Comments on: Walton Arts Center board votes to expand in Bentonville and Fayetteville

By: Daniel Maner

Daniel Maner — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 05:01:22 +0000

It is clear from the attorney general’s opinion and the city attorney’s opinion that the Walton Arts Center Council, Inc. is indeed an agent of the City of Fayetteville. It is also clear that the decision to remove the prinicipal performing arts center from Fayetteville and relocate it to Bentonville is not in Fayetteville’s best interests financially. If the City of Fayetteville is not willing to take action to remedy the situation it seems to me that any taxpaying resident of Fayetteville has grounds to take legal action themselves. That resident or group of residents could not only force change to the decision but recoup costs and damages incurred because of the Council’s decision.

There has been talk that it is unseemly to take legal action against a volunteer board- that is ridiculous. This not a group of volunteers serving Christmas dinner at the local shelter- it is a group of well-off individuals making a decision that will have huge, long-term financial implications for Fayetteville and the entire metro.

Thisis a case of an extremely wealthy group of people using financial coercion and intimidation to force change that will harm Fayetteville and the entire metro. With great wealth comes great responsibilty and using examples of what good this group has done to excuse them in this case when they are doing wrong is wrong in itself. The implied threat of withholding funding if everyone doesn’t toe the line is a clear misuse of the power that this group holds and needs to be adressed.

By: V.A. Pensiero

V.A. Pensiero — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 22:55:59 +0000

The attorney general’s opinion ( http://ag.arkansas.gov/opinions/docs/2007-178.html ) sent by Curtain Up (Dec. 3) states that the Council acts as “agent” for the City and the UA. Isn’t that equivalent to saying it’s subject to the same laws as the City and the UA? Otherwise, its establishment might be seen as a way to circumvent the law.

By: Daniel Maner

Daniel Maner — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 04:56:19 +0000

The WAC is a non-profit organization formed by the City of Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas, right? So does that make it a public entity subject to the Freedom of Information Act?
Is it a matter of public record of what the vote was and how each member voted and if so where can one obtain that information?

By: Informed voter

Informed voter — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 06:13:00 +0000

It doesn’t seem to be Petty’s job to represent the voters of ward 2. He just hypes his own agenda,

By: Brad

Brad — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 16:55:26 +0000

How could one not harbor some degree of distrust after following this farce of a selection process? The WAC and the family foundation have mud on their faces after this one! They can donate wherever they wish, but no amount of family fortune makes this decision rightous or fair! The people of Fayetteville should form their own commission, tap the vast creative resources of the community and kick the cr@! out of the sterileMart arts center at the box office. By the way, I’m going for groceries today and will try out the IGA on College as my new food mart.

By: Brad

Brad — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 16:39:35 +0000

The truth is that most of the good shows will go to the primary facility…with the existing one receiving scraps. The people of Fayetteville should have a say in the management of the existing WAC. The conflict of interests created by a dual site WAC is just weighted too much against Fayetteville, Dixon Street and the UofA.
Our community would be better served by these forces running the theatre as a COMPETITOR, not an UNDERSTUDY!

By: Brad

Brad — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 16:29:41 +0000

The same great programing! Really? The existing facility will become the “B” site.. with “B” level promotions. The best features will always go to the primary facility!
. This is why the existing structure must be independently operated in order to be successful. The real question is more likely to be “Can a project of this magnitude succeed in NWA without the enthusiastic support of the populous of it’s largest community? I say that is a tough gig, especially if the civic and art minded people of Fayetteville are promoting their own center in direct competition. What is the population of Bentonville, anyway?

By: Zapp Brannigan

Zapp Brannigan — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 14:45:53 +0000

So if the WAC issues a press release stating they are going to do A Thing, you accept it on face value? Got it.

I agree, we need to know how the board voted. I’m glad you brought this up. A looming scandal this big may need some heavy-hitting investigative journalism, so I’ve contacted ProPublica, the Center for Investigative Reporting, and Rolling Stone. We’re gonna crack this thing wide open!

By: Daniel Maner

Daniel Maner — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 08:50:40 +0000

Great! I got a ” Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage” when I clicked that link.

By: Wally Sams

Wally Sams — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 08:18:23 +0000

From the 2008 Morning News article linked above…

Council members are:
University of Arkansas Appointees
* Donald Bobbitt, dean of Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
* Johnetta Cross Brazzell, vice chancellor for student affairs
* Ronda Mains, associate professor of music
* Michael Riha, associate professor of drama
* Judy Schwab, assistant vice chancellor for University Advancement
City of Fayetteville Appointees
* David Banks, retired CEO
* Curt Rom, UA associate professor of horticulture
* Linda Gaddy, volunteer
* Tina Hodne, lawyer with Cypert, Crouch, Clark and Harwell
* Jeff Schomburger, vice president of customer business development, Procter & Gamble
Regional Appointees
* Dante Anderson, vice president of marketing and insights at Sam’s Club
* Steve Collins, Wal-Mart snack team leader for Mars Snackfood US
* Kathy Counce, volunteer
* Tony Dunning, vice president of Wal-Mart global business development, Kimberly Clark Corp.
* John Fleming, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Wal-Mart
* Dorothy Hanby, certified public accountant
* Vina Hyde, artist and volunteer
* Archie Ryan, retired vice president and business owner
* Jerry Vest, president at Regions Bank
* Sharon Wasson, business owner

