HomeMy WebLinkAbout6-6-23_Special Events Committee Minutes
SPECIAL EVENTS COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
June 6, 2023, 10:00 AM
731 S. Lafayette Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
Members present: Brad Rohrscheib; Darwin Shipley, Amy Roush, Charlotte Brach
1. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 10:05 AM by Mr Rohrscheib.
2. Approval of minutes
Upon a motion by Mr Rohrscheib and seconded by Mr Shipley, the minutes from the previous
meeting held on May 16th, 2023, were approved unanimously.
3. Approval of Special Event Permits
a. Hermitage Estates South Block Party-June 17 2023
Drew Lister joined the committee meeting via teams to answer questions concerning the
request to close Larkspur Drive between Finch Dr/Wheatly Drive for the upcoming block
party. Mr Lister described the event as a very informal block party to bring the neighbors
together. Mr Rohrscheib described the typical procedure for blocking off the road to the
event organizer. The committee had no further comments or concerns.
Upon a motion by Mr Rohrscheib and seconded by Mr Shipley, the permit was approved
unanimously.
b. Weaver Graduation Party-June 17 2023
Wylette Weaver is requesting the closure of Esther Street between Wayne Street and
Jefferson Blvd from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm for the safety of guests at a graduation party.
Both adults and children will be in attendance. Ms Weaver included (4) signatures from
affected neighbors with the application. The committee had no further comments or
concerns.
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Upon a motion by Mr Rohrscheib and seconded by Mr Shipley, the permit was approved
unanimously.
c. Mind Body Spirit Solstice Festival-June 24 2023
Jamila Thomas joined the committee to discuss the closure of Wall Street between
Greenlawn and Cesar E Chavez Drive to accommodate vendors and foot traffic attending
the Mind Body Spirit Solstice Festival in Potawatomi Park. 85-90 vendors will participate
in this year’s festival. Traffic & Lighting will drop off cones to use for the closure at the
corners the night prior to the event and event staff will be responsible for placing the
cones for the closure times. Ms Thomas mentioned a desire to have posse horses at the
event and was instructed to contact the County. Ms Roush suggested to Ms Thomas that
she should reach out to Suzie Krill to discuss the possibility of setting up an educational
safety booth for the event. Ms Roush reminded Ms Thomas to contact the zoo prior to
the event to make their employees aware of the street closure. The committee had no
further comments or concerns.
Upon a motion by Mr Rohrscheib and seconded by Mr Shipley, the permit was approved,
unanimously.
d. Symphony Under the Stars-June 30 2023
Hannah Francis from VPA joined the meeting to discuss the upcoming event scheduled
for Howard Park. This event is put on by the South Bend Symphony and is similar to past
events at Four Winds Field. Gates will open at 7:00 pm for the show and fireworks will
begin at 10:00 pm. Food and beverages will be available from the Public House and
surrounding businesses. The event organizer has requested the closure of the Jefferson
St bridge from 2:00 pm to 11:30 pm to accommodate the fireworks display. The event
has obtained approval from the County Board of Commissioners for the use of the
bridge. Ms Roush mentioned that approval to use the bridge for events must be renewed
yearly after inspections have been completed. Mr Shipley confirmed the requested street
closures. Ms Roush suggested that the event organizer reach out to the Parks Supervisor
to co-ordinate supervision in the “fall out zone” from the fireworks. The committee had no
further comments or concerns.
Upon a motion by Mr Rohrscheib and seconded by Mr Shipley, the permit was approved,
unanimously.
e. Ellsworth Annual Block Party-July 3 2023
The application for this annual Block Party is requesting the closure of S Ellsworth Place
between Wilson/Washington from 12:00 pm to 11:00 pm for a neighborhood gathering
that will include picnic food, games, music, and social time. No conflicts were identified by
any of the committee members.
Upon a motion by Mr Rohrscheib and seconded by Mr Shipley, the permit was approved,
unanimously.
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f. 4th of July Fireworks-July 4 2023
The Special Events Committee considered an application submitted by Donald Bromeling
requesting a street closure for a neighborhood gathering and fireworks display. The
requested closure is for Allen Street between Linsey and VanBuren. The applicant
submitted the required number of neighbor signatures along with his application. The
committee had no concerns with the application.
Upon a motion by Ms Roush and seconded by Mr Rohrscheib, the permit was approved,
unanimously.
g. Clark Birthday Party-July 4 2023
The Special Events Committee considered an application submitted by Deloris Clark
requesting the closure of Haney Street between Fellows and Carroll for a family
gathering. Mr Shipley stated that Traffic & Lighting will drop cones at the corners of the
closure on July 3rd and the organizer will be responsible for placing the cones and
removing them at the approved times. The committee members had no concerns with
this repeat event.
Upon a motion by Mr Rohrscheib and seconded by Mr Shipley, the permit was approved,
unanimously.
h. Our Lady of Hungary Parish Festival-July 15 2023
Denise Domonkos submitted an application requesting the closure of Chapin Street
between Calvert and Bruce for the safety of visitors to the annual Our Lady of Hungary
Parish Festival. The festival will feature Hungarian and Mexican foods, beverages, a DJ,
and children’s games. As the requested closure is a small side street, the committee had
no concerns regarding the closure.
Upon a motion by Mr Rohrscheib and seconded by Mr Shipley, the permit was approved,
unanimously.
i. BGC End of Summer Celebration-July 19 2023
Savino Rivera Jr submitted an application on behalf of the Boys & Girls Club of St Joseph
County requesting the closure of Wall Street between Greenlawn and Cesar Chavez for
an end of summer celebration scheduled to take place inside Potawatomi Park. The event
has an expected attendance of 500+. Food for the children and their families will be
donated. The committee members had no additional concerns with the request to close
Wall Street for the event.
Upon a motion by Mr Rohrscheib and seconded by Mr Shipley, the permit was approved,
unanimously.
j. Back 2 School Boogie-August 12 2023
The committee considered the application for the annual Back to School Parade/Boogie,
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scheduled for August 12th. The parade participants start from Washington High School and
continue to the Charles Black Community Center for games and activities. School bands,
vehicle music, live DJ, and Boomer will participate in the parade. The committee had no
questions or concerns about the event.
Upon a motion by Mr Rohrscheib and seconded by Mr Shipley, the permit was approved,
unanimously.
k. Clark Birthday Party (Aug)-August 20 2023
The Special Events Committee considered a second application submitted by Deloris
Clark requesting the closure of Haney Street between Fellows and Carroll for a family
gathering. Mr Shipley stated that Traffic & Lighting will drop cones at the corners of the
closure and the organizer will be responsible for placing the cones and removing them at
the approved times. The committee members had no concerns with this repeat event.
Upon a motion by Mr Rohrscheib and seconded by Mr Shipley, the permit was approved,
unanimously.
l. Weaver Block Party-September 9 2023
Wylette Weaver is requesting the closure of Esther Street between Wayne Street and
Jefferson Blvd from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm to host a neighborhood block party. Included
with the application are (4) affected neighbor’s signatures. The committee had no further
comments or concerns.
Upon a motion by Mr Rohrscheib and seconded by Mr Shipley, the permit was approved,
unanimously.
4. Other Business
Fun in the Park, previously approved by the committee for June 10 2023 was rescheduled for
July 1 2023.
5. Privilege of the Floor
None
6. Adjournment
With no additional business to discuss, Mr Rohrscheib motioned for adjournment and Mr
Shipley seconded. The meeting ended at 11:00 AM.