(A) City Council findings on exemptions. The City Council makes the following findings regarding the need to exempt certain persons from paying a permit fee and submitting a permit application for outdoor concerts and music events:
(1) Schools may conduct and sponsor several outdoor concerts and music events on a regular basis, including marching band events, sporting events with musical components, art festivals, and student fund-raisers. A permit application and fee for each event would adversely impact the events, which benefit the community as a whole, and, in most cases, would represent a transfer of public monies between governmental units without any corresponding benefit to the community.
(2) Religious organizations conduct worship services on a regular basis and may hold worship services outdoors with musical components. A permit application and fee for each worship service would adversely impact the events and would place a burden on the organization's freedom of religion guarantees under the federal and state constitutions.
(3) The City of Park Rapids may sponsor outdoor events with music components. Payment of permit fee for each city sponsored event would adversely impact the events and would represent an internal transfer of public monies for no justifiable reason.
(B) Exemptions from permit fees. In light of the City Council findings, the following persons are exempt from the fee for an outdoor concert/music event permit:
(1) Schools as herein defined;
(2) Religious organization conducting outdoor worship services; and
(3) City of Park Rapids sponsored events.
(C) Exemptions from permit application; notification. Those persons exempt from a permit fee in division (B) above of this section shall not be required to complete a permit application, but are subject to the noise standards of this code and shall provide written notification to the Park Rapids Police Department prior to each outdoor concert/music event sponsored or conducted by the exempt organization. The notice shall include the name and phone number of the person sponsoring or conducting the event; the date and time of the event; the type of music and method of amplification, and the steps taken to minimize the noise and nuisance.
(D) Cost of investigation of noise complaints. Those persons exempt from a permit fee in division (B) above of this section may be required to pay the cost of any noise complaints received and investigated by the city regarding outdoor concert/music events sponsored or conducted by the exempt organizations.
(Prior Code, § 47-45)