CC Minutes - 02/26/01 Work Session

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would have been in the absence of the DAC's recommendations. Mr. Scheeland said yes. He believed the measures recommended by the DAC would lead to more local use of the Soreng Theater. He pointed out that the new rental rate ensured that a group selling out the theater would not pay a rent at all while still allowing the City to recover its costs. Mr. Kelly said he had attended many of the DAC meetings and wished to commend the work of the DAC. He thought the Hult Center one of the City's most important assets, with both direct benefits from the arts and indirect economic benefits. He highlighted the DAC's recommendations for a governance body (with which he concurred, regretting the loss of several significant committees during a downsizing of the City's committee structure in the early 1990s); its proposed changes to the rate structure, particularly for the Soreng Theater; and its long- and shod-term recommendations for the Cuthbert Amphitheater. Mr. Meisner expressed appreciation to the DAC members. He thought the recommendation to take more advantage of ancillary spaces at the Hult Center made sense, and asked how that might effect the Jacobs Gallery. Would the City operate it and make revenue? Mr. Scheeland clarified that the City's operating agreement for the Jacobs Gallery with the Visual Arts Consortium addressed only the art gallery operation, not the use of the facility itself. He said that the center could pursue the possibility of private use of the space with the consortium. Mr. Scheeland noted that at one time the center allowed weddings in the lobby, but staff cuts led to their elimination. Staff was reconsidering allowing such events at a cost that ensured they generated revenue. Mr. Meisner noted that the information presented indicated the DAC's recommendations gave the center four years of what he termed "good news" until revenues were exceeded by expenses, and asked what would happen then. Mr. Scheeland said that at that time the department would need to consider other options, such as cost savings and additional revenues. He noted that the projections were specific to the recommendations related to the rental rates, and they were conservative in nature. Mr. Meisner liked the suggestion for an ongoing, continuing governance group. He thought the City lost a great deal when it had eliminated many of its advisory groups and had to recreate those groups in some cases. He did not want the committee reorganization of the early 1990s to be considered permanent. Mr. Pap~ also commended the work of the DAC. He asked if the DAC had considered contracting all or a portion of the center to the private sector. Mr. Scheeland said that the DAC discussed the possibility of contracting some pads of the center out, although a great deal of that evaluation occurred earlier by another committee. The DAC talked a great deal about contracting concessions, and he noted a national trend toward bringing concessions back in-house after a period of time during which the trend was for contracting. Mr. Pap~ asked if staff had surveyed other arts venues in comparably sized cities for their practices. Mr. Johnson said that most similarly sized western cities did not have a performing arts center. He recollected that a previous advisory committee had examined the same issue and reached the same conclusion. Ms. Taylor expressed appreciation for the new rental rates and the fact they enabled local arts groups to use the Soreng Theater. She thought it important to keep arts events affordable for the public. Speaking to that point, she asked why a parking fee was being considered for the Cuthbert MINUTE--Eugene City Council February 26, 2001 Page 3 Work Session