City Council Meeting Date: August 4, 2020
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Deb Little, City Clerk
Title
Consider Community Event In-Kind Grant Support.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council:
1. Approves in-kind community grant support and events as shown on attachment 1 (Crazy Daze and DJJD one-day event) subject to the current Governor’s orders including, but not limited to, to gathering size, physical distancing, sanitation procedures, and submission of a COVID Preparedness Plan for the event;
2. Determines that the events 1) promote the health, safety and welfare of the city, and 2) do not have as its primary objective the benefit of a private interest; and
3. Approves a temporary change to the Community Events Policy by allowing costs for the City delivery and return of barricades to be in kind grant eligible for the events as shown on attachment 1 due to COVID-19; and
4. Authorizes staff to enter into license agreements with event sponsors using the City’s cooperative license agreement template for community events subject to approval of the Chief of Police that the event meets all current pandemic related requirements.
Summary Report:
The 2020 budget includes $46,500 for community event in-kind grant support. Staff is reviewing events based on the current Governor’s Executive Orders. Event approvals are subject to submission of a COVID Preparedness Plan for the event, meeting current executive orders regarding gathering size, physical distancing and sanitizing guidelines. Event sponsors have requested the use of in kind grant funds be permitted for City delivery and return of barricades. These costs are not in kind grant eligible according to the policy. The City Council can temporarily allow these costs to be in kind grant eligible due to COVID-19 and the impacts on events and businesses. There are sufficient funds remaining in the in kind grant program to cover these costs.
The community events page on the City’s website contains the policy and related information and can be viewed here: <http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/Index.aspx?NID=628> or through the link in attachment 2.
In 2015, Council authorized staff to enter into license agreements with event sponsors using the City’s standard cooperative license agreement template for community events. As noted above, this process is proposed for 2020. Other than minor technical updates, the agreement template has remained the same.
Additional approvals and requests for in-kind grant support will be brought to Council at a future date as needed. Requested deviations from the community events policy or standard license agreement will be brought back to Council for review and consideration.
Alternative Options:
City Council could modify or deny the proposed event and/or in-kind grant awards by not temporarily allowing City delivery and pickup of barricade costs to be in kind grant eligible and requiring sponsors to pay for this service or find volunteers to provide the service.
Financial Impacts:
The 2020 budget includes $46,500 for community event in-kind grant support. The requests to-date total $7,000 as shown on attachment 1. City costs for delivery and pickup of barricades are as follows:
• Crazy Daze = $525
• DJJD = $436
These costs have been included in the proposed in kind grant awards. If Council chooses to not temporarily allow these costs, the grant awards would be reduced by the above amounts.
Tentative Timelines:
N/A