Centennial committee adds $4,000 to weekend budget, finalizes festival logistics and charity plans

Port Richey's Centennial Committee voted to add $4,000 to the centennial weekend budget and moved ahead with logistics for the city's May festival, including a large tent, porta‑potty placement, road closures for a parade and vendor application deadlines.

The committee approved the $4,000 increase in a voice vote after members said the additional funds were needed to cover rentals and on‑site needs that will serve both the parade/festival day and the evening celebration. The motion passed with affirmative votes and no recorded roll‑call of opposed members.

Why it matters: Committee members said the tent and restroom rentals will serve both days of activities and that increasing the line item now avoids last‑minute shortages. The committee also tied a fundraising plan to the events: proceeds from a dunk tank and a raffle/auction at the mayor's ball will be pooled and distributed to five charities the committee selected.

Most important facts - Budget: The committee voted to add $4,000 to the centennial weekend budget to cover shared rentals and event shortfalls. - Large tent and restrooms: The committee agreed on a large rental tent to be placed just south of the park pavilion and confirmed porta‑potty coverage for both the festival and celebration; the porta‑potty plan includes four regular units, one handicapped unit and three portable wash stations positioned near the upper hill area by EMS/fire staging. - Fireworks and performer costs: The fireworks show was discussed as a separate high‑cost line item (committee noted a contracted fireworks show around $20,000), and the committee flagged performer payments and DJ costs as continuing budget items. - Parade logistics: The Centennial parade route and times were finalized in principle; road closures will begin before the parade (discussed start time for closures around 4:30 p.m.) and the parade is scheduled to run roughly 5:00–6:00 p.m., with setup hours earlier in the afternoon. - Vendors and tents: The committee set a paperwork cutoff for vendors (application completed and in hand) at noon on the Monday before the events; building staff will confirm permitting and certificates for food trucks and tent vendors. - Wristbands and inflatables: The committee approved ordering colorcoded wristbands for participants, vendors and volunteers and discussed power and generator needs for inflatables (pavilion outlets are limited; inflatables placed in the field will require generators). - Dunk tank and fundraising pricing: The committee set pricing for the dunk tank: $1 for three balls and $10 to trigger a special "push" (the committee amended the earlier amount and approved the $10 push). The committee also decided to pool proceeds from the dunk tank with the mayor's‑ball raffle/auction. - Charity distribution: After an initial proposal to give proceeds to a single charity, the committee rescinded that motion and then voted to divide the pooled proceeds equally among five local charities: Hearts and Hands; Crawl for the Cure (cancer fund); VetCatch; Runaways Rescue; and the West Pasco Historical Society.

Supporting detail and background Committee members discussed placement of the large tent in the lower field just south of the pavilion so it can be used for both the parade/festival day and the evening fireworks celebration. Porta‑potty and wash station placement was described as being on the higher part of the hill, visible from the roadway; the committee emphasized the units would serve both events.

Vendor logistics took a large portion of the discussion. Staff reported receiving a mix of fully completed vendor applications and inquiries; the committee set a final application deadline (noon, Monday before the events) so building staff can process certificates of insurance and permit items. The committee also discussed limiting duplicate food items (for example, avoiding multiple shaved‑ice vendors) to give vendors a fair chance for sales.

For parade management, committee members discussed barricades and police/public‑works staffing needs and recommended placing small road‑closed signs on route entrances the day before. Committee members also recommended distributing flyers door‑to‑door on the route and posting signs to warn drivers.

Fundraising: The committee discussed using ticketing and a raffle at the mayor's ball in addition to the dunk tank proceeds. After debate, the committee voted to pool raffle and dunk tank proceeds and split them evenly among the five named charities. The committee also set a nominal pricing structure for the dunk tank (the adopted price is $1 for three balls; $10 to activate a special "push" event) and decided proceeds could be handled centrally with tickets to maintain cash controls.

What the committee directed staff to do - Finalize and purchase the rental tent and porta‑potty/wash‑station package so units are in place for both events. - Post the vendor application deadline (noon, Monday before the events) and require applicants to copy staff when they submit paperwork so the committee can confirm vendor status. - Confirm parade road‑closure plan with police and public‑works and order route signage for the day before the parade. - Order wristbands in multiple colors for vendors, volunteers, parade participants and youth, and confirm quantities once volunteer counts are finalized. - Collect ticket and dunk‑tank receipts centrally (one ticket booth) and track funds for later distribution to the five charities that passed the committee vote.

Next steps / outlook Committee members asked staff to follow up quickly on vendor permitting and to provide a final, dated budget worksheet after purchases are placed. The committee also scheduled follow‑up checks on tent delivery, generator requests for inflatables and final parade and road‑closure maps.

Ending: The committee framed the decisions as necessary to avoid last‑minute shortages and to ensure both public safety and an orderly event; members said they would continue outreach to increase attendance and vendor participation in the days before the celebration.