For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall
apply:
DIRECTOR
The Director of Human Services of the City of Camden.
FEES
Charges the Committee requires, in an amount not to exceed
the City's cost in administering each application. The committee
may require a separate permit and fees for certain activities accessory
to a special event, including but not limited to special parking facilities
hanging banners, setting up tents, fireworks and serving alcoholic
beverages or other fees due and payable under the Code of the City
of Camden.
LICENSES
Those licenses required by the Code of the City of Camden
for the sale of goods, the distribution of food and beverages or services.
PARADE
A procession of any kind, or any similar display in or upon
any street, park or other public place in the City of Camden.
PERMITS
The one-time approvals and fees for specialized or potentially
hazardous activities or occupancy such as fireworks, tents, special
amusement buildings.
PERSON
Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company, governmental agency or organization of any kind except for
the City of Camden but not excepting any autonomous agency created
under the City's ordinances.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
The City of Camden Police Department. If there is no operating
City of Camden Police Department, then it shall mean the "Camden County
Police Department."
POLICE DIRECTOR/POLICE CHIEF
The Police Director or Police Chief, where appropriate, of
the City of Camden Police Department. If both positions of Police
Director and Police Chief are vacant, then it shall mean the "Police
Chief of the Police Department."
REGULARLY SCHEDULED EVENTS
Activities such as sporting events, conferences and concerts
which take place in accordance with an established schedule on at
least three nonconsecutive dates during the calendar year.
SIDEWALK
Any area or way set aside or open to the general public for
purposes of pedestrian traffic, whether or not it is paved.
SPECIAL EVENT
A preplanned event or series of events of less than a week's
duration, sponsored by a public or private person or entity, which
is:
A.
Located wholly or partially on property owned or maintained
by the City; or
B.
Permissibly located on any other property and requires for its
successful execution, the provision and coordination of municipal
services to a degree significantly over and above that which the City
routinely provides;
C.
Any parade or other event, such as a marathon run; walkathon;
leisurely walk; bike-a-thon; foot race; bicycle race; jogging group;
block party requiring the closure of a street; large social event
generating a parking or traffic situation that would interfere with
the movement of normal traffic and/or emergency vehicles; or other
activity organized by an entity or entities having a similar common
purpose or goal, taking place in or upon any street, park or other
public place in the City of Camden.
STREET
Any place or way set aside or open to the general public
for purposes of vehicular traffic, including any beam or shoulder
parkway, right-of-way, or median strip thereof.
TIME RESTRICTIONS
Those restrictions that the Committee may place on the issuance
of special events permits, including without limitation a prior notice
requirement, first-come, first-served scheduling, limitations on frequency
of use, and limitation of permits to normal operating hours for City
property.
City buildings, parks and all other City-owned or controlled
real estate which have been constructed or maintained for the benefit
of the public shall be for the use of the public in general. To that
end, no person or entity (including City agencies) shall be given
any special or exclusive privilege to use any public property under
the control of the City without first obtaining a permit pursuant
to this section. Additionally, there is a need to ensure that proper
coordination occurs among necessary City departments to facilitate
the use of City streets for special event activities including parades,
street festivals, foot races, bike-a-thons, and all other requiring
closure of a right-of-way.
The Director of Code Enforcement or the Director's designee
shall represent that office at all meetings of the Committee. The
Director of Code Enforcement or the Director's designee shall
enforce the provisions of the City Code dealing with the licensing
of structures or the sale or distribution of merchandise, food or
services. The Director of Code Enforcement or the Director's
designee's duties shall include, but not limited to, the following:
A. Enforcing licensing requirements;
B. Collection of fees licensing associated with special events;
D. Providing on-site code enforcement personnel; and
E. Reviewing plans for applicability to certificate of occupancy for
one-day events.
The City Attorney shall provide legal advice to the Committee
on all matters relating to the consideration of special events permit
applications and the conduct of special events, including but not
limited to the following:
B. Indemnification, insurance, and risk management issues;
D. Ordinance and regulation requirements; and
E. Special events policy oversight.
The Fire Department shall advise the Special Events Coordinator
of any fire protection issues presented by an application and any
cost issues.
The Department of Public Works shall advise the Special Events
Coordinator of the impact of the application on that Department including
costs to be incurred.
The Special Events Coordinator shall maintain a current schedule
of all County-sponsored events to be held within the City and act
as the City's liaison with the County of Camden.
No person shall engage in or conduct any parade or special event
unless a permit is issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
This chapter shall not apply to the following:
B. Students going to and from school classes or participating in educational
activities, provided that such conduct is under the immediate direction
and supervision of the proper school authorities and does not impact
flow or control of traffic;
C. A governmental agency acting within the scope of its functions;
D. Spontaneous events occasioned by news or affairs coming into public
knowledge within three days of such special event, provided that the
organizer thereof gives written notice to the Director of Human Services,
or his/her designee, and Police Director/Police Chief at least 24
hours prior to such parade or special event;
E. Political rallies or motorcades that do not impact on traffic control
or public safety, occurring in a series of six or more nonconsecutive
days during a calendar year;
F. Regularly scheduled events provided that notice of the scheduled
events is given to the Director, or his/her designee, at least 30
days prior to the first scheduled event of that series of events provided
that the sponsors of the event comply with all other applicable City
ordinances; and
G. Events taking place within a venue such as a stadium, amphitheater
or auditorium specifically designed to accommodate events provided
that the event will take place entirely within the confines of said
stadium, amphitheater or auditorium and the attendance at the event
will not exceed the normal capacity of that structure.
