Tourist Development Council

AGENDA Tourist Development Council TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING November 18, 2025, at 8:30 AM COMMISSION CHAMBERS, 412 WEST ORANGE STREET, ROOM 102, WAUCHULA, FL 33873 1

1. CALL TO ORDER 2. INVOCATION, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Minutes for Approval for August 19, 2025 5. BUSINESS AGENDA A. Pioneer Festival Recap presented by Jamie Bateman B. 2025 EOY Budget C. 2026 Budget Review D. Gateway Sign Project update 6. ADJOURNMENT BOARD MEMBERS _____________________________________________________________________ District III Commissioner E. Donald Chancey, Jr., Chair Heartland Events - Erica Scheipsmeier Town of Zolfo Springs - Mayor Rod Cannon City of Wauchula - Dr. Sherri Albritton City of Wauchula - Community Redevelopment Agency - Jessica Newman Motel Industry - Puja Ahir 5th Day Outdoors LLC - Owner Daniel Leakey, Vice Chair Hardee County Chamber of Commerce - Kaylee Webb Ad-Hoc Non-Voting Member - Peace River Oaks - Jon Solin ____________________________________________________________________________________ County Manager Terry Atchley County Attorney Sarah Johnston Assistant County Manager Doug Baber Marketing & Tourism Manager Lacey Webb Parks and Recreation Coordinator Courtney Graham 2

Item Cover Page DATE: November 18, 2025 SUBMITTED BY: Courtney Graham, Parks, Recreation, & Marketing ITEM TYPE: Minutes for Approval AGENDA SECTION: APPROVAL OF MINUTES SUBJECT: Minutes for Approval for August 19, 2025 SUGGESTED ACTION: AGENDA ITEM NO. 4.A TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM REPORT ATTACHMENTS: 2025-08-19 Minutes TDC RM.pdf 3

MINUTES Tourist Development Council TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING August 19, 2025, at 8:30 AM COMMISSIONER CHAMBERS, 412 WEST ORANGE STREET, ROOM 102, WAUCHULA, FL 33873 4

The Tourist Development Council August 19, 2025 2 1. CALL TO ORDER Attendee Name Title Status Arrived E. Donald Chancey, Jr. Commissioner, Chair Present Daniel Leakey 5th Day Outdoors, LLC – Owner, Vice Chair Absent Erica Scheipsmeier Heartland Events Present Mayor Rod Cannon Town of Zolfo Springs Absent Dr. Sherri Albritton City of Wauchula Present Jessica Newman City of Wauchula CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) Present Puja Ahir Motel Industry Absent Kaylee Webb Hardee County Chamber of Commerce Present Jon Solin Ad-Hoc Non-Voting Member - Peace River Oaks Present Terry Atchley County Manager Present Sarah Johnston County Attorney Absent Doug Baber Assistant County Manager Present Lacey Webb Marketing & Tourism Manager Present Courtney Graham Parks and Recreation Coordinator Present Chair Chancey called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. 2. INVOCATION, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Chair Chancey called for a motion. Motion by Board Member Albritton and second by Board Member Newman to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried 5 to 0. Ayes – Chancey, Scheipsmeier, Albritton, Newman, and Webb. Nays – None Absent – Leakey, Ahir, and Cannon 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. February 4, 2025, Meeting Minutes. Chair Chancey called for a motion. Motion by Board Member Newman and second by Board Member Albritton to approve the minutes from February. Motion carried 5 to 0. Ayes – Chancey, Scheipsmeier, Albritton, Newman, and Webb. Nays – None Absent – Leakey, Ahir, and Cannon B. May 13, 2025, Meeting Minutes. Chair Chancey called for a motion. Motion by Board Member Newman and second by Board Member Albritton to approve the minutes from May. Motion carried 5 to 0. Ayes – Chancey, Scheipsmeier, Albritton, Newman, and Webb. Nays – None Absent – Leakey, Ahir, and Cannon 5

