HomeMy Public PortalAbout2001_06_26_r113 Approving a Special Events Policy'The Town of
Leesburg,
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PRESENTED June 26, 2001
RESOLUTION NO. 2001-113 ADOPTED June 26, 2001
RESOLUTION: APPROVING A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT POLICY
WHEREAS, in 1996, Town Council approved Resolution Number 96-130 to
provide staff with administrative authority to process and approve annual special events within
the town; and
WHEREAS, the 1996 resolution addressed fee waivers and street closings for such events
as First Night Leesburg, the Halloween Parade, August Court Days, and the Flower and Garden
Festival; and
WHEREAS, new events developed after 1996 that required Town Council approval such
as LAWS 5k Run, and the Lions Club Car Show; and
WHEREAS, these events also involved fee waivers and street closings; and
WHEREAS, Town Council requested staff to review the current policy and propose new
procedures to address special events and street closings; and
WHEREAS, staff developed procedures and criteria to include definitions, application
and review processes, standards for approving street closings related to special events, fees and
public notification; and
WHEREAS, review of the current policy involved surveying other jurisdictions within
theCommonwealth, and included the departments of police, public works, economic
development, Town Attorney, and the Town Manager's office; and
WHEREAS, the Leesburg Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and the Leesburg
Economic Development Commission (LEDC) reviewed and endorsed the respective policy; and
RESOLUTION:
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SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT POLICY
and
WHEREAS, the LEDC recommends an increase in the current general liability insurance;
WHEREAS, staff consulted with the town's insurance provider, AH&T, as well as the
town's insurance consultant, McNeary Insurance Consulting; and
WHEREAS, both companies suggested that all events and activities be evaluated on a
case-by-case basis and encouraged higher limits when determined necessary; and
WHEREAS, staff contacted other jurisdictions within the Commonwealth, and it was
determined that the other jurisdictions use the same $1 million threshold as Leesburg while
reserving the right to require higher insurance limits if warranted; and
WHEREAS, this recommendation is based on the information provided above inclusive
of discussions with the Town Attorney, Director of Finance, and Deputy Town Manager; and
WHEREAS, in March 2001, the amended Special Event Permit Policy was presented to the
Town Council for review; and
WHEREAS, the Council asked that the draft policy be shared with the residents and businesses
impacted by special events; and
WHEREAS, on May 8, 2001, a cover letter and the policy were mailed to over 400
residences and businesses; and
WHEREAS, The deadline for businesses and residents to respond to the policy was May
28, 2001; and
WHEREAS, as a result of this mailing, two citizen responses were received; and
RESOLUTION:
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SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT POLICY
WHEREAS, the Director of Parks and Recreation for the Town of Leesburg endorses the
Special Event Permit Policy; and
THEREFORE, RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Leesburg in Virginia as
follows:
The Leesburg Town Council hereby approves the Special Event Permit Policy dated June 25,
2001.
PASSED this 26th day of June 2001.
B.J. b, Mayor
Town of Leesburg
ATTEST:
erk of Council
C.OrdsRes. SpecialEventPolicy2001
The Town of Leesburg
Department of Parks and Recreation
SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT POLICY
(June 25, 2001)
TITLE:
This policy shall be known as the Special Event Permit Policy.
2. PURPOSE:
It i s t he purpose o f t his policy t o provide for t he issuance o f special e vent permits t o
regulate events on the public streets and public property of the town in the interest of public
health, safety and welfare; and to provide for standardized fees, charges and procedures required
to administer the permit process.
3. POLICY:
It is the policy of the town, as implemented through this policy and any procedures
adopted hereunder, to recognize the substantial community benefits that result from special
events. These events provide cultural enrichment, promote economic vitality, and enhance
community identity and pride. These events also provide opportunities for family activities and
funding for our community's nonprofit agencies. Partnerships between the town, event sponsors,
and the community are valuable in ensuring successful events. Therefore, the town will strive to
accommodate special events. The town recognizes that events can be difficult to implement
successfully and that the town requirements may represent a portion of an event's costs. When
setting fees and conditions for events, the town will be sensitive to their impacts on the event's
costs while balancing the town's obligation to protect public health and safety. It is the town's
goal to have successful special events that enrich and enliven the community.
4. DEFINITION:
For the purpose of this policy, a special event is defined as a preplanned activity
sponsored by a group or organization proposed to be held on public property, or which would
significantly impact either public property or normal vehicle and pedestrian traffic, requiring the
use of town services for purpose of, entertainment, celebration, amusement, cultural recognition,
amateur sports, demonstration of skill, or competition, or similar activities.
Town sponsored events are defined as events/programs that are solely coordinated by
town staff, and town funds, and of which all revenues generated from the event/program are
returned to the Town of Leesburg's general revenue fund.
Specific activities requiring a Special Event Permit include but are not limited to: foot
races, bike races, parades/marches, festivals/carnivals, concert series, celebrations, tours, media
productions, etc.
SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT APPLICATION:
a. Applicant(s) requesting a Special Event Permit shall obtain and complete an
application form provided by the Department of Parks and Recreation.
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The application shall provide relevant event information specified in the permit
application.
APPLICATION SUBMITTAL:
a. The application and application fee shall be submitted to the Department of Parks
and Recreation for review and processing.
b. A Special Event Permit request(s) shall be submitted at least 90 days prior to the
date of the proposed event to allow adequate review time, which is 30 working
days.
c. Events shall list several alternatives for location, route, date and time.
d. All applicants are responsible for obtaining permits relating to food and beverage
service, signage, tent erection, fire codes, business licenses, and the collection of
local and state taxes.
e. As a condition of the permit, the applicant shall submit a current Certificate of
Insurance naming the Town of Leesburg as an additional insured in the minimum
amount of $1,000,000. The Committee reserves the right to recommend a higher
amount depending on the proposed activity.
