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Board of Directors Room
City Hall - 500 W. Markham
Little Rock, Arkansas
January 9, 1996 - 4:10 P.M.
The Board of Directors of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas,
reconvened from the January 2, 1996 regular meeting with Mayor
Jim Dailey presiding. City Clerk Robbie Hancock called the roll
with the following Directors present: Directors Sharp, Mason,
Kumpuris, Adcock, Wilson, Hinton, Hodges, Keck, Joyce, and Wyrick
- total 10; Absent - None.
With a quorum being present, Mayor Dailey declared the Board
of Directors in session and stated the purpose of the reconvened
meeting was to consider a Resolution regarding a contract to
provide exclusive booking and management rights for Riverfront
Amphitheater; to evaluate the City Manager and City Attorney; and
to make appointments to various Boards and Commissions. The
proceedings of the meeting are recorded as follows.
Consideration was then given to Resolution No. 9,599,
entitled:
A RESOLUTION OF INTENT TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH
CONTEMPORARY PRODUCTIONS AND THE CONCERT COMPANY, INC., TO SERVE
AS AN EXCLUSIVE PROMOTER OF PRODUCTIONS AT THE JULIUS BRECKLING
RIVERFRONT PARK AMPHITHEATER; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO
ENTER INTO A CONTRACT AFTER APPROVAL BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS;
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Mr. Bill Bunten, Director of the Department of Parks and
Recreation, made a slide presentation of the development of
Riverfront Park and the Amphitheater. Ms. Karen Reilly, Public
Information and Customer Service Manager, explained the process
in the selection of the promoter. (NOTE: Ms. Reilly formerly
worked in the Parks & Recreation Department as Special Event
Coordinator.) Speaking in support of the proposed contract was
Attorney Tom Prince, representing Contemporary Productions and
The Concert Company. Also speaking in support of the contract
were Mr. Butch Stone, the local principal for Contemporary
Productions; Mr. Bob Williams, president of Panda Productions, a
free -lance local special events consulting company; Ms. Debbie
Johnson, representing Southland Services which has been chosen to
construct and operate the food and beverage concession at the
Amphitheater. Mr. Jim Porter spoke in opposition, stating he was
bothered by the five (5) year exclusive contract. He also took
issue with the fact the RFQ was for entertainment booking rights,
yet the contract is for a promoter of productions. Mr. Barth
Grayson was also opposed to the exclusive contract, stating it
should be open to anyone who wants to come in and promote a show.
Mr. David Higginbotham, representing the American Federation of
Musicians Local #166, said he was in favor of anything that will
bring quality to the state and hoped the promoter would use local
musicians. Mr. Sol Bonner stated he had been a promoter for 31
years and was opposed to an exclusive contract. City Attorney
Tom Carpenter stated the final contract had not been written, and
explained some of the details to be worked out before the
contract could be finalized. In response to a question by
Director Wilson, Ms. Reilly named the members of the selection
committee: Jay Werth, Paula Bramlett, Doug Wood, Barry Travis,
Tom Alexander, Frank Henderson, and Sam Baxter; and responded to
questions by the Board. Director Wilson had some reservations
about granting a five year exclusive contract. Director Sharp
and Vice Mayor Adcock spoke in support of the proposal. (Before
Vice Mayor Adcock spoke, City Attorney Tom Carpenter explained
that she had asked him for an opinion regarding a possible
conflict of interest. He stated there was not a conflict of
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Minutes
January 9, 1996
interest on her part, and he would provide the City Clerk with a
copy of his written opinion, in compliance with the new Code of
Ethics which went into effect on Friday, January 5, 1996.)
At 6:00 o'clock P.M. Mayor Dailey declared a five minute
recess to allow the Government Access Cable TV Channel KCLR time
to make a technical change.
The Board of Directors reconvened at 6:10 o'clock P.M., with
Mayor Dailey presiding and all ten Directors present.
