Permitting

Forms and Ordinances for Event Planners

Below is a collection of ordinances and forms for cities located in Limestone County Alabama including City of Athens; City of Decatur; City of Madison; and City of Huntsville. This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list and anyone planning events for any of these municipalities should contact them directly to ensure compliance for their event.

City of Athens, Alabama Ordinances

City of Athens, Alabama ordinances are provided here for your convenience and reference. If you need assistance in interpreting the ordinance or have questions about an ordinance or its portions wherein, it is advised you seek out legal counsel to assist you.

Forms

City of Athens, AL Parade Permit

city_of_athens_application_for_permit_for_parade.pdf
File Size:	66 kb
File Type:	pdf

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City of Athens, AL Tent & Membrane Structure Permit & Requirements

city_of_athens_tentandmembranestructurepermitandrequirements.pdf
File Size:	158 kb
File Type:	pdf

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City of Athens, AL Temporary Vendor Requirements

city_of_athens_temporaryvendorrequirements.pdf
File Size:	294 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

State of Alabama LP Gas Use Vendor Requirements

alabama_lp_gas_board_vendor_requirements_2015.pdf
File Size:	960 kb
File Type:	pdf

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City of Athens, AL Fireworks Permit

city_of_athens_fireworkpermit.pdf
File Size:	276 kb
File Type:	pdf

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State of Alabama Fire Marshall Fireworks Experience Verification

al__verification_of_experience_for_fireworks.docx
File Size:	4539 kb
File Type:	docx

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City of Athens ordinances - Special events

ARTICLE II. - SPECIAL EVENTS

SEC. 54-31. - DEFINITIONS.

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:

Business day means a day on which the city administrative offices are open for regularly conducted business and does not include Saturdays, Sundays, official city holidays, or a day on which weather or other conditions have made the city's administrative offices inaccessible.
City attorney means the attorney for the city or his designated representative.
Crowd control means the management of the participants in a special event and does not include efforts to regulate the conduct or anticipated conduct of nonparticipants, including hostile crowds and hecklers.
Demonstration means any demonstration, picketing, pamphleteering, leafleting, march or other event organized or held primarily for purposes associated with the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This term shall not include purely commercial speech or for-profit events.
For-profit event means any special event from which any proceeds derived from the event inure to the personal benefit of any person organizing, holding or promoting the event or from which less than all of the net proceeds of the event are used for charitable, civic, public or other such nonprofitable purposes.
Major arterial means a street or highway of great continuity designed to accommodate the highest traffic volumes and longest trip desires. Major arterials are defined and designated in the city's major street plan.
Nonprofit event means any special event from which no proceeds derived from the event inure to the personal benefit of any person organizing, holding or promoting the event and from which all of the net proceeds of the event are used for charitable, civic, public or other such nonprofitable purposes.
Participants means only those persons actually taking part in the event, including but not limited to those sponsoring, organizing, promoting or initiating the event; those invited to attend; those paying to attend; or those for whom the event is sponsored, organized or initiated, including the general public.
Public place, public area and public property mean streets, sidewalks, parkways, highways, roads, boulevards, avenues, alleys, plazas, parks, medians and any and all spaces dedicated to the public use or used in any way by the city for the benefit of the public.
Special event means any concert, demonstration, marathon, march, memorial, parade, race, walk or any other such activity or gathering of persons, animals or vehicles upon public property that is organized primarily for the purpose of amusement, athletic competition, charity, commemoration, demonstration, education or entertainment. The term shall not include informal gatherings of individuals whose use of public property is in conformance with the property's dedicated purpose and in accordance with the laws governing such use.
Standard compliment of personnel means those personnel normally available to be assigned by the chief of police in accordance with the standard operating procedures of the police department in order to provide safety, traffic control or crowd control during a special event without cost should the chief of police determine that circumstances warrant such coverage.

SEC. 54-32. - PROPERTY AND EVENTS NOT COVERED.

(a) The provisions of this article shall not apply under any of the following circumstances:

The event is to take place on private property.
The event is to take place on property that is under the control or jurisdiction of the federal government or any agency or instrumentality of the federal government.
The event is to take place on property that is under the control or jurisdiction of the state or any agency or instrumentality of the state unless the state has specifically authorized the city to control the use of such property for such events.
The event is to take place on property that is under the control or jurisdiction of municipal boards or agencies, including but not limited to the board of education.
The event is a sporting event that is to take place on property dedicated or set aside for the purpose of such events.

(b) The provisions of this article shall not apply to funeral processions.
(c) The provisions of this article shall not apply to the use of any public building, structure or facility, including but not limited to any civic center, recreation center, public garage or other such municipal building, structure or facility, except for public amenities located in city parks, such as picnic shelters, gazebos or other such facilities that are available to the public in accordance with park rules and regulations.
(d) Exclusion from the terms of this article pursuant to this section does not relieve the sponsors, coordinators, promoters, organizers or those otherwise holding an event from the responsibility of obtaining permission or authorization from the appropriate person or entity for the use of property that is not covered by this article.

SEC. 54-33. - PROMULGATION OF RULES AND REGULATIONS.

Departments and offices of the city that are responsible for administering this article are authorized to promulgate any rules or regulations necessary for the implementation of this article.

SEC. 54-34. - DUTIES OF PARTICIPANTS.

(a) Participants in an event regulated by this article shall comply with all permit directions and conditions imposed under the terms of this article for the use of public property and with all applicable ordinances, statutes and laws.
(b) Participants in an event regulated by this article shall stay within the area or route designated for the event during the conduct of the event.
(c) The event chairperson or other person leading such activity shall carry the special event permit upon his person during the conduct of the event. If a permit is not required, the event chairman or other person leading such activity shall carry the reservation of the public property upon his person during the conduct of the event.

SEC. 54-35. - PUBLIC CONDUCT.

(a)  No person shall unreasonably hamper, obstruct or impede, or interfere with any event or event assembly or with any person, vehicle or animal participating or used in the event.
(b)  No driver of any vehicle shall drive between the vehicles or persons comprising an event when such vehicles or persons are in motion and are conspicuously designated as participants in the event.
(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 constituting a part of the route of the event. When necessary, the chief of police shall see that signs are posted to such effect, and it shall be unlawful for any person to park or leave unattended any vehicle in violation of such signs. No person shall be liable for parking on a street unposted in violation of this section.

SEC. 54-36. - REVOCATION OR TERMINATION OF AN EVENT.

(a) Any special event permit issued or reservation made for the use of public property pursuant to the terms of this article may be revoked or an event terminated on the day of the permitted activity without prior written notice and without a hearing, if either the mayor, the chief of police or the fire chief determines that:

Revocation or termination is in the interest of the immediate public health or safety because of fire, casualty, act of God or a public emergency;
Any term, standard for issuance, condition, duty, restriction or limitation of such permit or reservation has been violated by event participants and, as a result, the immediate health or safety of any participant or the general public is threatened;
Any federal, state or municipal ordinance, statute or law is being violated by a participant; or
A breach of the peace is occurring or an activity in the nature of a riot has occurred.

(b) The permittee or persons reserving public property under the provisions of this article immediately upon receipt of the notification that the permit or reservation to use the public property has been revoked or the event terminated shall cease the event and shall commence with restoring the site to its condition prior to the event.
(c) The chief of police shall have the authority to revoke a special event permit issued or reservation made for the use of public property pursuant to the terms of this article any time before the date the event is scheduled to commence if he determines that due to a change in circumstances grounds to deny the request exist. Appeal from any such revocation shall be in accordance with section 54-68.

Secs. 54-37—54-60. - Reserved.

. . .

city of athens ordinances - permit or reservation

DIVISION 2. - PERMIT OR RESERVATION

SEC. 54-61. - REQUIREMENT.

No person shall engage in, participate in, aid, form or start any special event unless a special event permit or a reservation shall have been obtained from the chief of police for the use of any public place.

SEC. 54-62. - WHEN PERMIT NOT REQUIRED; RESERVATION.

(a) A permit shall not be required if the special event is a demonstration or nonprofit event and each of the following apply:

The event will not take place on any portion of the public streets, highways, roads or other such public ways dedicated primarily for the use of vehicular traffic.
The special event will not substantially inhibit the flow of pedestrian traffic upon the sidewalks.
The special event will not prevent access to buildings or structures, including public facilities, located adjacent to the site of the event, unless permission has first been obtained from the owner or owners of the buildings or structures.
If any portion of the special event will take place on private property or property under the control or jurisdiction of any board, agency or other governmental entity, permission has first been obtained from such persons or entities.
The special event will not require the use of any city facilities or equipment.
The special event will not require the city to provide security, traffic control or crowd control in excess of the standard complement of personnel normally assigned to special events and such personnel have not previously been assigned to another special event occurring at the same time.
No alcoholic beverages will be sold, traded, dispensed, served or consumed.
The special event will not include any animals, vehicles, floats and/or the use of any instrumentalities that could pose a danger to the participants or the general public.
The estimate of the anticipated number of participants is not in excess of the maximum designated as allowable for the area based on a formula of nine square feet per participant.
The event is scheduled for daylight hours, except in areas possessing appropriate artificial light.
The event is a picket and the proposed location of the event is not before the residence or dwelling of any individual who is the target of the picket.
The event does not violate any federal, state or municipal ordinance, statute or law.

(b) If a permit will not be required, the event coordinators, sponsors or those otherwise participating in the event must reserve the proposed public area by filling out a reservation form with the police department during regular business hours. This reservation may be made at any time beginning 12 months prior to the date of the event but no later than 10:00 a.m. on the business day immediately preceding the date the event is scheduled to commence; however, the deadline requirement may be waived by the chief of police should he determine that the reservation can be processed within the time remaining prior to the commencement of the event and should the chief determine that the failure to comply with the deadline was not caused by the unreasonable delay of the reservation applicant. Use of the requested public place shall be denied by the chief of police no later than the close of business on the day the reservation request is received if the location has been reserved for another event or use at the same time and simultaneous events or uses cannot be accommodated; the proposed location is unavailable due to fire, casualty, acts of God, scheduled maintenance or public emergency; or the requirements for an exemption from obtaining a permit set forth in subsection (a) of this section have not been met. If the chief of police must deny a reservation based on the unavailability of the requested location, he shall provide an alternate location or time that would meet the conditions set forth in subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Participants in an event who are not required to apply for a permit under the terms of this section shall be issued a reservation for the public property requested noting the time, date, duration and location or route of the event, together with any other necessary information.
(d) Participants in an event who are not required to apply for a permit under the terms of this section are not otherwise relieved of complying with any applicable provisions of this article.

SEC. 54-63. - APPLICATION.

(a) A person seeking issuance of a special event permit shall file an application during regular business hours with the police department on forms provided by the city.
(b) The time for filing an application is as follows:

(1) In the case of demonstrations or nonprofit events, an application for a special event permit may be filed any time beginning 12 months prior to the date of event but no later than three business days preceding the date of the proposed event; however, for any of the following, application must be made at least five business days in advance of the date of the event:
- a. Any special event that will include animals, vehicles, floats and/or the use of any instrumentality that could pose a danger to the participants or the general public; or
- b. The special event is to take place in whole or in part upon streets, highways, roads or other such public ways dedicated primarily for the use of vehicular traffic.
(2) In the case of for-profit events, an application for a special event permit may be filed beginning 12 months prior to the date of the event but no later than one month before the date the proposed event is scheduled to commence.
(3) In the case of events that will involve the sale, transfer or consumption of alcoholic beverages, an application for a special event permit may be filed beginning 12 months prior to the date of the event but no later than one month before the date the proposed event is scheduled to commence. At the time of the filing of the application, the applicant must provide copies of appropriate alcoholic beverage licensing and an executed lease with the city for the use of the proposed location.

