[PRELIMINARY OPEN MEETING]
          [00:00:04]
          AND NOW DECLARE THE PLANO CITY COUNCIL IS CONVENED IN AN OPEN SESSION THAT ALL COUNCIL
MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. 
          THE COUNCIL WILL NOW RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION IN TRAINING ROOM A TO HOLD A CLOSED
EXECUTIVE MEETING PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF VERNON'S TEXAS CODE ANNOTATED GOVERNMENT CODE, CHAPTER 551, THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AUTHORITY CONTAINED IN
SECTION 551-071, TO CONSULT WITH THE ATTORNEY TO RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE AND DISCUSS LITIGATION. 
          SECTION 551-087 TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MATTERS AND SECTION 551-072 TO DISCUSS
REAL ESTATE MATTERS. THANK YOU. AND NOW DECLARE THAT THE PLANO CITY COUNCIL PRELIMINARY OPEN MEETING IS RECONVENED IN OPEN
SESSION, THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. OUR FIRST ITEM ON THE PRELIMINARY AGENDA IS
CONSIDERATION AND ACTION RESULTING FROM THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. 
          OUR NEXT ITEM IS PLANO AEROBAT PROGRAM UPDATE,
DOCTOR SUSIE HERGENRADER, WELCOME. AND SUSIE HERGENRADER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER RECREATION. 
          I'M HERE TODAY TO JUST GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE AEROBAT GYMNASTICS PROGRAM. 
          THE PLANO AEROBAT GYMNASTICS. THERE WE GO. BEGAN IN 1976 OUT AT WEATHERFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THEIR GYMNASIUM,
BELIEVE IT OR NOT. 
          AND IN 1990, WHEN CARPENTER PARK RECREATION CENTER WAS BUILT,
THE PROGRAM RECEIVED A SPACE OF ITS OWN AND THEN AGAIN WHEN OAK POINT RECREATION CENTER WAS BUILT, THE PROGRAM EXPANDED TO TWO GYMS. DURING THAT TIME, WE AVERAGED ABOUT 600 TO 700 GYMNASTS IN THE PROGRAM. 
          WE ALSO HAD A WAITING LIST OF ABOUT A YEAR TO GET INTO THE PROGRAM,
SO IT WAS VERY PROFITABLE AND VERY HEALTHY PROGRAM AT THAT TIME. 
          TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT IS VERY DIFFERENT. SINCE THEN THE MAIN GYMS IN THE AREA RATHER THAN
CITY PROGRAMS, THEY ARE PRIVATE GYMS. OTHER THAN THE PLANO AEROBATS,
THERE IS ONLY ONE OTHER COMPETITIVE GYMNASTICS PROGRAM THAT IS PART OF A MUNICIPAL PROGRAM, AND THAT'S RICHARDSON GYMNASTICS. 
          THE PRIVATE GYMNASTICS CLUBS DOMINATE THE MARKET. 
          THEY COMPETE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVELY FOR BOTH STUDENTS AND QUALIFIED COACHES. 
          SO AS YOU CAN SEE BY THIS MAP HERE, THERE ARE ROUGHLY 17 COMPETITIVE CLUBS IN THE PLANO
AND SURROUNDING CITY AREA. 
          THE GROWING COMPETITION FOR STUDENTS AND QUALITY COACHES HAS RESULTED IN A STEADY DECLINE
IN OUR ATTENDANCE AND OUR REVENUE. 
          IN OUR EFFORTS TO MINIMIZE FINANCIAL LOSSES WE ELIMINATED A FULL TIME COACHING POSITION
THROUGH ATTRITION IN 2020, AND THEN IN 2023, WE CONSOLIDATED THE PROGRAM TO ONE GYM ONLY. 
          DESPITE OUR EFFORTS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2024-25,
WE WERE LOOKING AT A SIGNIFICANT LOSS FOR THE PROGRAM, SO WE EXPLORED SOME ADDITIONAL OPTIONS TO KEEP THE PROGRAM AFLOAT. 
          HOWEVER, NONE WERE SUSTAINABLE. LONG, LONG TERM AS A PROGRAM OPERATING WITHIN THE
RECREATION REVOLVING FUND, A FUND RESPONSIBLE FOR FULL COST RECOVERY. ON OCTOBER 3RD,
WE MADE THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO END THE PROGRAM EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 31ST, GIVING TEAM MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SECURE A PLACE AT ANOTHER PRIVATE GYM IN TIME FOR
THE COMPETITIVE SEASON THAT BEGINS IN JANUARY. 
          AFTER RECEIVING LOTS OF FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS INDICATING THAT THEY WANTED AND NEEDED
MORE TIME, WE WERE ADVISED TO KEEP THE PROGRAM OPERATING AT OAK POINT RECREATION CENTER THROUGH MAY
OF 2026. 
