Title
Consider an ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 25, Article V, Parades and Assemblies, and repealing Chapter 5, Article IV, Shows, Etc., to adopt updated regulations for Special Event permitting.
Body
DATE: January 6, 2026
TO: Kent Cagle, City Manager
FROM: Laurie Wilson, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Ordinance Amending Chapter 25, Article V and Repealing Chapter 5, Article IV - Special Events Ordinance
BACKGROUND AND FINDINGS:
The City’s current regulations governing parades and assemblies are codified in Chapter 25, Article V of the Code of Ordinances (“Parades and Assemblies Ordinance”). Separately, Chapter 5, Article IV (“Shows, Etc.”) regulates shows, performances, exhibitions, carnivals, circuses, rodeos, and similar places of amusement.
These provisions were adopted decades ago, are in different chapters, and use outdated terminology and processes. They do not reflect current best practices for special event management, public safety, or constitutional standards for content-neutral time, place, and manner regulation.
Council direction and stakeholder process
In response to concerns raised by downtown businesses and other event stakeholders about the existing process, the City Council directed staff to conduct stakeholder outreach and to bring back recommended ordinance amendments. Pursuant to that direction, staff met with representatives of the Downtown Merchants Association, Downtown Advisory Board, Youth Advisory Council, and internal City departments, including Police, Parks and Recreation, and Development Services.
Key themes from that stakeholder process included:
• Multiple events based on resources, not a “one-event-per-day” rule: Stakeholders and the Police Department supported revising the “one event at a time” limitation so that simultaneous events may be approved when City resources (e.g., police, EMS, traffic control, sanitation) can safely accommodate them.
• Street closures and downtown access: Downtown businesses and law enforcement expressed concern about frequent or small-scale street closures, recommending that street closures be reserved for larger or City-sponsored events and that smaller events be directed to City-owned lots and other venues that do not block access or affect emergency response.
• Advance notice and transparency: Stakeholders requested more predictable timelines, including longer lead times for larger events, and reasonable notice (e.g., 15-30 days) to affected businesses. They also supported posting permitted events on the City’s community calendar to improve communication and planning.
• Tiered structure and differentiated requirements: Stakeholders favored a tiered framework that distinguishes between smaller neighborhood-scale events and larger events with significant road closures or attendance (e.g., 500+), so that application timelines, public safety requirements, insurance, and fees are calibrated to event size and impact.
• Vendor placement and right-of-way use: Downtown stakeholders requested clearer rules for food trucks and other vendors, including dedicated locations for generators, prohibitions on blocking open businesses, and coordination with itinerant vendor regulations.
• Risk management, accountability, and feedback: Stakeholders supported requirements for event insurance, identification of a point of contact during events, clear expectations for cleanup and access, and “guardrails” or consequences for repeat violations, as well as an opportunity for post-event feedback that can be considered in future permitting decisions.
The proposed Special Events Ordinance reflects these themes by:
• Replacing the “one event at a time” rule with a resource-based approach grounded in objective, content-neutral criteria;
• Providing a tiered classification and review system tied to event size and operational impact, with corresponding timelines and insurance requirements;
• Clarifying when and how street closures may be approved and emphasizing the use of appropriate venues for smaller events;
• Requiring coordination on parking, vendor placement, and use of the public-right-of-way; and
• Strengthening provisions related to public notice, permit conditions, cost recovery, cleanup, enforcement, and consideration of prior event history.
Consolidation and modernization
The ordinance further:
1. Consolidates and modernized regulation of public events by amending Chapter 25, Article V to create a unified Special Events ordinance applicable to parades, assemblies, shows, performances, carnivals, circuses, rodeos, block parties, and similar activities, and by repealing Chapter 5, Article IV, with its subject matter now addressed in the consolidated framework.
2. Clarifies purpose and ensures content-neutral administration by expressly stating that the ordinance is a reasonable time, place, and manner regulation intended to protect public health, safety, and welfare and manage limited public resources, without regard to the content or viewpoint of expressive activity.
3. Updates definitions and scope, adopts tier-based permit system with clear timelines and insurance requirements, standardizes procedures for application (including emergencies) and appeals, modernizes standards for issuance and modification, and provides updated enforcement tools, including permit revocation and immediate suspension authority where necessary to address imminent risks to public health or safety.
4. Incorporates special provisions for parking, amusement rides, temporary structures, food service, sanitary facilities, animal waste, trash disposal, police and EMS coverage, cleanup, insurance, and indemnification, so that all special events - including those historically regulated under “Shows, Etc.” - are subject to consistent, modern requirements.
By consolidating and updating these provisions, the ordinance creates a single, clear, and modern framework that is informed by stakeholder input, more transparent for organizers and businesses, and better aligned with current legal and operational standards.
THE ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED:
N/A
Which alternative is recommended? Why?
N/A
CONFORMITY TO CITY POLICY:
The proposed ordinance conforms to City policy by:
• Promoting public health, safety, and welfare;
• Ensuring consistent, transparent, and content-neutral regulation of public events; and
• Providing clear standards for the use of public property and City resources.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
What is the amount of the revenue/expenditure in the current fiscal year? For future years?
There is no direct expenditure associated with adopting this ordinance. The ordinance:
• Continues collection of event-related fees in accordance with the City’s adopted fee schedule;
• Clarifies and supports cost recovery for police, fire, EMS, sanitation, traffic control, and other City services when events require special attention and involvement of City personnel or facilities; and
• May create modest recurring revenue and cost-recovery opportunities, depending on the number and type of permitted events.
Is this a one-time or recurring revenue/expenditure?
Recurring and dependent on the volume and nature of special events.
Is this revenue/expenditure budgeted?
Yes. Revenues and expenditures related to special event permitting and associated City services are included in existing departmental budgets and fee structures.
If not, where will the money come from?
N/A
Is there a sufficient amount in the budgeted line-item for this revenue/expenditure?
N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the ordinance amending Chapter 25, Article V of the Code of Ordinances and repealing Chapter 5, Article IV, and replacing them with the updated Special Events Ordinance.
DEPARTMENTAL CLEARANCES:
Legal
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
Ordinance
Presentation