Attachment 5 - Public Comment Received 1101 am June 2 to 1100 am June 6 2022From: randi@losgatoschamber.com <randi@losgatoschamber.com>
Sent: Monday, June 06, 2022 3:21 PM
To: Council <Council@losgatosca.gov>; Town Manager <Manager@losgatosca.gov>
Cc: 'Catherine Somers' <catherine@losgatoschamber.com>; 'Donna McCurrie'
<donna@losgatoschamber.com>
Subject: Letter for desk item for Council meeting June 7 - Agenda Item #26
EXTERNAL SENDER
Dear Mayor Rennie and Council Members –
For your consideration of Agenda Item #26 at the June 7, 2022 council meeting.
Thank you.
Randi Chen
ATTACHMENT 5
Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce
10 Station Way, Los Gatos, CA 95030
losgatoschamber.com, 408-354-9300
June 6, 2022
Dear Mayor and Council –
We would like to clarify a few items regarding the staff report associated with Item #26, the Promenade
Summer Series, on the June 7 Council agenda.
The Chamber still believes that an ABC license encompassing the entire event is the appropriate way to
proceed with the Promenades.
Regarding a few specific issues:
Staffing and administration:
• Regardless of whether the Chamber staffs an individual beer garden with various vendors or a
street-long event, with the same various vendors, the Chamber will need to sell tokens, check
IDs and wristband attendees who wish to purchase alcohol.
• In addition, we will have to count tokens and pay vendors after each event.
Have we agonized over the logistics of how to do this? Yes – and we have pivoted several times, and
discussed this daily for the last month. We have reached out to all of you, as well as our merchants
and our Food & Wine group. In the end, we have come to the conclusion that an individual beer
garden will silo the attendees; and as we’ve said previously, negate the spirit and intent of the
Promenades. We are prepared to hire additional staff and volunteers to make this event successful.
In the report, Staff questioned:
“Is the intent to provide an outdoor “festival environment” with the primary focus on the event activities,
such as music, food, alcohol and entertainment stationed along the street? Or is the intent to close the
road to create a pedestrian walkway to support an outdoor community gathering with musical
entertainment while encouraging event guest to shop and dine within existing establishments?”
• The answer is the latter – if everyone is stationed in an individual beer garden, there will be no
promenading, patronizing the stores, or listening to the bands.
ABC License:
• The staff is correct that ABC prohibits the mingling of licenses. Regardless of which iteration we
choose, siloed beer gardens, street-long event or no ABC license at all, the restaurants must
follow the rules of their own ABC licenses. This means that patrons who purchase alcohol at a
restaurant, must consume it within the confines of that restaurant. Any to-go alcohol must be
purchased with a meal.
• Whether we have an individual beer garden OR an ABC license that covers the street-long event,
the restaurants, breweries and wineries will be vendors for the Chamber. Vendors will all have
tents, tables, etc, take tokens as payment, and only serve wrist-banded attendees.
• If we have an ABC license that encompasses the entire length of the Promenade, patrons may
buy a drink from a street-side vendor with a token, and promenade at will.
Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce
10 Station Way, Los Gatos, CA 95030
losgatoschamber.com, 408-354-9300
Security:
If we get an ABC license for the street-long event, the Chamber will hire private security to staff the
egresses/ingresses to the event, so folks do not leave the event with open alcohol containers. We will
have signage indicating that alcohol may not leave the event and that outside alcohol is not allowed.
In summary:
After much thoughtful discussion, the Chamber has determined that we have the capability to staff and
administer the street-long event. Whether there is an individual beer garden or vendors on the street,
the needs are similar. The number of vendors, and the ability to invite businesses off N. Santa Cruz
Avenue, will be the same in either scenario. We think that forcing folks into a beer garden will
compromise the event and not encourage promenading or the sense of community that the
Promenades were originally envisioned to do.
Thank you.
Los Gatos Chamber Staff & Executive Director
From: Jennifer McRay
Sent: Monday, June 6, 2022 3:37 PM
To: Council <Council@losgatosca.gov>; Town Manager <Manager@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Re: council meeting 6/7
EXTERNAL SENDER
Hello,
I am writing in reference to the agenda item on tomorrow's town council meeting regarding the
Summer Promenades. I grew up in Los Gatos and have owned Kismet Boutique for the last 20
years. My hope is that the council will approve a street wide event like last year. The vibe and
energy was so fun to see, especially after the horrific year we all had. Families were enjoying
the downtown environment, dancing and strolling up and down the street. It was also good for
business, because not only were people wandering around town who had never been in my
store, they came back after and said how much fun they had. It was nice to see Los Gatos as a
fun and vibrant town. As merchants we have received a lot of feedback from customers who
say Los Gatos is a stuffy and sleepy town. I loved how the Promenades brought the community
together and it felt like the way Los Gatos used to feel back in the 80s and 90s.
There are soooo many charming downtowns and places for people to shop and eat at in the
Bay Area. I felt like Los Gatos was finally getting the attention it deserves. Those of us that live
and/or work in town know what a special place it is. It was nice to share that with others, which
in turn helps out the restaurants and businesses that have been struggling since the pandemic.
I had the worst year in business in 2020 and the best year in 2021 and I think that was due to an
influx of new customers coming in to Los Gatos to shop. The marketing is working and I hear all
the time what a beautiful area it is. Let's keep up the momentum that we have established in
the last year that allows the local businesses to flourish and allow the Summer Promenades to
continue like last year.
Thank you,
Jennifer McRay
Owner
Kismet Boutique