City cuts back on sponsorship for Dock Dogs

 

[January 11, 2019] 

On Monday evening, Lincoln aldermen considered and passed a motion to provide $2,000 in sponsorship funding to the Dock Dogs event that will occur in June alongside the annual Pigs & Swigs Festival. This is a reduction from the $4,000 the city invested in the event in 2018.

When the item came up on the agenda Tracy Welch made the motion to give the Dock Dogs event the full $4,000 Chris Graue had requested at the December 26th meeting of the Lincoln City Council. Welch’s motion was seconded by Heidi Browne.

To start off the discussion following the motion, Ron Fleshman asked if the city had the money in the budget for the event. City Treasurer Chuck Conzo said that the money was not specifically earmarked for Dock Dogs, but that there was $9,450 unexpended in the city’s share of the hotel/motel tax, so there was sufficient funds to cover the request.

Steve Parrott expressed concern about the request. He said that in 2018 Graue had come to the city seeking the money because bringing Dock Dogs to Lincoln was a last minute decision. He said Graue had indicated that he needed to raise the money quickly and that in 2019 the committee behind Dock Dogs would have more time to seek sponsorships from other entities.

Parrott said by Graue returning with the same request this year, he felt that there was a chance that this was going to be a pattern and that the city would see this same $4,000 request year after year in the future.

Parrott said if the committee is seeking sponsorships from other entities and the city also gives $4,000, will the committee then have more money than it needs. If yes, what will happen to that extra money?

Michelle Bauer said that because she is a part of the Pigs and Swigs, and even though she is not a part of the Dock Dogs event, she would be abstaining from the vote. She felt that what the Graue requested was “just an ask.” She said that she felt the Dock Dogs Committee would accept whatever the city awarded.

She also noted that the goal of the festival on the whole is to break even each year. She said in 2018 she could speak for the Swigs side of the festival that they did break even and had a small amount left over. She said that the festival on the whole had started out last year with zero money because what they did have in reserve from past years was tied into the Lincoln/Logan Chamber of Commerce and when that entity dissolved the money was lost.

However, she added that in the past and in the future, when the festival makes more than it needs then the reserve left over is rolled into the next year’s festival. When possible the funding is used to grow the festival.

Dayne Dalpoas said that he knew the deadline for sponsorship for all entities for the Dock Dogs is January 15th. He suggested that the city not vote on this matter until after the 15th. He said the Dock Dogs Committee would then be able to tell the city how much money is needed. He expressed that he would prefer it this way because then he would know before he votes how much money the event needs in order to move forward.

At that point Jeff Hoinacki suggested that the second and motion be rescinded and tabled so as to go along with Dalpoas suggestion. That did not happen.
 

Furthering the discussion, Parrott said his main concern was that he did not want to city to continually be giving the event $4,000 a year. He didn’t want to set a precedent.

Kevin Bateman was in the gallery and is on the committee for the barbecue side of the festival. He echoed what Bauer had said earlier that the $4,000 was “just an ask.” He said the committee would accept whatever funding the city decided upon, but that it would probably always ask for the $4,000.

Parrott noted again that the “ask” last year had been greater because the committee was short on time.

Bateman said yes it was a short notice ask last year. However, he said this year the committee is starting early raising their money so they can do more promotion. He said that if the committee begins advertising earlier this year than last, that alone is going to cost more money, but it will also bring in more people. Bateman said that was part of growing the event, and that the event can’t grow without money. He added that every year when there are dollars left over after the event, those dollars are invested back into the festival for the next year to improve it and offer more for visitors. He noted that there were comments last year that the tent the committees had rented was not large enough. A larger tent will cost more money, so the money from last year will assist in making that improvement to the festival.

Parrott concluded that he too might like to wait and see how much money the Dock Dogs raises without the city. Then a better informed decision could be made.

Heidi Browne said that the city should not determine what it does based on what others do. She said the city should decide how much money it was willing and able to contribute and move on without worrying about what others are doing. She said, “We need to determine what we want to give.”

Tracy Welch said that he was shocked that the city was scrutinizing the request so harshly. He said that for years and years the city supported the balloon festival with $5,000 annually no questions asked. He noted that the Pigs and Swigs is the only festival the city has left and the city might want to think about that and about being supportive.

At the same time, Welch said he didn’t want to see this become a habit that groups come to the city seeking money for events. He said that should fall on the Tourism Bureau. He noted that the Tourism Bureau has already pledged $2,500 to Dock Dogs for advertising. That money will be paid out of the hotel motel tax. The $4,000, if paid by the city, will also come out of the hotel/motel tax, so it is money coming out of the same pool just being paid by two entities. He feels the tourism bureau should be the one to handle the requests and leave the city out of it.

Moving on, Welch said in order to take the vote, he would be in favor of amending his motion to award Dock Dogs $2,000 instead of $4,000, if that would garner the support of the aldermen. The second was rescinded then the motion.

Welch then made a new motion to award the Dock Dogs $2,000 for the 2019 festival. The motion was then seconded by Ron Keller. That motion passed with a 7-0-1 vote. Michelle Bauer abstained from the vote.

[Nila Smith]