Advisory board approves recommendation to charge fees for bounce houses and to expand sponsorships

At its meeting, the North Port Parks & Recreation Advisory Board voted to recommend that fees be used to offset the costs of bounce houses and other specialized activities at city signature events and separately approved a motion to pursue expanded sponsorship opportunities.

Trish Georges, the department staff liaison, outlined the rationale: many signature events have high fixed costs and limited direct revenue. "The Freedom Festival alone cost me direct indirect costs before we put any staff in $75,000 because the fireworks alone are almost 40," Georges said, describing the scale of expenses that drive the need for new revenue streams.

Board members discussed charging modest per-child fees for amusement features, offering family-pass options to limit the burden on larger households, raising vendor fees, and seeking corporate sponsorship tiers that could generate predictable revenue. Georges said neighboring municipalities charge for similar amenities and that the department is revising its sponsorship policy to allow broader opportunities.

A board member (speaker 6) moved that staff look into fees for bounce houses; that motion was seconded and later amended. Georges proposed and the board approved language recommending that "fees for bounce houses or specialized activities at special events have a fee charged for use in order to offset the costs," with a requirement that staff return recommended fee amounts and include family pricing options. The board also voted in favor of a separate motion to expand sponsorship offerings to help offset event expenses.

Votes at a glance:
- Motion to investigate bounce-house fees: moved by Committee member (speaker 6), seconded by Committee member (speaker 5); outcome: approved (board voice vote recorded as "Aye").
- Amendment to recommend fees to offset costs (including family pricing): proposed by Trish Georges and approved (voice vote recorded as "Aye").
- Motion to expand sponsorship opportunities for events: moved and seconded; outcome: approved (voice vote recorded as "Aye").

Georges said staff will return with fee options, a family-pass approach, and the department's recommended sponsorship tiers as the budget process advances. The board requested detailed financial numbers from staff before making final recommendations to the commission.