REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 5/15/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Services Department
SUBJECT:
Title
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENTS WITH CHRISTIAN ARTS & THEATRE AND OFF BROADWAY CORONA THEATER FOR THEATRICAL ARTS SHOWS AT THE HISTORIC CIVIC CENTER THEATRE THROUGH JUNE 30, 2025
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff reports asks the City Council to approve Professional Services Agreements with Christian Arts & Theatre and Off Broadway Corona Theater to provide high-quality theater arts and stage productions in the Historic Civic Center Theatre under a revenue share model of $2.00 per ticket sold.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Approve the Professional Services Agreements for Theatrical Arts Shows at the Historic Civic Center Theater with Christian Arts Theatre and Off Broad Corona Theater through June 30, 2025, with an option to extend the term one or more times.
b. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Professional Services Agreements with Christian Arts Theatre and Off Broadway Corona Theater, including any non-substantive extensions and amendments.
c. Authorize an estimated revenue increase in the amount of $30,000 in the Historic Civic Center Fund 232 for Fiscal Year 2025.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
To program the Historic Civic Center with high-quality theater arts and stage productions, the City has partnered with Corona Arts Theatre (CAT) and Off Broadway Corona Theater (OBCTheater) (collectively referred to as “Consultants”) to bring dynamic programming to this unique performance space. To make these multi-day productions possible, the City has utilized a Professional Services Agreement model instead of single day facility reservations under the permitting process, which are intended for single day uses. The Professional Services Agreement also allows the Consultants the time they need to bring in set pieces, equipment, rehearse, license, and run their show for several days at a time. This reduces the costly overhead of the hourly fee schedule, allowing the Consultants to put more back into the quality of the show itself.
In lieu of paying the facility rental rates for use of the Historic Civic Center Theatre, the Consultants pay the City $2.00 for every ticket sold for each show of all productions presented by Consultants during the Term of this Agreement.
ANALYSIS:
For Fiscal Year 2025, CAT and OBCTheater will run separate production timelines. CAT anticipates four to six productions, and OBCTheater anticipates three to five productions. Each production will have a defined number of shows, which will vary depending on many factors including audience demand and production costs.
CAT and OBCTheater are responsible for working with city staff to arrange their production schedules in line with the facility reservation process, provide a production schedule, market and advertise each production, build their own sets, monitor performers conduct throughout each production, provide identifiable front of the house staff or volunteers to engage with the public, and return the theater to its same condition upon the completion of production.
The City will permit the use of the Historic Civic Center Theatre as available up to 24 months in advance of a production, assist with advertising through the City calendar, social media, and Corona Connection when possible, and provide reservation support and monitoring standard to the facility reservations programs.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an estimated $30,000 in revenue in the Historic Civic Center Fund 232 for Fiscal Year 2025. Funds received will directly support the operations of the Historic Civic Center.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action strictly pertains to programming the Historic Civic Center Theatre and standard City operations and there is no possibility that approving this project will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: JASON LASS, RECREATION SERVICES MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: DONNA FINCH, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Professional Services Agreement with Christian Arts Theatre
2. Professional Services Agreement with Off Broadway Corona Theater