Council reviews draft rodeo agreement as association seeks to run events at 580 complex

City staff and representatives of a newly formed Rodeo Association discussed a draft memorandum of agreement (MOA) on April 16 that would assign scheduling and some maintenance responsibilities for the 580 complex to the association while preserving city oversight for escalations.

Staff said the MOA needs an updated Exhibit A listing announcers’ logs and other details and that language should be clear about what routine maintenance the association will handle versus the city. "It still leaves an onus on council to make those decisions and to kind of guide the process," staff said.

Mister Harrison, speaking for the association, described repair work already completed and remaining needs. He said the group located an existing 2‑inch sleeve from prior electrical work and can potentially run up to 200 amps to power announcer booths and other equipment. He presented an $8,000 bid for backlighting and said the association will invest in a drag and tractor for arena maintenance, and expects donor support: "We have some good donors that have stepped up to provide the money," he said.

Harrison and staff discussed scheduling and conflicts with other user groups. The association proposed handling bookings and keeping a shared calendar; staff said parks department staff would intervene if a scheduling dispute escalates. Harrison said paying events should take precedence over nonpaying uses and that the group will require event organizers to list the association as additional insured.

Why it matters: The MOA would shift day-to-day scheduling and some maintenance responsibilities to a volunteer association while keeping the facility publicly accessible. Council members asked about insurance minimums, the need for an escalation process, and whether the city could require higher liability limits for certain events.

No formal action was taken to finalize the MOA; staff and the association will return with a revised exhibit and proposed insurance language for future council consideration.