everyone to enjoy.
2. Art Museum of SETX
Program: Educational
Programming and
Exhibition Costs
Requested: $80, 000
Funding will be primarily used
for the rotating quarterly
exhibits, multiple educational
programs, and community
events.
3. Beaumont
Children's Museum
Program: Fish-O-Rama
Tournament & Educational
Programs
Requested: $76,202
Funding would be used for the
annual Fish-O-Rama Fishing
Tournament held in July of
2024, along with the Captains'
dinner to increase visitors and
attract out-of-town travelers
to their multi -educational
programs.
4. Beaumont
Heritage Society
Program: John J French
Museum
Requested: $25, 900
Funds would be used towards
collaborating on events and
education programs to keep the
doors of the historical
monument open.
5. Boomtown Film Society
Event: Boomtown Film &
Music Festival
Requested: $9, 000
Funding a film and music
festival to celebrate local and
international filmmakers and
artist.
6. Downtown Beaumont
Cultural Arts District
Program: DBCAD
Requested: $30, 000
Plan to use the funds
to support local arts groups,
different programming events,
and cultural tourism projects
to promote the district of
downtown Beaumont as a
recognized Arts District.
7. Lamar Research
Foundation
Program: Spindletop-Gladys
City Boomtown Museum
Requested: $20, 000
Using funds for Spindletop
museum enhancements and
organized events/festivals with
the goal to create a personalized
interaction between the museum
and visitor.
8. Mardi Gras of SETX
Event: Mardi Gras
Beaumont
Requested: $40, 000
Funding would support the
largest multi -event in Beaumont,
and is a 4-day festival that
benefits local non-profit
organizations
and funds would directly
enhance entertainment and
advertisements.
9. Min Dai
Event: Mural Fest
Requested: $50, 000
Funding for this event would be
used for the mural artists. This
is a multi -day event that brings
nationally recognized artist who
have large followings on socials,
while also leaving murals around
the city.
10. Southeast Texas
Art Council
Program: Off Ramp Magazine
Requested: $30, 000
Funding would be used to help
promotional, production, and
operational costs of tourism
magazine for the SETX area.
11. Texas Energy Museum
Program: Exhibits & Annual
Programming
Requested: $95, 000
Funding would be for the yearly
programs and activities to create
educational programs while
supporting existing exhibits in
the museum.
HOT Grant Review Committee
Recommendation Report
For many years the Civic and Art Funding has supported local organizations and we
understand the importance of the museum and arts groups in our city: they are the core of our
downtown visitation. Our biggest issue is the CVB budget is incredibly tight this year, and while the
committee would love to support all the applicants with full funding, the dollars are not there this
year. Please note, that with this application process, we have had 6 new applicants with the salve
amount of money, so cuts are inevitable. The Children's Museum has never applied for the HOT
grant and is applying for the first time this year as one of the new 6 applicants. We wish to allocate
these funds so that they will be used to bring in visitors that will stay in hotels and increase the
return on investment.
1. 409 Day (409 Family)
Amount Committee Recommended: $2,000
Amount Requested: $5, 000
Committee Comments: 409 Day is great for locals and visitors. It was a good regional
event that is growing, over 1,000 attendees in inclement weather, we expect it to double in
size.
2. Art Museum of SETX Amount Committee Recommended: $70,000
FY 23: $80,000 Amount Requested: $80, 000
Committee Comments: With 6 new additional applicants, there had to be cuts from
previous year funding. The committee recommended $70,000, which is nearly 88% of
funding requested.
3. Beaumont Children's Museum
Amount Committee Recommended: $40,000
Amount Requested: $76,202
Committee Comments: Even though they haven't previously been funded, they have the
highest visitor count of any of the museums applicants. The committee felt that the three
key museums to the area have stronger visitor statistics, so we are recommending a higher
percentage funding for those key museums.
4. Beaumont Heritage Museum Amount Committee Recommended: $20,000
FY 23: $47,000 Amount Requested: $25,900
Committee Comments: The committee appreciates that the BHS found additional funding
to help support their ongoing budget and costs. Previous years, they have received $47,000.
5. Boomtown Film Society
Amount Committee Recommended: $1,000
Amount Requested: $9, 000
Committee Comments: Committee expressed concerns of low attendance, but felt it
should receive funding due to the recent designation of Beaumont becoming film -friendly.
6. Downtown Beaumont Cultural Arts District Amount Committee Recommended: $28,000
FY 23: $30,000 Amount Requested: $30, 000
Committee Comments: Concerns of spending based off of operation costs, and there is no
physical product or results. The numbers used in presentation were difficult to quantify;
however, DBCAD is important for future growth of downtown, and the DBCAD gets
matching grants from the state.
7. Lamar Research Foundation (Spindletop) Amount Committee Recommended: $9,000
FY 23: $10,000 Amount Requested: $20, 000
Committee Comments: Review committee believed funding was rewarded to closely
match FY 23.
8. Mardi Gras of SETX Amount Committee Recommended: $20,000
Amount Requested: $40, 000
Committee Comments: Largest 4-day tourism event that Beaumont has, and we want to be
supportive. It's the 2nd largest Mardi Gras in Texas, has high attendance and is able to track hotel
nights. After being held in the city for only three years, it has already had a positive economic
impact.
9. Mural Festival Beaumont (Min Dai) Amount Committee Recommended: $25,000
Amount Requested: $50, 000
Committee Comments: Mural Festival has shown the results, not only in impressions on
social media, but the murals and this event have a lasting effect across the city.
10. Southeast Texas Arts Council Amount Committee Recommended: $0
FY 23: $27,500 Amount Requested: $30, 000
Committee Comments: When considering all applicants, funding a magazine is the
least valuable to overnight stays with no tangible data to reinforce the details from their
application.
11. Texas Energy Amount Committee Recommended: $85,000
Museum FY 23: $95,000 Amount Requested: $95, 000
Committee Comments: We felt that we should fund the Energy Museum as one of the three
key museums to the downtown area.
The process of selecting organizations for full funding of a grant is a complex and
challenging endeavor that requires careful consideration and evaluation. While many organizations
submitted compelling proposals, not all can be selected due to various reasons. It's important to
note that the decision to not award full funding to certain organizations does not necessarily reflect
a lack of merit in their projects or the potential impact they could have. We wanted to stress the
importance of the new application process is vital to following the Texas Tax Code. Due to budget
constraints and 6 new applicants, we are recommending the above with the best interest of the
visitors and overnight stays to Beaumont.
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