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Council reviews Renaissance Fair budget and hears Main Street vacancy-fee idea from conference
Summary
Council members reviewed preliminary Renaissance Fair finances showing expenses above the $15,000 budget and discussed booth fees and sponsorships; staff returned from a Main Street conference with a proposal to explore vacancy fees to fund facade and fire-suppression grants.
Council members reviewed preliminary numbers for the upcoming Renaissance Fair and said the event appears to be over preliminary budgeted amounts. Staff reported Price City’s budgeted line item of $15,000 and noted received sponsorships of about $1,800 and booth fees of about $17,000; entertainment was listed in preliminary documents at approximately $21,000 (staff said one entertainment contract of about $6,500 remained unsigned and staff would not record it until the contract is executed).
Council members and staff discussed how booth fees and sponsorships offset the budgeted city contribution and that some payroll and overtime costs associated with the event may not be built into the event line item. Staff said they would revise budget entries to reflect revenue offsets and would bring clearer budget figures forward.
In a separate report from a recent Main Street conference, staff described Smyrna, Delaware’s vacancy-fee program, which charges owners of vacant properties a fee based on square footage and then uses the revenue for façade, restoration and fire-suppression grants. Staff said the idea could be explored locally to support downtown rehabilitation and upper-floor redevelopment and that the program’s revenue was used for facade grants and fire-suppression work in the Delaware town.
No formal budget amendment or vote occurred at the meeting; staff said they will revise the Renaissance Fair budget entries and return with clearer revenue and expense line items.
