by April Scheinoha
Editor
Two weeks after approving a 30-day notice to terminate its relationship with Oak View Group 360, the Thief River Falls City Council has backtracked.
At its meeting Tuesday, May 5, by a vote of 7 to 1, the council approved amending its prior resolution to simply note that the firm has 30 days to remedy four failures spanning from April 12, 2025, to March 28, 2026. The amended resolution also noted that the venue management firm will have up to 90 days if it cannot remedy those issues within 30 days.
Oak View Group 360 manages the Ralph Engelstad Arena, the Huck Olson Memorial Civic Center, the Multi-Event Center and the Thief River Falls Tourist Park.
Council member J. Scott Pream voted in opposition. During the meeting, Pream didn’t indicate why he chose to vote in such a manner. Afterward, in an interview with the Northern Watch, he indicated that his opposition related to Item 6.3 in the city’s contract with the firm.
The Northern Watch has since learned that item pertains to the city hiring individuals currently employed by the firm.
According to the request for council action, the failures included the following:
• An issue of facility access on April 12, 2025, when no staff were present to open the building and a council member had to open the building instead
• An inappropriate contract template being sent to a prospective partner in January 2026, negatively impacting relationships
• An unstaffed box office on March 13, 2026, resulting in an approximate wait time of one hour for tickets
• Failing to meet operational expectations during events on or about March 27 and 28, 2026, including that concessions were inadequately prepared, advertised items were unavailable, and staff professionalism was inconsistent
No one from Oak View Group 360 was present at the council meeting. The city provided no further information regarding the issues other than the request for council action included in the council agenda packet.
Currently, the city pays Oak View Group 360 an annual management fee of $136,000. The city pays the deficit for operations and capital for the arenas, the MEC and the Tourist Park. In an interview with the Northern Watch in April, City Administrator Angie Philipp noted, for 2026, that amount totals $920,366. The total includes arenas, $691,658; MEC, $198,701; and Tourist Park, $30,007. The management fee is a part of the deficit.
The current contract ends June 30, 2030. Either side has the opportunity to terminate the agreement with a 30-day notice.
Oak View Group 360 has provided venue management services for the city since July 1, 2024. The firm also manages the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D.