It’s clear, on the Web site — NO parking at Pelican Park.

The all-volunteer board of directors of the Greater Mandeville Seafood Festival, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, decided to reject the parking fee offer of $1 per car assessed rent after attending a meeting of the Recreation District 1, better known as Pelican Park, board of directors and reviewing their parking fee offer.

Bill Dobson, president of the Mandeville group, said in a news release, “the members of the (Board) are all volunteer St. Tammany citizens who possess a sincere desire to help fellow citizens in need. As such it is our mission to maximize the conversion of our free work to funds of donation to the groups of need.” He added, “We believe that Pelican Park has now decided to change the rules to leverage charitable funds away from the festival to benefit itself at the expense of citizens who already support the park as taxpayers. Please understand the our decline is not a stubborn response but is an expression of what we know is an unreasonable and unaffordable demand.”

The park won’t stop people from parking, however, the park closes before the Mandeville Seafood Festival shuts down, and if people go to get their cars, they may find themselves unable to leave the park.

At the Recreation District board meeting, the representatives of the charities were allowed to address the board, even though Board Chairman Nixon Adams said, “This is not a public hearing, although it is a public meeting and we will allow members of the affected charities to address the board.”

Rented last year by the Mandeville Seafood Festival at an original rate of $442.50, which was raised to $1,965.50 by park staff, the original request this year was met by a fee of $28,925 from Pelican Park.

This was later lowered to $11,600 plus “any other expenses that may crop up.”

At the end of the meeting, complex director Kathy Foley said the $1 per space fee would cost the Seafood Festival a total of $5,136 for the four days July 2-5. The Sunday fee will not include all lots, because a baseball tournament will be held in conjunction with the recreation level World Series and has already been rented, said Foley.

Adams said their attorney, Ric Poirier of Blue Williams, LLP, rendered an opinion in writing that specifically states, “the Board is bound by the overriding Louisiana Constitution mandate of Article 7, Section 14(A): Except as otherwise provided by this constitution, the funds, credit, property of things of value of the state or of any political subdivision {i. e. the Recreation District} shall NOT be loaned, pledged, or donated to or for any person, association, or corporation, public or private. [emphasis added]”

The board said that most of the activities at the Castine Center involve non-profits but these non-profit groups still have to rent the facility.

The board also said if the parking lots are rented for an event at another venue, the facilities such as the Castine Center and the ball fields cannot be rented because there would be no parking available, and the result is a loss of income for the facility.

In the news release, Dobson said the festival board “regrettably cited the enormous price increase over last year’s fees for Pelican Park support as a bait and switch tactic which offered reasonable rental rates in 2008 and attempted a surprising 2,000 percent increase for the 2009 event.”

Dobson also said the move of the festival from the Mandeville Harbor venue to Fontainebleau State park was “predicated on agreements between the festival’s board, the Office of State parks, Recreation and Tourism, and Pelican Park to forge a partnership that secured Fontainebleau Park for the festival venue and Pelican Park’s parking lots for attendee overflow parking.”

Although the park and the festival are still honoring the original commitment, Dobson said, “the Recreation District 1 Board of Directors have absolutely breached their original commitment to the festival and through exorbitant monetary demands are attempting to deny public access to a public facility.”

Dobson said the fair market value of the facility was determined last year by Pelican park officials at $1,954.50, last year’s rental fee.

At the meeting, Coogan had offered a cooperative endeavor agreement giving Pelican Park publicity in advertising, on-site signage, Web site space and time on the video at the festival. The recreation board quickly dismissed this.

Dobson said that alternate parking venues are being arranged and will be announced soon.

A shuttle service will ferry those parking off-site to and from the festival.

The festival will take place at Fontainebleau State Park July 2-5. A country music concert will be held the opening night, July 2, with Mark Chesnutt and Sammy Kershaw as the featured performers along with Christian Serpas and Ghost Town.

A special appearance by the Red Bull girls is also expected.

Regular festival days will incorporate lots of music, fun and food for the whole family.

For tickets and more information on the festival itself, visit www.seafoodfest.com.