Submitted By: Roberto Ellis
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Presentation By: Aubrey Hale
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Department: Growth Management
FORMAL TITLE:
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Agreement for business creation, retention, and attraction services with the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership, in the amount of $190,000
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OCALA’S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Economic Hub
PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
N/A
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BACKGROUND:
The Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) has requested a renewal of the Business Creation, Retention, and Attraction Services Agreement. This agreement requires an allocation of $190,000 from the City’s Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget to provide a sponsorship to the CEP and to support business creation, retention, and attraction services. The City’s partnership with the CEP began in 2012, when it agreed to provide quarterly funding to promote and enhance economic growth. An agreement has been renewed each year since. Before the formation of the CEP, which merged the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council, similar agreements existed between the City and those entities.
In 2024, City staff and the CEP collaborated to restructure the service agreement at the request of the Ocala City Council. The revised agreement included protocols to address conflicts of interest, separated funding into sponsorship and service components, and introduced a revised work plan focused on key priority areas. The revised service agreement became effective retroactively on October 1, 2024, following its approval due to the restructuring.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS:
Upon reviewing the documentation provided throughout the year, the CEP completed the primary work plan outlined in previous agreements and was compensated $90,000 for the services delivered. A sponsorship payment of $100,000 was also provided in support of CEP programming and business outreach initiatives.
Although the agreement is retroactively effective from October 1, 2024, the restructuring process delayed its approval until December 17, 2024. This delay affected the timeline for implementing the work plan. Monthly reports for October to December 2024 are presented in a different format; see the attached summary titled CEP Monthly Reports - October to December 2024. Reports submitted after the approval were formatted according to the approved format within the revised agreement. Additionally, the CEP experienced significant staff turnover throughout the year, which further impacted specific performance metrics, including training targets.
Please refer to the attached document for the compilation of monthly reports and a detailed summary of performance during the contract period. These reports reflect key performance measures and targets established to evaluate progress. Several additional metrics were introduced to help track and identify trends specific to Ocala. A performance summary for Fiscal Year 2024-25 is also included, with key highlights presented below.
• Launched 22 targeted marketing campaigns to promote Ocala’s business environment.
• Hosted 40 prospect visits to various sites within the designated Focus Area.
• Coordinated $25 million in capital investment at the Airport Logistics Park.
• Maintained a commercial properties database that attracted an average of 74 visits per month and featured approximately 406 property listings monthly to support business relocation efforts.
• Financial Review Committee reviewed four potential projects for City partnership consideration.
• Maintained ongoing communication with FloridaCommerce and responded to 18 Requests for Information (RFIs).
City staff and the CEP have updated the existing agreement to refine the scope of services, enhance reporting requirements, and modify performance targets based on prior results. The proposed agreement follows the format approved by the Ocala City Council for Fiscal Year 2024-25.
If approved, the proposed agreement will be effective from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. Staff recommend approval, as the agreement aligns with the Ocala City Council’s strategic priority: Economic Hub.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funds are available in the Economic Investment Program account number 674-099-999-559-81-34010.
PROCUREMENT REVIEW:
N/A
LEGAL REVIEW:
This Agreement will be reviewed and approved for form and legality by City Attorney, William E. Sexton.
ALTERNATIVE:
• Approve
• Approve with Changes
• Table
• Deny
• Other