TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Linda Robb, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Revision to the Special Events Policy (No Budget Impact) (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
APPROVE
Body
_________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council consider and approve a revision to the City’s Special Events policy.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
The City Council initially adopted the City of Manhattan Beach Policy for Special Events on March 15, 1989.
At the July 17, 2018, City Council meeting, a revised Special Event Policy was approved to “establish clear guidelines for processing event applications to ensure compliance with local laws, facilitate collaborations among organizers, local authorities, public safety teams and other stakeholders; manage use of public resources effectively and fairly; establish protocols for crowd control, emergency response, traffic-management and security; and promote fairness and consistency in decision making, ensuring all event organizers are treated equally under the policy.”
The updated policy established an Impact Level approval process based on event impacts, clarified responsibility for third-party costs, and provided that organizations are eligible to apply for legacy status after ten years of successful execution of their event in Manhattan Beach.
The current policy requires the following levels of approval:
A. Impact Level I events are low impact events requiring little to no City Resources.
Impact Level I characteristics may include but are not limited to:
i. 300 or fewer expected participants
ii. Event date is not in the peak season
iii. Event does not have amplified sound
iv. Event does not begin or end in Manhattan Beach (pass-through)
B. Impact Level II events are medium impact events.
Impact Level II characteristics may include but are not limited to:
i. 300-1000 expected participants/attendees
ii. Event occurs on the weekend
iii. Event occurs in a park or facility
iv. Reserved parking may be requested
v. Street closures may be requested
vi. Event requires amplified sound
C. Impact Level III events are high impact events
Impact Level III characteristics may include but are not limited to:
i. Over 1,000 expected participants/attendees
ii. Involves alcohol on public property
iii. Event occurs on a Holiday
iv. Event occurs on the Strand or Pier area
v. Street closures are required
vi. Event occurs in Peak Season
Impact Level I events may be approved based on the recommendation of the Special Events Committee, comprised of representatives from each City department. If denied, an appeal may be made to the Parks and Recreation Commission.
Impact Level II events are reviewed by the Special Events Committee and reviewed and approved by the Parks and Recreation Commission. If denied, the applicant may appeal the decision to the City Council.
Impact Level III events require City Council approval after review by the Special Events Committee and Parks and Recreation Commission.
DISCUSSION:
As currently structured, Parks and Recreation Commission decisions on Level II events may be appealed to the City Council by the applicant upon denial. However, there is no provision allowing the City Council to call a decision (approval or denial of a Level II event) for review if they so desired. Accordingly, staff recommends revising the policy to clarify that the City Council may call for review any Level II special event approved or denied by the Parks and Recreation Commission within 30 days of the Commission’s decision. In order to accommodate this step, special event applications for Impact Level II events will need to be submitted at least 120 days prior to the event. The current requirement for Impact Level II events is 90 days. This revision is also reflected in the revised policy attached.
In order to keep the City Council informed of Special Event decisions made by the Parks and Recreation Commission, events reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission will be listed on the City Council agenda under INFORMATIONAL ITEMS - Recent Parks and Recreation Commission Decisions on Special Events.
Other minor revisions proposed serve to update out-of-date information throughout the document (i.e. date, City Manager name, and website address).
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
After analysis, staff determined that public outreach was not required for this issue.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment; therefore, pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENT:
1. Special Events Policy (Redline)