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Town approves online vendor payment setup for Pioneer Day; council weighs buying sound system
Summary
Charleston council approved moving vendor registration and payment for Pioneer Day to an online system that charges a vendor card fee; the council discussed buying a town sound system to avoid repeated rental costs but deferred purchase pending quotes.
The Charleston town council approved using an online payment link and QR code for Pioneer Day vendor registration on Thursday, a change organizers said will let vendors pay fees electronically while passing the card processing fee to the payer.
Council member and event organizers said the new vendor portal will automatically apply a roughly 4 percent credit‑card fee so the town receives the full vendor fee in its account; vendors may still pay by cash or check to avoid the processing charge. "So if it's a $100, you're gonna pay a $104, and it automatically does that," the council clerk said while describing the system.
Council members moved to proceed with paying the website/setup fee needed to enable online registration. The motion to authorize payment of those Pioneer Day vendor processing and website costs carried.
Organizers also raised the cost of the rented sound system for the event. Staff said the recurring annual rental — almost $1,000 per year — prompted discussion about whether the town should purchase its own portable wireless sound system. They asked staff to gather equipment quotes and cost comparisons before deciding whether to buy; a motion to proceed with vendor payment and to continue investigating a purchase for the sound system passed.
Officials noted logistical details for the online system: the payment portal prints receipts, can include a purchaser name and an operator‑supplied parenthetical to identify the vendor’s business on the charge, and will remit applicable state tax information to the state. The town will track payments in a spreadsheet and reconcile vendor lists with receipts.
Council members also discussed volunteer needs, banners and signage for the celebration, and a separate web page for the town's 5K registration. The council asked organizers to finalize volunteer lists and vendor guidance and to continue work on the web registration ahead of the event.
No fee increases to vendor rates were adopted beyond the payment portal processing arrangements; council members said vendors may choose cash/check to avoid the card fee.
