Rehoboth updates special-event terms

During their last meeting of 2025, Rehoboth Beach commissioners reached a consensus to do away with nonvoting workshops in favor of every meeting being a voting meeting. They also decided to allow a topic to be introduced and voted on in the same meeting.

Commissioners took advantage of the changes at their first meeting of 2026, approving changes to wording in code related to special-event applications and also awarding a contract for the annual water meter replacement program.

Beginning with special events, Brooke Thaler, communications manager, said a review of special-event application terms and conditions showed that language was outdated and confusing.

For example, said Thaler, the permit fee language stated that the city would require a deposit of $550 for a special-event permit, which is no longer done. For as long as the current communications team has been here, the deposit has been $50, she said during a meeting Jan. 5.

Also, special-event applications state that depending on the usage, some of the deposit may be returned, while also stating that special events of significant size or scope may require an additional fee to reimburse the city for additional costs.

“We find this to be confusing to both parties, and [it] requires tedious work on the part of the communications team and the Bandstand manager to understand what would be refunded, and what further charges would be required,” said Thaler.

The language has been simplified to a nonrefundable processing fee of $50, and a tiered approach has been taken for the Bandstand facility charges, said Thaler. These tiers are based on the duration of the event, including setup and cleanup time, which will be decided upon in advance and billed after the event, she said.

As approved, Tier 1 costs $200, and is for brief events requiring minimal setup and minimal city involvement, such as race kickoffs, brief ceremonies or similar short-duration activities. Tier 2 costs $500, and is for events requiring up to five hours of total use, inclusive of setup, event time and breakdown. Tier 3 events are $1,200 and intended for full-day events or events requiring extended use of the Bandstand for setup.

In addition to the Bandstand, the city currently does not codify pavilion rentals in Grove and Stockley parks, said Thaler, suggesting it should. There’s no proposed changes to how they can be used, just add them into the code, she said.

As approved, in Grove Park, it will cost $75 to rent the small pavilion, $100 for the large pavilion and $150 for both. It will cost $75 to rent the Stockley Park pavilion.

For all Bandstand, Boardwalk and pavilion events, the applicator is responsible for cleanup. If that fails to happen, there’s also now a flat fee of $500 for cleanup crew deployment and an hourly rate of $75.

Thaler said this process was being done in advance of a thorough review of all the events taking place in the city and the structure of each event. Addressing these details will help city staff as it determines the schedule for 2026, she said.

Water meter replacement contract

Following the approved changes to the special-events process, commissioners voted to award a contract to Harry Caswell Inc. in the amount of roughly $104,000 for the city’s annual water meter replacement program.

Henry Matlosz, public works director, said there will be 363 1-inch meters replaced in a residential area on the west side of town south of Rehoboth Avenue, which covers the Country Club Estates, Schoolvue and Grove/Canal areas. The engineer’s estimate was roughly $110,000, he said.