Council adopts higher entertainment and special-event fees after debate over outdoor events

The Franklin Common Council voted to adopt updated fees and clarifications for entertainment and extraordinary-event permits, a measure aimed at modernizing fee schedules and addressing repeated questions about indoor versus outdoor event licensing.

Clerk and licensing-committee members said the fee changes were intended to reflect dormant fee schedules and recover city costs for police, fire and DPW services tied to larger events. Several residents had urged clearer definitions so outdoor amplified events would not be covered unchanged by an indoor annual entertainment license. Dana Gint, representing the Hawthorne neighborhood, urged that “all outdoor events require special event applications without exception” and proposed a $175 daily special-event fee and caps on how many events could be covered by a single annual license.

Council members debated practical enforcement questions, including how to verify attendee counts and whether establishments could exploit an annual entertainment license to run repeated outdoor events without separate permits. The clerk and staff explained the city’s process: extraordinary-event applications are routed to police, fire and DPW, and any incremental staffing costs (for example, additional officers) are billed to the applicant.

The licensing committee (Aldermen Craig, Day and Eichmann) had recommended the fee adjustments. On a roll-call vote the council approved the proposed changes 5–1. Several aldermen said they expect staff to clarify language on multi-day events and consider caps so that a “multi-day” permit could not be used to cover an indefinite series of events without council review.

What happens next: Licensing staff will finalize ordinance language and display the fee schedule on permit materials. Council members asked staff to return with any clarifying amendments if licensing decisions or enforcement practice requires further adjustments.