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Home My WebLink AboutED Street Closure; Parade of Lights 2015try of Agenda Item No: 3. f Meeting Date: October 5, 2015 SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Department: Economic Development Prepared by: Brian Auger Events Coordinator City Manager Approval: TOPIC: Temporary Street Closure for the Annual Parade of Lights and Winter Wonderland SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing a Temporary Street Closure for the Annual Parade of Lights and Winter Wonderland on A Street from Third Street to Fifth Avenue and Fourth Street from Lootens Place to B Street on November 27 and 28, 2015. RECOMMENDATION: Approve the Resolution BACKGROUND: Downtown will commence the Holiday Season with Marin County's favorite and largest annual holiday event, the Parade of Lights, Winter Wonderland, and Holiday Market. This will be the 36th year of this annual downtown event and the 26th year of the free snow sledding on "A" Street. This event is an incredible open house inviting the entire Bay Area, Marin residents and visitors to discover Downtown San Rafael. It essentially is our Winter Showcase. Marketing will include a "Shop Local" theme for Downtown Merchants. The Parade of Lights will start down Fourth Street at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, November 28th and end at Courthouse Square with the Tree Lighting Ceremony and visits with Santa in the Plaza. The Holiday Market will be held from 12 noon to 9 p.m. on Friday on Fourth Street between B Street and Lootens Place. Downtown BID members, vendors from the summer Downtown Market and other and seasonally appropriate vendors will be invited to be a part of this special Market. There will be Holiday entertainment and musical performances along Fourth Street and Santa's Village in the Plaza for children and their families to visit after the parade. The snow on A Street will be open on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, the snow will be open from noon to 4 p.m., close during the Parade of Lights and Tree Lighting Ceremony, re -open at approximately 6 p.m., and close for the evening at 8 p.m. The snow will reopen on Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon, or until the snow is no longer safe. A Public Works crew will remove the snow on Saturday afternoon. FOR CITY CLERK ONLY File No.: ( /-1 Council Meeting: Disposition: /C -Ion/ SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2 This event will be a coordinated effort with the City's event staff, the San Rafael Police and Fire Departments and the Department of Public Works. ANALYSIS: The Parade of Lights/Winter Wonderland Celebration is a much loved traditional event of the Holiday Season enjoyed by thousands of residents and visitors of all ages. It is a unique and colorful event providing some attendees with their first experience with snow. This is an event for everyone and should be preserved for future generations. In 2006 the Redevelopment Agency staff issued a Request for Proposals for production of the event, and Steven Restivo Event Services, Inc. , a Downtown San Rafael business, was deemed to be the most qualified event producer. Steven Restivo successfully produced the Parade of Lights /Winter Wonderland Celebration under contract to the City of San Rafael between 2006 and 2011. The City contracted amount was $25,000 for 2009, $22,500 for 2010 and $20,000 for 2011. The multi-year contract provided for a reduction in City support each year with the anticipation that the event promoter would undertake a sponsorship program. Agency staff and the event promoter did not expect that sponsorships would ever supersede the annual $20,000 Agency contribution. Discussions with potential sponsors did not succeed in securing commitments for any large financial contribution because it is primarily a one day event. When the Redevelopment Agency was dissolved in 2012, the City Council did not authorize City General Fund support for events. The shortfall was made up through the Target Settlement agreement which provided $50,000 per year for Downtown legacy events between 2012 and 2017. The Target committee is currently accepting applications for the fourth year (2016) of that five year agreement. Steve Restivo Event Services has annually requested $20,000 of Target funds and each year the Committee has approved $15,000 leaving a shortfall that has been made up by minimal sponsorships and by Steve Restivo Event Services. This has resulted in an annual revenue loss to the promoter. Restivo Event Services has indicated that in the future they may not be able to continue the event without increased funding and/or sponsorship. All of our Downtown events require some level of financial support. The most common sources of financial support are a combination of ticket sales, alcohol sales and sponsorships. The City