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Fortuna adopts River Lodge fee increases, approves $80,400 for audio-visual overhaul
Summary
Council adopted a new River Lodge and parks fee schedule aimed at narrowing the venue's operating deficit and approved an $80,400 supplemental budget to modernize a failing audio-visual system; staff said the changes could generate roughly $75,000 in added revenue annually if applied to year-to-date rentals.
The Fortuna City Council adopted Resolution 2025-25, revising the River Lodge and parks fee schedule for fiscal year 2025-26, and approved a supplemental budget of $80,400 to replace and maintain the building's aging audio-visual system. Staff said the combined steps aim to reduce the River Lodge operating deficit and improve renter experience.
Parks and recreation staff presented a revised fee schedule and several operational changes intended to increase revenue and reduce staff time. Proposed and clarified items included raising the security/deposit to $500, a combined main-room full-day rental set at $2,000, a half-day combined rental set at $1,000, room-specific full-day rates (Coho $500, Steelhead $700, Chinook $1,300), a table-and-chair setup charge of $100 per room, a new dishware-use fee and an increased audio-visual daily fee. Staff also proposed a $150 (hourly service) charge for coffee, tea and water for a 25-person event and said they would enforce existing cleaning-deposit rules and event end times to reduce staff cleanup hours.
Using January's rental pattern as a baseline, staff estimated the proposed changes and operational steps would have generated about $75,000 more in revenue and cut the River Lodge's regular operating deficit from roughly $275,000 to about $200,000.
On the audio-visual item, staff and the presenter (identified in the record as Stingbrook) said the current system, installed in 2017 by Tech Home Innovations, has not received needed updates and now disconnects microphones mid-event. A vendor quote attached to the staff report itemized replacement and upgrade work at approximately $78,000; staff requested $80,400 total to cover purchase, installation and initial maintenance, and to fund an estimated $2,400 per year in quarterly maintenance thereafter. The Humboldt Lodging Alliance has pledged $25,000 toward the project.
Council adopted the fee schedule and approved the supplemental budget; staff said the installation vendor is familiar with the River Lodge system and staff recommended proceeding with that contractor given prior installation experience. Council asked staff to report back on implementation and revenue results after the initial period of enforcement and marketing changes.
Ending: The city will proceed to contract for the AV work, update the River Lodge listings and begin enforcement of the updated operational rules; staff set tentative next steps to monitor revenue impacts and to report back to council.
