CITY OF CULVER CITY
COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT Policy Number: 2502
General Subject: Public Services Date Issued: 01/09/2017
Specific Subject: Special Events Grant Program Effective Date: 01/09/2017
Resolution No: 2017-R006
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I. PURPOSE:
To establish guidelines and procedures for the processing of requests for financial support of special events (including a contribution of funds, labor, staff t ime, materials, a waiver of fees, or any combination thereof).
II. STATEMENT OF POLICY:
The City of Culver City (“City”) shall establish a Special Event s Grant Program (“Program”) which shall define specific parameters for requests for financial support of special event s and objective criteria for the review and potential approval of such requests. The Program shall include an annual, public call for applications ; formal application review by an advisory panel; and transmittal of funding recommendations for City Council review, approval , amendment or denial. This process shall be conducted once each fiscal year to align with the annual budget process.
Through implementation of this Program, it is the City Council’s intent to achieve the following goals and benefits:
• More coordination in administration of City-supported special events through a formal application, review and funding process;
• Enhanced, objective and clearly defined criteria used to evaluate requests for City support;
• Increased transparency of annual budget ing and monitoring of actual costs for financial support of special events; and
• Improved budget reliability through outlined funding and accounting procedures.
III. BACKGROUND:
The City recognizes the community and economic be nefits associated with special events. In turn, the City annually receives regular requests for funding assistance and sponsorship for special events in the form of fee waivers for City permits, in -kind and/or direct staffing services, and cash sponsorshi ps. Rather than evaluating applications at various times throughout the year on a case -by-case basis, and to continue to encourage organizations to produce special events in the City, the City shall impleme nt a more streamlined approach for special event s upport through the Special Events Grant Program.
IV. DEFINITIONS:
• Cash Funding: Cash outlays provided to a Grant Recipient, at not-to-exceed levels, to support any/all associated costs to conduct a special event.
• City-Sponsored Event: Consistent with the criteria set forth in Culver City Municipal Code §17.330.040, an event or activity where the City is both (a) participating in an official capacity in the planning, preparation or promotion of the event or activity; and (b) contributing 25% of the to tal estimated costs of the event or activity, or at least $1,000, whichever is less. This contribution may take the form of funds, labor, staff time, materials, a waiver of fees, or any combination of the foregoing.
• Community/Charitable Eve nts: Small, co mmunity-oriented events that serve or benefit locally based organizations and causes and/or provide recreational, cultural and/or social benefits to Culver City residents.
• Fee Credits: Credits provided to a Grant Recipient, at not-to-exceed levels, to cover charges correlating to amount s of City fees for permits, equipment use, facility rental , and administrative/staff-associated costs to conduct a special event.
• Grant Award: Amount awarded to a Grant Recipient in accordance with Program requirements and this Policy , whether in the form of Fee Credits or Cash Funding.
• Grant Agreement: The document executed by a Grant Recipient and City Manager setting forth the terms and conditions of special event support, and defining the type and amount of financial assistance awarded.
• Grant Recipient : The applicant organization to which Program support is awarded.
• Signature Events: Large-scale, visitor -attracting events that provide a measurable economic benefit to the City , while enhancing the quality of lif e within Culver City with recreational, cultural, social and/or educational activities of interest to the community.
V. PROCEDURES & REQUIREMENTS:
A. ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS
Annually, the City Manager shall include in the Proposed Budget a recommendation of funding appropriations in support of the Special Events Grant Program. The Chief Financial Officer shall assign designated accounts for the purpose of expensing Fee Credits and Cash Funding as approved through the Program.
B. SPECIAL EVENTS GRANT PROGRAM DETAILS
City support of qualified special events shall henceforth occur through an annual application, review and funding process. The process shall involve a call for applications, a review by an advisory panel of all completed applications received by the submission deadline, the assignment of recommended funding level s for each special event, and the formal review of the recommendations for approval or amendment by the City Council. The process shall be conducted once each fiscal year to align with the City’s annual budget process.
