Staff calls for limits on numbers of events in specific areas within defined timeframes
During their regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 17, the Sarasota city commissioners will address proposed amendments to the city’s special events ordinance, including limits on how many special events can occur within specific timeframes within defined areas of the city.
The ordinance also calls for extra steps for any organizer who wants to hold a special event that would last longer than 96 hours.
Further, one section points out that the Office of Special Events “may require the posting of a security deposit, or other form of security acceptable to the city manager, to ensure that any unpaid expenses or damages incurred as a result of the event are satisfied.”
Another segment of the ordinance calls for event organizers “to agree to indemnify and hold harmless the City in writing on a form acceptable to the City” before the necessary permit can be issued. Additionally, the event organizer would be required to obtain, “at its sole expense, public liability insurance, with minimum limits” as specified by the Office of Special Events. The insurance would name the city “as an additional insured [party] …”
The Agenda Request Form for the item explains, “Chapter 29.6 of the Sarasota City Code provides the permitting of special events which occur on City-owned property or within City maintained rights-of-way through various ordinances. The Office of Special Events is responsible for processing of the special event and park permit applications and issuing a special event permit, park permit and/or a special sound permit. The Office of Special Events staff has recognized the need to make changes to the City Code for Special Event Permitting …”
The discussion also will focus on the city’s Sound Ordinance, the form says, even though special events are exempt from it. The Office of Special Events does issue special sound permits for special events and events on private property, the form points out.
Staff is recommending that “the decibel level allowed per the Special Sound Permit” be lowered from 100 decibels to 85. Only The Bay Park, Bayfront Park, Payne Park, Ken Thompson Park, and Robarts Arena on the Sarasota Fairgrounds should be able to have sound at the 100-decibel level, staff recommends. Further, the form says, the sound should be measured 100 feet from the ambient source.
The hearing is scheduled as the second one for the City Commission to conduct following consideration of the two Consent Agendas of routine business matters and an update on the search for the new city manager. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 17, in the Commission Chambers of City Hall, which stands at 1565 First St. in downtown Sarasota.
Downtown residents’ concerns
During the regular meeting of the City Commission on July 21, David Lough, president of the Downtown Sarasota Condominium Association (DSCA), offered remarks about the work underway on revisions to the special events ordinance.
After expressing his appreciation to Jennifer Jorgensen, the city’s director of governmental affairs, for working with DSCA, he made it clear that his comments would focus just on the downtown area.
“Special events affect quality of life and economic stability,” Lough pointed out. DSCA supports the special events that have been “well thought through,” he added.
Then he provided data he had accumulated over the past year.
Twenty-five block parties had been held in downtown Sarasota, Lough said, explaining that he was referring to events that ran late and involved street closures and alcohol sales. Those 25 events stretched over 35 nights. Twenty-two of them occurred during the height of the tourist season, Lough noted.
“We’ve seen multiple block parties on the same night,” he told the commissioners; “back-to-back events.”
For example, Lough continued, during Halloween week, four events occurred in eight days, “including two on the same day.”
On New Year’s Eve, he added, seven nights of disruption were created by just two events.
On the weekend of Cinco de Mayo, Lough noted, three events were held over six nights. One of them, which took place at the intersection of Palm Avenue and Main Street, ended at midnight, but the “teardown” followed, he said. “The next set-up began six hours later. Same block; same residents; no break.”
Lough told the commissioners that DSCA representatives had “documented teardown noise, trucks’ backup alarms, hammers breaking up staging as late as 2 a.m., 4 a.m. and even 9 a.m.” on the days after events ended.
Challenges also relate to the city’s Sound Ordinance, he pointed out.
DSCA recommended the capping of the number of block parties and implementing limits on their duration, he added.
“Require early event ending, eliminate nonprofit loopholes and strengthen oversight and coordination, including the involvement of the City Commission,” Lough said.
More details of the proposed amendments
Among provisions in the proposed ordinance are some that respond to issues that Lough raised.
For example, the draft ordinance says that on Main Street, between Orange and Gulfstream avenues, the Office of Special Events “shall not issue more than one (1) special event permit per month.”
Within the Downtown Core zoning district, for the section of Central Avenue between First Street and Pineapple Avenue, the following nine restrictions would apply to any special event permit that “includes a sound permit and approval for the sale, consumption, or possession of alcoholic beverages …”
Other restrictions for specific areas follow that section:
Further, the City Commission would have to approve a permit for any special event that would occur in a public park or on other city-owned property, “excluding a city maintained right-of-way,” that would last more than 96 hours, including set-up and breakdown. That would apply to both one-time and recurring events, the section says.
Moreover, the application for a permit for a special event that would last more than 96 hours would have to be submitted to the Office of the City Auditor and Clerk “at least five (5) months in advance of the event date.” The City Commission then would be required to hold its public hearing on the permit at least 90 days prior to the event.
The backup materials for the agenda item may be found at this link.