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 included figures in the neighborhood of $8,000–$8,135, with participants calculating that removing bowling increases the projected surplus to roughly $1,537 (figures were presented by committee members during the meeting and described as the current working estimates, not an audited budget).

To reduce costs and ensure food availability, members voted to remove the bowling activity from the festival program and to keep the laser-tag offering. The committee instructed organizers to recruit at least four food trucks directly (separate from a vendor contact named Oscar), and to charge vendors $50 each for participation; members said that fee was intended to be modest and to cover basic event costs while still providing exposure for small vendors. The committee also discussed vendor requirements: food trucks must provide a certificate of insurance naming the town and a current food-vendor license; the laser-tag vendor will require a W-9 before payment if the town has not previously paid that vendor.

Guest speaker, grant rules and invoice requirements
Members approved a motion to reach out to NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) or a similarly qualified organization to secure a grant-eligible speaker who could present a roughly 20-minute educational session on opioid addiction and treatment resources. Town staff emphasized that grant funds discussed at the meeting are restricted: the grant can pay for an educational speaker or programming but not for general logistics or vendor fees, and the town’s finance office requires a formal invoice from the speaker or organization detailing the services to be performed before any grant money can be released.

Committee members discussed speaker qualifications; staff said a speaker paid with grant money should be a qualified practitioner with appropriate credentials. The motion to pursue a NAMI (or equivalent) speaker passed on the call.

Student book giveaway and other in-kind requests
The task force approved an in-kind table for a student-led youth literacy project that will distribute free children’s books at the festival. Members requested that donated books be age-appropriate and suitable for the event; volunteers or committee members will review the donations on arrival. The motion to allow the book-giveaway table was seconded and approved.

Event logistics, stage and schedule
Organizers reviewed a draft event timeline and stage layout. The committee agreed to place the stage nearer the park’s central area (closer to the playground and Gary’s Pavilion) to improve sight lines and to position vendors and activities so the playground area helps funnel foot traffic past sponsor tents. The plan calls for sponsors to have check-in tables, volunteer training before the event, and a sponsor “swag” bag distribution (committee members discussed printing inserts and distributing bags at sponsor check-in).

Vendor call-in and confirmations
A vendor contact who identified himself as Oscar joined part of the meeting by phone. Oscar reported that he had pre-confirmed 10 food trucks and that laser-tag and other activity invoices had been sent; he and staff agreed to exchange a list of truck names, certificates of insurance and other documents so organizers can post vendor names on the event website. Committee members emphasized the need for written confirmations and vendor paperwork.

Votes at a glance
- Remove bowling from the festival program — approved (no named roll-call given).
- Retain laser tag and ask vendor for invoice/W-9 if required — approved.
- Recruit at least four food trucks directly (not relying solely on Oscar) and charge $50 per food truck — approved.
- Reach out to NAMI (or equivalent) to secure a 20-minute, grant-funded opioid-education speaker; require invoice and qualifications — approved.
- Approve student-led book-giveaway table (in-kind booth) — approved.

What’s next
Organizers scheduled a follow-up meeting for the week before the event to finalize vendor confirmations, the stage layout, sponsor check-in details and any remaining invoices required to release grant funds. Staff said they will not rely on the grant until the required invoice and documentation arrive in finance.

(Reporting based on the Miami Lakes Mental Health Task Force planning meeting transcript; figures and timelines were presented by meeting participants and remain subject to final accounting and vendor confirmations.)