by Bailey White
Staff Writer
The City and WJCT have reached an agreement giving the City control of special events at Metropolitan Park.
The City will now handle all 12 of the ticketed events allowed at the park each year instead of splitting control with WJCT. The agreement replaced a previous contract between the City and WJCT, originally reached in November 1982.
The agreement is currently working its way through City Council, which must approve the new, 25-year deal. According to the previous agreement, the City had control of six of Metro Park’s ticketed events, while WJCT sponsored the other six. The numbers are in accordance with limitations set by the National Park Service.
According to Cindy Laquidara of the City’s General Counsel Office, the agreement is beneficial to both sides because the City has been looking to gain control over special events at the park, and WJCT wants to concentrate on its core business of public broadcasting.
“The agreement took a while,” said Laquidara. “What took the longest was figuring out exactly what the old agreement called for. And of course, we wanted to make sure we were addressing everyone’s needs. Now that the City is handling events directly, I think they will be easier to coordinate.”
Michael Boylan, president and CEO of WJCT, agreed, saying the deal had the mutual interest of both parties in mind, especially considering that Metro Park and WJCT are adjacent to each other.
“Divesting ourselves of the properties allows us to focus our energies on how we impact the community — through broadcasting of television and radio,” said Boylan, adding that WJCT has had a great relationship with the City for a number of years, and that it had just gotten a little confusing. “This just cleans everything up.”
Since 1977, the City has leased the property from WJCT for $1 a year. That agreement is good until 2076. Boylan said this was “more of a ceremonial transaction,” noting that the park is designated for public use and would most likely always be used for that purpose, no matter who owns the park.
Another aspect of the agreement is that WJCT will no longer be responsible for maintenance at Metro Park. The City will handle all necessary equipment, conduct all negotiations with performers and obtain any needed copyright clearances.
In exchange for WJCT’s reduction in acreage, the City has promised an annual $30,000 contribution to the broadcasting station. The first payment is due by Oct. 15.
Theresa O’Donnell Price of the City’s Special Events Division said one of the main changes will be that all ideas for special events will come through her office instead of having them split between WJCT and the City. She also noted that some years all 12 event slots are not used.
These special events include the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and the Starry Nights concert series. The City is now assuming sponsorship of the Jazz Festival —which is scheduled to resume this fall and includes several dates set in April.
Regarding the standing liquor licenses of the City and WJCT, Laquidara noted that Florida statutes allows only one license to be used at a time at one location. The new agreement will not change how the liquor license is used in the future. Previously, WJCT would escrow its license to the City during an event at the City’s request.
Mayor John Delaney, who is sponsoring the resolution, said the City and WJCT will benefit from the new agreement.
“This is a good deal for Jacksonville,” said Delaney. “I’m very pleased with the arrangement we have worked out with WJCT. We’re excited about providing concerts and other events to our citizens.”