This year, the City of Austin is planning to cover over $750,000 worth of fees and services for South by Southwest .
The proposal, which the Austin City Council is set to vote on Thursday, includes up to $274,320 worth of fee waivers – ranging from $30 sound permit fees to $89,000 worth of litter control services. Any fees already paid by SXSW would be reimbursed to the company. The city would also authorize payments for $481,324 worth of city services – the bulk of which is $340,000 in additional police costs.
While the total – up to $755,644 – may sound like a lot of money, a City of Austin-touted economic impact report from SXSW says its 2013 festival channeled $218.2 million into the Austin economy.
The city council will take up the resolution at its Feb. 13 meeting. See an itemized breakdown of the waivers and payments below.
Fee Waivers:
- $15,000 Event Day Fees for Butler Park (Parks and Recreation)
- $1,000 Event Set Up Fees for Butler Park (Parks and Recreation)
- $1,000 Event Take Down/Clean‐up Day Fees for Butler Park (Parks and Recreation)
- $1,500 Utility Fee for Butler Park (Parks and Recreation)
- $30 Alcohol Permit Fee for Butler Park (Parks and Recreation)
- $30 Sound Permit Fee for Butler Park (Parks and Recreation)
- $500 Maintenance Fee for Butler Park (Parks and Recreation)
- $20,000 Event Day Fees for Republic Square Park (Parks and Recreation)
- $2,000 Utility Fees for Republic Square Park (Parks and Recreation)
- $30 Sound Permit Fee for Republic Square Park (Parks and Recreation)
- $500 Maintenance Fee Republic Square Park (Parks and Recreation)
- $1,719 Event Day Rental Fees for Carver Museum (Parks and Recreation)
- $181 Lobby Party Package and Kitchen Use Fees for Carver Museum (Parks and Recreation)
- $800 Utilities and Equipment Use Fees for Carver Museum (Parks and Recreation)
- $30 Sound Permit Fee for Carver Museum (Parks and Recreation)
- $68,776 Parking Spaces Use Fee (Austin Transportation)
- $280 Parking Application Fee (Austin Transportation)
- $28,500 Street Closure Permit Fee (Austin Transportation)
- $250 Application Fee (Austin Transportation)
- $7,500 Traffic Control Plan (Austin Transportation)
- $10,944 Safety Inspection Fee (Austin Transportation)
- $6,750 Lamp Post Banner Fees (Austin Transportation)
- $5,000 Temporary Vending Permit Fees (Health and Human Services)
- $13,000 Standby Fees (Emergency Medical Services)
- $89,000 Additional Street and Litter Control Services (Austin Resource Recovery)
Total Fees Waived: $274,320
Payments Authorized:
- $340,000 Police Costs (Austin Police)
- $60,000 Additional Dumpsters and Service (Austin Resource Recovery)
- $40,324 Fire Inspection Costs (Austin Fire)
- $41,000 Barricade Costs (Austin Transportation)
Total Payments Authorized: $481,324
Total Waivers & Payments: $755,644
