Board/Committee Agenda Item

MEETING DATE:  9/17/2018

SUBJECT:  Billboard Locations & Marketing Content

PREPARED BY:  Chelsea Bakaitis, Community Redevelopment Agency Coordinator

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

(1) Receive the staff presentation; and, (2) Provide a recommendation to the Community Redevelopment Agency on billboard locations and content.

Summary

At the August 20 Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board (CRAAB) Meeting, Staff presented quotes from three outdoor advertising agencies for available billboards within the general vicinity of the CRA. The CRAAB reviewed the quote packages during the meeting and discussed available billboard locations. It was recommended by the CRAAB that two (2) billboards be leased along I-75, with the desire to have one (1) billboard facing southbound traffic and the second facing northbound traffic. The CRAAB moved to table the selection of a billboard(s) until the next CRAAB meeting.

Attached to this agenda item are the billboard lease quote packages as presented to the CRAAB at its August 20 meeting. Since that meeting, an additional location owned by Lamar Outdoor Advertising has become available. This location is north of the US 441/Interstate 75 interchange and facing southbound traffic. Information about this location is attached to this item. There are no other new billboard locations that have become available for lease.  OutFront Media location #8540A, listed on the original quote proposal, is no longer available for lease.

For Fiscal Year 2018-2019 the CRA has set-aside $25,100 for a billboard lease and vinyl production fee.

Staff recommends that the CRA lease the following locations, based upon their visibility and reasonableness of cost:

• OutFront Media, #9933AO: Located on right side of Interstate 75 and facing northbound traffic travelling from Gainesville. The cost to lease this location is $925 per every four weeks, for an annual cost of $12,025. A production fee of approximately $520 also applies.

• OutFront Media #7186NO: Located on right side of Interstate 75 and facing southbound traffic travelling from Lake City. The cost to lease this location is $905 per every four weeks for an annual cost of $11,765. A production fee of approximately $520 also applies.

The cost to lease both recommended locations and cover production fees is $24,830, which is within the budgeted amount of $25,100.

Staff will present examples of effective billboard designs that target tourists and aid in placemaking. The CRAAB will be invited to share ideas on what the billboard content could include to be effective in attracting new and returning visitors to Main Street.