Sec. 666.108. - Tourist development plan.

(a) Legislative findings; plan adoption. The City Council finds and declares that the Duval County Tourist Development Plan ("Tourist Development Plan" or "Plan"), consisting of the six components described in Section 666.108 (b) below, will provide for the advancement, generation, growth and promotion of tourism, enhancement of the tourist industry, attraction of conventioneers and tourists from within and without the State to the City. The City Council hereby adopts, creates and establishes the Tourist Development Plan which shall be funded by the "original" tourist development tax revenues imposed by Section 666.106 , Ordinance Code, and deposited into the Tourist Development Tax Special Revenue Fund pursuant to this Chapter and Section 111.600 , Ordinance Code. (b) Plan components. The Tourist Development Plan shall consist of the six components described in Section 666.108 (b)(1)—(6). Tax revenues shall only be expended on the services, activities and/or uses described in each component. The Tourist Council shall implement and administer the Plan in strict compliance with the Plan components. The Tourist Council shall not deviate from the Plan components and the services, activities and/or uses described therein in the implementation and administration of the Plan without City Council approval pursuant to a Plan amendment. The six Plan components are as follows: (1) Tourism Marketing, Sales, Experiences and Promotion. This component shall require the establishment of a contract with a County destination marketing organization to be selected by the City Council (the "Contract") to provide services for the promotion and betterment of tourism within and for the County in the following subcategories. The specific services and deliverables to be provided under each of the following subcategories shall be set forth in the annual plans as mutually agreed by the Tourist Council and the selected County destination marketing organization: (i) Destination Experience. This component shall require the establishment of a team of tourism staff members which shall operate and serve as the City's premier experts on tourist attractions, activities and events, accommodations, and restaurants available to tourists and groups who visit the City, which includes Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach (collectively, the "Beaches") and the town of Baldwin. (ii) Marketing Services. This component shall require the marketing of existing tourist-oriented facilities, attractions, activities and events, located or occurring within the City through advertising and marketing campaigns, and through social media, print and other mediums, including campaign branding targeting groups and meetings to select the City as the destination for their event. (iii) Convention and Group Sales. This component shall require active sales efforts and work for further expansion of the City as a convention and meeting site for groups and conferences. (iv) Convention grants, sponsorships and promotions. This component shall require active efforts for grants, sponsorships, promotions, marketing co-ops and other opportunities for groups, sporting events, meetings, conferences, conventions and other organizations to entice them to come to the City with their tourism business or to supplement existing tourism businesses within the City with marketing and promotional endeavors. (2) Planning and Research. This component shall require the development and planning of additional tourist facilities and attractions in the City. The services to be provided under this component shall include: (i) Identification of undeveloped tourist attractions. Identification of potential or undeveloped tourist attractions, (other than a convention center), in the City which will include a study to determine the existence, location, and potential tourist benefit to the City of such attractions, and the beginning of a short range plan to develop such of these attractions as may indicate an economically feasible benefit; and (ii) Planning. Development of a strategic plan for the expansion of business at existing tourist accommodations, and expansion of existing developed tourist attractions for coordination of development efforts, advertising and promotion of such facilities. (3) Event Grants. This component shall authorize the Tourist Council to award special event grants in accordance with grant guidelines established by the Tourist Council without further City Council approval. (4) Development. Acquisition of and improvements to certain publicly owned facilities or certain facilities publicly owned and operated or owned and operated by a not for profit and open to the public. This component shall consist of a development account used to acquire, construct, extend, enlarge, remodel or improve publicly owned convention centers, coliseums (e.g., arena) or auditoriums (e.g., performing arts center), or aquariums or museums that are publicly owned and operated or owned and operated by a not for profit organization. Such facilities owned and operated by a not for profit corporation must be open to the public. Activities and projects