No Major Changes To Downtown Special Events Policy

Special events downtown aren’t causing any major issues, and they’ll continue as is for the most part.

Despite the anticipated fireworks leading up to a special City Commission meeting scheduled for Wednesday, civility and common sense prevailed as it turns out that any major issues with downtown events are isolated to two arts and craft festivals sponsored by the Downtown Sarasota Alliance simply because city staff and a new DSA point person have to learn to work together better.

“I think that if the DSA can have a person, like Paul Thorpe, that can oversee events and is on site, there won’t be an issue,” said Sarasota Auditoriums Manager Deborah Perez to the commission.

Thorpe is now with his own organization called Sarasota Holiday Celebrations and the former DSA Chairman, and current Downtown Improvement District Chairman, Ernie Ritz stepped down from his DSA post last year, being replaced by John Harshman. During that fracture, the DSA-sponsored

During 2011, 33 of 97 events in the city took place downtown, and 13 of those events closed more than one block, according to city documents. The busiest months for events are November, December and June while August and September see no events.

The DSA-sponsored Downtown Arts & Crafts Show and Downtown Spring Craft Festival are promoted by Howard Alan Events, Perez explained, and both events last two days and close streets. 

The problem is, according to Commissioner Paul Caragiulo, is that these types of events that set up shop for two days, stop around 5 p.m. during the first day leaving an empty street with shuttered booths, not attracting people and not allowing cars to use it either. 

“If you’re going to have an event, have an event,” Caragiulo said. “If merchants are gone at 5 and the street is still closed, it’s counterintuitive to have an event.”

Commissioner Shannon Snyder agreed, saying an event stopping at 5 p.m. before it starts up again the next morning “limits it to a certain customer” and the event should look to change hours or locations. 

Another two-day event, Thunder By The Bay, held Jan. 8-9, attracted 40,000 people, according to city documents, and though it closed off Main Street, Palm Avenue and Gulfstream Avenue to name a few, the event continued to 11 p.m. It is the largest fundraiser of the year for Suncoast Charities for Children.

WSLR board member Wayne Genthner said the commission and businesses should keep in mind why streets are closed for events. 

“Closing streets means closing streets from cars and filling them with people,” Genthner said. “I’ve never seen a car go into a store and buy a steak.”

Perez and the city’s event coordinator Toni Welicki presented numerous questions posed by the DSA to the commission but ultimately the biggest questions posed by the DSA was if the city should have an ad hoc events committee to develop best practices or have taxpayers foot the bill for a $28,000 event manager to show up before, during and after events downtown to address logistics and any issues, and some suggested that the DSA fund their own person for the position, but no action was taken.

The biggest hit businesses saw was from the lack of events during New Year’s Eve, said Paul Mattison of . 

Because of no downtown celebration, sales were down 30 percent on that night, Mattison said.

Deputy City Manager Marlon Brown said there could be an issue in the future where for example, three organizations want events on New Year’s Eve but would encourage them to work together to have one event or deny the second and third requests.

Event requests that involve street closures are handled on a first come, first serve basis and are required to collect at least 67 percent of signatures agreeing to have the event from merchants.

As for focusing events to other areas in the downtown core, Welicki and Perez said most requests are for the Five Points areas and organizations that tried to host events on the eastern end of Main Street didn’t have success. 

“Five Points Park is the core of downtown,” Perez said. Event organizers “want to branch off from that area.”

Noise issues were limited in complaints to mainly the music heavy and motorcycle friendly Thunder By The Bay, and some speakers at the meeting encouraged the city to rexamine the city's noise orindance to encourage more music in the city in approrpriate places.