Library district to revisit fee structure for rental rates

When falling property values cut the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District's budget, it increased user fees for the theater at the Summerlin Library and Performing Arts Center, 1771 Inner Circle Drive. Groups that used the theater complained that the fees were too high.

Now, the library district has put the matter on the agenda of its next Board of Trustees meeting, slated for 6 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. District staff members plan to recommend a revised fee structure regarding theater rental rates.

"While the revised structure may not fully address each user's unique concerns, it does represent a good faith and respectful recognition of the position of all parties involved," said Jeanne Goodrich, library district executive director.

Various groups plan to speak at the meeting, and they urge the community to attend in a show of support.

"By holding a public hearing, they have agreed to discuss the rates and hear what the public has to say," said Marci Riedy, a parent volunteer for Broadway Bound, a children's performance studio that normally books the theater. "So we, the community, need to make sure our voice is heard loud and clear."

She said attendees need not speak but that a large presence alone would show that the community cares about the issue.

Broadway Bound has considered the theater its home since June 2009. It put on two shows a year there, but with the new fees, it can no longer afford it.

In January and February, Broadway Bound put on "The Wizard Of Oz " under the old rates. The two-week run cost $3,700. Then its contract with the library district ran out, and the new rates went into effect. To put on the same show, under the new rates, said Michael Vojvodich, instructor/director at Broadway Bound, would cost $27,000.

Riedy was formerly vice president of finance for Caesars Entertainment Corp. She reviewed the figures and formula used by the library district to come up with its new rates and determined the method was flawed.

Riedy said, "their argument is that they haven't increased rates in 18 years. And we sit there, and we say, 'Yeah, we understand that, but seven times is too much.' When you look at the rate, if you do the mathematical equation, to (rise to) $170 an hour would have meant that they had an 18 percent rate increase every single year ... we want them to be somewhere more reasonable."

Broadway Bound moved its last show, "Bye Bye Birdie," scheduled to run through Saturday, to the Nicholas J. Horn Theatre at the College of Southern Nevada's Cheyenne campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave. in North Las Vegas. The cost to rent it was $13,700.

Broadway Bound also began a petition that garnered 5,450 signatures. Copies were submitted to the library district's Board of Trustees, the Las Vegas City Council and the Clark County Commission. The 5,450 signatures were in addition to the 500 that Betty Weltman, a Sun City Summerlin resident, submitted after circulating her own petition around the retirement community.

Signature Productions had been a staple at the Summerlin Library and Performing Arts Center. When the library district announced its new fee structure, Signature looked for another venue. It approached Sun City Summerlin about the Starbright Theatre at 2215 Thomas W. Ryan Blvd.

Karl Larsen, president and founder of Signature, said the community theater group has been in negotiations with the Sun City Summerlin board, in case it wanted to go that route. Signature would wait, he said, to see the outcome of the Sept. 13 library district meeting before it committed itself to a venue.

"We have a contract sitting on our desk that needs to go to the (Sun City) board to decide whether we (will) do the spring show there (at the Starbright Theatre)," Larsen said. "We have talked with them and hopefully ironed out everything. We had to have a Plan B because, even though they have a meeting on the 13th, that doesn't mean they're going to do anything. So, our Plan B is that (going to Starbright), but it hasn't been presented to the board yet. If the library (doesn't lower its rates), then we would go to Starbright for our spring show."

Larsen said the show for the spring production has not yet been chosen, but its target dates would be in March.

"When they (the library district) force everybody out, that's not a good thing," he said. "I mean, this is a public facility. We just felt, and Marci Riedy felt, that they just had the wrong numbers. And she's proved that they had the wrong numbers."

The Las Vegas Ballet Company is also grappling with the rate increase. Founder Kyudong Kwak said he couldn't believe it when he heard how high the rates had jumped but plans to continue using the theater. Due to the ballet's unique needs, he said he didn't have any other choice.

Tickets to past performances were $15 or $20. The fee hike caused him to ratchet up the price to $25 for December's holiday shows, even though it doesn't cover the cost of renting the venue. Kwak said patrons would stay away if the ballet charged more.

"If people see the ticket price is more than $30, myself, I wouldn't pay that (for a show) at a library," he said. "The ticket price would have to go to $60 (to break even). You know, who's going to pay $60 to go to the library? It doesn't make any sense."

Kwak said he realizes the next show will force him to reach into his own pocket, but he said he had to do it.

"For the dancers," Kwak explained.

Broadway Bound said it will have a handful of people prepared to speak at the public hearing. They plan to hit the key points.

"I'm hoping that the board will understand that no one can afford it," Vojvodich said. "That they'll come to some middle ground, some agreement ... We understand that there has to be an increase; it's warranted. That theater has been around for how many years now? About 20 years, and they've never done an increase. Yeah, it's time to increase it. But not just (this way)."

Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.