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Saturday, June 21, 1997

County commissioners vote next week on Oilers' early out

By JOAN THOMPSON / Associated Press Writer

HOUSTON (AP) - Harris County officials have worked out an agreement to let the Oilers out of their Astrodome lease a year early, but the deal still must be approved by commissioners, a spokeswoman said Friday.

An agenda for Tuesday's meeting of the county commission was posted Friday showing the agreement was up for a vote, said Sally Lehr, spokeswoman for County Judge Robert Eckels.

"It's the same deal that's been there all the time, but they've worked out the details," she said. "It's the same things the Oilers had offered the county, minus $250,000 which the Oilers will pay to the city for their legal fees."

Negotiations involving the county's attorneys have been going on for weeks, Ms. Lehr said.

"If they hadn't worked out the details, it wouldn't be on the agenda," she said.

County officials earlier this month described the details as technical matters such as title insurance and land conveyance.

If county commissioners approve the plan, then only the city's approval would be left before the Oilers were free to leave Texas for Tennessee.

City attorney Gene Locke said Friday that talks with the Oilers were ongoing. He declined to discuss details.

"We are still working on documents and trying to get a common understanding on the terms and conditions relative to the release of the Oilers from Houston," Locke said. "We've made some progress but have not arrived on a final conclusion on all terms and conditions."

The team is already largely gone. Players have had their last practice in Houston, and the team's equipment is already on its way north.

County commissioners earlier this year approved an agreement in which they would have received a $5.25 million settlement that included the NFL team's $1.5 million practice facility.

But under the plan to be voted on next week, the county would get $250,000 less so the Oilers could pay the city's legal fees. Mayor Bob Lanier had demanded the payment for the city's legal fees from a lawsuit brought by the Oilers.

The Oilers had sued the city, county and the team's lease-holder, Astrodome USA, to prevent them from interfering with negotiations for a new taxpayer-funded stadium in Nashville.

Under a court agreement, the Oilers need approval from the city, county and Astrodome USA before they can get out of the final year of their 10-year lease at the Astrodome.

To settle with their leaseholder, the Oilers agreed to pay $350,000 to Astrodome USA and drop claim to $2.5 million in revenue lost when a 1995 exhibition game was canceled because of problems with the Astroturf.

Oilers owner Bud Adams decided to take his team and go to Tennessee because Houston officials said they wouldn't build him a new stadium.

The Oilers will play in Memphis until their Nashville stadium is finished. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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