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Introduction
STEP 1: Who to Contact First
STEP 2: City Special Events Team
STEP 3: Determine When and Where to Hold Your Event
STEP 4: Obtain Adequate Security
STEP 5: Traffic Considerations
STEP 6: Insurance
STEP 7: Compliance Bond Requirements
STEP 8: Alcohol in the Event
STEP 9: Inform and Train Volunteers
STEP 10: Publicize Your Event
STEP 11: Charging Admission to Your Event
STEP 12: Cleaning Up
City Co-sponsored Events
Additional Information
September, 1995; Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln Municipal Code: 14.32
1st Edition 9/91; 2nd Edition 9/95
Lincoln, Nebraska enjoys many fine and entertaining special events and festivals that help to create the image of an exciting City. Events revitalize neighborhoods and commercial areas, while enhancing the lives of our citizens and attracting visitors to our City.
In order to help event organizers coordinate their plans with City requirements, we have compiled this Information Manual which contains sample application forms and related material that are involved in the City's review and approval process. Please read this booklet completely, even if you have planned events before, because with the passage of the Special Events Ordinance there are several changes that will affect your next event: fees, signage, prepayment of costs, etc.
We recommend you review the Questionnaire that is also included in this booklet. Even though you do not need to submit this Questionnaire to the City, we believe it raises many of the most common details to address when preparing for an event.
I urge you to call a member of the City Special Events Team if you have any questions about your event prior to filing your application. Their names and telephone numbers appear on the following page. In many cases, they will set an appointment to meet with you to discuss your application to ensure that yours will be a safe and enjoyable event for everyone. And one that will reflect well on you, your organization and the City of Lincoln. Tom Casady - Chief of Police
Based on the nature of your event, a variety of permits may be required. In most cases, permits are issued through the City Clerk's Office, located on the first floor of the County-City Building, 555 So. 10th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. The telephone number is (402) 441-7437.
See Section 14.32.020 of the attached Special Events Ordinance for a listing of activities that require a Special Event Application.
However, if the event you are planning is to be held in a City Park, or involves the use of the City's Bike Trails, you will need to start your application process with the Lincoln Parks & Recreation Department, 2740 "A" Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. A sample application is included in this booklet. The telephone number is 441-7847.
STEP 2: City Special Events Team
In most cases, you will be referred to the City Special Events Team (the "E" Team) whose members can advise you in planning your event and help you work through the City's permit process. It is always a good idea to call one of the members to determine what other requirements may apply to your event:
| Capt. Allen Soukup | Lincoln Police Dept. | 441-7262 |
| Chuck Schweitzer | Bureau of Fire Prevention | 441-6439 |
| Doug Kuhnel | Pershing Auditorium, | 441-8744 |
| Bill Nass | Public Works Maintenance | 441-7701 |
| Sheila O'Connor | Convention & Visitors Bureau | 434-5335 |
| Mary Schnell | Parks & Recreation Dept. | 441-7847 |
| Kelly Sieckmeyer | Traffic Engineering/Pub. Works | 441-7455 |
| Diane Gonzolas | Citizen's Information Center | 441-7375 |
Because the Team's members make recommendations on permit approval or denial, you will find it beneficial to begin your planning process with the "E" Team early. We recommend a minimum of two weeks to allow the various departments time to review your request and determine any use fees associated with your application. As required by the Events ordinance, the City will advise applicants of these costs at the time the permit is approved and the applicant is to prepay them at least one day prior to the event. Any shortfall or overage will be billed/refunded within 30 days of the event. Refunds of fees for Parks Dept. applications are covered under the Parks Dept. ordinance and you should contact that office for details.
STEP 3: Determine When and Where to Hold Your Event
Special events may be considered for public streets and sidewalks in Business, Commercial or Industrial zoned districts of the City. The Mayor may grant an exception to these districts upon the applicant's showing of a practical necessity arising out of the nature of the proposed event. See Section 14.32.150 of the Special Events Ordinance.
