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Mounds View City Council October 8, 2001 <br />Regular Meeting Page 16 <br /> <br /> <br />Mayor Sonterre commented he was not sure when Council Member Marty last had to plan a <br />wedding but noted, that booking a wedding reception hall is done at least six months in advance <br />and possibly as long as a year in advance. He then indicated that, if the numbers are down, there <br />is some shared blame to go around. <br /> <br />Dabney Brown, President of Elegant Thymes, commented that paying based on bookings is not <br />the way things should be done because the real work, and the money, come into play when the <br />event is actually held. He then indicated there had been some cancellations and rebooking. <br /> <br />Mr. Brown indicated he has a good relationship with the City of Mounds View and said when the <br />City came to him and asked him to manage the banquet center he had agreed to do so without a <br />contract. He then indicated he has not been paid for six months and is not running a nonprofit <br />company. <br /> <br />Mr. Brown indicated he had calculated his hourly rate to be $4.32 based on what the City is <br />paying him for doing the job. He then said he takes offense that it has been six months without <br />payment. He further indicated he had come to the City Administrator to recommend that <br />payment be figured on a quarterly rather than a monthly basis as it is too difficult to do every <br />month due to the nature of the business. <br /> <br />Council Member Stigney indicated that Innovative Images was spending time marketing and <br />asked if Mr. Brown was putting in the same effort. <br /> <br />Mr. Brown indicated that when there are cancellations there is an effort to rebook them. <br /> <br />Council Member Stigney questioned whether Mr. Brown was having any luck in booking events. <br /> <br />Mr. Brown indicated that he did not have direction of the City as to how to proceed other than to <br />manage the banquet center on an interim basis. He further commented he was uncomfortable <br />with marketing the banquet center and spending City money without some direction. He again <br />said that, whomever the City gets to run the banquet center, should be paid to do so. <br /> <br />Assistant to the Administrator Reed indicated that Resolution 5612 would provide direction to <br />Mr. Brown as he had requested. <br /> <br />Council Member Stigney asked, if by taking over the contract, Mr. Brown felt he could fulfill the <br />conditions of the contract. <br /> <br />Mr. Brown indicated he did not have problems with the conditions of the contract and indicated <br />he has been doing this for 23 years. He then asked that the City restructure how the payments are <br />made to quarterly rather than monthly. <br /> <br />Council Member Marty questioned how Mr. Brown’s role would change now that he is <br />authorized to manage the banquet center rather than just cater the events.