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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-90FEBRUARY 22, 2011 11 -90 RESOLUTION (CARRIED 6 -0 LOST LAID OVER WITHDRAWN ) PURPOSE: APPROVAL OF WAIVER OF FEES FOR EXTRAORDINARY SERVICES FOR SPECIAL EVENT / OSHKOSH SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET/JUNE 4, 2011 THROUGH OCTOBER 22, 2011 every Saturday ($1,700.00) INITIATED BY: CITY ADMINISTRATION NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of the City of Oshkosh that the request for waiver of fees for extraordinary services for Oshkosh Saturday Farmers Market (Kris Larson) from June 4, 2011 through October 22, 2011 (every Saturday) is hereby approved. Cost Estimates for Extraordinary Services Street Department -- Barricades ($1,700.00 preliminary estimate) Kris Larson Downtown Liaison to Oshkosh Saturday Farmer's Market 920.230.3333 February 11, 2011 Pam Ubrig City Clerk City of Oshkosh, WI Dear Pam, I am writing on behalf of the Farmer's Market to request that the fees for barricades be waived for our 2011 season. This market is the only privately run market in the state. The market does not generate any income for its managers (Dennis and Karlene Leatherman). Any profits from the market season are re- invested in the market, or donated to a local non - profit. None of the volunteers are compensated in any way. Our aim in moving the market from Church St. to Main St. is to benefit our downtown, and we believe that the city of Oshkosh receives the greatest benefit from this move. if the city were to manage its own market, the costs would likely be much higher in staffing than the amount requested for providing barricades. Therefore, we feel that the fee for barricades should be waived. Please add this item to the agenda for the 2/22 council meeting, and let me know if you have any further questions. Sincerely, Kris Larson r( tl S 4 E �`�` FEB 14 2011 ry t CITY HALL 215 Church Avenue P.O. Box 1130 Oshkosh. 54903-1130 City of Oshkosh ` MEMORANDUM OIHKQIH Date: February 18, 2011 To: Mayor & City Council From: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager Subject: WAIVER OF SPECIAL EVENT FEES FOR SAWDUST DAYS & FARMERS' MARKET Background Last year, the Common Council passed the Special Events Ordinance, which was proposed, in part, to address concerns that had been raised relative to the cost of special events and whether the costs for special events should be paid by the event organizer, or by the taxpayers, or by both the organizer and the taxpayers. The ordinance states that event organizers are responsible for the costs of extraordinary services to support their event. However, the ordinance does provide a method for event organizers to petition the Council to have the city costs for providing extraordinary services waived. In contemplating these requests, the Council may consider any relevant criteria in a given case, but the ordinance does list the following 10 specific criteria that the Council should consider when reviewing a request to waive extraordinary costs: 1. The Special Event's benefit to the quality of life to the city as a whole; 2. The Special Event's financial benefit to the city as a whole; 3. The Special Event is of interest to a smaller segment of the city's population, which the city seeks to encourage; 4. The tradition of the event in the city; 5. The cultural and/or historical significance of the Special Event; 6. Whether or not the Special Event provides services or functions that are traditionally organized or sponsored by other cities or governments; 7. Whether or not the Special Event organizers are making good faith efforts to minimize adverse effects on the health, safety, and welfare of the community and as a result minimizing the need for city employee involvement; 8. The effect of the Special Events on the neighborhood(s) surrounding the site of the event; 9. The financial burden the Special Event places on the city's taxpayers as a whole; 10. The financial condition of the event organizer(s). co Mayor & City Council February 18, 2011 Page 2 Two event organizers have submitted requests to have the extraordinary costs associated with their events waived. The Saturday Farmer's Market is requesting a waiver of the costs of supplying barricades for their weekly Farmer's Market at their new location in the city's downtown. Sawdust Days is requesting a partial waiver of costs related to their annual Sawdust Days event for police services and barricades. Analysis As noted with previous waiver requests, the city previously had provided barricades and cones upon request of event organizers, when available, without charge. Tighter municipal budgets and the costs associated with supplying these items have resulted in staff typically recommending the denial of similar waiver requests. However, for these two events, I am recommending that the Council approve the waiver requests for the following reasons. The Downtown Farmer's Market is relocating from the City Hall parking lot to the 400 and 500 blocks of Main Street at the request of the city. Church Avenue is scheduled for reconstruction this year and therefore the Market cannot use its traditional space. Barricades were not necessary when the Market used the City Hall parking lot. The Farmer's Market will now have expenses associated with advertising the relocation of the market and has worked cooperatively with the city's BID organization both in the relocation of the market and the advertising. The event is a free community -wide event and will provide an opportunity to showcase the downtown area in particular. Based upon all of these considerations, I am recommending that the Council waive the costs for provision of the barricades for this year. Sawdust Days is the city's traditional 4 th of July Celebration. Sawdust Days itself is a free admission, community -wide, event and includes the 4 th of July parade and fireworks. The Sawdust Days celebration has a long, 40 -year, tradition in the City of Oshkosh. The Sawdust Days organization works with many of the city's non - profit organizations to provide them with the opportunity to raise funds which in turn help support the community as a whole. Over the years, the Sawdust Days organization itself has contributed to park improvements which have, in turn, been used by the city and other users of the park. The Sawdust Days organization is seeking only a partial waiver of the extraordinary expenses associated with their event. Sawdust Days has reimbursed the city in the past for extraordinary costs related to parks department employees who assist in the set -up and tear -down of their event and for utility costs associated with their event. The organization is not seeking a waiver for those costs this year. Mayor & City Council February 18, 2011 Page 3 The only costs that the Sawdust Days organization has requested a waiver for are the costs for the extraordinary costs of the Police Department and the Street Department. These costs consist of overtime police officers and costs for the provision of barricades by the street department. The Police Department has worked with the event to use on -duty officers whenever possible and to minimize the costs for officers on overtime. The city had previously provided barricades at no cost to Sawdust Days, or any other event organizers. Because the Sawdust Days celebration is the traditional 4 th of July celebration, which includes a parade and fireworks show at no cost to the citizens of Oshkosh; and because of the long- standing cooperative effort between the Sawdust Days event organizers and the city; and the organization's efforts to provide improvements to the city's parks facilities, I am recommending that the Council waive the fees for extraordinary services related to the provision of police services and barricades for the Sawdust Days celebration. MAR /jdc