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Port‑city event center discussions focus on catering rules and loss contingencies
Summary
Council liaison committee members reported drafting interlocal provisions to prevent mandatory use of a single caterer and discussed alternatives if a future port‑operated event center loses money.
At a Jan. 13 Port City Liaison Committee update, council members reported edits to draft interlocal agreements for a proposed port‑city event center to avoid limiting event organizers to a single caterer and to outline contingencies if the facility operates at a loss.
Councilmember Walters told the council that committee members considered adding a provision to require the Port to operate the future facility without mandating a caterer for events that reserve the facility. "For example, they're planning an adjoining hotel. We wouldn't want the port to lock events into using the caterer provided by the adjoining hotel for events that aren't associated with the hotel," Walters said; he said the two commissioners present agreed to add that provision.
Walters said the committee also discussed alternatives for addressing potential operating losses. He reported options under consideration that would not involve simply writing checks to the port: the city could take over operations, outsource operations, or reimburse the city for construction costs, among other approaches. He said the Port Commission will review the options and provide feedback to the city; the council liaison committee will then incorporate that input in a further round of edits.
No formal council action on the event center or its agreements took place at the meeting; the discussion was an informational report from the liaison committee.
