HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-21-22_Special Events Committee Minutes
SPECIAL EVENTS COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
June 21, 2022, 10:00 AM
731 S. Lafayette Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
Members present: Brad Rohrscheib, Darwin Shipley, Toy Villa, Jonathan Jones
Committee Attorney: Clara McDaniels
1. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 10:02 AM by Rohrscheib.
2. Approval of minutes
Upon a motion by Rohrscheib and seconded by Villa the minutes from the previous meeting
held on June 7th, 2022, were approved unanimously.
3. Approval of Special Event Permits
a. July First Fridays Fireworks-July 1, 2022
Kylie Carter joined the meeting in-person to discuss a DTSB/VPA application for a street
closure to accommodate the fireworks display on the Jefferson bridge for July First
Fridays. Carter has been working with St Joseph County to secure approval to use the
bridge. Villa asked if the County had agreed to allow fireworks to launch from the bridge.
The County agreed to the display as long as the scope of the display had not changed
from years past displays. Set-up for the event will start at 2:00 pm. Jersey walls will be
placed to close the Jefferson bridge from the West side of Niles to MLK. Final cleanup
from the display will conclude at 11:30 pm and the bridge will re-open. Traffic & Lighting
will shut down the bridge between 1-1:30 pm the day of the event. DTSB Ambassadors
will re-open the bridge at the agreed upon time. No other concerns were raised by the
committee.
Upon a motion by Rohrscheib and seconded by Shipley the permit was approved
unanimously.
b. Irby Block Party-July 4, 2022
The committee considered a closure on Allen Street between VanBuren and California to
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accommodate a neighborhood block party featuring food, games and music to celebrate
the 4th of July. The party will not be serving alcohol or setting off fireworks. The applicant
is responsible for notifying guests that fireworks are not permitted. Neighborhood
signatures were submitted with the application. No objections were expressed by the
committee.
Upon a motion by Jones and seconded by Villa the permit was approved unanimously.
c. Clark Graduation Party-July 4, 2022
Family and friends are gathering to celebrate the graduates in the family. The applicant
has requested the closure of Haney Ave between Columbia Street and Fellows Street for
the safety of attendees. The committee reiterated that fireworks are not permitted and
it’s her responsibility to ensure guests of the party comply with the City ordinance.
Upon a motion by Jones and seconded by Ellis the permit was approved unanimously.
d. Coffee and Cars-July 9, 2022
Carissa McNeil joined the committee meeting via Teams to give a brief description of
Coffee and Cars and to answer questions from committee members. The event brings
back the classic car show to Eddy Street Commons. The event would require the closure
of Eddy Street between Angela and Napoleon to facilitate the car show. Two openings to
the parking garage will remain open for access. Set-up for the event will begin at 6:00 am
the day of the event. Cars will be on display from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Inflatables and arts
and crafts will also be available. Foods and beverages will be provided by restaurants in
Eddy Street Commons. This is the return of an annual event after taking a break during
2020-2021. The event organizers have all closure materials on hand and will not require
additional materials from the City. Ms McDaniels asked if parking regulations in place will
be followed and Ms McNeil confirmed that all current regulations will be followed. The
committee had no further questions or concerns.
Upon a motion by Rohrscheib and seconded by Shipley the permit was approved
unanimously.
e. 2022 Urban Adventure Games-July 30, 2022
The Urban Adventure Games is an annual event featuring teams of (2) racing thru South
Bend. Participants will run bike, slide, climb, swim their way to checkpoints around the
City. The start of the race requires the closure of St Louis St between E Jefferson and St.
Peter and will be adjusted to St Louis between E Jefferson and Wayne later in the
morning. The committee determined that cones at Jefferson and St Louis for the start of
the race will be sufficient. All teams leave from Howard Park and will adhere to all
established traffic rules. Villa requested that the organizer submit an updated drawing
that depicts the exact street closure being requested. The committee had no further
concerns or questions.
Upon a motion by Jones and seconded by Shipley the permit was approved unanimously.
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f. Rebel Art Fest-September 25, 2022
The spokeswoman for Rebel Art Fest mentioned that this event has been held for a
number of years and will be doing things the same this year as those prior. Art and music
will be featured at the event held in Potawatomi Park. Food trucks will be located on Wall
Street. A Kid’s Zone with games will also be at the event. The organizer is asking for a
closure of Wall Street from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm. The committee agreed to have a soft
closure on the West side of Wall Street to accommodate emergency vehicles. Jones
inquired about the location of vendor parking and suggested asking to use Kids
Kingdom’s parking lot to preserve visitor parking. The committee had no further
questions or concerns.
Upon a motion by Rohrscheib and seconded by Jones the permit was approved
unanimously.
g. Sweat the City-September 27, 2022
Hannah VanHoof representing VPA joined the meeting to discuss this event that will
feature health/wellness/fitness organizations hosting classes and programs that will be
open to participants attending the event. Ms VanHoof explained that the event will
highlight different ways to be fit and healthy in South Bend. Refreshments will be
provided by local vendors. Activities will be held from 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm on Jefferson
bridge pending County approval. Closures will be from 1:00 pm to 11:00 pm. The
approval of the street closure is contingent upon County approval to use the bridge.
Upon a motion by Rohrscheib and seconded by Jones the permit was approved
unanimously.
h. Morris 100 Festival-September 29, 2022
Hannah VanHoof representing VPA described the activities planned to celebrate the
100th year anniversary of the Morris PAC to be held during the last 2 days of Best Week
Ever 2022. Activities include music, food, family activities and a fireworks display
(pending County approval for use of the Colfax bridge). Street closures will begin on
Thursday evening and continue throughout the weekend thru Sunday evening. The
committee discussed preserving access to the Double Tree for the duration of the event.
The event organizers will be purchasing concrete barriers to use as needed for closures
around the venue. The committee discussed where emergency access would be located
and access for a wedding scheduled for the same weekend. The committee decided to
discuss the fireworks component of the application as the event draws nearer and
County approval has been established. The committee focused on approving the rights-
of-way and closures for the event at today’s meeting. The committee also discussed the
number of officers that are expected to volunteer for security. Private security will also
be stationed at each gate and positioned around the stage for crowd management.
Additional details will be discussed in the form of small meetings as the event draws near.
Upon a motion by Rohrscheib and seconded by Villa the permit was approved
unanimously.
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4. Other Business
The closure of the Potawatomi pool made it necessary to change the closure on Wall Street
extended to Wall Street between Ironwood and Twyckenham. The pool at Adams High
School will be utilized for the Kids Triathlon and the starting point for the bike race will be
shifted to the Adams High School parking lot. A hard closure will be added West of the
Adams High School parking lot and a soft closure at Twyckenham. An updated map has been
submitted.
5. Privilege of the Floor
Mr Villa mentioned the need for another internal conversation relating to making sure
applicants are submitting event applications within the timeframe specified on all application
forms.
6. Adjournment
With no additional business, Jones motioned for adjournment and Villa seconded. The
meeting ended at 11:15 AM.