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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-12-22_Special Events Committee Minutes SPECIAL EVENTS COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES April 12, 2022, 10:00 AM 731 S. Lafayette Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601 Members present: Brad Rohrscheib, Toy Villa, Jonathan Jones, Coby Deal Committee Attorney, Clara McDaniels 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 10:12 AM by Rohrscheib. 2. Approval of minutes Upon a motion by Rohrscheib and seconded by Villa the minutes from the previous meeting held on March 15th, 2022, were approved unanimously. 3. Approval of Special Event Permits a. May First Fridays-May 6, 2022 Kylie Carter joined the meeting to discuss the event's planned activities and answer any questions from the members of the committee. Every 5 years the International Studebaker Driver's Club holds a big anniversary meet, and this will be one of those years. The drivers will participate in a procession from the Crowe lot to Michigan Street and will be on display on Michigan Street. An anticipated 200+ cars are expected for this year's procession. The cars will be filling Michigan Street between Colfax Ave to Wayne and the surrounding side streets. Carter says the cars will be backing into angled positions South of Doubletree and on side streets to MLK to display the cars. A closure on Jefferson will be East of the parking garage to facilitate access to the Leighton Garage. Ambassadors will be coning off the parking areas prior to the procession. Deal and Villa established the types and locations of closures to be put in place. Carter agreed to speak with Doubletree to confirm that they will still have access to parking with he proposed closings in place. Carter expressed concern over the timing of cars crossing MLK. Stationing officers at 3 intersections to direct the flow of vehicles into the blocked off areas was recommended by Rohrscheib. Studebaker personnel will be on hand to assist with directing vehicles to available parking locations. Carter agreed to stay in touch with Deal prior to the event to communicate any needed changes in closures. The committee had no further questions. Page | 2 Upon a motion by Rohrscheib and seconded by Jones the permit was approved unanimously. b. June-October First Fridays-June 3, July 1, August 5, September 2, October 7, 2022 Kylie Carter explained that this series of First Fridays will follow the same scenario as in the previous 2 years. A block party style event from noon to 11:30 pm featuring a beer garden, live music, and vendors will be held in the 200 blk of S Michigan. This year's First Fridays will be held June thru October because of the special Studebaker May First Fridays. The closure times may vary depending on the scheduled entertainment for a particular date. Carter will stay in communication with Traffic & Lighting for any needed changes. Possible solutions to cars parking in the venue area were discussed. Villa suggested reaching out to the management at Robertson's ahead of each First Fridays event so that they could alert their tenants of the no visitors parking policy during this time. Rohrschieb stressed the importance of properly posting the area to be closed. The committee had no further questions concerning the event. Upon a motion by Rohrscheib and seconded by Villa the permit was approved unanimously. c. Cedar Neighborhood Block Party & Open House-May 7, 2022 Michael Pingle addressed the committee to discuss a proposed block party to celebrate the renovation of an abandoned home in the neighborhood. Pingle was asked if he had obtained signatures from affected neighbors. He told the committee that he had received mostly enthusiastic responses from the nearby residents. The organizer is requesting the closure of Cedar St between Walsh & Arthur. Pingle explained that he wants to celebrate the rejuvenation of the house by way of a potluck and tour of the house. The event will take place on a Saturday from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Rohrscheib described the process of how cones are dropped off by Traffic & Lighting prior to the event and the responsibility of the organizer to place the cones before the event and remove them at the designated end of the event. Cones are typically picked up by Traffic & Lighting the following Monday. Jones was satisfied that the organizer had obtained a representative number of neighborhood signatures. The committee had no further questions or concerns. Upon a motion by Rohrscheib and seconded by Jones the permit was approved unanimously. d. South Bend Westside Memorial Day Parade-May 30, 2022 Jan Kowalski was on hand to discuss the upcoming Memorial Day Parade. The staging area is yet to be decided. Staging was originally planned to take place around Navarre Middle School but the parade committee has been working with Planet Fitness to allow the staging area to be moved to their parking area. Upon approval, the parade would need closure of Summit Street and the intersections along the parade route on Ford Street. Ms Kowalski said she should know where staging for the parade will be by the next meeting of the committee. Villa expressed a possible conflict at Sample & Mayflower but expects it to be resolved by the time of the parade. Rohrscheib explained to the committee that the length of the parade has yet to be determined. Currently, the parade committee is proposing a shortened route that would conclude at Ford & Lake Street. Rohrscheib Page | 3 explained that a shorter route would be easier to staff adequately for public safety. Rohrscheib said he would prefer to have a vehicle blocking both sides of all intersections along the parade route. Jones asked Clara McDaniels to clarify if vehicles used to block intersections along the parade route needed to be City owned for liability purposes. McDaniels confirmed that vehicles used as barricades on side streets would need to be City owned. Ms McDaniels explained to the committee that using non-City owned cars could potentially open the City to claims should someone be injured or sustain property damage. Ms McDaniels asked if concrete barricades would be an option to use at intersections. The length of the parade route will be determined by the Mayor's Office. Once this is determined, Rohrscheib will pursue volunteers within the PD to help with security and communicate with Traffic & Lighting. Upon a motion by Rohrscheib and seconded by Villa the permit was approved contingent upon the length of the parade and available manpower (TBD). e. Fallen Heroes Family Ride-June 26, 2022 Marvin Walters joined the meeting virtually to answer questions regarding his application for the American Legion Riders fundraiser motorcycle ride. This ride starts at Walmart on Portage and proceeds out of the City into St Joseph County. Rohrscheib described the newer parameters to qualify for escorted rides. The organizer would need to show proof of registration of 100+ riders 2 weeks prior to the ride to qualify. Rohrscheib volunteered to help the organizer find an online registration site if the organizer would be interested in using one to qualify for a police escort. Villa commented on construction on the by-pass that could possibly slow traffic but he felt the ride should be ok to pass thru the area on SR 23. The rest of the committee members had no further questions or concerns. Rohrscheib instructed the organizer to contact him as the ride approaches to determine if the ride will be escorted or proceed as a "Poker Run". The committee had no further questions or concerns. Upon a motion by Rohrscheib and seconded by Villa the permit was approved unanimously. 4. Other Business a. Jones would like to share with the committee that Best Week Ever is being transitioned to the Fall in 2022. The starting date for this year's event will be September 25th and will run thru October 1st. It's possible that this year's Best Week Ever could be extended to start September 23rd. Best Week Ever 2022 will culminate with the Morris Fest that should attract 10,000+. Jones said Special Events should start to see some applications soon. 5. Privilege of the Floor 6. Adjournment With no additional business, Rohrscheib motioned for adjournment and Jones seconded. The meeting ended at 11:33 AM.