Title
Recommendation to Accept a Status Update on the Special Events Grant Pilot Program. (Base Reuse and Economic Development 10061810)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On September 5, 2023, the Alameda City Council approved the development of the Special Event Grants Pilot Program (SEGPP), which formalizes the process by which the City of Alameda (City) provides subsidized services and materials to special events, including those associated with public safety, environmental stewardship, and City services and fees. Earlier this year, over $160,000 in grant funding was awarded to 14 special events to be held in the 2024-25 fiscal year. For the next year’s program, staff will make changes to the program guidelines to clarify eligibility, work to streamline the application process, and better publicize the program.
BACKGROUND
Special events have historically played a vital role in the City’s community and economy. In addition to being important traditions for many residents, they also attract visitors from around the Bay Area, generate revenue for businesses and raise the City’s regional profile. Many events are also fundraisers for local nonprofits.
Historically, the City provided informal subsidies to certain special events, such as the Downtown Alameda Art and Wine Faire, the Mayor’s 4th of July Parade, and other public fairs, races and performances. These subsidies took the form of free services (such as police security, traffic management or permitting assistance) and materials (such as road closure signs). While these informal subsidies reduced the costs for the organizers to comply with the City’s special event requirements, it also resulted in City departments having to cover those costs with their existing budgets.
In addition, there were no precise guidelines to determine which events would receive these subsidies. To provide event assistance in a more transparent and equitable manner, as well as reimburse the City departments providing the services, City Council approved the establishment of a SEGPP on September 5, 2023. This program provides funding for costs associated with special event permit requirements, with a focus on costs previously funded by the City.
The City Council appropriated $200,000 for the program from the General Fund Residual Fund Balance from Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2024, to fund the first year of the pilot program (for events being held in FY 2024-2025). Please note that the next round of grant funding for events held in FY 2025-26, will be funded from the FY 2024-25 budget, because the grant awards will be announced and the funds obligated in spring of 2025.
The program guidelines for events held in FY 2024-25 are described in Exhibit 1 and include:
• A requirement that all events must be organized by a registered non-profit organization and require a street closure or day-of city services.
• Specifics on the types of costs that are covered by the grant, such as police security, traffic control signs, and costs related to meeting the City’s Zero Waste and Clean Water requirements.
• Establishment of the maximum grant amount at $20,000 per event.
DISCUSSION
In spring of 2024, the City completed the first round of SEGPP grant funding, awarding a total of $161,139 to 14 separate events. Of the awarded funds, approximately 52 percent funded external services and materials (such as event greening, traffic control rentals and private security) and 48 percent funded City services and materials (such as police security, inspections and permitting fees, and no-parking signs).
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Fiscal Year 2024-25 Special Event Grant Pilot Program Grant Summary |
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Event |
Organization |
Final Grant Amount |
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4th of July Parade |
City of Alameda |
$20,000 |
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Alameda Pride in the Park |
City of Alameda and Alameda Pride |
$4,265 |
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All the Wayz Up |
ALL THE WAYZ UP |
$9,371 |
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|
APC Summerfest |
Alameda Point Collaborative |
$6,582 |
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Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Festival |
Forward Alameda Inc. |
$16,019 |
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Bandaloop |
West End Arts and Entertainment District |
$19,019 |
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Bike for the Parks |
City of Alameda |
$4,432 |
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Blue Brews + BBQ |
West End Arts and Entertainment District |
$11,480 |
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Downtown Alameda Art and Wine Faire |
Downtown Alameda Business Association |
$20,000 |
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Downtown Alameda Spring Market |
Downtown Alameda Business Association |
$10,067 |
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Downtown Alameda Winter Market |
Downtown Alameda Business Association |
$10,047 |
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FAHM Island Fest |
Legacies of the Pacific |
$17,689 |
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Radio Day by the Bay |
California Historical Radio Society |
$4,139 |
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Round the World Festival |
Rhythmix Cultural Works |
$8,028 |
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Total Amount Awarded |
$161,139 |
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External Services and Materials |
$84,576 |
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City Services + Materials |
$76,563 |
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Given the pilot nature of this program, staff requested feedback from applicants, grantees, City staff and other parties. As a result, staff plans to include the following revisions to the grant program guidelines for 2025-26 SEGPP:
• Clarify that events must be on public property to be eligible for the grant. This will ensure that events in City parks and at Alameda Point are eligible for grant funding, and clarify that events on private property, which do not typically require a Special Event Permit, are not eligible.
