No Fee In Oshkosh

The Leach Amphitheatre in Oshkosh, Wis., will not have a facility fee tacked on to its maiden season after all.

The city was considering adding a $1 fee to tickets costing more than $7, much to the chagrin of facility manager PMI.

The $6 million shed, inside the city’s Riverside Park, will be the site of the 20-year-old nonprofit Waterfest concert series as well as concerts promoted by PMI. Neither the festival promoter nor the facility manager were fans of the fee, at least for the first year.

PMI Chief Administrative Officer Brendan Bruss told Pollstar that the company wanted to take a wait-and-see approach for the first season, and assess what business comes out of the summer, especially after a late start.

The facility fee was proposed by City Councilman Paul Esslinger, but the organization voted down his proposal 4-2 May 10th, according to local newspaper The Northwestern.

“I think we can go through the first year without the charge,” Councilor Burk Tower reportedly said.

Esslinger wanted the fee for amphitheatre maintenance and improvements with revenue going into a city trust fund. A community endowment is being considered as an alternative, the Northwestern said.