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Highlands amends outdoor‑event permit process; police chief sign-off added
Summary
The town adopted a revised rental-permit application and updated outdoor recreation policy, making security requirements discretionary based on event size and requiring police chief sign-off for events flagged for extra resources.
The Town of Highlands Board of Commissioners voted to adopt a revised rental-permit application and to amend the town’s outdoor recreation policy to formalize how outdoor events are permitted and managed.
Under the revisions approved by the board, parks and recreation staff may issue rental permits for routine events when alcohol is not involved and all application requirements are met. For larger events or events that raise safety concerns, the permit will require additional information and may come before the board. The board specifically removed a provision that tied private-security requirements only to alcohol service; instead, the town attorney and board agreed security requirements will be discretionary based on event size and conditions. The revised forms will also include a signature line for the police chief when an application requires police review.
Town Attorney Nick, who drafted the revised application at staff request, told commissioners the changes will provide protections for the town and clarify when an event must be reviewed by the board. He summarized the new workflow: routine, small events without alcohol can be approved by the parks and recreation director; larger events or any event involving alcohol will be routed for additional review and may require insurance, private security, or additional police resources.
Police Officer McCall and the chief advised the board that public-safety planning for large concentrations of people — for example, July 4 crowds — requires more police presence and that a chief sign-off on large or alcohol-related events will help staff set levels of coverage and private-security needs.
The board approved the changes as amended and directed the town attorney to finalize the language. The attorney was instructed to remove the alcohol-only trigger for private-security requirements and to add the chief-signature requirement before staff implements the new permit workflow.
Ending: The town attorney will return a final permit form and related policy language reflecting the board’s edits. Parks staff and police will then implement the new intake and review process.
