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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCUL 070 Community Festivals and Events PolicyPolicy Procedure Title: Community Festivals and Events Policy Policy Number CUL 070 Reference Access to Recreation Policy CUL120 Res. 387/18 Date Originated (m/d/y) December 6, 2017 Date Revised (m/d/y) January 30, 2018 May 1, 2023 September 25, 2023 Pages 10 Approval: Chief Administrative Officer Point of Contact Supervisor, Cultural Services Policy Objective The purpose of this document is to outline the criteria and process by which permit requests for private and/or public events in City parks and facilities are considered and approved. Community Events are key in developing community identity and pride and enhancing cultural experiences within a community. The objectives of this policy are: •To establish clear and consistent methods for individuals/organizations to request space in City parks for private and/or public events; •To ensure that individuals/organizations interested in hosting an event in City parks are aware of processes, requirements and available resources; •To define the City’s role in the support of Community Events; •To identify event categories and the allocation of resources; •To outline the financial implications so that events and fees can be planned/considered accordingly; •To enhance communication between applicants and the City of Pickering; and •To ensure Festival and Event Permit Conditions and Regulations are followed during events in City parks and facilities including applicable City policies, by-laws, health and safety requirements, rental contract agreements and provincial regulations. Index 01 Purpose 02 Scope 03 Application Res. 267/23 Policy Title: Community Festivals and Events Policy Page 2 of 10 Policy Number: CUL 070 04 Definitions 05 Delegation of Authority 06 Community Festivals and Events Approvals and Restrictions 07 Administrative Requirements 01 Purpose The City of Pickering recognizes that community led public events significantly contribute to the community’s sense of place and are an important form of public celebration. Community Events are an integral part of creating a vibrant and diverse City. This policy provides a framework to support community led public events in parks and public open spaces, and establishes objectives to ensure that events are compatible with the City’s vision for a vibrant and sustainable community. 02 Scope The Community Festivals and Events Policy is designed to: •Establish the process for supporting, and/or administering events held within City parks, utilizing Municipal facilities; •Provide guidelines for fair, equitable, transparent and consistent decision making and access; •Establish uniform criteria and procedures for the use of parks for special events; •Promote a diverse range of organized activities; and •Ensure that the City’s parks and facilities are used for the benefit of the entire community. To ensure that events are compatible with the City’s vision for a vibrant, sustainable community, the City supports and manages events in order to meet the following objectives: •Balance the needs of event participants, parks users and neighbours; •Ensure that events are compatible with event venues; •Ensure the protection of the natural environment; •Promote a diverse range of activities and opportunities; and, •Encourage participation and inclusion of all members of the community. 03 Application This Policy applies to the operation of Community Festivals and Events in Pickering. Policy Title: Community Festivals and Events Policy Page 3 of 10 Policy Number: CUL 070 04 Definitions 04.01 City-led Events are facilitated by the City of Pickering staff and can take place on municipally owned property (facility, park, or permitted space), or road within Pickering. The Director, Community Services will approve City-led events, 04.02 Community Events occur on City of Pickering property, are open to the public, have an estimated attendance of 20 - 999 guests per day and include one or more of the following criteria: alcohol sales, staking, generators, industrial cooking, raffles, amplified sound, carnival or fair, food vendors and may include use of a Signature Park. Community Event organizers are required to submit a Community Festivals and Events Application to the City. Event operation is subject to approval of the Community Events Committee. Community Event requests for Esplanade Park are approved by Council, however the CAO, or their designate, may approve Events in Esplanade Park during summer recess and/or in extenuating or emergency circumstances where time does not allow for Council approval within the normal Council/Committee meeting cycle. 04.03 Community Events Committee is responsible for the approval of Community Festivals and Events and the development of community event guidelines. The Committee is comprised of City staff representatives from Traffic, By-law, Finance, Community Services, Planning, and Fire Services. The team meets monthly to consider event requests, and upcoming events. 