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Vendors could wait six months before being paid for KC Jazz Fest

Posted at 4:42 PM, Jul 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-20 19:24:53-04

Kansas City Council members learned this week that more vendors are still waiting on their money from the Jazz Festival that happened two months ago – and the vendors might not get paid until December.

“This was an event that was very hopeful to bring people to the area,” said Councilman Scott Wagner.

The KC Jazz and Heritage Festival in May had its share of challenges; low ticket sales and weather were factors.

In June, several performers said their checks bounced.

Organizers of the festival turned to the city and were given an advance of $117,000 to pay the performers.

Cheptoo Kositany-Buckner is the Executive Director of the American Jazz Museum. She told council members Wednesday that “attendees and musicians really had a wonderful time.”

The museum receives $500,000 a year from the city, broken into about $43,000 a month.

“What is most concerning for the city is that the dollars that we put forth is for the operation of that facility,” said Wagner.

In Wednesday’s finance committee meeting, Wagner and others learned that the festival owed more than the $117,000 that was advanced to them. They also owe $150,000 to vendors.

“I was offered a check for 50 percent of the deposit, and it came back NSF,” said Larry Kip.

Kip owns Aching Backline Rentals and is one of the unpaid vendors. He’s owed $15,000.

“If the TV station owed you $15,000 what would you be thinking,” said Kip.

We asked Kositany-Buckner for an interview Thursday.

She sent a statement saying: “We have a plan in place to eliminate the fiscal deficit from the festival.”

She told council members they have a new line of credit and hope to fundraise to repay the money. She said it will still take a while for vendors to get paid.

“It's probably going to take between 3-6 months and maybe longer for some,” said Kositany-Buckner.

Wagner hopes that measures will be put in place so this doesn’t happen again.

"We want to make sure that in the process of paying off those associated with the event we won't later have an additional new issue where we need funds to operate the facility,” said Wagner.

Moving forward, the Jazz Museum said they will work with the city and others to determine the best business model for the festival in the future.