Council adopts 2026 fee schedule but postpones event and parade fees for a work session

Monte Vista council voted to adopt Resolution 2026‑05, the city’s 2026 fee schedule, but agreed to defer decisions on new event and parade fees until a separate work session.

Staff walked council through detailed line items. Notable changes include increasing coordinated‑event vendor permit fees from $5 to $25, updated building permit fees tied to third‑party inspections, and reversion of municipal court surcharge amounts to $25 to match current code pending an ordinance correction. Staff said vendor fee revenue and enforcement would be publicized on the city website and through social media if approved.

A central point of debate was a newly proposed schedule of public‑works event fees intended to recover overtime costs for setting up barricades, trash collection and traffic control. Public Works said large community events such as Stampede and Potato Fest require significant overtime—Stampede parades alone can cost the city roughly $3,000 in public‑works overtime and $4,000–$6,000 for police overtime. Councilors expressed concern about unintended consequences for long‑standing community events and asked staff to define precisely what counts as an "event," propose exemptions for signature community events, and present a refined costing model in a work session.

After discussion, council approved the fee schedule as presented but removed the event/parade fee items from adoption pending the requested work session. Councilors said the work session should refine definitions, exemptions and possible subsidies for community events.

Staff also noted administrative clarifications: food trucks are required to obtain a full business license (rather than a single event vendor permit) given public health requirements; sign permits remain free if applied for in advance but illegal signage may now bring a $100 fine.

The resolution passed on voice vote; the council set a future work session to finalize event/parade fee policy.