Port Richey Centennial committee sets new dates, small event budgets and vendor fees

The Port Richey City Centennial Committee voted on Jan. 21 to change dates for several centennial events, set modest budgets for the February events, approve vendor pricing for a business expo and move forward with sponsorship and promotional plans for the 100‑day celebration.

Committee members approved moving the golf scramble to April 21, 2025; renamed “Museum Day” to “History and Heritage Day” and moved it to Feb. 15; moved the Business Expo to Feb. 26; and set the Centennial Festival/Craft Fair/Fleet Fest for March 9. The committee also confirmed the Taste of Port Richey on March 22 and field-day activities on March 8. Most motions were passed by voice vote with “aye” and “motion carries” recorded in the meeting minutes.

Why it matters: the committee’s schedule and budgets determine marketing, vendor outreach and logistics for multiple public events across Port Richey City during the centennial period, and several decisions also affect sponsor recognition and contracted services such as tour buses and rental equipment.

What the committee decided and instructed staff

- Dates and name changes: The committee formally changed the Centennial Festival/Craft Fair/Fleet Fest to March 9; History and Heritage Day (formerly Museum Day) moved to Feb. 15; Business Expo moved to Feb. 26; and the golf scramble moved to Monday, April 21. Each change was made by motion and approved by voice vote (recorded as “motion carries”).

- Vendor fees and expo layout: The committee approved vendor pricing for the Business Expo: inside vendor spaces $75 and outside/tent spaces $50 (committee members agreed to swap the initial amounts so inside is the higher, more coveted slot). The committee asked staff to produce a vendor packet and a running sign-up list and to provide vendor guidelines (load-in/load-out times, tent anchoring/weights, table/chair provisions).

- Budgets: The committee set provisional budgets of $1,500 for the opening-day event (Feb. 7) and $1,500 for History and Heritage Day (Feb. 15), for a combined February allocation of $3,000. Those budgets cover items such as light refreshments, table and chair rentals, and signage; the committee signaled it will seek in‑kind sponsorships to reduce cash outlays.

- Sponsorships and in‑kind support: Committee members reported sponsorship commitments and leads, including an announced $20,000 presenting sponsorship pledge from Ocean Honda (committee discussed confirming paperwork and sponsorship packet details). Gulfside T‑Shirts offered an in‑kind $500 credit toward shirts. Other checks and smaller sponsorships were reported verbally but required paperwork and formal processing.

- Promotional and logistics decisions: The committee approved using ticketed RSVPs (Eventbrite or similar) for the History and Heritage Day tour to estimate demand before committing to a tour bus; the meeting recorded an approximate bus cost of about $683.50 (rounded to “about $700”) as an estimate. The committee also directed staff to prepare flyers, to distribute materials physically at city hall and local senior centers, and to prepare press releases for broader media outreach.

- Weekly meetings: Given the compressed schedule, the committee agreed to meet weekly (same day/time in the coming weeks) to finalize logistics and budgets.

Bowling tournament and golf scramble notes

The committee discussed format options for the bowling tournament (family-friendly open lanes versus a cash-prize-style competitive tournament). The committee expressed a preference to run a sanctioned-style tournament (which tends to draw more participants) while keeping some lanes available for families; prize distribution would be handled by the bowling alley if tournament funds are deposited with the venue. For the golf scramble the committee confirmed Ocean Honda’s willingness to provide a car prize on a par‑3 and discussed prize/round allocations and potential deposit requirements to hold the date.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to table incomplete minutes (no detailed page present) — outcome: approved by voice vote (“motion carries”). - Motion to reconsider and approve Jan. 7 meeting minutes — outcome: approved by voice vote. - Motion to change Golf Scramble date to April 21 — outcome: approved by voice vote. - Motion to rename Museum Day to History and Heritage Day and move date from Feb. 8 to Feb. 15 — outcome: approved by voice vote. - Motion to move Business Expo from Feb. 19 to Feb. 26 — outcome: approved by voice vote. - Motion to move Centennial Festival/Craft Fair/Fleet Fest to March 9 — outcome: approved by voice vote.

What remains to be done

Committee members directed staff to: finalize and post vendor sign-up materials; collect completed sponsorship paperwork for all pledged funds and in‑kind donations; finalize itineraries and itinerant logistics (time capsule exhumation and reburial plans were described for Feb. 7 and May 18); place press releases and distribute printed flyers to senior living facilities, churches and local businesses; and confirm vendor and venue deposits where required (for example, the golf scramble venue requested confirmation and may require a deposit).

A Port Richey resident and volunteer with the local historical society, Victor Clark Mallett, spoke during public comment about volunteering items for the centennial exhibits and local museum vault materials, saying, “my grandfather was the first elected mayor of Port Richey,” and offering historical artifacts for display. That and similar public comments prompted the committee to prioritize physical display space and outreach to West Pasco Historical Society.

The committee will reconvene weekly to finalize logistics and budgets ahead of the Feb. 7 opening-day event.