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Council discusses five-year Davis Arts Council agreement, in-kind services and rent options
Summary
City staff briefed the council on a drafted agreement with the Davis Arts Council for approximately 1,584 sq ft, market comparisons and estimated $13,000/year in in-kind city services.
Staff presented a proposed agreement with the Davis Arts Council for use of city-owned space (about 1,584 square feet) and reviewed comparable market rents and in-kind city contributions.
Planning/administrative staff (Speaker 3) summarized a market review of 13 local office properties with a base-rent range of roughly $11 to $17 per square foot (excluding triple-net items). "If that was at the lowest end... that would be about $17,000 a year," Speaker 3 said when illustrating low-end market rent for the square footage under discussion. Staff also estimated in-kind city support (custodial, utilities, pit services, limited staff support) valued around $13,000 per year.
Multiple councilmembers (Speakers 2, 5, 4, 6) recounted the Arts Council's historic contributions—volunteer programming, amphitheater management and civic events—and many expressed a preference to preserve favorable terms and offer a temporary five-year term to allow the Arts Council time to find a permanent home. Staff noted a clause clarifying IT services: the Arts Council should have its own network connection and the city will not assume ongoing IT responsibility, although staff will assist with troubleshooting as needed.
Why it matters: the Arts Council runs summer programming and other cultural events that the city and local economy benefit from, but staff said the displacement caused by other city projects (a dispatch center) requires re-evaluating the agreement terms to ensure fairness and clarity for both parties.
Next steps: staff said they are finalizing rental terms and contract language (including the IT-services clause and review dates). Council direction in the meeting favored a documented five-year temporary term and staff said they would proceed with a contract for council review and formal approval in a future meeting.
