HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/7/2025 Item 6h, Jackson and Tuggle - Staff Agenda CorrespondenceCity of San Luis Obispo, Council Memorandum
City of San Luis Obispo
Council Agenda Correspondence
DATE: October 7, 2025
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Emily Jackson, Finance Director
Prepared By: Todd Tuggle, Fire Chief
VIA: Whitney McDonald, City Manager
SUBJECT: ITEM 6h - AMENDMENTS TO FY 2025-26 USER AND REGULATORY
FEE SCHEDULE
Staff received the following questions regarding the item to recommend amendments to
the FY 2025-26 User and Regulatory Fee Schedule. The questions are below with staff’s
response shown in italics:
1) With regard to the Fire Fixed Fee #81, how many of these events (outdoor
events for 1,000 people or more) were held in each of the last two years?
Were fewer events hosted after the fee went into place? And how many of
the events were hosted by non-profits?
During calendar year 2024 Fire Prevention Staff processed 12 Outdoor Assembly
Event permits. Thus far in calendar year 2025, Fire Prevention staff have
processed 16 Outdoor Assembly Event permits. Because the fee was initially
intended to be applied to all event organizers/applicants, the Fire Department does
not have data about how many of the events were hosted by non-profit
organizations.
2) Do we have any indication that non-profits did not hold events because the
cost of the fee was prohibitive, or that they moved the event outside the city
because of the cost?
Staff reached out to non-profits with upcoming events to understand the potential
impact of the fee and they indicated the additional cost would likely cause them to
rethink having their event in the City or cause them to explore other less expensive
options. There has been an overall decrease in special events from FY 2023-24 to
FY 2024-25 as well as a reduction in special events held by non-profits likely due
to a variety of factors. A majority of events within the City are held in Downtown at
Mission Plaza which has also seen a reduction in events.
ITEM 6h - AMENDMENTS TO FY 2025-26 USER AND REGULATORY FEE SCHEDULE Page 2
3) Did staff consider a reduced fee for non-profits, like we do with many of our
other fees, rather than an elimination of this fee altogether?
Staff did consider an approach that would be more consistent with the reduced
fees for non-profits elsewhere in the fee schedule. Unfortunately, due to the
cumulative nature of other fees charged for events, even a reduced fee would likely
result in a reduction of non-profit events at City facilities. In the future, a
comprehensive look at event permits and corresponding fees would be beneficial.