(c) All applications will be stamped by the city with the date and time of receipt in order to ensure that the use of the public area requested is on a first-come, first-served basis.
(d) The application for a special event permit shall include the following information:

The name, date of birth, address and telephone number of the person seeking to conduct such special event;
The purpose of the special event;
(3) If the special 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;
The ultimate use of net proceeds from the special event and whether any event proceeds will inure to the benefit of any person organizing, holding or promoting the event;
The name, address and daytime telephone number of at least two persons who will be responsible for conducting the special event;
The dates when the special event is to be conducted, the hours of such event, and the route or location of the event;
The estimated number of participants, the estimated number of vehicles participating in or parking near the event, and whether the event will include the use of any animals or any instrumentalities that could pose a danger to the participants or the general public; if the event is a parade, the estimated number of units in each category, such as band, marching units, floats, cars, etc.;
The number, type, location and provision for toilet facilities during the event;
A statement describing what portion of any street, park, sidewalk or other public place will be occupied by the event;
A map indicating the precise route of the event;
Measurements of the public area that a stationary event will cover;
Whether any music will be provided, the hours of duration and location of bands or loudspeakers, along with the numbers and types of amplifiers or other such devices;
Location of assembly and disbandment areas for the event and proposed time of assembly and disbandment;
Provisions for cleanup after the conclusion of the special event;
Provisions for security, traffic control, crowd control, fire protection and emergency medical coverage;
Intent to have food and drinks and whether or not such food or drinks will be sold or otherwise dispensed, who will be supplying such food or drinks, and who will receive the funds obtained from the sale of such food and drinks;
For events that involve the sale, transfer or consumption of alcoholic beverages, a copy of the lease agreement with the city for the use of the public area;
Whether all required licensing has been obtained by vendors associated with the event;
Whether alcoholic beverages will be sold, dispensed, transferred or consumed and whether the appropriate licensing has been obtained within the time prescribed by law;
Provisions for any needed electric power;
Whether admission fees will be charged or prizes given and the dollar amounts involved;
A notarized statement that indicates permission has been obtained for the event's use of private property or property under the control or jurisdiction of any board, agency or other governmental entity;
A statement of any special circumstances which are material to the permit requested; and
Such other relevant information as the chief of police may reasonably require in regard to the application.

(e) Within four weeks after the conclusion of the event, the permittee shall agree to provide a report containing receipts and disbursements from the event.

SEC. 54-64. - INSURANCE.

In the case of for-profit events, events that involve the sale, transfer or consumption of alcoholic beverages or any event where an admission fee will be charged, the person organizing, holding or promoting the event (collectively, "sponsor" for purposes of this section) shall, at the time of the filing of a permit application, provide proof of bodily injury and property damage liability insurance naming the city as an insured and covering the entire public area of the event for the duration of the event in a minimum amount of $100,000.00 for the injury to or death of any one individual and $300,000.00 for the injury to or death of any number of individuals in one occurrence, and property damage liability insurance in the amount of $100,000.00. Such policy shall insure both the city and the sponsor but shall be so endorsed as to create the same liability on the part of the insurer as though a separate policy had been written for the city and the sponsor. Such policy shall be issued by a company authorized to engage in the insurance business in the state and shall be approved by the city attorney prior to the issuance of a permit.

SEC. 54-65. - FEES AND EXPENSES.

(a) An applicant shall pay at the time of the filing of an application for a special event permit any fees required for the use of any public amenities located in city parks such as picnic shelters, gazebos or other such facilities available for the use of the public in accordance with the schedule of fees established by the city's recreation and landscape management department.
(b) An applicant shall be required to reimburse the city within 14 business days from the last day of the event for the actual costs of providing any security, traffic control or crowd control required by the chief of police that is in excess of the standard complement of personnel provided by the city. Prior to the commencement of the event, the chief of police will provide the applicant with an estimate of such costs; however, the city will not be bound by the estimate should it differ from the actual costs incurred by the city. In no case shall an applicant be required to reimburse the city for the costs associated with providing personnel based on the actual or anticipated conduct of nonparticipants, and any required coverage for which reimbursement is sought shall be based on the following factors:

The location or route of the event;
The physical characteristics of the location or route;
The duration of the event;
The day and time of the event;
The estimated number of participants;
The event's use of vehicles, animals and/or instrumentalities that could pose a danger to the event's participants or the general public;
Whether the event is authorized to allow the sale, transfer or consumption of alcoholic beverages; and/or
Such other preestablished objective criteria the chief of police determines as being necessary to ensure the health and safety of the participants and the general public; however, in no case shall the anticipated or actual conduct of nonparticipants be included as a factor to be considered in setting the reimbursement costs for city personnel.

(c) An applicant will not be required to reimburse the city for the cost of providing security, traffic control or crowd control that is required by the chief of police in excess of the standard complement of personnel normally assigned to special events if the special event is a demonstration or nonprofit event and each of the following apply:

No portion of the special event will take place on the public streets, highways, roads or other such public ways dedicated primarily for the use of vehicular traffic; however, this provision will not apply if an application has been duly filed at least four months prior to the date the proposed event is scheduled to commence.
The special event will not utilize vehicles, animals, floats and/or instrumentalities that could pose a danger to the participants in the event or the general public; however, this provision will not apply if an application has been duly filed at least four months prior to the date the proposed event is scheduled to commence.
The special event will not require the closing of any public street, highway, road or other such public way dedicated primarily for the use of vehicular traffic; however, this provision will not apply if an application has been duly filed at least four months prior to the date the proposed event is scheduled to commence.
The special event will not involve the sale, transfer or consumption of alcoholic beverages.

(d) In no case shall an applicant be required to reimburse the city for the costs associated with providing security or crowd control that is assigned by the chief of police based on the anticipated or actual conduct of nonparticipants in the event.
(e) In no case shall it be the responsibility of the city to provide site security for any special event during those hours in which the event is not scheduled to be in process.

SEC. 54-66. - RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CERTAIN OFFICIALS OR DEPARTMENTS.

Immediately upon receiving the application for the special event permit, the chief of police shall send a copy to the following for their recommendations:

Traffic supervisor or his designated representative;
Traffic operation representative or his designated representative;
Director of recreation and landscape management department or his designated representative;
Fire chief or his designated representative; and
City clerk-treasurer or his designated representative.

SEC. 54-67. - GROUNDS FOR DENIAL.

(a) Ten business days in cases where at least one month's notice is required; three business days in cases where at least five business days' notice is required; or two business days in cases where at least three business days' notice is required, subsequent to the date of the filing of the application for a special event permit, the chief of police shall decide whether a permit will be issued, including any conditions imposed on the grant of a permit, and shall make available his decision for the applicant and the specific reasons for the decision. It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to contact the police department at the location designated in the application to obtain a copy of the chief of police's decision immediately upon issuance. In addition, the chief of police shall send a copy of his decision via certified mail to the applicant's address contained in the application. The permit for the special event shall be granted unless one or more of the following conditions is found to exist:

The application is incomplete in a material respect.
The application has been fraudulently completed.
The application is for an area that is not covered by the terms of this article.
A portion of the event will take place on private property or property under the control or jurisdiction of any board, agency or other governmental entity and permission has not been obtained from such persons or entities.
The special event is a picket and the proposed location of the event is before the residence or dwelling of any individual who is the target of the picket.
An adjacent public area has already been scheduled for use at the same time and simultaneous uses cannot be accommodated.
All or a portion of the public area requested has already been scheduled for use at the same time and simultaneous uses cannot be accommodated.
For events that will take place upon or involve the closing of any public way that is primarily dedicated for the purpose of vehicular traffic, the duration of the event, including setup and takedown, exceeds a consecutive six-day period.
The estimate of the anticipated participants is in excess of the maximum designated as allowable for the area based on a formula of nine square feet per participant.
The event is not scheduled to commence and end during daylight hours unless the location of the event possesses appropriate artificial light.
The special event is a violation of federal, state or local ordinances, statutes or laws.
The conduct of the event will substantially interrupt the safe and orderly movement of traffic in the area of its route or location.
The conduct of the event will require the diversion of so great a number of police officers of the city to properly police the area or route that will be occupied by the special event and contiguous areas so as to prevent normal police protection to the city.
The conduct of the event will require the diversion of so great a number of ambulances and fire rescue units as to prevent normal ambulance and rescue service to portions of the city other than those areas or routes that will be occupied by the special event and contiguous areas.
The concentration of persons, animals, floats and/or vehicles at the assembly points of the event will unduly interfere with proper fire and police protection of or ambulance service to areas contiguous to such assembly areas.
The conduct of the event will interfere with the movement of firefighting equipment en route to a fire.
There is an insufficient complement of city personnel available to provide the necessary security, traffic control or crowd control for the event because another special event has been scheduled for the same day to which such personnel have previously been assigned.
The proposed event will require the use of city personnel and is scheduled to commence within one hour of the projected completion of a previously scheduled event to which some or all of such personnel have been assigned.
The applicant has failed to reimburse the city for expenses and fees charged for a prior special event.
The location requested is for a public way used primarily for vehicular traffic that is a major arterial within the city limits unless the magnitude of the event requires it and such an event cannot reasonably be accommodated elsewhere. This subsection shall not apply to events that merely traverse a major arterial and that are not otherwise prohibited according to the terms of this article.
The public location requested is unavailable due to fire, casualty, acts of God, scheduled maintenance or public emergency.
All required licensing has not been obtained by vendors associated with the event.
Alcoholic beverages will be sold, traded, dispensed, served or consumed and the appropriate licensing has not been obtained within the time prescribed by law.
Alcoholic beverages will be sold, traded, dispensed, served or consumed and a separate lease from the city for the use of the public area has not first been obtained, which includes provisions for the fencing of the leased premises along with adequate security measures.

(b) The chief of police in denying an application shall be empowered to authorize the conduct of the event in a manner, on a date, at a time, over a route, or upon a site different from that named by the applicant that would not violate the terms of this section. An applicant desiring to accept an alternative permit shall file a written notice of acceptance with the chief of police by the next business day following the applicant's receipt of the chief's decision. An alternate special event permit shall conform to the requirements of and shall have the effect of a permit under this article.

SEC. 54-68. - APPEAL OF DENIAL.

(a)  An applicant denied a permit required by this article may appeal the decision of the chief of police to a hearing body comprised of the mayor, the president of the city council, and the president pro tem of the city council. An applicant desiring to appeal the permit denial shall file a written notice of appeal with the office of the mayor by the close of business on the next business day following receipt of the chief of police's decision denying the permit. Immediately upon receipt of the notice of appeal, the office of the mayor shall forward a copy to the president of the city council.
(b)  Such appeal shall be heard and decided by the hearing body within two business days after the date the written notice of the appeal is received by the office of the mayor. The applicant shall be notified 24 hours before the time scheduled for the hearing. Should the time scheduled for the appeal cause the delay of the proposed event, an alternate date will be made available upon request and, should the public area requested be available and uncommitted, it will be reserved for the event, pending the outcome of the appeal. Such applicant may appear at the hearing in person and be represented by counsel. Evidence on the applicant's behalf may be presented at such hearing. The chief of police shall state his grounds for denying the permit and shall provide any evidence supporting such denial. The chief's decision shall be affirmed if any reason for his denial is a valid ground for denial, as set forth in section 54-67, and the existence of such ground is supported by a preponderance of the evidence. The decision of the hearing body shall be based on a majority vote of the members of the body that are present. In the absence of a majority vote, the decision of the chief of police shall stand. Such decision shall be made in writing by the close of the next business day following the close of the hearing and contain the reasons for the decision. The decision in written form shall be available upon the request of the applicant and shall be sent via certified mail to the address of the applicant contained in the application. Failure to decide the appeal within the time prescribed shall operate as an automatic reversal of the chief's decision.
(c)  The hearing body in affirming the decision of the chief of police may, by a majority vote of the members present, authorize the conduct of the event in a manner, on a date, at a time, over a route or upon a site different from that denied by the chief that would not violate the terms of section 54-67. An applicant desiring to accept an alternative permit shall file a written notice of acceptance with the office of the mayor by the next business day following the applicant's receipt of the hearing body's decision. An alternate special event permit shall conform to the requirements of and shall have the effect of a permit under this article.

SEC. 54-69. - CONDITIONS.

Permits issued or permission given to use public property pursuant to this article shall be subject to the following conditions:
(1)  The public area is to be left clean and undamaged following any special event. Any costs or expenses associated with restoring the public area to its condition prior to the commencement of the event as a result of the actions of the event participants shall be paid by the sponsors, coordinators, promoters, organizers or those otherwise holding the event (collectively, "sponsors" for purposes of this section). If the city undertakes to restore the site to its condition prior to the event, the sponsors of the event shall be responsible for reimbursing the city for the costs or expenses associated with any damages or debris that are attributable to actions of event participants.
(2) The chief of police shall have the authority to restrict, limit or prohibit the use or construction of platforms, chairs or other equipment if he finds that their use would result in damage to city property or constitute a hazard to safety or would block or infringe upon some other lawful use of the public property.
(3) Participants shall not sell, trade, dispense, serve or consume alcoholic beverages outside the licensed premises; provide alcoholic beverages to nonparticipants, either through sale, trade or transfer; or allow nonparticipants to consume alcoholic beverages inside the licensed premises.
(4) Events involving the use of amplified sound are conditioned as follows:
a. For events that take place in any residential district, use of any amplified sound cannot begin until 7:00 a.m. and must cease at 10:00 p.m.
b. For events that do not take place within a residential district, use of amplified sound cannot begin until 6:00 a.m. and must cease at 2:00 a.m.
(5) The issuance of the permit or grant of permission to use public property shall not entitle the applicant to violate any other general park rules or regulations, or regulations applicable to the use of public property adopted by ordinance.
(6) A deposit may be required where a request is made to use city facilities, services or equipment.
(7)  The event is scheduled to move from its point of origin to the point of termination expeditiously and without unreasonable delays en route.
(8)  Permittees or those receiving permission to use public property agree to hold the city harmless from any claim for loss, injury, death or damage to any persons or property whatsoever caused by the negligence of participants in the exercise of such event.
(9)  To the extent that the special event will require the closing of public ways to regular traffic and the Athens Police Department must utilize municipal or police personnel to provide traffic control for the special event (such as, for example, the uses of barricades and/or police officers to reroute traffic during a parade or marathon), the permittee agrees to release the City of Athens, Alabama, its officers, employees, agents, and personnel from any and all claims arising from or relating to the city's manner and/or method of providing traffic control in connection with the special event, to the extent that such claims do not involve the willful or wanton behavior of such officers, employees, agents, and personnel, and such claims are not related to the content of the permittee's speech. In such event, the permittee shall also acknowledge that the Athens Police Department may not have sufficient resources to provide the level of traffic control desired by the permittee, that the travelling public may not comply with the desired traffic control, and that extraneous events affecting public safety during the event may require the withdrawal of some or all municipal or police personnel from the provision of traffic control.
(Ord. No. 2013-1886, § 1, 5-28-2013)

SEC. 54-70. - PERMIT AMENDMENT.

