Council directs staff to provide event cost estimates and post-event accounting for town-supported events

At the June 8 workshop the Weaverville council voted to require staff to provide both an up-front estimate of staff and equipment costs for events the town supports and a post-event accounting of actual costs. The motion aims to increase transparency about in-kind town support for third-party events such as those hosted by the WBA (Weaverville Business Association).

Council members and staff discussed whether estimates should be produced from the adopted fee schedule or calculated as actual costs. Staff said a fee-schedule approach provides standardized, easy-to-calculate figures (for example, a standard $65-per-hour police rate and the new $45 public-works hourly rate), while other council members argued the town should know its actual cost for major town-run events. Council member Young supplied a staff-compiled estimate showing the town provided $18,825.86 in manpower and equipment support for recent WBA events.

Speakers noted the administrative burden of preparing estimates and asked staff to develop a manageable template and provide two or three example model estimates for council review before expanding the program. The council approved the transparency and accounting motion by voice vote; the motion does not, by transcript record, impose immediate new charges on event organizers but creates a requirement for documentation of town-provided support going forward.

Staff said the TimeClock Plus system will allow supervisors to code hours to event codes and produce summaries, and council asked staff to return examples for review.