Discussion of the Resolution continued. Following comments
and questions by other Board Members, there was a motion by
Director Hodges, seconded by Director Kumpuris, to amend the
proposed Resolution by changing the word "review" to "approval"
in the title and in Section 1 of the Resolution. The motion was
adopted by a vote of 9 ayes and 2 noes (Directors Wilson and
Hinton). Responding to a question by Director Hodges, Mr. Stone
said he could not attract quality entertainment without the
exclusive contract, and it takes time to build credibility.
During further discussion, City Attorney Tom Carpenter explained
the options for the Board: (1) reject all bids and start a new
process; (2) pass the Resolution of Intent, trying to give a
clear message the City is going to contract with Contemporary
Productions and The Concert Company; and (3) leave this so there
has to be another meeting before it can be approved. Responding
to a question by Director Mason, Mr. Carpenter stated the policy
question for the Board is: "Do you want to be in a posture of
having an exclusive promotion agreement for the use of Riverfront
Amphitheater with proven track records ?" If the answer is yes,
then there needs to be an end to the discussion as to whether the
exclusive contract is up for grabs. The reason for the
Resolution is to say "yea" or nay" on that question. If the
Board says the intent is to have an exclusive contract for the
next five years, then the details need to be worked out.
Following the lengthy discussion, there was a reading of the
Resolution, as amended. Director Adcock moved for the adoption
of the Resolution. The motion was seconded by Director Sharp,
and adopted by the following roll call vote: Ayes - Directors
Sharp, Mason, Kumpuris, Adcock, Hodges, Keck, Joyce, Wyrick and
Mayor Dailey - total 9; Noes - Directors Wilson and Hinton -
total 2; Absent - None. Whereupon, the Resolution, as amended,
was adopted.
At 6:50 o'clock P.M., the Board of Directors recessed until
after the Agenda Meeting.
The Board of Directors reconvened at 7:15 o'clock P.M. from
the Agenda Meeting with all Board Members present, and
immediately recessed to executive session for the evaluation of
City Manager Charles Nickerson and City Attorney Tom Carpenter,
and to consider.appointments to various Boards and Commissions.
When the Board of Directors reconvened from executive
session at 8:55 o'clock P.M., Mayor Dailey presided and the
following Directors were present: Directors Sharp, Mason,
Kumpuris, Adcock, Wilson, Hinton, Hodges, Keck, Joyce and Wyrick
- total 10; Absent - None.
Mayor Dailey announced that in the evaluation of City
-- Attorney Tom Carpenter, the Board of Directors found his
performance satisfactory and increased his salary by 4.5 percent
plus raising his insurance coverage to one half million dollars,
which is equal to the City Manager's insurance coverage.
Mayor Dailey also announced that in the evaluation of City
Manager Charles Nickerson, the Board of Directors found his
performance satisfactory and gave him a 4.5 percent salary
increase with all other benefits to remain the same.
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Minutes
January 9, 1996
(Directors Kumpuris and Hodges were excused at 8:58 o'clock
P.M.)
Resolution No. 9,600 was then presented, with the title
being:
A RESOLUTION MAKING APPOINTMENTS AND REAPPOINTMENTS TO THE
ARTS AND HUMANITIES PROMOTION COMMISSION, THE EDUCATION
COMMISSION, MACARTHUR MILITARY MUSEUM COMMISSION, AND THE SISTER
CITIES COMMISSION;
(Arts & Humanities: - William Gaskin reappointed and Dr. Charles
Donaldson and Ann Nicholson appointed; Education - Sue Strickland
appointed; MacArthur Military Museum - Don Hamilton appointed;
and Sister Cities - Anthony Black, Charles Sloan, and Aaron Lubin
reappointed and Kwami appointed.)
There being no further business to be presented, the
reconvened meeting was adjourned at 9:00 o'clock P.M. with the
Board of Directors to meet again in regular session on Tuesday,
January 16, 1995, at 6:00 o'clock P.M.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
City Clerk Robbie Hancock ayor Jim Dailey