          THE RESPONSE FROM THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN VERY POSITIVE AND APPRECIATIVE. 
          GIVEN THE LARGE NUMBER OF COMPETITIVE AS WELL AS NONCOMPETITIVE GYMNASTICS CLUBS IN THE
PLANO AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR COVERING FULL COST RECOVERY WITHIN THE REC
REVOLVING FUND, OUR PLAN IS TO SUNSET THE PROGRAM MAY 31ST, 2026 AND CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE USES FOR THIS
SPACE. 
          [00:05:04]
AND THAT IS ALL I HAVE AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. 
          ANY QUESTIONS FOR SUSIE? COUNCIL MEMBER LAVINE. 
          SUSIE, COULD YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT SOME OF THOSE ALTERNATIVE USES FOR THE SPACE
MIGHT ENTAIL, AND WHETHER THEY WOULD HAVE REVENUE IMPLICATIONS? YES. SO WE COULD POTENTIALLY LEASE THAT SPACE OUT TO THAT THAT WAS BROUGHT UP DURING THIS DISCUSSION. WE COULD LEASE THIS OUT TO A PRIVATE GYM. 
          AND THAT WOULD GENERATE REVENUE. SO A GYMNASTICS PROGRAM WOULD OPERATE IN THAT SPACE. 
          WE COULD CLEAR THE SPACE AND MAKE IT MORE OF A MULTI USE COURT SPACE. 
          WE HAVE A LOT OF DEMAND IN OUR GYMNASIUMS FOR PICKLEBALL,
TABLE TENNIS, BADMINTON, VOLLEYBALL. 
          AND THAT WOULD BE A LARGE ENOUGH SPACE WITH A HIGH ENOUGH CEILING TO ACCOMMODATE MORE OF
THAT. 
          WE COULD CONTINUE TO RUN JUST 6 OR 8 WEEK TYPE GYMNASTICS CLASSES. 
          NOT A TEAM, BUT ONE THAT WOULD GENERATE MORE REVENUE. 
          THAT WAY, A COMPETITIVE PROGRAM TYPICALLY COSTS US MONEY,
WHEREAS JUST REGULAR GYMNASTICS CLASSES EARN US REVENUE. 
          AND DOES THE CITY OWN THE VARIOUS PIECES OF APPARATUS THAT ARE USED THERE? WE DO YES. THANK YOU TEM. THANK YOU SUSIE, I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS WORKING WITH THE SITUATION. 
          I KNOW IT WAS, YOU KNOW, DELICATE WITH SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE AFFECTED AND THEIR THINGS THAT
THEY'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT. 
          SO I'M GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THEM. 
          AND I JUST WANT TO, FOR THE RECORD, SAY THAT I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE EXPLORING
WAYS TO KEEP GYMNASTICS AS SOMETHING THAT'S AVAILABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER GYMS IN THE AREA THAT ARE MORE FOCUSED ON THE COMPETITIVE SIDE OF
IT, BUT FROM WHAT I HEARD FROM PEOPLE THAT WERE DISAPPOINTED WHEN WE WERE ENDING THE PROGRAM,
IT WAS ABOUT LOCATION AND ABOUT THE COST. 
          AND I THINK IF WE DID OUTSOURCE THIS TO A THIRD PARTY,
PUT IT, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO HANDLE IT WOULD PUT US IN A SITUATION WHERE MAYBE WE COULD GENERATE REVENUE RATHER THAN IT BEING A COST TO US. 
          SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE EXPLORING ALL THOSE OPTIONS. I JUST SINCE IT'S BEEN A
HISTORY TO HAVE THAT AVAILABLE FOR SO LONG. 
          AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE BIRTHDAY PARTIES THAT ARE AFFORDABLE AND OUTSIDE OF THE
COMPETITIVE NATURE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EXPLORING THAT. 
          SO I'M GLAD. I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT WE ARE THANK YOU, MAYOR AND MINE'S PROBABLY MORE FEEDBACK OR STILL LEARNING FROM THIS EXPERIENCE, BUT WHAT WAS THE TIMELINE THAT PARENTS WERE COMMUNICATED THAT THIS WAS NO LONGER GOING TO
TAKE PLACE? OR HOW DID ALL THIS DECISIONS HAPPEN AND I CAN ONLY SPEAK FROM WHAT I EXPERIENCE. 
          I GOT THE EMAIL AND THEN I READ ABOUT IT, AND THEN I GOT A LOT OF OTHER EMAILS FROM
FAMILIES AND CONCERNED CITIZENS. 
