(A) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to regulate events where an assemblage of large numbers of people, in excess of those normally needing the health, sanitary, fire, police, transportation and utility services regularly provided in the county, in order that the health, safety and welfare of all person, residents and visitors alike, may be protected.
(B) Permit required. No person shall permit, maintain promote, conduct, advertise, act as entrepreneur, undertake, organize, manage or sell or give tickets to a special event for an assemblage of 1,000 or more people which contains or can reasonably be expected to continue for eight or more consecutive hours, whether on public or private property, unless a permit to hold the special event has first been issued by the Board, application for which must be made at least 30 days in advance of the special event. When applying for a special event permit, the permit holder must submit certified copies of other necessary state permits and/or permits to support his or her application. A permit to hold a special event issued to one person shall permit any person to engage in any lawful activity in connection with the holding of the permitted special event.
(C) Permit requirements.
(1) A separate permit shall be required for each day and each location in which 1,000 people shall assemble for such special event or can reasonably be anticipated to assemble. The fee for each permit shall be shall be determined by the County Board.
(2) A permit shall permit the special event to only the maximum number of people stated in the permit. The permit holder shall not sell tickets to nor permit to exhibit at the permitted locations more than the maximum permissible number of people.
(3) The requirement for a special event permit shall not apply to any regularly established, permanent place of worship, stadium, athletic field, arena, auditorium, coliseum, or other similar permanently established place of assembly for special events which do not exceed by more than 250 people the maximum seating capacity of the structure where the special event is held.
(4) The requirement for a special event permit shall not apply to government sponsored fairs held on regularly established fairgrounds and not to special events required to be permitted by other state laws and county regulations.
(D) Conditions for issuing permit. Before the county issues a special event permit, the applicant shall first:
(1) Determine the maximum number of people which will be assembled or admitted to the location of the special event, provided that the maximum number shall not exceed the minimum number which can reasonably assemble at the location of the special event in consideration of the nature of the special event, and provided that where the special event is to continue overnight, the maximum number shall not be more than is allowed to sleep within the boundaries of the exhibit location by county health ordinances, or regulations of the State Department of Health; and
(2) At the time the application is submitted, the permit holder will provide a plan including the provisions herein for operation of the assembly. Ten days prior to the start of the special event, county staff will inspect to determine whether the requirements of these provisions have been met:
(a) If required by the Board, a fence or barrier (sufficient to prevent ingress/exit except at established gates) completely enclosing the proposed location of sufficient height and strength to prevent people in excess of the maximum permissible number from gaining access to the special event grounds, which shall have sufficient entrances and exits to allow easy movement into and out of the special event grounds and provide traffic control onto public roads;
(b) Potable water, meeting all federal and state requirements for sanitary quality, sufficient to provide drinking water for the maximum number of people to be assembled at the rate of at least one gallon per person per day;
(c) Separate enclosed toilets for males and females, meeting all state and local specifications, conveniently located throughout the grounds, sufficient to provide facilities for the maximum number of people to be assembled, in accordance with the State Department of Health regulations and standards;
(d) A sanitary method of holding, collecting and disposing of solid waste, in compliance with state and local laws and regulations, sufficient to dispose of the solid waste production of the maximum number of people to be assembled;
(e) If required by the Board, physicians and nurses permitted to practice in the state sufficient to provide the average medical care enjoyed by residents of the state for the maximum number of people to be assembled at the rate of at least one physician and nurse for every 5,000 people, together with an enclosed covered structure where treatment may be rendered, containing separately enclosed treatment rooms for each physician, and at least two emergency ambulances with attendants for each 5,000 people;
(f) If the special event is to continue during hours of darkness, illumination sufficient to light the entire area of the special event at the rate of at least five footcandles, but not to shine unreasonably beyond the boundaries of the enclosed location of the special event;
(g) If the special event is to continue overnight, there shall be camping facilities in compliance with all state requirements, sufficient to provide camping accommodations for the maximum number of people assembled;
(h) If required by the Board, a security plan which will meet the requirements of local authorities; regularly employed off-duty state law enforcement officers or protective agents permitted in the state, sufficient to provide adequate security for the maximum number of people to be assembled; at least one security guard for every 100 people will be provided for the first 1,000 people to assemble; for special events of more than 1,000 people, additional security guards will be provided at the rate of one for each 250 people or major fraction thereof;
(i) If required by the Board, fire protection shall be provided by the permit holder which shall be sufficient to meet all applicable state and laws and local regulations which are in effect, or may be set forth by the Board; and sufficient emergency personnel to efficiently operate the required equipment will be provided by the permit holder, also;
(j) Administrative control center with telephones where county staff can contact the permit holder and law enforcement personnel inside the special event area; and
(k) A bond, filed with the County Clerk or County Auditor, in an amount to be determined by the County Board.