(a)  A special event permittee who wishes to modify the use of the permit site as authorized by the special event permit shall file a permit amendment application with the chief of police on a form provided by the city. The permit amendment application shall describe the proposed changes in the use of the permit site with the same detail required by section 54-63 for the initial permit application and shall otherwise comply with the provisions of this article.
(b)  A special event permit amendment application must be filed with the chief of police no later than five business days in advance of the special event unless the modification requested is a minor one which complies with the terms of this article, in which case the application must be received at least one business day in advance of the event.
(c)  The chief of police shall grant or deny the special event permit in accordance with the terms of this article.
(d)  The notice of decision and hearing provisions set forth in this article also shall apply to applications for permit amendments.

SEC. 54-71. - CONTENTS.

Each permit issued under this article shall specify the following:
(1)  The specific portions of any street, park, sidewalk or other public place to be closed to traffic;
(2)  The duration of the special event;
(3)  The period of time during which any street used by the permittee may be closed to traffic;
(4)  Requirements for placement and removal of barricades and their marking and lighting;
(5)  Requirements for the protection of persons and property abutting and near the portion of the public areas to be closed for the event from danger or annoyance that may be caused by such use;
(6)  Requirements for security, traffic control or crowd control;
(7)  Requirements and instructions for removal of litter or debris created by the event participants in connection with the event or use;
(8)  The minimum and maximum speeds to be monitored by participating vehicles, if any; and
(9)  Such other restrictions, conditions or limitations as the chief of police shall deem necessary to the enforcement of this article.

City of Madison - Annexed Limestone County

City of Madison, Alabama ordinances are provided here for your convenience and reference. If you need assistance in interpreting the ordinance or have questions about an ordinance or its portions wherein, it is advised you seek out legal counsel to assist you.

forms

City of Madison Special Event Application

city_of_madison_special_event_application_2019.pdf
File Size:	709 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

City of Madison Parade & Race Application

city_of_madison_parade_application_sept_2012.pdf
File Size:	274 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Considerations

Police Assistance at Events

Paying for Police Assistance
An applicant may be required to reimburse the City within 14 business days from the last day of the event for the actual costs of providing any security, traffic control, or crowd control required by the Chief of Police that is in excess of the standard complement of personnel provided by the City.

For more information, contact the Patrol Secretary at 256-772-2567.

Insurance

Insurance Required for Some Special Events
In the case of for-profit events, events that involve the sale, transfer, or consumption of alcoholic beverages, or any event where an admission fee will be charged, the person organizing, holding, or promoting the event (the sponsor) shall, at the time of the filing of a permit application, provide proof of bodily injury and public damage liability insurance naming the City as the insured and covering the entire public area of the event for the duration of the event in a minimum amount of $1,000,000 for the injury to or death of any one individual, $1,000,000 for the injury to or death of any number of individuals in one occurrence, and property damage liability insurance in the amount of $1,000,000.

Such policies shall insure both the City and the sponsor, but shall be so endorsed as to create the same liability on the part of the insurer as though a separate policy had been written for the City and the sponsor. Such policies shall be issued by a company authorized to engage in the insurance business in the state of Alabama and shall be approved by the City Attorney prior to the issuance of a permit.

For more information, contact the Patrol Secretary at 256-772-2567.

CIty of Madison - ARTICLE IV. - SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT

SEC. 24-99. - DEFINITIONS.

The following terms, when used in this article and in articles V and VI of this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Business day means a day on which the city's administrative offices are open for regularly conducted business and does not include Saturdays, Sundays, official city holidays or a day on which weather or other conditions have made the city's administrative offices inaccessible.
City means the City of Madison, Alabama.
City attorney means the attorney employed by the city, as full-time in-house counsel and as director of the legal department for the city or his designee.
City council means the elected governing body of the city.
City property means any and all property owned or otherwise controlled by the city, to include, without limitation, all rights-of-way, streets, sidewalks, alleys, medians, parks, facilities, and all other spaces and places within the city which have been dedicated by or to the city, for public use or which are used by the city primarily for the benefit of the public.
Council president means the current president of the city council of Madison, Alabama.
Crowd control means the management of the participants in a special event and does not include efforts to regulate the conduct or anticipated conduct of non-participants, including hostile crowds and hecklers.
Fire chief means the chief of the Madison Fire and Rescue Department or his designee.
Funeral procession means an organized caravan of vehicles of any type travelling from one pre-determined point to another for the purposes of a burial or other memorial service for the deceased.
Mayor means the mayor of the city, or his designee.
Parade means any parade, march, formation, procession, demonstration, or movement of persons, animals, floats, motor vehicles, or any combination thereof, excluding races and funeral processions, on the public streets or other public ways or property which may reasonably require and necessitate special traffic control and/or rerouting, special police protection and/or crowd control or other prior planning and which is organized for a common purpose, theme, or cause.
Parade/race permit means the official document issued by the police chief to a permittee which evidences the city's review and approval of permittee's application to conduct a parade or race, as those terms are defined herein, and permittee's right to hold the permitted parade or race, including any conditions, restrictions, or limitations placed thereupon.
Participant means any person taking part in or attending the event, including, but not limited to, any person individually or corporately sponsoring, organizing, promoting or initiating the event; any invited attendees; anyone who has paid to attend; or anyone for whom the event is sponsored, organized or initiated, including the general public.
Person includes an individual, corporation, firm, partnership, association, organization or any other group or entity acting as a unit.
Permittee is the individual, corporation, firm, partnership, association, organization or any other group or entity acting as a unit who has applied for and been granted a special event permit.
Police chief means the chief of the Madison Police Department or his designee.
Public works means the public works department of the city.
Race means an organized contest involving two or more persons advancing steadily by springing steps so that both feet leave the ground for an instant in each step over a set course or for a set duration of time.
Special event means any concert, block party, festival, celebration, carnival, fair, exhibit, trade show or any other such activity or gathering of persons, animals or vehicles, excluding parades, races, and funeral processions, to be held either in whole or in part upon city property and that is organized primarily for the purpose of amusement, athletic competition, charity, commemoration, education or entertainment. This definition shall only apply to events lasting three days or less and where, in the aggregate, 50 or more individuals are expected to participate.
Special event permit means the official document issued by the police chief to a permittee which evidences the city's review of permittee's application and approval of permittee's use of city property for the purpose requested, including any conditions, restrictions, or limitations placed by the city upon such use.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

SEC. 24-100. - PERMIT REQUIRED.

No person shall engage in, participate in, aid, form or start any special event unless a special event permit has been obtained from the police chief for the use of the designated city property.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

SEC. 24-101. - SPECIAL EVENTS RETAIL LICENSE; WHEN REQUIRED.

In addition to the requirements of this article, before any alcohol sales may be lawfully conducted at any special event, the event must be licensed in accordance with:
(1) All regulations and ordinances of the city, including, but not limited to, city Municipal Code section 4-62; and
(2) All regulations and laws of the state alcoholic beverage control board.

(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

SEC. 24-102. - PROPERTY AND EVENTS NOT COVERED; LIMITATIONS.

(a) The provisions of this article shall not apply under any one of the following circumstances:
(1) The event is to take place wholly on private property.
(2) The event is to take place wholly on property which is under the control or jurisdiction of the federal government, the State of Alabama, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, unless the city is specifically authorized to control the use of such property.
(3) The event is to take place wholly on property which is under the control or jurisdiction of the city board of education or the Madison Water and Wastewater Board.
(4) The event is a sporting event that is to take place wholly on city property which has been officially dedicated or set aside for athletic purposes, including, but not limited to, Palmer and Dublin Parks.
(5) The event is a parade or race covered by article V of this chapter.
(6) The event is a funeral procession covered by article VI of this chapter.
(b) Exclusion from the terms of this article under subsection (a) of this section does not relieve the sponsors, coordinators, promoters, organizers or those otherwise holding an event from the responsibility of obtaining permission or authorization from the appropriate person or entity for the use of property that is not covered by this article.
(c) In no case shall it be the responsibility of the city to provide security services for any special event.
(d) In no case shall it be the responsibility of the city to provide and/or secure sufficient parking for any special event.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

SEC. 24-103. - APPLICATION.

(a)  Any person seeking issuance of a special event permit shall file an application with the city clerk-treasurer on forms provided by the city. Permit applications may be filed as early as 12 months prior to the date of the event, but must be filed no later than 60 calendar days preceding the date of the proposed event in order to be considered.
(b)  Applications will be forwarded to the police chief for processing according to the date and time of receipt and will be evaluated for approval or denial in the order of filing. In the event final action has not been taken by the police chief within 30 days from submission of an application, such application will be deemed to be denied unless, in his sole discretion and for good cause shown by the applicant, such time has been extended by the police chief.
(c)  Applications will be evaluated according to the statements, requests, and conditions contained in the original submission, including any attachments contemporaneously submitted therewith. Any additions or changes to an application, other than the complete removal of an independent portion of the event, will result in an automatic refiling of the application and a renewal of all deadlines imposed on the city. No additional application fee shall be charged to the applicant for the first amendment, but each subsequent amendment shall require payment of an amount equal to the original filing fee before the amendment will be processed for review.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

SEC. 24-104. - APPLICATION FEE.

At the time of submission to the city, each application must be accompanied by a one-time, non-refundable application fee of $50.00.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

SEC. 24-105. - WAIVER OF TIME REQUIREMENTS.

The time requirement for filing of the special event application may be waived. The request for waiver must be in writing and presented to the police chief at the time of application and must state the basis for the waiver request. Upon receipt, the police chief shall forward any such request and the accompanying application to the mayor and council president for their review. In the event the police chief, mayor, and council president each approve and sign the waiver request, it shall be deemed granted as of the date the last of their three signatures is affixed to the waiver. The decision rendered by the police chief, mayor, and council president regarding a request for waiver under this section shall be deemed final and non-appealable.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

SEC. 24-106. - RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CERTAIN OFFICIALS OR DEPARTMENTS.

Upon receiving an application for a special events permit, the police chief shall send a copy to the following staff members for their recommendations:
(1)  City attorney;
(2)  City clerk-treasurer;
(3)  Fire chief;
(4)  Planning and planning department;
(5)  Public works director;
(6)  Recreation department director;
(7)  Revenue director.

(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

SEC. 24-107. - GROUNDS FOR DENIAL.

(a)  No application shall be unreasonably denied and in no event shall an application be denied based upon the legal content of any message that may be a part of the special event.
(b)  Without limitation, grounds for the denial of an application may consist of any one or more of the following:
(1)  The application is materially incomplete.
(2) The application was not received at least 60 days prior to the proposed event.
(3) A portion of the event will take place on private property or property under the control or jurisdiction of any board, agency or other governmental entity.
(4) The special event is a violation of federal, state or local ordinances, statutes or laws.
(5) The conduct of the event will require the diversion of so great a number of police officers of the city to properly patrol the area to be occupied by the special event and areas contiguous thereto that to grant the application will prevent the provision of normal police protection to the city.
(6) There is an insufficient complement of city personnel available to provide the necessary security, traffic control, or crowd control for the event because another special event has been scheduled for the same day to which such personnel have previously been assigned.
(7) In the police chief's opinion, the applicant has failed to make appropriate and sufficient provision for event security.
(8) The applicant fails to participate in any required planning meetings for the event, including, but not limited to, an incident action plan meeting.
(9) The applicant, whether individually or corporately, failed to reimburse the city for expenses and fees charged for a prior special event.
(10)  Alcoholic beverages will be sold, traded, dispensed, served or consumed and the appropriate state licensing has not been obtained within the time prescribed by law.
(11)  Alcoholic beverages will be sold, traded, dispensed, served or consumed and compliance with section 4-62 and section 24-111 has not been timely achieved.
(12)  The proposed time or location is unsafe and impracticable in the opinion of the police chief.
(13) The application contains material falsehoods or misrepresentations.
(14) The applicant is legally incompetent to contract, to sue, or to be sued.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

SEC. 24-108. - APPEAL FROM DENIAL OF APPLICATION.

