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Community engagement seeks box‑office hire, GMA upgrades and Placer AI to measure foot traffic
Summary
Staff proposed moving the GMA box‑office coordinator from part‑time to full‑time, requested $175,000 for GMA lobby restroom renovations and a second Farmers Market awning, and proposed buying Placer AI ($18,000) to measure visitor patterns; staff also previewed a new city app 'GV' and a GMA reopening in October.
Community engagement and Main Street staff presented programs, event metrics and a modest set of FY25‑26 budget requests centered on the GMA (Greenville Municipal Auditorium) and the Farmers Market. Staff asked to convert the box‑office coordinator from part‑time to full‑time to support increased bookings when the GMA reopens; the change would add one full‑time position and roughly $49,000 in personnel costs.
Capital requests included a $175,000 estimate to remodel GMA lobby restrooms and a second Farmers Market awning to add vendor capacity. Staff highlighted recent event growth — Halloween on the Square (estimated 3,000–4,000 attendees), a Christmas parade that grew from 98 to 118 entries and Farmers Market averages rising from 24 to about 35 vendors per week. The Main Street Advisory Board has awarded $17,750 in local grants so far this year.
On tourism analytics and digital services, staff proposed buying Placer AI for about $18,000 to measure foot traffic through geofencing (reporting it can show where visitors come from and whether they visited local restaurants or hotels). The department also plans a CivicPlus website redesign and launch of a branded city app, "GV" (Greenville Information and Events), targeted to appear at the end of July; longer term the app could support a chatbot and integrated AI services.
Staff emphasized volunteer support for events and the role of the GMA in expanding arts and tourism programming; the GMA is scheduled to reopen in October with an open house Sept. 25. Council asked for a follow‑up presentation on specific pricing or executive‑session review for certain competitive items.
