(A) Block party defined. A BLOCK PARTY is a public event in which members of a single neighborhood congregate for mutual enjoyment. The block party must be open to all residents of the street where the event is being proposed. It does not include private parties, such as a birthday party or reception where invitations do not include all members of the neighborhood affected by the block party event or where the majority of invitees are from areas outside of the subject neighborhood.
(B) Permit application and fee. Any applicant seeking to obtain a permit for a block party shall file a written application with the Village Clerk on forms provided by the Village Clerk’s Office not less than 14 days before the date for which the block party is proposed, The Clerk shall promptly transmit the application to the Police, Fire and Public Works Department Directors for review and approval. Once the Departments have reviewed, the application shall be forwarded to the Village Manager for final approval. The application for a permit shall be accompanied by a deposit of $100. The deposit consists of a nonrefundable processing fee of $50 and a deposit of $50 returnable to the applicant provided that the block party site is cleaned up of debris and the Village barricades are returned to the Village in good condition.
(C) Approval of permit.
(1) Subject to conditions necessary for the health, safety and welfare of the community, the Village Manager shall give final approval if, after receipt of a completed application approved by all applicable Department Directors (police, fire and public works), the Village Manager finds that:
(a) The block party will not substantially or unnecessarily interfere with traffic in the area contiguous to the activity, or that, if the activity will substantially interfere with such traffic, that there are available at the time of the proposed activity sufficient Village resources to mitigate the disruption;
(b) There are available at the time of the block party a sufficient number of peace officers and traffic control aides to police and protect lawful participants in the activity and non-participants from traffic related hazards in light of the other demands for police protection at the time of the proposed block party;
(c) The block party will not be conducted for any purpose or in any manner made unlawful elsewhere in this Code or by any other local, state or federal law;
(d) The block party will not interfere with the use of the requested area by another party to whom a valid permit has been issued for the same area, or does not conflict with another application, or with a previously scheduled use;
(e) Signatures have been secured on a Village provided petition form by not less than 66% for streets with homes on both sides, and 75% for streets with homes on one side; of the residences in the block where the party is planned to be held, concurring with the date, time, place and regulations of the event. Only a single signature per household shall be counted in determining concurrence percentage;
(f) There will be no live music at the block party event; any use of amplified music must not constitute a violation of the Village’s noise control regulations;
(g) The block party will not unreasonably interfere with or restrict the delivery of Village or emergency services or business or residential activity within the proposed event area, on the proposed event area, or other areas of the Village. No stage which poses an impediment to emergency vehicle access shall be erected in the street;
(h) The block party will not unreasonably conflict in time or location with other permitted and/or prescheduled activities in the proposed event area or proposed event route;
(i) The applicant has not violated the ordinances of the Village with respect to block parties within the past 24 month period;
(j) The application has the concurrence of all of the applicable Village Department heads and Village Manager.
(2) Should the Village Manager find that any of the foregoing standards have not been met, the block party application shall be denied. Should the Village Manager determine, after approval that an applicant or event is no longer in compliance with the foregoing, the block party may be revoked pursuant to division (G) of this section.
(D) Limitations. No block may hold more than 2 block parties per calendar year. Block parties cannot be held on consecutive days. There can be no more than 6 block parties scheduled throughout the Village on any given day.
(E) Rules governing block parties. The Village Manager shall implement and enforce a set of Rules that govern holding block parties within the Village. These rules shall be approved by the Village Board from time to time. After approval by the Village Board, the rules, and each amendment thereto, shall be incorporated by reference in to this section. A copy of the rules can be obtained from the Village Clerk’s office.
(F) Barricades. The Village shall provide barricades for all block parties to block the streets. Only Village provided barricades shall be used to block the streets. The Village will drop the barricades off the day prior to the block party and shall pick them up the day following the block party. The barricades shall be returned to the Village in good condition. Failure to return the barricades or return the barricades in good condition will result in a loss of the $50 deposit.
(G) Clean-up of block party site. An applicant must remove debris, trash or garbage resulting from the conduct of the event from public property and private property within the vicinity of the event within 24 hours after the end of the event; provided, however, that the applicant shall remove and lawfully dispose of any injurious substance or material immediately after the deposit thereof. Such cleanup shall also include the removal of trash, litter, garbage and debris from Village trash receptacles and proper disposition of such trash, litter, garbage and debris. Failure to comply will result in a loss of the $50 deposit.
(H) Revocation.
(1) The Village Manager may, after issuance, revoke a block party permit in writing for failure to comply with the provisions of this section, conditions placed on the face of the permit, applicable codes or ordinances of the Village, or State or Federal statutes. Revocation is a final decision.
(2) If, in the judgment of the Village Manager or the Police Chief, the block party creates or will create a public nuisance or the rules of conduct set forth in this section are not followed or the conditions upon which approval was given are not being complied with or are no longer true, the Village Manager may, upon the issuance of a written order stating the reason for such conclusion and without notice or hearing, immediately revoke the permit and require the use of public property to immediately cease. No person shall continue to use public property contrary to such order.
(H) Penalties for violation. A violation of this section is punishable by fine of not more than $1,000 per incident.
(Ord. CO-2012-46, passed 11-5-2012)