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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-14-028 - Guidelines for New Large Scale Outdoor EventsStaff Report K jTCH N,r, CA0 Office www.kitchener ca REPORT TO: Council DATE OF MEETING: June 16, 2014 SUBMITTED BY: Rod Regier, Executive Director of Economic Development 519- 741 -2200, Ext. 7506 PREPARED BY: Jeff Young, Manager, Special Events, 519 - 741 -2200, Ext. 7388 WARD (S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: May 29, 2014 REPORT NO.: CAO -14 -028 SUBJECT: Guidelines For New Large Scale Outdoor Events at City Owned Facilities RECOMMENDATION: For discussion. BACKGROUND: The City of Kitchener through KEDS 2011 -14 has the objective of supporting urban vitality by facilitating the development of special events throughout the annual calendar, and increasingly, in venues across the city. In 2013, more than 100 City of Kitchener sponsored events took place hosting approximately 500,000 attendees. The primary location for special events is downtown Kitchener. But as the downtown calendar fills up, and reaches its capacity, additional locations are being sought both on private land and public land across the city. The Big Music Festival is an example of a large new event that is being introduced into a new location — McLennan Park. The scale of the event and the fact that it is testing the viability of a new venue created some anxiety in the community. A public meeting was held to inform the community about the event and measures taken to mitigate potential adverse impacts and obtain community feedback. A council resolution on March 31, 2014 noted that "consideration of the following motion be deferred to the June 9, 2014 Community and Infrastructure Services Committee meeting to allow time for staff to investigate and provide further information on the development of guidelines for large scale events at City - owned outdoor facilities: `WHEREAS the Special Events section of Economic Development works to attract and facilitate events to the City of Kitchener; and, WHEREAS numerous City recreational parks and facilities may be leased for various types of events; and, WHEREAS large events attracting high attendance of economic benefit to the community but may also be disruptive to surrounding neighbourhoods; and, 1 WHEREAS the City of Kitchener and its residents place high priority on their quality of life, requiring consideration be given to resident concerns; and, WHEREAS in planning of the Big Music Festival, neighbourhood consultation was not a required process resulting in numerous concerns being expressed by area resident; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that staff develop guidelines for large scale community events which may take place at City -owned outdoor facilities; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a public information session be required for informing residents when new events are being introduced into a neighbourhood, outlining only the general nature of the event, expected impact and projected attendance; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that there also be a mechanism to address any concerns both during and after such new event; and, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that unless there are changes affecting the time length, location or noise level, the public information session shall not be required if the City park or facility has previously been used for a similar event." REPORT: The City of Kitchener facilitates numerous large -scale events, primarily in downtown Kitchener. Most of those events have evolved organically over numerous seasons. That process has allowed them to react to and mitigate logistic, health and safety, traffic, sanitation and noise concerns as they evolved. Relationships between event organizers, the City of Kitchener and the local community also evolve through that annual cycle. A well - established protocol for addressing these issues generally minimizes the impact of annual events. The City of Kitchener Special Events, Traffic, Enforcement, and Fire as well as Waterloo Region Police, Public Health and Grand River Transit as well as other partners collaborate to ensure adequate measures are in place to address adverse incidents. Special Events staff work with event organizers to make sure they have the core competencies to manage the events they are planning and have the community relationships necessary to address issues that are of concern to residents in the immediate area. However, new large -scale events, especially those that come fully formed and managed by a professional production company, represent a challenge for the City and the local community when they emerge at new venues. New events at new venues require that a comprehensive planning process be used to identify and address potential issues systematically. They also require an approach to community relations that recognizes the potential impact a large event can have on a local community, even if the venue is a city -wide resource such as McLennan Park. In this case, a set of guidelines to support the event planning and community relations process would be helpful. They would give certainty to event developers and staff as to the process required to successfully implement the event; and they would assure Council and the local community that both The City of Kitchener's and the local community's interests were being considered in the process. 