Request for proposals to run the Roanoke Rapids Theatre will be advertised and the city will use $40,000 from the theater reserve account for operating expenses and contract agreements.

Councilman Ed Liverman opposed the proposal to withdraw money from the theater reserve, saying after tonight’s work session he was not comfortable with some of the wording and, “I’m not interested in running a theater.”

The contractual arrangements include items like security systems, Ticketmaster fees and artist fees, City Manager Paul Sabiston initially said.

Council members, however, made it clear they didn’t want the city paying for artist fees.

“I think it’s been our wish not to spend money on artist fees,” Mayor Emery Doughtie said.

Councilman Greg Lawson said he believed artist fees should be the responsibility of the people wanting to put on the shows. “I’m not comfortable setting aside $10,000 and not designating it. I don’t want to be spending money on artist fees and things like that.”

Said Liverman: “It appears we’re about to take steps to running a theater again and I don’t think we need to be in the theater business.”

Lawson said he hoped whoever is chosen to run the venue temporarily would be financially positioned to come up the fees.

Meanwhile, Sabiston said the city plans to advertise the request for proposals by the end of next week.

The city manager said the city wants people with national experience. “Let’s see what you’ve got once you get responses. You could interview the top two or three.”

The city is also trying to secure an act for October and Sabiston said whoever runs the theater will be required to have $1 million in liability insurance. “When council goes through the interview process you have to make sure they have insurance. They have got to be insured and the theater has to be operated as a true business.”

Sabiston said the city will have to look at resumes, applications and, “Check references hard,” including concerts the managers held in the past few years. “That will be very telling.”

For the interim, Sabiston, answering a question from Lawson about ensuring financial capability, said, he doesn’t intend for the city to give up control of the venue. “It would be nice to know some credit worthiness, some credit rating, some credit approval.”