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Council leans toward condensing Pismo Classic Car Show; keeps target of about 650 vehicles and recommends 3+2 contract term
Summary
After a lengthy presentation and public input, council gave staff direction to aim for a more condensed downtown footprint (Doliver/Tolliver) if public safety sign‑off supports it, maintain roughly 650 vehicles, and pursue a three‑year contract with a two‑year extension option for the Classic Car Show; staff will develop traffic plans and specific performance language for the vendor agreement.
The Pismo Beach City Council on March 17 directed staff to pursue refinements to the annual Classic Car Show that prioritize public safety and reduce the event footprint, while preserving the event's economic benefits.
Mr. Jackson (speaker 20) told council the Classic Car Show—entering its 40th year—currently generates about $100,000 in direct city revenues and is estimated to create approximately $1.7 million in local economic activity. Staff recommended evaluating whether to condense the show from Price Street to Doliver/Tolliver to centralize operations and improve emergency access, and proposed requiring a third‑party, traffic‑engineer‑stamped traffic control plan and passing traffic control costs to the promoter.
"This year will be its fortieth year," Jackson said, outlining options for the agreement term, cost recovery and a possible $10,000 traffic‑control setup estimate (about $4,500 of that was for plan setup). He told council staff counted about 650–690 vehicles on Saturday and that the promoter has historically reported higher numbers on occasion.
Council and public discussion focused on emergency access, parking and vendor staging, particularly the problem of trailers taking parking spaces. Police staff (commander, speaker 21) said consolidating the footprint could improve responder access and allow more concentrated staffing, and public works staff (speaker 22) provided a cleanup cost estimate of about $7,200.
Public commenters urged retaining the event's economic benefits and cautioned against heavy-handed changes. A longtime downtown resident who attends every show said major problems have been rare and warned against micromanaging the event in a way that produces unintended consequences.
Council voiced three clear directions: keep the event's vehicle cap near the current staff target (~650 cars) and its economic role; pursue a condensed Doliver/Tolliver footprint if public safety concurs; and seek a vendor contract term that balances promoter stability and council oversight—staff recommended a three‑year agreement with a two‑year extension (3+2), and council asked that termination and performance metrics be explicit in the contract.
Staff will produce an engineered traffic layout for council and public safety to review and will include more specific contract language on performance and termination in the eventual RFP and vendor agreement. The council did not vote formally on specific footprint or fees at the meeting but provided clear direction to staff.
