TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
SUBJECT:Title
Updated City of Manhattan Beach Policy for Special Events (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
APPROVE
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_________________________________________________________
Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the City of Manhattan Beach Policy for Special Events.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
If the City Council approves the Special Event policy, a processing fee will be implemented ranging from $386 to $771 based upon the type of special event. The $771 fee was established by the 2014-15 User Fee and Cost Allocation Plan Study with Matrix Consulting Group. The proposed fee is based upon staff time involved with routing the special event application. In addition, all special event costs are calculated using fully burdened rates which are adopted by the City Council in the resolution of fees and include City overhead costs.
BACKGROUND:
The City Council adopted the City of Manhattan Beach Policy for special events on March 15, 1989 (Attachment 1). The policy has not been updated since its adoption in 1989 and does not accurately reflect the current review and submittal process.
Since the initial adoption of the policy, the number, size and scope of events have changed. Special events in the City of Manhattan Beach have grown and have a much larger impact on the community.
Staff receives many special event requests throughout the year. The requests vary from small groups to thousands of people. Due to the variety of special event requests and current impact from existing special events, an updated policy is needed to provide clear guidelines and an improved process for applicants and staff.
DISCUSSION:
Staff has proposed a number of updates to the special event policy (Attachment 2) to provide a clear process and establish guidelines for applicants wanting to hold a special event in the City of Manhattan Beach.
Special event requests are currently separated into two categories: new special events and "Legacy" events. Applications for new special events are accepted throughout the year. Legacy events are submitted annually and approved by the City Council in the spring each year for the following fiscal year (July 1 through June 30).
New Special Event Requests
Each new special event request is submitted to the Parks and Recreation Department for review. The event must meet the City's legal requirements, fit within the special event calendar, and not conflict with existing events (due to the impact on the community and the ability to staff appropriately). If the event meets these requirements, the application is routed to each department to provide staffing and operational costs. If there are department concerns, the item is discussed among department heads to ensure that the event can be managed safely and properly staffed, with minimal impact to the community. If the event is approved, cost estimates and operational requirements are summarized and sent to the applicant. If the special event has a significant impact on the community, the applicant will be notified that the request will be presented to the City Council for their review and direction.
An example of a small scale event would be a local Strand walk/run fundraiser. Traditionally these events have between 30-200 participants and have minimal set-up, tear-down and require few City resources. An example of a large scale event would be the Tour De Pier which includes thousands of participants and has a significant impact on the downtown area for traffic and parking; residential impact and staffing resources.
Legacy Events
Legacy events are special events that have a community benefit and have been ongoing for a number of years. These events receive a fee waiver from 75% to 100%. The City Council has approved the following fee waivers: 75% fee waivers for Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair, Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, American Martyrs 5K, Richstone Pier to Pier Walk and the American Martyrs Parish Fair; 100% fee waivers for Manhattan Beach 10K Run, the Holiday Fireworks Festival and Little League Opening Day Parade. The City Council also approved waiving all fees for events associated with the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, including the Manhattan Beach Wine Auction, with the stipulation that the request for the Manhattan Beach Wine Auction be revisited each year.
Due to the number of special events scheduled throughout the year (Attachment 4), City staff resources are stretched, especially during the summer months. Police, Fire and Public Works personnel are mandated to work many of the large scale events. Staff plans well in advance to coordinate efforts across many departments to ensure a safe, well-organized event. Although each event is planned well in advance, staff overtime and additional contract resources are needed to accommodate the current schedule of events. When new special events are added to the existing schedule, these impacts are magnified, especially when scheduled near existing large scale events.
Updated Policy for Special Events
The proposed changes for the updated Policy for Special Events include: the approval process, fees and charges, application updates, and legacy events.
Proposed Approval Process
Any event with expected attendance of fewer than 300 people will be processed administratively by Staff. These smaller scale events use minimal City resources and are usually tied to community fundraising.
Any event with expected attendance of 300 or more people will require approval from the City Council. The review process for events with over 300 people will be initiated by City Staff. A summary of all department comments and costs along with the event application will be presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission. The Commission will provide a recommendation to the City Council for their consideration. Once an event is approved by the City Council, future applications for the same event may be approved by the Director of Parks and Recreation provided that there are no significant changes to the location, format or other aspects or problems associated with the event. Any such changes will require the event to go before the City Council again for approval.
Fees and Charges
A non-refundable application fee of $771 and $386 for pass throughs (i.e. Hermosa Beach Triathlon - using a portion of the Strand in Manhattan Beach) will be required for all applicants. In addition, all direct City costs to operate and staff the event will be paid by the applicant. City operational cost estimates are provided by each department and include, but are not limited to, hardware and staffing costs; administration for event meetings and pre and post event inspection, use of City hardware, such as water barricades, saw horses and message boards; GIS mapping, and cost of developing a traffic control plan. Estimates are given prior to each event, and final billing is based upon actual resources used during the event.
Application Updates
The annual special event application deadline for new and legacy events will be on or before January 31 of each year for events scheduled during the upcoming fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). The special event policy (Attachment 2) and application form (Attachment 3) have been updated to provide detailed event information, which will expedite the internal review process. Acceptance of applications submitted after the January 31st deadline may be considered at the discretion of the Direction of Parks and Recreation. Applications must be submitted a minimum of 90 days prior to the event date for events expecting fewer than 300 attendees and 120 days prior for events expecting 300 or more attendees. A Public Relations form (Attachment 5) will also be required, to disclose all event information and ensure that accurate information is distributed to the community. A Green Matrix (Attachment 6) form will also be required to ensure that applicants are adhering to the City's green standards.
Legacy Events
An event may request Legacy status after being held for three consecutive years in good standing with the City. After obtaining Legacy status, a fee waiver may be requested and presented to the City Council during their annual review of special event fee waivers.
The proposed changes to the policy for special events will provide a clear process for applicants, greater detail for planning and cost estimates and overall organizational efficiencies. The policy and updated application will also provide clear, accurate information to the public and ensure that each applicant is meeting the City's "green" initiatives. If the City Council approves the proposed policy, approved events will be posted on the City's website with event details.
POLICY ALTERNATIVES:
In the research, staff reviewed special event policies from a number of other cities including: Redondo Beach, El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Santa Monica and Irvine to understand what other alternatives existed for possible inclusion in this updated policy.
In reviewing these policies, there was a wide range of policies from open to restrictive. The proposed policy falls somewhere in the middle and after analysis, seems to provide the best fit for the City of Manhattan Beach.
Reasons for Recommending: The proposed changes will allow staff and the City Council more flexibility to work collaboratively with event organizers. For example, many cities have a 500 participant threshold prior to being presented to the City Council. Staff suggests 300 participants, as this number of people could have a significant impact, especially in the downtown area. Staff also suggests an annual review timeline to coincide with the fee waiver approval process for Legacy events. In the event the submittal date is missed, the applicant may still submit an event application 120 days in advance.
In summary, each of the policy changes are being proposed to make the process more transparent, "green" and efficient.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Staff reached out to the Downtown Business Association and Chamber of Commerce to make them aware of the proposed special event policy. Staff also reached out to organizations that have submitted special event applications in the past. Based upon the City Council's action on this policy, staff will outreach to the above organizations to ensure that they are aware of the policy.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the City of Manhattan Beach Policy for Special Events.
Attachments:
1. City of Manhattan Beach Policy for Special Events, 1989
2. Proposed City of Manhattan Beach Policy for Special Events
3. Proposed Special Event Application
4. Special Event Calendar for 2015
5. Public Relations Form
6. Green Matrix Form