Upon denial of an application by the police chief, the applicant has the right to appeal such decision to the mayor within seven business days from the date the application is finally denied by the police chief. The mayor must act on the applicant's appeal within seven days from the receipt of the appeal or the application will be deemed granted without further action.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

SEC. 24-109. - INSURANCE.

(a) At the time of filing of a permit application, the applicant shall provide proof of commercial general liability insurance with the following minimum coverage limits:
(1) Products/completed operations aggregate: $1,000,000.00.
(2) Personal and advertising injury: $1,000,000.00.
(3) Each occurrence: $1,000,000.00.
In the event alcohol is to be served at the event, the applicant shall also provide proof of liquor liability insurance in the amount of $100,000.00 or the then-current coverage limit required by the state beverage control board.
(b) Each issued policy must insure the named applicant and name the city as an additional insured and shall be issued by a private insurance carrier properly certified and licensed to do business in the State of Alabama or by the Tenant User Liability Insurance Program (TULIP) approved by the city attorney.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

SEC. 24-110. - PERMIT; CONTENTS.

Each permit issued under this article shall set forth the following:
(1)  The specific portions of any street, park, sidewalk, or other city property to be closed to traffic.
(2) The duration of the special event.
(3)  The period of time during which any street used by the permittee may be closed to traffic.
(4)  Requirements for placement and removal of barricades and the marking and lighting thereof.
(5)  Requirements for the protection of persons and property abutting and near the portion of the public areas to be closed for the event from danger or annoyance which may be caused by such use.
(6)  Requirements for public safety, traffic control or crowd control.
(7)  Requirements and instructions for removal of litter or debris created by the event participants in connection with the event or use.
(8)  The minimum and maximum speeds allowed for participating vehicles, if any.
(9)  Requirements for the sale, trade or consumption of alcoholic beverages as outlined in section 24-111.
(10)  The incident action plan, if applicable.
(11)  Any other terms or conditions deemed by the police chief appropriate or necessary to preserve order and promote public safety and convenience.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

SEC. 24-111. - SALE, TRADE, CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.

In addition to compliance with section 4-62, special events in which alcoholic beverages will be sold, traded, dispensed, served or consumed will not be granted a permit unless:
(1)  The application clearly establishes a separate area to be designated for the sale, trade, dispensation, service or consumption of alcoholic beverages.
(2)  The application clearly states and demonstrates the manner in which such area will be sufficiently marked, signed, and designated to make participants in the special event aware of the use of the area.
(3)  The application clearly states and demonstrates the manner in which the area will be barricaded to provide only one point of entry through which participants may pass.
(4)  The application clearly states that the area will be regulated by an adult whose sole task is to monitor the age of participants requesting access to the designated area.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

Sec. 24-112. - Duties of participants.

(a)  Participants in an event regulated by this article shall comply with all permit directions and conditions imposed under the terms hereof for the use of city property and with all applicable ordinances, statutes and laws.
(b)  Participants in an event regulated by this article shall stay within the area designated for the event during the times established and approved for the event.
(c)  The special event permit must be available for presentation by the permittee upon request by the city for the duration of the event.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

Sec. 24-113. - Public conduct.

(a)  No person shall unreasonably hamper, obstruct, impede, or interfere with any event or with any person, vehicle or animal participating or used in the special event.
(b)  No driver of any vehicle, other than an authorized emergency vehicle, shall drive between the vehicles or persons comprising a special event when such vehicles or persons are in motion and are conspicuously designated as a participant in the event.
(c)  The police chief shall have the authority, when reasonably necessary, to prohibit or restrict the parking of vehicles along the street or highway or part thereof constituting a part of the area designated for the special event. When necessary, the police chief shall require the posting of signs to such effect and it shall be unlawful for any person to park or leave unattended any vehicle in violation thereof.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

SEC. 24-114. - REVOCATION OF PERMIT OR TERMINATION OF EVENT.

(a) Any special event permit issued may be revoked or an event terminated on any day of the permitted activity without prior written notice and without a hearing if the police chief or the fire chief determines that:
(1) Revocation or termination is in the interest of the immediate public health or safety because of fire, casualty, act of God, or a public emergency;
(2) Any term, standard for issuance, condition, duty, restriction or limitation of such permit has been violated by event participants and, as a result, the immediate health or safety of any participant or the general public is threatened;
(3) Any federal, state or municipal ordinance, statute or law is being violated by a participant;
(4) A breach of the peace is occurring or an activity in the nature of a riot has occurred.
(b) Immediately upon receipt of the notification that the permit has been revoked or the event terminated, the permittee shall cause the special event to cease and shall begin restoring the site to its condition prior to the event."
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 1, 5-14-2012)

Secs. 24-115—24-141. - Reserved.

. . .

City of Madison - ARTICLE V. - PARADE/RACE PERMIT

Sec. 24-142. - Permit required; applicable definitions.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to promote, organize, hold, or to assist in organizing or holding, any parade or race on any public street or any other public way or property of the city unless a permit has been obtained from the police chief as provided herein.
(b) For the purposes of this article and the enforcement thereof, the definitions contained in section 24-99 shall be applicable.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 2, 5-14-2012)

Sec. 24-143. - Application.

(a) Any person seeking issuance of a parade/race permit shall file an application with the police chief not less than 60 days before the date on which the applicant proposes to conduct the parade or race.
(b) The police chief, in his sole discretion and where good cause is shown therefor, may consider any application filed less than 60 days before the date such parade or race is proposed to be conducted.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 2, 5-14-2012)

Sec. 24-144. - Contents of application.

An application for a parade/race permit shall set forth:
(1)  The name, address and telephone number of the person seeking to conduct such parade or race.
(2)  If the parade or race is proposed to be conducted for, on behalf of, or by an organization, the name, address and telephone number of the headquarters of the organization, and of the local authorized and responsible heads of such organization.
(3)  The name, address and telephone number of the person who will be the parade or race chairperson and who will be responsible for its conduct.
(4)  The date when the parade or race is to be conducted.
(5)  The route to be traveled, the starting point, and the termination point.
(6)  The approximate number of persons who, and animals and vehicles which, will constitute such parade or race; the type of animals expected to be involved; and a description of the vehicles to be used.
(7)  The hours when such parade or race will start and terminate.
(8)  A statement as to whether the parade or race will occupy all or only a portion of the width of the streets proposed to be traversed.
(9)  The location by streets of any assembly areas for such parade or race.
(10)  The time at which units of the parade or race will begin to assemble at any such assembly area or areas.
(11)  The interval of space to be maintained between units of such parade or race.
(12)  If the parade or race is designed to be held by, on behalf of, or for any person other than the applicant, the applicant for such permit shall file with the police chief a written request from the person proposing to hold the parade or race authorizing the applicant to apply for the permit on his behalf.
(13)  Any additional information which the police chief shall find reasonably necessary to a fair determination as to whether a permit should issue.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 2, 5-14-2012)

Sec. 24-145. - Standards for issuance.

(a)  The police chief shall issue a permit as provided for herein when, from a consideration of the application and from such other reasonable information as may be otherwise obtained, he finds that:
(1) The conduct of the parade or race will not substantially interrupt the safe and orderly movement of other traffic contiguous to its route.
(2)  The conduct of the parade or race will not require the diversion of so great a number of police officers of the city to properly police the line of movement and the areas contiguous thereto as to prevent normal police protection to the city.
(3)  The conduct of such parade or race 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 line of travel and areas contiguous thereto.
(4)  The concentration of persons, animals and vehicles at assembly points of the parade or race will not unduly interfere with proper fire and police protection of, or ambulance service to, areas contiguous to such assembly areas.
(5)  The conduct of such parade or race will not interfere with the movement of firefighting equipment en route to a fire.
(6)  The conduct of the parade or race is not reasonably likely to cause injury to persons or property, to provoke disorderly conduct, or to create a disturbance.
(7)  The parade or race is scheduled to move from its point of origin to its point of termination expeditiously and without unreasonable delays en route.
(8)  The parade or race is not to be held for the sole purpose of advertising any product, goods or event, and is not designed to be held purely for private profit.
(b)  The content or viewpoint of any message of the parade or race shall not be considered by the police chief in determining whether to issue the permit nor shall any person, group or organization be unlawfully discriminated against in the grant or denial of a permit.
(c)  Any parade/race permit which will require the temporary closing of a public street shall be granted subject to approval by the director of the public works department.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 2, 5-14-2012)

Sec. 24-146. - Appeal procedure.

The appeal procedure found in section 24-108 shall govern any appeal of the denial of a parade/race permit.
(Ord. No. 2012-45, § 2, 5-14-2012)

Secs. 24-147—24-175. - Reserved.

. . .

City of Decatur - Annexed Limestone County

City of Decatur, Alabama ordinances are provided here for your convenience and reference. If you need assistance in interpreting the ordinance or have questions about an ordinance or its portions wherein, it is advised you seek out legal counsel to assist you.

forms

City of Decatur Parade Application

city_of_decatur_paradeapplication_17.pdf
File Size:	88 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

City of Decatur Temporary Street Barrier Permit

city_of_decatur_tempstreetbarricadepermit_17.pdf
File Size:	61 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

City of Decatur Sound Variance Permit

city_of_decatury_soundvariancepermit_17.pdf
File Size:	102 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

ordinance - Chapter 17 - PARADES[1] - ARTICLE I. - IN GENERAL

SEC. 17-1. - DEFINITIONS.

The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall, for the purpose of this chapter, have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section.
Applicant means any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company or organization of any kind who shall have filed a written application for a parade permit.
Chief of police is the chief of police of the city, or that police officer designated by him to act in his stead under the provisions of this chapter.
Parade shall mean any parade, march, motorcade, promenade, ceremony, show, demonstration, assembly, exhibition, pageant, footrace, procession of any kind, or any similar display, consisting of persons, animals or vehicles, or any combination thereof, having a common purpose, design, destination or goal upon any street, park or public place in the city, which said activity does not comply with or is not governed by normal and usual traffic regulation or control.
Permittee means the person to whom a parade permit is granted pursuant to this chapter.
Sidewalk means that portion of a street between the curb lines, or lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines intended for the use of pedestrians.
Street means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained, when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel.
(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-1, 6-4-79; Ord. No. 00-3614, § 1, 7-10-00)

Sec. 17-2. - Exemptions.

This chapter shall not apply to funeral processions, students going to and from school classes or participating in education activities, provided such conduct is under the immediate direction and supervision of the proper school authorities or a governmental agency acting in the scope of its functions.
(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-2, 6-4-79)

Sec. 17-3. - Parking along parade route.

The chief of police shall have the authority, when reasonably necessary, to prohibit or restrict the parking of vehicles along the highway or part thereof constituting a part of the route of the 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 vehicle in violation thereof.
(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-12, 6-4-79)

Sec. 17-4. - Interference.

No person shall unreasonably hamper, obstruct, impede or interfere with any parade or parade assembly or with any person, vehicle or animal participating or used in the parade.
(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-12, 6-4-79)

Sec. 17-5. - Driving through parade.

Notwithstanding the parade permit granted, when in the judgment of the superior law enforcement officer of the city on the scene, an imminent threat to life or property exists, he shall have the authority to stop such parade or to reroute it.
(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-12, 6-4-79)

Secs. 17-7—17-20. - Reserved.

. . .

ORDINANCE - CHAPTER 17 - PARADES[1] -

Sec. 17-21. - Required.

No person shall engage in, participate in, aid, form or start any parade, unless a parade permit shall have been obtained from the chief of police, or that police officer designated by him to act in his stead under the provisions of this chapter.
(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-2, 6-4-79)

Sec. 17-22. - Application—Filing.

A person seeking the issuance of a permit under this chapter shall file an application in person between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays (legal holidays excepted) with the chief of police on forms provided by such officer. An application for a permit shall be filed with the chief of police not less than five (5) days, Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays excluded, nor more than thirty (30) days before the date upon which the parade is proposed to be conducted.
(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-3, 6-4-79)

Sec. 17-23. - Same—Contents.

