17 Staff Reports - Direction to Staff Regarding Haunted Mansion
DATE: .TO: FROM: COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT April 29, 2004 DEBRA J. FIGONE, TOWN MANAGER MEETING DATE: 5/3/2004 ITEM NO. SUBJECT: PROVIDEDIRECTIONTO STAFFREGARDINGTHEH
AUNTEDFOREST EVENT AND AUTHORIZE PROCESSING OF A SPECIAL EVENTS PERMIT FOR THIS FUNCTION BY AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION AT OAK MEADOW PARK. RECOMMENDATION: Provide direction to staff regarding
the Haunted Forest event and authorize processing of a special events permit for this function by an outside organization at Oak Meadow Park. BACKGROUND: On April 19, 2004, Council considered
a report in which staff requested Council authorization to accept and process a special events permit for a Haunted Forest event atOak Meadow Park. Council directed that this be re-agendized
on May 3 so that there would be an opportunity for any other community groups to come forward and express their interest in also being considered to promote this event in the community.
DISCUSSION: Whi"le this opportunity was made public through the televised council proceedings and open solicitation of the press at the council meeting, no other community groups expressed
interest in being considered as a promoter of this event. At the Council's direction, no formal request for a proposal was generated. The attached staffreport from April 19 describes
thecircumstances ofthe original proposal. Staffis to accept and process a special events permit application from PREPARED BY: ScottR. Seaman Chief ofPolice Y:\PD\GRAVEL\Haunted
Forest 2.wpd. Reviewed by: QSo Assistant Town Manager ITownAttorney __Clerk. Finance __Community Development Revised: 4/29/04 2:37 pm Reformatted: 5/30/02
PAGE2 .MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: April 29, 2004 Mr. Brian Patterson as specified in the attached report. Staff will incorporate issues of Council interest, such as financial auditing,
into the special events permit. CONCLUSION: Staffrecommends that Council approve the acceptance ofan application for a special events permit from Mr. Patterson. Once received, staff
will bring the permit back to Council for formal consideration. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required. FISCAL Il\1PACT:
See Attachment 1. Attachments: Previous Council Agenda Report of April 19, 2004 Distribution: General Parks Commission
DATE: TO: FROM: COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT April 5, 2004 DEBRA 1. FIGONE, TOWN MANAGER MEETING DATE: 4/19/04 ITEM NO. SUBJECT: ACCEPT STAFF REPORT
REGARDING THE HAUNTED FOREST AND AUTHORIZE FOR STAFF TO PROCESS ASPECIAL EVENTS PERMIT FOR A HAUNTED FOREST BY AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION AT OAK MEADOW PARK. !. I . RECOMMENDATION: Accept
staff report regarding the Haunted Forest and authorize staff to process a special events pennit for a Haunted Forest by an outside organization at Oak Meadow Park. BACKGROUND: The "Haunted
Forrest" event was started in 1995 to promote a fun and exciting family-oriented event that would provide a safe environment for kids, teens and adults to enjoy. The event has been held
annually at Oak Meadow Park, and involves a number ofHalloween themed activities and realistic displays. The Haunted Forest began as a community event initiated by the police department.