• Clarify that eligible events must require a Special Event Permit. This would ensure that the program continues to support event producers in complying with City special event requirements.
• Require all applicants to provide more detail about their approach to inclusive community engagement. This may include outreach efforts, free or donation-based entry, accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and/or other methods to ensure that a wide range of Alameda community members are able to attend or participate in the funded events. Commitment to inclusive community engagement is considered as part of the grant evaluation process.
• Allow non-profit organizations to fiscally sponsor grant applications by for-profit companies, for events that provide financial benefit to the non-profit. This would provide a pathway to grant eligibility for events that raise money for non-profits but would not otherwise be eligible for a grant because the organizer is a for-profit company.
• Set aside 15% of the Special Event Grants Fund ($30,000) to act as reserve for the Alameda Police Department (APD) to use for unexpected special event security needs. When reviewing a Special Event permit application, APD generally determines whether professional security is needed for the event and requires the event producer to provide the necessary level of security, if any. In some cases, however, a last-minute change in circumstances may call for increased security at the event, which APD has historically provided in the form of overtime officers at their own expense. This will fund the unanticipated overtime.
For example, the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting occurred one week before the 2019 Alameda Mini Maker Faire. Due to the increased threat level, APD provided additional overtime security at their own cost. More recently, APD provided last-minute overtime security for the Island Running Festival, after security concerns surfaced just prior to the event.
Overtime costs for last-minute event security start at a minimum of $1,032 (two officers for a 4-hour event) but can easily be much higher for large events with substantial traffic or crowd control needs. These funds could also be used to provide security for smaller events not requiring a Special Event permit, if APD determines there is a heightened safety and security risk.
In addition, staff plans to incorporate participant feedback on how to refine the application process, better publicize the grant program, and pursue consistency in special event permitting requirements.
Staff also received requests that the program guidelines be updated to include eligibility for:
• All for-profit event producers (including those that do not raise money for non-profits)
• Events on private property that do not require a special event permit
• A wider variety of more general special event costs, including those not required by the City
Given that these requests are not aligned with the origin and purpose of this program, staff does not plan to incorporate these changes at this time. However, staff plans to actively coordinate with the Public Art Program to align timing and outreach of this grant program with the Cultural Arts and Arts Programming program, to ensure that all applicants are aware of these complementary funding sources. Cultural Arts and Arts Programming grants can be used for events on private property and can fund a much wider range of costs.
Next Steps
Staff will incorporate changes and launch the next round of the Special Event Grants Pilot Program in early 2025. Funding of $200,000 was set aside for this program in the mid-cycle budget update.
Following the fiscal year 2025-26 SEGPP, the program will cease to be considered a pilot, and funding for future rounds will be requested as part of the biennial budget process.
ALTERNATIVES
This report is for information purposes only. No action is required. Any City Council input received will be considered for the SEGPP FY 26-27 events, based on program timing and marketing.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Funding for the fiscal year 2025-26 SEGPP was appropriated as part of the fiscal year 2024-25 mid-cycle budget update. Moving forward, funding for future rounds will be requested as part of the biennial budget process.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the 2018 Economic Development Strategic Plan, which directs staff to improve the City’s special event permitting processes, and implement changes to make permitting simpler, faster, more predictable, and more transparent by 2020 (Action Item 10.2).
In addition, the Plan also directs staff to discuss opportunities to attract more special events to market the City (Action Item 6.4).
This report also supports the City Strategic Plan Priority to Invest in Transportation, Infrastructure, Economic Opportunities and Historic Resources, specifically Project TIE28 to complete the revision for Special Event Permits.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” as defined in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378 and therefore no further CEQA analysis is required.
CLIMATE IMPACT
By supporting event organizers in meeting the City’s Zero Waste and Clean Water requirements, this program has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of participating events.
RECOMMENDATION
Accept a status update on the Special Events Grant Pilot Program.
Respectfully submitted,
Abigail Thorne-Lyman, Base Reuse and Economic Development Director
By,
Amanda Gehrke, Special Projects Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibit
1. Current Special Event Grant Program Guidelines