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Wellington Chamber to move to Memorial Auditorium after City agreement was approved

January 21, 2015   Cueball

Correction: In a previous version of this article it stated that Renn and Company was looking to expand its business with the old chamber office. At this time it wishes to rent out the office when the Chamber moves to Memorial Auditorium. 

by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The Wellington Area Chamber of Commerce is moving its office to Memorial Auditorium.

By a 7-0 vote, the Wellington City Council approved an agreement with the chamber and the Wellington Recreation Commission to manage Memorial Auditorium as well as Heritage Park and the Armory for the City of Wellington. The agreement will encompass Jan. 1, 2015 to Dec. 31. 2016.

As part of the agreement, the chamber will move its office from its current location on 207 S. Washington to the second floor of Memorial where the current WRC Fitness Center is located.

Shelley Hansel

Shelley Hansel

This move is all contingent on when the new fitness center will be completed at the rec center. WRC officials are estimating that the move will occur in April or May.

“I think it is a win-win situation,” Hansel said. “We have a beautiful Memorial Auditorium that will have a full-time client. And it helps us out because the current office is too small.”

The current chamber office is owned by the Donna Renn family.

The agreement (full contract below) states the city will pay the WRC and Chamber $10,000 each annually at $27.50 per day. The city will pay all utilities, insurance, and annual repairs to Memorial and Armory.

In turn, WRC will be responsible for daily custodian and minor maintenance to the two buildings and provide liability insurance expenditures.

The chamber agrees to relocate and maintain their office space, be responsible for the daily operations and scheduling of events at Memorial, and record keeping.

With the new office at the chamber, Memorial will be fully occupied. It already has a War Memorial exhibition on the first floor and is used by the Sumner County Historical and Genealogical Society, the WRC, Wheat Festival, DARE and walkers during normal visiting hours.

Hansel acknowledges there are a few logistics to work out. The fitness center contains three big spacious rooms and there will be some planning on how to convert that space into usable office space. She said she is most excited about having a meeting room big enough to accommodate large groups of people – which was lacking at the current chamber office.

Hansel anticipates there will be an information welcome center in the front door lobby which will include various literature, phone books, pamphlets, etc.

“There’s a lot of planning still left to do,” she said. “My ultimate goal is we will be more accessible and user friendly to the public.”

Hansel said her only regret is losing the working relationship with the Renn family as far as the office is concerned.

“They have been so good to work with,” she said. “Donna has never raised our rent the whole time we have been here.”

But Hansel said the relocation will give the chamber more visibility and will help market Memorial regionally.

Council member John Tracy, who also serves on the Memorial Auditorium Board, gave a brief overview of the history of the building.

The building was constructed in 1921 as a Memorial to those who died in World War 1. Since then it has recognized veterans of all foreign conflicts. In the mid 1970s it was shut down because of disrepairs. A group of citizens then spearheaded a bond election to refurbish the building and it passed. Since then it has hosted various concerts over the years including Reba McEntire and John Michael Montgomery.

The full agreement is as follows:

CITY OF WELLINGTON, KANSAS MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into this ____ day of _______________ 2015 by and between the City of Wellington (City), the Wellington Recreation Commission (WRC) and the Wellington Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB (Chamber):

WITNESSETH: The parties hereto for the consideration hereinafter specified, agree as follows with respect to a proposal that the WRC and Chamber will manage the daily operations of the Memorial Auditorium (including Heritage Park) and Armory for the City.

THE CITY agrees to:

  1. Pay to the WRC $10,000 annually, in four (4) payments, beginning March 1 of each year, and following on April 1, July 1 and October 1. The payment for the first year of this Agreement shall be paid on a pro-rated basis of $27.40 per day, beginning on the effective date of this Agreement until December 31, 2015, paid quarterly.
  2. Pay to the Chamber $10,000 in 2015, in three (3) payments, beginning on the effective date of this Agreement and following on July 1 and October 1. Pay to the Chamber $5000 in 2016, in four (4) payments, beginning March 1 and following on April 1, July 1 and October 1. Any payments in future years shall be negotiated not less than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration date or renewal date of the Agreement.
  3. Pay all utilities for the Memorial Auditorium and Armory, including heat.
  4. Provide property insurance coverage for both facilities.
  5. Be responsible for major repairs and major maintenance of both facilities and infrastructure,including plumbing, electrical, mechanical structures and their ancillary equipment.
  6. Pay for annual fire alarm and fire suppression testing and elevator maintenance.
  7. Provide ice and snow removal on the public sidewalk.
  8. Provide a current fee schedule applicable to these facilities.

