AGENDA #7
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Response to Street Fair Review Committee Report Recommendations
DATE: September 8, 2003
This memorandum addresses recommendations in the Report of the Street Fair Review Committee, which was presented to the Council at its June 10, 2003 meeting.
The attached resolution would adopt the recommendations contained in the Report of the Street Review Committee and direct the Manager to initiate plans to implement these recommendations for future fairs, starting with the 2004 Apple Chill street fair. The resolution would also authorize the Parks and Recreation Commission to appoint members to a Street Fair Steering Committee.
On August 26, 2002, the Council received and referred a petition from a citizen asking that the Council evaluate the costs and benefits of the current Apple Chill Street Fair and consider other options.
At its September 18, 2003 meeting, the Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously (10-0) to recommend that they be involved in any process to evaluate the Apple Chill Street Fair.
At its October 7, 2002 meeting, the Council adopted a resolution referring the citizen petition to the Parks and Recreation Commission and the staff. The Parks and Recreation Commission and Manager were authorized to take the following steps in the evaluation of the Town’s street fairs:
· Evaluate both the Apple Chill and Festifall Street Fairs.
· Hold at least two Public Forums to address issues related to street fairs.
· Meet with affected parties including business owners, church leadership, fraternities, sororities, street fair vendors, and artisans.
· Perform community surveys of user satisfaction including surveys taken on-site at the 2003 Apple Chill Street Fair, by telephone, or through the mail. Surveys should also determine where users live.
· Expand the study beyond the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community and determine how many vendors are from the community, and how many are from other areas.
· Invite representatives of downtown churches, affected neighborhoods, and downtown businesses to participate on the committee.
· Establish a process for the Council to accept applications and appoint a committee to conduct the evaluation. The Parks and Recreation Commission was asked to make a recommendation on the composition of the committee before the Council appointed members.
· Review financial information and the impact of the fairs on Town Departments, particularly the impact on police resources and police coverage of the remainder of the Town during the fair.
· Evaluate all impacts, including nuisances, safety, traffic, and cost.
· All Town departments affected by the fair would assign a staff person to the committee.
· Recommend whether either or both fairs should be eliminated or changed and, if so, how.
At its October 21, 2002 meeting, the Council adopted a resolution authorizing the Manager and the Parks and Recreation Commission to recruit members for a Street Fair Review Committee comprised of representatives from the following stakeholders:
· Parks and Recreation Commission (4)
· Chapel Hill residents at large (2)
· Neighborhood representatives (2)
· Downtown Commission (1)
· Downtown merchants (2)
· Downtown churches (2)
· Street Fair artist (1)
· Street Fair entertainer (1)
· Street Fair non-profit organization (1)
· University of North Carolina (1)
· Visitors Bureau (1)
On January 13, 2003, the Council completed appointments to the Street Fair Review Committee.
The Street Fair Review Committee worked with staff from several Town departments, including Fire, Police, Public Works, Transportation, and Parks and Recreation to research and discuss the issues and concerns regarding the street fairs and to develop a report to submit to the Council. The Committee held two public forums and publicized a Town email address to garner citizen comment.
On June 9, 2003, the Street Fair Review Committee presented its report to the Council. At that meeting, the Council accepted and referred the report to the Parks and Recreation Commissions and the Manager and Attorney for comment. Attachment 1 is the Report of the Street Fair Review Committee.
We believe convening the Street Fair Review Committee and the completion of the accompanying report were essential steps in developing and implementing inclusive, positive street fair events in Chapel Hill. We agree with the report’s central message that the street fairs success is contingent on broad community involvement in planning, implementing, and evaluating the events.
The report includes ten specific recommendations for addressing issues related to retaining both the Apple Chill and Festifall street fairs.
1. Mission Statement: The Committee voted unanimously to adopt the following as a mission statement for the street fairs:
A festival that would bring whole families together to celebrate the diversity
and the talent of the community, while strengthening the ties that often break down when towns grow and expand.
