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Commission approves fire-medical standby for Pioneer Days; Chamber allowed to pay over three months
Summary
High Springs commissioners voted to require dedicated fire/EMS staffing for the Pioneer Days festival and to allow the High Springs Chamber of Commerce to pay the staffing fee over three months this year. Commissioners discussed prior practice, estimated attendance and fairness of fee waivers.
The High Springs City Commission approved staffing public-safety personnel to provide dedicated fire and medical standby at the Pioneer Days festival and allowed the High Springs Chamber of Commerce to spread payment for that staffing over a three‑month period this year.
City staff and the fire chief argued dedicated staffing is necessary because the festival draws thousands of visitors and the department cannot guarantee crews will be available at the station during the event. Staff characterized Pioneer Days as one of the city’s larger events, with an attendance estimate of 2,000 to 5,000 people.
At staff’s request the commission discussed prior practice: some past years relied on volunteer medical providers or opted not to staff the event, while other years documented a formal cost for dedicated firefighter/EMS coverage. Staff said the present proposal calls for two firefighters on site for the festival, with overtime pay and benefits included in the computation; the meeting packet included a prior-year line item describing two firefighters at $60 per hour for one 7-hour day and one 6-hour day, to be paid by the chamber.
Commissioners and community members debated consistency and fairness. Several commissioners expressed concern about changing past practice or setting a precedent for fee waivers; others acknowledged the chamber’s limited short‑term cash flow and supported a one‑time payment plan to allow the event to proceed with formal, staffed medical coverage. The chamber representative said the organization had used volunteer medical coverage in recent years and asked for leniency this year.
After discussion a motion to staff the event per the fire chief’s recommendation and to allow the chamber to pay the staffing charge over three months was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.
Staff said the fee could be waived, reduced or structured differently by commission action in future years and recommended the city keep consistency in applying the policy going forward. The commission asked staff to work with the chamber on budgeting for future events.
