[1]
Editor’s note–Article effective date is January 1, 2021.
(a) 
To conserve and allocate city resources and to adequately protect the public safety of the participants, spectators, neighboring property owners, residents and businesses, it is necessary to regulate the use of the city streets and public areas by those desiring to hold parades on public streets and public property.
(b) 
The intent of this article is to ensure that the city will have adequate advance notice of parades, the ability to plan and allocate the city services that will be needed while recouping the city’s costs associated such as personnel, equipment, utilities, maintenance and administrative costs.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20)
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Applicant.
The person who has filed a written application for an outdoor event or parade that is responsible for conducting the event and the responsible organization, corporation or other group on whose behalf the individual is requesting the permit.
Animals and animal-drawn vehicles.
A person riding an animal or operating a vehicle drawn by an animal on a roadway or public property in a parade shall be considered the same as a driver as defined herein.
Attendee or attendance.
Participants, spectators, speakers, performers, entertainers, exhibitors, or other persons at the parade.
City.
The City of El Campo, Texas.
Driver.
An operator of any vehicle, machinery, equipment, or other device in, on, or by which a person or property is or may be transported or drawn on a highway and intended to be used in an organized procession of people. All drivers in a parade must be a minimum age of 16 years and possess a valid driver’s license issued by the state of the driver’s residence.
Parking plan.
A written proposal for the operation and regulation of parking on private and public property.
Parade.
An organized procession of people, traveling by whatever means, from one location to any other location on a street or other public right-of-way or public property within the city in such a way as to impede the normal flow or regulation of pedestrian or vehicular traffic. A parade shall include but not be limited to a march, or procession of any kind, or any similar display, in or upon any street, park, alley, plaza, other public thoroughfare, or public property in the city.
Parade permit.
A permit as required by this article.
Public property.
Any publicly owned dedicated or undedicated land, public outdoor park and/or outdoor recreational facilities, public streets, highways, parking lots, parkways or alleys, public spaces and rights-of-way located within the city.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20)
(a) 
A person commits an offense if they organize, engage in, participate in, aid, or commence a parade without a parade permit issued for such parade in accordance with this section.
(b) 
This section shall not apply to; but shall be required to contact and inform the chief of police at least 24-hours prior:
(1) 
Funeral processions.
(2) 
A governmental agency acting within the scope of its functions.
(3) 
Public or private school and/or UIL (University Interscholastic League) sponsored events authorized or sanction ed by the supervising school district or school officials.
(4) 
Any parade or procession that is funded or sponsored by a nonprofit organization whose primary purpose is the support of the United States Armed Forces or veterans of the United States Armed Forces or an organization who is directly affiliated with the United States Armed Forces or veterans of the United States Armed Forces.
(5) 
Informal activities that do not impede the normal flow of traffic, block any public streets or roadways and do not create a traffic hazard.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20; Ordinance 2021-03 adopted 1/11/21)
An application for a permit must be made to the chief of police on the form prescribed by that official no less than 30 days prior to the date of the parade. The application must include:
(1) 
The name, address, daytime telephone number and cellular number, of the applicant and the applicant’s authority to act on behalf of any group or organization seeking such permit;
(2) 
If the event is proposed to be conducted for, on behalf of, or by an organization, the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the headquarters of the organization and of the authorized and responsible heads of such organization;
(3) 
The name, address, and telephone number of the person who will be the parade chairman and who will be responsible for its conduct and will be at the site during the entirety of the event;
(4) 
The date(s) and times of the event, including set up or assembly and removal;
(5) 
Statement of acknowledgment of the requirement to obtain and provide an insurance certificate to the city manager at least five (5) days prior to the date of the parade naming the city as additional insured, with such policy having minimum limits of 1 million aggregate and $500,000.00 per occurrence.
(6) 
Projected attendance estimate of both participants and the public viewing such parade;
(7) 
The route to be traveled, including the exact street address of both the starting point and the termination point of the proposed parade, and the names of all streets to be used for the activity;
(8) 
The location by street address of any assembly areas;
(9) 
The interval of space to be maintained between units participating in such parade or special event;
(10) 
A map reflecting the route;
(11) 
Details of how the applicant will clean up the area after;
(12) 
Statement acknowledging no alcohol will be allowed by any parade participants or served or provided to the public;
(13) 
Statement acknowledging no throwing of candy, coupons, beads, trinkets, prizes, paper or any other items by participants to the public or anywhere upon a public street or public place.
(14) 
The number and type of any animals which will participate, and the number and description of any vehicles which will be used, and the basis on which this estimate is made;
(15) 
A statement as to whether the event will occupy all or only a portion of the width of the streets, sidewalks or other public rights-of-way proposed to be traversed;
(16) 
Proof that the applicant possesses or is able to obtain all applicable licenses and permits required by the city or state law;
(17) 
Any additional information related to health and safety that the city finds reasonably necessary to make a determination as to whether a permit should be issued.
