Special Event organizers, along with their employees, officials, volunteers, participants, and invitees must comply with all applicable policies, laws, regulations, and the Fort Collins Municipal Code (City Code). Further, such organizers must also comply with the Terms and Conditions of the Special Event Permit.
The City of Fort Collins (City) reserves the right to deny Special Events that are deemed to be unsafe, unsuitable, or that do not abide by applicable policies, laws, regulations, or City Code.
Definitions
Throughout these Terms and Conditions, the following terms will have the following meanings:
- APPLICANT means the individual or organization identified in the Event Application.
- COORDINATOR shall mean the Special Event Coordinator or his or her designee
- CITY means City of Fort Collins.
- EVENT means the event identified in the Event Application.
- EVENT APPLICATION means the online application submitted, stipulating the location of the Site and related details of the event.
- FCPS means Fort Collins Police Services.
- PFA means the Poudre Fire Authority.
- POWER EQUIPMENT means generators, motorized equipment, refrigeration units, or amusement rides.
- RECYCLING means recyclable materials which include paper, aluminum, glass, plastic, and cardboard.
- SITE means the event location identified in the Event Application, including private property for which the Coordinator makes a specific finding regarding potential impacts to neighboring properties and traffic on public rights of way and sidewalks under Section 23.5-2 of the City Code.
- TERM means the period of time identified in the Event application.
- TRASH means all waste, refuse, and litter generated during the event.
ADA Compliance
All events are required to comply with all applicable City, County, State, and Federal Disability Access Requirements.
All goods, activities, services, and benefits of the event (the "Amenities") that are available to other members of the public must be made accessible to people with disabilities. If any portion of the event Amenities cannot be made accessible, an alternate area shall be provided with accessibility to the same Amenities that are offered in the inaccessible area. The Amenities cannot be offered only to patrons with disabilities.
Access to Amenities offered may include, but is not limited to: concerts/shows, parking, restrooms, portable toilets, telephones, clear paths of travel, transportation, signage, vendor/booth goods, water fountains, shelter, first aid stations, and any other common Amenities. If all Amenities are not accessible in a public area, a map or program must be provided identifying where they are accessible.
Alcohol
Applicant will not bring or consume or distribute any alcoholic beverages at the Site except with the City's prior written consent and a valid Special Event Liquor Permit issued pursuant to Chapter 3, Article III, Section 3-83.5 of the City Code. The Applicant will ensure that its officers, employees, contractors, subcontractors, licensees, and permittees comply with the Terms and Conditions of the Special Event Liquor Permit. Applicant will be required to describe how the perimeter of the event will be established (roping, fence, etc.), and how the applicant will keep alcohol from being removed from the event location. For more information on Liquor Licensing, click here.
Amplified or Live Sound
Events with amplified music or announcements are subject to the City's noise code provisions in Chapter 20, Article II. The Applicant will not broadcast music or other amplified sound on the Site without obtaining a Noise Variance. A Noise Variance may be requested by contacting Community Development & Neighborhood Services. For the Noise Ordinance Variance Form, visit: http://www.fcgov.com/specialevents/pdf/noise-variance-form.pdf.
Events held in Civic Center/Washington Park may only have amplified sound from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm Sunday through Thursday.
Otherwise, amplified sound may occur only from 9:00am to 10:00pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 9:00am to 8:00pm on Sunday through Thursday.
During the Event, Code Compliance Officers from the Community Development and Neighborhood Services Department must be allowed access within the event for purposes of monitoring sound levels. For large events, at the City's discretion, there may be a requirement for Code Compliance Officers to monitor sound levels, and a fee to cover the cost. A Code Compliance officer who determines the level of noise from the event exceeds allowable levels may issue a citation for a civil infraction violation.
Application Submission and Review
The permitting process begins as soon as an Applicant submits a Special Event Permit Application online. When the status of the application changes from "Submitted" to "Under Review", the Special Event Office has begun review of the application. If more information is needed during review, the event Applicant will be notified. Once the application is approved and all fees/deposits are collected, and required attachments have been received, the applicant will receive a Special Event Permit for the event via email.
