Grosse Pointe City’s special event ordinance amended and clarified

GROSSE POINTE CITY — Want to hold an event on public property in Grosse Pointe City? Be prepared to plan ahead.

With 2025 fast approaching, the city recently updated its special event ordinance. City Manager Joseph Valentine said the city “wants to enforce” an existing requirement calling for special event applications to be submitted to the city at least 75 days in advance “to make sure we have sufficient (time) to review” the application and have officials from Public Safety and the Department of Public Works weigh in as well.

“This is to try to clarify the process we have … as well as the intentions behind the (ordinance) language,” Valentine told the Grosse Pointe City Council at a meeting Nov. 18.

“How often do last-minute things come up?” Mayor Sheila Tomkowiak asked.

“Quite frequently,” Valentine responded.

The city would maintain the power to waive the 75-day rule at its discretion.

Valentine said the city also plans to “start tracking our operation costs” with regard to special events.

“At the end of the day, are we subsidizing more than we should?” Valentine said.

That’s one of the elements officials are expected to consider during the year to come.

There’s a new provision that allows city administrators to make any changes they deem necessary on the day of the event “to ensure public health, safety and welfare is maintained,” the ordinance reads.

Another new provision states that event organizers might be required to send notice to adjoining properties, if directed to do so by city administration. Valentine said this would most likely apply to a “substantial event” that could impact neighboring properties.

Events organized by the city are exempt from the application, Valentine said.

Certain events may be classified as being co-sponsored by the city, such as the Grosse Pointe Santa Claus Parade. Events organized by the Grosse Pointe City Downtown Development Authority, such as the outdoor concert series Music on the Plaza, would also be considered to be co-sponsored by the city.

The council voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance amendments.

“I thought the (ordinance) language proposed added helpful clarifications,” City Councilwoman Maureen Juip said.

Valentine said city staff would be sending a letter to all 2024 event sponsors letting them know about the ordinance revisions so that they’ll be prepared when they submit their applications for events in 2025.