The supervisors hired JLL Consulting for $197,500 as the county’s owner’s representative to help pick the next operator of the Iowa Events Center, by a 3–2 vote.
Awarded the owner’s representative bid to JLL Consulting and approved the agreement. Passed 3–2; voting no: Tom Hockensmith, Angela Connolly.
How each member voted
| Official | Seat | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Matt McCoy | Dist. 1 | Yes |
| Jill Altringer | Dist. 2 | Yes |
| Mark Holm | Dist. 3 | Yes |
| Tom Hockensmith | Dist. 4 | No |
| Angela Connolly | Dist. 5 | No |
More from the record
Polk County owns the Iowa Events Center: the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center, the EMC Expo Center and the Casey’s Center. The agreement with the current operator expires in 2026, and the county will use public procurement to select the next one. The county’s procurement department issued a request for proposals for an owner’s representative to help with that process and with first-year oversight of the new operator, including benchmarking, KPIs, facility condition monitoring and continuous improvement. JLL Consulting was found to be "the most qualified, responsive, and responsible bidder."
The alternative
Per the minutes, Supervisor Connolly said she favored JLL consulting but not issuing an RFP that could replace the current operator, Oakview Group. Supervisor McCoy said bringing on an owner’s representative and holding a competitive bid after 20 years is a responsible move. No formal alternative was presented.
Money
- Who
- Polk County
- How
- $197,500 in FY 26/27
- When
- FY 26/27
- Source
- Agenda packet · Minutes (saved copy)
Jobs and services
- Who
- The Iowa Events Center operator and staff, and event-goers
- How
- The county will select an operator through public procurement; the current agreement expires in 2026
- When
- 2026
- Source
- Agenda packet · Minutes (saved copy)
Source Minutes (saved copy) · Agenda packet