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Council discusses mass-gathering permits and whether event organizers should pay policing and fire detail costs
Summary
Staff reported roughly $17,319 in personnel costs for non‑city events this year and said collected reimbursements total about $5,961. The existing mass-gathering ordinance allows police and fire to require on‑site personnel "at the applicant's expense," but staff asked council to clarify billing policy and how to handle free-speech events.
City staff told councilors at a workshop that the city has spent or is committed to about $17,319 on outside public-safety details for various non‑city events this year while collecting about $5,961 in reimbursement from event sponsors.
The police and fire presentation noted that Section 4.12 of the mass-gathering ordinance permits the police and fire departments to require personnel at an event "at the applicant's expense" as a condition of approval, with an exception for events put on directly by the city or school. Staff raised practical questions about consistent billing, permit requirements, thresholds for requiring details and how to treat speech events that raise public-safety staffing needs but present free-speech considerations.
Staff and councilors discussed whether the fee schedule and billing policy should be clarified in the ordinance or by administrative policy, how upfront payment should be handled for events that require many officers, and whether certain community events should continue to be subsidized by municipal funds. Staff gave an example of a recent parade where organizers paid an estimated $3,400 upfront for required details.
Ending: Staff recommended clarifying the city’s billing policy for required public-safety details, bringing clearer cost-recovery or subsidy guidance to the council as part of next year’s budget and permit-process review.
