Council questions Wolf Creek contract, parking, security and sponsorships as summer concert series resumes

City staff, the Wolf Creek promoter Omega 14 Inc. and the amphitheater operator briefed the City Council and answered detailed questions on May 27 about marketing, safety, sponsorships and the promoter’s obligations for the 2025 Wolf Creek summer concert series.

Why this matters: Wolf Creek is a 5,000-seat venue owned by Fulton County and used by the City of South Fulton. The city’s contract with a private promoter shifts some financial risk to the promoter while the city continues to carry many facility maintenance and public-safety costs. Council members asked whether that balance is delivering a community amenity and whether contract language limits promotional sponsorships.

Promoter and city descriptions: Demetrius Clemens, government-relations consultant for Omega 14, described the contract model and said the promoter has booked six shows so far this season and has advanced artist deposits and marketing costs. “To date, Omega has put out $675,000,” Clemens said, noting the promoter covers artist fees, staffing, security, and marketing. Clemens also said he and his team had compared Wolf Creek to similar metro-area venues and found opportunities to boost joint city-promoter marketing, sponsor recruitment, VIP amenities and on-site operations.

Chief Kevin Meadows and Mayor Pro Tem Linda Pritchett represented public-safety responses. Chief Meadows told the council the department has used forfeiture and other non-general funds mainly for training: “Primarily what we've used the money for is training,” he said, and described undercover-investigation spending and the department’s role in event sweeps and staffing. The promoter confirmed it pays for city public-safety services for shows (police, fire, EMS) and for private security and event equipment the promoter rents.

Council concerns: Members pressed for clearer breakdowns of police and fire costs per show (the promoter estimated police staffing averages $7,000–$10,000 per show but did not provide a complete per-event line item in the meeting). Several council members raised problems with parking, pedestrian lighting and entry/egress flows; they also asked why promoter marketing seemed smaller than for other municipal amphitheaters. The promoter and city manager said the promoter handles initial marketing but agreed that joint city-promoter marketing would increase reach.

Sponsorships and contract limits: Council members repeatedly asked whether Omega 14 can solicit commercial sponsors on the city’s behalf. The promoter said the contract prohibits representing the city in sponsor solicitations; Omega 14 can seek sponsors for its own promotional activity but cannot bind the city in sponsorship negotiations without a contract amendment. Councilmembers said adding a limited, supervised ability for the promoter to approach prospective sponsors under the city’s oversight could increase revenue and allow higher-profile acts.

Operational fixes requested: Council members and staff asked for a pre-show coordination meeting in the week before each concert to align staffing and logistics; city staff agreed and said staff will resume consistent pre-event cadences. Councilmembers also pressed the promoter and city for improved VIP amenities, updated in-venue TVs and clearer amenity access, and requested a short summary of season-to-date profit/loss and the city’s out-of-pocket facility costs for the record.

What comes next: City staff said they would share eight raw spreadsheets the city has on seized assets and provide the council with a summarized profit-and-loss for Wolf Creek, a breakdown of per-show city public-safety costs, and a timetable for a possible contract amendment to allow limited sponsor solicitation under city oversight. No contract amendment was adopted at the meeting.

Ending: Council members said the issues raised — lighting, parking, sponsor authority, pre-show coordination — should be resolved before the high-attendance shows later in the summer.