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Nogales reviews draft special‑events and facility‑use policy, seeks consistency for leagues and festivals
Summary
City Manager Joel Kramer presented a 60–70 page template for event permits and facility rentals, proposing a 60‑day reservation window, standard insurance and fees and an online reservation workflow. Councilors pressed for protections for longstanding community festivals and youth leagues.
City Manager Joel Kramer presented a draft special‑events and facility‑use policy to the Nogales City Council on Nov. 25, saying the 60–70 page template, drawn from practices in Tempe, Santa Clarita and Sierra Vista, is intended to standardize reservations, insurance and staffing for city properties.
Kramer told the council the draft would require a reservation window that defaults to 60 days for organizers who plan ahead but still allows shorter‑notice bookings if a facility is unreserved. He said nominal reservation fees of about $25–$30 would apply, and that events serving alcohol would need a permit and insurance (Kramer said the combined permit/insurance example in the draft would total roughly $100). Kramer also said police and fire staffing for events would be arranged and paid by event organizers through an online workflow (Workday) the city plans to implement.
Council members and community representatives pressed for equity and clarity. Several members said athletic leagues such as Little League and AYSO have historically been supported by the city and stressed that any new rules must be applied consistently so local youth programs can continue. A cultural arts representative sought assurance the city will continue to support Fiesta de Mayo, Cinco de Mayo and Día de los Muertos celebrations, noting the group spends about $12,000 annually on programming.
Kramer said the intent is not to eliminate community events but to protect taxpayers and reduce inconsistent in‑kind support, citing examples where the city provided services for free while other jurisdictions charged for similar services. He said the draft is a living document that can be tweaked and that staff will work with legal counsel, parks and recreation, police and fire to refine the policy.
No vote was taken; councilmembers agreed to continue discussing the draft. Kramer said he expected to move toward implementation within two months but left timing and final rules to the council’s decision.
