Special Event
Permit Process
Michelle Perera
Sunnyvale City Council
March 25, 2025
2City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 COVID-19 PivotUnderstanding Applicant Feedback
Special Event Permit Overview
Protocol DevelopmentProcess Improvements
Special Event Permit Overview
For Council Consideration
Baseline Requirements to Meet City Standards
Background
3City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 Background of Special Events Study Session
• Colleagues Memo outlining issues with special events process • Council Study Session staff presentation – July 30, 2024 Presented special events process
Outlined applicant “pain points” (as identified by community members) Presented ideas for improving the process
• Council Study Session, comments from Council – July 30, 2024 Look for solutions to streamline process for applicants Easier application form
Assistance with insurance requirements
Enhance the Community Events & Neighborhood Grants Program (CENGP) – making events more affordable
Support events with party rental equipment
More events in the City
• Which brings us to today...
4City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 Special Event Process
City ReviewApplication
Submitted
Conditional
Letter
Special Event
Permit Issued
Special event
organizer
submits
application
to LRS 8 weeks
prior to event.
LRS sends
application to city
department special
event liaisons for
review and
approval. Special
event liaisons
submit department
conditions to LRS to
respond back to
applicant.
If approved, LRS
compiles all dept.
requirements into a
Conditional Letter
and sends to event
organizer.
Event organizer works
with staff in
appropriate
departments to
complete all event
requirements.
Once event
organizer
completes all
requirements, LRS
issues the Special
Event Permit.
5City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 City Departments Involved
• LRS – initial point of contact, helps applicants meet conditions, and staff liaison to applicant throughout the process
• DPW – parks, streets, traffic control plans,portable restroom rentals, onsite staff, event banners
• ESD – waste management plan – dumpsters/zero waste
• DPS – emergency plan approval, tents larger than 10x10 require meeting with Fire, Fire inspection day of
• HRD – risk and insurance review
• CDD – large tents/engineering for stage plans, one stop permit counter and permits for events on private property
• OCM – economic development involved with Downtown events and business impacts County Public Health
ABC License for selling alcohol
6City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 Associated Fees
Permits / Fees
Special Event Permit $155
40 ft Banner $1,000
Baylands/Plaza Del Sol $1,105/$800
Dumpster $225-$1,100
Portable Restrooms $80-175 / day +
$350
delivery/pickup
Zero Waste Provider $1,300
County Health Permits Up to $441
Insurance $150 - $1,300
Stage Engineering
Plans/Permit
$2,000/$600
Deposit for Event $676-$6,762
Staffing Costs / Hr
Casual Recreation Staff
(LRS)
$19
After Hours Inspection
(DPS)
$161
Traffic Control / Event
Security (DPS)
$215
Park Worker (DPW) $75
Traffic Management
(DPW)
$74-84
Banner Hanging (DPW) $400
SMC 9.45.010 - This chapter is
further intended to create a
mechanism for cost recovery for
events which result in a need for
city services.
7City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 Applicant Pain Points
• Cumbersome application
• Costly: permit fees, portable restrooms, engineered stage, insurance
• City conditions: portable restrooms, trash plan, zero-waste, emergency plan, in-person meetings
• Lead time: 8-weeks
• Applicant equipment needs: cones, barricades, tents,
tables/chairs, A-frames, etc.
• Cost recovery (SMC) vs. fee waiver
• Insurance requirements
• Must interact with several departments and no lead
department that can override a condition
8City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 Special Event Trends
*As of March 20, 2025
Event Type 2023 2024 2025*
Community Events 21 28 14
Charitable Events 1 3 0
Outdoor Festival 4 8 11
Parade or
Procession 2 4 0
Private 4 9 0
Race, Run, Walk 10 13 7
Other (Yard Sale/e-
waste) 2 2 0
TOTAL 44 67 32*
9City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 Block Party Permits
• Process overseen by Fire Prevention
• One page application
Fillable PDF to be emailed or submitted in person
• Requests must be reserved no later than 10 days prior to event date • $35
Fee can be refundable if group representative picks up and returns traffic control equipment
• Peak time - Spring through Labor Day
• 30-40 requests a year
10City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 City Run Medium / Large / XL Events
Month Event
January STEM Event
February Lunar New Year
March Job Fair
March-May Recruitment Fairs
April Earth Day Festival / Space Camp
May Hands on the Arts
May-June Open House/Outreach Event
June-July Family Fun Night at the Park / Summer Reading Programs July 4th of July Drone Show
August – Sept. Sunset Movie Series AND Back to School Night/Outreach September State of the City
September-Nov. Phase II Outreach
December Santa, StoryWalk + Movie
2024 - 80+ events
11City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 Understanding Applicant Feedback
• Every event is different – size, scope, needs, new or returning, etc. • Benchmark neighboring cities
• 50% increase of event applications has added to workload for all dept. liaisons • Balancing cumbersome application with need for specific information for each department to set conditions
• Balance desire for simplified process with mitigating risk to the City • Provide better tools for applicant to successfully submit an event application • Establish monthly department liaison meetings to discuss event issues • Identify additional liaisons to serve as a back-up and understand the permitting process
• Ideas for event cost reduction to applicant
• Can 60-day requirement for application be reduced?
