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CC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Consideration of a Recommendation from the Fiesta La Ballona Committee to Eliminate Commercial and Informational Booths to Create Space at the 2022 Fiesta La Ballona for Additional Family-Friendly Activities and Retain Sponsor and Governmental Agency Booths; and (2) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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Meeting Date: August 8, 2022
Contact Person/Dept: Dani Cullens/PRCS
Phone Number: (310) 253-6471
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Attachments: Yes [] No [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (08/03/2022); (E-Mail) Fiesta La Ballona (08/03/2022); (E-Mail) Culver City News and Events (08/03/2022); (E-Mail) Parks, Recreation & Community Service Department Updates (08/03/2022); (E-Mail) All Fiesta Vendor Applicants (08/03/2022)
Department Approval: Armando Abrego, PRCS Director (07/27/2022)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) consider a recommendation from the Fiesta La Ballona Committee (Committee) to eliminate commercial and informational booths to create space at the 2022 Fiesta La Ballona (Fiesta) for additional family-friendly activities and retain sponsor and governmental agency booths; and (2) provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND
After the 2021 Fiesta, the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department (PRCS)_sent a survey to participants and community members regarding their experience during the Fiesta. The survey showed that almost 70% of the 70 respondents attended the Fiesta with their families. Several respondents requested that the Fiesta have more activities and rides for toddlers and younger children.
In accordance with the Fiesta La Ballona Committee Bylaws, on July 14, 2022, the Site Layout Ad Hoc Subcommittee requested a special meeting of the Committee to consider the reallocation of usable space to expand family-friendly activities. On July 25, 2022, the Committee held a special meeting to (1) consider and discuss the reallocation of event space at Fiesta La Ballona to include additional family-friendly activities and limit and/or eliminate commercial and informational booths; and (2) if desired, make a recommendation to the City Council.
As discussed at the July 25, 2022 Committee meeting, additional family-friendly activities may include, but are not limited to, carnival rides for smaller children, and communal games and activities to engage community members as participants. The location where these areas are placed within the 2022 Fiesta grounds would be dependent on the reallocation of space usually dedicated to commercial and informational booths.
The Committee considered two options for reallocating the event space at the Fiesta to include additional family-friendly activities: (1) eliminate all commercial and informational booths; or (2) reduce the number of commercial and informational booths. After discussion, the Committee passed the following motion (4 ayes; one nay, 2 absent):
To recommend to City Council to eliminate all commercial and informational booths from the Fiesta and carve out space for the current 2022 sponsors and governmental agencies to have booths at the 2022 Fiesta La Ballona.
DISCUSSION
Should the City Council wish to implement the Fiesta Committee’s recommendation to eliminate all commercial and informational booths from the 2022 Fiesta, the space could then be reallocated to include areas dedicated to younger children, communal games, and community activities. Any fees already paid by commercial and informational booth applicants would be refunded, as necessary. Organizations wishing to distribute information would still be able to do so within the Park and/or the designated Free Speech area. Within the application period, which closed on July 9, 2022, 35 commercial booth and 25 informational booth applications were received. Twenty-five food vendors applied for space. However, food vendor booths are not affected by the Committee’s recommendation.
Governmental Agency and Sponsor Booths
The Committee has recommended that the City Council continue to allow governmental agency booths and sponsor booths at the 2022 Fiesta.
Governmental agency booths: Government agencies have traditionally been allowed to have booths at the Fiesta to provide the community with information from the various departments within Culver City, as well as from other public agencies. In the past, Culver City internal departments including Transportation, PRCS, Public Works, Police, and Fire have had booths at the Fiesta, as well as the Culver City Unified School District and the California Highway Patrol.
Sponsor booths: Traditionally, certain levels of Fiesta sponsorship entitle a sponsor to receive a free or discounted booth. For example, the Platinum ($10,000 donation) and Gold ($5,000 donation) sponsorship levels both include a free booth prominently located at the Fiesta. The Silver ($2,500 donation), Bronze ($1,500 donation), Sponsor ($750 donation), and Fiesta Friends ($500 donation) sponsorship levels all include discounts on booth rental. Currently, there are no Platinum or Gold level sponsors for this year’s Fiesta. Seven sponsors have qualified for various levels of discount on their Fiesta booth rental.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Should the City Council wish to implement the Fiesta Committee’s recommendation to eliminate all commercial and informational booths from the 2022 Fiesta, staff anticipates that any loss of booth rental revenue will be potentially offset by other factors. For example, $9,131.00 was received through commercial and informational booth applications for the 2021 Fiesta. If this source of revenue is eliminated for the 2022 Fiesta, it could be offset by a lower cost for tent rentals, since fewer tents will be needed, and anticipated higher wristband sales.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTIONS:
That the City Council:
1. (If desired) approve the recommendation from the Fiesta La Ballona Committee to eliminate commercial and informational booths to create space at the 2022 Fiesta La Ballona for additional family-friendly activities, and retain sponsor and governmental agency booths; and/or
2. Provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.