The application for a parade permit shall set forth the following information:
(1)  The name, address and telephone number of the person seeking to conduct such parade;
(2)  If the parade is proposed to be conducted for, on behalf of 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;
(3)  The name, address and telephone number of the person who will be the parade chairman and who will be responsible for its conduct;
(4)  The date when the parade is to be conducted;
(5)  The route to be traveled, the starting point and the termination point;
(6)  The approximate number of persons who, and animals and vehicles which, will constitute such parade; the type of animals, and description of the vehicles;
(7)  The hours when such parade will start and terminate;
(8)  The location by streets of any assembly areas for such parade;
(9)  The time at which units of the parade will begin to assemble at any such assembly area or areas;
(10)  If the parade is designed to be held by, and on behalf of or for, any person other than the applicant, the applicant for such permit shall file with the chief of police a communication in writing from the person proposing to hold the parade, authorizing the applicant to apply for the permit on his behalf;
(11)  Whether or not marshals will be provided and, if so, their duties and identification;
(12)  Any additional information which the chief of police shall find reasonably necessary to a fair determination as to whether a permit should issue.
(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-4, 6-4-79)

Sec. 17-24. - Action on application.

The chief of police shall act upon the application for a permit within two (2) days after the filing thereof, Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays excluded.
(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-6, 6-4-79)

Sec. 17-25. - Issuance.

The chief of police shall issue a permit as provided for under this article when, from a consideration of the application and from such other information as may otherwise be obtained, he finds that:
(1)  The conduct of the parade will not substantially interrupt the safe and orderly movement of other traffic contiguous to its route;
(2) The conduct of the parade will not require the diversion of so great number of police officers of the city to properly police the line of movement and the areas contiguous thereto as to prevent normal police protection to the city;
(3)  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 line of march and areas contiguous thereto;
(4)  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 contiguous to such assembly areas;
(5)  The conduct of such parade will not interfere with the movement of fire-fighting equipment enroute to a fire;
(6)  The conduct of the parade is not reasonably likely to cause injury to persons or property, to provoke disorderly conduct or create a disturbance;
(7)  The parade is scheduled to move from its point of origin to its point of termination expeditiously and without unreasonable delays enroute;
(8)  The conduct of the parade will not interfere or conflict with any other parade;
(9)  No other parade permit has been granted, or is under consideration, for any portion of the time sought by the applicant, nor shall a permit be granted for a parade which will commence after sunset;
(10)  The parade is not to be held for the sole purpose of advertising any product, goods or event, and is not designed to be held purely for private profit.
(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-5, 6-4-79)

Sec. 17-26. - Contents.

Each parade permit shall state the following information:
(1)  Starting time and time of conclusion.
(2)  The portions of the streets to be traversed that may be occupied by the parade.
(3)  The maximum length of the parade in miles or fractions thereof.
(4)  Such other information as the chief of police shall find necessary to the enforcement of this chapter, including a copy of the application for which such permit is granted which shall form a part thereof, except as otherwise noted.

(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-10, 6-4-79)

Sec. 17-27. - Alternate permit.

The chief of police, in denying an application for a parade permit, shall be empowered to authorize the conduct of a 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 file a written notice of acceptance with the chief of police thereof at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to the time of commencement thereof. An alternate parade permit shall conform to the requirements of, and shall have the effect of a parade permit under, this chapter.
(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-8, 6-4-79)

Sec. 17-28. - Copy sent to officials.

Immediately after the issuance of a parade permit, the chief of police shall send a copy thereof to the mayor, and to any other public officials affected thereby.
(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-9, 6-4-79)

Sec. 17-29. - Compliance by permittee.

A permittee under this article shall comply with all permit directions and conditions, all application commitments and with all applicable laws and ordinances. The parade chairman or other person heading or leading such activity shall carry the parade permit on his person during the conduct of the parade.

(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-11, 6-4-79)

Sec. 17-30. - Denial; appeal.

Any applicant aggrieved shall have the right to appeal the denial of a permit to the mayor. The appeal shall be taken within two (2) days after notice of denial, Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays excluded. The mayor shall act upon the appeal within two (2) days after its receipt by him, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.

Sec. 17-31. - Revocation.

The chief of police shall have the authority to revoke a parade permit issued under this article upon violation of the standards for issuance as herein set forth.

(Ord. No. 2177, § 20-13, 6-4-79)

City of Huntsville - Annexed Limestone County

City of Huntsville, Alabama ordinances are provided here for your convenience and reference. If you need assistance in interpreting the ordinance or have questions about an ordinance or its portions wherein, it is advised you seek out legal counsel to assist you.

FORMS

ordinance - ARTICLE VI. - ORGANIZED EVENTS[4]

DIVISION 1. - GENERALLY

Sec. 23-201. - Purpose; definitions.

(a)   Purpose. In order to preserve and protect the rights guaranteed under the First Amendment of the United States and Alabama Constitutions and to provide for the safe and orderly use of public property, for both First Amendment activity and activity that is not protected by the First Amendment, this article is intended to establish reasonable time, place, and manner regulations for the use of public property characterized as traditional public forums. The regulations are designed to be content-neutral, narrowly tailored to serve significant governmental interests, and to leave open ample alternative channels for communications of information. The regulations are also intended to coordinate multiple uses of limited space; assure preservation of public facilities and improvements; prevent dangerous, unlawful, or impermissible uses of public property; protect the public safety; ensure that city resources are deployed efficiently and effectively; provide for fees and cost recovery; address secondary harms; and authorize and establish objective standards in the administration of this article.
(b)  Definitions. 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:
Assembly means a gathering of individuals organized by an event organizer for a common purpose, which is intended to remain in the same general location.
Basic event means an organized event which:
(1)  Does not require or include for the conduct of the event the use of an enhancement;
(2)  Does not require approval, licensing, or permitting pursuant to other city laws, including the city's alcoholic beverage laws, technical and fire codes, and business license code, and laws administered by the health department;
(3)  Does not require city event services in excess of the standard complement; and
(4)  Is not expected to have more than 500 participants at any one time during the event.
Business day means a day on which the city administrative offices are open for regularly conducted business and does not include Saturdays, Sundays, official city holidays, or a day on which weather or other conditions have made the city's administrative offices inaccessible.
Capacity limit means the capacity limit for the public space upon which an assembly is to be conducted, as follows:
(1)  The stated capacity of a given public space established by policy or practice;
(2)  If there is no stated capacity, then the capacity of the public space based on a formula of nine square feet per participant, which is arrived at by taking the square footage of the public area generally available for occupancy by participants and dividing the number by nine; or
(3)  An adjusted increase or decrease in the capacity limit established by the event administrator at the time of permitting or during the event conduct, should the administrator determine that such adjustment is warranted taking into account the public safety and event conduct.
Clear zone means the areas described in chapter 25, article IX of this Code that are to remain unobstructed, which, in the case of an organized event means unobstructed by objects or an assembly of participants.
City event services are city services provided or required by the event administrator as a result of event conduct.
City event services standard complement or standard complement means those city event services normally available to be assigned or provided to an organized event by the event administrator in accordance with standard policy or procedure.
City services mean generally available services of the city, including labor and materials, which are provided by the city for an organized event, including public safety services such as safety, traffic and crowd control, public works services, and the use of public structures, instrumentalities, or equipment. The term does not include services provided under a contract with the city or an employee of the city on an extra-duty or off-duty status, including traffic control or security.
Conditional application means an application for a special event permit that is complete in all respects except for required approval, licensing, or permitting pursuant to other city laws or laws administered by the health department, or except for required leasing of the public space.
Enhancements include facilities, structures, equipment, instrumentalities, or animals used in the conduct of an event that require permitting under the city's technical or fire codes or are reasonably likely to create a secondary harm, such as stages, fencing, generators, barricades, pyrotechnics, inflatables, motorized vehicles, utility poles, floats, booths, canopies, and tents. The term does not include small objects that can be accommodated within the public space used for the event without implicating the foregoing requirement or concern, such as coolers, signage, folding chairs or tables, small tents or canopies, accommodation for the handicap, or small portable equipment that does not require electricity.
Enhanced event means an organized event which:
(1)  Requires or includes the use of an enhancement;
(2)  Requires approval, licensing, or permitting pursuant to other city laws, including the city's alcoholic beverage laws, technical and fire codes, and business license code, and laws administered by the health department;
(3)  Requires city event services in excess of the standard complement; or
(4)  Is expected to have more than 500 participants at any one time during the event.
Event administrator means the chief of police, or his designee.
Event conduct orconduct of the event means the time, place, or manner in which an event is conducted by or for participants, including event set-up and take-down, and which has nothing to do with the content of protected forms of speech, or the conduct of non-participants including counter-protesters or hecklers.
Event organizer or organizer means a person organizing, sponsoring, initiating, coordinating, promoting, or holding an organized event. The term does not include a person who provides only incidental funds or support for an organized event and who does not otherwise have responsibility for the event.
Extended event means an organized event that occurs, with or without interruption, for more than 20 dates over a consecutive six-month period. An extended event shall be deemed to include the same organized event or an event organized by the same event organizer.
For-profit event means an organized event which is primarily intended as a profit-making or revenue raising enterprise for any person that is not a non-profit organization. The term also means an organized event that is conducted primarily for the sale, demonstration, advertisement, or promotion of products, goods, or services.
Include or including does not limit a term to a specified example.
Major arterial means a street or highway of great continuity designed to accommodate the highest traffic volumes and longest trip desires. Major arterials are defined and designated in the city's major street plan.
Minor event means an organized event which:
(1)  Will be conducted at a time and place and in a manner that complies with applicable laws, including section 23-232 of this article;
(2)  Does not require or include for the conduct of the event the use of an enhancement;
(3)  Does not require approval, licensing, or permitting pursuant to other city laws, including the city's alcoholic beverage laws, technical and fire codes, and business license code, and laws administered by the health department;
(4)  Does not require city event services including the standard complement;
(5)  In the case of an organized event conducted on a street, does not have more than 25 vehicles at any one time during the conduct of the event;
(6)  In the case of an organized event conducted in a park, does not have more than 300 participants at any one time during the conduct of the event, subject to applicable capacity limits for the public space;
(7)  In the case of an organized event conducted on a sidewalk, does not have participants at any one time during the conduct of the event whose number exceeds 50 participants in the case of an assembly and 100 participants in the case of a procession, subject to applicable capacity limits for the public space;
(8)  Is not a sound event; and
(9)  Is not a for-profit event.
Notice means the sending of any notice or notification required under this article to the appropriate address, by personal delivery, facsimile, electronic mail, first class mail, or certified mail return receipt requested; and the receipt thereof within the time specified in this article, which receipt shall be deemed to occur as follows: upon delivery in the case of personal delivery, upon confirmation of delivery in the case of facsimile and electronic mail, three days after mailing in the case of first class mail, and as indicated in the return receipt in the case of certified mail.
Organized event means an assembly or procession, or a combination thereof.
Park means public park grounds under the control of the city and shall include the sidewalks within but not immediately adjacent to the park, unless expressly permitted otherwise.
Park amenities mean features of a park such as picnic tables, small shelters, and gazebos, which are generally available for public use in accordance with park regulations on a first-come-first-serve basis with or without the need for a reservation or a permit.
Park facilities mean those park grounds or those buildings, structures, facilities, or improvements within a park, which are dedicated, designed, or intended for specific uses, including recreation centers, senior citizen centers, park buildings, nature preserves, nature centers, sports facilities, model airplane fields, tot lots, lakes, and picnic shelters.
Park regulations mean city laws or stated departmental policy or practice of general application, which govern the use of or conduct within parks.
Participants mean only those persons actually taking part in the event, including those organizing the event, those invited to attend, those paying to attend, or those for whom the event is organized including the general public.
Procession means a gathering of individuals organized by an event organizer for a common purpose, which is not intended to remain in the same general location, but to proceed along a route without unreasonable delay.
Prior use means a use of public property which takes precedence over a proposed organized event because the prior use is:
(1) Another organized event that is first in time;
(2)  The subject of an already-pending or executed lease or license; or
(3)  A scheduled state or city project, activity, or event.
Public facilities mean those municipal buildings, structures, facilities, or improvements dedicated, designed, or intended for specific uses which are not considered to be traditional public forums, including civic centers, sports facilities, park facilities, cemeteries, public garages, parking lots, museums, or other such municipal buildings, structures, facilities, or improvements.
Public place, public space, or public area means public property of the city that is generally available for organized events including public streets, sidewalks, and parks.
Public safety means the health, security, and safety of the public, including the general public, event participants, and public employees.
Restoration reimbursement costs mean those losses, damages, costs, or expenses that are incurred or suffered by the city as a result of event conduct for which the city is due to be reimbursed or compensated. In no event shall "restoration reimbursement costs" mean or refer to those losses, damages, costs, or expenses that are incurred or suffered by the city as a result of the conduct of nonparticipants.
Secondary harm refers to the danger, damage, injury, or unreasonable inconvenience, interference, demand, or annoyance, to or on adjacent or nearby uses, the general public, public property, the use of public space, other organized events, city resources, or public safety, resulting or likely to result from event conduct.
Sidewalk means that portion of a public right-of-way under the control of the city that is generally between the curb line or lateral line of the street and the adjacent property line, or public easements located on private property, which portion is dedicated or intended for use by pedestrians.
Sound event means an organized event which involves the use of amplified sound or the production of noise which would violate the city's noise ordinance found in chapter 12, article V of this Code.
Special event means an organized event that is required to obtain a permit under this article.
Special event permit or event permit means a permit issued pursuant to this article.
Sports facilities mean public property designed, used, or maintained primarily for the purpose of athletic events, competitions, or exhibitions, including ball fields, skateboard parks, equestrian facilities, ice skating rinks, concession stands, swimming pools and pool houses, bocci courts, hockey courts, volleyball courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, and multi-purpose courts.
Street means any public road, thoroughfare, avenue, boulevard, parkway, drive, or other public way dedicated or used primarily for purposes of vehicular traffic that is under the control of the city.
(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Sec. 23-202. - Property and activities not covered.

