CR 91-189 Tent DancesS Y O
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August 16, 1991 0 P K`C� Council Report # 91 -189
TENT DANCES AT FESTIVALS
Proposed Action
Staff recommends adoption of the following motion: Move to authorize
the use of lot 300 for the 1991 Heritage Festival activities and tent
dance.
Adoption of this motion will allow Hopkins Community Promotions and
the Hopkins Jaycees to use lot 300.(adjacent to Downtown Park) for the
Heritage days celebration.
ov rview
At a previous Council meeting, the City Council discussed complaints
that were received from the public due to the tent dances at the
corner of 8th Avenue and Mainstreet. The complaints were mainly with
regard to the volume of the music the disruption that it caused due to
the late hours and the frequency or number of events which has grown
during the past several years.
The Council requested that the City meet with the various
organizations involved f with these festivals Ito discuss these impacts
and to find solutions. A meeting was held on Tuesday, July 30th to
discuss this issue and was attended by the Raspberry Festival,
Jaycees, Hopkins Community Promotions, and the City. Mayor Berg and
Jim Shirley were in attendance as well as representatives of the
police department and the City Manager.
Based upon the discussions at the July 30th meeting, staff is
recommending that the Council authorize the use of lot 300 for the
Heritage Festival's activities on a trial basis. Upon conclusion of
the Heritage festival, the issue should be re- visited to discuss
whether or not this activity will be continued next year.
Primary Issues to Consider
o What are the benefits of using this lot?
o What are the negatives associated with the use of this lot?
o What activities will be conducted on this lot?
Supporting Documentation
r
o Staff analysis of issues
o Map indicating use of lot 300
S even C. Mielke, City Manager
Page 2
Tent Dances
Report # 91 -189
Staff Analysis of Issues
The following are comments relating to the primary issues to
consider:
o What are the benefits of the use of this lot?
The primary benefit of using lot 300 for this festival is
that it is not adjacent to the residential single family
neighborhood. While noise will still reach the residential
neighborhoods to the north, it is hoped that in this
neighborhood with the stage and sound being pointed south,
that the noise will be less disruptive to the neighborhoods
and thus less complaints will be received. Since the lot is
.blacktopped, it will provide a better surface for the
activities to be conducted. Oftentimes on the previous
location, a simple rainfall would turn the lot into mud. It
is not anticipated that that would be the case since this is
a blacktopped and seal coated lot in excellent condition.
With the. lot being adjacent to Downtown Park and the
location of the Farmer's Market, it will allow for a nicer
location from an amenities standpoint.
It was made very clear at the July 30th meeting that the
various organizations involved did not wish to move away
from the downtown area. Their experience in other locations
has proven to be less successful than being in the downtown,
therefore they wish to continue to use a downtown location.
o What are the negatives of the use of lot 300?
Attached you will find a memorandum from the public works
department regarding the use of lot 300 for tent facilities.
The placement of a tent will require the pounding of stakes
into the.asphalt surface of the parking lot. This will lead
to an eventual deterioration of the public parking lot
should this continue on an ongoing basis. While this may or
may not be a good idea, a conscious knowledge that
additional public dollars will be necessary to maintain this
lot. in the future should be understood.
This location, as well. as the previous location, caused
disruption of business activities due to the loss of
parking.
This lot is used by people for long -term parking and would
be disrupted during the weekdays of the festival. It would
be necessary to decide how to handle long -term parking in
this location.
Page 3
Tent Dances
Report # 91 -189
o What activities will be held during this
festival?
Attached is a map showing the layout of the activities to be
.held on lot 300. From the map, it is obvious that the
entire lot will be used for the festival from Thursday,
September 5th to Sunday, September 8th. Mainstreet is also
planned to, be closed during the Art Fair from 7th Avenue to
9th Avenue on September 7th.
Some additional points were raised at the meeting on July
30th. The Jaycees, Raspberry Festival, and HCP are planning
to have tent dances on nine different days in 1992. Seven
of these events would be held on a Mainstreet location and
two events would be held at the pavilion. The tent dances
involve two events for Mainstreet Days, five events for
Raspberry Festival and two events for Heritage Festival.
The City pointed out at this meeting that there is added
cost to using the public lots downtown as compared to the
pavilion due to the cost of erecting a tent on a public lot,
the additional policing needed to control crowds which are
more easily controlled at the pavilion and the fact that
some businesses are hurt by the activity's disruption to the
business community. It was also pointed out however, that
the acoustics at the pavilion are unacceptable, that smoking
is not allowed in the pavilion, and that the businesses
along Mainstreet, for the most part, want the festivals in
the downtown. It was also recognized that there has been
improvement from a police perspective since the Jaycees have
begun to hire Leadens for security at the dances. The
Jaycees have also Consented for paying for some of the
overtime necessary for police patrol in and around the
activity. The Jaycees pointed out that these events are
very important to them since.it is one of their few sources
of revenue for operating expenses. Pulltabs are not a legal
use for operating expenses, but they are also benefitted by
having these activities in the downtown. Since some of the
bar patrons also patronize the tent dance, pulltab sales
tend to be up during the event days due to increased
business.brought to the bars.
Based on the meeting of the 30th, it was obvious that the
civic organizations were in unison with their desire to stay
in the Mainstreet area. It was concluded by the group that
we should try this for the Heritage Days festival and re-
examine the issue afterwards.
CITY OF HOPKINS
MEMORANDUM
DATE: August 2, 1991
TO: Lee Gustafson, Public Works Director
Steve Mielke, City Manager
Dick Stanley, Hopkins Community Promotions
FROM: Vern Pankratz, Street /Traffic /Sanitation Supt`,-
SUBJECT: Lot 3- - - /All City Owned Asphalt Parking Lots
Due to a recent request for usage of Lot #300 for the
Heritage Days celebration, this issue has raised some
potential concerns regarding the upkeep and maintenance of
all asphalt lots that are city maintained.
The greatest problem that comes about is the erection of
tents on these lots. From the maintenance point, this
constantly creates voids where all stakes are driven for
securing and anchoring purposes. Eventually these areas
deteriorate very quickly even if they are patched in. This
in reality continues to drive up the budget costs for these
areas. Most recently, Lot #300 was seal coated for a
continued maintenance program to extend it useful life.
Another area involving parking lots is the permit system
where continuous parking is allowed.
Under these circumstances, my recommendation for this year,
is to utilize the lot on the corner of 9th Ave So and
Mainstreet for a portion of the festivities.
The Public Works wishes - to continue to work together with
all Community functions and planning and maintain all areas
in the best interest of the public investments.
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