15.2-1129 - Encouragement of use of city facilities in certain cities.
§ 15.2-1129. Encouragement of use of city facilities in certain cities.
Any city having a population of more than 75,000 and owning a cityauditorium, civic center, coliseum, convention hall, stadium, theater,exhibition hall or combination thereof or other place of public assembly,may, in order to further the best interest of the public and lead to greateruse of any such facilities, do all things necessary and proper to encouragethe use thereof by arranging or engaging shows, plays, exhibitions,performances and all other entertainments of whatsoever nature, except motionpictures produced expressly for commercial exhibition, exclusively of amotion picture shown as a part of and related to a live program or a show, ora motion picture which has been generally removed from commercial exhibitionin motion picture theaters, or a motion picture which is not shown orexhibited in such place more than twice and then only on one day, andexclusive of travelogues, educational or trade show films which are exhibitedby educational, civic, trade, or religious organizations, to view which noadmission fee is charged or the net proceeds of any admission fee charged arefully utilized for educational, religious or charitable purposes. Suchencouragement may, without limitations as to other permissible activities,include the expenditure of city funds to promote such activities and to bringnotice to the public of entertainments at such public facilities, engagingpersons to bring entertainments thereto from which the city may deriveincome, and the payment of funds to such persons in advance or out ofproceeds derived therefrom for payment therewith; and may include enteringinto agreements with such other persons guaranteeing minimum sums to bepayable to such persons for future performances provided that at no timeshall the aggregate amount of all outstanding guarantees be more than suchsums as may be fixed by the governing body of such city. Notwithstanding anyprovision of any city charter, the council of any such city may appropriatefunds to a special or revolving account in order to engage, advertise andpromote any such entertainment and to operate any of the foregoingfacilities, and when such fund is created such person or persons as may bedesignated by ordinance of such governing body, after providing fidelity bondwith corporate surety payable to the city in a penalty not less than theauthorized amount of such special or revolving fund, may sign checks againstsaid fund and expend cash therefrom for any of the foregoing purposes.
(1964, c. 508, § 15.1-37.2; 1970, c. 505; 1997, c. 587.)