Council weighs $2 Ice House facility fee and changes to special‑events permitting

Jeff Mets, parks and community services director, told the council the Ice House Amphitheater is ten years old and needs both deferred maintenance and a reliable revenue source for future repairs and talent acquisition. Staff recommended a $2 per‑ticket facility fee on ticketed events; using 29 outside events and an average of 600 tickets per event, Jeff said that level of activity would generate roughly $35,000 a year.

Council questioned how the revenue would be used and whether the town could instead use existing accommodations-tax awards or raise rental rates for out‑of‑town promoters. Jeff and staff explained the fee would be established by ordinance and could be narrowly designated (for example, maintenance only) or broader to include talent acquisition; as an enterprise fund the revenue would be tracked separately. Examples during discussion included beam repairs budgeted at about $80,000 and replacement lights quoted at about $1,000 each.

Relatedly, building and public-safety staff asked council for direction on the special‑events permit process. Jessica, the building director, said increased event scale has strained staff and resources; staff proposed longer lead times for large events, tiered review based on event size, and cost‑recovery fees for town‑provided items (barricades, overtime for transportation staff, police traffic control). Council asked staff to gather fee schedules used by similar jurisdictions and return with options.

Council voted unanimously to place an ordinance drafting and staff report on the May council agenda so members can review specific fee language and proposed special‑events cost recovery schedules before a final vote.