The Tourist Development Council August 19, 2025 3 5. BUSINESS AGENDA A. Get Fish Slapped Marketing Presentation: Tourism and Marketing Manager Lacey Webb introduced Tracey and Kayla from Get Fish Slapped Marketing. Manager Webb explained the need for updated marketing and branding for Hardee County. Tracey and Kayla presented a slideshow demonstrating how they developed the new logo and slogan for Hardee County. At the conclusion of the presentation, the board was shown mock merchandise and received logo stickers. Board Member Dr. Sherri Albritton commented that she loved the logo, thought the project was money well spent, and was pleased with the design. Chair Chancey pointed out that the logo did not include “Florida,” only “Hardee,” and questioned the inclusion of fishing imagery and the FWC references. Tourism and Marketing Manager Webb explained that Hardee Lakes would capture overflow fishing and river fishing activity. Board Member Dr. Albritton agreed that “Florida” should be included on the logo. Tracey from Get Fish Slapped advised that most county logos do not include “Florida” but noted that versions could be made with and without it for different uses. Board Member Erica Scheipsmeier commented that Ona was not listed on the logo and suggested that all city names either be included or removed entirely. Tourism and Marketing Manager Webb explained that including all city names was not possible, as only larger municipalities were featured. Board Member Scheipsmeier recommended removing all city names to keep it consistent. Board Member Jessica Newman suggested that all cities be listed on the website instead and stated that while she liked the logo, she did not favor the fishing rods, as Hardee County is more than just fishing. Board Member Scheipsmeier agreed that the fishing rods should be removed. Tracey recapped that the board requested both the rods and the city names be removed from the logo. Board Member Newman asked whether the existing “Visit Hardee” page would continue to be used. Tourism and Marketing Manager Webb confirmed that a new page would be created under the same name. Chair Chancey called for a motion. A motion was made by Board Member Dr. Sherri Albritton and seconded by Board Member Jessica Newman to accept the logo with the discussed edits. T Motion carried 5 to 0. Ayes – Chancey, Scheipsmeier, Albritton, Newman, and Webb. Nays – None Absent – Leakey, Ahir, and Cannon B. YTD 2025 Quarterly Budget Review: T Tourism and Marketing Manager Lacey Webb presented the quarterly budget review. Chair Chancey questioned whether the year-to-date revenue was accurate. Manager Webb confirmed that it was. Board Member Jessica Newman inquired about the difference between the County and Partner Promotion budget lines. Assistant County Manager Doug Baber explained how funds were allocated and reported. Board Member Jon Solin asked whether there was room in the budget to implement the marketing plan presented. Assistant County Manager Baber advised that there was not, as the marketing plan would need to go out to bid before proceeding. Chair Chancey asked if there were any further questions, and none were presented. C. TDC Promotional Event Grant Program Draft: Tourism and Marketing Manager Lacey Webb presented a draft for the TDC Promotional Event Grant Program. Manager Webb stated her goal was for events to occur during the second half of the year. Assistant County Manager Baber recommended that the first grant cycle remain open, suggesting $2,500 per event. Board Member Erica Scheipsmeier raised concerns about how large events could occur given Hardee County’s limited accommodations and questioned how success would be measured. She also asked how events requiring upfront funding would be handled. Tourism and Marketing Manager Webb explained that the $2,500 grants would be reimbursement- based and intended to support recurring events. Board Member Jessica Newman requested that the requirement for submissions 60 days prior to events be revised and 6

