Conference Center Catering Switch Sparks Public Interest

The Douglasville City Council decided Monday night to switch exclusive caterers at the Douglasville Conference Center from Carole Parks Catering, who held the contract for about a year, to Proof of the Pudding, an Atlanta based caterer.

The council voted 6-1 during their regular meeting, with Councilman Mark Adams the only vote against, to allow Proof of the Pudding to be the exclusive caterer at the center, despite what the Douglas County Sentinel called a "community movement" to include other local caterers on a preferred vendor list.

"We had a really short time to decide this but it was a decision that had to be made," Mayor Pro Tem Larry Yockey said. "Carole Parks Catering was not meeting what we wanted and she knew it. It was a mutual decision between the City and Carole Parks to cut ties. It was perfect timing."

Part of what prompted the change might be explained by a post on the Cultural Arts Center's Facebook page, made on Dec. 15.
 
"Recent articles in the Douglas County Sentinel have stated that the catering disaster at the Cultural Arts Council's gala last month has resulted in Carole Parks Catering's contract with the City of Douglasville being canceled. For the record, we appreciated Carole Parks acknowledging her failure to provide the contracted service to CAC and her refunding half of the fee paid by CAC. We also feel that the gala catering problems we had were just the straw that broke the camel's back -- there had been complaints about the quality and quantity of food and service for months; and even after the CAC gala there were similar problems with GreyStone's holiday party at the Douglasville Conference Center with Carole Parks Catering. It is a beautiful facility and we hope the catering issues can be resolved so it can succeed."

According to the Sentinel, 42 people attended Monday's council meeting but none spoke before the council, even though some wanted to.

"A discussion was not properly opened by the mayor and people were not allowed to speak," said Lorie Bomar, owner of Atlanta's Finest Catering who came to the meeting to be heard. "It was not adequately explained. We didn't even know when we could speak. I'm so heart broken that our opinion is worthless, the citizens of Douglasville.

"It was done so fast, then we were rushed out the door," she said.

"It's not correct that people were not allowed to voice their opinion," Douglasville Mayor Harvey Persons said. "It's unfair for anyone to say they didn't get an opportunity to speak. Pull up the tape. It's very clear."

Persons said he stayed late at council chambers Monday night, checking the video because of the council and public's concerns.

"When the food service came up, I asked for a motion and a second," he said. "Then I asked if there was any further discussion and, look at the video, I looked left and right. There was a 10 second pause and I looked at the audience. No one came forward to speak. There was a distinct long pause. No one on the council wanted to speak or anyone from the audience."

Chamber of Commerce President John Sell was one of the people who chose to speak after the meeting had ended. He read a resolution the Chamber Board drafted, revealing the results of a survey conducted by the chamber. Survey participants preferred an approved vendor list that included local caterers, rather than naming an exclusive caterer.

Yockey said there are contracts on the books that the center has to fulfill catering for.

"Who should those contracts go to? Who should cater those upcoming events? It would be very complicated," he said.

Yockey said that there was a misunderstanding with Proof of the Pudding when the initial contract was signed with Carole Parks Catering and that Pudding should have gotten the contract in the first place.

"We like the idea of having local weddings but this is really an event center," he said. "We're going after bigger events. If you think about it, we're really throwing local businesses more work. If you can't cater at our facility, people who want those services will have to go to (local event venues) like The Centre, Atlanta's Finest Catering and Sutton Hall.

"Our purpose is to fill up hotels and for businesses to reserve the Conference Center. We're supporting local business, we're just doing it in a different way. The City staff worked hard on this and they know their business. They're the ones out there dealing with the community.

"Let's give Proof of the Pudding a chance," he added.