Board approves Heritage Hall management services agreement, appoints liaison

The Johnson County Board of Education on July 9 approved a management services agreement with Heritage Hall and named a board member to serve as an ex officio liaison to Heritage Hall’s board.

Board members raised concerns about shared utilities, day‑time access for maintenance and cleaning responsibilities before the vote. "I've lived and worked in this building for 30 years," a board member said during debate, describing recurring issues with trash, supplies and unexpected utility interruptions that staff have had to manage. Another board member urged cooperation, calling Heritage Hall "an asset to this community for 21 years."

A representative of Heritage Hall described the document as a management services agreement rather than a lease: "It's quite frankly, it's it's a management services agreement. It's not a lease. We're not leasing the space," the representative said, explaining the group runs the theater for students and community use at no charge and has done so for about 20 years. He said the agreement includes provisions to address the board's concerns and can be nullified with 60 days' notice.

Board discussion focused on three operational items: acknowledgement of shared utilities between the district and Heritage Hall, expectations for cleaning and facility readiness, and emergency access via key‑card access. Heritage Hall’s representative agreed that the district should have agreed access in emergencies and that the draft includes language to address cleaning and response times.

The board moved to approve the management services agreement and to designate a liaison to sit as an ex officio member of the Heritage Hall board; the motion carried on a roll call vote with all members present voting yes. The board then nominated and elected a board member (motion to appoint "mister River") to serve as the liaison.

The agreement and liaison appointment mean the district will retain a formal channel to raise facility concerns with Heritage Hall management and the agreement's termination clause gives the district a 60‑day remedy if expectations are not met. The board did not change the agreement text at the meeting; members said they expect to work with Heritage Hall staff to resolve any remaining language issues after approval.