Manager’s Comment: We believe it is appropriate to develop a mission statement for the events and that the proposed mission statement is consistent with the Town’s goals for the community events. If adopted, we would integrate the mission statement into all marketing/publicity as well as the overall development of the events.
2. Two Fairs to Serve the Community: The Committee voted (13-3) to maintain 2 street fairs annually, one in the spring (Apple Chill) and one in the fall (Festifall).
Manager’s Comment: We support continuing the two fairs and believe the fall and spring seasons are appropriate times to hold community celebrations. We believe Festifall and Apple Chill have distinct atmospheres and that they should enhance and support the community’s character.
Survey results from the most recent Festifall and Apple Chill events indicate the majority of fair goers are from the local community:
Festifall 2002 Chapel Hill 67%
Carrboro 11%
Rest of Orange County 4%
Durham 12%
Raleigh 2%
Other 4%
Apple Chill 2003 Chapel Hill 67%
Carrboro 14%
Rest of Orange County 3%
Durham 6%
Raleigh 1%
Other 9%
Complete survey results for Festifall 2002 are found in Attachment 2. Survey results from Apple 2003 are found in Attachment 3.
In addition, the majority of vendors are from Orange County, with the next largest number being from the remainder of the Triangle. Vendor information from the 2003 Apple Chill event indicates that 57% of the vendors were from Orange County and 20% from surrounding counties. All entertainers in the 2003 spring fair were local, with 77% from Orange County and the remainder from the Triangle.
We believe that the fairs provide a valuable service to the Chapel Hill community. They provide opportunity for local entertainers, artists, businesses, and non-profit organizations to showcase their talent, wares, and information to citizens who choose to attend the events. A survey of downtown merchants indicates that a majority also believe that the street fairs represent the community. Results of the merchant survey are Attachment 4.
3. Street Fair Steering Committee: The Committee voted unanimously to recommend that a Street Fair Steering Committee, comprised of representatives of all community stakeholders, be established as a means of continually developing, implementing, and evaluating the street fair planning process while reporting their findings to the Council on an annual basis. The Committee stresses that pre-event communications regarding parking, street closings and initial traffic plan with downtown churches, affected neighborhoods, and downtown businesses is essential to the success of any large downtown event. The Committee also recommends the formation of a special subcommittee to the Steering Committee, to include public safety and traffic control experts with regard to the traffic flow issues.
Manager’s Comment: We believe that initiating a steering committee comprised of various community stakeholders to work with staff is essential to the success of these large community events. We would welcome the opportunity to involve churches, merchants, neighbors, and special interest groups in the planning and implementation of the events. We believe that we were able to solve several parking concerns during this year’s Apple Chill due to the early involvement of church representatives. Traffic control expertise would add to the Town’s ability to effectively avoid past traffic flow problems.
We recommend that the initial Committee be composed of:
The attached resolution would give the Parks and Recreation Commission the authority to establish categories of membership and to appoint members.
4. Include the Un-Sponsored Event in Planning for Apple Chill: The Committee voted unanimously to recommend, in recognition of its importance to our community, that the un-sponsored event that takes place during and after Apple Chill, be sponsored by the Town in cooperation with input from a Street Fair Steering Committee, including representation from local churches, merchants, neighbors, youth/teens, the local chapter of the NAACP, and all other stakeholders, to ensure the safety and well being of all citizens of our community.
The Committee’s Report also lists the following as observations:
“We recognize multiple distinct events (including, but not limited to the Apple Chill Street Fair, a motorcycle event, a vehicular cruising, and a spontaneous cultural happening). The Committee believes to simply attempt to manage the multiple events is not sufficient and recommend an attempt to establish communications with representatives among motorcycle event; vehicular cruising and a spontaneous cultural happening.”
“We recognize that it is speculative with regard to the idea that eliminating the Apple Chill Street Fair would end the after fair events. We understand that the Police prefer to continue the street fair so that they may adequately plan for the associated events rather than be surprised by them.”
