The Butler Center for Business and Economic Research

1. The Butler Center for Business and Economic Research ●A Market Assessment of the Columbus Natatorium ●The Economic Impact of the Columbus Natatorium ●A Comparison of Local Government Director-Level Compensation: Columbus Consolidated Government and its Peers Ben Blair, PhD, Director

2. Columbus Economy $ Spent Outside Region Local spending generates economic activity. Activity 1 Activity 2 Visitor $ Metrics Local Output (GDP) Employment Labor Income Tax Revenue

3. Columbus Economy $ Spent Outside Region Local spending generates economic activity. Activity 1 Activity 2 Visitor $ Metrics Local Output (GDP) Employment Labor Income Tax Revenue

4. A Market Assessment of the Columbus Natatorium • The Market Environment • Who is the Competition? • Who are the Potential Users? • Regular Users • Swim Clubs • High School Swim Teams

5. A Market Assessment of the Columbus Natatorium • Who is the Competition? • Identified 39 aquatic centers and natatoriums in Georgia and Alabama with similar facilities.

6. Who is the Competition? • James E Martin Aquatic Center, Auburn University • Lakeshore Natatorium, Carrollton, GA

7. A Market Assessment of the Columbus Natatorium • Who are the Potential Users? • Regular Users • Recreation and Exercise • National Sporting Goods Association Survey + Local Demographics • 1,563 regular daily swimmers in the Columbus MSA • two-thirds in Muscogee County • one-half age 55 or older • Core customer base

8. Columbus Economy $ Spent Outside Region Local spending generates economic activity. Activity 1 Activity 2 Visitor $ Metrics Local Output (GDP) Employment Labor Income Tax Revenue

9. A Market Assessment of the Columbus Natatorium • Who are the Potential Users? • Swim Clubs • Regularly participate in swimming competitions. • Willing to travel long distances. • Overnight Stays • Identified 82 swimming clubs in GA and AL • Provided a directory with contact information • Map

10. Georgia and Alabama Swim Clubs

11. A Market Assessment of the Columbus Natatorium • Who are the Potential Users? • High School Swim Teams • Regularly participate in swimming competitions. • Overnight Stays • Identified 292 high schools with swim teams in GA and AL: 230 in GA; 62 in AL • Provided a directory with contact information • Survey • Map

12. Georgia and Alabama High School Swim Teams

13. A Market Assessment of the Columbus Natatorium Final Comments (1) Developing a core customer base of regular users will be important for the natatorium’s bottom line but not for economic impact.

14. A Market Assessment of the Columbus Natatorium Final Comments (2) Significant regional economic impact will come only from attracting swim teams to meets hosted by the natatorium. (Lags)

15. A Market Assessment of the Columbus Natatorium Final Comments (3) Nearly one-half of swim teams also compete in diving competitions. Not having diving facilities may limit the ability of the natatorium to attract high school swim teams to meets.

16. A Market Assessment of the Columbus Natatorium Final Comments (4) Need for significant advertising and marketing efforts to increase the visibility of the natatorium.

17. A Market Assessment of the Columbus Natatorium Final Comments (4) Need for significant advertising and marketing efforts to increase the visibility of the natatorium.

18. The Economic Impact of the Columbus Natatorium • Any significant regional economic impact of the natatorium will arise from visitors, especially overnight visitors, to swim meets. • No plan or proposed schedule at the time this study was conducted. • Created our own three-year visitor scenario.

19. Example Natatorium Swim Meet Schedule Scenario + Two Participation Levels: High and Low + Expenditure Profile Adjusted for Columbus …

20. Economic Impact on Columbus of Example Scenario • The largest impacts arise from meets with overnight stays. • Attracting additional family members is important. • A single annual 3-day swim meet attracting 500 swimmers and their families could support 2 local jobs. • While the hosting of single-day high school swim meets generates little economic impact, they will generate valuable experience and exposure for the natatorium.

21. A Comparison of Local Government Director-Level Compensation: Columbus Consolidated Government and its Peers • Online Survey • Sent to 10 Peer Cities in the Southeast

23. A Comparison of Local Government Director-Level Compensation: Columbus Consolidated Government and its Peers • Online Survey • Sent to 10 Peer Cities in the Southeast • Asked for information regarding salary ranges, current salaries and other forms of compensation for 23 upper-level management positions. • Received 8 responses. • Knoxville and Newport News did not respond.

24. Position-By-Position Comparison

25. Position-By-Position Comparison

26. Position-By-Position Comparison

27. A Comparison of Local Government Director-Level Compensation: Columbus Consolidated Government and its Peers Concluding Observations • (1) For 21 of the 23 positions in the survey, the CCG salary is below the peer average salary. • (2) For the two positions which CCG was at or above the peer average, in one, the Civic Center Director, there was only one other peer (Savannah); in the other, CCG was the only city with that position (Job Training Director)

28. A Comparison of Local Government Director-Level Compensation: Columbus Consolidated Government and its Peers Concluding Observations • For the group as a whole, the three positions with the highest average salary were City Manager ($164,438), City Attorney ($135,423), and Public Service Director ($128,945). • For the group as a whole, the three positions with the lowest average salary were Job Training Director ($75,517), Building, Inspection and Codes Director ($84,649), Internal Auditor ($85,441).

29. Thank You. Questions?