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Council waives Aliso Viejo Ranch rental fee for county Senior Summit; vote splits 3-2
Summary
The council approved a request to waive a $3,387 rental fee so the countys annual senior summit can use Aliso Viejo Ranch, requiring the sponsor to pay janitorial and security costs; the motion passed 3-2 amid debate over precedent and hard costs.
The Aliso Viejo City Council voted on July 15 to waive the ranch rental fee for the eighteenth annual Orange County Senior Summit, co-hosted by Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foleys office, provided the event sponsor cover janitorial and security costs. The motion passed 3-2.
Lizzie Mendoza, recreation community services manager, said the county requested a waiver of the rental fee of $3,387 to host the all-day, free resource fair at Aliso Viejo Ranch on Oct. 10. Nick Gannes, chief of staff for Supervisor Katrina Foley, told the council that CalOptima covered rental and food costs last year but cannot do so this year due to budget constraints; the summit drew about 450 seniors last year. Mendoza said the requested rental fee covers use of multiple ranch spaces for setup and event time and includes cleaning, security and audio-visual equipment.
Council members debated precedent and municipal costs. One council member voiced concern that waiving rental fees for a longstanding event could set a precedent that shifts costs to the city; another noted the facility would otherwise be unused and the county brings health and benefits resources for seniors. Mayor Ackley moved to waive the rental fee but require the event sponsor to pay janitorial and security. Staff reported the janitorial charge as $206 and initially described security at roughly $560 (a combined approximate city cost of $766); there was some verbal confusion during the discussion about the exact contractor totals, which staff clarified would be paid by the sponsor under the motion.
The motion carried by a 3-2 vote. Council directed staff to coordinate logistics with Supervisor Foleys office and to confirm final hard costs, shuttle arrangements and vendors prior to the event.
Next steps: staff will finalize the rental agreement details with Supervisor Foleys office, confirm vendor and security arrangements, and report any additional city-incurred costs back to the council.
