The Oak Ridge City Council on Thursday will consider whether to approve up to $75,000 in funding for expenses associated with the 2017 Secret City Festival.
The money would allow Celebrate Oak Ridge, the new nonprofit organization responsible for the festival, to pay expenses for this year’s festival, which started Friday, June 2, and ended Saturday, June 10.
The city has previously provided $50,000 in start-up funding for the new organization. That funding was considered in December.
On June 6, Celebrate Oak Ridge, an organization run by volunteers, requested additional funding from City Manager Mark Watson to “timely meet contractual obligations associated with the festival, including entertainment costs and other vendors fees,” according to a resolution that City Council members will consider Thursday.
“Celebrate Oak Ridge does not have sufficient capital reserves to meet their contractual obligations during the final week of the festival, which would impact this and potentially future events,” the resolution said.
The resolution said the festival is “an opportunity to showcase community pride and the diversity of Oak Ridge to current and prospective residential and business citizens.”
In past festivals, the Arts Council of Oak Ridge, which used to present the festival along with the City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau, had received approval for up to $150,000 in expenses, the resolution said.
Under an emergency purchases section of the city code, the city manager authorized an advanced expenditure of funds to meet the festival obligations and protect the public interest of the city, the resolution said. That authorization was made while under time limitations imposed by the festival and with verbal support from a majority of Council members, according to the resolution.
Celebrate Oak Ridge will be required to submit a full accounting of all festival event revenues and expenditures by July 14, and any leftover funds will be repaid to the city, the resolution said.
In a June 9 memo to City Council members, Watson said there have been additional festival sponsorships, but more money is needed this first year.
The city manager said he received the request for the additional money in early June, “when much of the advertising and contracts were already in place for the Secret City Festival.”
As a new organization, “Celebrate Oak Ridge has faced unanticipated demands upon its finances,” Watson said.
“In the interest of the city, and in consultation with the City Council, the city manager has provided additional funding and a cash advance to the organization to meet demands of the festival,” Watson said.
The Thursday meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom at 200 South Tulane Avenue. You can see the agenda here.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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Andrea Carchidi Scott says
A big waste of tax payer money!!!
Matt Bailey says
Why? First year growing pains, likely just as it was the first couple of years the city handled it. The intent was to get away from tax payer money. Let’s give it some time, and perhaps some additional direction and assistance from the city and see if it can’t rebound. There are very few businesses that make money the first three years, why should this be any different? Remember, it was a volunteer effort, no full time employees.
Linda Wells Mabry says
So where do you think the initial $50,000 came from and now the non profit is asking for $75,000 more.
Taxpayers money!
Matt Bailey says
I’m well aware of where the money came from. Along with the money for amenities like the city pool etc it comes from our taxes. It would’ve been great to be profitable the first year but highly naive. The city had the experience. For whatever reason(s), their involvement was apparently minimal. When ms baughn pitched her fit last year (along with all the rest of them), it appears a solid business plan and a transition plan may have been lacking in the rush to wash our hands of city involvement. This is what we got. Again, success rarely occurs the first year. Movie night got great reviews. The jury is out on the rest. Here’s the key question: will twice as many people volunteer to help next year? Do they ever? A $6 Miller lite says nope.
Nikki F says
Audit the committee before giving them another dime
Linda Wells Mabry says
What “Vendor fees” are they responsible for? Maybe if they had not charged $6.00 (Double the cost of last year) for a cup of beer their sales would have been better.
Matt Bailey says
$3.00 beer is a steal. $4.00 and up at Crafter’s Brew and they seem pretty busy everytime I drive by (or go in). Smokies games beers are $5.00, I think, but you gotta pay for tickets!
$3.00 a beer at a free festival, free music, etc. seems like wishful thinking.
Linda Wells Mabry says
$6.00 for Miller Light!
Matt Bailey says
Not disputing your concern for $6 Miller lite. Just don’t think $3 is a reasonable figure for a free event.
Philip W Nipper says
Further taxpayer money should be held in reserve until such time as our streets are repaired. It seems that our leadership and management want to ignore this issue all together. Many of our roadways are in desperate need of repair work. Some of the worst are the south bound side of Melton Lake Drive between the Turnpike and Emory Valley Road, the Turnpike in front of St Mary’s, Tennessee Ave between New York and Michigan, portions of Lafayette Drive, just to name a few. I support having the festival and things like fireworks and other community events that require taxpayer dollars but seems like other things such as infrastructure should take priority or at least be as equally important. Personally, I feel a plan of action addressing our streets should be developed and published. The plan should be constructed and implemented as a community priority. And if one already exists, why is it a secret?
Ellen Smith says
Phil, some of our needed street repaving is being delayed because the water mains under the streets are also in need of replacement, and city staff doesn’t want to repave the streets, then come back a year later and tear them up to replace the water lines.
Philip W Nipper says
Ellen thanks. That makes perfect sense. However, some of my same comments about the streets can crossover to water mains, electrical lines, storm and sanitary sewers in need of repair under or next to the streets. What mains? Where? Is there a plan in place? If so, why is it a secret? I think folks would like to know what’s going to happen in the next say 3 to 6 months regarding our infrastructure issues. Some might want to know what’s going to happen this month or this week regarding the repair plan. If our city is in that bad of shape regarding underground utilities that it is holding up much needed road repairs, I would reckon one could find corrective work going on any day of the week throughout the city. Yes? No? Maybe?