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HomeMy WebLinkAbout13 - Special Event Support Program FY 17 Funding RecommendationsQ �EwPpRr CITY OF O rt z NEWPORT BEACH <,FoP City Council Staff Report June 28, 2016 Agenda Item No. 13 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: Dave Kiff, City Manager - 949-644-3001, dkiff@newportbeachca.gov PREPARED BY: Tara Finnigan, Assistant to the City Manager, tfinnigan@newportbeachca.gov PHONE: 949-644-3035 TITLE: Special Event Support Program FY 17 Funding Recommendations ABSTRACT: The City of Newport Beach Special Event Support Program provides financial assistance to Newport Beach based community events. Staff is submitting recommendations for the City Council's consideration that, if approved, would support 18 Community and Charitable events for a total of $68,968 and five Signature events for a total of $214,000. RECOMMENDATIONS: a) Determine that the action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because it will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; b) Approve the Special Event Support recommendations for Fiscal Year 2016-2017; c) Authorize staff to execute one-year grant agreements with event organizers for the Komen Orange County Race for the Cure, Newport Beach Restaurant Week and the Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival; d) Authorize staff to enter a three-year grant agreement for $135,000 per year, for a total of $405,000, with the organizers of the Newport Beach Film Festival; e) Approve Budget Amendment No. 17BA-001 to transfer $8,968 from account 01020202-841046 to account 01005005-841046; f) Approve waiving the Special Event Permit Fees and any City site rental fees for the Art in the Park, Library Live and the Bunnies & Books Kids Festival events; and g) Approve changes to the Special Event Support Program, as detailed in the staff report. 13-1 Special Event Support Program FY 17 Funding Recommendations June 28, 2016 Page 2 FUNDING REQUIREMENTS: Budget Includes Sufficient Funding The adopted FY 2016-2017 General Fund budget includes $255,000 (01020202- 841046, City Manager's Office/Economic Development) in support for Signature Events and $60,000 (01005005-841046, City Council) for the Community and Charitable event support. Staff's recommendations for Community and Charitable event support totals $68,968, exceeding the budgeted amount by $8,968 while the Signature event funding recommendations total $214,000, $41,000 less than the budgeted amount. Therefore, if approved as recommended, staff is requesting approval of a budget transfer of $8,968 from account 01020202-841046 to account 01005005-841046. DISCUSSION: Background Since 2010, the City of Newport Beach (City) has followed an administrative process for allocating special event support. The process is designed to provide transparency and equity in how the funding is allocated, comply with the Newport Beach Municipal Code, and help contain City costs, while continuing to support local events that provide charitable fundraising opportunities, encourage community engagement, and/or foster economic development. In 2015, the City Council approved changes to the administrative process that better define the types of events the City will support and provide eligibility, qualification and evaluation criteria for the program. The City's Special Event Support Program provides grants in two categories: 1. Community and Charitable Events — Events that serve or benefit locally based organizations and causes and/or provide recreational, cultural, social benefits to Newport Beach residents. Newport Beach based organizations and events that serve the Newport Beach community specifically, receive priority in funding. Grants are in the form of a credit toward City fees. If an awardee incurs costs (fees) higher than the grant award, they owe the City the difference. If the awardee's costs are lower than was projected during the grant award process, the City keeps the difference. 2. Signature Events — Large-scale events, based in Newport Beach that promote Newport Beach regionally, attract visitors and provide measurable, economic benefits to the City of Newport Beach. Signature event grant recipients are required to enter into a City Sponsorship Agreement and agree with the City's terms and conditions. All agreements include right to audit language and include measurable objectives and performance measures for evaluating the event's marketing and economic impact. 13-2 Special Event Support Program FY 17 Funding Recommendations June 28, 2016 Page 3 Grant Application Process The City opened the application submission period on April 4, 2016 and advertised the program in the Daily Pilot, promoted it on the City's website and social media channels, emailed past applicants and others that had expressed an interest in the program, and issued a news release. The deadline for applications was Monday, May 2, 2016 at 4 p.m. Thirty (30) applications were received by the submission deadline. The City received 25 applications under the Community and Charitable event category and five (5) were received under the Signature event category. The applications are available for the City Council's and the public's review at the City Clerk's Office at Newport Beach City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive, Bay 2E. Application Review and Evaluation A staff committee comprised of