Signature Ponders Shed Suit

A Florida entertainment company recently threatened to file suit against the county of St. Johns after a local commission ousted it from a proposed management spot at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre.

The commission voted unanimously to manage the shed March 20th, despite reports in previous months that the Florida company, Signature Sports & Entertainment, or SMG could be taking on the job.

Officials from Signature now claim the company is due $575,000 in "expenses and lost profits," according to a letter obtained by the St. Augustine Record.

Signature attorney G. Allan Howard explained in the letter that the commission "breached an agreement" with the company to operate the amphitheatre, and "abruptly and unilaterally changed its position on engagement of outside management for political reasons unrelated to Signature Entertainment."

The commission approved Signature’s bid over SMG last fall. Signature and county commissioners apparently began negotiating a contract regarding the shed’s operations and emerged with a document to present for consideration.

Signature COO Bruce Lucker told the Record negotiations had gone on for months, but halted in December.

"We negotiated every single segment of that contract," Lucker said. "We spent an inordinate amount of money. …We were ready to present it December 28th, but the commission decided to suspend negotiations without any reason."

Commissioners apparently discovered through a study of regional amphitheatres that it would be more profitable to self-manage, leading to the vote in March.

Despite the change in direction, Howard argued in his letter that a contract is in fact created when a public group approves a bidder’s proposal "even if a formal agreement has not been executed."

But county attorney Patrick McCormack disagreed, claiming Signature sent e-mails to commissioners outlining that both parties would need to sign the contract upon approval, the Record reported.

"Obviously, you cannot admonish the county on 17 occasions that a contract on the Amphitheatre is not formed without original signatures on documents and then take a position (April 3rd) that the parties entered an enforceable contract prior to formal signatures," McCormack said.