TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Douglas J. Hewett, ICMA-CM, City Manager
FROM: Brook Redding, MPA, PMP, Senior Assistant to the City Manager
Brian Christoper, Special Event Coordinator, Parks and Recreation
DATE: September 8, 2025
RE:Title
Receive Administrative Report on Special Event Security at Festival ParkTitle
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COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
ALL
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Goal One: Safe and Secure Community
Executive Summary:
Council is requested to receive this report, allowing staff to implement the adjusted Festival Park Security Protocol .
Council directed staff to strengthen security at Festival Park through a standardized protocol. Staff developed a four-tier matrix that scales security requirements based on attendance, alcohol service, time of day, and event activity, with venue overlays for Festival Park alone and Festival Park plus the Promenade. The protocol establishes consistent standards for screening and staffing, while maintaining flexibility for Police, Fire, and EMS to adjust as needed. Implementation will begin immediately. For FY26, the City will cover incremental security costs for City-sponsored events and partnered events, including the International Folk Festival and Dogwood Fall Festival. Beginning in FY27, only City-sponsored events will be funded by the City, while other organizers will assume their own costs.
Background:
At the May 5, 2025, City Council Public Safety special meeting, Council directed staff to increase security at Festival Park, including a mask and bag policy. A cross departmental team from Police, the City Manager's Office, Parks and Recreation, and City Security revised the security protocol and built a tiered matrix with venue overlays that depict the required posture for Festival Park and for Festival Park plus the Promenade. Staff met with major external stakeholders to review the approach, gather feedback, and address operational con...
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