Port Richey City committee finalizes logistics for Seafood Festival, confirms vendor layout and safety plans

PORT RICHEY CITY ' At a Port Richey City events committee meeting, organizers reviewed final preparations for the upcoming Seafood Festival, saying they expect roughly 73 vendors and walking committee members through a proposed Waterfront Park layout, parking scheme and public-safety arrangements.

Vice Chairwoman Caroline Gonzalez raised the meeting's first procedural question, asking about the committee's absence policy and saying she would contact an absent member to confirm status. "I'll try to reach out to her and find what's going on," Gonzalez said.

Organizers displayed a map of Waterfront Park and described vendor rows, tent spacing and the location of food trucks. They said the current vendor roster totals 73 and discussed several layout options to accommodate about nine food trucks while keeping roughly 50 non-food vendors in booth rows. Organizers also proposed moving certain tent rows to open space for trucks and to reserve a clear band-loading corridor.

Member Christina Fitzpatrick offered a personal remark unrelated to logistics, telling the group, "He hit a grand slam this past weekend," as members exchanged congratulations.

The committee discussed event signage and sponsor placement, agreeing to position sponsor banners and a vehicle or boat display near the entrance for visibility while keeping a concrete pad and an access route clear for loading and handicap access. Organizers said 15 yard signs had been distributed around the city and that two large sponsor banners would be placed at city hall and the park entrance.

Safety and operations were a prominent topic. Committee members asked that inflatables and the children's area be gated from vendor parking and discussed whether the inflatable company could arrive earlier than its scheduled 9 a.m. start; staff agreed to ask the vendor about earlier arrival and to ensure barricades or rope lines separate play areas from parked vendor vehicles. The group also discussed three planned golf-cart crossing windows to move people across the busy road near the park approximately at 4'4:30 p.m., 6'6:30 p.m. and 9'9:30 p.m.

Organizers raised a number of logistics and paperwork items: they requested that vendors submit legible PDFs of waivers rather than photos, confirmed receipt of W-9s, and noted that porta-potties are scheduled for delivery Friday. They also said an electrician will run a temporary outlet near the fountain junction box to support the stage and vendor needs.

On budget, members discussed invoices and provisional line items mentioned during the meeting packet: music expenses, inflatable costs and porta-potty charges. Organizers summarized cash-on-hand and said they expected to reconcile invoices before issuing checks mid-week. No final vote on funding adjustments took place during the meeting.

Before adjourning, committee members agreed a final layout would be circulated to vendors and staff, public-works would coordinate any Friday access needed for staged deliveries, and logistics leads would be present the morning of the event to manage vendor parking and setup. A motion to adjourn was made at the close of the meeting; the transcript records the motion but does not record a formal tally of the vote.

The committee meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance and a roll call; three members were listed as absent. The events committee did not receive public comment at this meeting and shifted directly into Seafood Festival preparations.