The Fairfield City Council voted unanimously on Nov. 18 to pursue a two‑year extension of the Downtown Theater Foundation for the Arts’ (DTFA) management agreement for the Fairfield Center for Creative Arts, after an evening of strong public testimony both opposing and supporting the staff recommendation to negotiate with Rogers Creative Enterprises (RCE).

The council’s action directs staff to negotiate a contract extension through February 2028 with explicit conditions: a clear DTFA board structure with published meeting minutes, monthly transparency and financial reporting (ticket sales and revenue flows), a contract provision clarifying ownership of the theater name and built improvements, vetting of community partners to limit city exposure to partner misconduct, and enforceable language to reduce ambiguity in the agreement.

The vote capped a heated public comment period in which dozens of local artists, parents and longtime volunteers described DTFA’s decade‑long stewardship of the theater and warned that replacing the operator would damage downtown’s arts ecosystem. “This venue is the heartbeat of Fairfield,” said Day Spiering, a longtime leader associated with DTFA, arguing that resident companies, technical capacity and youth programs would be disrupted if management changed. Several performers and parents said their children’s lives were changed by the theater’s programs and urged the council to preserve continuity.

Opponents of RCE argued the procurement process was rushed and lacked subject‑matter expertise. David Leonard, who identified himself as a former managing director of theater operations at Solano College, told the council the RFQ timeline—14 business days after a two‑hour walkthrough—was inadequate for preparing complex technical proposals and that the selection panel lacked theater operations experts. “Fourteen business days is not enough time,” Leonard said.

Several public speakers also reported receiving cease‑and‑desist letters from the attorney representing the recommended applicant, David Rogers, and presented what they said were records alleging improper financial practices at organizations Rogers previously operated. Tia Madison said she had received a cease‑and‑desist letter and submitted a police statement she said showed misuse of theater accounts. Those allegations remained disputed and unproven in the meeting record; several council members said the existence of legal threats against speakers and the pattern of complaints raised concerns about community trust and foreseeable liability.

City staff described the RFQ/RFP process and the selection committee’s scoring. Parks and Recreation Director Christina Konzinger told the council that three respondents were evaluated across two rounds; by the committee’s final combined scores Rogers Creative Enterprises ranked narrowly first and staff recommended authorization for the city manager to negotiate with RCE. That recommendation was the subject of the public comment and council scrutiny.

After hearing both sides, council members coalesced around preserving the local operator’s stewardship while tightening contract oversight. Councilmember Tonneson said she did not want to replace DTFA and recommended creating a formal board and clearer reporting. Vice Mayor Bertani cited multiple community submissions alleging financial and governance problems with RCE and said she would not support RCE “on this record.”

The motion to direct staff to negotiate a two‑year extension with DTFA, including the transparency and contractual protections the council specified, passed unanimously. The council did not approve any agreement with RCE at the meeting; staff will return with a negotiated contract for council consideration.

What happens next: staff will begin negotiations with DTFA under the council’s direction and bring a draft contract back for council review and formal approval. The city’s timeline for returning a proposed agreement was not specified at the meeting.

— Reporting for the Fairfield City Council meeting on Nov. 18, 2025.