THE WRC agrees to:

  1. Be responsible for the daily custodial and minor maintenance and repairs of the Memorial Auditorium and the Armory.
  2. Be responsible for the daily operation of the Armory and receive any revenues produced from events and activities in the facility.
  3. Provide at its expense, and file with the City Clerk, contents insurance and sufficient liability insurance covering the WRC, it’s officers, agents and employees and holding the City harmless from any and all liability for damage caused by injuries, accidents or claims arising from or made in connection with the WRC’s management and maintenance of these facilities, including Heritage Park; or the City may, at the WRC’s expense, be added to the WRC’s liability insurance policy as a named insured in the following amounts:

Personal injury including:
Products and Contractual Limit Each Occurrence Limit Medical Expense Limit

$500,000 $500,000 $ 5,000

(any one person)
Deductible Each Claim $ 250

  1. Allow existing facility users to continue current operations.
  2. Continue WRC programs and activities in the Memorial Auditorium, such as, but not limitedto, Red Line and exercise classes. New programs may be added as scheduling allows.
  3. Keep facilities open and available for community emergency use as storm shelter and/or otherneeds.
  4. Allow City to use either facility for special events at no charge and to be given preference inscheduling.
  5. Not make modifications or improvements to these facilities without the consent and approvalof the City.
  6. Repair and/or replace any permanent damage to these facilities as a result of the WRC’sprograms and activities.
  7. Not allow alcoholic or cereal malt beverages at the Armory at any time.
  8. Provide for telephone and computer services at either facility as needed for WRC’s programsand activities.

THE CHAMBER agrees to:

  1. Relocate and maintain their office space on the second floor of the Memorial Auditorium with no monthly rental charge.
  2. Be responsible for the daily operations and scheduling of events for the Memorial Auditorium, including Heritage Park.
  3. Receive fifty percent (50%) of any revenues produced by activities taking place at the facility, with the remaining fifty percent (50%) of revenues to be received by the City for the remainder of 2015, and receive seventy-five percent (75%) of said revenues with the remaining twenty-five percent (25%) of revenues to be received by the City in 2016.
  4. Provide at its expense, and file with the City Clerk, contents insurance and sufficient liability insurance covering the Chamber, it’s officers, agents and employees and holding the City harmless from any and all liability for damage caused by injuries, accidents or claims arising from or made in connection with the Chamber’s management and maintenance of these facilities, including Heritage Park; or the City may, at the Chamber’s expense, be added to the Chamber’s liability insurance policy as a named insured in the following amounts:Personal injury including:
    Products and Contractual Limit $500,000 Each Occurrence Limit $500,000

Medical Expense Limit (any one person) Deductible Each Claim: $ 5,000, $ 250.

5. Allow existing facility users to continue current operations: Genealogical Society, Wellington Recreation Commission, Wheat Festival, DARE, walkers

6. Allow the City to use the Memorial Auditorium, including Heritage Park, for special events at no charge and to be given preference in scheduling.

Sumner County Historical and during normal business hours, etc.

  1. Not make modifications or improvements to the facilities without the consent and approval of the City.
  2. Repair and/or replace any permanent damage to the facility as a result of the Chamber’s programs and operations.
  3. Not allow alcoholic or cereal malt beverages, unless otherwise permitted by City Ordinance.
  4. Provide for telephone and computer services as needed for the Chamber’s daily operations.

This agreement shall be for a term of two (2) years commencing on the effective date and ending on December 31, 2016. Thereafter, this Agreement shall be automatically renewed for successive one-year terms upon the same terms and conditions as contained herein, unless any party shall deliver written notice to the others of its intention not to renew this Agreement not less than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the current term.

The current maintenance agreement for the Memorial Auditorium and Armory between WRC and the City will become null and void as of the effective date of this agreement.

The Wellington Memorial Auditorium Board will serve as the conflict and complaint review and resolution body for these facilities.

________________________________________ City of Wellington Date CITY MANAGER

________________________________________ Wellington Recreation Commission Date CHAIRPERSON

________________________________________ Wellington Area Chamber of Date
Of Commerce & CVB
CHAIRPERSON

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