Farmers Branch senior advisory board approves minutes and new room names; discusses Game Night survey and renovation rebid

The Farmers Branch Senior Advisory Board on Oct. 12 approved the Sept. 14, 2023 minutes and voted to adopt the proposed names for rooms in the renovated Branch Connection facility, and discussed options for scaling the longtime Game Night event after a member survey showed split opinion. Staff also reported that a single bid for the center renovation required the city to reissue the solicitation.

Board members voted to approve the Sept. 14 minutes with modifications. The meeting record shows a voice vote of “Aye” for approval; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

The board then reviewed results from a 67‑response survey about Game Night, a large annual event at the Branch Connection. The survey combined an email SurveyMonkey link and paper responses gathered at the center. Roughly half of respondents rated breaking Game Night into smaller, more frequent events in the range 6–10 on a 1–10 scale, and about half rated it 1–5, indicating an even split in preference. When asked whether they preferred three separate social events annually or to keep a yearly Game Night, 43% selected a mix of weekdays and weekends, and 43% chose to keep the yearly Game Night; smaller shares selected only weekdays or only weekends.

City staff clarified a budgetary rule affecting incentives: "That is absolutely true. So the only way gift cards can be given out for something is if it is through somebody else like, a sponsor, and they have the gift cards," a staff member said during the meeting, explaining that the city cannot purchase gift cards with its expense budget and then distribute them because that would be treated as returning municipal funds to individuals. Staff said the city may instead accept donated gift cards or buy tangible prizes (for example, a small appliance) to award.

Board and staff members discussed options to preserve an element of Game Night while reducing cost and risk. Staff estimated the largest single expenses for Game Night are food and the casino‑style vendor used for the event; one staff speaker placed those combined costs at about $15,000. Suggestions from members included running three lower‑budget events across the year, hosting themed social nights (for example, a carnival or music night), or pursuing larger sponsorship packages from fewer vendors rather than many small donations. Several board members volunteered to work with staff and volunteers to develop staged options and a storyboard of proposals for December follow‑up.

On the Branch Connection renovation, staff member Jackie said the city received one bid from JC Commercial at the initial opening on Oct. 2. After a review raised concerns about references and how the bidder proposed to perform parts of the work, staff decided to reissue the solicitation. "We will go back out to bid with the hopes and the intention of us opening bids again on November 7," Jackie said, adding that staff aim to have a contract and a city council resolution ready for the December council meeting if the timeline and submittals allow. Jackie said the city’s immediate next steps include a bidders' conference and revised specifications before re‑advertising.

The board approved the proposed post‑renovation room names (the motion to "approve the new room names as discussed" was moved, seconded and carried by voice vote; the transcript records the motion and a voice vote but does not provide a roll‑call tally). Members emphasized that if the board and staff adopt new room names, those names should be used consistently in calendars and communications once the renovated spaces are available.

Next steps recorded in the meeting: staff will return to the board with concrete event options and budgets for discussion at a future meeting; staff will reissue the renovation bid with revised specifications and hold a bidders' conference; and staff will coordinate with volunteer board members on sponsorship outreach and event storyboards. The board set its November meeting for Nov. 9 and plans to revisit event planning and renovation updates in December.