funded from this account shall be approved by the City Council. (5) Contingency for any uses authorized under F.S. § 125.0104(5)(a). This component shall consist of a reserve account used to fund unforeseen opportunities of major significance to tourism in the City. Activities and projects funded from this account may be for any uses authorized under F.S. § 125.0104(5)(a). (6) Promotion of the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. This component shall require the promotion of the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. The promotion services to be provided under this component shall be awarded through Equestrian Center Grants in accordance with the grant guidelines established by the Tourist Council. (c) Separate accounts established. (1) Development account. There shall be a separate development account ("Development Account") established, in addition to the Tourist Development Tax Special Revenue Fund, to receive the annual budgeted allocations. The development account shall only be used to fund the Plan component activities described in subsection (b)(4) (i.e., acquisition, construction, extension, enlargement, remodel or improvement of publicly owned convention centers, coliseums (e.g., arena) or auditoriums (e.g., performing arts center), or aquariums or museums that are publicly owned and operated or owned and operated by a not for profit organization and open to the public). The Development Account shall be created pursuant to Section 111.600 , Ordinance Code, and any activities and projects funded from the account shall be approved by City Council. (2) Contingency Account. There shall be a separate contingency account ("Contingency Account") established within the Tourist Development Tax Special Revenue Fund to receive the funding allocated to the Plan component described in subsection 666.108 (b)(5) to be used for unforeseen opportunities of major significance to tourism in the City, and any awards funded from this account shall not require further City Council approval. The Contingency Account shall be created pursuant to Section 111.600 , Ordinance Code. (3) Convention Grants, Sponsorships and Promotions Account. There shall be a separate account (Convention Grants, Sponsorships and Promotions Account) established within the Tourist Development Tax Special Revenue Fund to receive the funding allocated to the Plan subcomponent described in subsection 666.108 (b)(1)(iv) to be used for such convention grants, sponsorships and promotions as approved annually by the Tourist Council. The Convention Grants, Sponsorships and Promotions Account shall be created pursuant to Section 111.600 , Ordinance Code , and any award funded from this account shall not require further City Council approval. Any unspent balance in the Convention Grants, Sponsorships and Promotions Account at the end of each fiscal year shall carry over to the next fiscal year. (4) Equestrian Center Grants Account. There shall be a separate equestrian center grants account ("Equestrian Center Grants Account") established within the Tourist Development Tax Special Revenue Fund to receive the funding allocated to the Plan component described in subsection 666.108 (b)(8) to be used for equestrian center grant awards. The Equestrian Center Grants Account shall be created pursuant to Section 111.600 , Ordinance Code, and any equestrian center grant award funded from this account shall not require further City Council approval. Any unspent balance in the Equestrian Center Grants Account at the end of each fiscal year shall carry over to the next fiscal year. (d) Contract providers. Contract providers of Plan components shall be procured pursuant to Chapter 126 , Ordinance Code, with the exception that any contract entered between City and Visit Jacksonville shall be exempt therefrom. Contract providers that are contracted to market and promote the area for tourism or convention business shall be deemed "County destination marketing organizations" as defined in F.S. § 288.923. (e) Plan Review. The Tourist Council pursuant to Chapter 70 , Ordinance Code, shall conduct a continuing review of the progress of the Plan, the effectiveness of the current allocation of tax revenues and the problems and deficiencies of the Plan in order to make recommendations to the City Council for changes in the Plan, including the addition or deletion of Plan components and changes to the services, activities and/or uses contained therein, including changes to the amount of funding allocated to the designated County destination marketing organization. (f) Amendments. As required by F.S. § 125.0104, the Plan created and established in this Section may not be amended except by an ordinance enacted by an affirmative vote of a majority plus one additional member of the City Council. (Ord. 2016-599-E , §§ 7, 8; Ord. 2018-472-E , § 3; Ord. 2019-152-E , § 5; Ord. 2019-554-E , § 6; Ord. 2019-769-E , § 6; Ord. 2020-356-E , § 3; Ord. 2022-515-E , § 4) Editor's note— Ord. 2016-599-E , § 7, amended the Code by repealing former § 666.108, which pertained to similar subject matter, and derived from Ord. 78-788-363, Ord. 83-591-400, and Ord. 2016-504-E .