Submitted By: John Spencer
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Presentation By: John Spencer
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Department: Recreation and Parks
STAFF RECOMMENDATION (Motion Ready):
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Approve Exhibition Rental Agreement with the St. Louis Children's Museum for a professional educational traveling exhibit at the Discovery Center in the amount of $55,000
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OCALA’S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Fiscally Sustainable
PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
N/A
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BACKGROUND:
Historically, educational exhibits for the Discovery Center were created in-house by Discovery Center staff. In January 2024, the Discovery Center transitioned to renting professional educational traveling exhibits. Professional traveling exhibits provide unique interpretive displays and content that in-house staff is unable to create themselves. The overall intent for transitioning to professional traveling exhibits was to provide a better educational experience for patrons of the Center. Traveling exhibits are typically contracted one to two years in advance so the Licensor has time to schedule transportation and installations with various educational organizations.
The Discovery Center has scheduled to rent an educational traveling exhibit from the St. Louis Children's Museum for an exhibit in 2025 and early 2026.
• Alma's Way is scheduled for Fall 2025 and early Winter 2026 (September through early January). The Alma's Way traveling exhibit rental cost is $55,000.
Discovery Center staff will install, facilitate, and maintain the traveling exhibit for the duration of the rental agreement.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS:
Approximately 18,000 people visit the Discovery Center each year. Since the transition to traveling exhibits, daily attendance has increased approximately 25% and is on target to reach over 21,000 entries this year.
This traveling exhibit agreement provides a cost-effective approach to meeting the Discovery Center strategic plan goals of (1) Quality of Place: Customer Satisfaction Discovery Center and (2) Operational Excellence: Admissions to Discovery Center.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total rental cost for the Alma's Way traveling exhibit rental (Contract REC 240763) from the St. Louis Children's Museum is $55,000. The rental cost does not include in-bound shipping (based upon actual travel distances) for the exhibit.
There are not any significant operational expense changes since the general ledger funding previously used for in-house exhibit construction were transferred to renting of traveling exhibits. Future budget submissions are based on renting traveling exhibits.
All rental and shipping costs will be budgeted in the Recreation and Parks Department’s budget in accounts 001-021-151-575-57-42010 and 001-021-151-575-57-44010.
PROCUREMENT REVIEW:
The agreement has been reviewed in compliance with the City's Procurement Policy.
LEGAL REVIEW:
This Agreement has been reviewed and approved for form and legality by City Attorney, William E. Sexton.
ALTERNATIVE:
• Approve with Changes
• Table
• Deny