The advisory panel shall consist of a Special Event s Grant Program Ad Hoc Subcommittee of the City Council , which shall be appointed by the City Council upon adoption of this Policy, and each year thereafter during the regular City Council subcommittee appointment process. The Ad Hoc Subcommittee shall be supported by the Chief Financial Officer , his/her designee and/or other staff from the Finance Department.
The Special Event s Grant Program shall provide financial support t o two categories of events:
1. Community/Charitable Events – Events that serve or benefit locally based organizations and causes and/or provide recreational, cultural and/or social benefits to Culver City residents. Culver City-based organizations and even ts that serve the Culver City community specifica lly, receive priority in funding.
Grant Awards will be available at fixed, not -to-exceed levels that correspond to the amount of City fees the applicant is expected to pay.
Successful applicants will be awa rded grants in the form of credits toward
their City fees. If a Grant Recipient incurs costs (fees) higher than the Grant Award, they shall be responsible to pay the City th ose costs and fees not covered by the Grant A ward. If the Grant Recipient’s actual costs are lower than the projected costs set forth in the Grant application , the City shall retain the difference. All Grant Agreements shall include right to audit language.
2. Signature Events – Large-scale events, that promote Culver City regionally, att ract visitors, provide measurable, economic benefits to the City, and enhance the quality of life within Culver City with recreational, cultural, social and/or educational activities of interest to the community.
Grant Awards will be available at fixed, not-to-exceed levels based upon an evaluation of the special event budget, the estimate of City fees, and the estimated economic benefits to the City. Preference will be given to special events where the City’s financial support represent s no more than 25% of the overall special event budget. The City may enter into multi- year agreements with Grant Recipients. All Grant A greements, whether for one year or multi ple years, shall include right to a udit language and measurable objectives and performance measure s for evaluating the event’s marketing and economic impact.
C. APPLYING FOR SPECIAL EVENT GRANTS
1. CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
On or before January 31 of each year, t he City shall issue a n annual Call for Applications for the Program for special events occurring d uring the following fiscal year. A mandatory pre -application meeting shall be held prior to the application deadline . Attendance of all applicants at the pre-application meeting is mandatory.
2. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
A. Eligibility: To be eligible to receive City support, applicants must demonstrate that:
a. If the event is a Community/Charitable Event, that it takes place entirely within or immediately adjacent to Culver City.
b. The event is scheduled to take place within City’s annual fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) and the exact date(s), time(s) and location(s) within Culver City have been determined.
c. The applicant has no outstanding debt owed to the City of Culver City.
d. The event is open and accessible to the community/ general public. (Note: Events are not required to be free of charge.)
*The City of Culver City will give preference to Culver City -based organizations and events that serve the Culver City community specifically.
B. Ineligibility: The City will not provide financial support to:
a. Events t hat serve a political purpose or are sponsored by political organizations.
b. Event organizers and organizations that have not fulfilled previous City sponsorship or special event obligations (including post-event financial or performance measurement informa tion), have been in breach of the ter ms of a prior Grant Agreement, or have an outstanding debt to the City of Culver City.
c. Individuals.
d. Invitation-only events ; those events not open to the general public.
3. MINIMUM APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
To qualify to receive City special event support, all applications must comply with the following:
A. Must be submitted online and on time , and must have complete information. Late or incomplete applications, or applications that do not fully comply with the instructions may not be considered.
B. Must include a copy of the complete special event budget.
C. Must describe measures that will be taken to ensure strong financial management and control over the special event, including cost effectiveness.
D. Must indicate willingness and ability of the organization to enter into a Grant Agreement with the City, a draft version of which will be provided with the application material.
4. EVALUATION CRITERIA
A. Community/Charitable Events applications will be reviewed and evaluated based on the following criteria:
1. The event serves, involves, and/or promotes Culver City, its residents, schools, and/or businesses.
2. The event directly or indirectly benefits the Culver City community; offerin g educational, cultural and/or arts
experiences; and/or providing secular, recreational or
social activities.
