A follow-up to Tuesday's referendum vote for the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center.
FAIRFIELD, IOWA -- Fairfield residents overwhelmingly supported a measure, by nearly a 2-1 vote, to create a "public-private partnership" between the Convention Center and the City of Fairfield.
As KTVO reported last week, the Center secured $950,000 in funds generated by the board members. These funds are the Center's portion of what will now become this partnership with the city.
Rustin Lippincott, the Executive Director of the Convention Center, told KTVO that he hopes to move past the dissent. He says that some people feel the government should not be involved with a private enterprise, but Lippincott said the Center is not a private enterprise.
"The city has made a commitment, back 8 to 10 years ago, when they said, 'we are going to provide the land for the Center to be built on.' So it has never been a private enterprise. There's always been this partnership moving forward," Lippincott said.
The "Local Option Sales Tax Revenue," which is $650,000 will be redirected toward the facility.
And for those people that disagree with this decision...
"All I can say to those people is: last year we have been a new operation; a new organization. And I ask people to give us a try; to trust what we're doing, what we're saying because we want this to be an integral part of the community," Lippincott added.
He said that the next step will be to meet with the bank in a few days to settle the lease agreement. Among Lippincott's goals in the next 6 to 9 months: increase local support.
"We've got to get to the point where we can bring the community together, because for this facility to thrive and succeed, we need the support of the community," Lippincott said. "Before we can expect people to come to our events and our meetings and our activities from that 90-mile radius, we need and I really want to have that local base."
Lippincott said he is excited and comforted to know that the community has supported the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center and its programs.
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