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Green River Council weighs funding, oversight as volunteer committee seeks to relaunch Flaming Gorge Days
Summary
City staff and a newly formed volunteer committee outlined volunteer roles, costs and staffing hours for Flaming Gorge Days and asked the Green River City Council to direct staff to draft a services agreement and MOU. Councilmembers discussed possible seed funding but made no formal commitment.
The Green River City Council discussed plans to relaunch Flaming Gorge Days at a workshop that reviewed city staff time, volunteer roles, event costs and next steps for a new nonprofit committee.
City staff and volunteers said the event still requires substantial city support even if run by an outside nonprofit. Reid, a city staff presenter, summarized staff time estimates: "When you spread across multiple divisions... you're looking at about 674 hours," covering planning, setup and cleanup across police, parks and recreation, streets and fire services.
The volunteer group presented a roster of organizers and responsibilities and said it has taken initial steps to incorporate. Sherry Bushman, councilwoman and a lead organizer for the volunteer committee, said the group has opened a bank account and obtained tax paperwork: "We have a bank account at Trona Valley... we are good staying with the state and the federal. So we have an EIN." Committee volunteers identified roles including marketing, sponsorship sales, vendor and children’s activities, beer and wine concessions, and event programming.
Why it matters: Flaming Gorge Days has been a major annual event in Green River, and past versions drew significant city in-kind support and costs. Council members said they want the event to continue but also want clarity about the city’s financial exposure and oversight before committing additional funds.
Details and budget context
City staff and council members described how Flaming Gorge Days has required both in-kind staff time and direct payments. Police planning and event staffing commonly generate overtime; staff estimated concert-related planning and overtime could reach roughly $30,000 in personnel costs depending on scale. Committee and city figures cited recent event-level expense totals of about $80,000 in 2024 and roughly $54,000–$55,000 in 2025.
Committee members said concert talent is the largest variable cost. "To get a good rock band... we're looking at $30,000," said Greg Bushman, a volunteer; "If you want a country band, you're looking at $40 to $50,000." The group also noted a stage rental cost of about $15,000 plus audio, lighting and sound staff.
Fundraising and sponsorships
Volunteers said last year’s sponsorship revenue was in the neighborhood of $19,000 and that recruiting sponsors earlier in the year could materially increase revenue. The committee reported roughly 40 volunteers supported the most recent event and described plans to sell vendor spaces, tournament sponsorships and VIP packages to raise seed money.
Council discussion and next steps
Councilmembers debated how much the city should contribute while the committee builds capacity. Councilwoman Sherry Bushman and other volunteers asked for a clear, auditable agreement that sets city expectations and reporting. Councilmember Gary recommended a substantial seed contribution, saying, "My recommendation would be... I would be willing to vote to fund this new committee at somewhere between 50 and $100,000 to help [them] get started." No formal vote was taken.
Council and staff agreed the next step is for city staff to draft a services contract and memorandum of understanding that would specify services the city will provide in-kind, the funding the city may supply, and reporting and audit requirements for the committee. Reid and other staff said they will prepare that draft and bring it back to council for consideration.
No decisions were formally adopted during the workshop. Council members asked for clearer budgets and sponsorship targets from the committee, earlier sponsor outreach to align with corporate budget cycles, and written contract terms that define oversight and liability.
Ending
Committee organizers said they plan to use an early-year sponsorship push and a new website to sell tickets and registrations, and they asked the council to set a funding range and contract terms soon so they can secure bands and vendors. Councilmembers indicated support for keeping the event in the community but emphasized the need for a services contract spelling out city obligations, committee reporting, and how financial shortfalls would be handled.