The Tourist Development Council August 19, 2025 4 expressed concern that there might be more applications than funding available. She asked how applications would be scored and whether a score sheet would be used. Board Member Jon Solin asked if the $2,500 amount was per event or per day. Tourism and Marketing Manager Webb said it would be up to the board’s discretion. Board Member Scheipsmeier suggested holding a workshop to refine the program, and Assistant County Manager Baber agreed. Board Member Solin asked if the program would be limited to non-profit organizations. Manager Webb confirmed that it was intended for non-profits, although that was not specified in the draft. Board Members Solin and Scheipsmeier both expressed concern about that limitation. Board Member Newman asked what the process would be after the TDC Board approved the application process and details. Tourism and Marketing Manager Webb explained that once finalized, the documents would go through legal review and be brought back for board approval. She expected to present the final version at the November meeting. Board Member Scheipsmeier asked whether the grant cycle would be semiannual. Tourism and Marketing Manager Webb advised that since the program was new, the board could structure it however it preferred. She confirmed that the next TDC meeting would be on November 18, with future meetings scheduled for January 13, May 12, August 11, and November 10, noting that the May meeting would serve as the budget meeting. Chair Chancey asked for closing remarks. Tourism and Marketing Manager Webb announced that she and Parks and Recreation Coordinator Courtney Graham would attend the Governor’s Tourism Conference in Orlando the following week. 6. ADJOURNMENT With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:38 a.m. X E. Donald Chancey, Jr., Chair Tourist Development Council 7

Item Cover Page DATE: November 18, 2025 SUBMITTED BY: Courtney Graham, Parks, Recreation, & Marketing ITEM TYPE: Business Item AGENDA SECTION: BUSINESS AGENDA SUBJECT: Pioneer Festival Recap presented by Jamie Bateman SUGGESTED ACTION: AGENDA ITEM NO. 5.A TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM REPORT 8

Item Cover Page DATE: November 18, 2025 SUBMITTED BY: Courtney Graham, Parks, Recreation, & Marketing ITEM TYPE: Business Agenda AGENDA SECTION: BUSINESS AGENDA SUBJECT: 2025 EOY Budget SUGGESTED ACTION: AGENDA ITEM NO. 5.B TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM REPORT ATTACHMENTS: TDC FY 24-25 EOY.pdf 9

FUND 112 - TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX REVENUES 7/12 (58%) COMPLETE ACCOUNT# CLASSIFICATION ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET YEAR TO DATE FY 21-22 FY 22-23 FY 23-24 FY 24-25 FY 24-25 112-312-100-00 Tourist Development Tax 70,938.28 61,594.93 57,133.51 75,000.00 42,508.32 GENERAL GOVERNMENT TAXES 70,938.28 61,594.93 57,133.51 75,000.00 42,508.32 112-361-100-0 Tourist Tax Interest 506.56 6,253.21 11,448.15 5,000.00 Not Available INTEREST 506.56 6,253.21 11,448.15 5,000.00 0.00 SUBTOTAL REVENUES 71,444.84 67,848.14 68,581.66 80,000.00 42,508.32 112-399-000-01 Cash Forward 0.00 381,486.00 394,551.41 CASH FORWARD 0.00 0.00 0.00 381,486.00 394,551.41 TOTAL REVENUES 71,444.84 67,848.14 68,581.66 461,486.00 437,059.73 EXPLAINATION OF REVENUES 312-100-00 Tourist Development Tax 361-100-0 Tourist Tax Interest Interest earned on Tourist Development accounts FUND 112 - TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX - EXPENDITURES 7/12 (58%) ACCOUNT# CLASSIFICATION ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET YEAR TO DATE FY 21-22 FY 22-23 FY 23-24 FY 24-25 FY 24-25 112-559-011-00 Executive Salaries 0.00 0.00 18,064.78 30,000.00 19,296.94 112-559-012-00 Regular Salaries 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 112-599-014-00 Overtime 55.53 197.89 112-559-021-00 FICA 0.00 0.00 1,101.85 1,875.00 1,088.93 112-559-021-01 Medicare 0.00 0.00 257.66 435.00 254.58 112-559-022-00 Retirement 0.00 0.00 2,770.38 3,900.00 3,063.59 112-559-023-00 Life/Health Insurance 0.00 0.00 320.00 4,340.00 1,253.98 PERSONNEL SERVICES 0.00 0.00 22,570.20 40,550.00 25,155.91 112-559-031-00 Professional Services 2,766.80 4,500.00 2,441.00 4,000.00 432.00 112-559-034-01 Visitor Information Services 0.00 0.00 0.00 15,000.00 5,800.00 112-559-040-00 Travel & Per Diem 0.00 2,203.77 -65.00 2,000.00 294.00 112-559-047-00 Printing & Binding 0.00 42.62 42.63 500.00 0.00 112-559-048-00 Promotions (County) 0.00 5,163.20 4,349.23 5,000.00 1,772.99 112-559-048-01 Promotions (County Partners) 0.00 0.00 0.00 5,000.00 0.00 112-559-051-00 Office Supplies 0.00 0.00 241.37 1,950.00 0.00 112-559-052-00 Operating Supplies 0.00 56.57 3,032.29 3,500.00 42.02 112-559-054-00 Books, Dues and Subscriptions 0.00 0.00 1,501.82 1,500.00 0.00 112-559-055-00 Training 1,000.00 0.00 OPERATING 2,766.80 11,966.16 11,543.34 39,450.00 8,341.01 112-559-063-00 Infrastructure 0.00 CAPITAL 0.00 SUBTOTAL EXPENDITURES 2,766.80 11,966.16 34,113.54 80,000.00 33,496.92 112-599-000-00 Contingency 381,486.00 0.00 CONTINGENCIES 0.00 0.00 0.00 381,486.00 0.00 TOTAL EXPENSE OR BUDGET 2,766.80 11,966.16 34,113.54 461,486.00 33,496.92 Section 125.0104 FSS, Ordinance 16-04 & 16-05, Resolution 16-20, Public Referendum held on Nov. 8, 2016 to establish a Tourist Development Council and direct the collection of a 2% Tourist Development Tax from all rentals of six months or less within Hardee County to be used by the TDC and their adopted plan. Payee is registered with the state and remits monthly collections. FISCAL YEAR TO DATE 2024-2025 (CURRENT YEAR) April 30, 2025 10

