Miami Lakes mental-health festival organizers cut bowling, confirm laser tag, set food-truck fee; approve opioid speaker outreach and book giveaway

Miami Lakes Mental Health Task Force members on the call trimmed the festival program and clarified funding rules, voting to remove a planned bowling activity, keep laser tag, and pursue at least four food trucks the committee will recruit directly. The group agreed to charge food trucks $50 each, and approved outreach to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to secure a grant-eligible speaker on opioid addiction. Organizers also approved a student-led book-giveaway table as an in-kind booth.

The decisions matter because they change the event budget and vendor responsibilities. Committee members said confirmed sponsor revenue currently totals about $7,750, while the working event cost estimates discussed during the meeting ranged from roughly $8,000 to $8,135 depending on which line items are included; after removing bowling the group estimated the event would show a modest surplus. Town grant money discussed at the meeting can cover an educational speaker only if the organization provides an invoice describing the educational service; staff repeatedly cautioned against counting grant funds until the finance office receives the required documentation.

Budget and vendor plan The committee discussed vendor confirmations and budget line items at length. One organizer reported roughly $7,750 in confirmed sponsor revenue and that some additional sponsors on a separate list had not yet paid. The working expense totals mentioned in the meeting…