City to Consider Change Event Permits Tuesday: smaller gatherings may need permits; 5 Days to Apply; Events Can Be Booked Yearly

The Santa Cruz City Council Tuesday will discuss changing the time it takes to apply for an event in the city, from 24-36 hours to five days. It may also allow event planners to book annual events, rather than not being able to plan more than a year in advance.

"Over time, the City recognized that the current ordinances are out of date (last revised in 1995), difficult to decipher by event promoters and discordant with contemporary processes, best practices and achievable timelines," wrote Deputy City Manager Scott Collins in a staff report.

Some of his proposals include lowering the number of people needed for a permit to 50 from 100. The lower number has an effect on city services, according to the report and the city would need to know about such gatherings to plan for safety. 

The staff also recommends that multi-year permits be issued for regular events so that the promoters can start booking the dates and the services they need in advance.

The staff has also asked that turnaround for events be five days rather than the 24-36 hours now on the books. They say personnel shortages don't give them enough time to get the work done sooner to research the permits.

The council will talk about modifications Tuesday and plan a study session on more extensive changes in 2014.