Politics & Government

Sumner City Council Approves Special Event Fees

The Sumner City Council passed a resolution for special event fees in the city.

While it was admittedly a “difficult decision,” the Sumner City Council passed a resolution for in the city at the regular meeting on June 6.

“The staff is not pleased to bring you this ordinance and I don’t think you’re pleased to be voting on this ordinance,” said Paul Rogerson, Sumner’s community development director. He presented the special events fee proposal to the council for a second reading and final vote. “It’s a difficult thing to do and I wish I wasn’t here talking about it. As painlessly as possible, this will recover costs so city can continue to fund events.”

By passing a special events fee schedule, the city will save an estimated $12,000 a year, said Rogerson. That’s about half of what the city spends on special events every year, on public works, police and support staffing for large events like the Daffodil Parade, Wine Walk and others.

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The ordinance will be in effect for all special event applications filed after July 5.

The fees will be as follows:

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  • Application fee: $200
  • Type 1 event (an event with estimated city costs less than $1,500): $200
  • Type 2 event (an event with estimated city costs between $1,501 and $2,500): $400
  • Type 3 event (an event with estimated city costs over $2501): $1,000
  • Banners (raise and lower): $150 (events paying special events fees receive one free banner raising/lowering)

“Budgets are very tight right now, this is not the golden age of cities. What can we do to maintain the city the way we all like it?” said Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow. “Without this, we would have to find another way to cut out of the budget. And there aren’t any other options.”

While the city council passed the resolution, it didn’t happen unanimously. Councilmembers Randy Hynek and Curt Brown both voted against it but were ultimately overruled by the majority.

Hynek criticized a clause in the resolution that gives Enslow the discretion to waive special event fees and believed that veto power should fall to the city council, rather than just the mayor. No councilmember seconded that motion.

“We are a strong mayor-formed government anyway, he has power and shape over this city's destiny,” said Hynek.  “Anything that adds or takes away power from a mayor or councilmember should be discussed.”

Rogerson responded to Hynek’s concerns by stating that the clause was a matter of efficiency, to speed along the application process, rather than having to wait for a vote at a council meeting.

Before the final vote, Kris Arnold spoke on behalf of the and on the impact of special event fees to event planners.

“When you’re looking at events like the Sumner Festival, a lot of nonprofit groups count on those events to fundraise for their activities for the rest of the year,” said Arnold. “All of these events bring people to Sumner […] all these events are tourism. If you value downtown, please don’t pass this ordinance. We’re struggling as well to provide events […] Sumner is Sumner and I think that all these events make us who we are.”

The council stated they understood the hardship but had to make tough decisions to balance the budget.

“I realize this is going to be a hardship for all of us, but I have to look from city council position. It is the taxpayers’ money,” said councilmember Leroy Goff. “[$24,000] doesn’t sound like much money to most people, but it is, when you start piling it up […] it costs us staffing. To continue [not charging for events] because it’s a ‘Sumner issue’–we just can’t afford to do that.”


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