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Council weighs formal event fee schedule and outreach to DDA/TDA for festival support
Summary
Town staff urged the council to formalize an event application and fee schedule before charging organizers and to seek grant support from the DDA/TDA using local examples of tourism-focused funding.
Staff member told the Sparta Town Council that the town should redact event invoices and pursue assistance through the downtown development authority (DDA) and tourism development authority (TDA) rather than immediately imposing fees on event organizers. The staff presentation cited Beach Mountain’s tourist-oriented DDA model as an example and said that the town could ask a DDA for grant support to offset event costs.
The presentation emphasized that the council’s September decision to forego charging organizers for fiscal 2024–25 remains in effect for this year, and staff said any new charges should wait until the town has an application process and a standard fee schedule. "We need those things in place before we start charging," a committee member said during discussion, arguing that a formal process would provide reliable numbers to present to the TDA.
Staff said the exact amount the town might request from a DDA or TDA depends on the Chamber of Commerce and Arts Council’s event counts and projected durations. Staff recommended negotiating with the DDA even if the council does not rescind the current invoices so the town can pursue grant funding to offset costs.
Council members stressed the need to follow existing town ordinances and to adopt clear administrative policies so event organizers know upfront what fees would apply. The council did not take a formal vote during the discussion and left the item for further review ahead of budget planning and a scheduled discussion before July 1 next year.
The next steps identified were drafting an application and fee schedule, collecting event data from local organizers, and asking staff to begin negotiations with the DDA/TDA to pursue grant options.
