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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Introduction of Ordinance Prohibiting the Acts of Joining or Participating in a Commercial Special Event in Violation of Any Permit Conditions or Without the Consent and Over the Objection of the Permittee, or Otherwise Interfering with a Permitted Commercial Special Event
1. Introduction of an Ordinance of the Council of the City of Glendale, California, Adding Section 5.88.050 of the Glendale Municipal Code, 1995, Relating to the Commercial Special Event Permit.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for September 22, 2026 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Glendale Municipal Code section 5.88.030 requires a Commercial Special Event Permit before a person may use or occupy public property for a commercial special event, or hold or cause to be held a commercial special event, that has an effect on public property.
Chapter 5.88 prescribes a thorough application and review process. If and once an Commercial Special Event Permit is approved, however, Chapter 5.88 does not expressly prohibit a person from joining or participating in a commercial special event in violation of any permit conditions or without the consent and over the objection of the permittee, or otherwise interfering with the permitted commercial special event. The Police Department has received calls for service due to interference with permitted commercial special events. The proposed ordinance would provide the Police Department a direct and efficient remedy to address such instances of interference.
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council introduce an Ordinance Adding Section 5.88.050 of the Glendale Municipal Code, 1995, Relating to the Commercial Special Event Permit.
ANALYSIS
Glendale Municipal Code section 5.88.030 provides that no person shall use or occupy public property for a commercial special event, or hold or cause to be held a commercial special event that has an effect on public property, without first obtaining a Commercial Special Event Permit.
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To obtain a Commercial Special Event Permit, a person must submit a written application that contains, at minimum, the name and residence or business address of the applicant(s), a detailed statement of the location and area of the proposed commercial special event, the date(s) of the proposed commercial special event, and a detailed statement of the proposed event, including, but not limited to, whether the event contemplates sales, displays, the nature of any goods or services to be displayed, sold, purchased, exchanged or produced. The applicant(s) must also pay an application fee.
Upon receipt of a Commercial Special Event Permit application, the City conducts an interdepartmental review to identify City liability, parking, traffic, air quality, noise, and other potentially adverse physical impacts of the proposed commercial special event, and whether any conditions are required to ameliorate any identified impacts. The City also submits each Commercial Special Event Permit application to all “business and community benefit districts” and “merchant associations,” as defined in Glendale Municipal Code section 5.88.020, for comment and recommendations.
Once a Commercial Special Event Permit is approved, however, Glendale Municipal Code Chapter 5.88 does not expressly prohibit a person from joining or participating in a permitted commercial special event in violation of any permit conditions or without the consent and over the objection of the permittee, or otherwise interfering with the permitted commercial special event.
Permit conditions are designed to carefully balance economic health and vibrancy, on the one hand, with potentially adverse impacts, on the other hand. Joining or participating in a commercial special event in violation of any permit conditions disrupts that careful balance and increases the potentiality of adverse impacts, including City liability, parking, traffic, air quality, noise, and other physical impacts.
Joining or participating in a permitted commercial special event without the consent and over the objection of the permittee, or otherwise interfering with the commercial special event, poses the risk of causing monetary and non-monetary harm to responsible permittees that follow the City’s Commercial Special Event Permit application process.
Interference with permitted commercial special events has prompted calls for services to the Police Department, including a recent call for service due to an altercation that arose after a person set up a table in an area reserved pursuant to a Commercial Special Event Permit and refused to leave upon request of the permittee. The proposed ordinance would provide the Police Department a direct and efficient remedy to address such instances of interference.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
Over at least the past five months, the Police Department has directly engaged with Commercial Special Event Permit holders who have initiated calls for service due to persons joining or participating in their commercial special events without their consent and over their objection, or otherwise interfering in their commercial special events. For 10g3
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instance, the Police Department has met on multiple occasions with the Montrose Shopping Park Association (MSPA), a recognized “business and community benefit district” in the Commercial Special Event Permit ordinance, and a Commercial Special Event Permit holder itself for the Montrose Harvest Market. The MSPA has reported that, in recent months, unaffiliated persons have set up booths within the special event area, and when asked to leave, they refuse. The ordinance presented for introduction is intended to provide the Police Department a direct and efficient tool to mitigate instances of interference with permitted commercial special events.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Police Department is routinely present at special events throughout the city and responds to incidents as needed. The Police Department anticipates that its budget can absorb any incremental cost associated with taking action in response to calls for which a direct and efficient enforcement mechanism is not presently available. Thus, no new appropriation is requested at this time.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(2) as it constitutes continuing administrative and maintenance activities, including general policy or procedure making; thus, it is not subject to CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15060(c)(3). Even if it is a “project,” the action is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 in that it consists of the operation and maintenance of existing public facilities or topographical features, namely, existing highways and streets, sidewalks, gutters, and similar facilities, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. Moreover, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment; thus, it is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Do not introduce the ordinance, in which case the tools available to the Police Department in response to calls for service due to interference with permitted commercial special events will remain limited.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Robert William, Chief of Police
Prepared by:
Aaron M. Israel, Principal Assistant City Attorney
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Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
None.