B. Signature Events applications will be reviewed and evaluated based on the following criteria:
1. The special event delivers substantive and measurable economic benefits to the City.
2. The special event organizers utilize strategic marketing practices in planning and implementing the event.
3. The special event enhances the quality of life within Culver City with recreational, cultural, social and/or
educational activities of interest to the community.
4. The special event attracts visitors to Culver City.
5. The special event promotes Culver City as a highly
desirable place to live, visit, work and recreate.
6. The special event directly or indirectly benefits or promotes Culver City businesses or entities.
5. OTHER REQUIREMENTS
A. Grant Recipients of Community/Charitable Events and Signature Events: All Grant Recipients will be expected to follow the City’s separate, Special Event Permit Process and submit all necessary forms, business licensing, insurance and fees as required. Applications that do not meet the applicable Special Event Permit requirements and are not subm itted within the specified deadlines risk forfeiting their Grant Award.
B. Signature Event Grant Recipients Only:
o The Grant A greement will in clude mutually agreed upon performance measures for the special event. Event organizers will be required to demonstrate how the special event met, or did not meet, the agreed upon performance measures in a required, post-event report.
o Signature Event Grant Recipients must agree to provide post- event financial statements and allow the City to conduct its own review or audit of them, if requested.
C. Banners: For the purpose of allowing banners to be posted in the public right away, a special event must be s pecifically designated a City-Sponsored Event ( as defined in this Policy and CCMC §17.330.040). Special events receiving Grant Award s do not automatically receive status as a City -Sponsored Event . Applicants seeking City Sponsorship designation, should n ote such request on their application where indicated . The application will be evaluate d to determine whether the criteria for City-sponsorship can be satisfied. If eligible for City-sponsorship, the City Council will consider designating the event a City-Sponsored Event at the time of award of the grant.
D. SPECIAL EVENT GRANTS FUNDING
The purpose of the Program is to provide funding support for qualified special events and to assist with the City fees associated with executing a special event in Culver Ci ty. The purpose is not to fund the entirety of a special event and Grant Awards shall not be awarded for the purpose of covering all of a special event’s associated City fees.
Community/Charitable Event Grant Awards will be offered in the form of fee credits to cover fees associated with executing a special event in Culver City , including, but not limited to permits, equipment use, facility rental and/or administrative and staff associated costs.
Signature Event Grant Awards will be offered in the form of either cash support or fee waivers . Preference will be given to special events where t he City’s financial support represent s no more than 25 % of the overall event budget. All Signature Event Grant Recipients will be required to enter into a Grant Agreement, which should include right to audit language and measurable objectives and performance measure s for evaluating the event’s marketing and economic impact.
In order to track the types of events supported and the level of support provided over time, event support is categorized into the following three-tiered system:
A. Community/Charitable Event Grants*
Tier 1 - $100 - $2,500
Tier 2 - $2,501- $7,500
Tier 3 - $7,501- $15,000 +
*Based upon City Special Event Permit Fee and estimated o r aver age related City fees.
B. Signature Event Grants*
Tier 1 - $1,000 - $10,000
Tier 2 - $10,001 - $25,000
Tier 3 - $25,001 +
*Grant Awards provided based on analysis of related City event fees and economic benefits City will derive from the event.
E. OFF-CYCLE SPECIAL EVENT GRANT REQUESTS
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Policy and the Program requirements, t he City Council retains di scretion to consider additional special event support requests presented outside of the Call for A pplications period set forth in this Policy. All off-cycle special event support requests shall be presented to the City Council, wh ich may authorize transmittal of the request to the Special Event s Grant Program Ad Hoc Subcommittee , for evaluation of the request utilizing the eligibility and evaluation criteria set forth in this Policy.
*This Policy supersedes the Special Event Sponsorship Policy issued on April 11, 2011 by Resolution No. 2011-R023.