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Tourism Commission Meeting Tuesday, May 19, 2026 9: 30 a. m. Attendees: Commissioner Michael Grab, Alderman Jim Ruetz, Commissioner Majlis Seisay Also in Attendance: Marcia Wayer, Marketing and Public Relations Director, City of Oak Creek; Alex Hayes, Tourism & Events Coordinator, City of Oak Creek; Kelly Shoff 1. Welcome/ Call to order - Alderman Jim Ruetz called the meeting to order at 9:33 a. m. 2. Approval of Minutes from 04/ 21/ 26. Commissioner Michael Grab moved to approve the minutes from 04/ 21/ 26. Alderman Jim Ruetz seconded. All voted in favor. 3. Motion: Motion to approve Fees for tourism events Alex Hayespresented proposedvendor fees for Tourism Department events, including Dog Days, Fall Fest, CAFE, and the Clocktower Classic. He noted that approval could be handled by the Tourism Commission without Common Council action. Alex explained that Fall Fest will no longer be automatically included for Farmers Market vendors. Vendors may opt in, with Farmers Market vendors receiving priority registration. Booth fees were reduced from $ 80 to $ 50. Dog Days will move to a Saturday- Sunday format, with vendor fees of 20 for Saturday and $ 40 for Sunday; nonprofit organizations will receive a 50% discount. CAFE vendor fees will remain $ 30 to encourage participation and reduce barriers for cultural vendors. Alex also shared plans to expand event merchandise sales beyond the Farmers Market, which featured limited- edition designs created by Farmers Market Manager Renee Wallace. Commissioners discussed vendor participation levels, merchandise sales, and the rationale behind the proposed fee structure, with Alex noting that fees were set to balance affordability, vendor commitment, and event sustainability. Motion: Alderman Ruetz made a motion to approve the fees for tourism events Commissioner Grabb seconded. All voted in favor. Tourism Commission Meeting Minutes 5/ 19/ 26 Page 1 4. Motion: To accept Cricket grant request Marcia reviewed the Wisconsin Cricket Club' s grant request for two upcoming tournaments and highlighted concerns regarding projected room nights, economic impact estimates, marketing plans, and inconsistencies within the application. Commissioners noted that supporting documentation, including hotel room block verification, had not been provided and that the requested funding amount appeared high relative to the event' s demonstrated impact. Commissioners expressed support for the continued growth of cricket in Oak Creek but agreed that the full funding request was not justified. Following discussion, the Commission reached a consensus to award $ 2, 000, contingent upon post- event documentation of hotel stays, attendance, and economic impact. Commissioners noted that future funding requests would be evaluated based on the event' s demonstrated results. Alderman Ruetz made a motion to approve the $ 2,000 grant award. Motion - Alderman Ruetz moved to approve the Cricket Club RE-quest in the amount of $ 2, 000. Commissioner Michael Grab seconded. All voted in favor. Informational item: Update to Library grant request for special speaker Informational item: Marcia reminded the Commission that a grant: request to host speaker Jim Gill at the Library had previously been approved. Shereported that tiie library sharedthat this event was half full more than a week before the tourism meeting, the event is being held in August. Informational Item: Update on Tourism Events Informational Item: Alex Hayes provided updates on CAFE and Fall 1"est. The CAFE vendor application opened June 2, with a goal of increasing participation from 33 vendcrs last year to 40 this year. Staff reported that CAFE attendance increased 58% in 2025, and promotional efforts are underway to build on that success. Alex also reported strong early interest in Fall Fest, with 70 vendor,3committed prior to the official application launch. Staff expressed optimism for increased attendance and noted strong vendor retention despite challenging weather conditions at last year' s event. Tourism Commission Meeting Minutes 5/ 19/ 26 Page 2 Informational Item: Next steps for DDPMP Marcia provided an updateon the May 5 Common Council presentation regarding the Destination Development & Placemaking Master Plan and noted that feedback had been mixed. Commissioners discussed the potential benefits and challenges of proposed tourism and recreation investments, including sports facilities, mountain biking, and other destination assets. Commissioners noted the importance of balancing community benefits with tourism and hotel room night generation. Discussion included potential development opportunities, site visibility and accessibility, comparisons to similar facilities, and the economic and recreational benefits such projects could provide. Marcia also shared that staff is advancing website enhancements and business recruitment efforts focused on attracting small restaurants and entrepreneurial businesses to Oak Creek. Adjournment- Commissioner Grab made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Commissioner Michael Grab seconded the motion. All voted in favor and the meeting was adjourned at 10: 31 a. m. ATTEST: M arcia Wa Yer, b.,.i r or of M eting Public Relations Date Tourism Commission Meeting Minutes 5/ 19/ 26 Page 3