INITIAL REVIEW:
A representative of the Department of Parks and Recreation shall initially review the
application to determine if all necessary information is provided prior to submittal to the
Special Event Permit Committee for review.
REVIEW PROCESS:
a. The Special Event
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Permit Committee shall review Special Event Permit
Application(s).
The Special Event Permit Committee shall be comprised of one representative
from each of the following Town of Leesburg departments: public works, police,
and the Town Manager's office, parks and recreation, planning & zoning, and
economic development (Tourism Coordinator). The committee shall confer with
a neighborhood or business representative if such exists to officially provide
representation.
Applications shall be reviewed for the following event criteria:
i. Description of the event activities.
ii. Determine if the event(s) can be accommodated.
iii. Estimate the costs the town will incur to support the event.
iv. Safety of the event.
v. Impact on police and fire protection during the event to all areas of the
town.
vi. Event will not cause irreconcilable interference with previously approved
and/or scheduled construction, maintenance, or other activities in the
town.
vii. Location/route for event.
viii. Event does not directly compete for town resources with an already
established event in the affected area.
ix. Event provides an impact mitigation plan including factors such as
location, start/end time, duration, attendance, access, and financial impact
for all events held within an established business or residential area.
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x. Pedestrian ingress/egress is maintained to nearby businesses and
neighborhoods. Vehicle access should be provided if possible.
xi. Noise impact of the event on surrounding businesses and neighborhoods.
xii. Event complies with town and county laws, regulations, and zoning
ordinances.
xiii. The proposed activity is not to be held for the purpose of advertising any
products, goods or event and is not designed to be held primarily for
private profit; however, the prohibition against advertising shall not apply
to signs identifying organizations or sponsors furnishing floats,
transportation, equipment or facilities for the event.
xiv. Downtown businesses and residents should be given priority consideration
for participation in the respective event.
A recommendation shall be presented to the Director of Parks and Recreation for:
i. Endorsement of the event and request for a traffic alteration, or street
closing; or
ii. Approval - if no traffic alteration, or street closing is requested, and if the
event is held at Ida Lee Park or other town parks.
STANDARDS FOR APPROVING A STREET CLOSING FOR A SPECIAL
EVENT
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The Town Manager may grant approval to close a public street for a special event
if the following conditions are met:
i. The proposed street c losing w ill not unreasonably interfere with normal
use by the general public. In making this determination, the Town
Manager may consider, among other things, the event's benefit to the
economic life and vitality of the town.
ii. The proposed street closing does not present a safety or health risk, or an
environmental hazard.
iii. The proposed street closing is compatible with the surrounding area or
neighborhood, in consideration of anticipated noise, traffic, crowd
capacity, and other identifiable factors.
iv. Town resources necessary to support the street closing are reasonably
available.
v. The proposed street closing is not held primarily for private profit.
The Town Manager may conditionally approve the street closing, subject to the
applicant's acceptance of such conditions related to the date, time duration, route
or location of the event, and any other restrictions as are reasonably necessary to
protect the health, safety, welfare, peace and order.
FEES:
a.
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All events held in the Town of Leesburg shall be required to pay accordingly for
services provided by the Town of Leesburg such as, Police Department,
Department of Engineering and Public Works, and Department of Parks and
Recreation.
The application fee shall be submitted with the application and all other fees shall
be paid 30 days prior to the event.
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i. Application Fee: $30.00 per application (a concert series is considered one
event).
ii. Police Services: $40.00 per hour, per officer.
iii. Public Works services: $40.00 per hour, per staff member.
iv. Park Attendant: $20.00 per hour, per staff member.
v. Additional fees may include, but not limited to, electrical usage, water
usage, equipment rental fees, and park usage.
Application fee is non-refundable.
Event fees are refundable if the event is canceled, and written notice is received
by the Department of Parks and Recreation. Fees will be prorated in order to pay
for services rendered prior to notification of cancellation. However, pro-rated
fees will not be refunded if event is cancelled due to inclement weather.
Fees may be waived for events sponsored by organizations to which the town may
make gifts or donations under Section 15.2-953 of the Code of Virginia, a copy of
which is attached. The events and sponsors on the attached list have been
determined to meet the statutory test and shall be exempt from any fees.
Town Attorney will review fee waiver request to determine if a proposed event
meets the requirements per the code of Virginia.
NOTIFICATION TO APPLICANT:
a. The Department of Parks and Recreation shall provide the applicant with written
notification regarding cost for town services and approval of the special event
permit application. The approval process is 30 working days.
b. The Town of Leesburg reserves the right to alter or cancel an event at anytime
due to unforeseen circumstances.
NOTIFICATION OF THE EVENT:
a. The applicant(s) and/or sponsor(s) shall notify in writing the area impacted by the
event (to be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Special Event Permit
Committee), fifteen (15) days prior to the event, regarding street closings, traffic
pattern changes, event activities, date(s), and location of the event.
b. The Assistant to the Town Manager will issue a press release if there is a street
closing or traffic alteration.
c. The Department of Parks and Recreation will notify in writing the fire and rescue
squads, VDOT and Sheriff's department of event.
13. POST
a.
EVENT EVALUATION:
The Special Event Permit Committee shall conduct a post event evaluation, which
may include a survey of the affected residents and businesses.
A meeting shall be held with the applicant(s)/sponsor(s).
C:Abby.speicalfee.