OSWEGO – At its meeting Monday night, the Administrative Services Committee approved a request from Harborfest to waive the rental fee at the McCrobie Building for the remainder of 2020.
Peter Myles, executive director of Oswego Harbor Festivals, Inc., requested the waiver.
The monthly rent is $ 570 and with 10 months left in the year, the total would be $ 5,700.
The current lease is a three-year term and
terminates on December 31, 2020.
“What we want to do is amend the Harborfest lease agreement to exclude the rent,” Mayor Billy Barlow explained. “No other tenet in the McCrobie Building pays rent.”
However, The Music Hall has events in the Ballroom on several weekends throughout the year.
As it is considered public space, they are charged a fee to rent/reserve it.
Harborfest never uses the Ballroom, except for the weekend of the festival when the command center is set in there, the mayor pointed out.
To be consistent, the council will charge Harborfest the same as it does The Music Hall for that weekend.
A new contract will be worked out at a later date.
The request was sent to the full council for consideration.
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How about selling the building so we as taxpayers don’t have to foot the bill for repairs,heat,lights and general maintenance. We should sell the arts building,yacht club building and safe haven buildings also. We as taxpayers shouldn’t have to subsidize any private use buildings. Get out of the landlord business….
For a community of our size,I think we can spring for an office or two for the biggest event each year in Oswego. Harborfest brings business to Oswego, but mostly it brings those born and raised here back to Oswego to not just visit family, but spend money. I’d hate to see Harborfest gone because it has always helped Oswego put on its best ‘clothes’ dressing up streets, parks, and family homes because someone besides just “us” will see it. As support leaves Oswego in the form of businesses that donated to Harborfest, our little gem each late July might need just this LITTLE bit of help.
I am proudest of Oswego during Harborfest, although I love my adopted home all year long. IF we don’t help them now, and it is gone, I think many will be sorry. After all, where can you go for all these free events. Even the State Fair usually charges an entrance fee!