Taylor Council Agrees To Funding For Special Events For Three Years

“It was my understanding we were budgeting a one-time budget amount of $52,500 and then moving forward they would rely on the generated profits, which is $15,000 to $20,000,” said the vice mayor.

“It was my understanding we had budgeted $50,000 to give to them this year, but that wasn’t the case, we don’t have that money,” he said noting there was $16,000 in the budget, the profit from the 4th of July, Sweet Corn Festival and Trapper Days celebrations.

The committee was moving forward with the understanding that it had the budget allotment, explained Fuentes, noting, “With the situation we are in now, I don’t foresee us pulling $50,000 out of the hat and giving to them right now.”

The council members each stated their understanding of the agreement and agreed that the town was to give the committee $52,500, which was one-time start up money, and the following years the committee would reimburse the town after the celebrations, with any profits being used for capital improvement projects.

Councilmen Robin Palmer and Jared Hatch agreed with Fuentes that the purpose of the meeting in 2010 was to combine the three celebrations, combining the money, which would be distributed to each celebration by the committee.

“I never heard the reimbursement issue,” said Mayor Debbie Tuckfield. “The $52,000 was what all three events would take and share, and what they would build upon would be theirs, and they could not come back to the town for more.”

“My recollection was the same as the mayor and Jordy (Fuentes), there would be no reimbursement; they would move forward with that money as a base and build on it. They would be using that money rather than reimbursing,” said Councilman Mark Reed. Councilman Jay Whipple agreed.

Fuentes said he felt some confusion stemmed from the fact that there were two different agreements, explaining the $52,500 was to be one-time seed money for this year and in following years the committee would reimburse what the town paid out for events, because money would be needed prior to the celebrations.

There had been discussion regarding the committee paying for the fireworks with that money.

“The problem with that is they don’t have that cash, we’re dropping their revenue to zero. We’ve got to do something, make some concessions,” said Fuentes.

Mayor Tuckfield asked Committee Chairman Vance Muder for his understanding.

“I understood like Jordy said, I thought we had money,” he replied.

Muder explained that the committee has been charged with taking care of the rodeo grounds, and they have identified some serious needs, such as one wall of the pavilion being in danger of falling and there are problems with overloading the power. Each item will cost approximately $50,000.

“I believe the intent was to create that (referring to the $16,000) into a project fund and have that money added to over the years, and the committee would be in control,” said Town Manager Eric Duthie. “Anything that wasn’t expended for those three events would roll into another fund or line item, and that would be available to be added upon each year.”

“That was exactly my understanding, except we would get the $52,500,” said Muder.

The rodeo spent $27,088; Sweet Corn Festival, $12,414; and it was a wash for Trapper Days. They had $16,410 left from the expenses.

“See how we miss our mark when it comes to communication,” said Rodeo Chairman Eddie Hancock.

“When Special Days started to meet the last couple of years, they would say, ‘Where’s the money, how much do we have to spend,’” said Hancock. “Take the last eight years of $20,000, there is a pretty nice little accumulation of money.

“The money basically disappeared in the general fund,” said Hancock. “So you don’t keep coming back to the council and ill feelings and contention doesn’t come into this, they came up with the $52,500 at the May 4, 2010 meeting. We asked for a special account so the money could be tracked because the spending of the monies was important.

“We’re volunteers, we want to keep these going,” Hancock continued. “It was a great day when the $52,500 was agreed upon.”

Hancock said that at that meeting Lundberg presented a non-departmental budget that included the senior center, auditor, chamber of commerce and the money for Special Days/Special Events.

“Somewhere when it actually got to the accounting department, it took on a dual complexion of revenue and expenses and in reality, what’s been said, we never intended to give you the $52,500,” said Hancock. “That’s where the misunderstanding was.”

Hancock said that all winter the Special Days/Special Events Committee and the Master Plan Committee met regularly. They had Pro Building draw up plans and kept asking for the income through the fall months. “Well, it came in February,” said Hancock. “We were ready to go to bid and that’s when the red flags were waved.”

“The committee is happy to continue, if we don’t wear ourselves out hammering out the details,” Hancock said. He noted that the 4th of July celebration netted $25,000 after the bills were paid and they are trying to grow the Labor Day celebration, which had a negative amount, yet they ended up with more than $16,000 in profit.

“We’re going to bring leadership to that committee and attempt to make it a viable celebration,” said Hancock, referring to the Sweet Corn Festival, noting that Bashas’ officials say that is one of their better days at the store.

“My recommendation is we need to feel your support, we need to all speak the English language,” said Hancock, noting that checks were cut for the entities on the non-departmental budget, except “nobody cut us a check.”

“Let’s get behind the Special Events Committee and keep the celebrations going,” concluded Hancock.

Mayor Tuckfield felt they had “pulled the rug right out from under them, because I completely understood the $50,000 was a one-time base to get them started.”

Hatch didn’t agree, but said he felt if they wanted to take control of the celebrations, “let them do it.” He questioned who would be responsible for what maintenance.

“Most of the maintenance of the arena is donated,” said the mayor, noting they were talking about the maintenance paid for by the town.

Fuentes clarified what had been done with previous proceeds, stating, “I’ve seen the expenditure money been made and money expended out of the town’s budget, and it’s nearly a wash. From the perspective of where did the money go, it has been put back into the rodeo grounds in one form or another.”

It was agreed that there were three options, give the committee $52,500, split that amount in two or three phases, or do nothing. Fuentes said that the committee had agreed to $20,000 paid in installments. Muder and Hancock agreed.

“I’d like to make this motion and get this monkey off my back,” said Fuentes.

He moved to have staff create an account for the Special Days Committee Capital Expenditure Fund, with the understanding that this year and the next two years the town will deposit $20,000 into that account for fiscal year 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13. Staff was asked to draft, with the cooperation of the Special Days Committee chairmen and other members of the committee that stated the town’s responsibility for the rodeo grounds facility and the committee’s responsibility for the rodeo grounds facility that would be similar to the agreement the town has with the Little League. Councilman Jay Whipple, who also serves on the committee, seconded the motion, which passed in a 6-1 vote with Palmer opposing it.