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Local arts nonprofit asks Manti City for MOU to manage auditorium and accept donated equipment
Summary
Representatives of DPAC asked the council for a collaborative memorandum of understanding to help manage and upgrade the city auditorium and accept donated seating and sound equipment; staff said a signed MOU could speed transfer of equipment if completed before May 1.
Representatives from Discovering Potential through Arts & Creativity (DPAC) asked the Manti City Council on April 1 to approve a memorandum of understanding to formalize a collaborative relationship for using and managing the city auditorium.
DPAC’s presenter said the group has been using local school spaces and the auditorium for performances and would like the city’s help to use the upstairs facility more often and to secure donated equipment from a closing theater. “We have a lot of potential there,” the presenter said, asking the council to consider an MOU that would allow DPAC to accept donated seating, acoustic treatments and surround speakers and to operate under DPAC’s insurance and ASCAP licensing where appropriate. The presenters said some equipment will be available only if the city can provide a place to store and install it within a short timeframe.
City Manager Jason Brown said staff has prepared a first draft of an MOU and is reviewing it with legal counsel. “This is the first draft. We want to introduce the concept and wrap this up before May 1 if possible so we can get the equipment upstairs,” Brown said. Council members asked about potential seating changes and whether donated seating would reduce auditorium capacity; DPAC representatives said seating could reduce capacity by roughly one-third based on measurements and recommended preserving city priority for official business uses.
Council discussion touched on insurance and concession policies, oversight of concessions cleanup, scheduling to avoid conflicts with city business, and whether DPAC could operate as an umbrella organization for other arts groups in the valley. DPAC said it already partners with schools and other nonprofit arts groups and would be open to city input on scheduling and operations.
Next steps: staff will continue legal review of the MOU and return to the council with a revised draft for consideration. DPAC asked that an MOU be in place before the Southbound Theater’s equipment disposition date to allow timely transfer of donated items.