(a)  Property not covered.
(1)  Unless the organized event requires for its successful execution the provision of city event services in accordance with subsection (d) of this section, this article is not intended to regulate organized events that are not conducted on public property or property which is not otherwise under the control or jurisdiction of the city, including the following:
a. Private property;
b.  Property which is under the control or jurisdiction of the federal government or any agency or instrumentality of the federal government;
c.  Property which is under the control or jurisdiction of the state or any agency or instrumentality of the state unless the state has specifically authorized the city to control the use of such property for organized events; or
d.  Property which is under the control or jurisdiction of municipal boards or agencies.
(2)  Public facilities. Unless the organized event requires for its successful execution the provision of city event services in accordance with subsection (d) of this section, this article is not intended to regulate organized events which are conducted upon or within public facilities; provided, however, such facilities may be designated by city policy as available for organized events regulated pursuant to this article, but only to the extent such designation does not interfere with the dedicated, designed, or intended use of such facilities, or is not contrary to any applicable limitations on the property. Nothing in this subsection (a) shall be construed to prevent the city from charging rent or a use fee for the use of public facilities, including those facilities made available for organized events regulated by this article.
(b)  Activities not covered.
(1)  This article shall not apply to funeral processions, programmed activities provided or managed by the city such as recreational programs, military or other official convoys or motorcades, or other activities upon public property which are regulated or permitted by other provisions of this Code.
(2)  This article is not intended to regulate or allow the use of public property solely for the conduct of a commercial enterprise including the sale, demonstration, advertisement, or promotion of products, goods, or services. Such uses of public property shall be regulated by applicable laws including zoning and franchising laws and laws governing sales in the central city area. Notwithstanding the immediately foregoing provision, sponsor events in the central city area, which involve multiple vendors of permitted activities, which activities are those set forth in section 18-36(e) of this Code, operating under a sponsor shall be governed by this article.
(c)  Exclusion from the terms of this article pursuant to this section does not relieve the person responsible for an event from the responsibility of obtaining permission or authorization from the appropriate person for the use of property or conduct of activities that are not covered by this article.
(d)  City event services. Where an organized event otherwise excluded from the requirements of this article in accordance with subsection (a) of this section requires for its successful execution the provision of city event services, the event organizer must make application for a special event permit in accordance with this article. The event organizer may be required to pay for the city event services costs, including the standard complement, provided for the event.
(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Sec. 23-203. - General conditions.

(a)Organized events. All organized events, including special events, regulated by this article shall be subject to the following conditions:
(1)Organized events shall be conducted in a safe and sanitary manner.

(2)Immediately following the termination of an organized event, the event organizer shall be responsible for restoring the public area used for the event and public property damaged by the event to its condition prior to the commencement of the event, or where public property is damaged beyond repair replacing it; where such restoration or replacement is necessitated by event conduct.

(3)At any time prior to or during the event, the event administrator shall have the authority to condition, limit, or prohibit an organized event in the construction or use of enhancements in order to address a secondary harm.

(4)Participants in an organized event shall comply with this article and conditions imposed pursuant to this article, and shall otherwise comply with applicable law.

(5)The issuance of a special event permit or the right to use public space for an organized event pursuant to this article shall not entitle the participants to use public property not regulated by this article, including public facilities.

(6)The use of the parks for an organized event shall be subject to applicable park regulations, unless specifically waived in the special event permit, including regulations concerning park closure, use of park amenities and charges for their use, and conduct in the park.

(7)The conduct of an event, including that of its participants, shall not prevent access to uses adjacent to the site of the event, including public facilities, unless permission has first been obtained from the owner or person in control thereof.

(8)An organized event shall not protest or picket before the residence or dwelling of any individual who is the target of the protest or picket.

(9)Organized events shall be conducted during daylight hours, except in areas possessing sufficient artificial light which provides enough illumination throughout the event area to protect public safety.

(10)Event conduct, including that of its participants, shall not obstruct or impede vehicular access to and from properties adjacent to the event, unless the event administrator determines that to do so would not be likely to cause a hazard to public safety, an unreasonable inconvenience to the traveling public, or an unreasonable hardship to adjacent uses.

(11)Event conduct, including that of its participants, shall not assemble or place an object in the clear zone, unless specifically relieved of this condition by the event administrator in the event permit.

(12)No organized event shall be conducted upon a major arterial unless a special event permit has been issued allowing the event to be conducted on the major arterial because the magnitude of the event requires it and such an event cannot reasonably be accommodated elsewhere. This subsection

(12) shall not apply to an organized event that is a procession that merely crosses a major arterial and that is not otherwise prohibited according to the terms of this article.

(13)Handicap access installed on the public space shall be preserved or an acceptable alternative provided

.(14)In the case of a procession, the event shall move from its point of origin to the point of termination without unreasonable delays en route.

(15)Event participants shall not wear gas masks or use other devices that are designed, used, or intended to be used to interfere with the ability of the police to control or manage crowds.

(16)The number of participants in an organized event shall not exceed applicable capacity limits for the public space and shall not exceed the number of participants established for the type of event being conducted.

(17)Participants of an organized event shall not encamp on public space.

(18)An organized event shall be subject to the city's alcoholic beverage regulations found in chapter 3 of this Code.

(19)Where there is more than one organized event conducted upon a sidewalk in the same general area, the events shall be conducted generally at least ten feet apart, unless the special event permit allows otherwise.

(b)Special events. In addition to the conditions of subsection
(a), special events regulated by this article shall be subject to the following conditions:

(1)A special event shall be conducted within the area or route designated in the permit for the event during the conduct of the event.
(2)At least one organizer of the special event shall carry the special event permit upon their person during the conduct of the event.

(c)Additional conditions. The event administrator may establish such other reasonable conditions in the conduct of an organized event at the time of permitting or during the conduct of an event which the administrator considers to be reasonably necessary in order to carry out the provisions of this article, consistent with its stated purpose, including addressing secondary harms. A violation of such conditions shall constitute a violation of this article.

(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Sec. 23-204. - Public conduct.

(a)No person, including participants in another organized event, shall unreasonably hamper, obstruct, impede, or interfere with an organized event or with any person, vehicle, or animal participating or used in the event.
(b)No driver of a vehicle shall drive between the event's units, participants, or vehicles that are in motion and conspicuously designated as being a part of the event, unless otherwise directed to do so by law enforcement personnel.
(c)The chief of police shall have the authority, when reasonably necessary, to prohibit or restrict the parking of vehicles along a street constituting a part of the route or location of an organized event. When necessary, the chief of police shall see that signs are posted to such effect, and it shall be unlawful for any person to park or leave unattended any vehicle in violation of such signs.
(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Sec. 23-205. - Revocation or termination of an event; opportunity to cure.

(a)  Revocation; termination during event. An organized event may be terminated or special event permit revoked on the day of the event without prior written notice and without a hearing, if the mayor, the chief of police, the fire chief, or the event administrator determines that:
(1)  Revocation or termination is in the interest of the immediate public safety because of fire, casualty, act of nature, or a public emergency;
(2)  The conduct of the event violates applicable law, including provisions of this article or permit conditions, which has resulted in a secondary harm; or
(3)  A breach of the peace is occurring or an activity in the nature of a riot has occurred.
(b)  Cure. Before revoking an event permit or terminating an organized event under subsection (a)(2) of this section, the event administrator shall, if the administrator believes it reasonable to do so without comprising public safety or public property, endeavor to allow event conduct to be modified in order to cure the violation and address the secondary harm, to the administrator's satisfaction; provided, however, if city event services are required to protect public safety or public property and such services are not available, then the event permit shall be revoked or the event terminated. Where the violation includes a failure to obtain permitting in accordance with this article, the event administrator may immediately issue a permit, provided that the secondary harm caused by event conduct has been addressed to the satisfaction of the event administrator. Nothing in this subsection (b) shall be construed to prevent the enforcement, by arrest or citation, of applicable laws.
(c) Requirements upon termination or revocation. Upon receipt of the notification that the permit to use the public area has been revoked or the organized event terminated pursuant to this section, the event participants shall cease the event and may be directed to either disperse immediately or to commence with restoring the site to its condition prior to the event in accordance with section 23-203(a)(2) of this article.
(d) Revocation prior to event. The event administrator shall have the authority to revoke a special event permit issued for the use of public space any time before the time the event is scheduled to commence if he determines that, due to new information or a change in circumstances, grounds to deny the application exist, in which case the event organizer may appeal the revocation in accordance with the procedures of section 23-238 of this article; provided, however, no appeal shall be available where the revocation of the event permit is done in the interest of the public safety because of fire, casualty, act of nature, or a public emergency.
(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Secs. 23-206—23-230. - Reserved.

. . .

Ordinance - DIVISION 2. - PERMIT REQUIREMENTS

Sec. 23-231. - Requirement; event cancellation; lease events; sound events; extended events.

