If a citizen is coordinating an event or a gathering of people in the City limits, permits may be required. In order to plan for additional demands on public resources and ensure that public health and safety is protected, it is necessary that the City receive advance notice of these events.
A Special Event permit is a written authorization from the City to hold an event. This permit is necessary when an event involves one or more of the following activities:
- Closing a public street
- Blocking city owned property
- Sale of merchandise or food/beverages on city owned property
- Erecting a tent larger than 200 square feet on city owned property
- Installation of a stage , trailer or other portable buildings on city owned property
- Placement of portable toilets, temporary no-parking signs or pedestrian boundary markers on city owned property
Examples of special events requiring permits include, but are not limited to, parades, bike races, marathons/runs, fireworks displays, concerts, carnivals and other types of festivals that use city owned property or rights of way. Examples of events that DO NOT require special events permits include parties, fund raisers, and other events held on private property. Other ordinances, such as regulations for noise, debris, parking and others, must be observed, but a written permit for permission to hold the event is not necessary for these types of activities.
Process
A Preliminary Special Event Permit Application may be filed up to 365 days, before the commencement of the proposed Special Event. This helps staff begin planning for the event and share information with the applicant. No fees are assessed for the preliminary application.
The Special Event Permit Final Application must be completed at least 30 days before the event in order to assure time for city processing. Some information in this application was included in the Preliminary application making this step easier. A non-refundable application fee and the fees for city services are due with the filing of the Final permit application. This application secures the time of the event as well as the site on the special event calendar.
Coordination and Review
The application and preliminary information will be filed with the Special Events Coordinator. The Coordinator will distribute the information to the affected departments, including but not limited to:
- Police
- Fire
- Parks
- Streets
Administrative Rules
The Coordinator will give the applicant the following rules, as appropriate to their application, including
- Parks Rules
- Tent Rules
- Cooking Rules
- Insurance Requirements
- Temporary Signs
- Temporary Noise
The Chair of the Special Event Coordination Team may call a meeting of the representatives, if group review is needed. This may include the applicant if needed for questions. The Chair of the Team will ensure the communication with the applicant from the Team is positive and welcoming, as well as accurate and informative.
The Coordinator will submit the completed information, as well as the comments from all affected staff members to the Assistant City Manager for approval as soon as all information has been completed.
Calendar
The Coordinator will keep a rolling 365 day calendar of upcoming special events to ensure applicants who have a final permit have their event reserved. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all appropriate reservations have been made with for Parks and Recreation facilities.
For more information, please email specialevents@georgetown.org.
If a citizen is coordinating an event or a gathering of people in the City limits, permits may be required. In order to plan for additional demands on public resources and ensure that public health and safety is protected, it is necessary that the City receive advance notice of these events.
