COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — The city of Coeur d'Alene may raise its special-event fees.
Councilman Dan Gookin said some events are “having an impact on the city far greater than what our event fees are currently charging.”
His primary concern is the impact on public safety, he said Monday.
The city has many summer events, some of which require the presence of law enforcement and can require responses from the fire department, as reported by our news partners, the Coeur d'Alene Press.
Permits fees vary, depending on site, how many people are involved, and if city property like City Park Bandshell would be used.
For instance, a street closure with more than 500 participants, for more than six hours and taking up 21-plus blocks has an event fee of $750, while a street closure with fewer than 200 participants, under three hours and using fewer than 12 blocks, is $150.
The security deposit is $1,000 for large events, $500 for medium and $100 the low category.
The fee is $100 for every 100 people expected for outdoor assembly on city property.
On June 11, the Pride in the Park rally at City Park and Patriot Riders gathering at McEuen Field required a larger police presence that ended up costing the city more than $30,000.
That day, 31 people connected with Patriot Front were arrested and face misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to riot.
“We need to increase our fees for these events to more accurately reflect what the impact is for our law enforcement as well as the taxpayer,” Gookin said.
The council is expected to discuss the fee schedule at its July 19 meeting.
Councilman Dan English had concerns about fees related to costs.
He said that could mean charging event organizers thousands of dollars.
“I’m not sure that’s the way to go,” English said.
Councilwoman Amy Evans said she agreed events could be having a significant impact on the city and asked that staff be given time to prepare a fee proposal.
Mayor Jim Hammond said the idea of a flat fee “probably isn’t the best way to try to manage the fees.”
“Some events don’t cost the city that much, some cost a lot more,” he said. "And we also have to weigh the overall benefit to the community.”
Hammond added he was aware the city must treat people equally, "but equally may also mean based on how much they’re costing the city.
Councilwoman Christie Wood said an event assessment by police and fire personnel should be part of the discussion.
“Some of these events are very familiar to them and they know what the staffing is going to take,” she said.
Wood also said the city should consider how many events it is going to continue to allow “when we just don’t have the resources.”
Earlier this month, the city hosted Car d'Lane, which attracted hundreds of entrants and thousands of spectators. On Sunday, it was home to Ironman 70.3 Coeur d'Alene that had about 2,200 athletes and closed streets. Now, it will host the Fourth of July parade that's expected to draw more than 10,000 people to the downtown area.
Hammond said he remembered when one or two events in the summer were a big deal.
Now, it seems there are that many each weekend.
“It certainly has come a long way from that,” Hammond said.
The Coeur d'Alene Press is a KREM 2 news partner. For more from our partners, click here.