Community organizers urge help with event insurance; council asks staff to craft mini-grant

Miss Barb (S13), representing several small nonprofit event organizers, urged the Mountain Grove City Council to address the growing burden of event insurance costs — reports at the meeting ranged from about $500 to $800 for a day and a half of coverage — and recommended the city consider policy changes so covered low-risk events could be insured under the city’s coverage or be supported financially.

"To require these organizations to purchase insurance for these events is the straw that breaks the camel's back," Miss Barb told the council, describing the all-volunteer groups that organize parades, festivals and other community events. She said some organizations have paid as much as $800 for a single event.

Council members and staff discussed options: (1) have the city sponsor low-risk events so they qualify for the city's coverage, (2) create a mini-grant program to reimburse event organizers for insurance, or (3) develop a one-time-per-year grant cycle and criteria to allocate funds fairly. Becky (S9) and Kim were asked to prepare a grant application and scoring criteria for review at the next council meeting and for possible inclusion in the next budget. Several council members favored a structured application and scoring process so funds would be awarded to events with measurable community benefit.

The council also discussed practical limits: some insurers will not cover certain activities (fireworks, truck pulls, bounce houses) and city auditors require controls if the city is considered the event sponsor (collections and handling of event receipts). Council members suggested a mini-grant process similar to other city grants, with an annual application window and criteria to select recipients.

What’s next: Staff (Becky and Kim) will draft an application and criteria for a mini-grant program to cover event-insurance costs and present the proposal at the next council meeting and for the upcoming budget cycle.