TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve the Award of Funds From the Special Event Assistance Program to the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce in Support of the Business-to-Business Expo to be Held on August 12, 2025, in an Amount up to, and Not to Exceed, $500 to Cover the Costs of City Fees and Services.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve a full award of funds from the Special Event Assistance Program to the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce in support of the Business-to-Business Expo to be held on August 12, 2025, in an amount up to, and not to exceed, $500 to cover the costs of City fees and services.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve a full award of funds from the Special Event Assistance Program to the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce in support of the Business-to-Business Expo to be held on August 12, 2025, in an amount up to, and not to exceed, $500 to cover the costs of City fees and services.
• Pros: Promotes positive publicity for the City of North Port as the host of the event; facilitates the delivery of quality of life activities within the City; provides support to a locally organized event that generates engagement of residents and businesses; strengthens partnerships and supports local economic growth.
• Cons: Committing full funding to this event may limit resources for other eligible events.
Option 2: Approve a partial award of funds from the Special Event Assistance Program to the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce in support of the Business-to-Business Expo to be held on August 12, 2025, to cover the costs of City fees and services.
• Pros: Balances support without overcommitting resources; reserves funds to be used for other eligible events.
• Cons: May restrict the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce’s ability to fully execute their event.
Option 3: Deny the award of funds from the Special Event Assistance Program to the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce in support of the Business-to-Business Expo to be held on August 12, 2025, to cover the costs of City fees and services.
• Pros: Preserves City funds to be potentially allocated to other high priority initiatives; encourages self-sufficiency of event.
• Cons: May result in lost economic opportunity for the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce; may impact the quality or scale of the event; discourages organizations from hosting events due to cost barriers.
Background Information
The following provides a timeline of the adoption of the Special Event Assistance Program guidelines and application:
• November 25, 2013: During the City Commission Regular Meeting, the Commission informally adopted the Special Event Assistance Program guidelines and application.
• September 11, 2018: During the City Commission Regular Meeting, the Commission adopted Resolution No. 2018-R-17, Special Event Assistance Program guidelines and application.
• January 14, 2025: During the City Commission Regular Meeting, the Commission adopted Resolution No. 2025-R-05, which repealed Resolution No. 2018-R-17, Special Event Assistance Program guidelines and application.
The intent of the program is to encourage cultural, educational, environmental, and recreational activities in the City and to help provide recovery of costs associated with City services and resources that are needed with a special event.
Guidelines for assistance include requirements that the event is open to the public, offers free admission and has a minimum expected attendance of 100 people. Assistance is tiered based on expected attendance as follows:
• Up to $500 for events with estimated attendance of 100-499 attendees
• Up to $1,000 for events with estimated attendance of 500-2,499
• Up to $2,000 for events with estimated attendance of 2,500+
The North Port Area Chamber of Commerce submitted the request for funding assistance on July 6, 2025. The Business-to-Business Expo event is planned for August 12, 2025, at the George Mullen Activity Center with an estimated attendance of 150 participants. Per the application submitted, the event is free for admission and open to the public. Based on the expected attendance and in accordance with the Special Events Assistance Program Guidelines, the applicant is eligible for funding up to $500. The initial cost for City services for this program is $498.75. Additional fees may be assessed if the rental is amended, or additional services are required.
Strategic Plan Pillar
Quality of Life
Financial Impact
Funding in the amount of $7,000.00 is budgeted in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, account number 001-0100-511-49-13 for Community Assistance. Guidelines indicate that this applicant meets the criteria for up to $500 in funding assistance. If this request is approved by the Commission, the resulting balance in the Community Assistance account is estimated to be $2,649.12.
Procurement
Not applicable.
Attachments:
1. Application for Assistance
2. Fee Overview
3. Community Assistance Account Overview FY2025
4. Resolution 2018-R-17
5. Resolution 2025-R-05
Prepared by: Clare Sanshie, Special Events Coordinator
Department Director: Sandy Pfundheller, Parks & Recreation Director