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Staff outlines 2025 Community Activities budget, sponsorship goals and event calendar
Summary
Staff presented the Community Activities budget for 2025, reviewed revenue sources (sponsorships, program fees, vendor fees), and confirmed event dates including Lunar New Year, tentative July 3 fireworks, concert series, and Newcastle Days on Sept. 6.
Amy (community activities staff) presented the Community Activities budget for 2025 at the Jan. 8 meeting, summarizing expense lines, connected revenue streams and planned events.
Amy said sponsorships generated $47,149 in 2024 and the commission is budgeted to aim for $50,000 in 2025. She described recreation program fees (Skyhawks camps and classes), which produced $6,659.90 in 2024 and are budgeted at a higher target for 2025, and noted exhibitor and vendor fees for events totaled $5,952 in 2024 with an expectation of higher revenue in 2025. "Sponsorship income doesn't happen without community activities expenditures," Amy told commissioners, explaining why staff monitor revenue and expense lines together.
Amy walked commissioners through expense categories that cover year-round needs (office supplies, volunteer support, music licensing and waterline parking), event-specific costs (fireworks, concerts, Newcastle Days) and smaller community programs (Arbor Day, Lights of Newcastle, Weed Warriors). She said the 2025 budget reflects price adjustments for rentals and services and includes contingency to cover higher costs for rentals, portable restrooms, barricades and sound technicians.
Event dates and logistics discussed in the meeting include: - Lunar New Year: Sunday, Feb. 9, 1–4 p.m., at Risen Middle School; the event received support from a King County grant through Councilmember Reagan Dunn’s office and will feature dragon and lion dancers and a drumming demonstration. - Fireworks: Tentatively scheduled for Thursday, July 3; final confirmation depends on the city’s infrastructure manager and vendor booking. - Concert series/concerts in the parks: Selected summer dates (including July 23 and July 30; additional August dates discussed) with sound tech, bands and vendor support planned. - Newcastle Days: Confirmed for Sept. 6 after review of police availability; t-shirts and printing expenses come from the Newcastle Days line item.
Program and administrative deadlines and notes: spring Skyhawks classes begin April 15 and registration opens through April 4; the next volunteer newsletter distribution is Jan. 17. Amy also apologized for technical issues with the on-screen presentation and said the slide deck and printable materials would be uploaded to the commission’s meeting folder and the city website.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about line-item changes (for example, professional services and rental increases) and about reuse of printed materials such as banners. Amy explained some 2024 line items were underspent because they were tied to staffing or one-time purchases and that 2025 includes allocations to maintain flexibility for events.
No formal vote was taken during the budget presentation; commissioners received the information and will use it to finalize event planning and sponsorship outreach.
