MOOSIC, PA (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Speculation ended this week on whether the collapsed roof of the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain would be covered by the Lackawanna County’s insurance carrier: it is not.
“The county never had coverage for the tent itself,” Commissioner Chairman Robert C. Cordaro told the Times-Tribune.
Instead, the county had $10 million in liability coverage for “hard structures,” including seats and stage, but that is all.
The peaked roof was designed with irregular surfaces designed to force snow to slide off, but could not withstand the heavy storms that hit the area on Valentine’s Day.
The Performing Arts Center Authority has $1 million in capital funds saved up that will go towards a replacement. The county is expected to front the bill for any additional costs.
Some officials are not ready to just pay up, however.
“If I were the majority, I would sure as heck be looking for somebody to blame, to hold someone accountable, rather than looking at money in a fund,” minority Commissioner Mike Washo told the paper. “Why wouldn’t you have insurance for that? That, to me, is unbelievable.”
In addition to worrying about replacement costs, the county may be forced to pay damages to Live Nation if the collapse affects the upcoming performance season. Live Nation pays the county $877,000 per year to hold concerts beginning in May, and has the contract through 2010. If the problem is not fixed after 180 days, Live Nation has the right to back out of the contract entirely.
The commissioners plan to have a team of experts assess the situation, including reports of possible “maintenance breaches” in earlier years.
“If there is blame, other than an act of God, we’re going to take action in that regard,” Cordaro said. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
