Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parks staff recommend negotiating with 3 Peaks for Fort Tuthill winter attraction after RFP review
Summary
After evaluating two proposals, county staff and the Parks & Recreation Commission recommended negotiating a public‑private partnership with 3 Peaks Entertainment for a walk‑through winter experience at Fort Tuthill; supervisors gave staff a go‑ahead while emphasizing protections for winter snow‑play and clear insurance/out clauses.
Parks and Recreation staff presented two responses to an RFP for a winter‑season attraction at Fort Tuthill County Park and recommended moving forward to negotiate with 3 Peaks Entertainment, a walking/immersive lighting and winter‑village concept.
Staff described both proposals: Stardust offered a drive‑through light experience that highlighted Coconino County scenes and projected a higher price per car; 3 Peaks proposed a walk‑through maze, lit paths and a winter village with fire pits and rentable domes for private groups. Staff scored proposals on vision, operations, park compatibility, revenue model and references, and the Parks & Recreation Commission recommended 3 Peaks based on its vision, compatibility with existing winter partners and projected revenue share.
Cynthia from Parks staff told the board the preferred site would avoid taking offline the park’s main north parking lot so that ordinary snow‑play access remains available. She also emphasized contractual protections: insurance requirements, operations plans for icy conditions and clauses to remove activities that unduly disrupt winter access.
"We would like to move forward and see what type of a contract we might be able to negotiate with 3 Peaks Entertainment," a Parks staff presenter said. Supervisors asked questions about safety (icing/icy trails), liability and timelines; staff said final timing depends on procurement and production lead times, and that some vendors may need to order elements (structures, lights) in advance to operate this winter.
Supervisors signaled general support for negotiating a contract with the highest‑rated proposer while directing staff to preserve winter public use, require robust insurance and return to the board with proposed contract terms and exit clauses for county protection.
