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Kamas seeks about $127,500 in restaurant‑tax funds for Fiesta Days; staff cites preliminary phone‑tracking data
Summary
Kamas leaders discussed applying for Summit County restaurant‑tax grant funds to support Fiesta Days, initially seeking $125,000 and then expanding the ask to roughly $127,500 to cover additional event sponsorships. Staff said vendor Lightcast is providing tentative phone‑tracking reports to estimate out‑of‑county visitors.
David Darcy, mayor pro tem, outlined a Summit County restaurant‑tax grant application the council is preparing to support Fiesta Days, saying the packet includes last year’s financials and a proposed budget that embeds the grant request in the event’s revenue stream.
“It's a pretty powerful tool,” Darcy said of a vendor used to estimate visitor origin and dwell time. He described work with the county economic development office and Lightcast, which provides cell‑phone‑based visitor counts and travel patterns, and cautioned that early reports have varied. “I don't want to use the information yet. I hopefully will be able to use it by the time that the interviews happen by May 4th and 5th,” Darcy said, adding that staff is seeking confirmation before relying on the figures.
A council member noted the original grant ask of $125,000 and proposed broadening the request to cover additional event elements, including car‑show prizes and sponsorships. “So that would raise our ask to 127.5,” Darcy said after members discussed including the car show and a suggested $2,500 sponsorship level.
Darcy asked colleagues to review the financial exhibits and flag any substantial errors in projected ticket sales or expenses before he submits the application, which he hoped to file by the next day. He emphasized the financials are the most important part of the application and asked members to note any material omissions or unrealistic assumptions.
Council members characterized the application as an “educated guess” on attendance and ticket revenue but said the estimates looked reasonable. No formal vote on the grant request was recorded; Darcy indicated he would proceed with the application and refine figures as needed.
The council also noted Fiesta Days’ high local visitation during the July holiday weekend and the potential benefit to local restaurants if the county grant is awarded and distributed as requested.
What happens next: Darcy said staff will attempt to confirm Lightcast reports before summit interviews in early May and will move forward with the application submission if no substantive objections are raised.
