Council presses staff for answers after dispute over 'Proud in the Cloud' event fees and permit process

Saint Cloud council members on Tuesday sharply questioned staff and event organizers about the city's special-event process after a request to match Lakefront Park rental rates for a Pride event at The Ranch surfaced in the public record.

The dispute began when organizers of "Proud in the Cloud" requested a fee reduction to host the June event at The Ranch instead of the lakefront. The city previously approved a $1,250 community support grant for the event; council members said they later learned staff had exchanged emails and a parks application that included differing fee and staffing assumptions.

Mayor Chris Robertson reviewed city fee language during the meeting and cited details from the Ranch application: "Any event over 150 will be subject to a special-event permit fee ... and one additional hourly staff person per 75 people at an hourly rate of $65 an hour during the scheduled event." The application listed an estimated attendance of 2,000–4,000 people; the mayor and several council members said they were concerned that the agreement, as written, could generate a minimum of roughly 325 staff-hours and a staffing cost on the order of $21,000 for a 2,000-person event if those staffing terms were strictly applied.

City staff said the Development Review Committee (DRC) and public-safety departments review special-event applications, and that fees for staffing are typically reconciled after an event because required personnel depends on final attendance and operational factors. Parks and recreation staff provided a timeline of outreach and invoices to the council during the meeting; the deputy city manager also briefed council and gathered the documents requested by members.

Organizers told the council they are a volunteer alliance fiscally sponsored by the LGBT Center Orlando; the center handles accounting and tax reporting while the local volunteer group organizes on-the-ground activities. Sharon Cardenas, who spoke on behalf of the local organizers, said the alliance is still building organizational capacity and welcomed staff guidance on proper application and sponsorship procedures.

Council members asked staff to provide the full event application packet, vendor invoices and all email communications about fee reductions and waivers; Mayor Robertson and others pressed for clearer rules about when staff may approve fee waivers or reduced rates without explicit council direction. "We have a $5.5 million asset out there," the mayor said, referring to The Ranch property purchase, "and we need to protect it." City staff agreed to follow up with a complete record and to bring recommended process improvements back to council.