City adopts fee schedule for city‑managed events; council cuts food‑truck fee to $250

The Grants Pass City Council adopted a resolution establishing a fee schedule for city‑managed special events — Fourth of July, Art Along the Rogue and the Tree Lighting — and set vendor and food‑truck fees that staff said align with comparable Oregon events.

Economic Development staff member Dana Pierce outlined the proposed schedule: vendor fees of $60 for Fourth of July and the Tree Lighting, $120 for Art Along the Rogue (a multi‑day event), a food‑truck fee proposed at $300 per event, and T‑shirt sales priced at cost plus 10 percent rounded down. Staff said the fees were researched against other municipal events and were intended to increase transparency and provide modest cost recovery.

Council discussion focused on the degree of cost recovery (staff said the fees are a partial recovery and do not cover full event costs such as fireworks or staging) and whether fees were a barrier for food‑truck operators. Councilor Victoria moved to amend the staff proposal to lower the food‑truck fee to $250; Councilor Rob supported the broader adoption and noted the schedule creates a predictable, standardized permit fee that avoids a permit free‑for‑all. The council voted to adopt the fee schedule with the $250 food‑truck fee amendment; the motion passed unanimously.

Why it matters: the resolution creates one consistent fee table for vendors and food trucks at the city‑run events and standardizes permit and appeal processes. Staff said fees are not intended to fully cover event costs but to recover a portion and to help attract and vet vendors.

Next steps: staff will apply the adopted fee schedule for upcoming city events and continue to refine administrative details; council asked staff to provide, on request, further cost‑recovery detail on specific events.