HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/27/2015 05 City Cost-sharing Policy for Special EventsITEM TITLE:
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BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. 5.
For Meeting of: October 27, 2015
City cost-sharing policy for Special Events
Sean Hawkins, Economic Development Manager 575-6274
The attached memo is a review of the City's special event cost recovery policy and how Council could act to
amend Yakima Municipal Code 9.70 regarding fees.
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Description
Ej Memo Slpeciialll Event Fees October 2015
Upload Date
10/21/2015
Type
Cover Memo
Memorandum
To:
From:
Yakima City Council and Tony 0' Rourke, City Manager
Sean Hawkins, Economic Development Manager
Date: October 21, 2015
Subject: Traffic Control Cost for Marches and Parades
The City of Yakima spends between $55,000 and $60,000 per year on Yakima Police
Department overtime to provide traffic control services for marches, parades and other activities
that require groups using City right of way. The traffic control services for parades or marches is
different from the security services provided by off-duty YPD officers to events like the Fresh
Hop Ale Festival, Cinco De Mayo or 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament. Those events pay a cost
recovery fee equal to 100% of the service costs.
Prior to calendar year 2014, the City of Yakima had no cost recovery schedule in our municipal
code. In fall 2013, the Yakima City Council examined the situation and amended YMC 9.17.190
to include a cost recovery fee schedule for the first time to our special event process. Each
event would fall into one of three categories:
• Freedom of Speech Events — these include like the MLK March, the March for Life, the
May 1St Immigration March and the Cesar Chavez March. The City pays 100% of
overtime costs for these events. The overtime costs to the City for these events ranges
in the $4,000 - $6,000 range annually depending on the number of events hosted.
• Community Events — the City Council identified the Cinco De Mayo Parade, Memorial
Day Parade, July 4th traffic control, the Sunfair Parade, Veteran's Day Parade and the
Lighted Christmas Parade as Community Events. The City pays 100% of the overtime
costs for these events and the overtime cost for these range from $23,000 - $25,000
annually.
• Special Interest, Fundraising Events or Private Events — these include the City
Council approved Cruise Nights, 5k Runs, the Canyon Marathon, Toy Runs and for profit
events like the Color Vibe. These events pay 50% of the overtime costs and the City
pays the remaining costs. The City spends between $30,000 - $35,000 annually in
overtime costs for these activities and receives 50% of those costs back from the
applicants.
As a point of comparison, the City of Yakima is very generous with our fee structure. As an
internal review of the MRSC special events section points out, most Washington cities charge a
100% cost recovery to events that are not protected First Amendment events.
If the Yakima City Council does want to amend YMC 9.17.190, staff can prepare those changes
in an updated ordinance to present at the November 17, 2015 Yakima City Council meeting.
However, by the time the ordinance would become law, it would affect events only scheduled in
calendar year 2016 due to the required 30 day waiting period.