[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 5-26-2026 by Ord. No. 26-10]
APPLICANT
Shall mean any person, entity, organization, or group seeking to conduct a Special Event.
PERSON IN CHARGE
Shall mean the individual designated by the Applicant as responsible for the planning and execution of the Special Event.
SPECIAL EVENT
Shall mean any gathering, assembly, activity, or event conducted on public or private property, whether organized or informal, that is reasonably anticipated to:
A. 
Attract 100 or more persons at any one time;
B. 
Require traffic control, roadway crossing assistance, or police presence beyond ordinary patrol;
C. 
Result in on-site parking demand exceeding available legal parking spaces, thereby necessitating off-site parking or use of public streets;
D. 
Involve the organized display, exhibition, or congregation of motor vehicles, including but not limited to car meets, cruise nights, or similar events;
E. 
Involve activities, displays, lighting, sound, or movement in proximity to roadways that may create a distraction to normal vehicular traffic or increase pedestrian activity near roadways;
F. 
Otherwise have the potential to create impacts on public safety, emergency services, or surrounding properties as determined by the Borough Administrator, Chief of Police, or Fire Official.
A. 
No person or entity shall organize, sponsor, conduct, or permit a Special Event within the Borough without first obtaining a Special Event Permit in accordance with this article.
B. 
This requirement shall apply to events conducted on both public and private property.
A. 
An Applicant shall submit a completed Special Event Permit application to the Borough Administrator not less than 30 days prior to the proposed event. The Administrator may waive this requirement for good cause shown.
B. 
The application shall include, at a minimum, the information previously outlined, including traffic, safety, and operational plans as required by the Borough.
A. 
Upon receipt of a complete application, the Borough Administrator shall circulate the application to the Chief of Police, Fire Official, and such other officials as deemed appropriate.
B. 
The Borough Administrator shall have the authority to approve, approve with conditions, or deny the application based upon departmental input and the overall impact of the proposed event.
The Borough may impose reasonable conditions on any Special Event Permit, including but not limited to police staffing, traffic control, safety measures, insurance, indemnification, sanitation, and escrow for municipal costs.
An application may be denied for failure to provide required information, inability to adequately protect public safety, insufficient emergency resources, unreasonable traffic interference, or prior violations.
The Chief of Police and Fire Official, or their designees, shall have authority to require modifications to traffic control, crowd management, fire safety, and operational plans, including mandatory staffing levels and safety measures necessary to protect the public.
A Special Event Permit may be revoked by the Borough Administrator, Chief of Police, or Fire Official if the event is conducted in violation of permit conditions or poses an immediate threat to public health, safety, or welfare.
This article shall not apply to:
A. 
Events conducted by the Borough or its agencies;
B. 
School-sponsored events conducted on school property;
C. 
Regularly scheduled events conducted as part of the normal operating seasons of recognized youth sports organizations within the Borough, including but not limited to Runnemede Youth Athletic Association (RYAA) and Runnemede Girls Softball League, provided that such events do not include tournaments, special events, or activities outside the ordinary course of league play;
D. 
Events otherwise regulated and permitted under separate provisions of the Borough Code, provided that such events do not meet the criteria set forth in § 317-2.
A. 
The Mayor and Council may, by resolution, establish an application fee for Special Event Permits.
B. 
The Borough Administrator shall have discretion to waive or reduce application fees for governmental entities, recognized nonprofit organizations, school-affiliated groups, or events determined to serve a public purpose.
A. 
Any person or entity who conducts a Special Event without obtaining a required permit shall be subject to a fine as follows:
(1) 
For a first violation where the person or entity was not previously notified of the permit requirement, a fine not to exceed two times the applicable permit fee, if any, or such other penalty as permitted by law;
(2) 
For any person or entity that has been directed by a Borough official to obtain a Special Event Permit and fails to do so, or that proceeds with an event after a permit has been denied, a fine not to exceed $1,000 per day, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, or community service, or any combination thereof, as permitted by law; and
(3) 
Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.
B. 
Nothing herein shall preclude the Borough from seeking injunctive relief or other remedies as permitted by law.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this article is held invalid, such decision shall not affect the remaining portions.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistency.