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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 1997 0903 CC REG ITEM 10K56t3, I (� ISM I o. K . CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT CITY OF MOORPARK TO: The Honorable City Council CTN OF MOORPARY, CALEFORNIA City C il Mating FROM: Shelly Shellabarger, Recreation Superintendent _ of t99 7 ACTION: ? DATE: August 22, 1997 (City Council Meeting of September 3, 19n'71 BY. SUBJECT: Review July 3rd Fireworks Event Evaluation Summary The City Council is being asked to review the 1997 July 3rd Fireworks Committee's event evaluation. This report includes the history of the event, a description of the 1997 event, a brief review of the management of fireworks shows in neighboring jurisdictions and the committee review and recommendations for future events. Background On March 7, the City Council committed $5,000 towards the 1997 Fireworks Event, appointed Councilmember Wozniak as the City's representative to the fireworks committee, directed that the committee proceed with solicitation of donations and that staff report back to the Council regarding the status of fundraising efforts. On May 21, staff reported the status of the fireworks committee's effort to raise event donations. Due to the low donation activity, the Council committed an additional $5,700 towards the event, bringing the City's contribution to $10,700, and directed the fireworks committee to proceed with the 1997 July 3 event. Additionally, Council directed that the committee provide an evaluation of the 1997 event and recommendations for future fireworks events. This agenda report serves that purpose. Event History In 1995 the Ventura County Star approached Moorpark Unified School District, the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce and the City, with a proposal for co- sponsoring a community fireworks show. The four entities co- sponsored this event which was held at the high school football stadium. In 1996 the Star declined to co- sponsor the event but donated $1,000. The co- sponsors were the School District, the Chamber and the City. Business sponsors were solicited to help offset costs. Once again, the event was held at the high school football stadium. Holding the event at the stadium created additional work to ensure minimal impacts to the track and turf area. Spectators were not allowed on AA97ERFIR5. WPD p0o394 1997 Fireworks Event Evaluation Page 2 the turf or track area. At the post event evaluation meeting, the School District representative requested that the committee identify an alternate site for future events. The 1997 event was scheduled to take place at Arroyo Vista Community Park. Though the School District and the Chamber were again listed as co- sponsors, the City assumed the lead for funding, planning and organizing the event. With the exception of $4,500, the City funded the cost of the Fireworks Event. The Chamber assisted with obtaining insurance (which was reimbursed by the City) and donated the use of some event supplies. The School District agreed to allow the use of Moorpark High School parking lots at no cost. 1997 Fireworks Event Description The 1997 Fireworks Show took place on July 3, 1997. The gates opened at 6:00 pm and the concert began at 7:00 pm. The twenty minute fireworks show began at about 9:05 p.m. Activities took place at Arroyo Vista Community Park and neighboring parks. Community organizations signed up to sell food, sodas, candy and other items. At Arroyo Vista Community Park exclusively, the activities included a rock & roll concert featuring The Hodads and carnival games. The event was free to the public. Based on input from Moorpark Police, event volunteers and staff, it is estimated that over 8,000 people enjoyed the show at Arroyo Vista and the outlying sites. The City depends in large part on volunteers to carry out many of the functions needed to run the event. Organizations that volunteered included Moorpark Rotary (security), Moorpark Kiwanis (security), Moorpark Presbyterian Church (clean up), Girl Scout Troop 916 (carnival games), Shiloh Church (carnival games). HAM operator services were provided by RACES. Radios were donated by Evans Trade Show Management and security jackets were donated by the Chamber of Commerce. John Casillas and Todd Henderson, two of the City's EMTs, also volunteered at this year's event. Other support services included parking and traffic control, provided by the Moorpark Police Explorers and the Ventura County Sheriffs Department, and the Fire Department sent a unit from Station 40 to cover this event. A 40 cubic yard bin and 20 trash containers were donated by Moorpark Rubbish. Additionally, this event depends on securing a number of vendors so that the attending public can purchase and enjoy food and drink items. As in the past, local nonprofit organizations were invited to submit an application to operate food booths. Once the interested groups were confirmed, we solicited for - profit businesses to create a balance in our food item offerings and ensure that there were enough vendors to satisfy the expected turn out. At this year's event, there were six nonprofit groups and three local businesses providing food services to our visitors. A:\97ERFIR5.VvTD 000335 1997 Fireworks Event Evaluation Page 3 Consistent with past Fireworks Events, the Ad Hoc Committee was tasked with securing donations to offset the costs of the event. The committee succeeded in raising a total of $4,500 from the following donors: Kavlico Corporation ($1,000), the Ventura County Star ($1,000), CT Financial ($500), Blue Cross of California ($500), Charles Abbott & Associates ($500), Moorpark Rubbish Disposal ($250), Vortech Engineering, Inc. ($250), XP Systems ($250) and Marketplace Properties ($250). Staff originally estimated that the costs for the 1997 Fireworks Event would be approximately $14,000. Actual costs for the event were approximately $11,000. Some of the savings can be attributed to the use of Sheriffs Explorers and reserve officers in place of sheriff deputies. To implement the recommendations of the committee (below), staff estimates that the appropriate budget for the 1998 Fireworks Event is closer to $15,000. Since the fireworks event falls so close to the beginning of the fiscal year, expenses typically occur in two fiscal budgets. Expenditures associated with deposits to secure the fireworks company, band, advertising and some minimal supplies (pre -event expenses) are paid in the months of May and June. All other remaining expenses are paid in July and August. Of the $11,000 spent on the 1997 fireworks event, the City expended approximately $3,000 in fiscal year 1996/1997 on pre -event expenses. Staff anticipates that the City will incur about the same amount of pre -event expense in 1998 and, therefore, no additional funds are needed in the FY 1997/1998 budget. Event Participation in Other Jurisdictions Staff has contacted individuals in other Ventura County jurisdictions to gather information about how their fireworks events are coordinated, and what role the local public agency plays. The Simi Valley Rotary and Rancho Simi Valley Recreation and Park District have collaborated for 27 years of the Simi Valley fireworks event. Over the years, the Rotary has taken on a progressively larger role in the event. In 1997, the district's involvement was minimal. The City of Simi Valley assists with permits and provides police services for security and traffic control at no cost to the event organizers. The City of Ojai participates in the Ojai fireworks event at a nominal level by providing insurance and police services at no cost to the event coordinators. The Ojai Independence Day Committee, an independent non -profit organization, raises money to pay for the fireworks and coordinates the event. Staff is in the process of surveying the City of Thousand Oaks /Conejo Recreation and Parks District, Pleasant Valley Park and Recreation District (Camarillo) and the City of Ventura on the organization of their fireworks events. A:\97ERFIR5.WPD 000396 1997 Fireworks Event Evaluation Page 4 Committee Recommendations For Future Events The 1997 fireworks committee included Councilman John Wozniak, Rick Tate of RACES, Debra Ryono, member at- large, Maibelle Ramirez from Moorpark Unified School District and, City of Moorpark Community Services Department staff members. The committee also had input from the City's police representatives. The committee met on July 17 to conduct an evaluation of the event and identify recommendations for the future. Due to a conflict in his schedule, Councilmember John Wozniak was not able to attend this meeting. The following memorializes the committee's discussion and recommendations: Over all the committee was pleased with many aspects of the event. • Location: Arroyo Vista Community Park offers the perfect venue for this event. Wide open grass areas encourage informal picnicking and interaction between groups. The on- site facility provides restrooms and a secure staging area for volunteers and security. Amenities such as play equipment for children, access to electricity and controlled access makes this park perfect for an event of this size. • Traffic Control: The flow and manageability of traffic, for this event was excellent. The layout of the parking facilities, combined with the expertise of the Sheriff s department made the ingress and egress quick and well controlled. • The Fireworks Show: Unlike past years, there were no major problems with this year's show. The start time was not delayed, the fireworks fired without a hitch and the clean up sweep produced no problem shells. The Fire Department was in attendance and reported no problems with this year's show. In fact, the Fire Marshall used Moorpark's July 3 show as a training