TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Dr. Douglas J. Hewett, ICMA-CM, City Manager
FROM: Brook Redding, MPA, PMP, Senior Assistant to the City Manager
DATE: October 6, 2025
RE:Title
Special Event Security at Festival Park
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COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
District 2 - Downtown Festival Park
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Goal One: Safe and Secure Community
Executive Summary:
At the September 8, 2025, meeting, City Council received an administrative report on the new Festival park Security Protocol. Council requested that the matter be pulled for a work session briefing to allow for further discussion and questions.
The protocol establishes a standardized four-tier system for event security requirements at Festival Park, including staffing, screening, access control, and a unified command with Police and event security. Staff has implemented the protocol at two pilot events and will continue implementation for upcoming events. For FY26, the City will cover incremental security costs for City-sponsored and partnered events. Beginning in FY27, only City-sponsored events will be covered, while other organizers will be responsible for their own costs.
Background:
On May 5, 2025, at a Public Safety special meeting, Council directed staff to increase security at Festival Park, including adoption of 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 created a tiered security matrix with venue overlays for Festival Park alone and Festival Park plus the Promenade. Staff also met with major external stakeholders to review the approach, gather feedback, and address operational concerns related to fencing, gates, access, communications, and costs.
The protocol and matrix are complete and have been piloted at the July 4th Celebration and International Folk Festival. Lessons from those events have infor...
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