Commission approves event‑center consulting contract after debate over RFPs and transparency

The Board of County Commissioners voted to approve a professional services contract with event consultant Cody Clinton to support programming, sponsorship solicitation and staff training for the county’s new event center. The proposed contract includes an annual consulting fee of $50,000, an on‑site daily fee and reimbursement for travel; the motion included an insurance requirement change increasing general liability minimums to $1,000,000.

The contract drew extended debate. Public commenters and some commissioners urged issuing an RFP for transparency and to solicit competitive bids. Jerry Annis told the board: "If you do not put out RFPs, it's going to be a bad look on you," and urged more time for public vetting. Supporters, including county staff and the project researcher Aaron Martinez, said pre‑booking major events requires multi‑year outreach and that early professional engagement can help the county attract sponsors and train staff. Consultant Cody Clinton said the role includes training county staff and marketing the venue and offered to break the package into separate bids if commissioners preferred a segmented approach.

The board’s motion found the contract qualified as a professional service under statute, added the higher insurance minimum, and approved the contract by voice vote with a second; commissioners directed staff to include the finding in the motion record and to monitor performance under the termination clause if benchmarks are not met.