 Well, after lengthy discussion on Monday night, this Bemidji City Council meeting, the Sanford Center's management company, VenuWorks, was awarded a new five-year contract. Josh Peterson breaks down the new terms of the contract. It's been an eight-year roller coaster ride for Bemidji Sanford Events Center with its share of highs and lows. After 90 minutes of discussion Monday night, the Bemidji City Council awarded the Events Center's management company, VenuWorks, a new five-year contract which city officials say was in the best interest of the facility. Keeping VenuWorks will provide that stability at the facility. We've had some senior management turnover in the past and we really want to ice that from happening again. One of the new contract's biggest selling points was VenuWorks' promise to invest $130,000 into the Events Center, beginning with a show risk fund. $50,000, what we're calling an event risk fund, so that will allow VenuWorks with us to book events that have a little higher risk than normal. One area being focused on is incentivizing and increasing lagging concession sales through the use of new technology. One of the commitments VenuWorks has made to the Sanford Center is an investment in a brand new POS system that's expected to help manage concession sales. It is going to be more user friendly on the employee side. We have a lot of non-profit groups that help us out and so it'll be much easier for them. It'll be much easier for the customer and so we're really excited about how that's going to work. Despite the investments made by the management company, there is still some opposition to the new five-year contract with VenuWorks. Councilmember Ron Johnson was the lone no-vote against the new contract. I find it real strange that we're actually wanting to enter into a five-year contract with a raise to a company that before we even get the results from a fraud audit on that very company. With the new contract set to begin next year, the hope is the facility will stabilize and grow success. In Bemidji, Josh Peterson, Lakeland News. The event center's new contract is scheduled to begin in January of 2019. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.