(a)  Permit requirement. Except for minor events, all organized events conducted on a public area shall be required to obtain a special event permit. No person shall knowingly participate in a special event for which an event permit is required under this article unless an event permit has been issued for the event.
(b)  Event cancellation or delay. In order to prevent the unnecessary tying up of public space or city event services for a special event that does not occur as scheduled, each of the following shall apply:
(1) Cancellation or delay of basic events and enhanced events.
a. Basic events. The organizer of a permitted special event that is a basic event shall provide to the event administrator: (i) at least 24 hours' advance notice of a delay of more than one hour in the start time of the event on any given day of the event, and (ii) at least 48 hours' advance notice of a cancellation of the event, which, in the case of a multiple day event, means 48 hours' notice in advance of the day on which the event will not occur, if the event is not entirely cancelled.
b. Enhanced events. The organizer of a permitted special event that is an enhanced event shall provide to the event administrator: (i) at least 48 hours of a delay of more than one hour in the start time of the event on any given day of the event, and (ii) at least five business days advance notice of a cancellation of the event, which, in the case of a multiple day event, means five business days notice in advance of the day on which the event will not occur, if the event is not entirely cancelled.
c. Event canceled. Unless the organizer has provided the required advance notice in accordance with the immediately foregoing subsections (1)a. and b., where no participants have arrived or event set-up started at the location or starting point of a basic event or enhanced event within two hours after its scheduled starting time for any given day of the event, the event shall be deemed to have been canceled and the permit surrendered for the remainder of the event. In the case of multiple day events whose permit has been deemed surrendered, the event administrator may, upon the request of the event organizer, reinstate the permit provided that the request is made at least 20 hours before the next scheduled start time for the event and further provided that the required city event services, if any, and the public space are available.
d.  Permit denial. Failure of the same event or event organizer to provide the required advance notice of cancellation of an event three or more times within the same calendar year shall constitute grounds for denying a subsequent event permit application made during the same year for the same event organizer or same event.
e.  Reimbursement for services. Where city event services have been assigned to a special event that has been canceled by the organizer without the required advance notice, the organizer shall reimburse the city upon invoicing for costs incurred, if any, for city event services in excess of the standard complement.
f.  Weather events, etc. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this subsection (1), where the delay or cancellation of an event is necessary because of a potentially hazardous weather event or other situation beyond the organizer's control that is likely to pose a risk to public safety, then the organizer shall be required to provide notice of the delay or cancellation of the event as soon as reasonably practicable under the circumstances.
g.  Delayed events. Events that are delayed in starting on a given day shall still end at the time stated in the permit, unless the event administrator reasonably determines that the event can end later to make up for the delay in the start time.
(2)  Cancellation of permitted minor events. With regard to a minor event that has obtained a permit, where no participants have arrived or event set-up started at the location or starting point of the event within two hours after its scheduled starting time, the permit shall be deemed to have been surrendered for that day. The minor event may still be conducted on that day, but the event will have lost its prior use status under the permit for that day.
(c)  Lease events.
(1) As a condition of event permitting, organizers for alcoholic beverage licensed events or for-profit events may be required to obtain a lease or license from the city for the use of the public space.
(2) In addition, the city may require a lease or license for:
a. Those organized events which involve the use of enhancements that pose an enhanced risk to public safety or damage to public property, including events that involve dangerous instrumentalities such as pyrotechnics;
b. Organized events that are anticipated to have in excess of 10,000 participants over the duration of the event; or
c. Multiple-day events that will not remove from the public area the event facilities or equipment.
(3) An event organizer that desires to have exclusive control or possession of public space upon which the event will be held may request a lease or license from the city, which the city is not obligated to grant.
(4)  A lease or license event shall be subject to the provisions of this article including applicable permitting and, in addition, the city may impose additional requirements in the lease or license including insurance, the posting of security, and indemnification requirements.
(5)  Leases or licenses for for-profit events may include use fees to be paid to the city by the event organizer for the use of the public space based on either a flat fee or percentage of gross event proceeds.
(6)  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this article, leases or licenses for for-profit events or alcoholic beverage licensed events may include provisions for cost recovery to be paid to the city for city event services.
(7)  The issuance of a lease or license shall not convert the space from a traditional public forum.
(d) Sound events.
(1)  Sound events are subject to the approval of the city's department of natural resources and event organizers shall be required to complete an application on forms provided by the city. The application will be processed by the department of natural resources in conjunction with the processing of the special permit application by the event administrator.
(2)  In approving sound events the department of natural resources may consider, among other relevant considerations, the proposed time, location, and duration of the event; secondary harms; whether there is a more suitable alternative location or time for the event; the affect the sound levels would have on the ability of the city to conduct crowd control; the likely hardship on the successful conduct of the event if the sound event is not approved; the history of citizens' noise complaints for the same or substantially similar events or locations; and the decibel level likely to be generated by the event.
(3)  In approving a sound event the department of natural resources may attach reasonable conditions which address the impact of the sound event, such as limiting the duration or time of the event, moving the event to a more suitable location or time, setting acceptable decibel levels for the event, and dictating the positioning and direction of the amplification equipment.
(e)  Private events.
(1)  For purposes of this subsection (e), the term private event means an organized event which is intended to be limited to an invited or select group of individuals including:
a.  Parties, reunions, ceremonies, fundraisers, and other social gatherings where guests are there by invitation only;
b.  Gatherings of friends or family;
c. Gatherings of members or guests of an organization;
d.  Gatherings for religious observances;
e.  Location shoots or tapings of films, photographs, commercials, or other similar audio or videotaped events;
f.  Events requiring paid admission or tickets; or
g. Events involving an official who has a security detail that requires the event to be private in order to assure security.
(2)  Nothing in this article shall be construed to prevent private events from limiting access or admission to the event to those for whom the private event is organized.
(3)  The status of an organized event as a private event under this subsection (e) shall not convert the public space into a private premises for purposes of the city's prohibition against drinking in a public place found in chapter 3 of this Code.
(f)  Extended events. Where an extended event is using the same or substantially similar public space that is a preferred location for another organized event and multiple events cannot reasonably be accommodated, the event administrator may apportion the time or public space between or among the organized events on an equitable basis, provided reasonable accommodation is made for the other event in reasonably close proximity to the preferred location.
(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Sec. 23-232. - Minor events.

(a) Permitting not required for minor events. Subject to the provisions of this section, for public spaces regulated by this article, minor events shall not be required to obtain a special event permit; provided, however, the event organizer may elect to obtain permitting in accordance with this article upon following the application procedures for a special event permit and the event shall, upon the issuance of an event permit, be considered to be a special event.
(b)  Conditions for minor events.
(1)  In the conduct of minor events, the event shall be subject to applicable provisions of this article that apply to organized events including section 23-203, general conditions, and section 23-205, revocation or termination of an event.

(2)  The use of public space by a minor event shall:
a. Be on a first-come-first-serve basis and shall be subordinate to prior uses of the same or a substantially similar public space and multiple uses cannot reasonably be accommodated; and
b. Not be conducted upon or in unreasonably close proximity to public property which is unavailable due to fire, casualty, acts of nature, scheduled construction or maintenance, or public emergency.

(3) In the case of minor events conducted on the sidewalk, as required of all organized event conducted on a sidewalk, minor events on a sidewalk shall be conducted generally at least ten feet apart from other organized events; provided, however, this separation requirement shall not prevent participants of other organized events when not actually participating in their own event from simply walking along that portion of the sidewalk left unencumbered by the minor sidewalk event.

(4) Participants in a minor event conducted on the streets or sidewalks shall proceed in an orderly fashion, observe all traffic signals when crossing a street, and otherwise obey the rules of the road, including, where applicable, Code of Ala. 1975, section 32-5A-215.

(5) Minor events conducted on the streets shall not have more than 25 vehicles at any one time during the conduct of the event.

(6)  For minor events on the sidewalk, such events shall be conducted in a manner that does not substantially inhibit the flow of pedestrian traffic upon the sidewalks.

(7)  Participants in a minor event shall use only the amount of public space reasonably necessary for the conduct of the event so that other minor events that want to hold an event in the same general area can be accommodated. The event administrator may require a reasonable adjustment in event conduct to accommodate multiple uses, including other organized events, of the public space.

(8)  Signage accessory to the event is allowed; provided, however, such signage shall not be affixed to or installed on public property, shall not be within the clear zone, and shall not be constructed or used so as to endanger public safety or interfere with others in their use of public property.

(9) Minor events shall be conducted in a manner that is consistent with the dedicated or intended use the public space occupied by the event and in a manner which does not interfere with or detract from the use of the public space by other persons or organized events, or pose an unreasonable risk to the public safety.
(c) If the conduct of an organized event that does not require permitting under this section creates a secondary harm or violates a condition applicable to a minor event, the event administrator shall have the right to require the elimination or modification of the condition creating the harm or the violation, or to otherwise proceed in accordance with section 23-205.
(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Sec. 23-233. - Application.

(a)Application. A person seeking issuance of a special event permit shall file an application during regular business hours with the event administrator on forms provided by the city.

(b)Application timing.

(1)Application deadlines. Subject to subsection (b)(4) concerning extended events, in order to facilitate advance planning for a special event, organizers may submit completed or conditional applications for a special event permit starting one year prior to the date of the event. In order to ensure that applications for a special event can be processed prior to the special event, the following event permit application deadlines for completed applications shall apply:
a.In the case of a minor event that is not required to be permitted but where the event organizer wants to obtain an event permit, the application deadline is no later than ten days before the date of the proposed event.
b.In the case of basic events, the application deadline is no later than 20 days before the date of the proposed event.c.In the case of enhanced events or lease events, the application deadline is no later than 30 days before the date of the proposed event.

(2)Late applications. Late applications received after the application deadlines noted above shall be accepted and processed by the event administrator prior to the date of the event if reasonably practicable under the circumstances given the proposed conduct of the event.

(3)Conditional applications. Conditional applications may be submitted in order to meet the application deadline, subject to the obtaining of the required approval, license, permit, or lease at least five business days prior to the start date of the event.

(4)Extended events. A completed or conditional application for an extended event may be submitted no earlier than 180 days prior to the first day of the event. Where multiple applications have been submitted for an extended event, the applications shall be treated as one application.(c)Applications processed in order of receipt. Completed or conditional applications will be processed in order of receipt. An application shall not be considered complete until all required information is provided. Where the event administrator cannot reasonably determine order of receipt, the administrator may conduct a random drawing to determine priority of use.

(d)Application information. The application for a special event permit shall include information consistent with the purpose of this article and in sufficient detail to allow for its administration, including, where appropriate, the following:
(1)The name and contact information of the event organizer and the person who will be in charge of the conduct of the event;
(2)If the special event is proposed to be conducted on behalf of an organization, a letter from that organization shall be required authorizing the event to be conducted on its behalf;
(3)A detailed description of the event;
(4)Logistical requirements of and specific plans for the event;
(5)Information demonstrating compliance with requirements or conditions for permit issuance;
(6)The expected source of event proceeds, including cash receipts, licensing, sponsorships, television, advertising, and other revenues or concessions, and the expected disbursement of those proceeds;
(7)A notarized statement that indicates permission has been obtained for the event's use of private property or property under the control or jurisdiction of any board, agency, or other governmental entity;
(8)A statement of any special circumstances which are material to the permit requested; and
(9)Such other relevant information as the event administrator may reasonably require in the administration of this article.

(e)Report. Within four weeks after the conclusion of the event, the event organizer shall provide an itemized report containing receipts and disbursements from the event, which report is subject to verification for accuracy by the city upon written request within 60 days after receipt of the report.

(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Sec. 23-234. - Insurance and indemnification.

(a)Insurance. In the case of enhanced events which are not required to obtain a lease but which the event administrator determines are reasonably likely to pose a risk to persons or property because of the conduct of the event, the event administrator may require the organizer, as a condition to permitting, to provide, at the time of the filing of a permit application, proof of bodily injury and property damage liability insurance written on an occurrence basis and naming the city, its officials, officers, employees, agents, contractors, and volunteers performing authorized city functions, as additional insureds, and covering the entire public area of the event for the duration of the event in a minimum amount of $100,000.00 for the injury to or death of any one individual and $300,000.00 for the injury to or death of any number of individuals in one occurrence, and property damage liability insurance in the amount of $100,000.00. Such policy shall insure both the city and the organizer but shall be so endorsed as to create the same liability on the part of the insurer as though a separate policy had been written for the city and the organizer. Such policy shall be issued by a company authorized to engage in the insurance business in the state and maintaining a Best rating of not less than "A."

(b)Indemnification. The organizer of a special event shall, at the time of making application for a special event permit and on forms provided by the city, agree to indemnify and hold harmless the city, its officials, officers, employees, agents, contractors, and volunteers performing authorized city functions, from and against any and all claims, costs, losses, expenses through appeal (including reasonable attorneys' fees, and costs or expenses incidental to the investigation of claims and lawsuits), demands, payments, suits, actions, recoveries, penalties, fines, liabilities, and judgments, of any nature and description, resulting from or arising out of the acts or omissions of the event organizer, its officers, servants, agents, contractors, or employees, or event participants, in connection with the conduct of the event.

(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Sec. 23-235. - Services criteria, fees, and costs.

(a)  Park fees. An event organizer shall pay at the time of the filing of an application for a special event permit any fees required for the use of any park amenities in accordance with the schedule of fees established by the city's recreation and landscape management department.

(b) City event services costs.
(1) City event services criteria. City event services, including the standard complement, will be assigned to or required for an organized event based on pre-established objective criteria related to event conduct that the event administrator determines as being reasonably necessary in order to address secondary harms and accommodate the logistical requirements of and specific plans for the event conduct. Organizers of special events shall work in good faith with the event administrator to try and achieve the least expensive alternative available consistent with the purpose of the proposed special event.

(2)Exclusion from provisioning of city services. The city shall not provide as a part of the provisioning of city event services for an organized event under this article services for over-night security of an event site, gate security, security for monies or valuables, carting or hauling of waste, and other services which are typically available on a private contractual basis. This subsection (b)(2) shall not be construed to prevent an event organizer from hiring city personnel on an off-duty or extra duty basis to provide such services.

(3)  Provisioning of city event services subject to availability. Notwithstanding anything in this article to the contrary, the provisioning of city event services, including the standard complement, shall be subject to the availability of such services for an event, including unavailability due to prior assignment, public emergency, equipment damage or repair, or scheduled maintenance. Where city event services, including the standard complement, are necessary for the conduct of the event but are unavailable, then the organizer of the special event may elect to modify the conduct of the event to eliminate the need for city event services, cancel the event, provide its own services subject to the approval of the police chief for public safety services, or reschedule the event to a time when city event services are available.

(4)  Reimbursement for city event services. Subject to section 23-231(c)(6):

a. Standard complement for special events. The city event services standard complement shall, subject to availability and as needed, be provided by the city without charge for special events, except for for-profit events.

b. City event services in excess of standard complement for enhanced events. Subject to the following subsection c., an organizer of an enhanced event shall be required to reimburse the city for the actual costs for city event services that are incurred by or on behalf of the city that are in excess of the standard complement. Prior to the commencement of the event, the event administrator will provide the organizer with an estimate of such costs; however, the city will not be bound by the estimate should it differ from the actual costs incurred by the city. In no case shall an event organizer be required to reimburse the city for the costs associated with providing city services based on the actual or anticipated conduct of nonparticipants.

c.  Early application for enhanced events. Except for for-profit events, an organizer of an enhanced event will not be required to reimburse the city for city event services in excess of the standard complement if the organizer has filed a completed or conditional application at least 120 days prior to the date the proposed event is scheduled to commence.

