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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2006)
thrown off because we can’t proceed with the short list process until a protest is completely finished.” Wednesday Kit Kesey (Ken Kesey’s nephew) and David Leiken (Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken’s uncle) of Double Tee met with city officials for an interview, the next step in the process. “We’ll be interviewing them for clarification on their proposal, but we are not in any type of contract negotiation at this point,” explained Cariaga. “We can only begin to negotiate the contract once the award has been made.” Show me the money The introduction of the RFP says, among other things, “the purpose of this RFP is to select a qualified individual or organization (Respondent) to successfully operate and pro- mote the Cuthbert Amphitheatre.” In the sec- tion on objectives it states, “This RFP does not specify a distinct ‘best use’ for the Amphitheatre site. Instead the city seeks pro- posals from qualified respondents that would increase the use of the Amphitheatre and sur- rounding areas.” the Cuthbert cost efficiently. “This reduced overhead will be an important factor in our ability to lessen financial risk, allowing for a more ambitious in-house concert promotion schedule,” reads their proposal. Michael Carpenter is the business agent for the Stage Hands Union Local #675, which cur- rently has a contract for work at the Cuthbert. “While it is disappointing that Cultural Services could not find a way to operate the Cuthbert, it will remain a city-owned facility and we are still city employees with a contract to provide stage labor,” he said. “So that rela- tionship will have to be worked out with us and the city and any new management.” “We have to negotiate all existing contracts at a competitive level,” Kesey said. “We’re going to insist on none of the current standing contracts being in place. But at this point, nothing is a deal breaker. We’ll work it out.” In the meantime, City Councilor David Kelly caught wind of the plans for the Cuthbert and on Dec. 12 requested informa- tion on the RFP. “I had heard kind of second or third hand about the city putting out the RFP to privatize the operation of the Cuthbert and I was surprised by that for a couple of reasons,” Don’t miss the premiere of Award-winning comedy writer Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant’s January 27, 28 & 29 2006 Eugene, Oregon Are We There Yet? The devil is in the details JANUARY 13-22, 2006 FRIDAY-SUNDAY • 8PM ACTOR’S CABARET ANNEX 39 W. 10th Tickets: $12 in advance ($15 on Friday the 13th) Call 683-4368 for reservations ‘It’s a great facility in a great park. When the stars are aligned, there is nothing better.’ Featuring Sue White, Kathy LaMontagne, and Storm Kennedy Directed by Reva Kaufman M ARK L OIGMAN , DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR E UGENE ’ S C ULTURAL S ERVICES D IVISION . Are we in hell yet or is this just another hot flash? In the scoring, the concept for the use of Cuthbert counts the most, while financial gain to the city and experience in the business are equally weighted. The KE/DTC proposal guarantees the city the most money, offering an annual rental fee of $30,000 for the space and also a percentage of profits from ticket sales, concessions and sponsorships. “In the CSAC meeting, I wanted the committee to understand that this is, by far, the most commercial proposal,” said Boyd. But it’s not just about the money. The list of concerts put on by KE/DTC reads like a roster of the biggest bands in the music busi- ness including Bright Eyes, G. Love, NOFX, Dierks Bentley, Toots and the Maytals, the Newsboys, Medeski, Martin and Wood — the list goes on and on. On top of that, Double Tee has been in the business for 33 years. “David Leiken [of Double Tee] is the best buyer in Oregon,” said Brendan Relaford, a partner in Big Green Events. The Shedd has also brought in some big names and greatly diversified Eugene’s music scene, but it doesn’t have three decades of experience with the proven track record of suc- cessful, money-making events that KE/DTC has. Still, Ralph was disappointed The Shedd didn’t at least make it for final consideration. “We provided an operational plan that specifi- cally provided for a range of concert events from top national acts like the ones we do at the Hult Center and The Shedd, as well as other music that we could bring in at a lower price,” he said. “It was a very different model than the model presented by Double Tee and Kesey.” Contracts and wise counsel Jim Ralph isn’t the only person who’s con- cerned that KE/DTC is the one respondent considered a finalist. In the proposal, KE/DTC specifically refers to the need to renegotiate the existing contracts in order to be able to run he said. “I asked the city manager to put together a memo for the mayor and council to answer a few questions. The first was, if staff is deciding to privatize a significant city facil- ity, shouldn’t they ask the council first? That strikes me as a decision of a big enough mag- nitude that council ought to have been con- sulted. My second question was, as you may or may not know, the city is just starting a comprehensive plan for the Cultural Services Division. The council funded the creation of this comprehensive plan back in July, and they’re just at the stage where they’re about to pick a consultant to head this effort up. If we’re just starting on a comprehensive plan process for the division, isn’t it premature to make a decision about a major asset of that division?” But according to the RFP timeline, city councilors will not only have a chance to dis- cuss the city staff’s final choice for booking Cuthbert before a contract is signed, they can also request a public hearing. PARTIAL PROCEEDS BENEFIT GREENHILL HUMANE SOCIETY Grand Truffle Dinner featuring Renowned Chefs Philippe Boulot Rocky Maselli Gavin McMichael Jack Czarnecki Jamie North Prix Fixe dinners at five of Eugene’s finest restaurants. Forays, lectures, workshops, cooking demonstrations, and an old world Truffle MarketPlace! Tickets still available Grand Dinner - $ 150 per person Full Festival Package #1 - $ 395 per person Truffle MarketPlace - $ 15 per person Make your reservations online at: www.oregontrufflefestival.com, email: info@oregontrufflefestival.com or call Steve at (503) 296-5929 No big bucks? No matter who takes over the Cuthbert, given the current market conditions and chal- lenges of the venue, it’s unlikely any promoter is going to be raking in the big bucks. “If this all works out, I just hope to break even,” Kesey said. “I want to bring music, entertainment and events to Eugene. That’s my intention.” Ultimately, it’s the public who will decide what happens to the Cuthbert. “I want to give them a try,” McDonnell said. “If the ticket prices are too high, people won’t buy them and the promoter will take a bath on it. If people don’t like them, they won’t buy tickets just out of spite. They’ve got to find the right mix of what show, what form, and at what cost. If they book the wrong stuff and the people of Eugene don’t like it, they’re going to take it in the shorts.” ew JANUARY 5, 2006 13
