Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Panama City staff seek clearer special event rules, end automatic fee waivers
Summary
City staff presented draft changes to the special event ordinance that would end automatic fee waivers, reclassify events by municipal resources required and add late fees, and commissioners urged clearer rules for city‑sponsored events, more sponsorships and public outreach prior to readings.
City staff presented draft changes to Panama City’s special event ordinance, proposing to end automatic fee waivers, reclassify events based on the municipal resources required rather than organizer estimates, impose late fees for last‑minute filings and create a Special Event Review and Verification (SERV) committee to coordinate police, fire, public works and parks review.
The proposal builds on Ordinance No. 3075 and a companion special event handbook approved on Oct. 11, 2022; staff said a November 2024 internal memo directed an end to routinely waiving event fees and asked the commission for policy guidance before the ordinance moves to first reading on Nov. 18 and a second reading on Dec. 16.
Why it matters: Staff said inaccurate attendance estimates and frequent late applications have strained departmental resources and created safety…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
