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Board members propose transferring $75,000 to downtown theater for equipment and operations
Summary
Board members discussed the downtown theater’s growing schedule and proposed moving $75,000 from board-controlled funds to pay for DCI-compliant projection hardware, foyer speakers and operating costs; the motion will be submitted to the city council and was not voted on at the meeting.
Members of a Martinsville redevelopment board discussed the downtown theater’s increased activity and a plan to move $75,000 from board funds to cover equipment and operating needs.
A committee member said the theater has held "27 events since October," averaging about "80 people" for movie showings and between "100 to 200" attendees for concerts, and that those events are generating steady public use. The member said the theater cannot screen some studio-encrypted titles without additional projection equipment: "This DCI, compliant is gonna run about 20,000," and added that foyer audio work and related sound-board upgrades would cost more, noting "about 15 speakers in the foyer, about 5,000." The member said roughly $40,000 is currently available in a local account the speaker referred to as the Roaring account and proposed shifting funds to finish outstanding needs.
Aaron Grant, who spoke during roll call and participated in the discussion, warned of accounting constraints under the State Board of Accounts and described practical limits on ticket handling and sponsorships under city control. "The state board of accounts won't allow that," Grant said, and added that ticketing fees mean patrons currently pay "$7.50" after processing charges.
To address both equipment and short-term operating costs, a committee member proposed transferring $75,000 to the theater. "So I would like to propose that we, move 75,000 over to the theater to just take care of everything they need to do right now," the member said. Aaron Grant said he would place the motion to move the funds on the meeting record and submit it to the city council for action: "I'll set in the motion that we move 75,000 to buy the equipment and and let the city use it as they need." A committee member said they would lodge the motion with the council; the meeting ended before any vote was recorded.
Board members discussed operational benefits of moving the theater out of direct city control so it could accept sponsorships or cash more flexibly. One member said that as a nonprofit operator there would be "a little more leeway" for sponsorships and cash handling compared with city-run rules.
The board did not take a formal vote at the meeting. A member said the motion would be placed on the council agenda; the council’s consideration and any final funding transfer were not resolved at the session.
