Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Arts Culture topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Performing-arts center staff and users urge Oxnard council to keep Sterling Venues ahead of Feb. 18 vote
Summary
Multiple employees, performers and community members told the council on Feb. 4 that Sterling Venues has improved safety and programming at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center and urged the council to renew the operator contract when it votes Feb. 18.
Dozens of performers, employees and nonprofit leaders told the Oxnard City Council on Feb. 4 that the Oxnard Performing Arts Center (OPAC) should remain under the management of Sterling Venues when the council considers the facility’s future at its Feb. 18 meeting.
“OPAC feels like home,” said Jason McComb (employee/performer), and multiple employees said Sterling had cleaned and stabilized the facility, improved neighborhood safety and expanded programming. “We want to continue this relationship,” Amber Norton, an OPAC employee, told the council. “We want to continue to make the OPAC what everybody wanted it to be from the beginning in 1968.”
Speakers described the venue as a hub for concerts, school events, community fundraisers and cultural gatherings, and they warned that changing operators could put staff jobs and community programming at risk. “Keep Sterling to manage the OPAC,” said Josiah Hendrickson, who identified himself as an employee, adding that the company’s staff had improved safety, increased attendance and supported community events.
Artist and community member Luis Vacca asked the council to allow OPAC representatives to present a five-year summary of services and programs before a decision: “Please allow OPAC to present details of the last five years in services and programs that they have provided in this city. If that doesn’t happen, you will not have the complete picture to make a well-informed decision.” Several speakers left contact information and urged the city manager to schedule that report.
City Manager (name not specified) responded during the meeting that staff would consider placing an OPAC report on a future agenda, and several council members later said they would review materials ahead of the Feb. 18 vote. Councilwoman Rodriguez also said the item was on the council’s calendar and that staff and community members should continue to meet as part of regular briefings.
Why it matters: The OPAC is a longstanding cultural asset. Operator changes can affect employees’ pay and continuity of programming, neighborhood safety and the availability of school and nonprofit events at the venue. Speakers argued that Sterling Venues had restored community confidence in the facility after it had fallen into disrepair.
What happens next: The council is scheduled to vote on an OPAC-related item on Feb. 18; speakers tonight asked the council to permit the venue and operator to present program data and to consider job continuity for the theater’s employees when it votes.
Notable verbatim: “Please find a way to make an agreement that works for everybody and most importantly, that works best for Oxnard,” said Sterling employee SVV representative (name not specified).
