Council adopts sponsorship policy changes, advances special‑events ordinance and uniform fee schedule

Orange City Council on Aug. 12 approved changes to the city's sponsorship policy, voted to adopt a special‑events ordinance at first reading and approved a resolution creating a uniform in‑kind fee schedule for city‑sponsored events. The action moves the special‑events ordinance to a second and final reading to be scheduled for Aug. 26, 2025.

The sponsorship policy revision removes direct cash contributions and sets the city's sponsorships to in‑kind services only (staff time, fee waivers, use of equipment, messaging and other noncash support). Maddie McAllister, the city's public information officer, said staff proposed the change because the city no longer ties donations to the budget cycle and wants a consistent, administrable approach.

Under the policy change, applicant eligibility expands from 501(c)(3) nonprofits to include for‑profit businesses whose primary business address is inside Orange City. The submission timeline was shortened: applications must now be submitted 45 days before an event rather than through a summer all‑call.

As part of the package, the council approved resolution 389‑25 to set hourly in‑kind rates for event staffing and equipment. Staff recommended $60 per officer per hour for police, $55 per firefighter per hour (assigned vehicle), and $40 per hour for general staff and public works personnel; equipment charges would follow FEMA's 2023 equipment rates for unusual requests.

McAllister told the council the city sponsored nine nonprofit requests in fiscal 2024‑25, provided $77,500 in cash donations in that year, and provided about $19,747 in in‑kind services; she described the total contributions for that fiscal year as reported in staff documents. She said Orange City is the only nearby jurisdiction without a uniform fee schedule and that the proposed rates are intended to recover average costs rather than raise revenue.

Council discussion focused on procedural details: one council member asked whether applicants should submit a proposed event budget rather than the entire organization budget; McAllister said staff can remove the full organization budget requirement now that cash donations are not part of the policy. Council members also discussed the sponsorship review committee membership and whether an events coordinator should be included; McAllister said parks and recreation representation will be added when that position is in place.

Ordinance 691 was read at first reading to restore a deleted chapter of the code that governs special events, permit submittals and department review. The council approved the ordinance on first reading and scheduled a second and final reading for Aug. 26, 2025. The package passed by recorded roll call votes.

What happens next: staff will operate under the new sponsorship policy for in‑kind requests and will collect feedback as the city implements the uniform fee schedule; the special‑events ordinance will return for final adoption on Aug. 26, 2025.