cover
TO: Mayor Irvin and City Council
FROM: Mike Nelson
Director of Special Events
DATE: February 14, 2024
SUBJECT:
Special Event Application Fees
PURPOSE:
To establish the application fees for special event permits.
Consideration by the Committee of the Whole as "New Business" is proper under Sec. 2-122 (c)(3) [subject matter involves the jurisdiction of two committees (Finance and RAP)] and (c)(4) [consideration is urgent due to passage of revisions of special events ordinance/approaching special events season].
BACKGROUND:
In 2018, the City Council created Chapter 41.5 of the Code of Ordinances which established the modern framework for how the City manages the permitting of special events. Chapter 41.5 provided that the City Council shall determine the amount of the special event application fees by resolution. The last time the Council addressed these fees was in 2019.
On February 13, 2024, the City Council adopted Ordinance O24-013 which made significant changes to the application review processes. Among the changes adopted by the City Council, which the Law Department concluded was necessary given established First Amendment precedent in the Seventh Circuit was a significant shortening of the application period and review time that the Division of Special Events, and other departments have, to process applications. Now, an applicant may apply to host a complex Tier 1 event as little as thirty (30) days in advance of the proposed date and the City must ordinarily grant or deny the application (if it is complete) within ten (10) business days of application. The Ordinance does, however, permit the City and the applicant to negotiate more generous time periods for review and expressly contemplates the City offering discounted rates for applicants who submit their application sooner rather than later.
Though we believe that it is unlikely that a serious event organizer would wait until the last minute to apply for a permit to host a complex special...
Click here for full text