Township of Easttown, PA Chapter 382 Special Events

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Easttown 5-4-1959 by Ord. No. 48; amended in its entirety 6-3-2013 by Ord. No. 415-13. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 382-1 Definitions.

For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings indicated:

COMMUNITY EVENT

Any public event officially sponsored or officially organized by the Township from time to time.

SPECIAL EVENT

A preplanned single event or series of events that, because of its nature, interest, location, promotion or any combination of similar influences, is expected to draw a large number of persons, proposed to be held on public property, or on private property but impacting public property or roadways, and/or requiring the use of public support services. "Special event" shall include, but not be limited to, races, festivals, shows, neighborhood celebrations, public events which are privately sponsored but open to the public, or similar activities generally considered be recreational in nature. The term shall not include the normal operations, activities or affairs of any duly established municipal, recreational or religious organization or institutions located in the Township, an event whose estimated total attendance of all participants is anticipated to be less than 50 people, or to any community event.

SPONSOR

The person, group, corporation or other entity responsible for organizing the event.

SUPPORT SERVICES

Those services which can or must be provided by the Township to ensure that an event is conducted in such a manner as to protect the rights, safety, health, property and general welfare of its citizens. This includes but is not limited to fire protection, police protection, crowd management and control, traffic management and solid waste management.

§ 382-2 Permit required.

No sponsor, person, association, firm, corporation, or other entity shall conduct any special event or community event in Easttown Township without first having obtained a permit from the Township.

§ 382-3 Application for permit.

[Amended 1-15-2018 by Ord. No. 433-18]

A. The Township shall develop an application for a special event or community event permit. The Township application for a permit for a special event or community event shall be submitted by the sponsor to the Township Manager or his designee no less than 30 days prior to the special event or community event. If the special event is planned to be marketed and promoted, the sponsor should submit the application well in advance to ensure that the special event receives the required approvals.

B. The Township Manager or his designee may waive the requirement of 30 days' advance notice for spontaneous special events or community events for celebrations important to the Township, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the nation, including but not limited to the celebration of local sports teams and the end of wars or other conflicts of national significance. The Township Manager or his designee may waive the requirement of 30 days' advance notice if there are circumstances unique to the sponsor which justify the waiver to assure the public safety and welfare of the Township or the Township's best interest.

C. The application shall be further accompanied by such other information as may be required by the Township Manager or his designee.

§ 382-4 Application review.

A. Township review of the application is to provide a mechanism which will allow the Township to plan, evaluate and coordinate any special event or community event, which will allow the establishment of terms and conditions within which the event may be conducted and will allow the sponsor or any involved event planner to plan and manage the event within the context of the established terms and conditions.

B. Township review of special events and community events shall involve input from the following personnel:

(1) Township Manager.

(2) Police Chief.

(3) Fire Chief.

(4) Public Works Director.

(5) Codes Director.

C. Additional Township personnel may be involved at the discretion of the Township Manager or his designee. The Township Manager or his designee may waive review by any of the listed Township officials.

D. The personnel participating in the Township review of the special event or community event are charged with the responsibility of reviewing, evaluating and recommending to the Township Manager or his designee the approval/disapproval of any special event or community event on its own merits.

E. In reviewing a proposed special event or community event, personnel shall also review, evaluate and estimate the cost of the support services required for the community event or, in the case of a special event, the cost of the support services that will be charged to the sponsor. The personnel may also recommend to the Township Manager or his designee that costs or any portion of the costs be waived if such a waiver is in the best interest of the Township. Township review will involve consideration of various criteria and factors, including but not limited to the following:

(1) Is the proposed event considered desirable for the Township?

(2) Does the Township have the ability to provide, if needed, the required support services regardless of who bears the cost?

(3) Does the proposed event adversely affect the normal and necessary functions of the support services to the Township?

(4) Does the proposed event conflict with any other proposed events or activities?

F. The personnel conducting the Township review shall recommend either approval or disapproval of a proposed special event or community event, submit the conditions required if approved and submit an estimate of costs of support services and any other related issues to the Township Manager or his designee in a timely manner so as not to delay the planning process.

G. The Township Manager or his designee may require additional conditions not herein mentioned as may be necessary to maintain peace and order or to protect the health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of the Township or any neighboring property.

H. Final approval of a permit for the community event or special event proposed along with all costs and conditions attached shall be made by the Township Manager or his designee.

[Amended 10-16-2023 by Ord. No. 458-23]

§ 382-5 Notification of decision on application.

The Township Manager or his designee shall notify the sponsor of a special event within five days of the final decision. If the notification is an approval, it shall include any costs and/or conditions attached to the approval. If the notification is a denial, it shall include the reasons for denial.

§ 382-6 Regulations and requirements.

A. Approval to conduct a special event or community event by this process does not relieve the sponsor or any participants, including but not limited to peddlers, vendors, or exhibitors, from the responsibilities of applying for any other permits or licenses, complying with federal or state law, or meeting any other requirements of the Township's ordinances that may be applicable.

