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Pryor council signs equipment contract for Born in Rock festivals after safety, cost questions
Summary
The Pryor City Council approved a contract to stage city fire equipment at two music festivals operated by Born in Rock (Born and Raised), after days of questions about cost recovery, personnel pay and liability. Officials said equipment would be billed to the promoter; personnel and off‑duty officers are handled through separate agreements and insurance.
The Pryor City Council on Thursday approved a contract allowing the city to stage fire equipment at two large music festivals produced by Born in Rock, after council members questioned whether the city’s costs would be fully recouped and how personnel and liability would be handled.
Mayor (unnamed in transcript) said the agreement covers equipment only and that personnel pay and worker‑comp issues are handled separately. "This contract is just the trucks that go out there," the mayor said, adding the venue has historically paid personnel directly while the city billed for equipment.
Chief Young, who described the arrangement as an equipment staging contract, told council the trucks and rapid‑response brush vehicles provide quicker on‑site response and that firefighters working the events are covered under separate payroll and insurance arrangements. "We always cut the equipment that you all supply out there," Chief Young said, describing how the city and venue have split equipment and personnel costs in prior years.
Council members pressed for clarity on several points: whether off‑duty officers would be deputized and what effect outside work would have on city pension and liability. Houston, identified in the meeting as the city’s risk manager, said off‑duty officers and other responders would be covered by a festival‑contracted security payroll and a separate insurance policy; he also said the city had reviewed its emergency plan and was prepared to respond if an incident required it.
Council members sought longer‑term changes, including a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to more clearly apportion equipment and personnel costs and to avoid drawing down city pensions or overtime budgets. One council member urged exploring whether more of the personnel cost could be routed through the promoter so the city would not bear pension or overtime burdens.
The council voted to approve the equipment contract; the motion passed after discussion that the parties will continue negotiating personnel payments, insurance and potential future MOUs to protect the city’s fiscal exposure.
Next steps: staff said they will continue discussing personnel and insurance arrangements with the promoter and may return to council with an MOU or contract amendments if negotiations require further approval.
