Murrieta council hears plan to boost Townsquare Park events, weigh fee cuts and a 'Seed to Succeed' incubator

City staff outlined proposed changes to the Townsquare Park and Amphitheater use policy at a Dec. 16 workshop, pitching lower user fees, new event categories and a program to incubate new nonprofit events.

"The focus of our workshop today is the Town Square Park and amphitheater use and signature event policy," Kristin Crane, assistant city manager, told the council. Staff said the subcommittee of Mayor Cindy Warren and Council Member Holiday spent roughly six months drafting recommendations and that the packet before council gathered those ideas.

Staff recommended defining the amphitheater as a performance‑focused community hub for concerts, family‑friendly gatherings and cultural events, excluding private social events such as weddings. New categories would include presenting‑sponsor events (city‑branded partnerships), business‑negotiated events for for‑profit promoters with negotiated fees, community events, and city‑produced events.

Nadine Khattab, senior special events coordinator, described a proposed "Seed to Succeed" program intended to help nonprofit organizers incubate events. Under the plan, a new event must be self‑sustaining in its first year; if it succeeds, staff would consider providing in‑kind support in years two through five and ultimately recommending signature event status in year six. Khattab said applications and approvals would be reviewed twice yearly and tied to measurable performance metrics such as attendance and compliance.

There was disagreement in the room about the dollar amounts shown on materials. A slide referenced eligibility "for up to $22,500 per year of in‑kind support during years 2 through 5," but council questions and staff clarification repeatedly referenced a $2,500 annual maximum in‑kind grant as the intended cap. When asked to clarify, staff said $2,500 would be the typical in‑kind maximum but acknowledged slide text caused confusion.

Staff also proposed simplifying the user‑fee structure and showed an example scenario in which a first‑year, 2,000‑attendee ticketed concert would have total costs fall from $14,710 to $8,744 under the new fee schedule. For events that sell alcohol, staff proposed a 12% alcohol revenue share intended to offset facility wear and maintenance; staff’s example put the alcohol revenue share in that scenario at $1,200.

Council members focused much of their questioning on maintenance and durability of the park turf as use increases. Public commenter Cassin Klein called the existing turf "an absolute embarrassment" and urged artificial turf or higher maintenance; other council members expressed reservations about artificial turf’s heat and long‑term costs and emphasized improving maintenance funding and scheduling. Several council members recommended staff track and present staff time and hard costs for high‑use events such as the Rotary Field of Honor and the Rod Run.

On security and safety, staff said event staffing will follow a new public safety matrix; the matrix allows combinations of private security vetted and approved by Murrieta Police alongside department officers, and staffing levels will vary by alcohol service and event size.

No formal policy vote took place at the workshop. Staff said they will reconvene the ad hoc subcommittee to refine language, confirm maintenance funding approaches and escalate fee language to match existing city fee escalation procedures (tied to CPI), and return the draft to council for formal adoption.

Details to watch as the item returns include final in‑kind support caps, how the city will allocate alcohol revenue shares to maintenance, and whether staff will recommend additional event‑specific maintenance surcharges or a "lawn maintenance" fee for high‑impact uses. The ad hoc subcommittee will review maintenance options and bring a final ordinance or policy back to a future council meeting for adoption.