Port Richey centennial committee finalizes event calendar, presses for online payments and promotional materials

The Port Richey City Centennial Events Committee on Tuesday finalized dates and key details for a series of centennial events and pressed staff to finish an online payment portal and event flyers so public registration can open.

At the Feb. 25 meeting, Vice Chair Caroline Gonzales and committee members reviewed a draft calendar of events that included a car show (April 12), a food-truck night (April 13), a redfish tournament (April 19, captain’s meeting 7 p.m.; weigh-in/photo at 3 p.m. on tournament day), a golf scramble (April 20, check-in 7 a.m.; play beginning 8 a.m.), a business expo (April 30), a kickoff parade (May 10; setup 4:30 p.m.; parade about 5:30 p.m.), the Mayor’s Ball (May 16), a Centennial Festival (May 17, Waterfront Park) and a John Cash concert with fireworks and a time capsule event (May 18). The committee asked staff to publish the schedule promptly once final times and locations are confirmed.

Why it matters: Committee members said they need the promotional materials, ticketing and the QR-based payment link in place quickly so residents and vendors can register. Several event leads also said publishing prize amounts and registration details will drive participation in the tournaments.

Committee members asked staff to finish a billing portal (the committee used a vendor referred to during the meeting as “billing.net”) and to add a QR code that links directly to the specific event registration (rather than a generic non-utility payments page). Member Adam Thompson said the portal already can prefill fields but that the desktop and phone behaviors differ; the committee requested the vendor add a city-events dropdown and quantity fields and make the mobile and desktop experiences consistent. Staff member Ashley and IT lead Eric were asked to follow up with the vendor and report back.

On promotional materials, member Kim (listed in materials as Kim McCary / Kim LeCary in meeting materials) presented mockups for the Mayor’s Ball invitation, tickets and flyers; the group approved using an Art Deco “twenties” motif for the mayor’s ball materials and asked Kim to add Ocean Honda as a sponsor line on the flyer and to place a QR code on printed materials. The committee also chose a banner design (committee mockup preferred) for general centennial promotion and requested production in two sizes (6x3 and 8x4 feet).

Tickets, challenge coins and room blocks: Committee members discussed challenge coins and commemorative items for the mayor’s ball. Kim reported a vendor quote that ranged from roughly $6–$7 per coin in preliminary pricing for an order of several hundred; the committee asked Kim to collect at least three quotes and report back. Member Caroline Gonzales volunteered to approach local hotels about a potential room block for dignitaries and out-of-town guests.

Payment flow and user experience: The committee previewed the QR code behavior and asked staff to remove confusing fields (invoice number) from the public-facing flow, to ensure the city-events list appears as a dropdown, and to show event-specific details (ticket price, quantity) once an event is selected. Member Adam Thompson and staff agreed to coordinate with the payment vendor and to have updated behavior ready quickly so ticket sales can begin.

Prizes, sponsorship and legal constraints: A lengthy discussion focused on how tournament prizes will be funded. The committee reviewed a legal memorandum summarized at the meeting that cautioned Florida law may bar using participant entry fees to pay “valuable personal prizes” for some contests; the memorandum said bowling tournaments are an exception but fishing, golf and other events may not be able to tie entry fees directly to cash payouts. The committee directed staff to get a written legal opinion and to confirm whether cash prizes may be paid from (a) a separately designated sponsorship account, (b) donor funds that are not city general‑fund appropriations, or (c) the city’s general fund after a formal appropriation or council action. Until legal counsel confirms, the committee asked organizers to treat any prize figures shown on flyers as placeholders and to pursue sponsorships or noncash prizes (equipment, gift certificates) as alternatives.

Logistics round-up and next steps: The committee approved continuing to use QR-coded payments once the portal is adjusted, asked staff to finalize and circulate flyers and ticket links, and asked Kim to update the redfish tournament flyer to show a redfish image rather than a red snapper. Committee members were asked to send final copy and any sponsor names to Ashley so designs can be updated and printed tickets can be produced.

Votes at a glance: The committee approved the minutes for the previous meeting by voice vote; later they moved to adjourn by motion and second (both procedural motions carried by voice vote).