“With respect to the expertise of our local and State public safety agencies, the Committee recommends the Council seek the professional opinion of the Chapel Hill Police and other Town departments with regards to how best to develop a comprehensive risk management plan ensuring public safety during and after the Apple Chill Street Fair.”
Manager’s Comment: We are concerned about past public safety issues related to the spontaneous event following Apple Chill. We believe that incorporating the historically non-sanctioned multiple activities related to Apple Chill into the actual event will help alleviate these concerns. Key in the mission statement proposed by the Street Fair Review Committee is the celebration of the community’s diversity.
We believe that the financial costs to oversee the currently non-sponsored event will be similar, regardless whether or not it becomes part of the Town’s community event. The Police Department has estimated that they will increase their staff by a minimum of 50 officers in either case. This will increase the Police Department’s cost by approximately 30%, about $8,700. Police Department expenses related to Apple Chill 2003 and related non-sanctioned events were $29,000. We believe the additional cost is justified to ensure safety for all citizens of the community.
5. Retain Street Fair Names: The Committee voted (14-2) to retain the current name of Apple Chill and Festifall for the spring and fall street fairs, respectively.
Manager’s Comment: We agree with retaining the existing event names because they have become part of the community’s culture.
6. Retain Current Street Fair Locations: The Committee considered switching the locations of the Apple Chill and Festifall fairs. They voted (14-2) to maintain the current locations for the Festifall on the west end of Franklin Street and Apple Chill on the east end. This was based on the Committee’s opinion that no discernable benefits would be gained with regards to traffic and public safety if the fair locations were switched.
Manager’s Comment: We concur with the Committee’s recommendation. We do not believe switching the locations of the two fairs to hold the spring fair on the west end of Franklin Street and the fall fair on the east end would solve past public safety and traffic concerns.
7. Free Fair Transportation: The Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the cost for providing free public transportation to and from the fairs from Town park and ride lots be covered by the Town rather than charging patrons for the trip, while expanding the incentives for patron participation by adding additional park and ride access locations.
Manager’s Comment: We believe that the expanded shuttle service, which was provided free of charge to users for the Apple Chill 2003 event, was helpful. We counted approximately 1,800 riders, compared with less than 600 using the shuttle for the 2002 spring fair. We believe some of the heavy automobile traffic can be curtailed with expanded no-fee shuttles. We believe the relatively small expenditure (approximately $5,000 per event) should be included in the Parks and Recreation Department budget for future fairs.
8. Discounts for Orange County Vendors: The Committee voted (14-2) to recommend that all vendors from Orange County or the Town of Chapel Hill receive slightly discounted registration fees for future street fairs. The Committee believes this would support local artists and businesses while not severely penalizing non-locals.
Manager’s Comment: We support providing Town and Orange County vendors a slight discount on registration fees. This would be consistent with the adopted Parks and Recreation User Fee Policy for other leisure activities. In addition, we believe it is consistent with policies of many other jurisdictions. We do not believe that requiring non-residents to pay more than residents would deter non-residents from applying to participate in the fair.
9. Location of Vendors on Franklin Street: The Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the staff experiment by placing vendors down the middle of Franklin Street, back-to-back when possible. The Committee believes this would clear pedestrian walkways on both sides of the Franklin Street and be more inclusive to the downtown merchants, subject to approval from the Fire Department.
Manager’s Comment: Several years ago, the fair layout included vendors adjacent to sidewalks on both sides of the street as well as down the middle of the road. Public safety concerns led to a shift in vendor spaces on each side of the street, leaving the middle of the street open. We understand that the Committee heard from several sources, including downtown church and merchants, that it would be preferable to place vendors down the middle of the street where possible to open the space in front of businesses for walking traffic. Our survey of downtown merchants confirmed overwhelming support for this change. We believe that developing a new layout with most vendors in the center of the street is feasible and desirable.
