OLD BUSINESS  3.

COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM

HISTORY:

A City of Miami Beach Permit is required for special events, defined as a temporary use on public or private property that would not be permitted generally or without restriction throughout a zoning district, but would be permitted if controlled with special review. Applications are processed on a “first come, first serve” basis unless otherwise provided for under the booking policy. Currently applicants must generally provide sixty (60) days’ notice for public use and thirty (30) days’ notice for private use. The special event process is a review and approval procedure in which all aspects of an event are coordinated through internal and community reviews. 

In 1988, the City Commission approved a set Special Events Requirements and Guidelines (“Guidelines”) for any applicant who wishes to hold a special event in the City of Miami Beach. The Guidelines were designed to help guide applicants through the process of applying for a Special Events Permit and ensure minimal disruption to the impacted, surrounding environment/community.

In 1995, via Resolution No. 95-21684, several revisions to the guidelines were adopted, but the procedures set forth did not adequately address a variety of issues associated with the production of special events.

In 1998, via Resolution No. 98-23003, the guidelines were amended to incorporate direction received from neighborhood associations, property owners and citizen groups.  Subsequently, in 2001, Ordinance No. 2001-3302, and the corresponding Resolution No. 2001-24341, were adopted by the City Commission, which codified the Special Event permit process and adopted separate guidelines with procedures, requirements and criteria for the issuance of permits for special events in Miami Beach.

In July 2005, additional amendments were made to the City Code and to the Guidelines relating to the definition of a special event, consecutive day clause, permit application deadlines, neighborhood review and fines associated with the special event permit.

In 2008, via Resolution 2008-26908, additional amendments to the Guidelines were made pursuant to recommendations from the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee and direction of the City Commission, regarding trying to generate additional revenue for the City, with the addition of Temporary Sampling Permits.

In 2012, via Resolution 2012-3783, the Enforcement provisions of Guidelines permitting were strengthened, and a detailed fine structure implemented; and via Resolution 2012-28042, numerous Guidelines revisions were approved, to clarify the process and restrict public uses during high impact periods such as Spring Break and Memorial Day Weekend.

At the October 18, 2017 City Commission Meeting, the Guidelines were referred to the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee (“FCWPC”) meeting to explore possible revisions.

During the February 23, 2018 FCWPC meeting, staff were directed to conduct community outreach and gather industry feedback. City staff conducted three industry meetings on July 16 and August 30, 2018.  The Industry feedback from these two meetings were captured in the updated guidelines.

 On March 15, 2019, Tourism and Culture held a final meeting with the industry, where all proposed changes were discussed in detail, and were approved.

GOAL OF REVISIONS

1. To streamline applications by implementing EnerGov

2. To revise the “Booking Policy”

3. To include mandatory Resident Benefit

4. To include and promote Sustainability Enhancements

5. To Updated Proposed Parking Policies

6. To create a list of Miami Beach public venues

7. To implement “Venue Frequency Chart”

8. To create a new fee schedule for North Convention Center Park and Main Convention Center Park

9. To create Standardized Building Templates

ANALYSIS:

Over the course of the last year, the Tourism and Culture Department has worked with various City departments to update and streamline the Special Event Guidelines, to implement an online system for applications and processing, and to implement new documents which will help educate the industry and protect residents.

Below, you will find the recommended changes to the special event guidelines as reviewed with the industry.  For more detailed information on these updates, please refer to the attachment “SPEV GUIDELINE REVISION EXPLANATIONS”. The changes were widely accepted at the March 15, 2019 industry meeting.

REVISE THE “BOOKING POLICY”

  Public Property – All Events

Requires ninety (90) days’ notice (currently 60 days), provided all requirements are met.

Private Property – Large Events

Requires sixty (60) days’ notice (currently 30 days), provided all requirements are met.

Private Property – Small Events

Requires thirty (30) days’ notice (currently 30 days) provided all requirements are met.

INCLUDE MANDATORY RESIDENT BENEFIT

 All public events will require a resident benefit, defined as a quantitative and tangible benefit to the residents and local community (ex: discounted tickets, educational programming, senior benefit, donation to public benefit fund, beach cleanup)

 INCLUDE AND PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY ENHANCEMENTS

 New standards to prohibit plastic straws / stir sticks, glass, Styrofoam, plastic bags, and to promote biodegradable products, reusable utensils, alternative fuel sources, bicycle valet services, car-pooling.

 UPDATE PARKING POLICIES

 Tourism and Culture, along with the Parking Department, have proposed to use “space rentals” and “freight loading zones” to load and unload event production.

 CREATE A LIST OF MIAMI BEACH PUBLIC VENUES

 Tourism and Culture has created a list of all public venues within the City of Miami Beach to offer top level specifications to aide in ease of use.  Such specifications include capacity, common uses, amenities, limitations and regulations).  For more details, please reference the attachment “SPEV VENUE LIST”

 IMPLEMENT A “VENUE FREQUENCY CHART

 Tourism and Culture has created a venue frequency chart, which will give the administration and event producers, a snapshot of requirements and limitations for each public space and to ensure that public spaces in high demand, do not experience ‘User Fatigue’.  For more details, please reference the attachment “SPEV FREQUENCY USE CHART”.

 CREATE A NEW FEE SCHEDULE FOR NORTH CONVENTION CENTER PARK AND MAIN CONVENTION CENTER PARK

 The administration believes that all Park and User fees for City parks needs to be examined in more detail, but for the purpose of this revision, we have included costs for the Convention Center Parks (North and South) as $0.40/ per sq. foot, plus CPI for the first fifteen (15) days of use, which is comparable to current rates for that space.  After fifteen (15) days, users would pay an additional $0.02 per square foot. This rate is relevant to the rates of similar public facilities including Bayfront Park.

 All other City Park spaces remain the same at $0.25 per square foot, plus CPI until further notice.

 CREATE STANDARDIZED BUILDING TEMPLATES

 To increase speed of permit approvals as they pertain to the Building Department, the City of Miami Beach will accept standard details, prepared by a licensed Florida engineer, to be used by the same producer for re-curring or annual events during the same Florida Building Code Edition (every three years, with the current edition ending on December 31^st 2020)

 Currently, producers are required to submit a new set of detailed engineered drawings with every permit application, for review by Building.

 For a detailed line by line edit of the Special Event Guidelines, please reference the attachment “SPEV GUIDELINE REVISIONS – STRIKE THROUGH”.  Also attached, please find “SPEV GUIDELINE REVISIONS – CLEAN” which will give you the updated guidelines, with all edits made.

CONCLUSION:

The Administration recommends that the FCWPC approve and accept the special event guideline revisions and refer them to the Mayor and Commission for final approval and implementation.