Sean Levin and Matt Dingwall from the Recreation and Senior Services Department and Tara Finnigan and Mary Locey from the City Manager's Office reviewed and evaluated the applications received. The applications were evaluated based upon how well each fit the program's eligibility, qualification and evaluation criteria. (Attachment A) Determining Recommended Funding Community and Charitable event grants are to be awarded at set, not -to -exceed levels that correlate to the amount of City fees the applicant is expected pay. (For events not required to pay City fees, funding support can be assigned at a level between $100 and $15,000.) To assign funding recommendations, staff used historical data from previous years' events or estimated what an event would pay in City fees. The committee incorporated the information from the application evaluation and assigned funding recommendations accordingly. Signature events grants are to be awarded at set, not -to -exceed levels based upon an evaluation of the event budget, an estimate of related City fees, and the estimated economic benefits to the City of having the event based in Newport Beach. Staff took these elements into consideration and assigned funding recommendations. In order to support as many eligible events as possible with the funding approved in each fiscal year budget, staff also considered the history, if any, of City financial support for each applicant. A number of events received City support in three or more of the last five fiscal years and/or have received large grants ($5,000 or more) within the five-year period. More than half of the events recommended for grant funding fell within this "repeat recipients" category, including all five of the Signature events. 13-3 Special Event Support Program FY 17 Funding Recommendations June 28, 2016 Page 4 Recommendations Staff is recommending reducing the grant amounts of repeat grant recipients in the Signature event grant category 10 percent or more where possible. The Christmas Boat Parade is exempted because the City is in a four-year funding agreement with the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce that stipulates the City support will be $50,000 for each year of the agreement. The agreement term ends December 31, 2017. The Komen OC Race for the Cure is also exempted because it was a recipient under the Community & Charitable event category last year. Staff is submitting recommendations for the City Council's consideration that, if approved, would support 18 Community & Charitable events for a total of $68,968 and five Signature events for a total of $214,000. (See Attachment B for the list of recommendations.) Of the 23 events recommended for grant funding, five are new to the process and have not received a City grant within at least the past five fiscal years. All five of these events fall within the Community and Charitable event category. In addition, staff is recommending a three-year grant agreement between the City and the Newport Beach Film Festival. The festival is the community's largest special event in terms of scale and audience - and the City has been its largest sponsor for the past 15 years. If approved by the Council and agreed to by Newport Beach Film Festival representatives, the agreement would provide some funding stability for festival organizers. Staff is proposing a three-year grant agreement in the amount of $135,000 per fiscal year. Disqualifications, Exceptions or Removals from Consideration As detailed in Attachment A, three applications were disqualified because the organization or event did not meet the program criteria. In addition, the Mariners Independence Day Parade and Celebration application was removed from consideration because the City is already a long-standing co-sponsor of the event and there is no permit or other City fees. Three other applications are for events - Art in the Park, Library Live and the Bunnies & Books for Kids Festival - sponsored by City support groups. Staff is recommending that the City Council approve waiving the associated City permit and/or site rental fees for each of these since event proceeds come back to the City for its programs. Recommended Changes to the Special Event Support Program As previously noted, nearly half of the events recommended for grants this year have been supported by the City in recent years. In order to have the opportunity to support new or other events in the future, staff is recommending a review of options such as limiting the number of consecutive years that an organization can receive a City support grant, or reducing a repeat recipient's grant amount in consecutive years. Should the Council find that either option has merit; staff requests the ability to work with Council Members Petros and Peotter to develop and incorporate the funding criteria into the Special Event Support Program Overview. 13-4 Special Event Support Program FY 17 Funding Recommendations June 28, 2016 Page 5 Staff would also like the Council to consider amending the program criteria to indicate that City co-sponsored events that do not have associated City permit or related fees, or events hosted by City support groups of which the City Council or City Manager has approved waiving City permit or related fees, do not have to apply for a Special Event Support grant. NOTICING: The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item). ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A — FY 17 Special Event Support Program Overview Attachment B — FY 17 Special Event Support Recommendation and Grant History Attachment C — Budget Amendment 13-5 ATTACHMENT A City of Newport Beach Special Event Support Program Call for Applications for Events Executed Between July 1, 2016 and June 30, m 2017. Overview The City of Newport Beach (City) recognizes the social and economic benefits associated with special events. Its Special Event Support Program provides financial support to two categories of Newport Beach -based events: Community and Charitable - Serve or benefit locally based organizations and causes and/or provide recreational, cultural, social benefits to Newport Beach residents. Newport Beach -based organizations and events that serve the Newport Beach community specifically, receive priority in funding. Signature Events — Large-scale events, based in Newport Beach, that promote Newport Beach regionally, attract visitors, and provide measurable, economic benefits to the City of Newport Beach. Signature events must demonstrate the following: o The event does or can attract visitors from throughout Southern California (Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino) and ideally, the Southwestern United States; o It must have at least 3,000 participants; o The event organizers have a strategic, measureable marketing plan and can immediately produce the plan and metrics from past years (if applicable) upon City's request; and o Event organizers must clearly demonstrate how the event will provide substantive and measureable economic benefits to the City by supporting tourism, generating room nights, supporting local business, and providing measurable exposure. Types of Special Event Support A. Community and Charitable — Grants will be available at set, not -to -exceed levels that correlate to the amount of City fees the applicant is expected pay. Successful applicants will be awarded grants in the form of credits toward their City fees. (The City will no longer provide cash to grant awardees.) Grants awarded are not intended to cover all of an event organizers' costs associated with City oversight. If an awardee incurs costs (fees) higher than the grant award, they will owe the City the difference. If the awardee's costs are lower than was projected during the grant award process, the City will keep the difference. For events that are not required to pay City fees under a Special Event Permit, funding support may be assigned to an event at a level between $100 and $15,000. The review of funding will take into account the size and scope of the event and how well it FY 17 Special Event Support Program Overview Page 1 13-6 otherwise meets the program's evaluation criteria. The City may require an agreement with grant awardees. All agreements will include right to audit language and that the organizer submit an event conclusion report, which includes the event's balance sheet and income statement. B. Signature Events — Grants will be available at set, not -to -exceed levels based upon an evaluation of the event budget, the estimate of City fees, and the estimated economic benefits to the City of having the event based in Newport Beach. The City's financial support should represent no more than 25 percent of the overall event budget. The City may enter multi-year agreements with grant awardees. All agreements, whether for one year or multiple years, will include right to audit language and include measurable objectives and performance measures for evaluating the event's marketing and economic impact. Eligibility Criteria To be eligible to receive City support, applicants must demonstrate that: A. All of the Community and Charitable event takes place within Newport Beach. All or a majority of the Signature event (51 percent of related activities) takes place within Newport Beach. B. The event is scheduled to take place between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017 and the exact date(s), time(s) and location within Newport Beach have been determined. C. The event is not financially dependent on receiving City of Newport Beach support. D. The event is sponsored, hosted and organized by a Newport Beach or Orange County - based non-profit organization* or a Newport Beach community or neighborhood organization*. E. The applicant has no outstanding debt due to the City of Newport Beach. F. The event does not need to be free of charge, but should be accessible to the community / public. *The City of Newport Beach will give preference to volunteer -based organizations. Ineligibility The City will not provide financial support to: Events that benefit for-profit enterprises Events that serve a political purpose or are sponsored by political organizations Event organizers and organizations that have not fulfilled previous City sponsorship or special event obligations or have an outstanding debt to the City of Newport Beach Individuals Invitation -only events - those not open to the general public FY 17 Special Event Support Program Overview Page 2 13-7 III. Qualification Criteria To qualify to be considered to receive City special event support, all applications must comply with the following: A. Are submitted online, on time and are 100 percent complete. Late, incomplete or applications that do not fully comply with the instructions will not be considered. B. Must include a copy of the complete event budget, which clearly states the anticipated revenues and expenditures. Potential City support should not be listed as a revenue line item. C. Must demonstrate strong financial management over the event, including cost effectiveness. D. Only one event per application; however, there is no limit to the number of applications an organization can submit. IV. Evaluation Criteria A. Community & Charitable Events Applications will be reviewed and evaluated based on the following criteria: 1. The event serves, involves, and / or promotes Newport Beach, its residents, schools and/or businesses. 