has designated this event and the Downtown Market as "family friendly" and prohibited the promoter from charging the public or selling alcohol. Staff agrees with this family friendly designation but notes that the lack of revenue from those sources makes it more difficult to interest an event producer for those events. COMMUNITY OUTREACH & Marketing: To be performed by the event producer, Steve Restivo Event Services. FISCAL IMPACT: Currently costs to San Rafael Police services, Public Works and other City Departments are under $2,500. The San Rafael Parking Services Division provides staff time to install the "No Parking" signs, and there is some lost meter revenue. All of these items are included in the current approved Departmental budgets. In the last two years, the expense for the Holiday Tree light installation (a $1,200 expense) has been donated by the City's electrical contractor, DC Electric. It is unknown how long this donation will continue but is expected to continue through the 2015 season. In the past, a combination of donations and City funds has been used to light the Holiday Tree at Courthouse Square. SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3 OPTIONS: 1. Approve resolution as drafted. 2. Approve resolution with modifications. 3. Direct staff to return with more information. 4. Take no action. ATTACHMENTS: Resolution RESOLUTION NO. 14021 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A TEMPORARY STREET CLOSURE FOR THE ANNUAL PARADE OF LIGHTS AND WINTER WONDERLAND ON A STREET FROM THIRD STREET TO FIFTH AVENUE AND FOURTH STREET FROM LOOTENS PLACE TO B STREET ON NOVEMBER 27 AND 28, 2015. WHEREAS, the Annual Parade of Lights and Winter Wonderland necessitates the temporary closure of city streets as specified below: 1. "A" Street between Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue and Julia Street between "A" and "B" Streets from 5 a.m. on Friday, November 27, thru Saturday, November 28, at 6 p.m. for the snow play area. Streets will re -open after snow is removed on Saturday afternoon. 2. "A" Street from the parking garage drive way to Fourth Street from 7 a.m. on Friday, November 27, thru Saturday, November 28, at 6 p.m. for additional activities. 3. Fourth Street between Lootens and "B" Streets for the tree lighting event and special Holiday Market on Friday, November 28, from 11:30am (set-up) to 9 p.m. 4. Fourth Street between "B" and "F" Streets for the Parade of Lights event on Friday, November 27, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Parade Notice Postings will be attached to meters to notify drivers of parking restrictions. 5. "E" Street between Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, November 27, for Parade assembly; and WHEREAS, after reviewing plans for the event and the traffic patterns, City staff has determined and recommended that, in the interest of the safety and welfare of pedestrian and auto traffic in the Downtown area, the above streets should be temporarily closed to through traffic for the dates and times indicated; NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS: 1. That all of the above findings are true and correct; 2. That, pursuant to the authority of Vehicle Code section 21101(e), for the safety and protection of persons, both pedestrians and vehicle drivers, the City Council hereby authorizes the temporary closure of the above listed streets for the dates and times described above. I, Esther C. Beirne, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of San Rafael, held on Monday, the fifth day of October, 2015, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: Councilmembers: Bushey, Colin, Gamblin, -McCullough & Mayor Phillips NOES: Councilmembers: None ABSENT: Councilmembers: None 2s7�-�K G _ %fie ,ems ESTHER C. BEIRNE, City Clerk ROUTING SLIP / APPROVAL FORM INSTRUCTIONS: Use this cover sheet with each submittal of a staff report before approval by the City Council. Save staff report (including this cover sheet) along with all related attachments in the Team Drive (T:) 4 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS 4 AGENDA ITEM APPROVAL PROCESS 4 [DEPT - AGENDA TOPIC] Agenda Item # Date of Meeting: 10/5/2015 From: Brian Auger Department: Economic Development Date: 9/23/2015 Topic: Temporary Street Closure for the Annual Parade of Lights and Winter Wonderland Subject: Resolution Authorizing a Temporary Street Closure for the Annual Parade of Lights and Winter Wonderland on A Street from Third Street to Fifth Avenue and Fourth Street from Lootens Place to B Street on November 27 and 28, 2015. Type: ® Resolution ❑ Ordinance ❑ Professional Services Agreement ® Other: Staff Report APPROVALS ® Finance Director Remarks: MM - Approved 9/25/15 ® City Attorney Remarks: LG -Approved 9/24/15 with minor revisions. 9 Author, review and accept City Attorney / Finance changes Remarks: ❑ City Manager Remarks: