Redlands limits city support for new events

REDLANDS, Calif. — The Redlands City Council voted April 21 to approve a new policy limiting which community events are eligible to apply for city-funded support, citing rising costs and strain on staff resources.

In a 4-1 vote, with Councilmember Denise Davis dissenting, the council adopted Resolution No. 8780, revising the city’s longstanding approach to in-kind services for special events organized by nonprofit groups.

City officials said the change is intended to control escalating expenses while preserving support for established events.

Rising costs prompt policy shift

Assistant City Manager Chris Boatman told the council the city has historically supported community events through services such as police staffing, street closures, traffic control and coordination.

Those costs have grown significantly.

Boatman said the total estimated value of those services reached about $534,000 in fiscal year 2024-25, including roughly $483,000 in direct, out-of-pocket “hard costs,” largely driven by public safety overtime.

“These costs have increased over time due to broader economic factors that are expected to continue to rise with inflation and CPI adjustments,” Boatman said.

City officials also noted that multiple events can occur in a single weekend, increasing demands on staff and equipment. While employees continue to support the events, the cumulative workload contributes to wear and tear on city resources and can inconvenience residents when streets are closed.

New policy limits eligible events

Under the new policy, only events that received support in fiscal years 2024 and 2025, about three dozen longstanding events, will remain eligible to apply for continued fee waivers.

All other events will be required to pay for city services under a forthcoming fee schedule designed to recover costs.

The council also directed staff to return within 90 days with that fee structure and to pause new applications for in-kind support during that period.

City officials said the goal is to reduce impacts on the general fund while maintaining support for established community traditions.

Who qualifies under the new policy

The city’s approved list includes 38 events eligible to apply for in-kind support.

While most events receive relatively modest support, a handful account for nearly two-thirds of the city’s in-kind event resources in 2024-25, including Redlands Bicycle Classic, Fourth of July Celebration, Summer Music Festival, Run Through Redlands, Redlands Christmas Parade, and Believe Walk.

Together, these six events represent about $333,000 of the city’s in-kind costs, largely due to public safety staffing, street closures and traffic control.

At the same time, the majority of supported events are far less costly. City data shows that 24 of the 38 events receive less than $10,000 in in-kind services. Of those, 19 receive less than $5,000.

Public comments raise concerns

Speakers expressed mixed views on the proposal.

Resident Dennis Bell criticized the existing level of city support, calling fee waivers “the public’s money” and urging greater financial transparency from event organizers.

By contrast, Evan Sanford, executive director of the Redlands Chamber of Commerce, warned the changes could make it harder for new events to get started.

“Without that support, the barrier to entry becomes much higher, and for some, it can become impossible,” Sanford said. “It’s important to remember that today, what we consider to be legacy events at some point had to start somewhere, often small and with limited resources.”

Sanford said community events serve as economic drivers and help define Redlands’ identity.

He suggested alternatives, including partial cost recovery, limited annual waivers for local organizations, or a one-time fee waiver for a first-year “proof of concept.”

The Chamber of Commerce hosts two events, the Dog Jog 5K and NYE Orange Drop, that are eligible to receive in-kind support.

Council weighs fiscal responsibility and community impact

Council members acknowledged the tension between supporting community events and managing city resources.

Councilmember Paul Barich said the city must consider both financial constraints and the impact on staff.

“We have to make sure … we’re being fiscally responsible to the community,” Barich said, noting the demands placed on public safety personnel and city workers.

Councilmember Davis said she was “torn” on the issue and expressed concern that limiting eligibility could stifle future events.

“There might be wonderful community events that are not on this list that we have not thought up yet,” Davis said, adding that the proposal is “incredibly limiting” and urging staff to bring more options back to the council.

City Manager Charles Duggan said the approach reflects the city’s resource constraints and limits new requests.

“Really, the only option is what we’re doing now,” Duggan said. “Essentially, this stops new events from coming to the council with applications for in-kind support.”

He added that expanding eligibility would require additional resources.

“If the council wishes for us to increase the number of these, we can look at directing resources from other areas to hire more staff,” Duggan said. “If we’re going to do new events, it’s going to be more costly.”

Davis ultimately voted against the measure.

Next steps

City staff will develop a fee schedule over the next three months outlining charges for services such as police staffing, street closures and traffic control.

Once adopted, the policy will allow new events to proceed on a cost-recovery basis, while existing events may continue to seek council approval for in-kind support.