Susan, an EDC staff member, updated the Economic Development Corporation on plans for the City Center grand opening, including catering, giveaway items and signage for an event planned to be open to the community and sized for roughly 200 guests.

The discussion matters because the choices determine how the new City Center will be presented to residents, affect event costs and require coordination of space and staffing. Staff presented per-person catering pricing, multiple catering formats and a short list of promotional items to include in giveaway cups or bags.

Susan said the catering vendor proposed individually wrapped charcuterie cups and a set of five heavier appetizer options. "The charcuterie cups would be individually wrapped in, like, cellophane paper... Some cheese cubes, the meat, tomato, and some fruit, and a cracker," Susan said. She described heavier appetizers that could be placed on a separate table near the banquet hall if attendees prefer to sit.

Staff reported an estimated per-person charge of about $31.50 that "includes her setup, and she will stay and refill as needed," and said the caterer waived a delivery fee. Susan noted the caterer charges an hourly rate for staff time that had not been included in the initial quote and that the current estimate is only about $50 more than earlier figures.

On promotional items, staff recommended a small set of giveaways the EDC could put into a branded cup or bag: a branded reusable cup (sample cost 79¢ each), a pen (sample options at about 50¢ and 57¢), sticky notes (about 38¢), and an eyeglass/phone cleaner (about 90¢). Staff said some items such as rally towels and larger reusable grocery-style bags were either poor value or unlikely to be reused and recommended excluding them from the event handouts.

Staff also proposed a deluxe retractable roll-up banner (sample size 33x81) for use at the EDC table and for reuse at future events. Susan said a QR code linking to the EDC website could reduce the amount of text needed on the banner.

Board members asked about logistics for distribution and venue flow: whether food should be handheld for people walking the space or concentrated in a sit-down banquet area. Susan said the plan was to place charcuterie cups in the co-working/kitchen area and heavier appetizers near the banquet hall so attendees could both walk the center and sit if they chose.

Susan said the promotional items and catering purchases would be "subject to review" as she collects final quotes and confirmed quantities and that costs appeared to fit within the budget previously discussed by the board.

EDC members confirmed the working list of giveaways and catering approach and asked staff to return with final quotes and a plan for distribution and staffing before purchases were finalized.

The board moved on after the update to other agenda items.