1.b. -2 The proposed guidelines included in Appendix A are recommended to support the development of new events in untested outdoor venues across The City of Kitchener. These guidelines are intended for events with an estimated daily attendance of greater than 10,000. Currently, there are a limited number of events held in the City of Kitchener at this scale; Blues Festival, Ribfest, Multicultural Festival and Cruising on King. Proposals for new large -scale outdoor events, such as the Big Music Fest, are expected to continue to be rare and infrequent opportunities for the City of Kitchener. With few exceptions, the recommended guidelines reflect existing practice for Special Events staff. Formalizing the guidelines into a Council approved document presents an opportunity for Council to discuss and confirm several key elements before the guidelines are finalized for approval, expected on June 30, 2014. Proposed Discussion Points: Cost Estimates for City Services: It has been the City's practice to provide cost estimates in advance to the event organizer for all city services that will be required to support the event based on the event plan and historical experience for similar events. Following the event, actual costs are billed back to the event organizer. In some circumstances, actual costs are substantially higher than the estimates that were provided, having a dramatic impact on the net bottom line for the event. Some cities put a cap on the variance between the actual costs of city services and the estimates that are provided to the event organizer to minimize the unexpected impact these variances can have on the financial performance of the event. Consultation with the Public: The proposed guidelines for large -scale outdoor events make a clear commitment to inform the public early in the process, consult with them on issues that will need to be addressed, and respond promptly to complaints and issues that are raised during the event. These provisions should support the development of trust and confidence within the community that their concerns are taken seriously and issues will be managed responsibly to minimize the negative impact of such events on the community. It will be important to keep in mind that requirements for community consultation can create delays and additional uncertainty in the process for an event organizer that may have an influence on their choice of location for a large event. The market for large -scale events is very competitive, and the introduction of excessive requirements for public consultation or tight restrictions on the event operation is expected to result in fewer events in Kitchener in future years. Public Information Sessions for Established Events: In accordance with Council direction for the preparation of the attached guideline, provisions have been included such that a public information session will not be required if the park or city facility has previously been used for a similar event unless there are substantial changes affecting the planned duration, location or noise level of the event. It is unclear if it was the intention of Council for this requirement to apply to events that have already been established, such as the Kitchener Blues Festival or Ribfest. Introducing the requirement to have a public information session for these events could reduce the opportunity for them to grow and change over time. Consulting with the public on potential issues or concerns and how to address them will potentially have a different outcome than consulting with the public for approval of any proposed changes. It will be 1.b. -3 important to provide clear direction on the application of this provision to established events and the decisions the public is being consulted on within the guidelines for established events. With Council feedback on the recommended guidelines for large scale outdoor events at city - owned facilities, the guidelines will be revised as required and brought back to Council as early as June 30th for approval, depending on the nature of any revisions that may be required. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The recommended Guidelines for Large Scale Events in City -Owned Facilities align with the following areas of the City's Strategic Plan: Quality of Life — Nurture a sense of pride and community, a focus on vitality; Leadership and Community Engagement — promote informed decisions that last, make it easy to get involved; Development — creative people live in creative communities. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None at this time. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The recommended guidelines for large scale outdoor events at city -owned facilities provides clear direction for the community to be informed of any new large -scale events being introduced into a neighbourhood for the first time at least 90 days before the first planned event day. At this information session, the members of the community will be consulted on any new or additional issues that need to be considered through the event planning process. Stakeholder representatives from the community will be invited to meet with the event organizer and City staff to review and comment on the outreach and event notification specifics. A minimum of four weeks prior to the first event day, organizers are required to notify, by written or electronic communication, the use of the impacted event site(s) within a 300 ft. radius from the City's property line as well as to those who will be "land locked ". ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer, CAO Appendices: Appendix A: Guidelines for Large -Scale Outdoor Events at City -Owned Facilities 1.b. -4 Guidelines for Large Scale Outdoor Events at City -owned Facilities Economic Development has the mandate to attract, develop and promote a year -round calendar of dynamic and innovative events and festivals throughout the City of Kitchener. Large scale outdoor events create unique entertainment opportunities and experiences that enhance the vitality of urban life, the tourism economy and Kitchener's identity as a dynamic city. PART A — Event Planning Guidelines Proposals for large -scale outdoor events at City owned facilities will be considered for approval if they meet the following guidelines: • The event must contribute to the cultural enrichment, economic enhancement and /or promotion of the City. • The event must not severely disrupt normal business, residential and traffic patterns. Plans must be developed that mitigate public inconvenience to the greatest extent possible. • The proposed site must be suitable for the event, with consideration given to adequate space, traffic flow, parking, power, health and safety requirements, environmental requirements, and impact on the site. • The direct costs of hosting the event will be the responsibility of the operator and will be clearly defined in the event contract. • The sale and service of alcohol at outdoor events in the City will be by permit only issued through the AGCO with the consent of City staff and Waterloo Regional Police. • The organizer must be in good financial standing from all previously conducted events. • The organizer must provide an acceptable level of insurance to be determined by the City. Proposal, Description & Site Diagram The event organizer is expected to submit a written description of the event theme, purpose, schedule of activities, entertainment, food, beverages (including alcohol), clean -up plan, trash and recycling plan, sound and electrical, security, advertising, insurance, first aid and other information. The description should indicate all City services required to support the event. An event site diagram and /or route map should be included in the proposal, indicating the layout of all equipment (booths, stages, portable toilets, fencing, etc.); all street closures (including number of lanes to be closed) and parking tow zones; the direction of travel of any race, run or walk; and all other proposed event activities. When a proposal is received to introduce a new large scale outdoor event into a neighbourhood for the first time, with a projected daily attendance greater than 10,000, the Manager of Special Events and a Special Events Team of multi - departmental staff will assess the site and the surrounding neighbourhoods to identify the potential risks and impacts of the event on local residents, participants and city property to ensure that the site is suitable for the proposed event before a decision is made to move forward with the proposal. Council will be notified of the general nature of the event, projected daily attendance, potential impact in the neighbourhood when a decision has been made to move forward with the proposal, before the first pre -event meeting to be held with the event organizer. 1.b. -5 Guidelines for Large Scale Outdoor Events at City -owned Facilities The Special Events Team will include representation from the following areas: Traffic, By -law enforcement, Operations, Parks, Facilities Management, Legal, Risk Management, Accessibility, Fire and Corporate Communications & Marketing. Waterloo Region Police, Region of Waterloo, Public Health and Grand River Transit may be consulted as well as other partners, depending on the site and the nature of the event. The Special Events Manager will assign an Event Coordinator to coordinate the Special Events Team and facilitate implementation of the event strategy. Pre -Event Meeting After the City of Kitchener receives a proposal for a large scale outdoor event, the Manager of Special Events will schedule a pre -event meeting to be held approximately 6 months before the event date, to be attended by the organizer and the Special Events Team, and other governmental agencies if applicable. At this meeting, the organizer will present the proposed event plan and the City will finalize an event plan that will meet public health and safety standards, provide for delivery of City services and address concerns of the community. The necessary number of portable toilets, waste containers, medical personnel, security personnel, etc., will be jointly determined and the organizer will be informed of all required permits and insurance. Post -event meetings will also be held for all larger events that are introduced into a new neighbourhood for the first time to evaluate the success of the event plan and viability of the event at the proposed location moving forward. Cost - estimates for City Services City departments may provide the following event support services at full cost recovery: • Street sweeping, litter pickup, trash City -owned stage setup removal • Barricade, cone, fence • Parking sign install /removal delivery /installation /removal • Fire inspection (food booths, tents, floats, fireworks) • Electrical power hook -up • Street banner installation and removal • Park support (litter pickup, trash recycling, removal and site management) • Event equipment (tables, tents, chairs, cable mats, etc. Private vendors hired by the Organizer may provide some of these services. At the pre - event meeting, the Manager of Special Events will determine which services must be provided by City staff. Based on the event plan developed in advance by the organizer and presented and discussed at the pre -event meeting, the Special Events Coordinator will provide cost estimates to the event organizer. If City staff finds it necessary to change the event plan after the pre -event meeting, resulting in more (or fewer) City services being required, the Special Events Coordinator will advise the organizer of the revised cost estimates. If the organizer changes the event plan after the pre -event meeting, resulting in more (or fewer) City services being required, it is the organizer's responsibility to inform Special Events immediately so that revised cost estimates can be provided, if time allows. Actual cost of City services will be billed to the event organizer following the event. 