President-Elect
Jim Osmon called the meeting of July
25, 2011 to order at 12:10pm. Roy Baldridge gave the invocation and Dick
Meredith, Micki Vollmer and David Runk led the club in an acapella rendition of
America
the Beautiful.
Dave
Collins gave the Sergeant at Arms report.
One member had a guest, there was one guest of the club, and there was
one visiting Rotarian. 91 Rotarians were
present at the meeting on July 18th.
Bruce
Opperman reported that Phase 3 of the Riverwalk is coming along well. Markers and pavers are both arriving. If you have purchased a paver, you can
contact Bruce to check your proof. If
you would like to purchase a paver, there are a few left. Phase 3 of the Riverwalk should be ready for
dedication in September.
The
Lima/Allen County Veterans Memorial Civic & Convention Center got its start
in 1974, according to guest speaker Cindy Wood, the director of the Civic Center. That was when the Performing Arts Building
Committee was appointed by the Allen County Commissioners to explore the
possibility of building a performance hall.
At the same time, another group was investigating the decay of Lima’s Central Business
District. It took a decade of meetings
and planning, but in 1984 the Civic
Center opened its doors,
featuring a 1,700 seat performance hall and an exhibit hall. A 2006 Economic Impact Study by the OSU
Extension Office showed that for its one million dollar budget, the Civic Center
has a direct and indirect economic impact of five million dollars on our
community and supports 100 direct and indirect jobs. Last year 65% of tickets to Civic Center
events were sold outside of Allen
County, and patrons came
there to shows from 18 states.
The Civic Center
gets its funding from the city of Lima,
from the bed tax, and from earned income, with the Allen County Commissioners
assisting with maintenance costs and bond repayment. Lima’s
Civic Center is typical in that 90% of similar
facilities across the country are not self sufficient and receive support
either through tax dollars, endowments or universities. One of the biggest questions Wood says she
receives is why the facility doesn’t get a lot of big concerts and shows like
other venues in our region. The reason
is that the Civic
Center is a county owned
facility and cannot put public dollars at risk by buying entertainment and
hoping to sell enough tickets to cover the cost. Wood is hoping to increase endowment
donations which would allow the Civic
Center to book its own
shows, and to help pay for maintenance costs.
Wood says the Civic
Center is meeting its
mission statement: To operate a first
class convention and performing arts facility for public assembly that is the
destination of choice for everyone.