This is a memo from SIGNATURE PRODUCTIONS in Las Vegas who are drastically effected by the Summerlin Library / Performing Arts Center rental rates increase. ___ As you are aware we have not booked a 2012 season. The Library District has decided to raise the fees for use of the Library Performing Arts Center, and we cannot afford the increase. We have been users of the Library Theatre for the last 17 years. This outrageous fee increase of about 300% is unacceptable, and will close the Theatre to our Musical Theatre productions, and put us out of business. The Library District was built not only on books but also with the notion that there will be publically funded meeting and theatrical spaces. The arts spaces have been there since the 1990's. The theaters were built to serve the community and bring artistic and theatrical productions to the Las Vegas community. We are a large user of the Summerlin Performing Arts Theatre, but the largest user of the space is the Las Vegas Clark County Library District itself, using it for its own programs. It is unfair to ask the user groups, like us, to pay for their use and then also pay for the young person's library events, district departmental meetings and training sessions, seminars and human resource training and the staff salaries for the times any particular groups are not in the space. Our group would be responsible to pay about $54,000.00 for one of our regular season shows. Since we book our musical theatre productions one year in advance the deposit would be $27,000.00 per show. Since we do 3-4 shows per year it would be impossible for our group or any other production company to afford these fees. This is outrageous to charge our Theatre Group, which is a non-profit Community Theater Company, for space that is publically funded through your taxes, and which encourages the patronage of the library system. To raise the additional money the ticket price would go up to $35.-$40. You, the public, are paying taxes for not only access to books but theatrical productions which will be taken away from the Las Vegas community. Other libraries have already lost this service. The Library District expected that all the current users would just rollover and pay the new fees. I think they have been surprised that the spaces are not being booked, thus bringing them NO MONEY. The Library District said that if there are no bookings then they will do their own programs WHICH PRODUCE NO REVENUE??? Does this sound counterproductive to the reason why they wanted to increase our fees in the first place?? You, the Public, are already providing tax dollars that funds upkeep, electric bills and staffing for the majority of the time. The charging for the use of facilities, already being funded, results in a double taxing on the public. The technicians are paid by the District for all events whether we are there or not. Some of you have asked what you can do to help relieve this situation. If you will let all your friends, who have seen our shows, know that this is happening and would they write to their City and County Commissioners who appoint these Library District Board members. Also write to the LVCC Library District Board Directors and ask them to reconsider their decision to impose these increased fees on us. We have always been willing to talk about an increase in the fees but in a sensible way. You can also sign this petition. Thanks for your years of support for Signature Productions. Karl M. Larsen,O.D., Pres. SIGNATURE PRODUCTIONS