04.04 Community Festivals occur on City of Pickering property, are open to the public, have an estimated attendance of 1,000 to 4,999 attendees per day, and include one or more of the following criteria: alcohol sales, staking, generators, electrical hook ups, industrial cooking, road closures, raffles, amplified sound, carnival or fair, food vendors and may include use of a Signature Park. Community Festival organizers are required to submit a Community Festivals and Events Application to the City. Event operation is subject to approval of the Community Events Committee, and the Director, Community Services. Community Festival requests for Esplanade Park are approved by Council, however the CAO, or their designate, may approve Festivals in Esplanade Park during summer recess and/or in extenuating or emergency circumstances where time does not allow for Council approval within the normal Council/Committee meeting cycle. 04.05 Filming Event is filming, videotaping, photography, or any other form of visual recording, except in a film studio or film laboratory, for a feature film; television film, program or series; documentary; paid advertisement, including a commercial, music video, educational film, be it pre-production and post- production activities associated therewith, but does not include; news media activities in the dissemination of information; press conferences; location scouting; or recording personal movies or photographs or visual recordings for personal purposes only. Policy Title: Community Festivals and Events Policy Page 4 of 10 Policy Number: CUL 070 04.06 Independent Events occur entirely on private property within Pickering. Organizers of Independent Events are required to follow all applicable City by- laws and gather applicable licenses, permits and insurances. Independent Events are not required to submit a Community Festivals and Events Application to the City. 04.07 Non-commercial Photography is the professional or amateur collection of images through photography for personal use, where the images will not be distributed or made available for sale/profit. Non-commercial Photography can be booked directly with Facility Bookings. 04.08 Partner Events occur on City of Pickering property, are open to the public with estimated attendance of 5,000 guests or more per day. A Partner Event has one or more of the following criteria: takes place in Esplanade Park, includes fireworks, is a parade. Partner Event organizers are required to submit a Community Festivals and Events Application to the City. Event operation is subject to approval of the Community Events Committee, the Director of Community Services and CAO. Partner Event requests for Esplanade Park are approved by Council, however the CAO, or their designate, may approve Partner Events in Esplanade Park during summer recess and/or in extenuating or emergency circumstances where time does not allow for Council approval within the normal Council/Committee meeting cycle 04.09 Private Events occur on public property in the City of Pickering, and have a private guest list of under 1,000 guests. Organizers of Private Events are required to follow all City By-laws and gather applicable licenses, permits and insurances. A Community Festivals and Events Application is not required to be submitted to the City for Private Events. 04.10 Road Races/Bike Rides event categories encompass runs, walks or biking races on trails or roads that may include road closures and traffic disruptions. Event attendance and permit requirements will determine the event scale and application timelines. 04.11 Signature Parks are parks located within the City of Pickering that have a special set of approval and booking criteria set out in Procedure CUL 070-001, due to their profile and location. Signature Parks are Esplanade Park, Millennium Square, Alex Robertson Park and Bruce Hanscombe Park. Event requests for Esplanade Park must be approved by Council, however the CAO, or their designate, may approve events in Esplanade Park during summer recess and/or in extenuating or emergency circumstances where time does not allow for Council approval within the normal Council/Committee meeting cycle. a)Requests for use of a Signature Park for commercial film, television, or still photography uses are subject to the City’s policies and procedures for rental of municipal land to the film/photography industry, and do not require Council approval. Policy Title: Community Festivals and Events Policy Page 5 of 10 Policy Number: CUL 070 05 Delegation of Authority 05.01 Chief Administrative Officer to: a)support the allocation of staff resources to coordinate the Community Festivals and Events Policy; and b)consider and approve, as appropriate, City staff recommendations to permit Partner Event applications. c)Consider and approve, as appropriate permit requests for Events and Festivals in Esplanade Park during summer recess and/or in extenuating or emergency circumstances where time does not allow for Council approval within the normal Council/Committee meeting cycle. When such approval is granted by the CAO, the CAO shall advise Council of the approval and Event/Festival particulars. 