City council is calling a time out on hiring a contractor to find a new naming partner for Mosaic Place after several residents expressed interest in helping find a new sponsor.
During its June 27 regular meeting, city council unanimously agreed to postpone the agreement with Performance Sponsorship Group (PSG) until the efforts by local businesses, business owners and residents to acquire a naming partner are known.
This decision comes two weeks after council voted 5-2 to hire PSG to locate and negotiate a naming rights agreement for the Moose Jaw Events Centre for $29,000 and provide a commission of 20 per cent every year of the new agreement.
Councillors Kim Robinson and Dawn Luhning were opposed at the time, with Luhning saying she felt left in the dark about the committee’s existence.
Background
City hall established an in-house naming rights committee last May that consisted of the mayor, city administration, and Spectra Venue Management Services, while the committee provided an update to council during the June 14, 2021, executive committee meeting with an in-camera — behind closed doors — report, city manager Jim Puffalt explained during the June 27 meeting.
City administration presented this report in private because it contained information about sensitive ongoing negotiations, he continued.
Meanwhile, city administration mentioned the project during departmental quarterly updates — Q4 2021 and Q1 2022 — while it advertised the search in the media in November 2021 and on the municipality’s social media channels and LinkedIn profile.
The committee later asked Coun. Jamey Logan to join in January because of his business contacts in Moose Jaw and area.
Community support
After council approved hiring PSG, local businesspeople began inquiring about how they could help with the campaign, said Puffalt. Based on that interest, PSG agreed to hold the contract in abeyance until community members could meet with the committee and start searching.
The committee met on June 21 with residents and business owners, where it was suggested that the group be given July and August to approach companies and boards for support.
“We believe that it’s important that we give that opportunity to everybody local that has stepped up to give us a hand,” added Puffalt.
Council input
The committee has worked diligently to establish a list of sponsors, created a package to attract applicants, and has approached many of them, said Mayor Clive Tolley.
After council originally discussed this issue, residents involved in the original fundraising for the Moose Jaw Events Centre — Mosaic Place — came forward and asked if they could help instead of giving a 20-per-cent commission to a contractor. The committee met with those stakeholders, shared ideas and decided to take another run at finding a naming sponsor.
“I think it’s a good group we’ve got. We’ve got a good proposal. Since that time, I’ve reached out to a couple potential naming rights sponsors,” he added. “But it is a work in progress and we have nothing really concrete to report.”
During a media scrum after the meeting, Tolley declined to say how many residents were helping the committee.
Coun. Crystal Froese thought this was a good example of how having new information allowed council to make a different motion and change course. She wasn’t surprised by the interest from residents since the venue has support from many people in the community.
“I think it’s great and I’ll be excited to see where it goes,” she added.
Coun. Heather Eby thanked the residents who stepped forward to support the committee. She pointed out that instead of being unhappy with council’s original decision, they came forward with a solution and offered to help.
“I do look forward to the fruits of the labour of this committee and the new people who have been added to it,” she added.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, July 11.
