Foster City Chamber of Commerce Announces cityFEST One-Year Pause

From Foster City Chamber: Foster City Chamber of Commerce Announces cityFEST One-Year Pause

It is with mixed emotion and regret that the Foster City Chamber of Commerce announces it is cancelling cityFEST 2019 this June. We have expressed our concerns regarding the City’s new approach to “Full Cost Recovery” for “Special Events”. Efforts to date have provided no analysis or substantiation of estimates for City resources and facilities and the respective costs to the City of providing those resources and facilities. We understand that this decision impacts our residents, local businesses, event partners, artisans, volunteers, neighbors, and more. The event is scheduled to return May 29-31, 2020.

Nine Months of Uncertainty

This decision is the culmination of nine months of policy changes by the City Council. In July 2018, the Council announced it would host a new “City Birthday Party” event and that it would no longer “co-sponsor” cityFEST; estimating cityFEST fees to be $22,000. In November 2018, the City proposed a new Special Events fee, which would cause cityFEST fee estimates to rise to $81,470. In December 2018, the public hearing scheduled to confirm this new Special Events fee was tabled to an uncertain date. Then, on January 7, 2019, the City Council introduced and adopted a new “cost recovery policy” for Special Events, based on a seemingly arbitrary application of hourly rates for services outlined in its Master Fee Schedule. These cost recovery fee estimates totaled $61,208, and were later revised to $41,562; an over 600% increase in fees. All “estimated” fees are due in full in advance of the event.

Lack of Transparency

The Foster City Chamber of Commerce is proud of its decades of collaboration with the City Council of Foster City. We strive to maintain an ongoing dialogue and do what we can to work closely together on all our initiatives. Since May 2018, we have struggled to engage City staff on basic questions concerning why and how the new event proposed as the City’s Birthday Party; the new Special Events Fee; and the “Full Cost Recovery” model are in the best interests of the community.

An Issue That Is Bigger Than Us

The Foster City Chamber of Commerce respects the City’s desire to recoup costs incurred by special events held in Foster City, but only if implemented in an equitable, consistent, and transparent manner. The need for sustainability of programs and events is no less true for the Chamber of Commerce, other non-profit organizations, or any organizer. The way the Chamber moves forward with cityFEST sets a precedent not only for special events held within Foster City, but potentially throughout neighboring communities as well.

The Chamber will continue to observe as City Council implements their new policy, and we will continue to be an advocate and champion for our businesses and community.

For those interested in learning more, links related to “Special Events” will be posted on www.fostercitychamber.com to each of the City Council meetings, City Staff Reports, Council Meeting Replays and Chamber of Commerce memorandums associated with these items over the next weeks.