Applications will be reviewed by FCPS, Safety, Security & Risk Management, PFA, Parks, Traffic Operations, and other appropriate departments as determined by the Coordinator prior to approval. This review process may require additional time if questions and/or problems with the application arise.
"As Is" Site Acceptance
The Applicant acknowledges that the City has made no representations or warranties as to the state of repair of the Site, the safety of the Site, the stability or state of the soil thereon, or the suitability of the Site for any business, activity or purpose whatsoever. The Applicant accepts the Site "as is". The City will not be obliged to furnish any services, utilities or facilities, or to make repairs or alterations in or to the Site, except as specified herein.
Cancellation
The City reserves the right to cancel, postpone, or reschedule the Event with 48 hours prior notice to the Applicant, other than in the case of an emergency or the existence of other conditions (including adverse weather and site conditions), in which case the City may cancel the Event with less notice. In the event of such emergency, the City will refund to the Applicant any fees paid to date or attempt to reschedule the event to a new date.
The City reserves the right to cancel, postpone, or reschedule the Event, or revoke a permit, if the Applicant fails to comply with these Terms and Conditions. In such event, the Applicant is not entitled to a refund of any fees paid, and the Applicant may be liable to pay any additional costs incurred by the City due to the cancellation.
Applicant may cancel, postpone, or reschedule the event with 48 hours prior notice to the City, other than in the case of an emergency or the existence of other conditions (including adverse weather and site conditions), to a date mutually agreed upon by the City and the Applicant. All fees and deposits paid will be returned to Applicant, or applied to the rescheduled event application.
Compliance
Special Event organizers, along with their employees, officials, volunteers, participants, and invitees, must comply with all applicable policies, laws, regulations, and the Fort Collins Municipal Code (City Code). Further, such organizers must also comply with the Terms and Conditions of the Special Event Permit.
The City reserves the right to deny Special Event Permit applications for events that are deemed to be unsafe, unsuitable, or that do not abide by applicable policies, laws, regulations, or City Code.
Event Contingency and Emergency Response Plan
Events may be required to complete an Emergency Contingency and Emergency Response plan for severe weather, medical emergencies, and other emergency situations. Applicants may be required to complete and submit the City's Event Contingency and Emergency Response form. This information will be shared with the Emergency Management Team in case it is needed in an emergency situation during the event.
Fees
The Applicant will pay all security deposits and rental fees as provided in the Application and in the Special Event Permit Guidelines, prior to issuance of the Special Event Permit.
Fireworks
If fireworks or other pyrotechnic displays are to be a part of the Event, the Applicant will contract with a Fireworks Display Operator licensed by the State of Colorado. The Application for a Display Permit must be submitted by the Display Operator to PFA for review. The Application to Display Permit from PFA does not automatically grant permission to shoot fireworks at the event. Other permits may be required, and the location of the event will be a determining factor in approving or denying fireworks at the event.
Indemnification agreement
Prior to the issuance of an event permit, unless the applicant is the City, the Coordinator shall require the applicant and authorized officer of the applicant's organization (if any) to sign an agreement for the permittee to reimburse the City for any costs incurred by it in repairing damage to City property occurring in connection with the permitted event proximately caused by the actions of the permittee, its officers, employees or agents, or any person who was under the permittee's control. All applicants, except those that are public entities, shall also agree to defend the City against, and indemnify and hold the City harmless from, any liability to any persons resulting from any damage or injury occurring in connection with the permitted event proximately caused by the actions of the permittee, its officers, employees or agents, or any person who was under the permittee's control. Persons who merely join in an event are not considered by that reason alone to be "under the control" of the permittee.
