Lake Placid council workshop advances consolidated fee schedule for facility rentals, insurance and event rules

The Town Council of Lake Placid met in workshop March 18 to discuss a consolidated fee schedule for facility rentals, park uses and recurring town events, including whether to require proof of insurance and how to distinguish a simple meeting from a catered event.

Town staff said the current rental structure is unclear and inconsistent, producing subjective pricing, frequent fee waivers and a net shortfall when staff time and incident costs are included. “The reason we're here is to talk about town fees and establishing a Lake Placid fee schedule,” Mayor Holbrook said at the meeting’s opening.

Council members and staff heard staff summaries showing 43 reservations logged so far this year and $775 collected to date; staff also reported the booking process averages about 30 minutes per reservation and estimated a per-reservation labor cost of $16.79. Staff said a number of recurring community events — including the Palladium Festival — are currently being waived and that one recurring festival required police details and public works support that together can push the town’s direct costs for a single event to more than $10,000.

Why it matters: Council members said unclear rules and widespread free use expose the town to liability and to subsidizing events and private fundraisers. Council members also expressed concern that free rentals could disadvantage local businesses that rent event space for a fee.

Discussion and staff proposals

Staff recommended consolidating most user fees into a single fee schedule adopted by resolution, separate from ordinances that must be amended by first and second reading. Utilities and sanitation rates, staff said, must remain in ordinance because state statute and required rate-study processes govern those charges.

Staff proposed separate pricing tiers and definitions that would distinguish: meetings (low-impact gatherings with no catering, no kitchen, limited setup), events (catered activities, use of kitchen, decorations or paid vendors), in-town residents, out-of-town users and not-for-profits. Staff also recommended requiring proof of liability insurance for events above a specified threshold and retaining refundable damage deposits.

Staff and council discussed specific operational details: which activities trigger the insurance requirement, whether to offer a discounted resident/not-for-profit meeting rate, how to require event insurance (through a local agency or Highlands County risk management/Risk Management Coordinator), and how to document minimum cleanup/room-return standards so deposits can be withheld for damage or excessive cleanup costs.

Council direction and next steps

Council members broadly supported returning a revised schedule for adoption at a future council meeting. Staff said they will present a redrafted fee schedule and suggested resolution for council consideration in April, including (per staff’s draft shown at the workshop) an appointment-meeting price of about $50 for in-town residents and not-for-profits, and higher event rates (example draft: $150 in-town, $200 out-of-town) for full-event rentals; staff emphasized these draft numbers would be finalized for council action. Council members also directed staff to clarify: the threshold for when insurance is required, whether certain recurring community events should remain waived or be grandfathered, and how to capture full event costs (pre- and post-event staffing, fuel, restroom servicing and other support).

Operational clarifications

Staff described the current reservation workflow: initial intake by email or drop-off, uploading to the calendar, staff notifications and a facility walkthrough for AV or site uses. Staff noted recurring issues such as doors propped open during afternoon events (causing HVAC loss), requests for setup/tear-down that current staffing does not cover, and past incidents that led to deposit forfeitures.

Ending

Council instructed staff to return with a consolidated fee schedule, proposed resolution and clarified definitions of “meeting” and “event” for formal consideration at the next council agenda in April. Staff emphasized they would include benchmarking data and recommended insurance and deposit language in the April packet.