Arnold staff members and possibly some City Council members are scheduled to meet Tuesday evening, Sept. 17, with representative from a consulting firm that has been hired to complete a study on the feasibility of developing a convention center in the city.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. in the lower level of Arnold City Hall, 2101 Jeffco Blvd. The entrance to the lower-level meeting room is on the rear side of City Hall.
The meeting is open to the public, but only city staff or councilmen will be allowed to provide input to the consulting firm.
The city posted notices about the upcoming presentation by Johnson Consulting, a Chicago-based firm, because an undermined number of councilmen may attend, which could create a quorum, resulting in an official meeting.
If five council members get together and discuss city business, that counts as an official meeting.
“(The City Council) will not be taking any action,” City Administrator Bryan Richison said. “It is not like a business meeting, where (councilmen) really should be there. It is if (council members) are interested and want to give input, the consultants would like to hear it. We could have two or three (councilmen). We could have all eight. We are advertising it, just in case we get a quorum.”
The City Council agreed in March to hire Johnson Consulting to conduct the feasibility study for a possible convention center. The city will pay the firm up to $57,500.
Johnson Consulting is charging $45,000 for the study, and the city opted to pay an additional $10,000 for a hotel analysis. Arnold also will pay up to $2,500 for the firm’s expenses.
The Tuesday meeting will offer city staff and councilmen a chance to give input about what they would like to see in Johnson Consulting’s final feasibility report.
“From my understanding the consultants are going to say here is where we are at, here is who we have talked to, here is where we think we are heading, what do you think about it? Do you have concerns or something else you want us to look at?” Richison said.
After the Tuesday meeting, the consulting group will finalize its report and return at a future City Council work session, which typically are held the second Thursday of every month, to deliver a final presentation.
Richison said he expects Johnson Consulting to be ready to report its findings in November.
Johnson Consulting’s study will answer what the market potential is for a convention center in Arnold by looking at what the center’s competition would be, how it would compare to facilities in similar markets and how the center could impact the local economy, regional hospitality and tourism.
It also will look at what the right size for a convention center would be for the Arnold market and how much parking would be required. Those answers will determine what it would cost to build the facility.
Johnson Consulting also will provide information about the best potential sites for a convention center in Arnold and what the center should look like and what amenities it should provide.
Finally, the study will provide information about possible revenue sources available to pay for the construction of and operation of a convention center in Arnold and if developers would be interested in taking on the project.