SANDPOINT — In accordance with the city’s strategic planning process, one goal of Sandpoint officials is to implement policies and procedures that provide clarity and consistency.

As such, a workshop on special events was held last week during City Council to clarify and simplify the process and fees for city staff and for the public.

Special events include parades, public assembly, marches, Farmin Park events, bike rides, runs and walkathons, sporting tournaments, and other park events. The total number of these events has increased from 24 in 2014, to 31 in 2018.

“A lot of it is because of the reversion of the city streets … we are actually having more events downtown, which is great,” said City Clerk Maree Peck.

One of the current challenges include a certificate of insurance requirement, naming the city “additional insured” of $1 million is required for all events, Peck said, including community-based and private events held on city streets. City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton said this has created challenges for a student group that wanted to do a march downtown, as well as other community-based efforts. Without an official organization to associate insurance coverage with, it has been difficult for them to meet the insurance requirements and has come at a “significant cost” to those groups, Stapleton said.

Another challenge is that special events are held in various city streets and parks that lack adequate infrastructure, Peck said. The goal, she said, is to designate an area for special events that provides consistency, supports planning, improves vibrancy and economic development, and provides needed infrastructure.

Stapleton said the city typically gets out before an event and does street sweeping, provides barricades, traffic cones, signs and other needs for events. Driving events to a single location will help the city better prepare for the needs of the different events, Stapleton said, whether it’s electricity, water or a traffic plan. Proposed designated event venues include Farmin Park and Jeff Jones Town Square, and the city streets on Main Street between town square and First Avenue, and on Second Avenue from Cedar to Church.

The city’s complicated fee structure is another challenge, she said. In consideration of changing the fees, Peck looked at other cities, and noted that Sandpoint’s is by far more complicated with fees based on participation, blocks closed, street closure and whether a sidewalk or pathway is utilized. There are also two different event access points — city parks and city right-of-way, so challenges arise when an event meets both points. For example, the Earth Day celebration this year was a park event and a march, Peck said.

In the proposed fee schedule, there would be no fee for small events with less than 50 participants, though they would still be required to fill out the special event application; a medium event with 51 to 499 participants would be $100, and a large event with 500 or more participants would be $300.

“Our goal was to look at simplifying our fee structure,” Stapleton said. “... For most of our events under the fee schedule we are proposing, it’s actually reduced fees from what they are currently paying.”

There are some factors that may apply, such as if a route alters traffic, if police or private security are needed, if alcohol is served or sold, or if structural or electrical permits are required. If three or more of these factors apply, even if there are less than 500 participants, the fee would be $300, Stapleton said. Additional fees for events held in parks will still apply, and Stapleton said city staff has not yet dug into park fees, but will likely do so in the future.

Peck also proposed that small and medium events would not be required to provide a certificate of insurance.

As Wednesday’s discussion was a workshop, no official action was taken. The proposed fees and other changes will come back before council with a public hearing on Nov. 20.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.