Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council
Regular Meeting of November 3, 2022
Title
FORMAL ADOPTION OF THE SPECIAL EVENT
LONG-TERM AGREEMENT PROGRAM
(Community Resources Manager Lisa Nichols)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends City Council approve the Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Advisory Commission’s recommendation to formally adopt the Special Event Long-term Agreement Program.
Body
Executive Summary:
The Community Resources Department is tasked with overseeing special event requests and permits on public property. The Special Events Policy Guide (Attachment 1) serves as a comprehensive document for event producers with information on the review and approval process, applicable fees, policies, and Hermosa Beach Municipal Code chapters and sections pertaining to special events. At its January 14, 2020 meeting, City Council approved the implementation of the Long-term Agreement Policy for three-years as a pilot program, requiring the Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Advisory Commission (Commission) to review and provide an update on the effectiveness of the program following two years of implementation, which would have been the latter part of 2021.
Following the implementation of the program with the 2020 calendar year, several events were cancelled due to COVID-19 precautionary measures. At its August 4, 2020 meeting, Commission recommended to City Council the extension of the pilot program by one year, ending in 2023, which would result in Commission’s review to take place in the latter part of 2022. At its October 27, 2020 meeting, City Council approved the extension. At its September 6, 2022 meeting, the Commission reviewed the Long-term Agreement Pilot Program and recommended City Council formally adopt the program.
Background:
At its October 1, 2019 meeting, the Commission recommended the Special Event Fee Waiver Grant Policy for approval by City Council. City Council approved the policy at its October 10, 2019 meeting. City Council adoption of the Special Event Fee Waiver Grant Policy resulted in several events that had previously been awarded fee waivers to no longer be eligible under the new requirements. As a result, City Council directed staff and the Special Events Subcommittee (Subcommittee) of the Commission to expedite the creation of a Long-term Agreement Policy, to serve as another opportunity for event fees to be subsidized with a decrease or elimination of the fees through a negotiation process between the City and event representatives.
At its November 4, 2019 and December 3, 2019 meetings, the Commission reviewed drafts of the Long-term Agreement Policy and provided input. At its January 14, 2020 meeting, City Council was presented the final draft of the policy, which incorporated input from the Commission. City Council approved the final draft and the implementation of the Long-term Agreement Policy as a pilot program for three-years commencing with the 2020 calendar year, requiring the Commission to review and provide an update on the effectiveness of the program following two years of implementation, which would have been the latter part of 2021.The following actions were also included in City Council’s motion:
• Include Pets in the Park and Pumpkins in the Park as part of the Long-term Agreement process; and
• Allow Long-term Agreements for the following events to be handled administratively by staff:
o Spyder Surf Fest
o Hearts of Hermosa
o AVP-Hermosa Beach Open
Following the implementation of the program with the 2020 calendar year, several events were cancelled due to COVID-19 precautionary measures. At its August 4, 2020 meeting, Commission recommended to City Council the extension of the pilot program by one year, ending in 2023, which would result in Commission’s review to take place in the latter part of 2022. At its October 27, 2020 meeting, City Council approved the extension.
At its September 6, 2022 meeting, Commission reviewed the Long-term Agreement Pilot Program and recommended City Council formally adopt the program.
Past Commission and City Council Actions
Discussion:
Staff began accepting Long-term Agreement applications for special events that meet the eligibility requirements on September 17, 2020. The Special Events Policy Guide outlines the Long-term Agreement Policy, which requires event producers to submit a letter addressing how the organization or event meets the eligibility requirements in addition to the Long-term Agreement Application. Following staff’s review of each application, the Commission reviews and provides a recommendation to City Council on whether or not the City should enter into a Long-term Agreement with the event representative. If Commission recommends proceeding, and City Council affirms the recommendation, staff begins negotiations with the event representative and returns to City Council for formal adoption of the final agreement.
Since the implementation of the Long-term Agreement Pilot Program, the City has entered into 10 Long-term Agreements. Attachment 9 provides a table of current Long-term Agreements including: the event representative; event; the term of the agreement; fees payable to the City; and the estimated total of fees waived annually for each agreement.
In addition to the Long-term Agreement Policy providing an opportunity for event fees to be subsidized with a decrease or elimination through a negotiation process between the City and event representatives, the policy allows longstanding community events to solidify its event dates for up to three years. The policy eliminates the need to submit a Special Event Application each year and participate in the annual review and approval process by Commission and, if required, the City Council. This allows consistency, eliminates date conflicts, and assists with the creation of the Special Event Calendar each year.
The Commission does not recommend any updates or modifications to the Long-term Agreement Policy.
General Plan Consistency:
This report and associated recommendation have been evaluated for their consistency with the City’s General Plan. Relevant Policies are listed below:
Governance Element
Goal 1. A high degree of transparency and integrity in the decision-making process.
Policy:
• 1.6 Long-term considerations. Prioritize decisions that provide Long-term community benefit and discourage decisions that provide short-term community benefit but reduce Long-term opportunities.
Parks and Open Space Element
Goal 3. Community parks and facilities encourage social activity and interaction.
Policies:
• 3.1 Community-friendly events. Encourage, permit, and support community group, nonprofit, or business organized events on City property that support physical activity, beach culture, and family-friendly social interactions.
• 3.2 Social and cultural events. Design and program parks and open space to accommodate unique social and cultural events to foster connectedness and interaction.
• 3.3 Commercial use of facilities. Regulate and enforce commercial use of City parks and open spaces to ensure activities do not impact general use and enjoyment.
Goal 8. Special events at the beach are balanced to support community recreation and economic development without restricting coastal access or impacting the community.
Policies:
• 8.3 Community-focused events. Prioritize the approval of special events that enhance the sense of community, improve economic vitality, and foster a healthy environment and active lifestyles.
• 8.4 Family-focused events. Prioritize events that appeal to a wide segment of community members.
Fiscal Impact:
The estimated annual event revenue would be approximately $23,179 from the current Long-term Agreements. The estimated annual total of subsidies through fee waivers would be approximately $72,794 from the current Long-term Agreements.
Attachments:
1. Special Events Policy Guide
2. Link to October 1, 2019 Commission Staff Report
3. Link to October 10, 2019 City Council Staff Report
4. Link to November 4, 2019 Commission Staff Report
5. Link to December 3, 2019 Commission Staff Report
6. Link to January 14, 2020 City Council Staff Report
7. Link to August 4, 2020 Commission Staff Report
8. Link to October 27, 2020 City Council Staff Report
9. Table of Current Long-term Agreements
Respectfully Submitted by: Lisa Nichols, Community Resources Manager
Noted for Fiscal Impact: Viki Copeland, Finance Director
Legal Review: Mike Jenkins, City Attorney
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager