Agenda - 10-09-2007-6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 9, 2007 Action Agenda Item No. ~( - q SUBJECT: Fee Waiver Request for Tent Revival Event at Fairview Park DEPARTMENT: Manager's Office PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No Recreation and Parks ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Blackmon, 245-2300 10/4/07 Letter from County Attorney's Office Lori Taft, 245-2660 PURPOSE: To provide the Board with the opportunity to consider the request for park use fee waiver by Reverend Luther Brooks and the St. James Baptist Church. BACKGROUND: In October of 2006, Reverend Luther Brooks held an Outreach Ministry Tent Revival at Fairview Park. The event was held over asix-day period and average attendance was estimated at 250 people per day. Games, food, clothing, food bank, outreach through block captains in the community, and other activity were all provided to the public free of charge. A 40 x 60 tent was erected for the entire period. The Town of Hillsborough Police provided "close patrol" throughout the period of the event. Reverend Brooks worked with the Recreation and Parks Department, the Town and others to insure all regulations were followed and all required paperwork was in place. In June of 2007, the Board adopted, as part of the budget ordinance, new park facility use fees including a $250 per day fee for general park use. This is the daily fee applicable for this event. Reverend Brooks has requested through the Recreation and Parks Director and the County Manager that this fee be waived. He believes that the fee ($1,500) would have a severe impact on his budget for the event, which is approximately $4,500. He characterizes his event as one which "gives to the community". This issue was first discussed at the September 19, 2007 Board meeting during which the Board requested the County Attorney's Office to advise the Board on the legal implications of waiving the fee for this event. Attached is the response from the County Attorney's Office which indicates that the BOCC is not legally permitted to grant a fee waiver to Reverend Brooks because the County does not currently have a fee waiver policy in place.