BALANCED BUDGET FTE 0 0 0.2 0.8 0.5 EXPLANATION OF EXPENDITURES 599-011-00 Executive 599-012-00 Regular 559-021-00 FICA 6.20% of gross salary 559-021-01 Medicare 1.45% of gross salary 599-022-00 Retirement Regular retirement is calculated at 13.63% of gross salary 599-023-00 Life/Health Insurance 559-031-00 Professional Services 599-034-01 Visitor Information Services Gateway Signs (In partnership with other entities) 559-040-00 Travel & Per Diem 599-047-00 Printing & Binding Informational materials 599-048-00 Promotions (County) 559-048-01 Promotions (County Partners) 599-051-00 Office Supplies General office supplies 599-052-00 Operating Supplies Fuel, Supplies for computer 599-054-00 Books, Dues and Subscriptions Visit Florida, other memberships 599-055-00 Training Training registration fees Rural County Days, Destination Marketing Summit and various related events Promotional expenses in conjunction with an event to increase the awareness of Hardee County. Promotional expenses in conjunction with an event to increase the awareness of Hardee County. Percentage of two employees Part time employee Website related expenditures, Links and video's on BoCC website, engineering, architectural, appraisal, attorney, branded logo, images, icons, e- marketing strategies Includes premium, broker fee, and HSA contribution- single $12,106; child $21,345; spouse $23,112; family $28,315 11

Item Cover Page DATE: November 18, 2025 SUBMITTED BY: Courtney Graham, Parks, Recreation, & Marketing ITEM TYPE: Business Agenda AGENDA SECTION: BUSINESS AGENDA SUBJECT: 2026 Budget Review SUGGESTED ACTION: AGENDA ITEM NO. 5.C TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM REPORT ATTACHMENTS: DOC111425-11142025152639.pdf 12

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Item Cover Page DATE: November 18, 2025 SUBMITTED BY: Courtney Graham, Parks, Recreation, & Marketing ITEM TYPE: Business Agenda AGENDA SECTION: BUSINESS AGENDA SUBJECT: Gateway Sign Project update SUGGESTED ACTION: AGENDA ITEM NO. 5.D TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM REPORT 15