City Commission debates Mansfield Theatre management; mayor proposes RFP

The Great Falls City Commission reviewed a consultant study May 5 that laid out options for operating the Civic Center and Mansfield Theatre and discussed whether to pursue a third‑party manager or expand city-run operations.

Consultants from Theatre DNA and Assembly Arts presented outreach findings, benchmarking and a phased five‑year plan designed to increase venue utilization from roughly 30% in Year 1 to about 55% by Year 5. They cited comparable markets in which outcomes varied: Nampa reduced an operating deficit from roughly $750,000 to $250,000 after switching to third‑party management, while Helena kept city operations and credited staffing investments and in‑house co‑promotions for financial stability. Consultants said municipal subsidies for comparable facilities typically range from about $250,000 to $360,000 annually.

Public commenters urged caution about privatization. "Privatizing operations would not reduce taxpayer burden," said Hillary Shepard, a Great Falls resident and representative of the Great Falls Symphony, who warned third‑party operators often increase rental and user fees and could reduce access for nonprofits and youth organizations. London Griffith, a Mansfield Advisory Board member, advocated instead for a city‑owned enterprise model with delegated governance that would preserve public ownership and ensure community access. Gordon Johnson, a longtime former music director of the Great Falls Symphony, called for a slow, careful evaluation that prioritizes citizens and the theater’s civic role.

Consultants described trade‑offs between models. City operation preserves mission control and direct subsidization for local users but may limit economies of scale and requires increased staff and business development. Third‑party management brings venue‑industry expertise and can assume day‑to‑day operations, but consultants cautioned that management fees and incentive structures must be tightly governed to avoid pressure to prioritize profitability over community use.

Consultants recommended several practical steps: reintroducing a modest facility use fee to seed a capital improvement fund, advancing a five‑year capital improvement plan (CIP) for technical upgrades, and strengthening marketing and sales capacity (they estimated the current marketing newsletter reaches roughly 700 contacts from a 20,000‑contact database). They also recommended performance metrics and annual monitoring. The pro forma discussed personnel costs including a currently budgeted $295,639 for Mansfield staff and an additional approximately $170,000 shown in the consultants’ projections to support added positions and executive leadership.

Mayor Cory Reeves proposed that, if the Commission concurs, Manager Greg Doyon engage Theatre DNA to prepare a Request for Proposals for third‑party venue management that would include clear guardrails to protect local partners such as the Great Falls Symphony and Miss Linda’s. Manager Doyon said he would proceed only after Commission questions are addressed and noted "the Commission retains the right to decide not to move forward at any stage." Commissioner Casey Schreiner voiced caution about assumptions in the pro forma and about where upfront funds for technology and staffing would come from; Schreiner said the broader fiscal impacts on other city programs must be part of the analysis.

The Commission did not take a formal vote at the work session. Commissioners discussed next steps including additional analysis of alternatives, follow‑up questions for staff and consultants, and the possibility of returning the item to a future work session before any procurement or contract decisions.

Next procedural steps: staff will compile outstanding questions, the consultants can prepare an RFP draft if directed, and the Commission may schedule further review before authorizing any procurement or contract award.