2014 2:00:00 PM

Monday, May 12, 2014 2:00 PM
Sparks City Hall, Legislative Bldg, Council Chambers, 745 4th St., Sparks

General Business: 6.9

Title: Consideration and possible direction to initiate amendments to Title 9 Section 9.34.083 and Title 5 Section 5.08.020 regarding the vendor permitting process and other sections as necessary.

Petitioner/Presenter: Tracy Domingues, Parks & Recreation Director/Francine Burge, Special Events Supervisor

Recommendation: Staff recommends that City Council direct staff to prepare and bring forward amendments to Title 9 Section 9.34.083 and Title 5 Section 5.08.020 regarding the vendor permitting process and other sections as necessary.

Financial Impact: $18,000 estimated revenue based on vendors at events in FY14.

Business Impact (Per NRS 237):
A Business Impact Statement is not required because this is not a rule.

Agenda Item Brief: This agenda item provides City Council the opportunity to direct staff to prepare and bring forward the Council’s consideration of amendments to Title 9 Section 9.34.083 and Title 5 Section 5.08.020 regarding the vendor permitting process and other sections as necessary. Staff recommends approval.

Background: Currently Sparks Municipal Code 5.08.020 requires any person intending to do business within the City of Sparks to obtain a business license. The business license code allows the City to collect licensing fees from businesses conducting business within the City of Sparks, ensure that businesses are properly insured and that the businesses otherwise meet the minimum statutory requirements for doing business. There is no provision within the code, as there are in many cities, for a temporary business license specifically for events. In FY 2014, there were over 41 events with hundreds of vendors selling items as part of the festivities. Due to the nature of special events, the large number of vendors, and the transient nature of those vendors, enforcement of the business license requirement has become inefficient, impracticable, and overly difficult. Therefore the City has been losing potential revenue. For example some vendors only travel to Sparks for one event and during Hot August Nights and Rib Cook Off the large number of vendors would cripple the business licensing department with an overload of permit requests in a short time frame.

Analysis: In order to collect fees from vendors in the most efficient and reasonable manner for the City of Sparks and each event producer, Staff requests that it be given direction to add to Section 9.34.083 language that creates a temporary vendor license for special events. This license would only be in effect during the specific special event and only for those events occurring on public property. Additionally, Staff requests that as part of this amendment that it be directed to amend Section 5.08.020 of the business license code in order to create an exemption to the business license requirement. These permits will allow the vendors to do business as part of a special event and allow the City to efficiently and reasonably collect a fee from the vendors through the Parks and Recreation Department.

Alternatives: 1. City Council could direct staff to prepare and bring forward amendments to Title 9 Section 9.34.083 and Title 5 Section 5.08.020 as outlined by staff. 2. City Council could reject the initiation and provide direction to the City Manager.

Recommended Motion: I move to approve/direct staff to prepare and bring forward amendments to Title 9 Section 9.34.083 and Title 5 Section 5.08.020 regarding the vendor permitting process and other sections as necessary.

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