By: Daniel Maner

Daniel Maner — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 06:51:49 +0000

@Zapp- I guess I don’t understand your post- if the announcement had been that the new principal performing arts center would be built in Fayetteville that would mean that it would not be moving to Bentonville. I’m glad that you brought up the WAC Board of Directors though. I did some research on the makeup of the board in 2008 when the plans were first being discussed. According to the City of Fayettevile website:
The Board of Directors shall be composed of nine directors that are appointed as follows:
?Three directors shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees for the University of Arkansas
?Three directors shall be appointed by the Fayetteville City Council
?Three directors shall be jointly appointed by the Mayor of the City of Fayetteville, and the Chancellor of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
http://www.accessfayetteville.org/government/city_clerk/boards_and_commissions/walton_arts_center_foundation_inc_board_of_directo/index.cfm
If you go to the WAC’s website you see a total of 20 directors with 5 appointed by the U of A, 5 by the City of Fayetteville and 10 at large.
http://www.waltonartscenter.org/about_us/board_of_directors

Obviously there is a discrepancy and it would be great reporting by someone to resolve it and disclose exactly who has made the decision and what their affiliations are. Up to this point is it has been a nameless Walton Arts Center Board of Directors without any idea of who has made the decision and what their motives were for making it. Mr. Petty pointed out in one of his posts that several members of the board were from Fayetteville or connected to the U of A with the insinuation that they would vote to keep the main facilty in Fayetteville. That did not happen and why it did not needs to be known.
Can the Fayetteville Flyer look into these important issues and enlighten the public?

By: Zapp Brannigan

Zapp Brannigan — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 05:45:27 +0000

It’s clear you have a strong distrust of the WAC board’s motives, and I think you’re letting this Us-vs-Them mentality cloud your judgment. I’d wager if they instead announced that Fayetteville had landed the 2200-seat expansion, you’d be here whining about a mysterious Benton County conspiracy to pull the plug at the last minute and move it to Bentonville.

By: Daniel Maner

Daniel Maner — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 05:54:29 +0000

I left out a point on my last post. With the move to do away with paid parking the adequate parking that the WAC is demanding before building the 600 seat theater may not be available and so the theater would not be built. I think paid parking will lose support with the WAC’s decision to remove the area’s major PAC from the Dickson Street area- who wants to give parking revenue to an organization that doesn’t have the city’s best interests at heart?

By: baptist

baptist — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 05:36:56 +0000

Comment removed. See our policy.

By: Daniel Maner

Daniel Maner — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 04:18:43 +0000

I don’t think the 600 seat theater will ever be built in Fayetteville. Remember- it is contingent on the city providing adequate parking for it and with the decision to remove the area’s major PAC from Fayetteville not only will additional parking not be needed but the revenue from paid parking will go down. The new Bentonville facilty’s construction will take priority anyway.

I’m glad you brought up ticket revenues- I wonder how much of the ticket revenue raised in Fayetteville will be going to support the WAC’s Benton County plans? How much of the money from Washington County donors will go to Benton County now? I’m not a big time donor but they will not be getting any of what I would have donated. I will donate more when a new Fayetteville Performing Arts Center is established.

By: Zapp Brannigan

Zapp Brannigan — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 03:54:32 +0000

“Do you really think that the WAC will willingly let seats go empty in their new $100,000,000+ showplace?”

No, I expect them to offer a wider variety of programming in order to maximize ticket revenues at each location. Do you really think they’ll willingly let seats go empty in their new black box theater in Fayetteville?

By: mpetty

mpetty — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 02:54:36 +0000

Because he’s wrong, too? I explained my thoughts when I answered Todd, above. A rearrangement and expansion of programming does not equal a net loss.

By: burgerboy

burgerboy — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 02:38:19 +0000

If this isn’t a loss for Fayetteville, Petty, then why was Kit Williams on KNWA tonight claiming that it is? The words used were “millions of dollars” that Fayetteville stands to lose as a result of this decision.

A new 2200 seat venue will be built in Bentonville. If I were betting money, I’d gladly bet a large sum that THAT will happen.

The rest is just fluff for now.

By: Wow

Wow — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:03:51 +0000

@Mpetty
I bet in 10 years you are wrong.

By: mpetty

mpetty — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 23:54:05 +0000

@Burgerboy – What about stadium shows? And are you claiming that the WAC management isn’t going to continue to sell as many local tickets, if not more? I bet in 10 years, when everything has been constructed and programming is underway, the data on ticket sales and sales tax revenue will prove you wrong.