(a) Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them:
(1) “Parade” means any parade, march, ceremony, show, exhibition, pageant or procession of any kind, or any similar display, in or upon any street, park or public way or any public place within the City.
(2) “Parade permit” means a permit as required under the provisions of this section.
(b) Obstructing or Interfering with Parade. No person shall hamper, obstruct, molest, impede or interfere with any parade assembly or with any person, vehicle or animal participating or used in a parade.
(c) Driving Through Parade. No driver of a vehicle, float or animal, except emergency vehicles enroute to a call, shall drive between the vehicles or persons comprising a parade when such vehicles or persons are in motion and are conspicuously designated as a parade.
(d) Parking on Parade Route. The Mayor shall have the authority, when reasonably necessary in his discretion, or when requested by the applicant, to prohibit or restrict the parking of vehicles along any street, highway or alley or part thereof constituting a part of the route of a parade, and to rope off all or any part thereof. The Mayor shall cause signs to be posted to such effect, and no person shall park or leave unattended any vehicle in violation thereof.
(e) Rules and Regulations. The Mayor shall have the authority to prepare and promulgate rules and regulations for the conduct of all parades within the City consistent with the intent, spirit and announced purposes of this section, and consistent with other applicable provisions of the Codified Ordinances and other ordinances of the City and the statutes of the State and may also impose any special conditions or requirements for any parade which he may deem reasonably necessary. A copy of such rules and regulations, and of any such special conditions or requirements shall be sent to the applicant with his parade permit, or shall be included in such permit, in the discretion of the Mayor.
(f) Permit Required; Exceptions. No person shall engage in, participate in, aid, form or start any parade, unless a parade permit is first obtained from the Mayor under the provisions of this section, with the following exceptions:
(1) Funeral processions.
(2) Students going to and from school classes or participation in groups in educational activities; provided, that such conduct is under the immediate direction and supervision of proper school authorities.
(3) A governmental agency acting within the scope of its functions.
(4) Processions of schools and churches, by student groups, school processions in connection with school or educational activities, individual school bands or practice marches or maneuvers.
(g) Permit Application. A person seeking issuance of a parade permit shall file an application with the Mayor on forms provided by him.
(h) Application Filing Period. An application for a parade permit shall be filed with the Mayor five days before the date on which it is proposed to conduct the parade for which the application is made.
(i) Application Contents. The application for a parade permit shall set forth the following information:
(1) The name, address and telephone number of the person seeking to conduct such parade;
(2) If the parade is proposed to be conducted for, on behalf of or by an organization, the name, address and telephone number of the headquarters of the organization, and the authorized and responsible heads of such organization;
(3) The name, address and telephone number of the person who shall be parade chairman or marshal and who shall be responsible for its conduct;
(4) The date when the parade is to be conducted;
(5) The route to be traveled, the starting point and the point of termination;
(6) The approximate number of persons who, and the animals and vehicles which, shall constitute such parade; the type of animals and a description of the vehicles;
(7) The hours when such parade shall start and terminate;
(8) The location by streets of the assembly areas and of the dispersal areas of such parade;
(9) The time at which the units of the parade shall begin to assemble at any such assembly areas; and the time at which all units shall be required to be assembled and in formation;
(10) The interval of space to be maintained between the units of such parade;
(11) If the parade is designed to be held by, and on behalf of or for any person other than the applicant, the applicant for such permit shall file with the Mayor a communication in writing from the person proposing to hold the parade, authorizing the applicant to apply for the permit on his behalf;
(12) Any additional information which the Mayor shall find reasonably necessary to a fair determination as to whether the permit shall be issued;
(13) Whether or not parking is to be removed from the streets on the parade route;
(14) Locations where floats are to be constructed and may be inspected by proper City officials.
(j) Late Applications. The Mayor, where good cause is shown therefore, shall have the authority to consider any application which is filed under the provisions of this section less than five days before the date such parade is proposed to be conducted.