Insurance
Proof of General Liability insurance coverage is required for most special events occurring on City property. City produced events, and neighborhood block parties are exempt from this requirement. The Coordinator in consultation with the Safety, Security & Risk Management office shall determine whether to require such insurance, and the amount of insurance that shall be required, based upon the considerations routinely taken into account by the City in evaluating loss exposures, including, without limitation, whether the event poses a substantial risk of damage or injury due to the anticipated number of participants, the nature of the event and activities involved and the physical characteristics of the proposed site or route. Such insurance shall name on the policy or by endorsement as additional insureds the City, its officers, employees and agents.
A minimum of $1 million per occurrence liability policy with the City of Fort Collins listed as "additionally insured" is required before an Event Permit will be approved. Higher amounts may be required based on the event. The event name and dates should also be on the certificate, and the policy must be current through the event date.
Notification to Surrounding Neighborhoods and Businesses
All events involving street closures and/or amplified sound that may exceed the City's noise code provisions are required to notify the surrounding neighborhoods and businesses impacted by the event in advance. The notification must provide the following information:
- Date, time, location, and name of event
- On-site contact information
- Event hours (load in and load out times)
- Street closures
- Amplified sound hours (if applicable)
- A site plan or route map attached
Confirmation of such advanced notice must be provided to the City no less than five business days before the Event.
Neighborhood block parties that involve closure of a street are required to notify and obtain signatures of residents whose access to private property will be blocked or limited due to the event on the Residents' Notice for Street Closure/Blockage Form. This includes driveways, sidewalks, and walkways leading onto residential, or other private property impacted by the closure. The purpose of obtaining these signatures is to ensure that neighboring residents are notified of the street closure prior to the block party. The applicant is required to submit the Residents' Notice for Street Closure/Blockage form prior to approval of the permit.
Permitted Use
The Applicant will use the Site only for the Event as described in the Application and for no other purpose without the City's prior written consent. The Applicant will not prune, cut, plant, damage, or remove vegetation without prior written permission from the City.
Restoration
The Applicant will remove any equipment, materials, installations or other objects from the Site on or before the expiry or sooner termination of the Term. If the Applicant fails to do so, the City may, at its option, remove any such remaining equipment, materials, installations or other objects and store the same at the sole cost and liability of the Applicant, provided that if the Applicant does not recover such items and compensate the City for any reasonable removal or storage costs therefore thirty (30) days after receipt of written notice to do so, the City may, at its option, dispose of such items and retain the proceeds, if any, pursuant to City policies, without liability for any damage to or loss of any such items.
Restrooms
Depending on the scope and size of the event, Applicant must provide portable restroom facilities as follows: 150 guests per portable unit. ADA compliant accessible portable restrooms must be provided.
Safety/Security
FCPS will work closely with Applicant to review the security needs for the event. Depending on the size, scope, location or other public safety related considerations of the event, Police Services may require officers or professional security personnel on-site during the event to protect the safety of people and property. Applicant will be notified of the requirements for police personnel and will be responsible for the cost of those officers.
The Applicant must designate a contact person with decision making authority who will be continuously available to law enforcement personnel and present at the event.
PFA may charge large events for services, including but not limited to, on-site walk through, plan review, on-site incident command, on-site emergency care, and fire prevention. The cost of staffing PFA personnel for the event will be the responsibility of the Applicant.
Sale of Food, Beverage, or Merchandise
Individual vendors selling or distributing food, beverage, or merchandise at the event are not required to obtain an Outdoor Vendor License if a Special Event Permit has been issued for the event. The Applicant must provide the City Sales Tax Office with a written list of all authorized vendors at the Event.
Any person who intends to sell any goods or services on the Site must first obtain a Sales Tax License from the City's Sales Tax Office. Each individual vendor will be required to have their own Sales Tax License. The signed license must be displayed and easily visible on the vendor(s) equipment while at the event. The Applicant is responsible for ensuring that the vendors participating in the event comply with these requirements.
If non-packaged food is being sold at the Event, The Applicant must direct the vendors to complete the Larimer County food vendor application.
All vendors at the event who cook or heat food with any flames or deep frying, must comply with the regulations set forth by the PFA. These vendor requirements are listed on PFA's website, and a copy must be distributed by the Applicant to each of the event's vendors prior to the beginning of the event.
Site Plan/Route Map
An aerial, clearly detailed site plan (for fixed events) or route map (for moving events) must be provided with an Event Application. Event Applications that do not contain clear and accurate maps cannot be approved.
To ensure appropriate review of the Event, Applicants are encouraged to submit a site plan/route map electronically in (PDF) Portable Document Format. Applicants should refer to the Site Plan Checklist for site plan requirements and the Route Map Checklist for route map requirements. Omission of any checklist elements constitutes an incomplete site plan. The site plan must be scaled to accurately represent the location of each element of the Event. Route maps should be prepared using a route mapping program like GPSie, PlotARoute.com or RaceEntry.com, or another program as designated by the Coordinator.
Smoking
The Applicant will prohibit smoking at the Event in accordance with Chapter 12, Article III of the City of Fort Collins Municipal Code. All smoking is prohibited at events permitted by the City, on City owned property, or in the downtown Fort Collins Smoke-Free Zones. More information on Smoking in Fort Collins, including a map, can be found here.
Staking and Utility Locates
Any staking into the ground deeper than 6" will require a call to the Utility Notification Center of Colorado for Utility Locates (811 or 1-800-922-1987). The Applicant will provide electrical power required for the purposes of the Event. Electricity may be used from sources within City parks subject to permission from the City Parks Department.
The Applicant must schedule a meeting with City Parks staff at least two weeks prior to the date of the event to determine irrigation line locates, electrical needs, water needs, and to discuss any other potential problems associated with the event. Failure to timely schedule and attend this meeting may result in revocation of the Special Events Permit. For the Parks Department, call 970-221-6660.
Tents, Inflatables, and Temporary Structures
The Applicant must obtain a Tent Permit from PFA if the Event will have tents, or other air supported membrane structures greater than 400 square feet (20' x 20'), or any canopy over 700 square feet.
Tents and other structures may not be erected at Civic Center Park until after 5:30pm on a Friday night unless otherwise approved by City of Fort Collins and Larimer County.
Trash, Recycling and Post Event Cleanup
The City requires a recycling and waste management plan for all events applying for a Special Event Permit.
At a minimum, such plan shall provide that the Applicant will dispose of all garbage generated by the Event daily and immediately after the completion of the Event. The Event Site must be left in a clean and safe condition, and otherwise in the same or better condition than prior to the Event.
The Applicant is responsible for providing appropriate recycling containers. Examples of recyclable materials include paper, aluminum, glass, plastic, and cardboard. If applicable, the Applicant will also provide appropriate containers for the disposal of grease and oil and dispose of such material as required by Trash and Recycling Municipal Code.
The Site must be cleaned, including power washing if necessary, following the City's Storm Water Policies and Procedures, and all event items must be removed, including trash/recycling containers, power equipment, portable toilets, etc., by the next day of business no later than 6:00 a.m.
Work Area Traffic Control Plan
Events involving street or lane closures, including but not limited to, marches, parades, runs, walks, and bike rides, require a Special Event Permit, Work Area Traffic Control Plan, Work Area Traffic Control Plan Approval form, and a site plan or route map. The Traffic Control Plan and Approval form must be emailed to FCWATC@fcgov.com from the traffic control company providing equipment for the Event. It is the Applicant's responsibility to provide traffic control devices for the Event, obtained from a professional traffic control company, at the Applicant's expense.
For the safety of participants and spectators, all events that utilize city streets may be required to provide fixed traffic control devices, volunteer course marshals/traffic monitors, paid traffic flaggers, or off-duty police officers. Requirements will be determined based on the size, scope, and impacts of the event.
If there are street closures, PFA requires an emergency access path of no less than 20' wide be maintained free and clear of all immovable objects on streets and fire apparatus access roads at all times during the event. Traffic control devices may be placed on public streets to prevent traffic from crossing, but cannot block emergency travel. If traffic control devices are used, Applicants must ensure staff is available to remove barricades, should emergency travel be necessary.
Proceed to Event Application