Also, there may be some limitation on use of certain streets. Please see Section 14.32.070 (c) (1) and all of (2) for specific times and locations where a special event may not be held. Paragraph (d) of that same section outlines the requirements for holding a special event on an arterial street during peak traffic hours.
Due to scheduling conflicts or weather conditions, your event may not take place on your preferred date. It is always wise to choose an alternate date and time in that case. That alternate date should be shown on your application.
Determine what specific weather conditions would affect your event and develop a plan of procedures to follow should bad weather occur. Check weather forecasts and consider the safety of your participants if you encounter: low windchill, high wind conditions, hot and/or cold temperatures, snow and rain.
Cancellation To avoid being charged labor or rental costs, an event should be canceled the day before the scheduled starting time.
Postponement An event may be postponed only if an alternate date has been shown on your application at the time of approval. You may delay the start of your event up to one hour with the approval of the Lincoln Police Department. Any later than that, you would need to use your alternate date.
Notification When canceling or postponing an event, you should notify the following agencies or persons:
STEP 4: Obtain Adequate Security
For the safety of your event's participants, security personnel are a necessity. Events including alcohol or minors may involve higher risk and may require more security.
When meeting with the "E" Team, applicants are advised of the type and number of security personnel required. Events on public property require Lincoln Police Department personnel. Off-duty officers will be assigned with the costs to be paid by the applicant. The current hourly costs are determined by union contract, and these, as well as equipment costs (vehicles, radios, etc.) are shown on the Special Event Fees form attached to your approved permit. (See sample included in this manual.)
If your event is on private property you may want to hire security guards to ensure everyone's safety. (Look in the yellow pages under "Security Guard" or "Patrol Service.)
Points to consider when planning security for your event:
STEP 5: Traffic Considerations
Make a plan for traffic control before meeting with the "E" Team. You must supply an estimate of the number of people attending your event, a diagram of the location and a map of the area, including parking. You may want to call the public transit system to determine if their routes conflict with the location and time of your event.
Even if your event does not require street or sidewalk closings, it may generate unusual pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic. This not only affects the event's participants, but also those who live, work and shop in the area surrounding the event's location. Changes in traffic flow must be considered in the planning process. In case of large events, consider establishing parking in other sites and shuttling participants to the event. Obtain permission from the property owners and hire only a fully-licensed shuttling company.
Call the Public Works Business Office, (441-7550) for information on parking availability, rates and options for renting a facility or pre-paying parking costs.
The applicant is responsible for all costs associated with hooding meters, barricading, signing and other services and staff time for the event. (See Special Event Fees information, Page 23.)
As outlined in Section 14.32.120 of the Special Events Ordinance, the applicant must maintain public liability insurance for the duration of the permit. Your evidence of insurance must be filed at the time of making application. Please see the sample Certificate of Insurance ACORD form included in this booklet. PLEASE NOTE: The phrase, "The City of Lincoln is an additional insured," must appear on the Certificate of Insurance. It is not sufficient to merely indicate that the City of Lincoln is the Certificate Holder.
STEP 7: Compliance Bond Requirements
If such a bond is required by the City Attorney for your event, the requirements are listed in Section 14.32.130 of the Ordinance. A sample Compliance Bond is included in this booklet.
Although sometimes advantageous, having alcohol at the event may also incur greater costs and risks.
Alcohol consumption in public places is illegal unless authorized by a City Special Designated Permit. This applies whether the alcohol is sold or given away. A Special Designated Permit is not available in city parks. Because this request is reviewed and acted upon by City Council, the request for a permit must be submitted a minimum of three weeks before the event. If the permit is granted, it is the applicant's responsibility to follow all state and local liquor laws strictly throughout the event.
You should consult with a legal or insurance advisor for specific guidelines or restrictions, but we offer the following general comments:
Develop a policy before the event and have it visibly posted during the event. It should include rules about minors, ID checks, and employee/volunteer consumption and number of occupants allowed. State law requires that the area where alcohol is served be confined. If outside, the area must be fenced in. If inside, the area must be roped off or confined to inside the building. No alcohol is allowed outside the prescribed boundaries.