All City government officials, departments, agencies, boards
and commissions sponsoring a special event on City property shall
comply with the application procedures and other requirements set
forth in this chapter; provided, however, that unless otherwise directed
by the Committee, such City entities shall not be required to pay
the fees and charges set forth here.
The Committee shall establish and publish special event rental
rates, services cost recovery amounts, and other fees to be paid by
applicants pursuant to this chapter. The current rates and charges
shall be as attached to this chapter.
The Director of Human Services, or his/her designee, shall issue
an approval as provided for herein when, from a consideration of the
application and from such other information as may otherwise be obtained,
he finds that:
A. The conduct of the parade or special event will not substantially
interrupt the safe and orderly movement of other pedestrian or vehicular
traffic contiguous to its route or location;
B. The conduct of the parade or special event will not require the diversion
of so great a number of City police officers to properly police the
line of movement and the areas contiguous thereto as to prevent normal
police protection of the City;
C. The concentration of persons, animals and vehicles at public assembly
points of the parade or special event will not unduly interfere with
proper fire and police protection of, or ambulance service to, areas
contiguous to such special event areas;
D. The conduct of the parade or special event is not reasonably likely
to cause injury to persons or property;
E. The parade or special event is scheduled to move from its point of
origin to its point of termination expeditiously and without unreasonable
delays on route;
F. Adequate sanitation and other required health facilities are or will
be made available in or adjacent to any special event areas;
G. There are sufficient parking places near the site of the parade or
special event to accommodate the number of vehicles reasonably expected;
H. The applicant has secured the police protection, if any, required
by this chapter;
I. A parade or special event approval application for the same time
and location is already granted or has been received and will be granted,
and the police resources required for that prior parade or special
event is not so great that in combination with the subsequent proposed
application, the resulting deployment of police services would have
an immediate and adverse effect upon the welfare and safety of persons
and property; and
J. No event is scheduled elsewhere in the City where the police resources
required for that event are so great that the deployment of police
services for the proposed parade or special event would have an immediate
and adverse effect upon the welfare and safety of persons and property.
No permit shall be granted that allows for the erection or placement
of any structure, whether permanent or temporary, on a City street,
sidewalk, or right-of-way unless advance approval for the erection
or placement of the structure is obtained from the City Council of
Camden.
The City officials authorized under this chapter shall uniformly
consider each application upon its merits and shall not discriminate
in granting or denying permits under this chapter based upon political,
religious, ethnic, race, disability, sexual orientation or generally
related grounds.
The Director of Human Services, or his/her designee, shall act
promptly upon a timely filed application for a parade or special event
approval but in no event shall grant or deny an approval less than
30 days prior to the event. If the Director, or his/her designee,
disapproves the application, he shall notify the applicant either
by personal delivery or certified mail at least 30 days prior to the
event of his action and state the reasons for denial.
Each parade or special event permit shall state the following
information;
A. Starting and approximate ending time;
B. Minimum speed of parade units;
C. Maximum speed of parade units;
D. Maximum interval of space to be maintained between parade units;
E. The portions of the streets that may be occupied by the parade or
special event;
F. The maximum length of the parade in miles or fractions thereof; and
G. Such other information as the Director of Human Services, or his/her
designee, and the Committee shall find necessary for the enforcement
of this chapter.
The following prohibitions shall apply to all parades and special
events:
A. It shall be unlawful for any persons to state, present, or conduct
any parade or special event without first having obtained an approval
as herein provided;
B. It shall be unlawful for any person to participate in a parade or
public assembly for which the person knows a permit has not been granted;
C. It shall be unlawful for any person in charge of, or responsible
for the conduct of, a duly licensed parade or special event to knowingly
fail to comply with any condition of the permit;
D. It shall be unlawful for any person to participate in any parade
or special event activity that would constitute a substantial hazard
to the public safety or that would materially interfere with or endanger
the public peace or rights of residents to the quiet and peaceful
enjoyment of their property;
E. It shall be unlawful for any person participating in any parade or
public assembly to carry or possess any length of metal, lumber, wood,
or similar material for purposes of displaying a sign, poster, plaque
or notice, unless such object is 1/4 inch or less in thickness and
two inches or less in width, or if not generally rectangular in shape,
such object shall not exceed 3/4 inch in its thickest dimension;
F. It shall be unlawful for any person to carry any sign, poster, plaque, or notice, whether or not mounted on a length of material as specified in Subsection
E of this section, unless such sign, poster, plaque, or notice is constructed or made of a cloth, paper, or cardboard material; and
G. It shall be unlawful for any person to ride, drive, or cause to be
ridden or driven any animal or any animal-drawn vehicle upon any public
street, unless specifically authorized by the permit.
H. For any community or special event supported and sponsored by the
City, in whole or in part, any and all political organizing activity
occurring at the same time as part of the community or special event
shall be strictly prohibited.
The Police Department, in consultation with the Director of
Human Services, or his/her designee, shall have the authority to revoke
a parade or special event approval instantly upon violation of the
conditions or standards for issuance as set forth in this chapter
or when a public emergency arises where the police resources required
for that emergency are so great that deployment of police services
for the parade or special event would have an immediate and adverse
effect upon the welfare and safety of persons or property.
Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, penalties against persons violating the provisions of this chapter shall be imposed in accordance with the provisions of §
1-15 of the City Code.