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CASE Committee Meeting Minutes 2025.09.18CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 IN-PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 18 SEPTEMBER 2025 PAGE 1 | 5 1. ROLL CALL CASE Committee: Committee Members Thomas Walsh, Chuq Yang, and Town Council Member Ruth Stanley Virtual: Committee Chair Justin Chesney, Committee Member Kerri Thelen Absent: Town Council Member Lindsay Hardy, Committee Vice Chair Pedro Campos, Committee Members Kristen Dudding, and Alejandro Cerda Staff: Chief Cultural Officer Danita Dempsey, Senior Special Events Coordinator Chelsea Van Winkle, and Special Events Coordinator Emily Dennis Public: Russell Frederickson, Chris Sena, and JK Perry Committee Member Amy Lewis joined in-person at 12:34 p.m. Committee Member Ian Grask joined virtually at 12:37 p.m. The meeting was called to order at 12:31 p.m. 2. MINUTES Committee Member Thelen made a motion to approve the meeting minutes from August 21, 2025. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Walsh, and it passed unanimously. 3. PUBLIC COMMENT A. Chris Sena invited everyone to the Vail Valley Art Guild Fine Art Show tomorrow evening at the CMC campus in Edwards. It’s from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and there will be free food and drinks. B. Russell Frederickson mentioned that Art Guild at Avon signage will be on display at the event and that the Art Guild had a decent turnout at the last few Art Walks. Most of the guests learned about it from the newspaper. The event eventually got good traction. 4. STAFF UPDATE Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey thanked the the Culture, Arts, and Special Events (“CASE”) Committee for their support during a successful event season and encouraged members to view the Postcards from Avon mural timelapse on the Town’s website. Department goals will go before Town Council at the upcoming budget retreat. The Committee commented / inquired: A. If we are going through the process of getting more sculptures for roundabouts, are we looking at something for the roundabout coming into Avon from Highway 6? I rode my bike down highway 6 and there is a beautiful Arrowhead sign in the one they just built. They got that sign up in a matter of two months. I still think we need something there at the roundabout on Post Boulevard. Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey stated that long term priorities include sculptures on Avon’s roundabouts, where feasible under Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT”), strategic planning, ticketed events, and evaluating event producers. CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 IN-PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 18 SEPTEMBER 2025 PAGE 2 | 5 5. CURRENT ACTIVITY / PLANNING Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey shared the Main Street Mall (“MSM”) redesign options, incorporating Town Manager Heil’s feedback. If Council advances any option, the CASE Committee may be asked to collaborate with the Art Guild at Avon on space activations. The redesign options will be presented to Council at the September 23 meeting. The Committee commented / inquired: A. Are they still referring to it as “La Zona”? B. I think it looks great, everyone has done a great job. C. I like the triangular shaped sun sails rather than the trapezoid ones. I also like having the bronzes there. D. Are the sails going to be flat or vertical? E. How much room do we want to give the Old Fire Station for future projects? It looks like the MSM redesign takes up a lot of space and is invading the Fire Station lot. We have this walkway now and if we decide to put in something bigger, that’s a lot of money to rip up down the road. F. For the Civic Plaza, has there been any consideration to put power by the skier statue island? One of the things that would be attractive under the sunshades would be people working remotely. Power being available to those people in that space would be nice. G. I appreciate the multi-purpose design of the space. Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey noted that sunshades will be flat but designed to allow snow removal, and additional opportunities beyond the Old Fire Station may become clearer after the next Council meeting. The Committee was asked to consider food trucks or a food truck court in Lot 351, with the reminder that power and internet are needed to support events in MSM spaces. The 2026 budget was reviewed and reflected a 15% net decrease compared to 2025. Lakeside Cinema was removed but may be reinstated if Council selects it from an “a la carte” budget menu. The Committee commented / inquired: A. Why was Lakeside Cinema chosen to be cut? What is the attendance? B. Is the service we use for presenting the movies a seasonal subscription? I was disappointed to see the series get cut. Can we reduce the number of movies during the season to save money? C. Do you do any grant writing? Colorado Creative Industries (“CCI”) might have a grant for something like this. You may find some grants through them. D. I was disappointed to see Lakeside Cinema going away. I had a fun time at the Ghostbusters show with the lightning in the background. If Council could consider bringing that back in its entirety or on a limited basis, it’s one of the only events where community members can bring their own food and drinks. It’s one of my favorite events. E. Lakeside Cinema has a very diverse approach to events since we are very saturated with music. It lets us stand out a bit more than the other communities along the I-70 corridor. F. I’d like to make sure every version of Lakeside Cinema is provided in the “a la carte” menu to Town Council. I hope they don’t base their decision on what they currently know about Lakeside Cinema. Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle reported that of eight Lakeside Cinema shows, two were canceled due to weather, resulting in 649 total attendees in 2025. CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 IN-PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 18 SEPTEMBER 2025 PAGE 3 | 5 Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey noted that while attendance is a factor, our events also serve to build community. Lakeside Cinema was cut due to high costs per attendee, though it could return in a modified format—such as aligning with First Fridays or running bi-monthly—depending on Council’s direction. It was mentioned that AvonLIVE! will only feature ten shows in 2026 without the Battle of the Bands, instead bookending the season with higher-profile talent to anchor the series. The Committee commented / inquired: A. We got a diverse group of music for Battle of the Bands. Was it a struggle to find people? I feel like it’s important to know why we’re getting rid of it. Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey noted challenges in recent years attracting bands for the Battle of the Bands. The first year, held post-pandemic, was successful due to limited performance options for local musicians, but in 2025 only four bands applied and three performed after one double-booked. Additional budget savings were reviewed, including moving Paddle Battles to the Recreation Department, reducing the arts budget, and factoring in the new restroom building. The Committee commented / inquired: A. If we do a mural next year, where will it be? B. Is it on a yearly basis that we do a mural? C. Across the whole budgeting process, 15% is a large cut. If you lose it this year, does it come back in the future? Are we reducing 15% in perpetuity and how hard is it to fight to get back CASE budget in a town that is looking at a lot of growth and development in the coming years. D. I appreciate murals, they’re one of my favorite art installations. But I do believe that we need more ability to connect with each other. Things like movies, art, places and times where people are connecting and being in the same space, versus just looking at a piece of art. I think we are in this place where connections are important. For the time being, I’d say connecting with other people in our community is more important than a new mural. E. Do you think another mural is a key component in becoming a creative arts district? Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey mentioned that the plan is to complete one mural each year for four years, though the project depends on sales and accommodations tax revenue. Looking ahead, 2027 may be the right time to apply for a Colorado Creative District designation if the pedestrian mall redesign and Lot B construction move forward. Building capacity with the Art Guild at Avon was emphasized. A review of budget savings tied to Cars in the Park and AVID Dance, two third-party events that received in-kind support from the Town were provided. The Committee commented / inquired: A. We need to help Vern out more at Cars in the Park. We could come up with some ideas to make it more fun and have an interactive element instead of people just wandering and looking at cars. I’ve heard this from a few people about the last one. Any ideas from this group? B. I noticed there are a lot more car events going on, what if we got the local Boy Scouts to do soapbox races? C. It would be cool to have some of Avon’s vehicles at the car show, they have all sorts of equipment. Maybe bring a helicopter in, kids love big machines. D. My son has always wanted a car rally; it’s a route that they drive so it spreads the event out from our place to a larger part of the community. CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 IN-PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 18 SEPTEMBER 2025 PAGE 4 | 5 Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey encouraged the Committee to brainstorm future Cars in the Park activations and reviewed 2025 revenues. It was also mentioned that there is a goal of selling the Glenna Goodacre bronze statues along the Main Street Mall, with the proposal going before Council for direction. The Committee commented / inquired: A. Why are we considering this? B. Do we have an idea on how much we would make? C. Who is in charge of the flag? Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey clarified that the proposed sale of the bronze statues is at the direction of the Town Manager, with some community feedback indicating the pieces may no longer reflect Avon appropriately. The collection’s insurance replacement value was shared and noted that the Public Operations Department oversees the Main Street Mall flag. Total 2025 event budgets were also reviewed. The Committee commented / inquired: A. Why don’t we give the Turkey Trot back to Health and Recreation Committee? B. Are we including ice sculptures at next year’s winter fireworks? The very first fireworks with ice sculptures were captivating, people still talk about it. C. I don’t see a lot of other communities doing a Turkey Trot so it’s great that Avon can offer it. For the sculptures, I am a winter person, and I think they are a necessity. Vail is under construction this year too, so I think it’d be great to have sculptures this winter. D. People love taking pictures with ice sculptures. The bronzes will be here hopefully forever, but the ice sculptures bring people in. One of my concerns is that the park is not well trafficked in the winter and Vail had some sculptures damaged. E. I love winter fireworks, and it would be cool to have ice sculptures there for a photo op. Having multiple on the pedestrian mall would probably be better for more visibility. F. I would add that I believe although bonfires are warming, they are environmentally controversial. Smoke is a pollutant which could be something to consider. G. I support an ice sculpture at the fireworks. The ice castles in Eagle this year were well attended and were up for about two and a half months. I know it’s a third-party vendor and probably a huge cost, but I thought it was a fantastic event. I’d push back on the idea that weather should push us from doing more events in the winter. We live in the mountains, so weather is going to happen. Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey noted that the 2014 Fire and Ice event featured ice sculptures and a bonfire, and staff could explore bringing it back if desired, though weather, timing, staffing, and budget would all need to be considered. A draft 2026 events calendar was shared, which includes Art Guild First Fridays and potentially Fiesta Pride, scheduled in conjunction with Pride in the Park. Senior Special Events Coordinator Van Winkle added that the team met with Mountain Pride in August, and combining Fiesta Pride with Pride in the Park could reduce their costs and increase participation, as Fiesta Pride has historically been held at the Brush Creek Pavilion in Eagle. CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 IN-PERSON AT AVON TOWN HALL CASE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, 18 SEPTEMBER 2025 PAGE 5 | 5 The Committee commented / inquired: A. Why do we have the Lacrosse Tournament on our events? B. I saw Bravo! on the budget sheet, but not on the calendar for 2026. They are finalizing schedules right now so it would be a great time to follow up with the Bravo! Vail team. C. What is the attendance at Dancing in the Park since it’s a $40,000 event? Chief Cultural Officer Dempsey mentioned that the Vail Lacrosse Tournament does not occupy Avon fields like they used to since it was purchased by Adrenaline Sports. In 2025, they cancelled their Avon portion of the tournament and staff are considering moving them to a field rental contract. Event staff are also following up with Bravo! Vail on specific dates for their 2026 performance in Nottingham Park. Special Event Coordinator Dennis reported lower attendance at Dancing in the Park, with about 200 attendees due to poor weather and event delays. In October, the Committee will receive a full post-event debrief, review the 2026 meeting schedule, and discuss member tenures. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 1:47 p.m. Respectfully submitted by: Emily Dennis Special Events Coordinator