Columbus, Georgia

COLUMBUS CIVIC CENTER ADVISORY BOARD

MINUTES: FEBRUARY 19, 2004





Board Members:

Present: Jenny Collins, President

Sam Wetzel, Julius Arrington, C.L. Moffitt, Mary Walker-Crooks, Robert

Anderson, Dr. Brain McCluskey, Marsha Whitney (Jim Martin)

Excused Absent: Brian Hercules



Others Present:

Civic Center Director: Dale Hester

Others: Robin Noell, Denise Lauhoff, Robin Lee Walker, Art Thomason, Jose?

Ricci, Nancy C. Rieder







Open Remarks: Jenny Collins

? Glad to see everybody

? Passing it to Dale Hester



Dale Hester: Enjoying being Columbus Civic Center new director



Staff changes at the Civic Center/Introduction

? Art Thomason use to sit on the Advisory Board now is working at the

Civic Center as an Event Coordinator, Civic Center is very proud to have Art on

board.

? Robin Lee Walker, Administrative& Marketing Manager, came on board

back in November. Marketing has been our weakest ? But you will see the

changes we are doing. Robin Lee is doing marketing with paper, radio, signs,

etc.

? Denise Lauhoff, Event Coordinator, But is being our Interimfor the

Box Office Manager. Melorie Brown, Box Office Manger resigned and Dale are

doing interviews tomorrow for a new Box Office Manager.

? Robin Noell, Operations Manager doing an excellent job!

? Jose? Ricci, General Manger, ARAMARK Corporation, Inc.



Jenny Collins: Invites everyone to come down to the Civic Center and visit with

Dale Hester and the staff. She has had the chance lately to spend time with

Dale and Nancy and it?s like fresh air.





Changes for the Advisory Board:

? Mailed out 2004 schedule for monthly meetings

? Moved meetings to the third Thursday of each month. It is easier for

the board to get a complete financial report from Civic Center instead of the

first Thursday of each month.



Vacancies on the board:

? Terry Hattaway has resigned

? Art Thomason, employed with Civic Center



Board Members/moved out of the district they represent

? Jim Martin

? Brian Hercules

? C.L. Moffitt says he lives in Glen Davidson?s district

? Sam Wetzel says he lives in Glen Davidson?s district



Nancy C. Rieder will research: Board Members moving out of district they are

representing.

will let Jenny Collins; know the finding for the next board

meeting.



Board Members Attendance

? Pass meeting?s absence forgotten, started new as of this

meeting

? Board positions shall be considered vacant where the appointee misses

three (3) meetings in a twelve-month period, which are unexcused. A RESOLUTION

NO. 525-02 was passed out.



Jenny Collins: New Mission

? This board is not a authority

? Civic Center needs ideas and input from the board

? Such talent on this board, lets take all this talent and advise the

civic center

? (Good or bad) Communications got to go back to the people who

appointed you

? Board members is the connection to the councilors

? Asked if the board understand our mission? Everyone said ?Yes?



Approved November minutes



Dale Hester: Shown PowerPoint Presentation

? Shows what the civic center does

? Slides ? shows the events

? Past, Present & Future

? Attendance

? Finance



Dale Hester Goals

? Wants to raise attendance for every event

? Find out what the community wants

? We want to be in the black at the end of the year. This building

has never been in the black at the end of year

? Pre-Sales

? Cross-Training every staff at civic center

? Civic center belongs to the community





Passed out seating charts for Alabama event on April 16, 2004

? Prices are high, civic center will hear from the community

? Civic center does not set prices for tickets

? Tickets goes on sale February 28, 2004



Dale Hester: Budget

? Just turned in the budget for FY05

? Had to show with and without the 325,000

? If civic center has to cut expense this is the lost

? 4 Part-time staff

? Capitol Improvement

? Conference for staff

? Training for staff

? Marketing

? Asking for the board help

? No over-time

Dale Hester sent letter to Isaiah Hugley, Deputy City Manager explaining with

this cut civic center cannot operate.



Dale Hester: Passed out January financial report

? Went through January report



Got staff doing graphs to show

? How to track events better

? Shows what civic center is doing month to month

? Hopefully will have it ready for next meeting



Saving monies at civic center

? Staff turning off lights when not in use

? Controlling temperature better

? Being more conscious of small things that helps



C.L. Moffitt: What are the increases for the budget? What are the

priorities? So

when the board goes to the councilors they know what they need.

Dale Hester: Will get a packet ready for the board members for the councilors.



? Dale Hester, projects that the civic center are doing:

? Passed out events schedule from February 2004 through February 2005

shows all events

? Showed New Uniforms for ticket takers, ticket sellers, ushers and

full time staff

? Trying to get raises for the staff

? Civic Center goal/BUTTS IN SEATS

? Showed model of ?SkatePark?



Dale Hester: Last night at the civic center during an Adult Hockey game a

player had a heart attack. Joe Catrone, Cressey Milner staff workers at civic

center assist the gentlemen until the EMS arrive. They gave mouth to mouth and

used the Defibrillator. The gentlemen passed away at the hospital. The civic

center had staff on hand that knew how to handle the situation. Our people

knew what to do.



Mary Crooks-Walker: Learned more about the civic center in today?s meeting than

she has learned since being on the board. Glad to have Dale Hester as Civic

Center Director, he respects the board members and tells us what we need and

want to know about.



C.L. Moffitt: Enjoy this meeting, has thought twice about quitting the board

because past meeting nothing was being shared with the board. Likes what he

sees and hears in this meeting.



Jenny Collins: We the board finally realize why we are here/this meeting has

been great! Please take the time to come down and visit Dale anytime and talk

to him about anything and everything. Come down and talk to the staff they are

eager to help!



Meeting adjourns: 11:45am

Next meeting: March 18, 2004 Time: 10:30am