Who pays what for city services for fests, races in Batavia?

As festival and fundraising season shifts into high gear in Batavia, aldermen learned this week what it costs the city for some events.

Last year the city waived approximately $54,588 in fees, City Administrator Laura Newman said.

Fees can be charged for the cost of police, fire department, street department and Emergency Services and Disaster Agency work.

The two biggest waivers last year were for the Loyalty Day parade and the Fourth of July fireworks.

The city supplied $19,358 in police and street services for the parade, according to Newman, and about $16,000 in police services for the fireworks show. The fireworks show is put on by the Batavia ACCESS committee.

"Fireworks is an all-hands event for the police department, that is for sure. But it is also a signature event for our city," Newman said.

Her report listed 41 events. Not all required payment of fees, because not all used city services. Some of the fundraising walks, for example, arranged to use the Riverwalk instead of streets, so there was no need for police to close intersections or public works crews to erect barricades.

The city typically waives fees for events put on by other governmental entities, the chamber of commerce and Batavia MainStreet, Newman said.

"I just want to make sure you are comfortable with the way we are managing those fees," Newman said.

Newman suggested officials could consider asking the chamber of commerce and MainStreet to chip in something for events for which they have received "significant" amounts of sponsorships.