Fremont City Council Meeting: 06/11/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Police Department
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Grants
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5154) DOC ID: 5154
Updated: 6/6/2024 2:01 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 1
SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM – Approve Special Event Sponsorship Awards for FY 2024/25
Contact Persons:
Name: Aly Flores Amy Gee
Title: Public Affairs Management Analyst Public Affairs Manager Div/Dept: Police Department Police Department
Phone: 510-790-6947 510-790-6967
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The Fremont City Council established the Special Event Sponsorship Program (SESP) in 2019 to support local organizations that host community events. Staff has completed the review and sponsorship award allocation process for special event organizers who submitted applications for FY 2024/25 and recommend the City Council approve the special event sponsorship awards described in this report.
BACKGROUND: In FY 2023/24, the City continued to support the SESP. The program has grown, with a larger pool of applicants as new events become eligible for the program. In FY 2023/24, the City Council allocated $300,000 for thirteen special events under the SESP. At the time of this report, final accounting for several events held in May and June of 2024 are pending as final reports are typically available 90 days after the event. One event, the Burger and Brew Fest, was canceled and it is anticipated that a total of $285,700 out of the $300,000 award budget for FY 2023/24 will be disbursed and/or reimbursed to event organizers for eligible expenses.
In December 2023, the City opened the SESP application process for FY 2024/25. The program remains accessible to established event organizers who have held successful events in the City and their events were permitted with the need to utilize City services on the day(s) of the event, allowing for up to 50% of the event budget or the estimated cost for City services, whichever is higher, to be requested. Sponsorship awards are effective July 1 each year, contingent upon budget approval. The FY 2024/25 Proposed Operating Budget includes $350,000 of funding for the SESP. Recognizing the rising event expenses, many organizers rely on the City's sponsorship for the success of their events.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The FY 2024/25 special event sponsorship letter of intent process opened in December 2023, and the full application process opened on January 25, 2024, with a deadline of March 27, 2024. The program was advertised on the City's website, the City's Fremont Connection Newsletter, and social media platforms, and staff reached out to all known eligible event organizers. City staff also hosted two virtual information sessions to discuss the program.
Applications Received and Eligibility Review: The City received thirteen eligible SESP applications by the deadline.
1. 4th of July Parade (Thursday, July 4, 2024)
2. 4th of July After Party (Thursday, July 4, 2024)
3. Fremont Street Eats (every Friday from July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025) Council Staff Report (ID # 5154) Meeting of June 11, 2024 Updated: 6/6/2024 2:01 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 2
4. Festival of Arts (Saturday, August 3, 2024 and Sunday, August 4, 2024)
5. Niles Car Shows (Sunday, August 11, 2024 and Sunday, May 4, 2025)
6. Festival of India (Saturday, August 17, 2024 and Sunday, August 18, 2024)
7. Niles Antique Fair (Sunday, August 25, 2024)
8. Olive Festival (Saturday, October 5, 2024 and Sunday, October 6, 2024)
9. Gurdwara Diwali and New Year’s Eve (Friday, November 1, 2024 and Tuesday, December 31, 2024
10. Festival of Lights (Friday, November 29, 2024)
11. Chanukah Lighting (Sunday, December 29, 2024)
12. Arts Mosaic Fair (Saturday, April 26, 2025)
13. Burger and Brew (Saturday, May 31, 2025)
Applications were reviewed and scored for funding purposes. Staff from five City departments participated in the review process: Community Development, Community Services, Economic Development, Police, and Public Works. Reviewers provided Pass/No Pass scores and comments on the Narrative/Significance and Financial Capabilities/Event Execution sections of each application. All thirteen eligible applications received an overall passing score and are recommended for funding.
Sponsorship Award Allocation and Funding Recommendation: Staff calculated the estimated City service cost for each eligible event and used that as a guide for award allocation.
Funds are allocated pro-rata to each eligible applicant based on the estimated cost of City services. City services include but are not limited to those provided by Community Services, Fire, Police, Public Works, and/or City-approved vendors. Using this allocation method and rounding up to the nearest $100, Staff recommends the City Council award the funding amounts shown in the far-right table below. The proposed award is anticipated to cover 93% of City services estimated for each event.
Special Event City Services
Cost
Estimate
Proposed
Award
1. 4th of July Parade $ 26,690 $ 24,940
2. 4th of July After Party 1,850 1,730
2. Fremont Street Eats 14,630 13,670
3. Festival of Arts 136,150 127,240
4. Festival of India 80,770 75,490
5. Niles Car Show 3,510 3,280
6. Niles Antique Fair 41,900 39,160
8. Olive Festival 600 560
9. Gurdwara Diwali & New Year’s Eve 4,150 3,880
10. Festival of Lights 37,200 34,770
11. Chanukah Lighting 1,350 1,260
12. Arts Mosaic Fair 3,800 3,550
13. Burger & Brew 21,900 20,470
Total $374,500 $350,00
Council Staff Report (ID # 5154) Meeting of June 11, 2024 Updated: 6/6/2024 2:01 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 3
Disbursement of Sponsorship Awards: The SESP is a reimbursement grant intended to cover some or all of an event's City services cost and possibly some of the event's other expenses. After the event has been held, staff will determine the actual cost of the City services provided using the hourly rate schedule for special events previously adopted by the City Council. The event's sponsorship award will be credited against the actual cost of City services. The event organizer is responsible for paying the City any actual costs in excess of the sponsorship award amount.
Event organizers have until 90 days after the event, or 30 days after final billing details from the City are available, whichever is later, to submit a final report (including a post - event evaluation, attendance estimate, and documentation of actual costs). To the extent the sponsorship award exceeds the actual cost of City services, the City will reimburse the event organizer for eligible event-related expenses, which may include City-approved third-party traffic control vendors for street closures or City facility rental fees. The combination of credit for the cost of City services and reimbursement for other event - related expenses will not exceed an event's sponsorship award amount.
FISCAL IMPACT: A General Fund allocation for the SESP in the amount of $350,000 was included in the FY 2024/25 Proposed Operating Budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The Special Event Sponsorship Program, an administrative government activity, is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), in that the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. The Special Event Sponsorship Program does not involve the approval of special events or individual projects, which are subject to a separate environmental review and permitting process. Thus, the Special Event Sponsorship Program will not significantly affect the environment and no further CEQA review is required.
LINKS: https://www.fremont.gov/permits/special-event-permit/special-event-sponsorship
ATTACHMENTS:
• 2024-2025 SESP Guidelines and Application Checklist Rev Jan 2024
RECOMMENDATION: Allocate FY 2024/25 special event sponsorship awards to the thirteen eligible events as specified in this report.