Tahlequah council authorizes mayor to negotiate amended agreement with Tahlequah Sports League over concessions, maintenance

The Tahlequah City Council on Feb. 3 authorized Mayor Suzanne Myers to negotiate an amended agreement with the Tahlequah Sports League (TSL) that would shift some responsibilities for concessions and field maintenance while providing TSL with a $25,000 contribution to offset lost revenues.

City Administrator Taylor Tannehill told the council the packet proposal “includes a $25,000 contribution, to TSL, to offset some lost revenues, with advertisement,” and described a proposal in which the city would take responsibility for maintaining the new Antioch/Brandon Park fields while TSL would retain its current gate for tournaments and continue to receive profits from concessions during league and tournament play.

Tannehill said the existing contract is largely non-monetary but contains a $5-per-game charge for ballfields; the proposed amendment would “attempt to make TSL whole, through potential lost revenues while also, adding a little bit more responsibility from the city,” she said. TSL representative Trey Bradley and Brandon Park Coordinator Clay Davis attended the discussion to answer questions.

Council members raised logistical questions about how concession profits would be tracked and paid (for example, whether the $25,000 would be a lump sum or paid over the fiscal year), and about inventory and turnover when different groups operate the concession stands. Bradley and Davis told the council they wanted TSL to remain whole financially while bringing concessions and field operations under a single, city-managed umbrella for some purposes.

The council voted to empower the mayor and city staff to continue negotiations and execute a mutually acceptable agreement without returning to council unless the parties cannot reach a deal. The motion passed with councilors voting in the affirmative (Mayor Suzanne Myers: yes; Councilor Allen: yes; Councilor Berry: yes). The motion included direction that the mayor negotiate terms acceptable to both parties and return for council approval only if negotiations fail to produce an agreed contract.

The discussion noted outstanding items for the negotiated contract: schedule and timing of any payments to TSL, the process for reviewing concession profit statements, inventory and turnover logistics for concession operations, and an outstanding email from TSL’s board with additional considerations to be resolved at the bargaining table.

Council members and staff emphasized the goal of preserving TSL’s revenue while preventing unexpected costs to the city arising from concession turnover, inventory losses and event logistics. Tannehill said staff could bring a final draft back to the council if members preferred review before execution.

No final contract was presented or approved on Feb. 3; the council limited action to authorization for negotiation and execution of a mutually agreeable contract.