2. The event directly or indirectly benefits the Newport Beach community by supporting its schools, cause -related or non-profit organizations; offering educational, cultural or arts experiences; or providing recreational or social activities. 3. The event benefits a Newport Beach or Orange County -based non-profit organization or Newport Beach community or neighborhood organization. B. Signature Events Applications will be reviewed and evaluated based on the following criteria: 1. The event delivers substantive and measurable economic benefits to the City.* 2. The event organizers utilize strategic and measurable marketing practices in planning and implementing the event.* 3. The event enhances the quality of life within Newport Beach with cultural, social or educational activities of interest to the community. 4. The event attracts visitors to Newport Beach from the regional market (Southern California and ideally, the Southwestern United States). FY 17 Special Event Support Program Overview Page 3 13-8 5. The event promotes Newport Beach as a highly desirable place to live, visit, work and recreate. 6. The event directly or indirectly benefits or promotes Newport Beach businesses. 7. The submitted event measurable objectives and performance measures must demonstrate how the event will provide substantive and measureable economic benefits to the City. *Successful applicants must enter into an agreement with the City that will include mutually agreed upon performance measures for the event. Event organizers will be required to submit a post -event report indicating how the event met or did not meet the agreed upon performance measures. V. Other Requirements: Successful applicants — under both Community and Charitable and Signature events - will be expected to follow the City's separate, Special Event Permit Process and submit all necessary forms, insurance and fees as required. Applications that do not meet the requirements and are not submitted within the specified deadlines risk forfeiting their City Special Event support. Signature Event Recipients Only: o Signature event grant recipients will be required to enter into an agreement with the City and consent to the City's terms and conditions. (Applicants can view an example of a grant agreement at www.newportbeachca.gov/specialevents.) o The agreement will include mutually agreed upon performance measures for the event. Event organizers will be required to demonstrate how the event met, or did not meet, the agreed upon performance measures in a required, post -event report. o Signature event grant recipients must agree to provide the event's financial statements and allow the City to conduct its own review of them, if requested. VI. Funding Levels Event Support is categorized into the following three -tiered system: A. Community Event Grants* Tier 1 - $100 - $2,500 Tier 2 - $2,501- $7,500 Tier 3 - $7,501- $15,000 FY 17 Special Event Support Program Overview Page 4 13-9 *Based upon City Special Event Permit Fee and estimated or average related City fees. B. Signature Event Grants* Tier 1 - $15,000- $25,000 Tier 2 - $25,001 - $50,000 Tier 3 - $50,001 - $150,000 *Grants provided based on analysis of related City event fees and economic benefits City will derive from the event. The purpose of the grants is to provide funding support for qualified events and to assist with the City fees associated with executing an event in Newport Beach. The purpose is not to fund the entirety of an event and grant awards may not cover all of an event's associated City fees. VII. Applying for a Grant A. Applications are available online at www.newportbeachca.qov/specialeventgrants B. This call for applications is for special events that will be held in Newport Beach between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017. C. The deadline for applications is Monday, May 2, 2016 at 4 p.m. VIII. Additional Information The City typically receives more applications and / or requests for event sponsorship amounts in excess of what it can provide. There is no guarantee that the City will be able to provide all, part, or any of the financial support requested by each applicant. Thus, applicants should not make commitments on the expectation of receiving City support. Recurring events do not automatically receive funding. All applications received by the deadline will be evaluated, ranked and funding recommendations made based upon the ranking of the application and the amount of funding available for supporting Community and Charitable and Signature events in the City's fiscal year 2016-2017 budget. The recommendations are made based upon how well the application submitted this award cycle meets the established criteria (in competition with other applications). The City Council can approve, amend, or deny any recommendation. FY 17 Special Event Support Program Overview Page 5 13-10 Attachment B - FY 17 Special Event Support Recommendations and Grant History 13-11 • . Community & Charitable Event Applicants -serve or benefit locally based organizations and causes and/or provide recreational, cultural, social benefits to residents. Art in the Park Newport Beach Arts Foundation N/A N/A $434 $510 Waiver City Support Group Balboa Chili Cookoff & Chalk Walk Festival Balboa Christmas Tree Lighting Balboa Village Merchants Association Balboa Village Merchants Association N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A $2,000 N/A N/A • Balboa Craft Beer Festival Balboa Village Merchants Association N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A • Balboa Island Parade Balboa Island Improvement Association $1,200 $1,200 N/A $3,500 $5,000 • • Balboa Island Tree Lighting/Snow Day Balboa Island Tree Lighting N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A .. Bunnies & Books for Kids Festival Newport Beach Public Library Foundation N/A N/A N/A N/A Waiver • • • City Support Group Corona del Mar Christmas Walk Corona del Mar Chamber $9,000 $6,000 $6,000 $3,500 $3,500 Corona del Mar Sand Castle Contest Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Corona del Mar Scenic 5K Corona del Mar Chamber N/A N/A $17,000 $15,000 $15,000 • • • FY 11 -FY 13: Cit Co -Sponsored Event Celebrate Sober Saturday Celebrate Sober Saturday N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Does not meet program criteria Field of Honor Exchange Club of Newport Harbor N/A N/A N/A $1,000 $1,000 •�• Fourth of July Parade Balboa Peninsula Point Association N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Green on the Green/CERT Expo Harbor Heritage Run Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce Newport Harbor High School PTA N/A $2,160 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A $2,500 $10,000 • • ••• Independence Day Parade & Celebration Mariners Elementary School Foundation N/A N/A $1,000 N/A N/A City Co -Sponsored Event Library Live! NB Public Library Foundation N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A City Support Group Newport Beach White Party Golden Rule Charity N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Does not meet program criteria Newport Classic Surf Contest Newport Harbor High School Surf Team N/A N/A N/A $1,000 $1,000 • i • Newport Harbor Home & Garden Tour Newport Harbor Educational Foundation N/A N/A N/A N/A $450 Newport -Mesa Spirit Run Newport -Mesa Spirit Run, Inc. $14,000 $14,000 $14,000 $14,000 $14,000 •i• Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race NOSA $12,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 • • • Relay for Life American Cancer Society $800 $0 N/A $1,000 $450 IM• Spyglass Hills Annual Meet N' Greet Picnic Spyglass Hills N/A N/A N/A N/A I N/A Does not meet program criteria Wooden Boat Festival Balboa Yacht Club I N/A I N/A N/A N/A N/A Community & Charitable Events Total .: . 13-11 Attachment B - FY 17 Special Event Support Recommendations and Grant History Signature Event Applicants -Large-scale events, based in Newport Beach, that promote Newport Beach regionally, attract visitors, and provide measurable, economic benefits to the City. Komen OC Race for the Cure OC Affiliate of Susan G. Komen $10,000 1 $10,000 $10,000 $0 $3,500 1 fee Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce $30,000 $35,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 1 see FY 12: $6K Cultural Arts Grant, $90K Event Grant FY13-FY14: $61K Cultural Arts Grant; $125K Event Newport Beach Film Festival Newport Beach Film Festival $96,000 $131,000 $131,000 $154,000 $152,750 Grant FY 15: $4K Cultural Arts Grant, $150K Event Grant FY 16: $2.75K Cultural Arts Grant; $150K Event Grant Newport Beach Restaurant Week NB Restaurant Association BID $34,000 $6,000 $6,000 $16,000 $10,000 Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival NewBe Productions LLC N/A N/A N/A $15,000 $35,000 Signature Events Total Total Funding 13-12 ATTACHMENT C City ®f Newport Beach BUDGET AMENDMENT 2016-17 EFFECT ON BUDGETARY FUND BALANCE: Increase Revenue Estimates Increase Expenditure Appropriations AND qX Transfer Budget Appropriations SOURCE: k from existing budget appropriations from additional estimated revenues from unappropriated fund balance EXPLANATION: NO, BA- 17BA-001 AMOUNT:J $8,968.00 Increase in Budgetary Fund Balance Decrease in Budgetary Fund Balance X No effect on Budgetary Fund Balance This budget amendment is requested to provide for the following: To transfer expenditure appropriations to provide full funding for the FY 2016-17 Special Event Program. ACCOUNTING ENTRY: BUDGETARY FUND BALANCE Fund Obiecl Description REVENUE ESTIMATES Org O_b'ect Description Signed: 4/1 Signed Signed pproval. Finance Administrative Approval: City Manager City Council Approval: City Clerk Amount Debit Credit $8,968.00 Automatic $8,968.00 (',A3 -p Date Date __ _ Date 13-13 Description Org Number 01020202 City Manager Economic Development Division Object Number 841046 Special Department Expense Org Number 01005005 City Council Object Number 841046 Special Department Expense Signed: 4/1 Signed Signed pproval. Finance Administrative Approval: City Manager City Council Approval: City Clerk Amount Debit Credit $8,968.00 Automatic $8,968.00 (',A3 -p Date Date __ _ Date 13-13