Administration recommends adopting the resolution.

BACKGROUND

The City of Miami Beach hosts a number of major special events celebrating the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning ("LGBTQ") community, including the Circuit Beach Party 2018 (formally known as the "White Party"). Annually, Twist South Beach, founded in 1993, participates in the former White Party (now known as the Circuit Beach Party) and serves   as a friendly and welcoming environment where people from around the world can meet and have a great time as well as a well-known establishment in South Beach for 20+ years running.

In the City's Major Events Plan and Special Event Guidelines, Circuit Beach Party 2018 occurs during a designated "major event period" which make this event eligible for the extension of alcoholic beverage service hours, subject to the conditions established in the City Code; in order to address the special circumstances for this celebration, which occurs on Thanksgiving Weekend, and during other major event days and weekends within the City of Miami Beach, the Mayor and City Commission codified, in Section 6-3(a)(6) of the City Code, an established policy of allowing alcoholic beverage establishments with a 5:00 a.m. liquor license to continue to sell and serve alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption until 7:00 a.m. during designated major event days or weekends, subject to those conditions set forth in Section 6-3(a)(6).

The City did not receive requests from any establishment prior to the November 14, 2018 City Commission meeting for extension of the time to sell and serve alcoholic beverages, from 5 am to 7 am. In previous years, the producer of the former White Party would make the official request and it was consistently approved. However, with the recent sell of the event to Circuit Beach Party, the new owners were unaware of the submittal requirements.

On November 15, 2018, the City received a request from Twist South Beach  for extension of time.  Since there was not a Commission meeting between November 15 and November 25, and given consistent commission approval in prior years, the Administration approved the request and is seeking retroactive approval from the Commission.