During a Redding City Council meeting in late October, Community Services Director Travis Menne announced that the city has recruited a six‑member panel of community members to review, rank and score proposals from five entities seeking to operate the Civic Auditorium. Menne said the city will not release the panelists’ names.
Menne explained that keeping the identities confidential is intended to preserve objectivity and credibility, preventing outside lobbying or external pressures that could influence candid discussion. He described the panelists as “local experts” who participate in tourism, hospitality, finance, marketing and event planning.
The Civic Auditorium has struggled with financial shortfalls and a management transfer back to the city after nonprofit Advance Redding lost crucial funding in May. In response, the city issued a request for proposals this summer, attracting five interested operators.
According to the Shasta Scout report, the panel will interview each applicant, ask a uniform set of questions plus individualized follow‑ups, and assign scores to each proposal. Staff will use those rankings to formulate a recommendation for the council.
Mayor Mike Littau will serve as an observer, a role approved at the October council meeting. Littau told a reporter via text that he cannot share the panel members, likening the process to hiring a city manager where panel composition is not public. He said he is impressed with the panel’s diversity and expertise in marketing, economics and the riverfront, adding that he expects the group to “deliver on a good job and stick it out for the long haul.”
The council plans to bring the recommendation to a public meeting likely next month, with further discussion scheduled for Dec. 15. At that meeting, council members will decide which entity, if any, will assume management of the downtown riverfront venue.
Local residents have voiced frustration online, calling for full transparency and questioning the secrecy of the process. City officials maintain that the confidentiality measure is designed to protect the integrity of the selection.
What’s next: After the Dec. 15 discussion, the council will vote on the panel’s recommendation. The chosen operator will then take over day‑to‑day management of the Civic Auditorium pending final council approval.
Sources: shastascout.org
