St. Cloud council orders extra staff for ‘Proud in the Cloud’ after public dispute over grant and safety

St. Cloud — The City Council voted 4-1 to add 10 additional Parks & Recreation staff to the Proud in the Cloud festival after weeks of public comment and a staff briefing that revealed confusion over permits, fees and site logistics.

Council members and city staff said their priority was safety and protection of the city-owned ranch property where the event will be held. Mayor Robertson moved to add the staff and Deputy Mayor Gilbert seconded; the roll call recorded Council member Irvin, Deputy Mayor Gilbert, Council member Paul and Mayor Robertson voting aye, Council member Fletcher voting no.

The vote followed extensive public comment both for and against the festival. Resident Don Gray told the council, “I object to my taxpayer dollars going to support this pride event,” while State Representative and Kissimmee Mayor Jose Alvarez urged the council to remain inclusive: “This is what guided Saint Cloud to go in the direction that is going right now in a positive direction.” Vendor and participant Egan Carter said the festival “was very positive” last year and helped the city.

City parks and public-safety staff described how the special-event review differs from a normal facility rental and explained safeguards required for the festival. Parks and Recreation staff said the ranch’s upper building capacity is 371 and the lower building capacity is 310; the organizer told staff they would rotate up to about 150 people indoors at any one time. The police department required five officers and one supervisor for the event, and the applicant agreed to two EMS personnel. Parks staff said Proud in the Cloud is providing 40 volunteers, 10 paid staff, five vetted private security personnel and a parking crew; the organizer also agreed to bring eight portable toilets for the event.

Council members raised several procedural concerns: how the nonprofit applicant was identified on the city’s grant form, whether the event had been billed at the correct facility rate, and whether the city manager and senior staff were informed in time about a large event. Council member Paul said the invoice and application paperwork contained inconsistent names and urged clarification of which organization actually applied for the grant and special-event permit. The mayor said the Economic Development Committee approved the fee waiver and a grant and that the council needed to review internal processes.

Parks and Recreation Director Scott (first name on file) explained the special-event review process and confirmed the event had submitted a special-event application. He said that, although the ranch is included in the site, special-event review requires a multi-department DRC review (police, fire, parks and others) and that obligations such as staff, stage personnel and safety measures are part of that process. Erin Jenks of Parks and Recreation said applicants must file a certificate of insurance; HR Director Justin Kliesner confirmed the city received insurance naming required limits ($1 million per occurrence, $2 million special-event aggregate and $3 million general aggregate) and that risk management reviewed it.

Council members who supported adding staff said they were not trying to block the event but to protect taxpayers and city property. Deputy Mayor Gilbert, who cited decades of event experience, said volunteers can be unreliable and recommended having more on-site city staff to guard property, assist with logistics and ensure compliance with the site plan. Parks and Recreation Director Stephanie Holkamp said the department could provide extra staff but warned of overtime costs because summer staffing and camps reduce available personnel.

The council’s action was limited to adding city staff for the event; it did not rescind the festival permit or change the grant at the meeting. Council members said they would pursue a follow-up review of what the Economic Development Committee approved and of the city’s internal communications around large special events.

The council emphasized two next steps: (1) ensure on-site staffing is in place for the upcoming event weekend; (2) direct staff to audit the permitting, fees and grant paperwork so future large events follow consistent, documented procedures.

The meeting included public comments both opposing and supporting the event, and multiple council members said they planned to take up process changes in later meetings.