The purpose of this work session is for City Council to conduct a discussion with the Chasco Fiesta Board so that decisions about their event for the current year may be made. 

On January 5, 2021 I received a communication from Chuck Grey in which he posed several questions in regard to holding a Chasco Fiesta in 2021.  A summary of the questions contained in his communication is provided below:

• Will the city approve an application for the event on the same footprint as has been used in previous years?
• If the city objects to holding the carnival in the Gloria Swanson Parking Lot as has been the case in years past would the city be willing to contribute to cover any shortfall from normal carnival revenue?
• If the plan is to go forward with a Chasco Fiesta this year what dates should be selected for the event?

In response to the first question, my opinion is that it is no longer appropriate to hold a carnival in the Gloria Swanson Parking Lot based on the recent improvements that have been made and the fact that the Hacienda Hotel is due to open during the first quarter of 2021.

In respect to the second question, Mr. Grey specifically requests a contribution in the amount of $60,000 from the City to cover the shortfall from normal carnival revenue.  Although the City has been a sponsor of the Chasco Fiesta for many years, I do not believe that a direct payment to a not for profit organization in lieu of a carnival is a proper use of public funds.  Additionally, I would like to advise you of the fact that at this time a budget appropriation in the amount of $50,000 has been established to support all special events which may occur during the current fiscal year.

Related to Mr. Grey’s third question, I expect that the dialogue at the meeting will be helpful to the group in determining potential dates to hold the event.

There is no doubt that there will be other questions that will come up in the discussion at the work session but at this point these are the only questions that I am aware of from Mr. Grey.  One such question is certain to be related to whether the 2021 Chasco Fiesta should be rescheduled until later this year or canceled once again altogether.

In regard to determining whether an event should be rescheduled or canceled, I would suggest that the following factors be given due consideration: number of attendees, how close together the attendees will be, amount of spread in the city and the needs of the community to host or participate in the event.

It may be important to note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not have a limit or recommendation on a specific number of attendees for these type of events and instead focuses their efforts on methods by which to minimize people’s contact with each other.  In general though, the number that is chosen should allow individuals to remain at least 6 feet apart from each other at all times. It should be noted that the State of Florida has restricted the attendance at events to 250 attendees. 

From the City’s perspective, in respect to enhancing the protection of individuals and preventing the spread of the Coronavirus disease, there are a number of other considerations that need to be taken into consideration if you determine that it is an appropriate time to begin to plan and hold events and gatherings in Sims Park. The CDC does advance several recommendations in that regard which include items to ensure a healthy environment and healthy event operations.