session for his staff. • Security Lighting: This year the committee rented security lighting to be placed strategically throughout the field to assist patrons in finding their way safely to the parking lot. The lights were conservatively priced and a definite asset to the safety of the event. • Volunteer Coordinator: This year a volunteer coordinator was implemented to direct and assign the security teams, coordinate communications and manage equipment check in and out. This position was an excellent addition to the volunteer team. Furthermore, the security volunteers performance is to be commended. They did a wonderful job directing traffic, manning the perimeter and assisting with crowd control. A:\97ERFIR5.WPD OW39' 1997 Fireworks Event Evaluation Page 5 Recommendations include the following: Though Moorpark enjoys a number of active community groups, none of the groups have emerged as a lead for an event of this magnitude. Additionally, these active groups are committed to a number of community activities which further hampers their ability to take over this event. Therefore, the Committee recommends that this event be a City sponsored and funded event. While this event would be sponsored and funded by the City, an event of this magnitude cannot be a success without a wholehearted community effort. This means enlisting the support of community groups to serve on a planning committee and assisting with the event as well as soliciting donations and support from local businesses. In order to effectively plan and implement this event, the Committee recommends that City Council, at this time, commit to sponsoring and funding this event and direct staff to form a committee to begin the planning process. Planning for this event should begin nine months preceding the event. The committee should begin meeting in January. In future, the City should commit to holding this event at the start of the previous fiscal year and allocate funds at the time it adopts its budget. Recognizing the importance of offsetting costs for this event, the committee recommends that Council direct staff to solicit corporate sponsors. It is further recommended that the committee begin solicitation of donations in January. The Council should consider providing direction to the committee on the establishment of donation centers at the event itself to encourage financial support from the community for this event. The Committee suggested that other creative means of raising donations be explored next year. The committee recommends investing more funds into the fireworks and offering a longer show. The committee recommends increasing the number of family activities offered from 7:00- 9:00 pm. Consider adding old fashioned family games such as the three legged race, watermelon eating contest, water balloon toss, tug of war, etc. Invite moonbounce and other attractions to participate. The pedestrian bridge and Eastern half of the access road should be lit to avoid injuries. There is a potential for additional parking on the far side of the bridge; however, in the interest of safety and the need to maintain a perimeter around the fireworks staging area, A:\97ERFIRS.VvTD OW398 1997 Fireworks Event Evaluation Page 6 the road will have to be sectioned off to assure that spectators do not wander into the restricted area. • The committee recommends that Council consider charging $5 for AVCP parking and $2 for MUSD parking. Further, the parking lots should be barricaded earlier (at 12:00 noon) to assure that lots are not clogged with improperly parked cars when the gates open. • The committee recommends that Country Trail Park be discontinued as a remote location since no one used this park to watch the fireworks. • The committee recommends that a drop -off zone be identified for handicapped persons to avoid problems with a full restricted lot. • The committee recommends that the City rent a more powerful sound system which could carry the sound throughout the park. • The committee recommends incorporating local talent to expand the entertainment element. • The committee recommends committee coordination with the City's summer camp staff to relocate extended care pick up to Tierra Rejada Park. The Fireworks Committee recommends that City Council consider the above recommendations when determining the direction for the 1998 fireworks event. Due the fact that the background research on this project is not yet complete, staff requests that the City Council grant additional time to gather information on how such events are handled in local jurisdictions. Staff, working with Councilmember Wozniak will present final recommendations on November 19. Staff Recommendation Staff recommends that City Council receive and file the Committee recommendations and direct staff to present final recommendations for the 1998 fireworks event at the November 19 City Council meeting. A:\97ERFHZ5.WPD OW399