(18) 
Payment in full of permit fees set forth and established in appendix A, fee schedule for the city for a parade permit.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20)
The chief of police is instructed to uniformly treat each application in a just, fair and nondiscriminatory manner, bearing in mind that the time, place, duration and manner of use of the public streets, parks and other public ways and places for parades shall be subordinated to the public safety, comfort and convenience, the maintenance of order and avoidance of congestion. The chief of police shall issue a permit, upon payment of all applicable fees and when, from consideration and review of the application concludes that:
(1) 
The conduct of the parade will not substantially interrupt the safe and orderly movement of other traffic near its route;
(2) 
The conduct of the parade will not require the division of so great a number of police officers of the city to properly police the line of movement and the areas near there as to prevent normal police protection to the city;
(3) 
The required police services and if applicable fire and emergency services are paid for by applicant or satisfactory arrangements for payment have been made;
(4) 
Appropriate insurance certificate has been provided naming the city as an additional insured;
(5) 
The conduct of such parade will not require the diversion of so great a number of ambulances as to prevent normal ambulance service to portions of the city other than that to be occupied by the proposed route of the parade and areas near there;
(6) 
The concentration of persons, animals and vehicles at assembly points of the parade will not unduly interfere with proper fire and police protection of, or ambulance service to, areas near such assembly areas;
(7) 
The conduct of such parade will not interfere with the movement of firefighting equipment en route to a fire;
(8) 
The conduct of the parade is not likely to cause injury to persons or property, to result in or to provoke disorderly conduct or create a disturbance;
(9) 
The parade is scheduled to move from its point of origin to its point of termination without reasonable delays en route.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20)
The chief of police shall act upon the application for a parade permit within 7 business days after filing thereof. If the chief of police does not approve the application, the applicant shall be notified within 8 business days. Denial notice shall include all reasons for the denial of permit. Any person aggrieved shall have the right to appeal the denial of a permit to the city council. The council shall hear such appeal at its next scheduled meeting.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20)
The chief of police as authorized by the city manager, may in lieu of denying an application for a parade permit, authorize the conduct of the parade on a date, at a time, or over a route different from that named by the applicant. An applicant desiring to accept an alternate permit shall, within five days after notice of the action of the chief of police, file a written notice of acceptance with the chief of police. An alternate parade permit shall conform to the requirements of and shall have the effect of a parade permit under this article.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20)
Each parade permit shall state the following information:
(1) 
The name, address and telephone number of the person to whom the permit is issued to;
(2) 
If the parade is to be held for or by an organization, the name, address and telephone number of the headquarters of the organization, and of the authorized and responsible heads of such organization to which the permit issues;
(3) 
The date and times the parade will start and terminate;
(4) 
The initial starting point, the exact route to be followed, and the disbanding area or location;
(5) 
The portions of the streets to be traversed that may be occupied by the parade;
(6) 
Minimum speed, if applicable;
(7) 
Maximum speed;
(8) 
Maximum interval of space to be maintained between the units of the parade;
(9) 
The maximum length of the parade in miles or fractions thereof;
(10) 
Such other information as the chief of police shall find necessary to the enforcement of this article.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20)
A permittee shall comply with all permit directions and conditions and with all applicable laws and ordinances. A permittee shall ensure that all “drivers” of whatever means meet the requirements of a driver as defined herein. Failure to adhere to this section shall void the permit and the permittee shall be deemed an offense in violation of section 12.06.003 of this article.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20)
(a) 
No person shall hamper, obstruct or impede, or interfere with any parade or parade assembly or with any person, vehicle or animal participating or used in a parade.
(b) 
No driver of a vehicle shall drive between the vehicles or persons comprising a parade when such vehicles or persons are in motion and are conspicuously designated as a parade, except that such parade may be broken or partially stopped for the passage of vehicles or persons by an authorized officer of the police department of the city in case of fire or other emergency. In the event such parade be broken or partially stopped by a member of the police department of the city, such parade shall be resumed immediately upon the passage of the vehicle or persons passing through such parade.
(c) 
The chief of police shall have the authority, when reasonably necessary, to prohibit or restrict the parking of vehicles along a street or highway or part thereof constituting a part of the route of a parade. The chief of police shall post signs to such effect, and it shall be unlawful for any person to park or leave unattended any vehicles in violation thereof.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20)
The chief of police shall have the authority to revoke a parade permit issued hereunder upon a failure to comply with any of the standards for issuance as set forth in this chapter.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20)
No driver of a vehicle shall drive between the vehicles comprising a funeral or other authorized procession while they are in motion and when such vehicles are conspicuously designated as required in this chapter. This provision shall not apply at intersections where traffic is controlled by traffic-control signals or police officers.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20)
Each driver in a funeral or other procession shall drive as near to the right-hand edge of the roadway as practicable and shall follow the vehicle ahead as close as is practicable and safe. All drivers must be licensed.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20)
A funeral composed of a procession of vehicles shall be identified as such by the display upon the outside of each vehicle of a pennant or other identifying insignia or by such other method as may be determined and designated by the chief of police.
(Ordinance 2020-20 adopted 10/12/20)