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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2015-04-15 TOWN OF TRUCKEE SPECIAL EVENTS POLICY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WORKSHOP MINUTES April 15, 2015, 5:30 p.m. Eastwing Second Floor Conference Room Town Hall - Administrative Center 10183 Truckee Airport Road, Truckee, CA 1. Call to order – Nichole Dorr, Administrative Analyst II- 5:30 p.m. 1.1 Roll Call by Introduction Morgan Goodwin, Patrick Flora, Donna Wood, Bill Haley, Pat Callahan, Mike Peters, Jody Sweat, Darilyn Koren, Dan O’Gorman, Amy Norman, Cassie Hebel, Alyssa Thomas Farina, Judy Laverty, Ursula Riina, Miguel Sloane, JJ Morgan, Stefanie Olivieri, Alex Terrazas, Nichole Dorr, Marine Dageville, Kirk Skierski, Kelly Beede, Irene Brown, Andy Morris, and Bonnie Thompson. 2. Public Comment – none. 3. Policy Development Discussion The group discussed the draft worksheet: Special Event Definition: • Complex definition but it needs to incorporate flexibility. • Traffic disruption would trigger the fee. • Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District (TDRPD) could have two dozen events going on each day and a special event fee would deter people from using their facilities. • TDRPD makes a distinction between whether an event is open to the public – so that a family party at the regional park wouldn’t trigger a special event permit. • Difference between annual event and special event? o Could there be an easier permit system for recurring annual events? o Staff will investigate and bring something back to the group. • Should there be a priority system? o An event like the 4th of July parade should take priority. o The group will table this until a later meeting. What should trigger a special event permit? • Music: o How to define the scale – a band vs. two musicians on a deck. o Decibel levels. o Town noise ordinance already regulates noise. • Defining the footprint: o Tahoe Donner could have a band and it wouldn’t affect parking or traffic and takes place within their space. • ABC Permits: o Most ABC permits are reviewed by Police Department. o Catering permits aren’t seen by the Police Department. • Food: o Food shouldn’t trigger this in small gatherings. o Can a food truck sell food? o Group wanted to remove food as a trigger for special events permit. " Number of people: o Add a second category type about whether it is private or open to the public. o Number of people should not trigger a permit if the location footprint can handle the number of people. " Should we remove the connection between those triggers and private property? o Not the intent to regulate parties at individual homes. o The definition was written for anything that occurred on private property that triggered a traffic impact. o Would lowering the permit fee to $10-15 help wean out small events? o Add language to definition that excludes indoor events that don t trigger traffic. o Add language that when an entity is doing something repeatedly, and it becomes an ongoing issue, then they would be subject to a special use permit. " Staff will revise definition to exclude indoor events and look at criteria to define size, private vs. public, and decibel level. Town involvement or sponsorship of an event. " Can the Town sponsor an event and waive fees? o No. This could violate 1st amendment because it promotes certain types of speech. " Money or sponsorship from the Town would trigger a special event permit. Deadlines for submitting applications for events without expressive activity: " Event applications currently come in about one week before event. " Worksheet proposes that events applications need to be in 60 days before the event and that if it comes in 45 days before the event, the applicant waives the right to appeal. " Current staff process for issuing a permit. o Staff currently has a ten day comment period so that multiple agencies/districts and Town departments can respond. o Add Caltrans and CHP approvals to the process so that the applicant only has to fill out the application once. " Expressive events are not included. o Could someone say that their event supports a cause and then get away with turning it in before the 45 days? " Needs language for unplanned but significant events, like benefits and funerals. " The group decided that the time frame proposed in the worksheet was reasonable. Criteria for approval or denial of special events: " Should there be ranking criteria when multiple events come in for the same day? " Historically we have not denied a permit. " Do businesses have a say to deny an event? o The Truckee Downtown Merchants Association (TDMA) Board asks for the opinion of individual businesses before permits goes through. o How does someone tell the Town that they are not in favor of this before the permit is issued? o TDMA will continue to notify members and add language about how businesses can provide input. o Town is unlikely to provide veto power to a business. " Could we add a page to the website that shows what s been applied for? o Both promotional as well as informative. o Increases transparency. o Comment link at the bottom. " Incorporate the distance protestors have to be away from the event into the policy. Should we limit special events? • Events impact businesses differently – retail vs. restaurants. • Street closures can impact downtown and have a financial impact • Concern about the constant amount of events – what is the tolerance level? • As a community we should leverage what Tahoe Donner is doing with shuttles for town-wide events. • Street closures or closing parking completely should be considered very carefully. • When is the highest impact? o Mid-week vs. weekend. o High season vs. shoulder season. o When is high season?  Summer: End of June through Labor Day  Winter: Dec 12th through the beginning of January. • Is there a way to incentive events during the shoulder season in the fee schedule? • What is the ideal special event? o Include one or two lines in the policy that describe the ideal special event in terms of economic development. o Provides flexibility so that you could deny a permit. o If you come looking for funding then you have to show some kind of economic benefit to the town. Next meeting: • Staff will provide a revised worksheet. • The group will discuss the remaining worksheet items. • Staff will work on tools for applicants to make the process easier. • Regular meetings are the third Wednesday of the month. • The next meeting is May 20, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. • Staff encouraged people to submit comments with solution or alternatives to Nichole or Alex while they revise the worksheet. 4. ADJOURNMENT – 7:00 p.m. To the next meeting of the Special Events Policy Development Committee, May 20, 2015, 5:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 10183 Truckee Airport Road, Truckee, CA. Respectfully submitted by: Bonnie Thompson, Administrative Technician