2 1.b. -6 Guidelines for Large Scale Outdoor Events at City -owned Facilities City of Kitchener Requirements An agreement between the City of Kitchener and the event organizer will be prepared to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor that will address all City conditions and requirements, including but not limited to the following: 1. Noise & Sound Amplification The City of Kitchener Noise Bylaw regulates the levels of sound within Kitchener. The by -law allows organizers of events to apply for a temporary exemption for the duration of the event to request sound levels that would otherwise violate this bylaw. To support the Noise Bylaw, Organizers may be required to implement specific sound management procedures to reduce sound spill over into the surrounding communities. These may include the positioning of stages and sound equipment. Complaints from neighbours of the park will be taken into consideration when reviewing any requests for booking park sites for future events. 2. Public Safety and Emergency Procedures Public health and safety is a priority for the City of Kitchener and is a joint responsibility of the event organizer and the City. Significant details regarding site layout, production schedules, support services, emergency communication plans and volunteer training may be requested before final event approval to ensure public safety issues have been addressed. The City may review these measures during the set -up, operation, take down and clean -up of an event. Effective communication between the City and the event organizer before the event should address most issues. The event organizer will create a detailed Public Safety Plan for the proposed event. The final Public Safety Plan should be submitted to the City for review and approval and will include emergency vehicle access and egress or escape routes for the outdoor special event space, the location and access points for fire hydrants and other safety devices, emergency procedures and communication systems. 3. Crowd Control The organizer will develop an event security plan in cooperation with the Waterloo Region Police. The plan should incorporate the organizer's on -site private security plan for final approval by Waterloo Regional Police. 4. Street Closures Any closure of public streets will be managed by submitting an application to the City of Kitchener Transportation Services Division. Traffic staff will review the planned route with Special Events staff along with Waterloo Region Police, GRT and the Region of Waterloo if necessary. Based on the proposed road closure, Waterloo Region Police will determine the number and location of officers required on site to ensure public safety. 5. Parking The event organizer may be required to submit a written description of measures taken to reduce the impact of traffic and parking in the communities surrounding the outdoor venue before the event is approved. The Special Events Team and Grand River Transit can provide support for event organizers in the development of these measures. In addition to following posted parking restrictions on adjoining streets, vehicles are not to be parked on park turf. All vehicles that are parked illegally are subject to ticketing and towing. Permission to park vehicles on the park turf may be requested and considered in special circumstances. 1.b. -7 Guidelines for Large Scale Outdoor Events at City -owned Facilities 6. Clean -up The organizer will submit an event cleanup plan to City of Kitchener staff for review and approval. The plan must indicate: 1) sufficient staff to handle cleanup throughout the day and after the event; and 2) sufficient equipment placed in effective locations (dumpsters, trash receptacles, gray water containers, hot coal barrels and grease barrels). A post - event walkthrough will be scheduled and conducted with Special Events to assess cleanup efforts and condition of the site. The need for additional cleanup and any damages will be determined at this time at the expense of the organizer. 7. Licenses, Permits & Inspections After the organizers receive permission to proceed with all activities, it is the responsibility of the organizer to obtain and arrange all licenses, permits and inspections in the timeline set forth by the applicable office issuing the permit/inspection that may apply to the event, and to comply with all relevant laws and regulations. 8. Fees and Charges Commercial operators will be charged a fee for the use of city property in an amount to be determined as fair market value, in compliance with Section 106 of the Municipal Act. City departments may provide various services in support of the event on a full cost recovery basis. A deposit or letter of credit may be required by the City in advance of the event to cover clean -up costs and other possible defaults, as appropriate. PART B - Community Outreach Guidelines An important part of planning a large outdoor special event is community outreach. Adequate advance notification to the local community members and businesses affected by the event will ensure the activity is welcomed in the community and will prevent post event work. With these goals, the City of Kitchener has established the following outreach requirements: Council Notification When a decision is made to