City Approves Festival Rate Hikes

The cost for event organizers to host events in the Open Space will significantly increase going forward after the city commission approved rate hikes for the park last night. Commissioners eliminated reduced rates for non-profit organizations and increased first-day permit fees for all users from $400 to $1,000 and fees for each additional day from $100 to $500. Events serving alcohol will also be charged $350 per day, versus a previous $500 flat fee. Under the new structure, permit fees for a two-day event serving alcohol (with an additional two days for set-up and take-down) will cost $2,700, versus $1,200 previously for for-profit organizations and $850 for non-profit organizations.

Commissioners also limited the number of "quadrants" festivals can utilize in the Open Space to a maximum of two at any given time, allowing other parts of the space to remain open for recreational use. The city will keep the same trash policy it had previously, holding event organizers responsible for the trash they generate on-site, and will continue to monitor sound levels at events to determine how the city's noise ordinance should best be enforced.