B. All events shall obtain liability insurance in the amount denoted on the application, which may change from time to time, with the Township named as an additional insured, or a larger amount in the discretion of the Township. The insurance shall satisfy all insurance requirements for the Township for holding the special event. The insurance policy may be subject to the review and approval of the Township Solicitor.

C. All required permits, licenses, security deposits, fees, insurance policies or any other conditions of the permit so indicated on the permit shall be obtained no later than 10 days prior to the special event.

D. The sponsor holding the special event shall be responsible to the Township for damages sustained to Township property caused by participants in the special event. Such additional costs and expenses shall be paid to the Township by the sponsor within five days of receipt of a bill.

E. The sponsor holding the special event shall be responsible to the Township for damages sustained to Township property caused by participants in the special event. The sponsor shall also be responsible for the cost of any support services required, at the sole discretion of the Township, to address specific unanticipated circumstances occurring at the special event related to larger crowd numbers than projected by the sponsor, or where the nature of the special event is not consistent with the event as applied for by the sponsor. Such unanticipated circumstances may include, but are not limited to, crowd control and emergency response. Such additional costs and expenses shall be paid to the Township by the sponsor within five days of receipt of a bill.

F. Sponsors shall be limited to maximum of four special events per calendar year. A special event may last up to 11 consecutive calendar days and still be considered as a single special event. Any additional consecutive days after the eleventh day shall each be considered a separate special event.

[Added 1-15-2018 by Ord. No. 433-18[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance also redesignated former Subsections F and G as Subsections G and H, respectively.

G. All regulations and/or requirements set forth in this chapter related to events may be waived or adjusted for community events at the discretion of the Township Manager or his designee.

H. The Township Manager or his designee may, upon showing of good cause that certain conditions or requirements as herein set forth are not applicable or would cause an unreasonable burden upon the sponsor, modify the foregoing requirements after review of the circumstances presented by the sponsor.

§ 382-7 Support services costs.

[Amended 1-15-2018 by Ord. No. 433-18]

A. (Reserved)

B. No later than 10 days prior to the special event, the sponsor shall secure the costs associated with necessary support services, as set forth in the permit, according to the following schedule:

(1) Events with estimated costs of less than $2,500: 25%.

(2) Events with estimated costs between $2,501 to $7,500: 50%.

(3) Events with estimated costs over $7,500: 100%.

C. Security may be in the form of a cash escrow or bond in a format acceptable to the Township.

D. The cost of individual support services shall be set by resolution of the Board of Supervisors from time to time. Any additional costs set forth in the permit shall be paid no later than 10 days prior to the special event.

E. At the close of the special event, the actual cost of the support services, including support services arising for unanticipated circumstances, shall be calculated and either additional payment made to the Township within five days or excess security released by the Township to the sponsor at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

§ 382-8 Revocation of permit.

A. In the event that all required permits, licenses, security deposits, fees, insurance policies or any other conditions of the permit so indicated on the permit are not obtained 10 days prior to the special event, the permit shall be revoked by the Township.

B. In the event all required costs associated with the support services have not been paid 10 days prior to the special event, the Township shall revoke the permit.

C. Any violation of one or more of the regulations set forth herein or conditions of the permit shall be sufficient grounds for the Township to immediately revoke the permit and order the sponsor holding the special event to cease and desist their activities. Upon such notice of immediate revocation, the sponsor shall cease and desist its activities and shall be prevented from applying for another permit for at least two years from the date of revocation.

D. If the violation is not discovered by the Township until the special event has ended, then the Township shall suspend for two years the right of the sponsor conducting the special event to apply for another permit to conduct a special event.

E. The Township may extend the suspension beyond the two-year period, if, in its discretion, it is determined that the sponsor will not conduct a future special event in accordance with the regulations set forth herein or the conditions set forth in the permit or will, if allowed to conduct such a special event, pose a threat to the public health, safety and welfare.

§ 382-9 Appeals.

A sponsor who has been denied a permit to conduct a special event, whose permit has been revoked or whose right to apply for a permit has been suspended or revoked for violation of this chapter or contests a permit condition shall have the right to appeal said denial, suspension, revocation or condition to the Board of Supervisors, in writing, within 15 days of the date of the notice of said denial, suspension, revocation or condition. The Board of Supervisors shall conduct a hearing on said appeal within 30 days from the date of filing of the appeal. The Board of Supervisors shall render a decision within 45 days after the hearing, either upholding the denial, suspension, revocation or condition or granting the appeal and ordering the Township to grant the permit or rescind the revocation or suspension notice or remove the condition.

§ 382-10 Violations and penalties.

A. Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this chapter or fails to secure the permit required thereby, as the case may be, shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a criminal fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs, and, in default of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, or both. Each day that a violation of this chapter continues shall constitute a separate offense.

B. In addition to the above-provided penalties, the Township may maintain any action or proceedings in the name of the Township in any court of competent jurisdiction, at law or in equity, to compel compliance with or enforce any violation of this chapter.

§ 382-11 Support services provided by Police Department.

If the Police Department provides support services, the Police Chief shall keep an accurate record of all hours worked by all officers, and extra compensation shall be paid to each officer for all time worked beyond regularly scheduled tour of duty, less the same deduction made from his usual compensation, at appropriate rates.