(5)  Where an event organizer desires city events services in excess of those suggested or required by the city based on the criteria set forth above in subsection (b)(1) of this section, the organizer shall be required to either, at the election of the event administrator, pre-pay the estimated costs of such services, which shall be adjusted as necessary once the actual costs have been determined, or reimburse the city for the actual costs of such services.

(c)  Restoration reimbursement costs.
(1)  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this section, if the event organizer fails to perform the organizer's restoration responsibilities in accordance section 23-203(a)(2), the city may perform or have performed the restoration work and invoice the event organizer for the restoration reimbursement costs. Within ten business days after the date of receipt of an invoice, an event organizer who has been invoiced by the city for the restoration reimbursement costs that disagrees with the reimbursement requirement or its amount may file a written objection with the event administrator stating the basis for the objection.

(2) The event administrator shall consider the objection and provide a new invoice sustaining the original amount, or modifying or eliminating the charge based on the objection.

(d)Deposit. At the time of permitting and as a condition to permit issuance the organizer of a special event may be required by the event administrator to post a refundable security deposit of no more than $100.00 for a minor event or basic event and no more than $500.00 for an enhanced event to cover any restoration reimbursement costs that might be incurred by the city. Such deposit, if required, must be required of all organizers of permitted events, or of only those event organizers which, in the past, have failed to perform their restoration responsibilities or have failed to pay restoration reimbursement costs to the city.

(e)  Non-event costs. In no case shall an organizer be required to reimburse the city for the costs associated with providing city services that are assigned by the event administrator based on the anticipated or actual conduct of nonparticipants in the event.

(f)Invoicing. The city shall provide an itemized invoice for any reimbursements owed to the city under this article, which shall be paid by the responsible person by the date stated in the invoice.

(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Sec. 23-236. - Recommendations.

The event administrator may obtain the recommendation of any city department that will be affected by the proposed special event. The event administrator will provide the date by which the recommendation is to be made and any recommendations not received by the due date will be deemed to have been favorable.

(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Sec. 23-237. - Processing application; grounds for denial.

(a)The event administrator shall make a decision on a completed application consistent with this article and as expeditiously as possible given the scope of the conduct of the event. The event administrator shall provide the organizer with notice of his decision and, if the event administrator must deny the application, he shall state in the notice the basis for denial.

(b)The application for a permit for the special event shall be granted unless one or more of the following conditions are found to exist:

(1)Application requirements. The application:a.Is incomplete in a material respect;b.Has been fraudulently completed;c.Is for an organized event that is not regulated by this article; ord.Is for a special event the proposed conduct of which does not comply with applicable law, including this article or other city laws.

(2)Prior conduct of organizer or organized event. The application is for an event organizer or organized event that:

a.Is in violation of the cancellation policies of section 23-231(b)(1);

b.Has on a prior occasion made a material misrepresentation in an application for a special event that has resulted in a significant secondary harm; or

c.Has on prior occasions failed to restore the public space or restore or replace damaged public property, or pay to the city the restoration reimbursement costs or other costs or fees due the city under this article.

(3)Location limitations. The proposed public space, or a portion of the space, cannot reasonably accommodate the proposed event due to:

a.Insufficient space or capacity;

b.A prior use of some or all of the same public space or a public space in reasonably close proximity to the space; orc.Unavailability because of fire, casualty, acts of nature, or public emergency.

(4)Non-curable secondary harms. The proposed conduct of the event would have secondary harms that cannot reasonably be cured, including unreasonable hardship to adjacent or nearby uses due to repeated or prolonged street closure; unreasonable interference with the use of the public space by other persons or organized events; or unreasonable demands on the city's resources because of unusual, extraordinary, or burdensome costs or expenses.

(5)Use of parks. The likely detrimental impact of the proposed event on the use and physical integrity of the park and its facilities or amenities taking into account such factors as:

a.The ability of the park to accommodate the conduct of the event;

b.The physical condition of the park;

c.The existence of reasonably available alternatives;

d.Conflicting uses of the park;

e.Secondary harms; or

f.The number of prior uses already scheduled for the park and the ability of the park to accommodate repeated uses without suffering material damage.

(6)Public safety. The proposed conduct of the event will be likely to have an impermissible impact upon public safety because it will:
a.Substantially interrupt the safe and orderly movement of traffic in the area of its route or location and there are insufficient public safety services available at the time to mitigate the disruption;
b.Require the diversion of so great a number of police officers of the city to properly police the area or route that will be occupied by the special event and contiguous areas so as to prevent normal police protection to the city;
c.Require the diversion of so great a number of ambulances and fire rescue units as to prevent normal ambulance and rescue service to portions of the city other than those areas or routes that will be occupied by the special event and contiguous areas;
d.Involve the concentration of persons, animals, floats, or vehicles at the assembly points of the event that will unduly interfere with proper fire and police protection of or ambulance service to areas contiguous to such assembly areas;
e.Interfere with the movement of firefighting equipment en route to a fire;
f.Fail to provide proper sanitation services; org.Otherwise pose an unreasonable risk to the public safety.

(7)Major arterials. The location requested is for a street that is a major arterial within the city limits, unless the magnitude of the event requires it and such an event cannot reasonably be accommodated elsewhere. This subsection (7) shall not apply to processions that merely cross a major arterial and that are not otherwise prohibited according to the terms of this article.(c)Alternative to denial. Should the event administrator have to deny a permit pursuant to this section and there are reasonable alternatives to the conduct of the event that are available and that would eliminate the basis for denial, the administrator shall propose the alternatives to the organizer who must accept those alternatives by providing a notice of its acceptance by the next business day following the organizer's receipt of the administrator's decision notice, otherwise the denial shall stand.

(d)Conditional approval.

(1)In the case of completed or conditional applications that have been filed more than 30 days in advance of the event, the event administrator may issue conditional approval for the event if the event is due to be approved except for one or more of the following pending items:a.Action being taken with regard to required approval, licensing, or permitting pursuant to other city laws or laws administered by the health department, or except for required leasing of the public space;b.Confirmation of the availability of city event services; orc.Confirmation that the public area requested for the event has not been scheduled for a state or city public building or works project, including improvement or infrastructure maintenance, repair, or construction.

(2)Issuance of a conditional approval shall mean that, except for the pending items, there are no conditions that are known to exist that would constitute a ground for denying the permit. Nothing in this subsection

(d) shall prevent the revocation of a permit in accordance with section 23-205.

(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Sec. 23-238. - Appeal of denial.

(a)Right of appeal. An organizer denied a special event permit may ask for a review of the decision by filing a written notice of appeal, stating the reason the denial should be overturned, with the event administrator within five business days following receipt of the event administrator's decision notice denying the permit. The appeal shall be heard and decided by the mayor's designee who shall schedule a hearing on the request within five business days following receipt of the notice of appeal. Should the time scheduled for the hearing cause a delay of the proposed event, an alternate date will be made available upon request and, should the public area requested be available and uncommitted, it will be reserved for the event, pending the outcome of the appeal. The organizer shall be given at least 24 hours' advanced notice of the hearing.

(b)Conduct of hearing. The organizer, or someone designated by the organizer to act on the organizer's behalf, shall appear at the hearing in person, and may be represented by counsel. Failure of the organizer, or the organizer's designee, to appear at the hearing shall be deemed to be a withdrawal of the appeal. The event administrator shall attend the hearing. The event administrator and the organizer, or the organizer's designee, shall have the right to be heard on the matter and present evidence in support of their respective positions. The mayor's designee shall uphold the decision of the event administrator if a ground for denial exists and, where appropriate, offer an alternative to denial in accordance with section 23-237

(c). The decision may be made at the conclusion of the hearing stating orally the reasons for the decision, or, by written notice by the close of the next business day following the close of the hearing and shall state the reasons for the decision. Failure of the mayor's designee to render a decision by the close of the next business day following the close of the hearing shall operate as an automatic upholding the event administrator's decision.(c)When review not available. In no event will a review lie under the provisions of this section for the denial of any permitting or licensing that is not issued under the authority of this article, including alcoholic beverage licensing, business licensing, technical and fire code permitting, and fireworks permitting.

(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Sec. 23-239. - Permit amendment.

(a) A special event organizer who wishes to materially modify the conduct of the event as authorized by the special event permit shall file a permit amendment application with the event administrator on a form provided by the city within the applicable time prescribed in section 23-233(b). The permit amendment application shall describe the proposed change in the conduct of the event with the same detail required by section 23-233(d) for the initial permit application and shall otherwise comply with the provisions of this article. The event administrator shall take action on the special event permit amendment application in accordance with the terms of this article. The notice of decision and hearing provisions set forth in this article also shall apply to applications for permit amendments.
(b) A non-material change to the event conduct of permitted special event that complies with this article may be made at any time prior to the start of the event by notifying the event administrator of the proposed change.
(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Sec. 23-240. - Contents.

Each permit issued under this article shall specify the restrictions, conditions, or limitations on event conduct as the event administrator may deem necessary for the administration of this article.

(Ord. No. 13-189, § 1, 5-9-2013)

Secs. 23-241—23-300. - Reserved.

. . .

Considerations

If your event will require extra-duty security from Huntsville Police, contact the HPD-Off Duty Police Coordinator at (256) 427-7157.

If your event will involve a large gathering of people or large sporting events, medical personnel are recommended to be on site. Contact HEMSI coordinator at (256) 518-2247.

If your event will involve the sale or cooking of food on-site, you will need to contact the Madison County Health Department for compliance with regulations and inspections at (256) 533-8746 or (256) 533-8726.

If your event will include the sale of goods or services or vendors selling items, contact the Clerk Treasurer for a Business License at (256) 427-5082.

If alcohol will be served at your event, you will need to contact the City’s Clerk-Treasurer for a Business License at (256) 427-5088. Research State of Alabama Beverage Control Enforcement Laws or contact a local ABI agent at (256) 726-0401.

If your event involves the use of pyrotechnics or fireworks you will need to contact Fire and Rescue at (256) 427-5334.

For information on the City of Huntsville Noise Ordinance compliance contact the Natural Resources Department at (256) 427-5750.

Small Towns of Limestone County

If you are planning events within the smaller towns of Limestone County, please contact them directly to find out what you may be required to do regarding parade permits, use permits, and health and safety.

Town of Ardmore
26494 1st Street
Ardmore, Alabama 35739

Phone: 256-423-2549
Fax: 256-423-6945

E-mail: townofardmore@ardmore.net

City of Ardmore
25844 Main St.
Ardmore, TN 38449

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 55 Ardmore, TN 38449

Phone: (931)427-2124
Fax: (931)427-8466

Town of Elkmont
18890 Upper Fort Hampton Road
Elkmont, Alabama 35620

Phone: 256-732-4211

The Richard Martin Rails-to-Trails is part of the Limestone County Park and Recreation system. The Veto Church and Mitchell-Coffman Park and Pavilion, at each trail head, is under their purview as well.

If you are considering using any portion of the trail in your event, contact:

Limestone County Park and Recreation
310 W. Washington Street Athens, AL 35611
Phone: (256) 216-3425
Fax: (256) 233-6403

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-4:30PM

Town of Mooresville
P.O. Box 42
Mooresville, AL 35649

Click for Wedding Information

Conditional Use Permit

mooresville_conditional-use-permit-application.pdf
File Size:	143 kb
File Type:	pdf

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Commercial Photography Forms

Commercial Photographer Terms & Condition and Permit Form

mooresville_commercial-photography-permit-terms-and-conditions.pdf
File Size:	14 kb
File Type:	pdf

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Commercial Photographers are required to have a Business Privilege License

mooresville_business-privilege-license-application.pdf
File Size:	9 kb
File Type:	pdf

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Limestone County Health Department

20371 Clyde Mabry Dr, Athens, AL 35611
(256) 232-3200

If your event will involve the sale or cooking of food on-site, you and your vendors will need to contact the Limestone County Health Department for regulations, restrictions, and fulfill any required inspection and permitting via Environmental Services.

Forms and Ordinances for Event Planners

​City of Athens, Alabama Ordinances

City of Madison - Annexed Limestone County

​City of Decatur - Annexed Limestone County

City of Huntsville - Annexed Limestone County

Small Towns of Limestone County

Limestone County Health Department

City of Athens, Alabama Ordinances

City of Decatur - Annexed Limestone County