• How do we address growing number of applications? Almost doubled in 2024 12City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 City Benchmarking
• Benchmarked Cities Special Event Permit Process (Application Process, Fees, Insurance, Waste Management, City Equipment/Staffing)
• Santa Clara
• Mountain View
• Palo Alto
• Findings
• Application length is similar (some have a process for new/first time and returning applicants)
• Applicants are responsible for covering cost of event requirements • Some cities, supply staffing and equipment for traffic control at a cost • 50% of the cities have the same insurance requirements • All cities are following similar waste management plan requirements • Application fees are on a tier system based on event size, scope and some have a rush fee • Many cities require higher processing fees (10-38% higher) • Santa Monica
• Santa Barbara
• Grand Prairie, TX
• Cupertino
• San Jose
• Fremont
13City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 Requirements for Safe and Successful Events
• Detailed application outlining scope of event
• Conditions that meet public health and safety requirements (emergency plan, health permit for food, waste management, safe and accessible stages, etc.)
• Adequate time for staff and applicant to complete permitting process • Insurance requirements
• City staff time for safety, park maintenance, signage, inspections, etc. will need to be accounted for
14City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 Streamlining / Assistance to Applicant
• New application and instructions
• One-page application – staff assistance
• Kick-Off meeting - pre-event conditions meetings for new and large events (1,000 or more people)
• Post event debrief meeting for applicants for new and large events (1,000 or more people)
• Repeat/multiple events
• Developed four site diagrams with more to come (Baylands Park, Plaza del Sol, McKinley Ave. and Murphy Ave.) to help with laying out event 15City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 Improved Special Event Application
• Launched Jan. 22, 2025
• Created step-by-step application instructions
• Physically reduced application by two pages
• Added an option to skip sections based on
responses to checklist (page 3 image)
• Made required fields (red)
16City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 Pre/Post Event Meetings (Launched October 2024)
• Required meeting for all large scale and/or new events • Applicants will provide an overview of the event for liaisons • Both applicants and department liaisons can ask questions to build conditions • Post event meeting reviews events successes and learning lessons for the following year
17City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 Streamlining / Assistance to Applicant – (cont)
• Insurance for “City Sponsored” events now will be covered under the City’s insurance coverage (at no cost to applicant)
• Events where City is providing financial support – SDA, CENGP , and City events • Trash – Contract with trash company includes trash bins and pick up for certain City Events and City Sponsored Events (at no cost to applicant) • Increasing that to include CENGP
18City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 For Council Consideration
Enhance CENGP - Increase overall funding from $48,000 to $150,000 / $200,000
• Allow for increase to individual Neighborhood Grants and allow for more associations to apply
• Allow for increase to number of Community Grants (approx. 7-15 more depending on size)
• City Council Subcommittee for CENGP can work out specific details at future meeting • Increase CENGP applications process to twice/year
• All CENGP events will be considered City Sponsored (includes city insurance coverage & waste management)
19City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 For Council Consideration
Additional Staffing
• One full-time staff person for greater oversight of special event process • One-two part time staff and/or overtime to assist with conditions and growing number of applications
Does the Council support additional fee waivers?
Study Issue on loaning party rental equipment (long term) Expectation from Council on additional City Run events to be included in City budget
20City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025 For Council Consideration - Budget Breakdown
Community Events & Neighborhood Grants
• Increase of $100,000
• $5,000 increase every other year already in place
• $3.5M /20-year
Staffing Request
• One FT Recreation Manager –
• $220,070/year
• $6.4M /20-year
• Overtime Expenses for Staff Liaisons
• $50,000/year
• $1.4M/20-year
To be funded by the Council Service Level Set Aside Fund 21City of Sunnyvale – Special Event Permit Process – March 25, 2025