05.02 The Mayor and Members of Council to: a) direct inquiries related to Community Festivals and Events to the appropriate City staff; and, b)consider and approve, as appropriate, City staff reports to Council recommending a permit be issued for Events and Festivals at Esplanade Park. 05.03 Directors & Division Heads to: a)support the allocation of staff resources to participate in the Community Events Committee; b)ensure their department meets the corporations obligations related to a City issued park permit and/or event agreement; and c)Director, Community Services to consider and approve, as appropriate, City staff recommendations to permit Community Festival applications. 05.04 Managers & Supervisors to: a)assign staff resources to coordinate Community Festivals and Events; and b)oversee revenue accounts and conditions of the agreement/permit to ensure that the obligations of all parties are being met. 05.05 The Community Events Committee to: a)attend monthly meetings to consider event applications for City parks; Policy Title: Community Festivals and Events Policy Page 6 of 10 Policy Number: CUL 070 b)screen applications and provide timely responses; c)recommend the approval or denial of an application, considering the guidelines of this procedure, to the applicant, Director, CAO and/or Council, as is applicable; d)keep an up-to-date listing of all current and available permits and existing agreements; e)track and report on annual community use of City parks for public special events; f)ensure that all agreements safeguard the Corporation; g)act as a liaison between department staff; h)assist department staff in the tracking of program participants in support of the program; i)promote the park permitting programs; j)serve as a centralized resource for any park permitting activities throughout the City; and k)collect feedback from the community, partners, and City staff on initiatives to maintain a positive program reputation, and enhance revenue outcomes. 05.06 Employees to: a)adhere to the guidelines as set out in Section 05. a.Non-Compliance with Guidelines b.Failure to comply with this Procedure may result in disciplinary action. 05.07 refer to all associated Procedures and Standard Operating Procedures, if applicable, for detailed processes regarding this Policy. 06 Community Festivals and Event Approvals & Restrictions 06.01 A Community Festival and Event Application submitted to the City for approval must meet certain criteria to be eligible for a permit, including compatibility with the provisions of municipal, provincial and federal laws as well as in accordance with rules and regulations administered by the City’s by-laws, Durham Regional Police and Durham Region Public Health. Policy Title: Community Festivals and Events Policy Page 7 of 10 Policy Number: CUL 070 06.02 Applications will be evaluated by the Community Events Committee to ensure a varied mix and range of activities and interests which reflect the community and to ensure the request does not duplicate existing events. 06.03 To be considered for a permit, Community Festivals/Events must provide a meaningful benefit to the community and must have a direct impact on one or more of the following areas: •Arts and Culture; •Environment; •Culture; •Diversity; •Heritage Promotion; •Environmental Benefit; •Education; •Health and Wellness; •Physical Fitness; •Enrich the character and identity of the City; •Create unique or innovative experiences; •Contribute to programming in slow seasons; •Extend the overall range and mix of programming in the City; and •Be openly accepting, inclusive and accessible of all community members. 06.04 Event approvals will be granted in a fair and equitable manner. When requests are submitted, the criteria used will be based on a number of different considerations: •Nature and type of activity; •Nature and type of the user requesting the event; •Space/staff/equipment availability the date requested; and •Benefit and/or enhancement of the community. 06.05 The City of Pickering will consider applications to host Community Festivals/Events based on the following criteria: •There is a need within the community to host the event. Need is assessed by the following factors: it supports the initiatives of an official plan, the City does not offer similar programs/events and, the event model has a proven track record for success and/or degree of community interest/engagement. •That City resources are being allocated to a variety of event types, representative of all cultural aspects. •The City has the resources to reasonably assign to the event without impacting City operations. •Organizers have the capacity and resources to execute the proposed festival or event including human resources, financial stability, and a solid plan for marketing, public safety, accessibility, traffic, and parking control. Policy Title: Community Festivals and Events Policy Page 8 of 10 Policy Number: CUL 070 06.06 The City of Pickering will decline Community Festival & Event requests if (but not limited to): •The proposed event will create a hardship for the City or the surrounding community. •Any event component is contrary to City of Pickering policies. •The organizing group cannot provide surety of their ability to be responsible for event operations, associated event costs and damages. 