Renaissance Faire Balks at New Contract with City

On Wednesday, May 8, the Wentzville Board of Aldermen will be considering a new contract with Renaissance St. Louis (R.S.L.), the parent company of the St. Louis Renaissance Faire.

However, R.S.L. officers objected to provisions in the new contract, a city source told Patch. The officers insist that the city honor the present contract, dated June 2005.

The sticking point of the new contract is a condition that the Faire must hire overnight security if overnight camping is to be allowed on the site. The Faire would be required to have a minimum of two uniformed officers during event hours and one officer for overnight patrol. If the Faire chooses, two armed licensed security personnel can be substituted for each police officer.

The Faire would be also be required to submit a security staffing schedule, the names of the officers and the companies, as well as the company's certificate of insurance, to the Wentzville Police Department 30 days before the event.

If the security schedule is not agreed upon, the event could be cancelled.

The new contract also calls for twice-yearly inspections of the Faire site. All new construction must be approved by the city, and failure to do so could terminate the Faire's contract with the city.

READ MORE: City's Inspection of Renaissance Faire Site Prompts 31-Item Correction Notice

Another section of the new contract deals with the rent payment for the Rotary Park site. In the old contract, the payment of 5 percent of gate admissions was due within 30 days of the close of Faire and no late penalties were assessed.

The new contract would require R.S.L. to pay an existing past-due amount of $5,789.90 within 45 days of the close of the 2013 event or incur late fees. Future rent payments are due within 45 days, and late payments are subject to late fees.

READ MORE: City to Scrutinize Renaissance Faire Financial Commitment

R.S.L would also be required to procure $2.5 million in liability insurance under the new contract, an increase from the $2.3 million specified by the 2005 contract.

(Editor's note: Wentzville Patch editor Tamara Duncan served as a volunteer director of the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire from 2008-2009.)