CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA

Council Report
April 6, 2015
To:

Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council

Douglas J. Schmitz, City Administrator

From:

Janet Bombard, Library and Community Activities Director

Paul Tomasi, Police Commander

Subject:

Receive Community Activities and Cultural Commission and staff

recommendations regarding directives issued by the City Council at its
September 9, 2014 meeting discussion of Car Week and provide
direction

RECOMMENDATION:
Receive Community Activities and Cultural Commission and staff recommendations regarding
directives issued by the City Council at its September 9, 2014 meeting discussion of Car
Week and provide direction.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
At its September 9, 2014 meeting, the City Council undertook a discussion of Car Week
events and their impacts on the City and community. The intent of the discussion was twofold:
to provide a venue for public comment regarding Car Week, and to direct staff to develop
recommendations for the 2015 Car Week events based on feedback received during the
meeting.
The Community Activities and Cultural Commission, at its February 10, 2015 meeting,
reviewed staffs proposed courses of action, and in turn developed additional
recommendations to be forwarded to Council.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Issues and concerns that were raised by the City Council and the community during the
September 17, 2014 discussion included the following:

The impacts on both emergency response and residents of neighborhoods blocked by

cars parked along both sides of the street.
Residents being unable to get through town, get to appointments, etc., due to
congested streets and highways.
The lack of cleanliness: trash and cigarette butts on City sidewalks and streets.
Whether Car Week events have exceeded the towns carrying capacity.
Car Week events impact on other parts of the city, including the beach.
How to ensure a safe pedestrian experience for event attendees.
Council Meeting Date: 4/6/15
Agenda Item: 5.A
Page 1

The issue of using shuttle buses was also discussed, with varying opinions expressed.
Shuttles were tried once without success during the Concours on the Avenue event. Some felt
they should be tried again; others expressed the opinion that event goers wanted to be able to
park in town and that the City should look at pedestrian connectivity issues instead.
The City Council distilled the Car Week discussion comments and concerns into six
categories. Staff was directed to investigate ways in which the six points might be utilized to
develop action plans and policies for the management of future Car Week events. The six
categories were as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Public safety and access

Parking
Ensuring that Car Week events are quality events
Cleanliness
Coordination with other events throughout the Peninsula
Blue Sky ideas

In response, staff has developed the following recommended courses of action for
consideration by Council:
PUBLIC SAFETY AND ACCESS

Identify choke points throughout the City. Restrict parking to one side of the road in
these areas, blocking it in such a way that safe foot traffic is facilitated. Parked traffic
will face in the direction of City exit routes.
Divide the City into quadrants outside the event area. Assign safety personnel to patrol
those areas.
Add additional staffing on the days of the event.
Increase the number of bicycle officers during events.
Close Mountain View west of Torres in order to limit the amount of traffic going through
the 5-way intersection at Junipero and Ocean
Install route signage exit, detour, etc. that will help motorists exit the City using
routes other than Ocean Avenue. Distribute flyers with that information at information
booths during the events.

PARKING

Identify choke points throughout the City. Restrict parking to one side of the road in
these areas, blocking it in such a way that safe foot traffic is facilitated. Parked traffic
will face in the direction of City exit routes.
Schedule additional personnel to enforce parking.
Divide the City into quadrants outside the event area. Assign safety personnel to patrol
each specific area.
Rope off center islands and one side of neighborhood streets (without blocking
driveway access).

Council Meeting Date: 4/6/15

Agenda Item: 5.A
Page 2

Investigate shuttling employees and business owners in the City to work on Tuesday
and Thursday of Car Week.
Operate a shuttle service for event goers.

ENSURE CAR WEEK EVENTS ARE QUALITY EVENTS

Do not issue special event permits that will compete with existing events or add
additional traffic during Car Week.
Adopt criteria for quality events in general. Possible criteria for evaluating a special
event include the following:
1. The proposed event can function safely: streets can be closed in a safe
manner that will allow emergency access for fire, police and EMS
vehicles.
2. Events will be of a diverse nature and will expose the public to a range of
cultural experiences. City event staff and the Community Activities and
Cultural Commission will ensure that there are not too many of the same
or similar events throughout the year.
3. The event will cause minimal disruption of public services.
4. What is the likelihood that Carmel-by-the-Sea residents will wish to
participate in and/or attend the event?
5. Will the event enhance the local economy by promoting tourism,
shopping at local businesses, eating at local restaurants and/or staying at
local hotels?
6. Will the event showcase local talent?
7. Will the event generate income for local community-serving nonprofit
organizations?

CLEANLINESS

The City will purchase smoking receptacles that will be placed next to City trash cans
during events.
Event organizers will provide trash cans, recycling, and portable restrooms during
events, and will provide Community Activities staff with a plan for providing the abovementioned services as part of the Special Event permit application process.
Event organizers will be responsible for cleaning up during and after the event.
Event organizers will take measures to ensure that the event does not have a negative
impact on the health and appearance of public landscaping.

COORDINATION WITH OTHER EVENTS

Staff will contact known Peninsula-area events to determine locations, and start and
finish times of events, and develop a calendar of events for distribution within the City.
Council Meeting Date: 4/6/15
Agenda Item: 5.A
Page 3

Contact CalTrans to see if the City can use its highway message boards to inform
drivers of traffic delays, events underway in the City, and/or direct them to shuttles.
Contact California Highway Patrol regarding concerns about increased traffic
congestion and develop possible mitigation strategies, including getting CHP traffic
control
help.

BLUE SKY IDEAS

Improve road signage to facilitate vehicle entry and exit from City.
Strategize ways to increase public notification of events. Possibilities include Carmel
Pine Cone articles, press releases, City volunteers handing out informational flyers at
the Post Office, City website, a Car Week calendar of events, Chamber of Commerce
and Library buildings and websites.
Recognize and mitigate impacts on the beach, including installing temporary additional
restroom facilities, trash receptacles and increasing police enforcement in that area.
Mitigate event impact on City parks and buildings restroom facilities by distributing
maps at the events that identify the locations of portable restrooms.
Increase City staffing on event days, with assignments that are specific to addressing
event impacts.
Investigate using the Citys radar trailer as a message board during events.
Limit the Citys potential liability during the events by raising the amount of required
comprehensive general liability insurance from $1 million to $2 million, and having
event organizers sign a Release of Liability, Indemnity and Hold Harmless agreement.
Research and acquire equipment that will facilitate the implementation of the action
plan in such a way as to help staff do a better job and provide better service to the
community.

The organizers of the Pacific Grove Auto Rally have indicated that they will not be holding the
event in the City this year.
The Community Activities and Cultural Commission made the following recommendation for
Councils consideration:

Instead of distributing informational maps and flyers, develop and use QR codes or
other electronic means of dissemination in order to minimize litter during events.

FISCAL IMPACT: N/A

Budgeted (yes/no)

Funding Source( general fund, grant,

state)

N/A

N/A

Council Meeting Date: 4/6/15

Agenda Item: 5.A
Page 4

PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION/DECISION HISTORY:

At its September 9, 2014 meeting, the City Council undertook a discussion of Car Week
events and their impacts on the City and community and directed staff to develop an action
plan for the 2015 Car Week events based on feedback received during the meeting.

APPROVED:
____________________________________
Douglas J. Schmitz, City Administrator

Date: __________________

Council Meeting Date: 4/6/15

Agenda Item: 5.A
Page 5