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Ennis approves temporary vendor fees so city can run Autumn Days; fees to expire Dec. 31
Summary
The Ennis City Commission voted Sept. 27 to adopt a temporary amendment to the city's event fee schedule so the city can operate Autumn Days after the usual nonprofit organizer stepped back; the commission set the event-related fees to expire Dec. 31, 2024.
The Ennis City Commission on Sept. 27 approved an ordinance amending the city's fee schedule to charge vendors at city-run events and set the event-related fees to expire Dec. 31, 2024.
Mayor Cameron Rayburn said the city stepped in to run the autumn festival after Innis Main Street, a 501(c)(3) doing business as Destination Innis, declined to sponsor this year's Autumn Days. "We said, you know, this is an event that our citizens have come to expect," Rayburn said, arguing the city needs a temporary fee schedule so it can recoup costs for overtime police and sanitation when it operates the event.
Andrew of the tourism department presented the proposed fee structure, describing three categories: food vendors, arts-and-crafts vendors and charges for electrical and nonpotable water. The presentation listed example space fees for 10-by-10 through 10-by-40 spaces and separate electrical charges; for example, the slide listed a 10-by-10 food vendor space at $200 and arts-and-crafts 10-by-10 at $150. Andrew summarized the categories: "We have 3 different categories, food vendors, regular arts and crafts vendors, and, an electrical and water fee," he said.
Commissioner Haney moved to approve the ordinance with an amendment to make the event-related subsection expire on Dec. 31, 2024, and to ask staff to return with guidance in January 2025 on any longer-term fee policy. A speaker identified in the record as Mayor Pro Tem Isbell seconded the motion. The mayor announced the motion was approved; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally.
Rayburn emphasized the amendment's temporary intent: the city wants the short-term authority so vendors can be invited to set up while giving officials time to determine a long-term approach to managing festivals that historically were run by a Main Street nonprofit. He told the commission the fees would allow the city to cover overtime for public safety and sanitation rather than leaving those costs to downtown businesses.
The commission did not receive any public comments on the item, and the mayor adjourned the meeting at 6:16 p.m.
What happens next: staff will provide guidance to the commission in January 2025 as requested by the motion; the transcript does not record further timeline or budget details for implementing the fee collection.
