Administrative
Report
N.2., File # 23-5441 Meeting Date: 4/4/2023
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: CAMERON HARDING, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
TITLE
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CITY’S SPECIAL EVENT
AND FACILITY RESERVATION PROCESS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As part of the City Council’s Strategic Plan, a report was requested detailing improvements to the City’s special event and facility reservation process. The Community Services Department oversees the administrative review and coordination of a number of special events that take place at a variety of times and locations throughout the year. Staff has worked to improve the special event approval process in several ways, including providing detailed cost estimates in advance of the special event, consolidating invoicing among all involved City departments, and allowing for hybrid security models that ensure event safety without solely relying on overtime resources from the Police and Fire departments. Separately, staff is working to transition the City’s recreation facilities onto a webbased system that will allow customers to submit facility reservation inquiries online. The Alta Vista Community Center will be the first location to benefit from this transition.
BACKGROUND
As part of the strategic planning process, the City Council requested a report on improvements to the City’s special event and facility reservation process. Below is a description of improvements that have been made in each area.
Special Events
The Community Services Department oversees the administrative review and coordination of a number of special events in the City including, but not limited to, the Super Bowl 10K; Redondo Beach Springfest; Riviera Village Summerfest and Holiday Stroll; King Harbor Sea Fair and Halloween Trick or Treat Stroll; and Boat Parade. Applications are submitted by event sponsors to the Community Services Department. Staff in the Community Services Department reviews the applications and ensures submissions are complete and comprehensive of all event details. The application packet is then shared with representatives from the Public Works, Community Development, Waterfront and Economic Development, Police and Fire Departments for review in their respective area of expertise. Typically, a planning meeting is scheduled with all department representatives and the event sponsor to discuss event details and other logistics that are critical for a safe and successful event.
Staff has implemented several improvements to provide more efficiency for both staff and event producers such as a collective invoicing for a majority of City permitting fees. This has provided a
N.2., File # 23-5441 Meeting Date: 4/4/2023
producers such as a collective invoicing for a majority of City permitting fees. This has provided a one-stop process for event producers to pay applicable City fees and allows for the provision of an estimate of costs in advance of the event that sponsors can evaluate before committing to their various program activities. Previously, event sponsors were required to pay required permitting fees to each department separately. Additionally, through coordination with the Police Department, event sponsors have been authorized to utilize a combination of private security and volunteer services for strategic areas of their events where Police Officers were historically required. This has provided a cost savings for event producers while still providing a safe event for the community.
Looking ahead, staff will continue to refine the special event evaluation process and is considering additional enhancements to the program including the enforcement of an application submittal deadline to ensure sufficient time is available to review special event requests and allow for effective logistical planning. Specific deadlines have been implemented for each event to ensure specialized permits, such as building or street closure permits, can be processed well in advance of events taking place. Additionally, staff plans to review the special event application to determine if there is information that can be consolidated or refined to make the application more complete and concise.
Facility Reservations
The Community Services Department administers the public’s usage of City recreation facilities through a reservation process. These facilities include:
· Seaside Lagoon
· Veterans Park Senior Center
· Perry Park Senior Center
· Anderson Park Senior Center
· Perry Park Teen Center
· Aviation Gymnasium and dance rooms
· Alta Vista Community Center
· Wilderness Park
· Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center
Currently, customers are required to make reservations in person or via telephone. Staff has been working to transition all facility reservations to a web-based software program which will provide an enhanced, online user experience and allow for more efficient internal administration. Alta Vista Community Center is the first location to be transitioned online and staff will work in parallel to make additional locations avaiable online in the near future.
COORDINATION
The Community Services Department coordinated the development of this report with staff in the Departments represented on the Special Events Team, including the Police, Fire, Public Works and Community Development Departments.
FISCAL IMPACT
The process improvements described above have saved staff time and reduced special event program costs.
N.2., File # 23-5441 Meeting Date: 4/4/2023
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager