Nicky Boyette – Eureka Springs Mayor Butch Berry began the June 9 Auditorium Committee meeting by reminding the group the purpose for the committee is to provide city council a recommendation for how to manage and maintain the Auditorium. The answer the committee has identified, Berry maintained, is having a dedicated revenue stream.
Chair Jeff Danos passed around copies of a report drafted by him and CAPC Events Coordinator Dori Thomas providing a short history of auditorium committees past and present. The report laid out the case for adding staff over time, rehabilitating the building, and forming an auditorium commission, but the last sentence said it all: “To cover current expenses, recommended staff and facility enhancements, and required future infrastructure improvements, and to ensure the auditorium remains a viable community asset with a supporting income stream, the Auditorium Committee believes that a dedicated operating budget of approximately $200,000 – 300,000 a year is needed.”
Berry intends to ask locals to approve what he called “a user tax for infrastructure.” He mentioned to council in April he would ask in the November election for voters to approve a two percent tax on retail items, a portion determined by council for maintenance and management of the auditorium. The remainder would go for infrastructure needs only.
Alderman James DeVito diverted the discussion back to what to do in the meantime. His idea was to show movies at the Auditorium, claiming the outlay would be fairly small. The community needs it, and the showings could become semi-monthly events, he said.
The group envisioned showing The Legend of Boggy Creek with some viewers dressed in their best monster outfits.
Discussion shifted to making money off concessions and having enough popcorn, and DeVito remarked movies at the Aud would provide something for locals and visitors.
Thomas wanted to start them soon, and said she wanted two each month.
Technical adviser Ron Sumner mentioned that, eventually, there might be the need to upgrade their projector, and a quality screen would be a goal as well if they intended to show movies regularly.
The group agreed they would look at convincing council to form an Auditorium Commission once citizens decide on Berry’s proposed two percent tax on retail.
Berry said he would present the report Danos and Thomas had drafted to council, but emphasized the need for the Auditorium Committee to continue to meet monthly because it has generated good ideas, such as reviving the concept of showing movies.
Thomas commented it could only be a good thing that a dedicated group of interested and motivated citizens continues to discuss ways to utilize the Auditorium.
Old movies? Tried and failed. They need to blow hundreds of thousands on name brand talent and let us locals in for free like in the good old days.