(E) Application.
(1) Application for a permit to hold an actual or anticipated special event to an assembly of 1,000 persons shall be made in writing to the governing body of this political subdivision at least 30 days in advance of such special event.
(2) The application shall contain and disclose:
(a) The name, date of birth, fingerprints, residence and mailing address of the applicant and in the case of a corporation, a certified copy of the articles of incorporation together with the name date of birth and mailing address of each person holding 10% or more of the stock of the corporation;
(b) The address and legal description of all property upon which the special event is to be held, together with the name, residence and mailing address if the record owner(s) of all such property;
(c) Proof of ownership of all property upon which the special event is to be held or a signed statement by the record owner(s) of all such property that the applicant has permission to use such property for an assembly of 1,000 or more persons;
(d) The nature or purpose of the special event;
(e) The total number of days and/or hours during which the special event is to last;
(f) The maximum number of persons which the applicant shall permit to assemble at the special event at any time, not to exceed the maximum number which can reasonably assemble at the location of the special event, in consideration of the nature of the special event, or the maximum number of persons to sleep within the boundaries of the location of the special event;
(g) The maximum number of tickets to be sold, if any;
(h) The plans of the applicant to limit the maximum number of people permitted to assemble;
(i) The plans for fencing the location of the special event and the gates contained in such fence;
(j) The plans for supplying potable water including the source, amount available and location of outlets;
(k) The plans for providing toilet and lavatory facilities including the source, number, and location, type and means of disposing of waste deposited;
(l) The plans for holding, collection and disposing of solid waste material;
(m) The plans to provide for medical facilities including the location and location of a medical structure, the names and addresses and hours of availability of physicians and nurses, and provisions for emergency ambulance service;
(n) The plans, if any, to illuminate the location of the assembly including the source and amount of power and the location of lights;
(o) The plans for parking vehicles including size and location of lots, points of highway access and interior roads including routes between highway access and parking lots;
(p) The plans for camping facilities, if any, including facilities available and their location;
(q) The plans for security including the number of guards, their employment and their names, addresses, credentials and hours of availability;
(r) The plans for fire protection as may be required by subsection (D)(2)(i) above;
(s) The plans for sound control and sound amplification, if any, including number, location and power of amplifiers and speakers;
(t) The plans for food concessions and concessioners who will be allowed to operate on the grounds including the names and addresses of all concessioners and their permit or permit numbers. Plans must be forwarded to public health for approval;
(u) The plans for area traffic control for egress from and exit onto public roads or highways; and
(v) The application shall include the bond required in § 3.09(D)(2)(k), and the permit fee.
(F) Issuance. The application for a permit shall be processed within 20 days of receipt and shall be issued if all conditions are complied with.
(G) Revocation. The permit may be revoked by the County Board or by county law enforcement, if any of the conditions necessary for the issuing of or contained in the permit are not complied with, or if any condition previously met ceases to be complied with.
(Ord. 97, passed 7-21-2009; Ord. 123, passed 9-20-2016)