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DRAFT CASE Committee Meeting Minutes 5.15.25CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025 IN PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 15 MAY 2025 PAGE 1 | 6 1. ROLL CALL CASE Committee: Committee Chair Justin Chesney, Kerri Thelen, Kristin Dudding, Amy Lewis, Thomas Walsh, Alejandro Cerda Staff: Senior Special Events Coordinator Chelsea Van Winkle, Special Events Coordinator Emily Dennis, and Town Manager Eric Heil Public: Russell Frederickson, Vail Valley Art Guild Executive Director Virtual: Chuq Yang, Ian Grask, Town Council Member Ruth Stanley, Town Council Member Lindsay Hardy Committee Vice Chair Pedro Campos arrived at 1:00 p.m. The meeting was called to order at 12:30 p.m. 2. MINUTES Amy Lewis motioned to approved March minutes and it passed unanimously. 3. PUBLIC COMMENT No public comments were made. 4. STAFF UPDATE Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle overviewed the agenda, including summer events planning, CASE member’s recent visits to Colorado Creative Industries Summit and BreckCreate. She also announced to the group that Town of Avon received two awards from the Colorado Event Industries (CEA) ICON awards on April 24, mentioning that Salute to the USA received awards for “Best Overall Event” and “Best Public Fair or Festival”. She reviewed the budget information, stating that Bravo! Vail’s event on June 26 will be a great addition to our lineup and there were a few changes to the Cars in the Park with cash sponsorship to help elevate the event. Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle provided the group with an update on the mural call, sharing that the selected artist is Graham Carraway. She mentioned that this mural will be focused more on Avon’s agricultural and historical significance, noting that we are hopefully moving to a final design soon and that the artist plans to begin installing at the end of June and finish by mid-July. She mentioned that we did a timelapse of the previous mural on the Avon Elementary School and it was wrapped into the artists’ contract. The Committee commented/inquired: A. Do we have a sample of the mural? B. Does the muralist have to be from Colorado? C. I like the schoolhouse element, but wasn’t it a bit controversial? D. I love the patterns and the colors. E. Once the artist begins painting, are there any plans to do content creation? F. He seems to have a similar line structure to Pat Milbury but still has his own style. G. Do we have a printable map for our Art Walk? H. Our website needs update on Art Around Avon. I. The art location where Snowy Owl used to be is being relocated and that spot will no longer be available for art. CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025 IN PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 15 MAY 2025 PAGE 2 | 6 J. Is your muralist looking for volunteers? It would be a cool way to collaborate with some of the VVAG members. K. Some of the musical art installations need updating. Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle mentioned that we have a printable map of Art Around Avon as well as a digital version, stating that both versions would be updated once all the art installations are complete on June 5. She also mentioned that we started the installation and deinstallation process a bit earlier this year because some pedestals required repair, noting that the next install date is May 28. She mentioned that we will move the pedestal previously in roundabout #4 to roundabout #5, which is still a high-traffic and visible area. Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle overviewed dog policy updates, telling the group that they will be a great resource for event guests and help answer any questions they may have. She stated that the Town code was updated to say no dogs allowed at events, however, the dog-friendly area is expanded at AvonLIVE! from the Front-of-House tent and behind. She stated that signage will be on-site to reflect the dog-friendly areas at the event, mentioning that dogs must be leashed, well-behaved, and with owners at all times. Town Manager Heil mentioned that he is in support of keeping dogs behind the front-of-house tent and that we should ensure the signage is friendly to our guests, noting that we do not want to be harsh but that we also need to respect all of our guests. The Committee commented/inquired: A. Do service dogs have to have their vests on? B. We should update some of our language for service animals. C. Do we have a process posted if someone has an issue or something happens with a dog? Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle stated that it can get tricky with service dogs, as they are allowed outside of the dog friendly designated areas. She mentioned that the events team plans to post signage and graphics on the website to help educate guests on our policies. She stated that we lean on the hired security team, Citadel, to support dog issues if something were to arise, also stating that we have incident reports to manage those issues and that we will loop in the Avon Police Department as well. Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle reviews low-back chair policies, stating that we are asking the public to have low-back chairs only 5-inches off the ground. Town Manager Heil mentioned that we are moving forward with this policy as was advocated by previous mayor, Amy Phillips. He stated that when you are close to the front of the stage, a lot of people come with blankets, and we do not want any chairs to block their views. He stated that from the front-of-house tent and forward, only low-back chairs will be allowed, and mentioned that high-back chairs are okay. Town Manager Hiel supported different areas throughout the venue for different chair heights so that we are inclusive of all our guests and offer a lot of flexibility and increase awareness through signage. Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle mentioned that AvonLIVE! offers an easier opportunity to build awareness around these policies since we have volunteers and security as each gate. She mentioned that we will continue to be flexible with all our event guests, although Salute to the USA will be a bit different since it is such a large event. She then reviewed the optional premise liquor licensing with the group, so they were aware of how it works. She noted that CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025 IN PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 15 MAY 2025 PAGE 3 | 6 Nottingham Park is “open container” and so the license is “shrunk” when we are not having an event. She mentioned that when there is an event happening, our license “expands” which is denoted by the event boundary, and specific signage. She stated that this is only for when an event is selling alcohol, like AvonLIVE! or Salute to the USA. The Committee commented/inquired: A. Is Vail Valley Brew’Au returning? B. Does Dancing in the Park have alcohol? C. Do we have any organizational tents coming back to AvonLIVE!? D. I’m curious about which third-party events applied for alcohol permits. Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle mentioned that the Brew’Au will not be returning to Avon this year, also mentioning that Triple Bypass gives away alcohol and Pride in the Park and Bravo! Vail will not have any alcohol at their events. She also mentioned that the Frequently Asked Questions are on our website for the group to review if they would like to familiarize themselves with our policies. She overviewed the summer event schedule, stating that the Egg Hunt went very well, although it was a very cold day. She mentioned that the Town Clean Up and Sustainability Fair is next week in the Sun & Ski parking Lot. Special Events Coordinator Dennis mentioned that there were a few new additions to the collection portion of the event, noting that we will be working with Veolia to collect household paint items and our Sustainability Manager will be collecting block Styrofoam now that we have our new Styrofoam Densifier at the recycling center. She mentioned that we will still be providing free electronic waste collection for residents as well. Town Manager Heil overviewed the history of the Town Clean Up event, noting that Sarah Smith-Hymes really pushed for something like this during her term as mayor. He also highlighted Sustainability Manager Charlotte Lin’s efforts to implement the new Styrofoam densifier equipment and noted that it is the only one on the Western Slope. Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle mentioned that the free SunsetLIVE! concert series kicks off on May 25 and Pride in the Park is a bit later this year on June 14. She mentioned that AvonLIVE! begins with its Battle of the Bands concert on June 11 and that we just released the full AvonLIVE! lineup this week. She mentioned that we have not yet discussed weather for Salute to the USA with Eagle River Fire and that all of our plans include a “boom” and “no boom” scenario just in case, also noting that this year’s musical talent includes Lettuce and The Main Squeeze. She also mentioned that we will be relocating food vendors at Salute from the field to Lake Street, noting that the bars will remain on the field and that the kids’ activations will move to the south side of the field. She noted that this move will help alleviate the long longs, support staff and guest safety, and eliminate some of the issues we had with back-of-house last year. Town Manager Heil stated that he is curious to see what kind of crowd these bands draw compared to some of our other talent in previous years. He noted that the lines on the field at Salute have become too crowded and that relocating the vendors will be helpful for safety reasons and allow for easier guest travel, mentioning that there are pros and cons to all of the layouts and we will see how it works out. He also mentioned that when the new restrooms open for 2026, it will change the traffic flow of the venue, and we will have to make that whole area accessible to guests. The Committee commented/inquired: CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025 IN PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 15 MAY 2025 PAGE 4 | 6 A. We are still working on getting more vendors at Pride in the Park. We’re also looking for more volunteers if anyone is interested. You can sign up on the Mountain Pride’s website. This year, we’re trying to make volunteer shifts shorter so they can enjoy the event. B. Why did we move vendor locations at Salute? C. Bravo! Vail will be partnering with the Eagle Valley Community Foundation during its event on June 26 to have their young entrepreneurs at the event as well as other community concerts. Guests can check out the booths from 4:00- 6:00pm before the concert begins. D. Bravo! Vail’s event was amazing last year when I went. The orchestra was so impressive and one of the coolest things I’ve seen at Ford Amp. E. Does Triple Bypass have a party on the main stage? F. I would like to see if we cannot have bikes in the middle of the venue at AvonLIVE! this year. G. As someone who rides a bike, I think we can allow bikes to lie on the ground. H. Is there a way to have bike parking inside the venue? I. It’s a concern of mine as I saw people standing them up. I know we don’t want bikes to be at risk of being stolen, but I think people have been inconsiderate of where they put their bikes. Maybe they need to be in the back of the venue in a guarded area. J. Can we make signs about “being considerate”? Maybe putting signage strategically around that includes friendly reminders for guests. K. It could be a great opportunity for volunteers to communicate with guests about bikes or high-back chairs. L. Is there a bike corral for Salute? M. Have you considered selling low-back chairs? A lot of people don’t really have beach chairs since we live in the mountains, a lot of us only have camping chairs. It could be a good way to brand and communicate the messaging. N. There are people who bring dogs, chairs, and other equipment on their bikes so they can ride over, unload, and then park bikes elsewhere. Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle continued to overview the summer events schedule. She also mentioned that the events team could consider bike parking inside and outside of the AvonLIVE! footprint to align. Town Manager Heil mentioned that Cars In The Park is a great event but would like to see a new name as the event continues to grow. 5. CURRENT ACTIVITY / PLANNING Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle mentioned that we will hopefully know more about the National Endowment of for Arts (NEA) grant by June. She also stated that the group that attended Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) Summit at the beginning of May had a great time. She mentioned that a recap of CCI and the Peer Community tour to BreckCreate will come in June. Town Manager Heil asked those that joined the community tour to BreckCreate what they thought. He mentioned that Breckenridge receives the most revenue of any ski resort town in Colorado, and that he was glad that CASE Committee members were able to see how other communities implement their arts and culture programs. The Committee inquired/commented: CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025 IN PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 15 MAY 2025 PAGE 5 | 6 A. Do you have reports from last year’s tours? B. I loved the historical elements and the unique vision of BreckCreate. C. The barn was really cool. D. BreckCreate has a very robust non-profit running programming. It’s impressive how they can maintain everything in a sustainable way. E. BreckCreate also convenes with other non-profits. F. Is that a different model than other places? G. Their Colorado Creative District designation also provides them with funding. H. I wonder how they did their capital improvement project funding, but we did not have time to get to that. Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle mentioned that the Town of Silverthorne manages their own programming, which is different because Breckenridge provides BreckCreate with funding to run the programming. Town Manager Heil told the group that they are trying to find the right time to start a signature ticketed event, but we need to simplify this year because of the construction. He mentioned that he wants to make where we are not putting too much effort into planning and building those expectations until the restroom project is completed. He also noted that the budget is flat right now and that we are going into 2026 with some challenges but plan to stay balanced, mentioning that there will not be a lot of changes in 2026. He stated that there is interest in bringing a ticketed event to Avon and Council is supportive of making the venue turnkey since our venue stands out for a large-scale opportunity. The Committee commented/inquired: A. Through Vail Valley Foundation, we work with AEG who adds in their own budget. Live music is getting a little saturated in the valley. We are noticing that tickets are not selling as quickly as they used to. I think the whole industry is a little volatile right now and hard to predict how things will sell. Our tickets are sold through AEG which is how our partnership works with them. Pricing depends on time of year, location, and venue capacity. B. Vail Comedy has been bringing in great talent recently. C. Is tourism down just in Colorado or nationally? I get all the emails and it seems like there are so many concerts. D. If you think about this area and what it was like 10 years ago, we now have free concerts everywhere. We’ve seen Hot Summer Nights attendance go down year over year. It gets harder to get people there since there are so many offerings in the valley. Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle commented that we will see how tourism goes this summer, but attendance may be softer. Town Manager Heil noted that we saw a lot of increase post-Covid but now we are not sure what the economy will be like in the summer. He mentioned the Town Council meeting on May 27 would include the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) updates and that he would like to review the Old Fire Station, stating that he would like to get direction from Council. He noted that there are challenges to refurbishing the building and expects that Council may not want to put much money into the building. Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle mentioned that ArtSpace is an organization that supports getting these types of projects off the ground, that they could help with funding and provide and estimate on what the project could cost. CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025 IN PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 15 MAY 2025 PAGE 6 | 6 Town Manager Heil stated that he is open to discussing ArtSpace but noted that the Old Fire Station project could get very expensive very quickly, also stating that the building would need to be brought up to code which can be costly. He stated that there have not been any non-profits that have the available funding to take over the space, also stating that we are working closely with the Eagle Valley Library District on the pedestrian mall extension and some of what they do overlaps with community ideas for the Old Fire Station. He mentioned that the lot could be used for more parking. The Committee commented/inquired: A. I would hope that Council would not move to demolish the building. B. Maybe we should not overlook the possibility of community non-profits getting involved in that space. My worry is that the Town overlooks other avenues for the building. I’d love to brainstorm more. C. Is ArtSpace a consulting company? D. What if the public created a non-profit to pursue the mission of renovating the art space? E. ArtSpace has a focus on housing. They understand that housing is an issue in this area. Town Manager Heil noted that he is interested in the group’s ideas and is not sure where this goes next but would like to gather information and take to Council to figure out the best direction. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 2:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted by: Emily Dennis Special Events Coordinator