Finance Committee approves $581,000 in Branson Convention Center capital upgrades

ANGIE TEAL, convention center staff, asked the finance committee for approval to spend $581,000 from the Branson Convention Center reserved capital fund to replace aging infrastructure and improve safety and operations.

"The purpose of this presentation is to request capital funding approval for 3 critical infrastructure projects essential to the continued reliability, safety, and operational efficiency of the Branson Convention Center," Teal said during her presentation. The projects she described were a network switch refresh ($88,000), a parking pay system upgrade ($73,000 plus an estimated $20,000 for signage) and a security/access-control expansion ($400,000).

Teal said the existing network switches were installed in 2019 and are now out of manufacturer support, producing intermittent outages and strain on on‑site data systems. "We're also finding where our... common driver, we store all of our data... is slow to respond and potentially could be on the verge of a crash," she said, describing the operational risk of continued hardware failures.

On the parking system, Teal told the committee the current equipment, installed in 2014, averages about three down days per month and struggles when multiple events occur. The proposed replacement would use license‑plate reader cameras at entrances, QR‑code and pre‑pay options, and the capability to set event‑specific pricing; Teal also recommended adding FLOCK cameras to aid police investigations by license-plate lookup.

Teal said the security upgrade would add camera coverage (including roof access), modernize employee access controls and increase archival video storage from 60 to 90 days. "We do have a lack of full coverage of our camera system on the building," she said, noting blind spots that staff can share offline for security reasons.

The committee was told no additional city appropriation was required. Teal said the convention center has a reserved capital balance of $707,000 funded at 4% of gross revenue each month and requested committee approval to use those funds for the $581,000 in projects.

A committee member moved to approve the convention center capital requests; the motion was seconded and members voted "aye." The clerk announced the motion carries.

Copies of the project maps and a proposed deployment plan are available from convention center staff on request; Teal said detailed maps showing camera blind spots are being withheld from public posting for security reasons.

Notes: The agenda presentation lists the three projects and the funding balance; the committee did not request additional city funds and approved the requested expenditures.