Post a specified time for "last call" (when the sale of alcohol ends) and enforce this time limit. All alcohol must be removed by 1:00 a.m.
State law prohibits persons under the age of 21 from consuming alcohol. The applicant is responsible for enforcing this law at the event. Experienced persons should check ID's at the entrance to the area where alcohol is served and again at the point of sale.
Additional security will be required due to increased risk.
Additional restroom facilities are needed.
Train your personnel/volunteers to recognize the warning signs of a person who has had too much to drink. You should have a strategy on how to handle this type of situation. The Police Dept. suggests requiring volunteers to attend an alcohol training session prior to the event.
STEP 9: Inform and Train Volunteers
Volunteers can be the most valuable people at your event. They should be briefed prior to the event on what they may and may not do. They should be thoroughly informed and it is often a good idea to provide them with job descriptions. Tell them who is in charge and whom to contact if a problem develops. Be sure they are familiar with the building or area so they can direct people to restrooms, fire exits, or other key locations.
Remember, the volunteer's tasks may seem clear to you, but they are not as familiar with all of the plans you have made. Make your volunteers easily identifiable: provide them with vests, pins, armbands, hats, etc.
Publicity plays an important part in the success or failure of your event. Contact the media early to arrange for news releases, press conferences, ads in the newspapers and on radio or television. Keep in mind the media may only relay your message; you must create an effective message that conveys your event's activities.
Signs and banners on or over public property that identify the event and acknowledge donors and sponsors are now allowed if approved with the permit for the event. See Section 14.32.140 for details. Applicants must include information in the permit application regarding number, size and the proposed wording of each sign/banner and in what manner they will be secured. (See sample Application Amendment page.) Only those signs/banners that are approved with your event permit are those which may be displayed on or over public property. Any other signs/banners must be on private property and conform to the City's sign ordinance.
STEP 11: Charging Admission to Your Event
Except for licensed vendors identified in your application, receiving registration fees, donations, etc. on public property is not permitted. If you wish to charge admission to your event, only non-profit or charitable organizations exempt from federal taxes are eligible for a permit to charge admission to a public street/sidewalk. See Section 14.32.110. The requirements in this section are based on State Statute.
If your organization is eligible and you decide to charge admission, we recommend that you contact all of the abutting property owners early to secure their written consent. Completed consent forms from 100% of the owners of record must be filed with your application. No permit may be issued if these forms have not been filed with the City, or if less than 100% of the property owners agree to sign. A sample consent form is included in this booklet, but is not the only format that is acceptable. Some events include an invitation to attend their activities and/or an offer to meet with the owner to explain the nature of the event and to see if the owner requires any special accommodations, i.e. for tenants arriving or exiting their building.
You are responsible for cleaning up your own event, whether you do it yourself or hire someone else. It may include the regular emptying of trash receptacles, scheduled servicing of restrooms and collecting litter after the event. Failure to do so may incur a penalty.
While the Special Events Team is available for technical advice during the application process of your event, the City of Lincoln only co-sponsors three events: The Lincoln Marathon, The Fourth of July Celebration and the Star City Holiday Parade. Co-sponsorship is determined by inclusion in the approved City budget for the expenditure of funds (either direct contribution and/or use of equipment, staff time and City resources). And co-sponsorship allows the City active participation in the decision-making on all phases of an event.
All other events are subject to all permit fees and charges as set out in the applicable ordinances.
While the enclosed ordinance addresses applications for permits to use public streets and sidewalks for special events, other permits may be required: alcohol, dance, construction (to secure tent stakes in pavement, etc.), fireworks, food handling, mechanical devices (carnivals), parade, (marches, walks, etc. without obstructions, advertising, etc.), parks use permit, noise variance if activity goes beyond 10 p.m., tent permit if over 200 sq. ft. in area. Samples of applications for many of these activities are included in this booklet, and several ordinances under which these permits are required are also included.