move forward with a proposal for a new large scale outdoor event at a city -owned facility, as discussed in Part A — Event Planning Guidelines, Council will be notified of the proposed location, the general nature of the event, projected attendance and potential impacts on the community. Specific details of the event may be required to be kept confidential until particular contractual arrangements are confirmed with the event organizer. Community Event Notifications Meeting —As determined by Special Events Staff and the ward councillor, stakeholder representatives from the community will be invited to meet with the event organizer and City staff. During this meeting, the event organizer will be asked to describe the outreach and event notification specifics. For those events that will be held in Downtown Kitchener, representatives from both the neighbourhood and business associations will be invited to attend. At least 90 days prior to the first event day —The City of Kitchener, along with the event organizer, will hold a public information session for all large scale outdoor events with an expected daily attendance greater than 10,000 to be held at a city -owned facility for the first time. The public information session will outline the general nature of the event, projected 0 1.b. -8 Guidelines for Large Scale Outdoor Events at City -owned Facilities attendance, expected impact and an overview of the plans that can be communicated at that time, measures planned to mitigate adverse effects, and identify new or additional issues that need to be considered in the event planning process. The public information session will not be required if the park or city facility has previously been used for a similar event unless, at the discretion of the Ward Councillor, there are substantial changes affecting the planned duration, location or noise level of the event. Six Weeks Prior to the first event day — The organizer will be required to submit to the Special Events Coordinator a sample of the outreach, and advance communication to members of Council and Neighborhood Associations, working with the Special Events Coordinator to obtain the correct outreach contact for neighbourhood and business associations within the individual wards. Special Events will work with the organizer to distribute the communication to the neighborhood and businesses. It is required that organizers work with local community newspapers, e- newsletters, as well as Neighborhood Associations, and Business District websites to publicize the event(s). A minimum of four weeks prior to the first event day, organizers are required to notify, by written or electronic communication, the use of the impacted event site(s) within a 300 ft. radius from the City's property line as well as to those who will be "land locked ": • Adjacent businesses • Residents • Churches /Schools in the immediate area • Event staging area • Along the Event location /footprint/route • Neighbourhood and Business Associations • Ward Councillors Event Notification must include the following information: 1. Name of the organization, or organization(s) sponsoring this event; 2. Informational contact for the public: contact name for day of the event, as well as pre and post event, website, phone and email contact(s); 3. Name of the event; 4. Dates, times of the date(s) of actual use; 5. Theme /purpose of the event; 6. Location(s) of the event including Closed Street(s), Name of Park, Trail, Name of Street(s) for festival location, Name of Facility /venue being used; and 7. Route or map of the event (include footprint of the event and written instructions to impacted residences /businesses on how they should find alternate routes to get to their destination (include any street closures, traffic impacts and any re- routing information). Responding to Concerns During & After an Event Event Notification will provide residents in the impacted area with phone, email and website contact information for the day of the event and after the event, to identify concerns or complaints. Depending on the nature of the complaint received, the Special Events 1.b. -9 Guidelines for Large Scale Outdoor Events at City -owned Facilities Coordinator, Security, By -law Enforcement or Police may be contacted to respond to the complaint. Post -Event Meeting Following a new event, Special Events staff and representatives from other City departments will meet to review any issues or complaints that have been filed during the course of the event. A post -event meeting will be held with the organizer to review the overall event, address any complaints /issues arising from the event, and discuss the viability of the event for future years. For annual or reoccurring events, the event organizer will be required to provide plans around addressing the concerns raised to minimize any negative impact on the residents for the following year. Members of the community located within 300 ft. radius from the City's property line, as well as to those who will be "land locked ", will be notified of those plans. For all large -scale outdoor events that are introduced into a neighbourhood for the first time, the Manager of Special Events will prepare a report for City Council that provides an evaluation of the event against the above guidelines. Application of these Guidelines The above noted guidelines apply to all large -scale outdoor events with a projected daily attendance of more than 10,000, to take place at outdoor city -owned facilities with the exception of the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium (The Aud). These guidelines do not apply to agencies, boards, or commissions of the City of Kitchener. 1.b. - 10