Festival Park Security Overhaul: Council Directs Clear-Bag Enforcement at Next Major Event

Brooke Redding of the city manager's office presented a revised Festival Park security protocol created with police, parks and recreation and event organizers. The framework uses a four-tier system tied to expected attendance: Tier 1 (up to 1,000 attendees) and Tier 2 (1,000–2,000) use controlled entry, selective wanding and light bag checks; higher tiers use gated access, magnetometers and mandatory bag checks.

Redding estimated that the city-sponsored large-event security posture implemented in fiscal 2026 would cost roughly $90,000, with an anticipated recurring FY27 budget of about $60,000 to cover city-sponsored events. She told council the city has implemented magnetometers and standardized signage and is phasing in a clear-bag policy with the goal of full implementation by New Year’s, but staff agreed to accelerate enforcement for the Dogwood Fall Festival in two weeks.

Council members raised concerns the policy might price out small event organizers and urged staff to track impacts on first-time or smaller organizers. Manager Hewitt and staff acknowledged the municipal service district (MSD) does not fully self-fund and that shifting police overtime funding to other uses would need a broader conversation about vacancies and budget priorities.

Council directed staff to implement the clear-bag enforcement at the Dogwood Fall Festival, continue after-action reviews of recent events to refine the protocol, and return with an administrative report summarizing outcomes and any implementation issues.

Next steps: Staff will implement clear-bag enforcement at the Dogwood Fall Festival and provide an administrative after-action report to council summarizing magnetometer performance, enforcement outcomes and any impacts on event organizers.