06.07 The City will not accept event applications from any individual/organization that endorses views or ideas that promote discrimination, contempt or hatred. The purposes, practices and event proposals of applicant groups must be consistent with the Human Rights Code. The following events or activities are not permitted in City parks or public open spaces: •Events that conflict with the City’s values or that are deemed to impact negatively on the City’s identity as being family friendly. •Events that contribute to the sale of tobacco, marijuana, pornography or support the production, distribution, and sale of weapons and other life- threatening products. •Events that endorse views and ideas that are likely to promote discrimination, contempt or hatred for any person on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, religion, age, gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation, economic status or level of literacy. •Activities that exclude persons from participation in or enjoyment of the event on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, religion, gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, or disability. 06.08 The City will not permit events provided by organizations whose reputation could prove detrimental to the City’s public image and/or whose main business is derived from: •The sale of tobacco or other addictive substances; •Pornography; and, •The support of, or involvement in the production, distribution, and sale of weapons and other life-threatening products. 06.09 The City will not permit events which, either directly or through third party arrangements (i.e. vendors, sponsors), that: •violate any City policy; •convey a negative religious message that might be deemed prejudicial to religious groups; Policy Title: Community Festivals and Events Policy Page 9 of 10 Policy Number: CUL 070 •promote alcohol and other addictive substances, at venues geared primarily to children; •present demeaning or derogatory portrayals of individuals or groups or contain anything, which in light of generally prevailing community standards, is likely to cause deep or widespread offence; or •is in direct competition with City of Pickering services, programs or initiatives. 06.10 The City reserves the right to reject or revoke permits for public events and to refuse to enter into agreements for partnership events or public events that originally may have been openly solicited by the City. 06.11 Due to the risk of severe injury to patrons, the use of inflatable amusement devices at events or activities held on City property are prohibited if any of the following apply: •the device has an inflated floor or surface which patrons interact with, play on, or jump on (e.g., bouncy castles); •the device utilizes bungee cords as a means to assist or inhibit the movement of a patron; or •the device includes an inflated slide or roof. 06.12 The City may, at its discretion, bring any proposals to Council for their approval even if they do not meet the guidelines of this Policy. 07 Event Applications and Permitting 07.01 When applying to conduct an event, a Community Festivals and Events Application must be completed in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Community Festivals and Events Manual and submitted for consideration to the Corporate Events Committee. To ensure availability of resources, the application is to be completed in order to be considered. •Approvals will take into consideration the size of event and what is being requested; the availability of equipment and space; other event currently scheduled for the day requested. •The organizers will be held responsible to pay for all direct fees related to the event including licenses, permits, and City staff during event operations, rentals and any damage or replacement of equipment. •The organizers will be responsible for picking up and returning equipment borrowed (except for large items such as picnic tables and garbage containers, barricades for road closures). 07.02 Resources and In-Kind Services may be provided to support events upon request. These services include: Policy Title: Community Festivals and Events Policy Page 10 of 10 Policy Number: CUL 070 •Event area inspection, grass cutting and prep, parking and traffic plans and set-up, City promotions, or electrical access. •In some cases for Partner Events, City staff will be present during event operations to clean facility washrooms adjacent to Park, remove garbage, assist with set-ups and respond to unanticipated requests from the event promoters. •Limited printing assistance. •Staff assistance in an advisory capacity during the planning. •For Community Festivals and Partner Events, a staff liaison may be arranged to: o assist with arrangements for City resources, e.g. equipment, deliveries, etc. o confirm availability and assist with the booking of City facilities, equipment and services. o obtain site maps for road or park locations. 07.03 If approved, application will form the basis of a permit, referred to as a Parks or Facility Permit. The permit provides permission for event organizers to conduct their event. The applicant will be responsible for all costs associated with the event. 07.04 The permit includes the specific conditions for the use of the site, and the required fees (refer to current City User Fees and Charges By-law, and Conditions of Community Events Permit).