(k) Approval or Rejection; Issuance. The Mayor shall act upon the application for a parade permit within three business days after the filing thereof. If the Mayor shall disapprove the application, he shall mail to the applicant within one business day after the date upon which the application was filed, a notice of his action, stating the reasons for his denial of the permit. If he shall approve the application, the permit shall be mailed to the applicant within a like period.
(l) Standards of Issuance. The Mayor shall not issue a parade permit as provided for in this article when, from a consideration of the application and from such other information as may otherwise be obtained, he finds that:
(1) The time, place, size or conduct of the parade including the assembly areas and route of march would unreasonably interfere with the public convenience and safe use of the streets and highways.
(2) The parade would require the diversion of so great a number of police officers to properly police the line of movement, assembly area and areas contiguous thereto so as to deny normal police protection to the Municipality.
(3) The parade route of march or assembly areas would unreasonably interfere with the movement of police vehicles, firefighting equipment or ambulance service to other areas of the Municipality.
(4) The parade would unreasonably interfere with another parade for which a permit has been issued.
(5) The information contained in the application is found to be false, misleading or incomplete in any material detail.
(6) An emergency such as a fire or storm would prevent the proper conduct of the parade.
(m) Appeal Upon Denial of Permit.
(1) Any person believing himself aggrieved by a rejection of his application for a parade permit by the Mayor shall have the right to appeal the denial of such permit to Council. The appeal shall be taken within ten days after receipt of the notice of rejection thereof.
(2) Such appeal shall be filed with the City Clerk and presented by him at the next regular meeting of Council, and Council shall hear such appeal and render a decision thereon at such meeting, or as soon thereafter as it reasonably can do. The decision of Council shall be final.
(n) Alternative Permit. The Mayor, in denying an application for a parade permit, shall be empowered to authorize the conduct of the parade on a date, at a time, or over a route different from that applied for by the applicant. An applicant desiring to accept an alternative permit shall, within two business days after receipt of notice of the action of the Mayor, file a written notice of acceptance with the Mayor.
(o) Copies of Permit to be Sent to Certain Persons. Immediately upon the issuance of a parade permit, the Mayor shall send a copy thereof to the following persons:
(1) The Chief of Police.
(2) The Chief of the Fire Department.
(3) The applicant.
(p) Contents of Permit. Each parade permit shall state the following information:
(1) Date and starting time;
(2) Assembly and dispersal areas;
(3) Parade route;
(4) Approximate number of persons, animals and vehicles in parade;
(5) Such other information as the Mayor may deem pertinent;
(6) Whether or not parking is to be removed from the streets along the parade route.
(q) Duties of Permittee. A permittee under the provisions of this section shall comply with all permit directions and conditions and with all applicable provisions of the Codified Ordinances and other ordinances including the following:
(1) A sufficient number of parade marshals shall be furnished by the applicant to lead the parade to be distributed along the route of the parade and at the rear thereof, and the permittee shall instruct such parade marshals in their duties. The permittee shall provide all parade marshals with suitable identification such as armbands or like insignia.
(2) All floats or displays in the parade shall be of fire resistant materials.
(3) Full visibility shall be provided to the drivers of all vehicles, floats or animals in the parade.
(4) No materials of any kind shall be thrown to or from any floats, animals or vehicles in the parade.
(5) The applicant or parade sponsor shall remove all debris along the assembly areas and dispersal areas immediately following the termination thereof.
(6) The permittee shall ascertain that all parade vehicles comply with all applicable provisions of the Codified Ordinances and other ordinances of the City and the laws of the State.
(7) The permittee shall require all units of the parade to maintain a forward motion at all times.
(r) Revocation of Permit. The Mayor shall have the authority to revoke any parade permit issued under the provisions of this section for reasonable cause, and shall report at the next regular session of Council his action and the reasons therefore.
(s) Penalty. Any person found guilty of violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) and/or confinement in jail for a period not to exceed thirty days.
(Passed 2-1-88; 10-7-13)