10. Explore the Possibility of using University Mall: The Committee voted (12-4) to recommend that the Town contact all community stakeholders in the University Mall/Estes Drive area as well as all Town departments to determine the feasibility of holding a fair at the Estes Drive site.
Manager’s Comment: While the University Mall/Estes Drive site is the only practical alternative the staff has identified to relocate the fairs in their current size, we note that the character of the event would change dramatically if it were moved from the downtown area. We believe that an integral reason for the success of the Apple Chill and Festifall fairs is the downtown atmosphere and the opportunities the venue offers. We have pursued the idea of moving the fair to University Mall with the manager of the mall. The initial feedback was positive with regard to the merchants’ willingness to host either fair.
NEXT STEPS
The staff has been in communication with the church and business communities while planning the upcoming Festifall street fair. We will continue to work closely with all affected parties, including nearby residents, to ensure that the events operate as smoothly as possible.
The planning process for Festifall (October 5, 2003) is too far along at this point to implement the recommendations of the Report. We will implement the changes mandated by the Council beginning with the 2004 Apple Chill fair.
In addition, we believe the Street Fair Steering Committee should be appointed as soon as possible. The attached resolution would authorize the Manager to work with the Parks and Recreation Commission to identify all stakeholder groups and authorize the Parks and Recreation Commission to make appointments to an on-going Street Fair Steering Committee. The Committee would work with the staff to continually develop, implement, and evaluate the street fair planning process. This Committee would also work with the staff and special interest groups to include the historically non-sanctioned activities that take place the day of Apple Chill into the actual Town-sponsored event.
Parks and Recreation Commission: At its August 20, 2003 meeting, the Commission voted unanimously (9-0) to forward the following recommendation regarding the recommendations contained in the Street Fair Review Committee Report:
“The Commission strongly supports all recommendations contained in the Street Fair Review Committee Report. The Commission is particularly pleased with the recommended formation of a citizen Street Fair Steering Committee to work with the staff throughout the year to develop, implement, and evaluate the street fair planning process while reporting their findings to the Council annually. In addition, the Committee recommends that the staff be directed to rework the placement of vendors in the middle of the street if possible to open space in front of downtown merchants’ businesses to encourage their involvement in the street fairs. Please see the attached Parks and Recreation Commission recommendation.”
Manager’s Recommendation: That the Council adopt the attached resolution, which would adopt the recommendations contained in the Report of the Street Fair Review Committee, authorize the Manager to initiate plans to implement these recommendations beginning with the 2004 Apple Chill street fair, and authorize the Parks and Recreation Commission to appoint members to a Street Fair Steering Committee.
1. Report of the Street Fair Review Committee (p. 11).
2. Festifall 2002 Participation Survey (p.18).
3. Apple Chill 2003 Participation Survey (p. 23).
4. Downtown Merchant Survey (p.28).
5. Parks and Recreation Commission recommendation (p. 34).
A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE REPORT OF THE STREET FAIR REVIEW COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS (2003-09-08/R-16)
WHEREAS, the Town Council of Chapel Hill created and appointed citizens to a Street Fair Review Committee to evaluate both Apple Chill and Festifall street fairs by seeking public input through public forums, surveys, and other means, and to recommend whether either or both fairs should be eliminated or changed and, if so, how; and
WHEREAS, the citizen Street Fair Review Committee presented its findings to the Council on June 9; and
WHEREAS, this report provides recommendations for improving the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the street fairs; and
WHEREAS, the report was reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission and provided comment to the Council;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby adopts the recommendations contained in the Report of the Street Fair Review Committee, including:
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council authorizes the Manager to work with the Parks and Recreation Commission to identify stakeholder representatives and to authorize the Parks and Recreation Commission to appoint members to the Street Fair Steering Committee.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council thanks the members of the Street Fair Review Committee for their work and time.
This the 8th day of September, 2003.