Organizers of major events and local businesses with large stakes in the annual UFO/Alien Festival over recent years could be assuming a more active role in the planning and execution of the city’s largest annual public gathering and tourist attraction.
Members of Roswell’s Finance Committee might soon consider whether a shift toward community groups having more of a say in the operations and promotion of the festival should occur, possibly starting next year.
Cost alone isn’t the primary motivation for this proposal. For example, while musical acts have been the most expensive offering at the festival during the past couple of years, securing them has also proven to be a troublesome process for the city.
Roswell is being investigated by the state for potential violations of the Procurement Code. The actions in question are related to the 2022 and 2023 festivals, and both matters are still under investigation, according to high-ranking city staff.
City Councilor Cristina Arnold called for a meeting on Dec. 20 between city officials and the various groups involved with the festival to see if there was interest among members of these groups to see the city assume a more hands-off approach with the festival from now on.
“I’m not a fan of the city having a role in running events,” she told those who attended, including representatives of MainStreet Roswell, Roswell Chamber of Commerce, Roswell Galacticon and the Roswell Daily Record.
City Attorney Hess Yntema explained that the type of council action being suggested is a memorial. He described the process as a potential “expression of the city council’s preferences” to Mayor Timothy Jennings and high-ranking administrators, including City Manager Chad Cole and Yntema himself — if the proposal is ultimately approved.
The draft document was created by Arnold, Cole and Yntema.
After explaining how the Lodger’s Tax Act provides revenue for the promotion and support of tourism-related events, it then notes that the city government — in its role during recent years as the festival’s “central organizer” — has “expended significant funds from the General Fund.”
It goes on to state that it’s best to limit city government spending to Lodger’s Tax proceeds as well as to reflect what Arnold said during last week’s meeting about the city involvement — which has been echoed recently and publicly by some of the city’s upper management employees.
“The City Council believes that the interests of the city and its citizens are best served when the UFO/Alien Festival is run by community groups and businesses and not (city) staff paid out of the General Fund with promotion and facilitation of the event being supported with Lodger’s Tax revenues.”
An early version of the 2023 festival report said the city spent more than $96,000 in general fund money total for the event.
If the memorial is supported by councilors, it will guide how to include the festival costs in the 2024-25 fiscal year budget. The event is considered part of the budget that begins July 1, even though the event has been known to kick off at the end of June.
The draft memorial explains how sources of city government money should be allocated for the festival, such as up to $60,000 of Lodger’s Tax receipts for advertising the festival and any related activities. It states that this spending would, if possible, predominantly (come) through some form of matching grant not to be less than a 5:1 (grant to grantee) ratio.”
Another $50,000 of that revenue would be available for two purposes and split equally into two allocations of $25,000 each. Half would go to police, fire, janitorial and sanitation needs, and the other half would be for a fireworks display on the Fourth of July.
After ideas were voiced, including some about fundraising, Cole said to the group:
“I can’t wait to see what you’re capable of creating when your hands aren’t tied.”
The full cost for the fireworks display will likely require a significant amount of additional money that might require fundraising efforts, both Cole and Yntema have pointed out.
Representatives of these community groups agreed to form a committee and planned to meet in early January.
By Terri Harber
Roswell Daily Record