A new set of special event permit fees are in place for the city of Anna Maria.
City commissioners unanimously voted Feb. 27 to adopt a resolution establishing a fee schedule based on the volume of attendees or vendors.
That fee schedule includes:
- $200 per day for special events with up to 40 daily attendees. Permit must be filed 30 days before the event.
- $300 per day for events with 41-100 daily attendees. Permit must be filed 60 days before the event.
- $750 per day for events with 101-500 daily attendees. Permit must be filed 90 days before the event.
- $1,000 per day for events with 501-1,000 daily attendees or involving 15-25 vendors per day. Permits must be filed 90 days before the event.
- $1,500 per day for events with more than 1,000 daily attendees or at least 25 vendors. Permit must be filed 90 days before the event.
Events sponsored by or benefitting nonprofit organizations can qualify for a waiver of permit fees subject to commission approval.
Danielle Lynch, owner of Blue Ribbon Events, which hosts events in Florida and Michigan, asked commissioners during public comment what the objective was for making the changes.
She previously told The Islander she would no longer host events in the municipality due to permitting costs if the new fees were approved.
There was no other public comment.
Terri Kinder, president of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, which has sponsored Bayfest on Pine Avenue, an event with dozens of vendors and hundreds of attendees, told The Islander in a Feb. 14 email that, “The chamber will wait to see what is decided, as we are not permitted to become involved in city commission decisions.”
Mayor Mark Short said the objective of the changes was to better differentiate the fees based on the event’s size and impact on the city and its resources.
The city was charging $200-$5,000 for special event permit fees prior to the resolution and the mayor set the fee within that range.
The resolution sets the fee based on the size of the event.