HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 209-05City of Palo Alto
City Manager's Report
TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGER
DATE: APRIL 4, 2005 CMR:209:05
SUBJECT: ELIMINATION OF THE PERMIT FEES FOR BLOCK PARTY
APPLICATIONS
.. This is an informational report and no Council action is required.
BACKGROUND
In July 1996, the City Council approved a proclamation that designated the month of August of that
year "Block Party Month" as part of then-Mayor Lanie Wheeler's Palo Alto Together initiative.
The Council suspended the block party permit fees for August as an incentive for more
neighborhoods to join together for camaraderie. Staff received requests from residents about
suspending permit fees every summer since then.
In a further effort to encourage neighborhood interaction and celebration, in 2003 staff
recommended and the Council approved a resolution proclaiming the months of July and September
every year as block party months and suspended the permit fees permanently for these two months
(see CMR:364:03). July and September were the most popular months for block parties accounting
for the majority of all block party permits issued.
DISCUSSION
Staff is currently in the process of streamlining the block party permit process by making the permit
. available on-line. Allowing residents to file a block party permit on-line makes the permit process
much more convenient for residents and reduces staff time to process the permit. Having a mixture
of fee and non-fee months for block party permits confuses and sometimes angers residents
resulting in more' staff time being spent explaining the rational for the fee/no-fee processes.
Completely eliminating the permit fee will greatly improve the ease and efficiency of block party
permit applications and processing while continuing the encouragemcent of neighborhoods to join
together for camaraderie. While the fees will be eliminated, all block party safety requirements will
be strictly enforced.
CMR:209:05 Page 1 of2
RESOURCE IMPACT
Staff proposes to eliminate the $30 fee associated with block parties as part of the 2005-07 budget
process. In the past four years, 228 block party permits have been issued. 152 of these permits
were issued in either July or September, leaving just 76 permits that could be charged the $30
permit fee under the current fee structure. These 76 permits would account for $2,280 over the
four-year period, an average of only $570 per year. The elimination of the block party permits will
have minimal impact on the revenue in the Police Department's budget.
The processing time of 20-minutes per application will be cut in half by utilizing the new on-line
permit process. Staff will be able to handle the workload associated with the permit requests.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This report has no impact on CEQA.
PREPARED BY:
DEPARTMENT HEAD:
Police Chief
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
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