Council votes $5,000 to chainsaw‑carving festival after in‑meeting funding debate

Organizers of the Sandy Invitational Chainsaw Carving (SICC) asked the council for $15,000 to help fund the festival’s advertising and family programming two weeks before the event. Councilors debated process and precedent before authorizing a $5,000 allocation from the council contingency line.

Austin Ernesti, the festival organizer, described growth from about 650 attendees in year one to more than 2,500 the prior year and projected 5,000 this season. He said the funds would be used for advertising, family activities, shuttle services and subsidized food vendors to make the event more affordable. “We are asking for the city to kind of help come in on this,” Ernesti said.

Council discussion focused on procedure. Multiple council members said the city maintains a special‑service grant process for nonprofit events and organizations; staff and some councilors said the organizer had been asked previously to provide a written plan and return with more detail. Others argued the event’s quick timeline and apparent growth justified narrow, immediate support for essential services or a contracted vendor rather than a general cash grant.

After debate, council approved a motion to allocate $5,000 from the council contingency to support the event (either paid directly to the organizer’s nonprofit or directed to a specific contract or vendor for festival services). Several councilors said the council should not make the payment a precedent for bypassing the established grant process and asked staff to develop clearer outreach and procedures for next year so all eligible nonprofits can apply.

Why it matters: the council’s decision shows willingness to support a fast‑growing community event, but members emphasized the need for formal process and equitable outreach to other nonprofits and festival organizers in future budget cycles.