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New Port Richey officials review new special‑events funding formula, debate forgiving CHASCO Fiesta debt
Summary
City staff proposed categorizing events, an April 1–30 annual application window and $80,000 in in‑kind support for four major events; council members split over fees and police costs and one member said they will propose forgiving CHASCO Fiesta’s outstanding debt at the next meeting.
City Manager Manns and Kevin Trapp, the city’s parks and recreation director, presented a proposed overhaul of how New Port Richey funds local special events and recommended formalizing an April 1–30 application window for next‑year requests.
Trapp told the City Council the review identified three event categories — co‑sponsored, community and city‑run events — and outlined criteria and fee options, including attendance thresholds (co‑sponsored events: attendance over 5,000 across an event’s duration; community events: roughly 500) and proposed application procedures. He presented staff recommendations for in‑kind support for four major events totaling $80,000: Chasco Fiesta $36,000; Chasco Fiesta Street Parade $10,000; Cody River Bike Fest $21,000; and Holiday Street $13,000.
Why it matters: Council members said the city must balance supporting long‑standing civic traditions with fiscal responsibility. Several members urged clarity on what share the proposed in‑kind contributions represent relative to the total fees event organizers would otherwise pay, especially policing costs — a major driver of event expense.
Trapp also reviewed current fee categories (application, permit, facility and department staffing charges) and examples from neighboring cities, noting some municipalities charge for setup/teardown and differentiate fees by nonprofit status. He identified a proposed $500 per‑day damage deposit and referenced department staffing rates used to estimate event costs.
Debate over historic events and policing costs followed. Councilman Altman warned that charging fees for crowd control could harm long‑running events such as Chasco Fiesta, the July 4 celebration and the Christmas parade. “The big cost is the police cost,” Altman said, arguing the city historically did not charge crowd‑control fees for those civic events and that imposing them now could reduce Chasco revenues by about $30,000 in some years.
Other council members urged more city involvement and investment in large events, saying those gatherings attract visitors, boost downtown businesses and help market New Port Richey. One council member who said they sit on the Chasco committee supported continuing strong city participation but also acknowledged police and safety costs must be managed.
Next steps and proposed action: Manns told the council staff will return with backup showing fee estimates and what percentage the proposed in‑kind support represents; she offered to provide that detail at the council’s March 3 regular meeting. In the meantime, a council member said they will introduce a motion at the next meeting to forgive CHASCO Fiesta’s prior‑year unpaid invoices, allow the organization to start the year “fresh” and then review actual event costs afterward to determine appropriate city contributions. That motion was announced but not moved or voted on tonight.
The council did not vote on any ordinance or appropriation at the session; staff will bring detailed fee and percentage backup to the next regular meeting for formal consideration.
