Proposed arts center pact revised

Arts Commission expected to vote on agreement between COC and city

Months after the issue was tabled for further discussion following outcry from community users, the Santa Clarita Arts Commission is set to review a proposed new pact between the city and College of the Canyons for the performing arts center at the college.

Commissioners are expected to vote Thursday on whether to recommend the Santa Clarita City Council approve a new three-year memorandum of understanding, or MOU, between the city and COC for the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons.

The city and COC have had an MOU in place for years. The agreement is meant to help provide local groups access to the performing arts center.

With the most recent pact set to expire at the end of June, the two sides sought an extension earlier this year. Arts Commissioners, though, balked at moving the matter forward after some community groups raised concerns with a new aspect of the deal that would require them to use the box office services at the PAC to sell their tickets.

Some community users said having to go through the PAC’s box office would limit their ability to create personal relationships with buyers or answer specific questions from patrons.

College officials said a primary reason behind the proposed change was to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The performing arts center is equipped with ADA-

compliant seating, but, in the past, “There have been instances where tickets sold by a community user were given to someone who didn’t need them, and then we had somebody come in who did need them,” COC spokesman Eric Harnish said in an earlier interview in May.

The revised MOU that will come before the Arts Commission Thursday would allow community groups to sell their own tickets, but only if they provide legal protection for the college, Harnish said Tuesday.

“They can either use the box office to sell tickets for their shows or they can provide us with some additional insurance to guard against any ADA-related claims,” Harnish said Tuesday.

“We want to make sure that we’re protected and that our community partners are protected as well,” he added.

If eventually approved by the City Council, the new MOU would run through June 30, 2018.

“We look forward to continuing to work together with the city and the community users in putting on some great shows at the center,” Harnish said.

The Santa Clarita Arts Commission will meet Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd. in Valencia.