To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Starlighting Decorations Committee
Title
Discussion/Direction: Starlighting Decorations
Body
________________________________________________________________________________
Executive Summary
Enhanced Starlighting decorations were implemented in Downtown Castle Rock in 2014, through a partnership among the Town, Douglas County, the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Alliance. This included the purchase of a 30-foot artificial tree that was placed in Festival Park, as well as a three-year contract with lighting installer Swingle Lawn Tree and Landscape for decorations throughout Downtown.
Council has expressed desires for further enhancements to the decorations for 2015, in order to continually step up the value of the special events offered in Town. The purpose of this memo is to outline the proposed decorations for 2015, including requesting Council authorization to spend up to about $205,000 from the downtown projects line item within the General Fund to accomplish the program. The DDA Board has been updated regarding this recommendation.
Discussion
2014 Starlighting Decorations
Enhancements to Starlighting decorations in 2014 cost about $108,000. This included the 30-foot artificial tree that was in Festival Park ($40,000); fireworks at the event ($9,000); an enhanced sound system at the event ($3,650); and lighting throughout Downtown ($55,000), consisting of:
• Roof lighting and decorative snowflake lights at Town Hall and roof lighting at the Police Department
• Tree lighting on Wilcox and Perry Streets between Second and Third streets
• Garland on 20 poles along Wilcox Street between Fifth Street and Town Hall
• Wreaths on the Wilcox and Perry street bridges over East Plum Creek
• The signature blue tree in front of the County’s Wilcox Building, which cost about $14,000 to light
In 2014, the Town paid the bulk of the program’s expenses from the Philip S. Miller Trust Fund, with the partnering agencies contributing to the program as follows:
• Douglas County, $20,000
• Castle Rock Chamber, $3,500
• Downtown Alliance, $5,000
Proposed 2015 Starlighting Decorations
A decorations committee consisting of representatives from each partnering agency has met regarding the 2015 decorations and is recommending several enhancements. One enhancement, growing the artificial tree from 30 feet to 40 feet, already is underway and cost $52,540. The current contractual commitment with Swingle for this year’s decorations is $63,988, for a base 2015 program cost of about $116,500, not including fireworks ($10,000) or sound system rental ($3,650). Those two items bring the base 2015 program cost to about $130,000.
The decorations committee also is proposing several decorations enhancements on Wilcox Street and in Festival Park, totaling up to about $80,000:
• Light all 81 trees on Wilcox Street between Plum Creek Parkway and Wolfensberger Road
• Roof and window lighting on the Masonic Lodge at Third and Wilcox streets
• Lights on trees at Town Hall and near the Police Department, similar to the lights on the blue tree, and lights in the terraced planting beds at Festival Park
• Seventy-five lighted snowflakes along the sidewalk in Festival Park, and a lighted ice skating family under the Perry Street Bridge
These recommended enhancements would bring the total 2015 program cost to up to $210,000, an increase of about $100,000 over 2014. About half of this increase is attributable to the 10-foot increase in the height of the artificial tree, which will be placed in Festival Park again this year.
Budget Impact
The proposed source of the majority of the funding for the 2015 Starlighting decorations is the downtown projects line item within the General Fund. The DDA Board this year recommended decorations-related uses of those funds totaling $176,721 as follows:
• $76,721 to reimburse the Miller Trust Fund for 2014 Starlighting decorations costs
• $50,000 (estimated) for leasing decorations in 2015
• $50,000 (estimated) for other 2015 decorations, including expansion of the tree
As stated previously in this memo, the cost of the proposed 2015 Starlighting decorations is expected to be up to about $210,000. The actual cost will vary depending on a couple of major factors:
1. How many of the 81 trees on Wilcox Street can feasibly be lighted for this year’s program? There is not currently electric service to all of the trees. This means electric service will need to be extended - envisioned to be done at the Town’s cost - or partnerships will need to be reached with adjacent businesses to facilitate use of their electric service in order for all 81 trees to be lighted.
2. How much of the proposed lighting can Town staff purchase and install, rather than leasing lighting from Swingle and having the company install it? Town staff’s goal is to take on more ownership of the program beginning this year. Staff intends to purchase and install some of the lights itself this year, adding to that as internal capacity for the program builds until eventually the Town owns and installs a majority of the lights rather than leasing them and paying for their installation. This should lead to decreased costs in outgoing years, once the Town owns more of the lights itself.
Though the final cost may be less than the full $210,000, it is safe to assume that 2015 lighting costs may exceed the $176,721 recommended by the DDA Board, due to the enhancements being sought this year. The DDA Board has been updated regarding the additional funding that would be needed in order to accomplish the 2015 Starlighting decorations program as recommended by the committee.
Multi-Year Financial Information
The chart below summarizes past, present and future projected financials for Starlighting decorations. The 2016 tree cost reflects the cost to grow the tree another 10 feet, to 50 feet.
|
Program aspect |
2014 cost |
2015 cost |
2016 cost |
|
Artificial tree |
$40,000 |
$52,540 |
$92,535 |
|
Lighting throughout Downtown |
$55,000 |
$143,265 |
$143,265+ |
|
Fireworks |
$9,000 |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
|
Sound system rental |
$3,650 |
$3,650 |
$3,650 |
|
TOTAL |
$107,650 |
$209,455 |
$249,450+ |
|
Funding sources |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
Town - Philip S. Miller Trust Fund |
$79,150 |
- |
TBD |
|
Douglas County |
$20,000 |
TBD |
TBD |
|
Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce |
$3,500 |
$5,000 |
TBD |
|
Downtown Alliance |
$5,000 |
TBD |
TBD |
|
Town - downtown projects line item within the General Fund |
- |
up to $204,455 |
TBD |
Worth noting is that staff explored the concept of purchasing a sound system for events in Castle Rock rather than continuing to rent systems, and it was determined that was not a preferred alternative at this time. Also worth noting is that the Chamber presents and invest resources in the Starlighting event annually.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends that Council authorize the expenditure of up to $204,455 from the downtown projects line item within the General Fund so the 2015 Starlighting decorations can be accomplished as recommended by the decorations committee, which will support Council’s strategic priority of community character.
Proposed Motion
“I move to approve the expenditure of up to $204,455 from the downtown projects line item within the General Fund for 2015 Starlighting decorations.”