AMPHITHEATER Panel proposes separate operator

The panel visited facilities in Louisville, Ky., and other parts of Ohio.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A nonprofit organization should be created to manage Warren Community Amphitheater and adjacent grounds, the amphitheater steering committee says.
Councilman Robert Holmes III, D-4th, chairman of council's legislative committee, called a meeting Monday to hear recommendations from steering committee members on how the amphitheater should be run. Although Holmes invited all council members, only Holmes, Councilman John Homlitas, D-3rd, and Councilwoman Susan E. Hartman, D-7th, attended.
The amphitheater steering committee was established while the facility, which opened with a ceremony last month, was under construction. Members researched similar facilities in New Philadelphia and Kettering, Ohio, and in Louisville, Ky., before making the recommendations.
"It was designed for enjoyment and enrichment," said Dr. John Robertson, steering committee member.
Costs for amphitheater construction reached about $1.4 million, most of which came from a $1.25 million state grant. The Rotary Club of Warren also pitched in $150,000 with other organizations and individuals contributing to the effort.
Management agreement
The steering committee also recommended the city enter a management agreement with the nonprofit organization. A 15- to 18-member board of directors, drawn from people who have a stake in the project and who would be selected for their expertise, also should be selected as the nonprofit organization's governing board.
A member of city government should be included as an ex-officio member.
Initially, however, the legislative committee recommended that steering committee members comprise the board and establish bylaws, operating procedures, membership and development.
The board, upon establishment, will begin to identify sources of funding and set usage fees for the facility.
According to the steering committee's recommendations, management of the amphitheater will include naming and dedicating the facility, responsibility for receipts and expenditures, lobbying and fund-raising efforts, decisions on property use, marketing and public relations, hiring a director or manager, negotiating all use agreements of the sites and ensuring compliance with the law.
Management and operation of the facility will be separate from city administration and management under members' recommendations.
"What we're looking for is council's blessing to go ahead with this plan," said Denny Johnson, committee member.
Holmes and Homlitas both said they'd sign for legislation to authorize the administration to enter a management agreement with the nonprofit entity.