Council approves revisions to Special Events ordinance, clarifies quadricycle and pedicab boundaries

Savannah City Council on Oct. 24 approved amendments to the city’s Special Events Ordinance that expand staff authority to deny applications that do not meet requirements, permit shorter timelines for small events and revise vehicle boundaries used during parades and special events.

The ordinance changes were presented by Susan Broker, Director of Special Events, Film, and Tourism, who told the council the revisions “describe in more detail the definition of events and where they can occur” and give staff the authority to shorten timelines for smaller events. Alderman Bill Durrence moved to approve the ordinance and Alderman Julian Miller seconded; the motion carried unanimously.

Broker outlined specifics that the council discussed: the Quadricycle boundaries were modified so Oglethorpe Avenue becomes the southern boundary, allowing quadricycles to cross Bay Street into the Warehouse District; pedicab service boundaries were extended to Drayton Drive. Broker also clarified that staging and routing for the Savannah State University parade were not part of these ordinance changes.

A separate motion by Alderman Van R. Johnson II to treat Item #47 as a first reading only failed for lack of a second, leaving the ordinance approved as presented. The council did not specify any immediate implementation dates; staff will incorporate the revised boundary language and permitting procedures into the Special Events office workflow.

The ordinance update is intended to streamline permitting for small-scale events while retaining staff discretion to deny or more tightly regulate larger applications. The council discussed concerns about consistency and enforcement during the meeting; no vote was taken to delay implementation. The item will be administered by the Special Events, Film, and Tourism office under the changes outlined by Broker.