CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
title
Approve the 2018 Special Events Calendar and Designate the Calendar as Closed to All New Major Events.
body
DEPARTMENT: City Clerk’s Office
SUBMITTED BY: Dawn Portner, Special Events Coordinator
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
The Special Events calendar is a tool to assist in the planning and preparation of the many annual events. The 2018 calendar was compiled based on applications received from event organizers. As in previous years, staff is requesting the City Council grant preliminary approval for the dates and events listed. This will allow sponsors and organizers to proceed with planning. City staff will begin scheduling logistics meetings in January to review routes, staffing levels, traffic control plans, and gather stakeholder input. The City Council will have the opportunity to review routes, traffic control plans, and other specific details for individual events at regularly scheduled meetings throughout the year.
DISCUSSION:
Approval of the 2018 Special Events Calendar
The calendar includes events from February through December. Events shown in red are major events, which require City services and the closure of streets. Those listed in blue are minor events, held primarily on sidewalks, and do not require the presence of City staff. All 2018 events recur annually and no new events are scheduled.
The Special Events Team has reviewed all requests and will have appropriate staffing dedicated for each event. The Downtown Naperville Alliance (DNA) and the Naperville Park District were also invited to provide input on the calendar and concur with the submission as well.
Designating the 2018 Special Events Calendar as Closed to New Major Events
City staff is requesting approval to close the calendar with the exception of January, February and March. This includes those large events and festivals requesting the use of Naper Settlement.
Staff recommends closing the calendar for the following reasons:
• Impact on Core Services: Major special events require several hours of staff time before, during and after the events. Nearly 50 logistics meetings are held in order to prepare for the events. Signage needs to be placed to notify the public of temporary traffic controls and communication materials must be prepared. Furthermore, staff is needed on-site during the event in addition to post-meeting debriefs. The time extended preparing for, and executing services to, special events impedes core City Services such as traffic sign repairs, downtown and parking facilities maintenance, and public safety coverage.
• Number of Current Major Events: The City is host to 35 major events in 2018 from February through December.
• Impact on the Community: City staff has experienced an increase in complaints from residents, businesses, and churches in and around the downtown area. When appropriate, staff, in partnership with the DNA, recommends events to be moved to other areas of Naperville.
Once the calendar is closed to all new major events, the Special Events Coordinator will add all new major event requests to a wait list for 2019. Events on the list will be reviewed in fall of 2018. If an approved event is cancelled, the Special Events Team will attempt to accommodate an event from the wait list.
If an organizer would like to schedule an event in 2018 and not be placed on the waiting list, they will be directed to petition the City Council at a regularly scheduled meeting and an agenda item will be prepared for review with a recommendation from the Special Events Team.
Citizen Survey - Special Events
Several special event related questions were included in the 2016 Citizen Survey. These questions targeted topics such as preferred number of events, desired event locations, and event diversity. The Special Events Team referred to the results during applications review and made recommendations to the 2017 event organizers. The results of the survey will continue to guide the team as future calendars are developed.
FISCAL IMPACT:
N/A