HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-03-04 City Council (2)City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGER
DATE:MARCH 4, 2002 CMR: 173:02
SUBJECT: 2001SHORELINE CONCERT SEASON
This is an informational report and no Council action is required.
BACKGROUND
In June 1993, the City of Palo Alto and Bill Graham Presents (BGP) entered into a
settlement agreement with regard to Shoreline Amphitheatre. Under that agreement,
BGP agreed to operate Shoreline Amphitheatre subject to certain noise and hours
restrictions. The City of Palo Alto and BGP also agreed to meet at least twice ayear to
discuss Shoreline Amphitheatre operations, with one meeting occurring before the Season
and another after the season. BGP was subsequently acquired by Clear Channel
Entertainment.
During the concert season, the Palo Alto Police Department is responsible for monitoring
complaints regarding noise from Shoreline concerts. ACcording to the agreement with
Clear Channel, if more than 4 Shoreline events in any year result in 45 or more
complaints from different Palo Alto residential addresses, Palo Alto and Clear Channel
will reopen discussions and negotiate in good faith to identify mitigation measures to
reduce noise impacts in Palo Alto. In addition to Police Department monitoring of
complaints, City of Palo Alto Public Works staff used to monitor noise levels from
Shoreline Amphitheatre concerts from a sound monitoring station at the Palo Alto Main
Library. However, in 2001 the then-Shoreline Monitoring Committee, composed of
former Mayor Eakins and Vice Mayor Mossar, recommended to the Council and the
Council approved discontinuance of the sound monitoring, since the cost was not
justified by the actual use of the information gathered.
Below is a history of Shoreline complaints since Palo Alto began accumulating
information under the settlement agreement:
CMR:173:02 Page 1 of 3
Concert Season
SHORELINE COMPLAINTS
Valid Complaints
Number of Concerts
Over 45 Complaints
1993 989 5
1994 872 10
1995 247 1
1996 1297 10
1997 199 1
1998 255 3 "
1999 99 0
2000 139 0
DISCUSSION
Data on Complaints could not be provided by the Police Department for ~the 2001 concert
season. The Police Department employee responsible for monitoring the phone lines let
the complaints accumulate, intending to go back and do the analysis at the end of the
season. Voice mail records are regularly cleared from the system to ensure adequate
storage capacity, and by the time the Police Department staff member tried to access the
system, all of the accumulated complaints had been purged. The Police Department staff
now understands the complaints are to. be reviewed after each concert and not
accumulated, and staff is confident this situation will not recur.
On February 26, 2002, the Shoreline Monitoring Committee of Councilmembers
Freeman and Lytle, with Assistant City Manager Emily Harrison, met with Tim Reed,
General Manager of Shoreline Amphitheatre and Mike Kelly, Operations Manager.
Shoreline staff keep detailed records of each concert, which include not only the number
of complaints, but information on the decibel level of the performance, weather
conditions and other related information (attached). Shoreline records show a very quiet
season, with only 3 complaints. Shoreline has made as many physical changes as are
practicable to the Amphitheatre to minimize sound complaints. Complaints are a
function of the performer, especially the use of heavy bass in the performance; and the
weather (amount of heavy cloud cover, inversion layer) Shoreline staff monitors the
decibel level of the performances in real time, and when any .performer begins to
approach the maximum allowable decibel level, the staff are aggressive in going out to
CMR: 173:02 Page 2 of 3
the mixing board as the concert progresses to ensure compliance by the performer’s
support.
The City of Mountain View does not anticipate addressing any. issues which would
impact Palo Alto in the coming year. report will be scheduled for Council discussion on
January or February 2002.
RESOURCE IMPACT
The Police Department estimates its costs of monitoring complaints at $2,000 annually.
PREPARED BY:
Emil~Tl~rfison, Assistan{-City Manager
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
Frank Behest, City Manager
ATTACHMENT A: Shoreline 2001 Concert Series
CMR: 173:02 Page 3 of 3
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