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Parks advisory committee approves new Special Events Guide after debate over banners, fees and Spanish version
Summary
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee on Dec. 10 voted to approve a consolidated Special Events Guide and application intended to standardize permitting, add safety requirements and clarify staff/organizer responsibilities; members pressed staff on pole‑banner access, insurance for small organizers and a Spanish translation, which staff agreed to add.
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee approved a revised Special Events Guide and application at its Dec. 10 meeting in Fernandina Beach, adopting a package of changes staff says will make permitting clearer for organizers and reduce staff workload.
Deputy Director Katie Rivera, who presented the consolidated document, said the city began the review in November 2023 and worked with the special‑events committee and legal staff to combine existing materials into a single application. “I took all the special events documents that we already had, and I consolidated them into an easier document to kinda work off of,” Rivera said, and walked the panel through recent changes: example fencing for areas where alcohol is sold, required parking plans, personnel and restroom staffing matrices, an amplified‑sound chart drawn from the ordinance, a limit of 20 cones/barricades the city will provide (organizers must rent additional units), and inclusion of the parade application inside the general form.
The committee praised the guide as more thorough than prior materials but pressed staff on operational details. Members asked whether the city could offer an insurance option for individuals or small organizers who lack a nonprofit carrier; Rivera said she would ask the city’s risk/insurance staff and follow up. Members also sought clarity on fees — Rivera said fees will be set via the city fee schedule and that staff will add a page linking to the fee schedule so organizers can find updated amounts easily.
A recurring point of contention was downtown pole banners. Parks staff proposed reserving street pole banners on Center Street for nine city co‑sponsored events to reduce the parks division’s repeated labor of installing and removing banners. Committee members urged staff to explore waivers or a priority window for local nonprofits, limit the number of monthly changes, or allow private contractors to perform installations under city oversight; staff said specs for banner size will be provided and that any contractor solution would need to address insurance and working‑on‑city‑property requirements.
The panel also secured a commitment that the guide and application will be made available in Spanish. At least one member urged that given Fernandina Beach’s growing Spanish‑speaking population, translations would help remove barriers to participation; staff replied “Done” when members asked for a Spanish version.
Votes at a glance - Approval of Nov. 2024 minutes: passed by voice vote (ayes announced). - Approval of the Special Events Guide and application: motion moved and seconded; roll call recorded affirmative votes from Member Spalding, Member Frosting, Member Kochery, Chair Camara, Member Landry, Member Goldstein and Member Wally; Chair declared the motion approved.
What happens next Staff will forward the approved guide and application, plus the committee’s recommendations on pole banners, insurance options and inclusion of a fee‑schedule page, to the city commission for final consideration. Staff also committed to reporting back with follow‑up on insurance options for individual organizers and any recommended banner‑installation procedures.
