A bill for an ordinance approving a proposed Amendatory Agreement between the City and County of Denver and AEG Live-Rocky Mountains, LLC, to promote and book concerts and live events at various City venues and facilities. (INFRASTRUCTURE & CULTURE) Adds $1.2 million to the contract with AEG Live-Rocky Mountains, LLC (for a total contract amount of $2.4 million) and extends it to 12-31-15 for the Denver Arts & Venues Promoter Commission Program (THTRS-201313532). The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 2-2-15. The Committee approved filing this bill by consent on 12-31-14.
Ten eyes one no. 1099 1100 had been ordered published in a block. We have one more bill for introduction. 1124. Councilman SHAPIRO, would you like for us to do with this? I'd like to ask questions and also probably put it on the floor for a vote. She. Would you like us to put on the floor first and then ask questions, or will the answers determine whether or not you want to? Let's go ahead and put it. On the floor. Certainly. Kathleen Ortega, could you please have 1124 ordered published? Mr. President, I move that council bill 1124 be ordered published. Men moved in second and comments. Questions. Councilwoman Sheppard. I don't need it yet, though. Okay. Hold that for the comment section, Senator. So. So. Arts and venues. Oh, Ted. Okay. Thank you. So I've been reading. Okay. I'm pulling this out because of the forthcoming Bill Cosby Show that has been booked at the Buell Theater next Saturday. I think it's the 17th, is that correct? And I've had a lot of discussions with some constituents regarding the sensitivity around this issue because of recent allegations regarding Mr. Cosby's conduct in the past. So, number one, I want to understand better what is. And I asked this question in counsel. But if when and how? Does the city intervene in its relationship with promoters concerning the content or like a particular artist? And yeah, please come up and then I have a follow up question. Good evening. Council of President and Council Members of Council Ted Bowman with Arts and Venues, the venue director for Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Denver Coliseum. So to answer your question that we rent all of our facilities, arts and venues, facilities to promoters as long as they comply with our booking policies and procedures, they then present the show. So the promoters present the shows and they work with the agents and managers with those particular artists. We we really don't we really try to be careful as the city to to censor or to talk about the content of both of the shows. There's a wide variety of entertainment choices and and content for each of the performances that we have. So the city doesn't really get into the like, I guess, judging of what the content materials are. Has the city ever moved to cancel a show in one of our venues? There have been efforts years ago to do so, but because of the challenges with again censoring content and material, the city doesn't do that. Okay, so that's one set of questions. And then I want to actually ask questions regarding the Bill 1124 specifically. And it is a, as I understand it, a commission to be paid to AEG, which is the promoter of this particular show for the Denver Arts and Venues Promoter Permission Commission program. I am wondering if you can explain very clearly for everyone who may be in this room or watching about what is the Promoter Commission program? Sure. So we had a commission program for a number of years at previously theaters and arenas, now arts and venues. And it's an incentive program to try to get the commercial promoters to continue to book the events that we have with all of our facilities. And it's really based on the revenue that they generate for us so they can earn a a portion of the rent back of what they generate for the facility. And overall, all of the other revenues that are generated at these particular events is far greater than the portion of the rent that they return, get returned back to them. And again, this is only for the commercial presenters because we have a different rate structure for all the noncommercial presenters. So let me just clarify, are the funds that are being used to do a give back? I don't know what else to call it. Is it taxpayer money or is it money that comes from the ticket sales generated? It comes from the ticket sales generated. Okay. I think that's really helpful because I think that there may be some people out there that have a misunderstanding about where these funds are coming from and how they're appropriated. Okay. Those are the questions I have. I don't know if anyone else has a question. Nobody as of yet chimed in. So if you have comments, cancel them and go right ahead. Yeah. So I've had a lot of conversations about this issue in the past week with constituents, and I understand very much, you know, where the city is, you know, on not wanting to censor and, you know, the contracts that we already have in place with our promoters and the contracts that those promoters have in place with their with their entertainment. Mr. Cosby has not been charged with anything. He hasn't been tried. He has not been found guilty. He's not been convicted. We all we know that. It. It it doesn't change the fact that just even all of the allegations that are floating around out there are really difficult and challenging for some people in our community who have experienced sexual assault, either personally or a loved one has. And, you know, it's been it's been a I've had some tough conversations in the last week about this. And I know that many times. And I will call them survivors. I won't call them victims. Don't speak up when sexual assault has happened because maybe they don't want to admit it to themselves that it's happened sometimes. It's been someone in a position of trust that has committed an action like this might be an employer, it might be an older family member, it might be a neighbor. There's a lot of doubt, anxiety, confusion, angst that that survivors experience when they you know, when they've had this coming, when they've had this issue happen to them. And they may feel very terrified for many reasons about coming forward and speaking up about about these issues, perhaps that they wouldn't be believed, perhaps that they might be ridiculed or blamed or told that they were at fault. And I know I just know that is such a hard thing for people to come forward and speak up about. And I have had a lot of conversations in the last week about this particular bill. Once again, I want to say that I know that Mr. Cosby Cosby has not been charged with anything. He has not been charged or convicted. But I just personally don't feel comfortable in voting yes on this bill tonight. I have had extensive conversations with the promoter Mr. Morris, regarding this so he knows where I'm standing. And so this is not a reflection on him, but it's something that I need to do. And I also at the same time want to put the information out there that if you are someone who has experienced sexual assaults either recently or in the past, where a loved one has and you really need to talk to someone, Kelly, you can go ahead and put it up. Now, I want to refer you to an excellent sex assault hotline that we have available in the metro area through an organization called Blue Bench. That hotline number is on the screen and it's 303322, 7273. Once again, 303322, 72, 73. Thank you very much. Thank you, Councilwoman Sheperd, either. Councilwoman Robb. Thank you. I just wanted to thank Councilwoman Sheppard for making the issue behind her vote very clear. I do think this is a difficult situation, and she and I have discussed it and have talked a little bit with some of the same people or communicated. When I first heard about the situation, it was brought to my attention. I do also want to say that I felt that the mayor's office in our two venues were very responsive as I brought it up. And so I want that to be out on the table. I know that Kent Rice also had a conversation with Chuck Morris, but all of that said, I am going to go ahead with some discomfort and support this tonight because it's about more than just this one show. I would encourage people who are not pleased with this show being here to go ahead and to picket that. Certainly their free speech. Right, as well. And I would also say there are probably some other shows I would just as soon not have here in Denver that might not be part of this. But I do understand the contractual relationship. Some people think those shows are certain rap artists or whatnot. So because of the First Amendment and contractual reasons, I will be supporting this. But I absolutely respect Councilman Sheppard's approach. Thank you, Councilwoman Robb. Any of the comments on 1124 seen Under Secretary Roll Call Shepard? Shepard Epstein. Brooks. I. Thought I can each. Laman Hi, Lopez. Montero Abstain. Nevitt Hi. Ortega Hi. Rob. Hi, Mr. President. I Councilwoman Montero. Catwoman Ortega Ortega chimed in and. There we go. Madam Secretary, please close the venue, announce the results. Excuse me. I don't. On my screen, I don't see my abstention. Nor do I see my name. It's down there. From. Your. Podium. Oh, I'm sorry. You there? Thank you. I appreciate that. That's okay. Please close the voting and out the results. Eight eyes, zero nays, three abstentions. 880 nays, three abstention. 1124 has been ordered published. Those are all the bills for introduction. We've got one bill. Final consideration, two council members, Councilwoman Robb, Councilwoman Ortega, I'll say, or either one of you two. Did you want to that called out for a vote or just for questions or comments either one for vote.