The event is supported by a large number of Town volunteers and community Halloween enthusiasts. The proceeds from this event have gone to support the operations of the Los Gatos Police
Foundation, as well the DARE program and other crime prevention programs. The Los Gatos Police Foundation consists ofmembers ofthe volunteer groups within the police department which
includes the Police" Reserves, the Disaster Aid Response Team, the Volunteers in Policing, and the Pipe and Drum Team. PREPARED BY: Scott R. Seaman Chief of Police Reviewed by: 9S.:S'
Assistant Town Manager =rJf2fown Attorney __Clerk,....-_Finance __Community Development Revised: 4/15/04 3:13 pm .Reformatted: 5/30/02
PAGE 2 MAYOR AND ToWNCOUNCa SUBJECT: ACC'EPT STAFF REPORT REGARDING THE HAUNTED FOREST AND .... AUTHORIZE STAFF TO PROCESS A SPECIALEVENTS PERMIT FOR A HAUNTED FOREST BY AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZAnON
AT OAK MEADOW PARK. AprilS, 2004 DISCUSSION: While the event has been largely set up and run by volunteers, it also requires many hours of staff time to oversee the logistics of the
event, both from within the police department for coordinating the event, and from the parks department for the use and upkeep of Oak Meadow Park. Although this was originally designed
to be ail event handled by volunteers for their own benefit, as opposed to being a Town-sponsored event, it has evolved into an event whieh has required an increasing number ofhours
of staff time at a cost to the Town. . The concern for the amount ofTown costs incurred has become magnified in that the capacity of the police department to absorb these costs has been
diminished due to reduced budgets tn areas such as overtime and supplies and materials. This was discussed in preparation for the 2003 Haunted Forest, and it wasdetennined that the event
woUld be scaled back in the number ofdays and that the responsibilities would be spread among other departments to assisfthe volunteer effort andthe police department. Even under a scaled
back model, last year's costs to the Town were over $30,000.00. Due to the large amount ofstaff time now required, balanced against the many other commitments \) those same staff have,
it was the intention ofstaffto discontinue the Haunted Forest event after this last year. After last year's event, hearing that it was likely that the Haunted Forest event might be discontinued
due to budget constraints and increased staff time, a private individual came to the Town with a proposal to keep the annual event running. Bryan Patterson has been associated with the
Haunted Forrest as a volunteer during the entire nine year run and is therefore passionate about seeing the event continue. Irt a.dditionto his involvement with this event, he has also
repbrtedly been involved in numerous other "haunted house" attractions for approximately twenty years. He intends on using his own staff to coordinate and put on the event without the
necessity of active Town involvement. Aithough he intendsto run this event as a private business, in return for some support from the volunteers ofthe Police Foundation, he does intend
on donating 20% of the proceeds from this event to the Foundation. Staff has reviewed the proposal, and both the Police Chief and the Director of Parks and Public Works have met with
the Mr. Patterson. The proposal calls for 15 nights use ofOak Meadow Park for the event, and continued use ofthe props previously used by Town-staff in on the event.
Staff feels that there is still a benefit to the community by allowing this event to continue. By allowing it to proceed as a private event, however, it would relieve Town Staff from
the large a.moun.t of time associated with the event, as well as saving the Town the costswhich it it is currently mcumng.
/ --,./PAGE 3 SUBJECT: STAFF REPORT REGARDING THE HAUNTED FOREST AND AUTHORIZE STAFF TO PROCESS A SPECIAL EVENTS PERMIT FOR A
HAUNTED FOREST BY AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZAnON AT OAK MEADOW PARK. April 5, 2004 As proposed, this would be handled as any other private event requiring a special events permit. This would
make the event cost recovery to the Town, requiring the sponsor to pay all ofthe costs associated with a special events permit, such as permit fees, park use fees, maintenance deposits
as required by the Parks Department, etc. Staffis seeking Council concurrence to allow staffto procee:don working with this private individual to process a special events pennit application,
whichwould allow the Haunted Forest event to continue to provide the annual community benefit at no cost to the Town. Staffrecently shared this idea with the Parks Commission. The Parks
Commissionconcurred that allowing the Haunted Forrest to continue as a private event wasa "win-win" situation, in that the event which benefits the communityanithe PoliceFoUIidationwouldcontinue,
while eliminating the stafftime.and costs which are currently associated with this event. The special event permit will be brought backto Council in the next few months for approval,
as the event exceeds three days and Council approval is required by Town Code. . CONCLUSION: Staffrecommends that the Council authorize statIto workwith Mr. Patterson for the processing
ofa special permit application for the Haunted Forest event. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: Is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required. FISCAL IMPACT:
This action would save the Town approximately $30,000 in staff time. Distribution: General Parks Commission