City of San Antonio - File #: 15-3336

• File #: 15-3336
• Type: Staff Briefing - Without Ordinance
• In control: Governance Committee
• On agenda: 5/20/2015
• Posting Language: Briefing and possible action on a request from Mayor Taylor on Tricentennial Commission. [Ed Belmares, Assistant City Manager]

DEPARTMENT:  Convention & Visitors Bureau      

DEPARTMENT HEAD: Casandra Matej      

COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide

SUBJECT: San Antonio's Tri- Centennial Celebration on May 5, 2018

SUMMARY:

San Antonio will celebrate our 300^th anniversary on May 5, 2018, a milestone matched by few cities in the United States. San Antonio's remarkable journey tells the story not just of our people and place but of larger forces that shaped the world we live in today.

To ensure that we appropriately celebrate this historic date, Mayor Ivy R. Taylor, announced the creation of the San Antonio Tri-centennial Commission.

Agreeing to serve as chairs of the commission are Father David Garcia, Archdiocese of San Antonio; Dr. Katie Luber, Kelso Director of the San Antonio Museum of Art; and Robert Thrailkill, General Manager of Hilton Palacio del Rio.

Within the next two months, the Mayor and each member of the City Council will name additional citizen members to the Commission, which will coordinate all Tri-Centennial celebration planning, identify potential partners, approve and disseminate a unique identity for our 300^th anniversary, and integrate existing and recurring events into the tri-centennial framework. Past Mayors and other luminaries will serve as honorary Chairs and commissioners. The San Antonio Tri-centennial Commission will report to the City Council through the City Council Governance Committee.

Since the announcement of the Tri-centennial Commission, the chairs of the committee have met with the Mayor on Friday, May 15, 2015 to have initial discussions on the process. Once the full commission has been named, regularly scheduled meetings and efforts will be implemented.

Pertaining to COSA efforts, a project group is working on compiling research on what other Cities have planned for their historic celebrations, inventorying what internal City departments have planned and are identifying community stakeholders that may be planning special events related to the Tri-centennial.

The results of all the research will be shared with the Commission for their review in July 2015.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Recommendations from staff research will help inform the extent of the city's financial impact to this project. A plan will provided from FY 2016 through FY2018 for Council's consideration.

We will continue to update the Governance Committee as this process moves forward.