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Council hears October events calendar and discussion about raising park fees
Summary
Staff previewed six October events (parades, races, Viking bonfire, downtown Halloween). Councilmember McVay pressed staff on whether the city's event fees (often $50) reflect the scale of for‑profit events; staff said a market analysis and fee update are planned for fall with potential implementation next year.
City staff outlined six major October events — homecoming parade (Oct. 2), PollsBow Oktoberfest and beer-run (Oct. 5), Orca Running 0.5 marathon and 10K (Oct. 5, Liberty Bay Waterfront Park), Kid's Up Color Classic (Oct. 6), Viking bonfire (Oct. 26) and downtown Halloween trick‑or‑treat (Oct. 31). Staff said some events expect hundreds or more participants and that council will see a road‑closure request next week.
Councilmember McVay asked whether current park and road‑use fees capture the scale of larger, for‑profit events. He said he calculated that an organizer charging an average $78 registration for 500 participants would collect roughly $39,000 while paying only a $50 park use fee. Staff replied that a special‑event fee review and market analysis is in progress; staff expect to return to council this fall with proposals and to implement new rates in 2025 or early 2026 to better recover police and public‑works costs.
