Title
Discussion: Carnival Regulations
Body
Issue/Request:
Provide direction to staff on the potential regulation of carnivals.
Background:
Public safety concerns at carnivals are increasingly prompting cities across the country to reevaluate how these events are regulated. Several interrelated risks consistently arise in the operation of carnivals and similar temporary events, including ride and attraction hazards, event scale and crowd-control challenges, disorderly behavior and security issues, and the strain such short-term, transient events place on local public-safety resources. Carnivals held in coordination with Downtown Days and Oktoberfest are no exception. These events present unique management and enforcement challenges due to their size, location, and temporary infrastructure.
The staff presentation will provide an overview of these public-safety issues, review how other jurisdictions have addressed them through regulatory updates, and outline potential options for the Community and Economic Development Committee (CEDC) to consider for possible incorporation into the City Code and/or Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).
Recommendation
Direct staff to proceed with preparation of a City/UDO Amendment to regulate carnivals, based on CEDC discussion.
Presenter
Ryan Elam, Assistant City Manager