In a called meeting on the eve of Thanksgiving, the Washington City Council chose a proposal from Gourmet Services, Inc. a food service and conference management company with hotel management experience, for the operation and promotion of The Pope Center. The present contract with Washington Events Management ran out at the end of November.

In the Wednesday night meeting, the council, Mayor Willie Burns, City Administrator Mike Eskew, and City Attorney Barry Fleming considered proposals from Gourmet Services, Inc. a food service and conference management company with hotel management experience, and a South Carolina group, the Gospel Underground Railroad LLC.

City leaders met separately with representatives of both groups on Monday, and a called meeting was set for the purpose Wednesday eve- ning at 6 p.m. at City Hall. At the start of Wednesday night's two-hour meeting, Eskew gave an overview of both proposals.

Gospel Underground Railroad LLC CEO Rev. Joseph Williams Jr. and President Benetra Calhoun said that their group writes plays and puts on shows, but had never run a convention center or any other facility. "We want to give the Pope Center back to the community," Williams said. "We don't have gourmet services, we want to have senior parties, local music, reunions, and local caterers."

The GUR proposal offered the city a percentage of net revenues, while Gourmet Services, Inc. offered a flat fee of $250 a month to the city. That number seemed to be a sticking point with Councilman Nathaniel Cullars who wanted a higher monthly fee.

Councilman Maceo Mahoney said he didn't like either proposal and asked, "Why can't the city handle booking? It can't be that hard."

Other council members pointed out to Mahoney that he had been present for the decision to employ professional marketing to bring in groups to the conference center that would bring more business to the city. At this point, Mahoney rudely interrupted Councilman Pamela Eaton, and Eaton reminded Mahoney that council ethics rules require respect of other council members.

Councilman Edward Pope Jr. reminded fellow council members that more than a year ago, they had decided that the city did not have the expertise to run and market the center, and that the center needed to be marketed as a convention center rather than a community center.

Mayor Burns agreed, saying that the councilmen had agreed a year ago that the center's $2 million upgrade was to bring in conferences. "The whole idea is to bring in these conferences and people to stay overnight," he said, "and the money they spend will pay for things like the water plants."

Ray McLendon, President and COO of Gourmet Services, Inc., the nation's largest wholly African- American-owned food services management company, said that his company has more than 30 years experience in running facilities such as the Pope Center, and is running a hotel in Selma, Alabama. His company, he said, would work with the community, local businesses, and other groups to make the center useful for both outside conventions and local events.

The expected addition of a hotel on the Pope Center site is an important part of Gourmet Services' plan, McLendon said, based on the company's experiences running a similar facility in Alabama. "In Selma, we're getting destination traffic from all over, and that's revitalizing downtown for residents as well as tourists," he said. "A hotel allows you to transcend the limitations of a small town."

Gourmet Services would also hire and train local staff. "We hire locally. This is an opportunity for entry-level food service and hospitality jobs," McLendon said. "We'll bring in a couple of experienced managers, but we've always had a commitment to hire and train a local work force."

The council members and company representatives discussed the costs of marketing the center and of upgrading kitchen equipment, and the ability of each company to get an alcohol license.

After more than two hours of discussion, the council voted 4-2, with Cullars and Mahoney in opposition, to move forward with the Gourmet Services, Inc. proposal. The vote empowers the city attorney and city administrator to work out a detailed agreement with Gourmet Services for the council's approval, and agrees to have the new company run the facility until the contract is signed.

The Washington City Council will meet in their regular December meeting at The Pope Center next Monday evening at 6. At their recent retreat, the council agreed to move regular council meetings to City Hall beginning with the January 2009 meeting.