Proposal would give clerk power to OK fests

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Ryan DeMarsh, of Traverse City, takes advantage of the warm temperatures and wind as he flies a kite on Friday at the Open Space in Traverse City. The city is rewriting its park-use policy, including festival and event use at the Open Space. Record-Eagle/Keith King

June 16, 2012

Proposal would give clerk power to OK fests

By Vanessa McCray vmccray@record-eagle.com The Record Eagle Sat Jun 16, 2012, 07:14 AM EDT

TRAVERSE CITY — A group of city commissioners are developing a new park-use policy that would give the city clerk power to approve festivals and events.

Mayor Michael Estes and Commissioners Barbara Budros and Mary Ann Moore form a committee that met this week to review a proposed policy draft that enables the clerk to approve or deny event permit applications.

The clerk's decision could be appealed to the city manager, whose ruling could be appealed to the city commission.

Estes said the goal is to "speed up the process and take the politics out of it."

Presently, the city's parks and recreation commission offers recommendations regarding larger-scale events on city parks, and the city commission considers approvals. The city manager can approve permits for smaller events.

The proposed policy would make event permitting "an entirely administrative action" for all events except, perhaps, those needing a formal "agreement" with the city, said Clerk Benjamin Marentette.

The policy overhaul follows an Open Space request by the Great Wakes Festival that was held this month. Commissioners approved the event, though some voiced concerns and said they believed they were obligated to approve the festival because it met existing city policy.

The committee continues to work on a new policy, including consideration of new fees and the number or timing of events allowed on city parks. Policy changes would require a vote of the full commission.

The direction concerns Commissioner Jim Carruthers, who said a public step would be lost if the parks and recreation commission no longer reviews proposed events.

"When we don't like their decisions we try to remove their input," he said. "It seems like people are trying to squeeze parks and rec out of the decision-making process."

Estes countered the parks commission is an "advisory" board with "no statutory authority."

"I want to have a policy that dictates what you can and can't do in city parks. If you comply with those requirements, you should be able to do what you want in those city parks," Estes said. "You have to have an arbitrator of last resort, and the only group that should do that is an elected body."

The reworked procedures would require the city's event planning group to weigh in on some requests. The group includes police, fire, streets and other departments.

Several event organizers are following the committee's work, including Trevor Tkach, interim executive director of the National Cherry Festival.

"I think that it was wise of them to look at the policy and to readdress some of the vagueness of it," he said.

Tkach said it's appropriate to create a policy that spells out park-use criteria and the evaluation process.

"What people are very anxious about right now is that some big group or some unknown is going to come into Traverse City and try to take advantage of resources," he said.

The Cherry Festival pays the city $45,000 to use city services and parks during its July event. It could be especially impacted by proposed changes when planning one-time events that take place outside of the festival's dates, Tkach said.

"At the end of the day, I want fairness. I want equity, and I want to make sure that a nonprofit with 86 years of history does get recognized," he said.