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BELLEFONTE -- Both the Bellefonte Borough Council's work session and meeting had lengthy discussions about the invoice that was sent to the organizers of the Bellefonte Community Easter Egg Hunt.
Organizers of the egg hunt, held recently in Talleyrand Park, were shocked to receive an invoice from the borough for use of the park.
The invoice was sent to Mary McMurtrie, the organizer of the event, on March 27, a week before the event was scheduled to take place (April 8). The invoice itself, which was posted to social media, indicated that the fees for use of Talleyrand Park were as follows:
-- Application fee: $25
-- Reservation Fee: WAIVED $200
-- Deposit: $100, will be returned to the organization if no damage is done to Talleyrand Park
-- Trash and Recycling: $40
-- Cleaning of Restrooms: $40
-- Electricity: $5
The total amount due to the borough is $210 to be paid by April 28.
The invoice is part of a new borough policy that was implemented this year in an attempt to raise revenue to combat a stagnant tax base. Bellefonte Borough is, according to borough Manager Ralph Stewart, one of the highest taxed communities in Centre County.
Councilmember Barbara Dann issued a statement on Facebook as well, saying, "An important job of Borough Council is to work with management to create a yearly budget that is fiscally responsible and maintains the services (our) residents want and need. With management's leadership we have done a good job of that."
"By charging small fees for services provided by borough employees we have a balanced budget, continue the services that many of us take for granted and continue to make Bellefonte a wonderful place to live, work and visit," said Dann.
The borough council meeting room was filled with supporters of the event who came to offer comment, telling council how much the community looks forward to the event and how many individuals come to enjoy it.
McMurtrie was the first to speak during the public comment section of the agenda, pleading with the council to waive the fees.
"I organized the Easter Egg Hunt for the past 14 years. Many clubs, families and businesses have participated through the years. In a two hour period, we have thousands of people that attend the park and return again and again. These people are not all local. We welcome all with no fees attached. From the donations we receive, it is 100 percent free for all of the families, whether they're living here or just visiting the area," said McMurtrie.
McMurtie went on to speak on the lack of communication between borough staff and the organizers of the event, stating that they were not made aware of any fees ahead of time.
"During the last borough meeting it was mentioned several times that non-profit groups were not charged fees if they were in the borough," said McMurtie. "We are a non-profit group under the HBI."
She described the event as a community effort, providing council with a long list of organizers and volunteers who help to make the event possible. Everything, according to McMurtrie, is donated. From the prizes to the food being handed out.
McMurtrie and her group of volunteers conduct the egg hunt completely free of charge and make no profit from the event.
She also questioned the process of the fees, whether the borough would send someone to check the status of the bathrooms and grounds prior to the event, or if they would be charged for someone else's mess.
"We found broken glass in a gazebo several days before, and it was not cleaned up prior to our event. We don't want to be charged for that. Have you used the public restrooms recently? There's cobwebs in the corner, there's no paper towels or hand soap to wash your hands," said McMurtie.
"Many event organizers are dismayed by these charges. They're considering moving their events out of town because of it. That's a shame for Bellefonte," McMurtrie continued.
McMurtrie asked that the invoice be waived, and the check be returned to the anonymous donor who paid the invoice.
Council President Doug Johnson asked McMurtrie specifics about the application process that she'd gone through, "there was never a mention of this fee during the application process?"
He'd asked, "When the application was filed, were there no fees listed when the application was returned? There was no discussion of fees?"
McMurtrie replied that the application hadn't even been returned to her, she'd only received the invoice later.
"That's a failure on our part," said Johnson. "(Council) is trying to make the system better for everyone. The more information I get, or council gets, the better the outcome will be for everyone. We're trying to find out what went wrong, and how we can fix it."
Council's work session prior to the public comment period of the meeting was filled with troubleshooting and trying to figure out where the miscommunication had occurred. Council will be discussing the application in more detail in later meetings.
McMurtrie later posted on the Bellefonte Easter Egg Hunt's Facebook page to offer an update to those who hadn't gone in person.
"Thanks to all that attended the borough meeting last evening and to those that spoke up," she wrote. "We did our best to request the fees for the use of the park be waived and now we must wait to hear back from them."
The fees, as of Tuesday's press time, were not waived.
Bellefonte Borough Council will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 1. The meeting will be streamed live on C-NET's YouTube channel. Links can be found on the Borough Council's page, bellefonte.net/government/mayor-borough-council/borough-council/