Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council
Regular Meeting of March 28, 2023
Title
APPROVAL OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF SPECIAL EVENT LONG-TERM AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS
(Community Resources Manager Lisa Nichols)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends City Council approve the commencement of long-term agreement negotiations with the following organizations for the following special events:
• Mychal’s Learning Place for the California Great Santa Stroll;
• Great Autos of Yesteryear for the Classic Car Show;
• The Jewish Community Center for the Community Chanukah Celebration;
• Fine Arts Group of Hermosa Beach for the Fine Arts Festival;
• Hermosa Beach Education Foundation for the Hearts of Hermosa;
• International Surf Festival;
• Skechers Foundation for the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk;
• Spyder Surf Shops for Spyder Surf Fest; and
• MESP Inc. for the Hermosa Beach Triathlon.
Body
Executive Summary:
The Community Resources Department is tasked with overseeing special event requests and permits on public property. The Special Events Policy Guide outlines the Long-term Agreement (LTA) Program, which allows organizations that meet the eligibility requirements to apply for an LTA to solidify event dates for up to three years.
At its March 7, 2023 meeting, the Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Commission recommended the commencement of LTA negotiations to City Council with the following organizations for the following special events:
• Mychal’s Learning Place for the California Great Santa Stroll;
• Great Autos of Yesteryear for the Classic Car Show;
• The Jewish Community Center for the Community Chanukah Celebration;
• Fine Arts Group of Hermosa Beach for the Fine Arts Festival;
• Hermosa Beach Education Foundation for the Hearts of Hermosa;
• International Surf Festival;
• Skechers Foundation for the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk;
• Spyder Surf Shops for Spyder Surf Fest; and
• MESP Inc. for the Hermosa Beach Triathlon.
Background:
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. The Special Events Policy Guide outlines the Long-term Agreement (LTA) Program, which allows organizations who meet the eligibility requirements to apply for a LTA to solidify event dates for up to three years and eliminates the need for organizations to submit a Special Event Application each year and participate in the annual review and approval process by the Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Advisory Commission (Commission) and City Council. Additionally, the LTA Program provides an opportunity for event fees to be subsidized with a decrease or elimination through a negotiation process between the City and organization.
Since the implementation of the LTA Program, the City has entered into 10 LTAs. Attachment 2 is a table of the current LTAs including the organization, event, term of the agreement, payable fees to the City, and estimated fees waived annually for each agreement.
The LTA program requires the Commission to review and provide a recommendation to City Council on whether it believes the City should enter into an LTA with an organization for its special event. At its March 7, 2023 meeting, the Commission recommended the commencement of LTA negotiations to City Council with the following organizations for the following special events:
• Mychal’s Learning Place for the California Great Santa Stroll;
• Great Autos of Yesteryear for the Classic Car Show;
• The Jewish Community Center for the Community Chanukah Celebration;
• Fine Arts Group of Hermosa Beach for the Fine Arts Festival;
• Hermosa Beach Education Foundation for the Hearts of Hermosa;
• International Surf Festival;
• Skechers Foundation for the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk;
• Spyder Surf Shops for Spyder Surf Fest; and
• MESP Inc. for the Hermosa Beach Triathlon.
Past Commission Actions
Discussion:
Staff received nine LTA Applications (Attachments 4-12). LTA Applications may be submitted anytime. However, staff requested organizations that currently hold an LTA set to expire in 2023 to submit an LTA application by February 23, 2023. This would allow staff adequate time to negotiate and form a new agreement for the organizations’ events from 2024-2026. Staff is still processing several other LTA applications, which the Commission and City Council would review at a future meeting. In addition to the application, each organization must submit a corresponding letter that addresses how the organization and the event qualify for each of the eligibility requirements.
For an organization to be eligible for consideration of a long-term agreement for its special event, it must meet at least three of the following:
• Its special event(s) must qualify as an Impact Level II or III (per the Impact Characteristics Matrix in the Special Events Policy Guide) and meet at least one of the following:
o Have a combined estimated total of 5,000 people in attendance per day; or
o The special event must be at least two consecutive days, including setup and teardown.
• The special event has been held in Hermosa Beach for at least three consecutive years;
• The special event must be produced by an organization that serves, involves, and/or promotes Hermosa Beach’s coastal lifestyle, its residents, schools, and/or businesses;
• The organization must be able to demonstrate how its programs (outside of those provided at the special event) provide a positive impact to the City including enhancements to quality of life to the Hermosa Beach community; or the offering of recreational, cultural, social, and/or educational activities of interest to the community; or
• The special event can demonstrate:
o A community benefit; or
o A positive economic impact as a result of the special event.
Attachment 13 is a table of the nine LTA requests including the organization, event, a brief description of the event, the requested dates, and whether it is a new LTA request or a renewal LTA request. Attachments 14-16 are the 2024-2026 Special Events Calendars with the requested special event dates. Included as Attachment 17 is the current 2023 Special Events Calendar for informational purposes. Requested dates are not confirmed at this phase of review, but would be part of the negotiation process if City Council approves the commencement of negotiations with each organization. The dates are provided for informational purposes only. If City Council affirms the Commission’s recommendation to proceed with the nine LTA requests, staff would begin negotiations with the organizations and return to City Council for approval of the agreements.
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
• 8.4 Family-focused events. Prioritize events that appeal to a wide segment of community members.
Fiscal Impact:
At this time, the fiscal impact associated with the recommended action is unknown. Special event fees are negotiated as part of each agreement. Therefore, the impacts are not known until negotiations are completed.
Attachments:
1. Special Events Policy Guide
2. Table of Current Long-term Agreements
3. Link to March 7, 2023 Commission Staff Report
1. Mychal’s Learning Place Long-term Agreement Application
4. Great Autos of Yesteryear Long-term Agreement Application
5. Jewish Community Center Long-term Agreement Application
6. Fine Arts Group of Hermosa Beach Long-term Agreement Application
7. Hermosa Beach Education Foundation Long-term Agreement Application
8. International Surf Festival Application Long-term Agreement Application
9. Skechers Foundation Long-term Agreement Application
10. Spyder Surf Shops Long-term Agreement Application
11. MESP Inc. Long-term Agreement Application
12. Table of Long-term Agreement Requests
13. 2024 Special Events Calendar
14. 2025 Special Events Calendar
15. 2026 Special Events Calendar
16. 2023 Special Events Calendar
Respectfully Submitted by: Lisa Nichols, Community Resources Manager
Noted for Fiscal Impact: Viki Copeland, Finance Director
Legal Review: Patrick Donegan, City Attorney
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager