City Parks Event Fees Set to Increase

Want to hold a special event in downtown, Payne Park or Five Points? Starting Oct. 1, if approved by the city commission Monday night, a new and increased special events fee schedule will be applied for all city parks and spaces.

At a July commission budget workshop meeting, commissioners, "determined that it was in the best interest of city taxpayers for users of city parks, open urban, and linear spaces to participate in a greater cost of the usage of such public assets," according to city documents.

Todd Kucharski, general manager for landscape, parks and environmental services, said at the July workshop that it is import for the special events to not cost the city money.

"Our goal is to run it like an enterprise so it’s self-sustaining," he said.

Special Events Fee Schedule

• Wedding Permit, $250
• A park permit that does not require city services, $35
• Sound permit, $35

Event Size Based on Location

Flat Rate for
1 Day Event

Flat Rate for
2 Day Event

Flat Rate for
3 Day Event

Small Event: Spaces less than 3 acres

$275

$550

$825

Medium Event: Space between
3 and 6 acres

$550

$1,100

$1,650

Large Event: Space larger than 6 acres

$1,100

$2,200

$3,300

One of the more significant changes to the event fees is the proposed revenue split between the city and special business districts (Downtown Improvement District and St. Armands Business Improvement District). 

Previously, revenues from event permitting fees within these districts were paid by merchants to the city, then the city would reimburse 100 percent of those fees to the business districts and then the districts would give the money back to the merchants. 

In July city manager Robert Bartolotta that circular process defeated the purpose of the fees. 

"[The] whole reason to charge for special events was to pay for staff time and processing," he said. "There's a little bit of a sham going on here."

Staff then proposed a 25 percent split with the special districts and the city. That difference, the city said, would cover the cost of staff time and processing. 

Vice mayor Terry Turner, however, suggested the 50/50 split, which received unanimous support from the commissioners at the July budget workshop.