          SO IS IT MORE OF A LEARNING CURVE OF COMMUNICATING THAT,
OR IS IT MORE ON MY PART, WHERE I DIDN'T KNOW MUCH IN ADVANCE TO COMMUNICATE BACK TO THE RESIDENTS OR WHO MAKES THE DECISIONS? DO WE GET COMMUNICATED ABOUT THE DECISIONS? THERE'S
A LOT OF QUESTIONS THERE FOR ME THAT I WAS STILL LEARNING I UNDERSTAND. AND SO WE'VE BEEN NOTICING THAT THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN DECLINE FOR MANY
YEARS, AND IT WAS ALWAYS THAT SOMETHING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN THAT WOULD MAKE IT BETTER AND
INCREASE REVENUE AND INCREASE ATTENDANCE. 
          AND SO THE HOPE WAS, I MEAN, WE NEVER WANTED TO DISCONTINUE THE PROGRAM. 
          THE HOPE WAS TO KEEP IT GOING. SO WE MADE THE CHANGES,
AS I TALKED ABOUT IN MY PRESENTATION. 
          AND THEN WE DID HAVE THE HIRING FREEZE, WHICH WAS ANOTHER REASON THAT POTENTIALLY THE
AEROBATS PROGRAM WASN'T MEETING ITS FULL POTENTIAL. AND SO WE DISCUSSED HOW WE WOULD WAIT THAT THAT OUT. 
          THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO HIRE COACHES AND SO WE WERE GOING TO WAIT THAT OUT. 
          ONCE THEY WERE ABLE TO RESUME HIRING AGAIN, WE WERE GOING TO GIVE THEM SOME MONTHS TO TRY
TO PICK THAT ATTENDANCE BACK UP, GET MORE REGISTRANTS IN. SO WE WAITED THERE. THEN COME THAT FOURTH QUARTER THIS YEAR WE
NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO SALVAGING THE PROGRAM, THAT THE TRENDS HAD BEEN IN A DOWNWARD TREND FOR TOO
MANY YEARS. 
          AND EVEN BEING ABLE TO HIRE AND COVID GONE AND EVERYTHING RIGHT THINGS WERE NOT LOOKING
ANY BETTER. 
          [00:10:04]
AND SO WE MADE THAT DECISION IN OCTOBER. OCTOBER 3RD. 
          IT TOOK US SOME TIME TO REVIEW WHAT COURSE OF ACTION WE COULD TAKE. 
          THERE WERE SEVERAL DIFFERENT OPTIONS. I'M HAPPY TO REVIEW THOSE IF YOU WANT. 
          NO THAT'S FINE IT'S MORE ABOUT SPEAKERS] MAKING SURE WE'RE ALL AWARE [LAUGHTER]. YES AND SO. 
          RIGHT AND IT WAS OUR DECISION. WE DID INFORM CITY LEADERSHIP THAT THIS WAS GOING TO
HAPPEN. 
          WE WERE QUESTIONED ABOUT IT, GAVE A FULL REPORT. 
          AND THEN THE DECISION WAS MADE. I KNOW THAT IT WASN'T THE PERFECT TIMING. 
          THE PERFECT TIMING PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SUMMER. 
          AND WE DID CONSIDER WAITING UNTIL NEXT SUMMER. 
          BUT THE LOSS THAT WE. WAS IN FRONT OF US, I FELT WAS TOO GREAT AND I DECIDED THAT IT WAS
IMPORTANT TO DISCONTINUE THE PROGRAM AT THAT TIME. THIS COMPETITIVE SEASON DOESN'T START UNTIL JANUARY,
AND IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE GYMNASTS COULD FIND PLACEMENT IN OTHER GYMS, WHICH MANY OF THEM HAVE. BUT SOME WANTED THE AEROBATS TO STAY. 
          RIGHT OKAY AND THAT'S HELPFUL TO KIND OF LEARN A LITTLE BIT FROM THAT STANDPOINT. 
          SO JUST I GUESS MAYBE IN THE FUTURE WE CAN JUST GET THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE RADAR SO
WE KNOW WHAT MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO LEARN FROM MY POINT OF VIEW AS A COUNCIL MEMBER,
BUT I'D LIKE TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ALERT WAY IN ADVANCE. YES PLANNER, THOUGH, SO THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT PROCESS [LAUGHTER]. NO YOU MAKE A GREAT YOU
MAKE A GREAT POINT WELL TAKEN. 
          BUT OVERALL THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION,
SUSIE. YOU'RE WELCOME CONSENT AND REGULAR AGENDAS IS THE NEXT ITEM. 
          IS THERE ANY ITEM A COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE ON THE CONSENT? ITEM 4 COUNCIL ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION ACTION ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. OKAY WE WILL TAKE A RECESS AND RETURN AT 7:00.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.